Chapter 26: Chapter 26

“Wake up, Paris, I have to get rid of you,” Avyanna’s voice came sharply to my ears. “Please, wake up. I need to get this over with.”

I opened my eyes and saw her staring at me with a frown on her face. “What is it?”

“You need to prepare for the end of your life,” she said and at first, I thought she was joking but the hard look on her face showed she was anything but that.

My eyes widened immediately as I sat up straighter. “Excuse me, I was under the impression that I was not going to be killed today.”

“Too bad. There’s been a change in plans. Leon has found out where we are, can’t say I’m surprised, and she would rather have you dead than back with him.”

“You can’t…don’t do that,” I said feeling fear take over me. I didn’t want to die. “I’ll do anything.”

She finally showed another emotion and this time, I could see that it was sadness. “I wish I could help you but she gave me these orders and if I don’t follow them, I might as well just die and get it over with.” I sighed. “I’m going to untie you now but first; I have to do something.”

She walked up to me and placed a hand on my stomach. Her eyes shut as she said, “Litrika miliun inyinga tabanshi tumil a ko watriso.”

I was about to ask what she said, because it sounded like she was going crazy, but I suddenly felt a pain in my stomach and I screamed immediately. I felt like something was burning me there and I had no idea what it was. The pain stopped in nearly a minute but I noticed that whenever I tried to move, it hit me immediately and made it so hard to do anything.

Tears came to my eyes as I whispered the one question on my mind. “Why?”

“I’m sorry,” she said as always and a large flaming sword appeared in her hands. “She asked for it to be done this way so your soul will return to her. I’m so sorry.”

I would have closed my eyes and welcomed the impact if I didn’t see Leon standing behind her, his face holding the one emotion that I had never seen it hold: anger. The moment I saw him behind her, I was finally able to laugh. I didn’t expect it to sound so maniacal and unhinged. Avyanna took a step back with widened eyes. Only two more and she’ll be hitting him.

“What?” she snapped.

My laughter died and I managed to catch my breath and set my gaze on her, the grin never leaving my face. “Nothing, really. I just wanted to congratulate you. You’ve managed to do something in 20 minutes that I haven’t been able to do in 20 years.” Another giggle bubbled up in my throat. “And girl, it is gonna cost you a whole lot.”

“Oh?” she cocked an eyebrow and sneered, but there was something uncertain that now flickered between her dark eyes. “And what’s that?”

The joy faded from my face and I hoped the look I gave her was as deadly as it felt. “You made Leon mad.”

Realization crossed her face but it was already too late and before she could swing the sword in her hand, Leon caught it and dematerialized it then dropped what was left of it on the floor. Avyanna’s eyes widened as his hands wrapped around her neck. I wanted to shout for him to leave her but I couldn’t. It was almost like someone purposely wanted to be quiet.

There was this fury I had never see in Leon’s eyes and I thought he was going to kill her immediately but he said, “I won’t kill you.” He released her and she fell to the floor instantly. “You know how well I keep my promises and I’m promising you this, Avyanna, if you harm one hair on her head again, I will end you. And I will do so smiling while I bathe in your blood. I promise you that.”

She started coughing and glared at him and for someone who had nearly been killed, she said rather confidently, “You seem to forget who you’re dealing with.”

“And you seem to forget who my father is,” he said, his eyes turning to slits for a minute then returning back to normal. “Leave before I lose control and kill you like I desperately want to do.”

“She will come back for her,” Avyanna threatened and walked away.

Leon’s fists tightened and he turned to me, his eyes softening as he ran towards me, falling on his knees and wrapping me in a hug. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

I leaned into his hug and suddenly, I felt better. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s better you weren’t there because I have a feeling you would have been hurt again.”

He pulled away from me and his eyes landed on the bruise that had formed from Avyanna’s punch and his grey orbs darkened.

“I’m supposed to be a king one day,” he said, tears in his eyes, “I’m supposed to protect a nation and I can’t even protect you.” He raised a hand to my face, ghosting across the bruise. “Is this what happened? Why did she take you?”

I didn’t really have an idea but from what I formed I knew it would only make Leon worry even more so I said, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter! Tell me what happened. That’s an order,” he snapped. “Oh, so you’re throwing orders now?”

“I didn’t mean…” he roared in frustration. “Please, tell me. As your friend, your best friend.”

I gulped and looked down, Avyanna’s words coming into my head, backing away from his touch.

“As your friend might be the problem,” I said, barely audible. “You’re a prince, an inhuman prince, and I’m a commoner to people like you. A nobody. We’re not kids anymore and it’s time for me to know my place.”

“Know your place?” he echoed and took deep breaths trying to stay calm. “What do you mean by know your… the bruise. This is why isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter. I just want to go home and have a long peaceful night,” I said with a sigh trying hard not to let Avyanna’s words take over me especially when I knew she didn’t mean them. Or at least I thought so.

“We need to talk about this,” he said, crossing arms.

“Can we skip to the part where you take me back home and save the day and I get to, I don’t know, swoon?”

