Before I could walk in Luke scooped me up and carried me into the room.
“Silly human traditions,” I smiled.
“What time is it?” Luke asked, setting me down.
“Around...eight o’clock.”
He touched my cheek, “You look absolutely exhausted, love. We should go to sleep.”
I smiled, “I am exhausted.”
“Like I said, sleep.”
I yawned, “Yes, we both should sleep. We’re both still...recovering.”
I went to my closet and changed, but it took me a minute because I was unfamiliar with where everything was. By the time I came out Luke was sound asleep.
I curled up in his arms and fell asleep.
~~~~~
The next morning I woke to Luke staring at me. He hadn’t bothered propping himself up this time. He was just staring at me curled up against him.
“You’re beautiful when you sleep,” he whispered, pulling a loose curl from my face.
“Oh, so I’m ugly when I’m awake,” I hit him with a pillow.
He smiled, “How about peaceful? Does that work? You just don’t look worried or scared or angry or sad. You just look happy and peaceful.”
I smiled, but it disappeared quickly, “One more thing and no more worried or scared or angry or mad.”
“What?”
“We have to kill the First Obliviator. We have to get Allie’s Light Stone from him and I want to be the one to do it. I think I can control myself if you’re there.”
“Leigha, I can have him searched now and an executioner can kill him later.”
“No, I have to do this. Please understand.”
He nodded, “I do.”
“Thanks,” I rolled out of the bed, “I’m gonna go change.”
He nodded and got up to. I went into the bathroom and tugged on a pair of beat up jeans and a tank top. I pulled on my boots and was tying my hair back when he came into the closet.
“I’m going to have guards there so you don’t lose control,” he was leaning against the door frame.
I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, “I’ll try not to.”
He pulled me up to kiss him.
I smiled, “It won’t matter, in the end. He’ll be dead anyway.”
~~~~~
Later that day we went to go visit the First Obliviator. He was in a large room and guards where stationed everywhere. He looked terribly haggard. He was thin and hanging from chains on the wall and he desperately needed a shower.
I didn’t even feel like I was loosing control. I walked right up to him, “Where’s her stone?” I growled.
He looked like he had given up so completely that he couldn’t even talk.
“Search him,” I ordered.
After five minutes of searching they found the stone.
“Take it to Claire, one of you. Tell her I’ll be there to revive Allie soon,” I said.
One of them nodded and left the room. I unsheathed a guards sword and used it to bring the First Obliviator’s face to look at me. His eyes were lifeless and dead looking, but he was still alive. I could see his breath condensing on the sword’s shiny surface.
“Any last words?” I teased, knowing he would say something.
All of the sudden his eyes glassed over and his head lifted so he was looking me straight in the eye. He looked like Marie had when she’d been reciting the Call of the Dark. His voice had that same tone, too, “You may have me, but the Dark King is who you should be more worried about. He holds the power and he’s after you now. He had your mother and her mother and her mother and her mother before that. You’ll be next. You’ll be next.”
And then, without me even pushing the sword through his neck he died.
I gasped and dropped the sword and stepped back shaking my head. Luke put his arm around my waist.
“Let’s go,” he said.
I nodded and we left for the Comatasis Care Room.
Once we were inside I rushed to Allie. Claire immediately handed me Allie’s Light Stone and I clipped the chain back around Allie’s neck before kneeling at her side. I wrapped my hand around the stone and whispered, “Restore the light in this Creature of the Light.” I repeated it several times, feeling the magic flow through me into Allie.
Suddenly, she gasped and blinked open her eyes. I jumped up in surprised happiness as Allie breathed heavily, having practically come back from the dead.
When she sat up, I hugged her tightly. “Oh, Allie!” I cried.
Allie pulled away and looked around. When she saw Alex she flew out of the bed, practically tackling Alex to the ground. They were both laughing and crying.
When they finally pulled apart Allie looked at me and smiled. “I’m glad to be back. And, you know, I wasn’t in pain.”
“Thank the Light for that. Don’t ever leave again.”
Luke and Allie said, “I won’t,” at the same time.
I turned to Luke and smiled, “I wouldn’t let you.”
He picked me up and kissed me.
Epilogue
Now is the part where I wish I could say we’re living happily ever after, but we’re not. We live in fear of this “Dark King” though he has yet to show himself. Luke never leaves my side. The good news is, if he really is gone we don’t have to worry about him. I know he infected my mother’s mind and her. Just by her having his child he contaminated the rest of my family. My two brothers, Claire, and I all have that little bit of Darkness in us. Now, he wants to do that to me, too.
I pray we’ll never hear from him and it’s been a year now and we’ve heard from no Darks. Maybe they’re gone or maybe they’re reforming. We hope they’re gone, but I didn’t kill my sister, Leila, so she’s still out there and so is the Dark King, whoever he is.
Soon, though, we’ll have a young daughter. She won’t be contaminated by the Dark despite what the man who killed Cece said. At least the next queen won’t be contaminated. Maybe she’ll be the one to defeat the Dark King. We’ll just have to wait and find out.
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The Last Light Page 16