Escape From Antoria

Escape From Antoria part 24

Part 24

This is in Ari's POV again so enjoy !!

Chapter 23

I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything. There was just nothing but darkness. I felt so...alone.

"Hello?!" I shouted into the darkness hoping, no praying that someone would hear me. But no reply came, I was completely alone. This continued for I don't know how long just endless blackness and my endless cries for someone to just be there. But there never was, there was only blackness.

After a week in real time but more like a century in the desolate night, I called into the blackness as I wandered aimlessly.

"Hello?!" I shouted. "Is anybody there? Please be there." I felt tears coming to my eyes. My voice was hoarse from the non-stop shouting but I couldn't give up, I had to see Izzy and Nate and of course Holly. I hope they are OK, what if they got hurt? What about Nate he got shot. Oh no what if he's dead. As all these thoughts passed through my head I felt as if there was someone else in the darkness, I felt like I was no longer alone.

"HELLO?!" I shouted as loud as my scratchy throat would go and was weeping when I heard a familiar voice reply back through the blackness.

"ARI?" Nate's voice shouted back and I swear it sounded as if they were right next to me yet so very far away. I turned towards the sound of the voice and outstretched my hands and let tears of relief fall down my cheeks when my hand came in contact with his and the darkness disappeared. Standing before me was the man I had endlessly been searching for in the darkness.

"Nate?" I whispered. What if this is a dream and I'm simply going mad and the minute I believe it I will be in darkness again. I didn't dare let my hand move from his in case the darkness returned and instead revelled in the warmth it brought me. It made me feel safe which I hadn't in such a long time; the nothingness of where I had been before was terrifying the idea of being alone and unable to sense anything, only able to hear my own voice.

"Yeah it me. God I was so worried. I thought I'd lost you. It was just dark. It thought ...i thought I'd never see you again." He rambled, his eyes slowly filling with tears. I smiled at his trying to reassure his but was hit with a terrible pain in my head at the same time as Nate collapsed to the floor clutching his leg where he'd been shot.

"Nate?" I cried desperately through the pain. Oh god it hurts so much. I could feel mine and Nate's magic swirling in torrents in the distance, in some place so very close and yet so far but at this moment I just wanted the pain to stop. I watched in horror as Nate's face turned ashen and then he collapsed to the ground. I tried to reach out to him but my feet just wouldn't move, like I was paralysed by the pain in my head.

Suddenly I felt someone else's presence and the pain in my head slowly receded. The presence was also familiar. I looked at Jez who looked like he was in bliss as the colour began to return to his cheeks. The air now had a comforting and healing essence that made me want to simply laze in it all day.

"Mother, Father. Wake up." An angelic voice ordered but I couldn't see anyone else. I looked at Nate and he was just as confused. Mother and father...wait was that Izzy.

"Izzy?" I questioned.

"I said wake up." As the angelic voice ordered this I felt as though I had been jolted with a thousand volts and the next thing I knew I was lying down on something soft.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to adjust my blurred vision. In front of me lay two people who I had longed for in the almost eternal darkness. I scooped Izzy up into my arms and pulled her close to my body revelling in the feel of her in my arms. It was amazing, like nothing could bring me so much joy.

I snapped my head when I heard a shuffling and saw two people who made me instantly want to smile. "Hi Sam. Hey Ingrid. Did we do it?" I asked as the events came flooding back to me; the great chasm in the ground, the king being sucked into it, the lightning. Oh god Holly. I never felt so guilty in my life. I was so caught up in everything that I thought about Holly, my own flesh and blood as an afterthought.

I watched as Sam just nodded looking kind of dazed, I wonder what happen to him. Instead Ingrid cleared her throat and addressed us.

"Blake said to tell you that he'll meet you as soon as you wake up to discuss the action on what to do next because we have clean up duty to do and a new king and queen to crown." I was amazed that she could say that sentence in one breath. New king and queen, wasn't Blake talking about that before. I nodded absently at her before turning to look at the man who found me in the darkness and smiled.

I barely noticed Sam and Ingrid leave the room I was just staring at the angel in front of me. I tentatively raised my hand and brushed it against Nate's cheeks; he in response closed his eyes and leant into my palm, sighing in contentment. Without a second thought I leant forward and brushed my lips against his being careful not to squash the baby between us. I was amazed as once again the elements swirled around us, the flames licking ever inch of my body. I gasped and looked down at Izzy only to see a gurgling baby playing with the flames dancing off my skin unharmed. I smiled and looked up at Nate who pulled me to him once more and our lips joined together in a passionate kiss. It showed me everything he felt for me and more and I could feel myself glowing from the raw emotion it contain, I even felt the markings on my face tingle so in response I did the same. I've never been good with all the emotional stuff but I just hope from this kiss he gets it.

I pulled apart from Nate gasping for breath before snuggling into his arms, I never wanted this moment to end but of course it had to and sooner rather than later because our little family moment was broken by a knock at the door.

"Blake has returned and has requested you presence in the dining room." A young servant girl said before disappearing back out the door. I wonder what he wants now?

© Katherine Pocock 2010