“You’re not going to talk?” “Not now, not ever.”

He sighed and began to untie me but I could tell that he wasn’t happy with my silence. I wanted to say something, anything, but I didn’t. I just waited until I was free from all the ropes and rubbed my wrists together.

I tried to stand up but the moment I did, I fell and luckily, Leon caught me in his arms. I smiled to show him that I was grateful and tried to stand on my own but he shook his head and picked me up bridal style.

The walk out of the place wasn’t that long and the moment the light outside hit my dace, I shut my eyes because I wasn’t prepared for the impact. I slowly opened my eyes as Leon placed me in the car and I noticed that where we were was pretty deserted. I was actually wondering if were still in Atham City or somewhere else.

As if sensing my confusion, Leon said, “We’re in Springmead one of the many towns on the outskirts of Atham City.” I nodded as he started the engine. “It’s going to be a long drive and I’d have gone first but you don’t look exactly…”

“Don’t finish that statement,” I said and he chuckled. “Has Emrys been found?”

“Immediately we realized you were gone, we found him unconscious in front of the house. He couldn’t remember what had happened,” Leon said with a slight shrug and I nodded as I tried to find a position, I could be comfortable in. “We’ll have to go to Amara’s house first. You’re in too much pain.”

“She didn’t hurt me. She only punched me once,” I said purposely omitting the thing Avyanna had done to me before he came.

“Are you sure?” “Of course.”

“You promise that you are okay?” I nodded even though I wasn’t sure he saw it. “Are you sure you don’t want to be checked up even for a little while?”

“I’m sure because I know I’m fine. I’m just tired and the floor isn’t exactly soft enough to provide the desired amount of rest,” I said, rolling my eyes, and it wasn’t entirely a lie. I had been sleeping on the floor and it caused my bones to be weak and all that.

“I hope so,” he muttered.

I closed my eyes. “What’s going to happen to Avyanna now?”

“Nothing you can change,” he said with a curt tone.

“Don’t do anything to her, Leon,” I whispered. “She didn’t want to hurt me. I know it. Someone is making her do it.”

“She’s still a traitor.”

“She didn’t have a choice.” “There’s nothing I can do.”

“Leon,” I said with a sigh, slightly opening my eyes before sliding them shut again, “please I’m sure she’s a good person.”

He scoffed. “Good and she can hurt you? Please. Whatever happens to her, she has it coming.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“What’s even more unbelievable is that you still think she’s a good person.”

“Everyone is both good and bad. It just depends on what side you let win,” I said with a slight groan when I couldn’t sit without feeling the pain from whatever it was Avyanna did.

Leon momentarily glanced my way. “Are you okay?”

I sighed. “I am. It’s just…I’m just seeing how tough life is for the first time and I’m afraid, I’m not handling it well.”

“Life is tough, my darling, but the good thing is you are tough too.” I smiled at him and leaned back in the seat.

“Happy endings are temporal.”

A tingle coursed over my scalp, causing my body to stiffen. She was doing it again. I could feel her in my head, digging through my thoughts the way I’d rummage through a supermarket’s clearance bin and I sighed, so heavy that I could feel it.

“Are you okay?”

I opened my eyes and said, “I really don’t know. Maybe when I’m sleeping, I will be fine.”

He took his right hand away from the steering wheel and took my left hand in it. He gave me a light squeeze and smiled at me. It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost him in giving it to me, but like the morning light, it scattered the night and made the day worth living. I smiled back and closed my eyes, letting sleep take me away.

***

“Paris, we’re back,” Leon’s voice came so softly and I woke up almost immediately. I’d been having a dream of Avyanna trying to kill me again and his waking me up came at a right time. “You look shocked. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just a stupid nightmare,” I said with a small smile so that it would reassure him but it didn’t seem to be working. “Look, I’m completely fine. There’s nothing to bother your little mind about.”

He still looked unsure but he sighed and said, “Okay, then, let’s get you inside.”

He came down from the car and came to my side to open it and pick me up in his hands bridal style like he had done when I couldn’t walk out of the warehouse place. He shut the door of the car with his leg and walked up the steps to the door to Brielle’s house.

Before he could even try to ring the doorbell, Brielle opened the door and looked at me with swollen tear-filled eyes. She noticed Leon carrying me and made way for us to get inside and I noticed that the house was slightly full with my friends. Even Ryker was there.

“It’s so good to see you alive, Paris,” Ryker said with a small smile and he stood up, walking past us to leave the house.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head slightly knowing that he had only come to see if I was alive and decided that I would talk to him later. Everyone, especially Hiro, began to apologize for not taking what I was saying seriously and at first, I’d tried to tell them that it was fine but they weren’t listening to that and I had to go through their interrogation. Even Leon seemed tired.

Everything was a blur after that because I remember falling asleep in Leon’s arms during their interrogation. I wasn’t sure if it was Leon but someone took me back to my room and laid me on the bed. The moment my head hit the soft pillows; I was completely gone into dreamland.