Their Wings

Chapter 29: Revelations

I can’t describe it other than numbness. This all-consuming lack of feeling that swept through my entire body and made every breath seem almost too hard to take. I didn’t cry; not until I had been locked in my room away from Ian, Mina and Michelle. Somewhere in the dim hallways of my mind I knew I was in denial, and that it couldn’t last. But I would welcome it for now; welcome the reprieve from the ache in my heart.

It was the day after the battle, after Luke’s death. We were wandering around the house with no set destination in mind. The lack of Luke’s presence was an almost tangible hole. The house seemed darker, more depressing. Grief hung like a blanket over the four of us, no one knowing exactly how to deal. The house was silent, all of us too wrapped up in our thoughts to make any noise.

Ian had taken to watching over Mina, never leaving her side for even a second. It wasn’t hard to see how Luke’s death had affected them. Mina was near catatonic, not responding to any of us except for Ian, and even then it was the bare minimum. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her skin was pale. Her aura was the worst though; it had faded to a dull grey. Ian didn’t look any better, dark circles under his eyes and pale skin. After he had sent us inside, he had cremated Luke’s body using some of the Greek fire, allowing the rain to wash his remains away. Michelle looked completely different. Her eyes were dim, and her hair was limp. Her aura was no longer emerald green, now faded to an almost non-existent hue. Her green eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. She seemed exhausted, but incapable of sleep. And then there was me. My hair was limp, hanging around my face in a jet black curtain. My eyes were stormy grey and red-rimmed. My lower lip was almost bitten through from trying not to sob while I cried. The numbness pervaded my entire body.

This was only the first day, I didn’t dare think of what was to come.

~O~O~

Three days. It had been three days since the Grand Battle. We were all in the lounge, gathered together for the first time since that day. Silence lingered, none of us brave enough to break it. The room felt empty without Luke next to me. It was a huge hole that made all of ache deep inside.

Suddenly, Ian broke the silence startling all of us from our collective reverie, “This is wrong.” he said.

“And to which part of this crappy situation are you referring?” I asked dryly, with an eyebrow cocked.

“Do you think this is what he would’ve wanted us to be doing right now? Luke would be kicking our collective asses if he knew how we were moping around rather than finding a way to kill that monster for good.” Michelle said with a dry smile. I couldn’t help but return it, imagining Luke’s face.

“Well what do you want then?” I asked them.

“He’s dead.” Mina whispered. All our heads shot up to face her, “My baby boy is dead. I want revenge, revenge on all those cowards who allowed him to die without even a word.”

“I know the feeling.” I answered. “But we can’t go marching into Ahina; they’ve probably taken it all over. We’ll be dead before we even pass the boundary.”

“Then we make a plan. I remember that night Ella, you promised the All-Father would pay, now is the time.” Mina stared at me, her eyes burning into me. The past few days they had been dull, but now they seemed lit from in with a furious fire.

“Ian, what do you think?” I asked him.

“I want revenge as much as Mina. He was my son as well, but you know Luke would be equally angry if he knew we were putting in any danger whatsoever.” he answered.

“I don’t care about danger. He died protecting me; I’m not going to make his sacrifice in vain.”

“Well how do you want to go about this then?” Michelle asked, “You said it yourself, it will be impossible to get into Ahina.”

I sat back down on the sofa and buried my head into my hands, “I know… But what other option do we have?” I asked.

Suddenly a chill swept through the room, despite all the doors and windows being closed. We all began to shiver as the temperature steadily dropped. Puffs of white smoke billowed out of our mouths every time we exhaled. Then, just as suddenly as the chill had happened, a fire erupted under the mantle. Michelle and I jumped back, since we were closer to the blaze. Although the fire was burning red, orange and white, it provided no warmth in the frigid room. If possible it seemed to make the temperature drop even further.

A figure began to emerge from the ashes, from the bottom up. It had large booted feet, followed by baggy trousers that were covered with a thick cloak. A dark hood was pulled over the man’s head, hiding his face. He had no aura; instead he seemed to be encased with a grey bubble that seemed too dull to be an actual aura.

His features were in shadow from the hood, so we couldn’t see what he looked like, but we automatically knew he was no good news. Slowly he raised his arm, with his index finger extended, and pointed to me.

“He wishes to meet with you.” the man said in a voice that was deep and rough.

“Who? The All-Father?” I asked.

“No, the one who brought the All-Father back. The one who started the war in the first place.” he answered.

“What are you talking about? Ciara started all of this; she was the one who planned everything. She was the one who summoned the All-Father.” I replied.

“She is a part of it, yes. But she is nothing more than a glorified pawn in the grand scheme of things.”

“No, it’s impossible.”  I said, shaking my head.

“Do you really believe that heria? Is there really anything left that is impossible?” he whispered. I bit my lip and looked around to Ian, Michelle and Mina. They looked just as stricken as me, eyes wide and faces pale.

“When?” I asked, turning back to the man.

“High noon in 3 days’ time, atop the Sirado cliffs.” the man answered, “He shall be waiting.”

I nodded my understanding and the man began to disintegrate back into the ashes from which he had grown. In less than a few minutes, it was back to looking like a pile of ash. Swallowing thickly I turned to my companions. They all seemed a bit shell-shocked as they met my gaze.

“Where are the Sirado cliffs?” I asked them.

This time Mina answered, “They are found right on the edge of Ahina, a sheer drop of almost 100 metres to ocean below. Some say they are so high it was as if you were in heaven and gazing down on the Earth.”

I nodded and then said, “Do you really believe this about Ciara being a pawn, and someone more powerful in charge of this whole thing?”

“It is plausible. Ciara is dangerous, but not that inventive. It is hard to imagine her coming up with this elaborate plan.” Ian answered.

“Do you think this is the man who ordered the hit on Luke?” I asked.

Ian lowered his eyes for a second, before looking back up, “If he planned this whole thing, then there is a good chance he is involved.

“I promised revenge for his death. We should leave now.” I said.

“But this is about so much more than that. We are in the middle of a war, a great and bloody war. We can’t walk onto the battlefield with revenge as our only weapon.” Michelle spoke.

“Michelle is right. We have 3 whole days before the meeting. Let’s plan this out Ella; it’s too dangerous to go in blind.” Ian spoke.

I narrowed my eyes at him, “I want revenge for him too Ella, he was my son.” Ian said. I bit my lip and bowed my head for a second.

Then I looked up and met all their eyes with a determined fire in mine, “3 days. In 3 days this person will be dead.”