Taken [Zayn Malik]

ch.36 FINALE

"No" I shook my head. 

We were going to die her, all of us. I just wanted Zayn to know that I loved him and that I would have given my life completely if it meant saving him again.

Zayn shook his head as though he could read my thoughts again. He smoothed his shaking hand over my cheek and kissed me softly.

"You're gonna make it, baby. You have to make it" Zayn raised his voice in desperation.

I burst into tears.

The rocks weighed down harder and harder.

I closed my eyes.

"TAR!" Zayn shouted. 

It would be much less painfu if I didn't fight it and allowed my life to slip out of me seamlessly.

"My malika" Zayn whispered.

My eyes opened.

Zayn took a slow deep breath and shoved his way out of the rubble. He cleared a path for me and carried me out. I tried to stand up on my own but my legs were too weak and I leaned against Zayn.

I scanned the room for Jimmy and saw that he was slowly making his way out of the pile of rocks.

Sebastian's hand peaked from the rubble and he started pulling himself out. 

Zayn took my hand and led me toward the exit.

I turned for a moment and saw Linelle. She was almost completely covered, except her face. She stared at me and Zayn with such contempt that the final spark in her eyes blew out.

"Malik...Malika" she hissed. 

Her throat hardened and her eyes glazed like stone. She was dead.

Zayn grabbed onto my hand and led me over the rocks and bricks. We reached the beach and ran to the shore. I kept looking over my shoulder for Jimmy, even Sebastian.

I wanted Jimmy to make it out but I wasn't sure about Sebastian. If he survived, he survived, if he didn't, then I can't do anything about it.

"Almost there" Zayn whispered. 

I nodded.

Then he stopped. I nearly rammed into his back. 

He looked down at the shore and took a deep breath. He had never set foot off the sand of the island and now he was about to swim off to an unknown.

The moment Zayn's shoes stepped into the water, the entire island shook furiously. A red spark cut the charcoal grey sky and nearly blinded us both.

Zayn and I turned to see something murky brown and dusty, shake behind the castle.

A volcano.

Smoke fluttered from the top of the volcano and sprayed the sky with it's red fumes. 

I grabbed hold of Zayn's hand.

The smoke burst into molten lava that spilled down the ends of the volcano and onto the beach.

I took a deep breath. Zayn swallowed hard as he re-witnessed the disaster that killed his kingdom and his parents.

Quickly, Zayn turned to the ocean. He led me to the dock and reached around for something he had hidden. He pulled out a raft and lowered it ot the water. The water shook as if it were afraid for me and Zayn.

"After you" Zayn whispered. 

I nodded and sat down on the raft. Zayn followed behind. We both sat and watched the lava burn away at the castle. The seemingly durable stone melted like grey goop at the lava's touch.

Chunks of bricks and stone burst at every angle as the molten lava burned the castle down. Zayn took a deep breath and turned to face me. He reached for a paddle and started rowing furiously.

"Zayn" I spoke up. 

Zayn continued to paddle with al lhis strength, as though the lava could swoop down and burn us under water.

"Zayn" I called again.

"WHAT!?" he demanded.

I swallowed hard.

"Are you ok?"

"Tar" he sighed. "I'm sorry" he apologized.

I shook my head.

"It's ok" I smiled.

Zayn took a deep breath and continued to row. We made it about a hundred feet away from the shore when the waves started to get higher and stronger. 

"Hold on to me" Zayn ordered. He grabbed my hand and wrapped it around his waist before I could even respond.

I closed my eyes and hid my face against Zayn's back as he rowed faster and harder, trying to steer clear of the dangerously high waves.

"Zayn" I gasped. 

Larger and heavier waves crashed around our raft, making it fill with water.

"Tar, hold on!" Zayn demanded. 

Suddenly, one massive wave came down over us and Zayn grabbed my arm, pulling me to his chest. I hid my face in his chest. 

Water swirled around us, tugging us into the ocean and pulling us apart but Zayn held me tighter. I held my breath as the raft broke against a boulder and we went under. 

"Tar!" Zayn shouted. 

I reached for his had but the waves slipped between us, creating a rift between us.

"Zayn!" I screamed.

I paddled around with my arms but I couldn't swim very well, especially not when the water was trying to wrestle me.

I tried to keep my eyes open but the water crashed around me, blurring and burning my eyes with its salinty. 

Finally, I closed my eyes and everything grew quiet. So very, very quiet...

***

Carefully, I opened my eyes and saw Zayn's dark lashes. He was still asleep. Yes, he was alive, he was just asleep. 

"Zayn?" I whispered. I leaned up carefully on my elbows and patted Zayn's cheek. 

He didn't move an inch.

"Zayn!?" I begged.

His lips pursed slightly. I kissed him over and over until I felt his breath warm my cheeks.

"Tar?" he whispered.

I wound my arms around his neck and squeezed the life I had so carefully waited to see again. Zayn sat upright and rubbed his eyes. We looked down at our soaked and torn clothes, then out at the island we were on.  

Zayn stood up slowly and helped me up. We held on to each other and looked out onto the island. From the looks of all the huts and clatters of laughter and cheering sounding from in the forest, there must have been many people.

Zayn took my hand in his and we walked up to where we heard the noise of talking and laughing. There was a crowd of people lined up before a man and a woman.

They were tall and had a delicate, classic beauty about them. Their black hair was speckled with bits of grey, like salt and pepper. The woman's eyes were brown but the sunlight brought out the green, making her eyes hazel. Her long lashes fluttered softly as she smiled.

I took another step forward when something cracked under my feet. The entire crowd turned to me and Zayn, including the man and woman who stood before everyone. They looked over at me and Zayn and the woman's mouth hung open. 

Zayn stared at her and swallowed hard.

I looked between Zayn and this couple and my heart did a somersault in my chest as I realized who they were.

I was staring at Zayn's parents.