Falcon Feathers

Falcon Feathers (Chapter 25)

Chapter 25

In Loving Memory

Alec's POV

The light faded and the pain in my arms receeded. I shivered as a cold feeling crept down my spine. The barrier in front of us began to crack. I looked towards the smoke as I saw a silhouette move near the edge of the room. I broke free of Will's grasp and started towards it.

"Derek!" I said. I stopped ten yards away as I saw a break in the smoke.  I saw my sister's face gaze back at me and then disappear into the dust. A torrent of violent emotions welled up inside me upon seeing her face. My tattoos began to glow and a whirlwind appeared around me, clearing away all the smoke, but she was already gone. The exertion took its toll on me and I fell to the ground. Unule came up next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I let her pick me up and take me to the others. Suddenly the room began to shake and rocks started crashing down from the ceiling.

"We've got to get out of here or the whole mountain's going to come down on top of us!" Will shouted.

"I'll get us out of here," Unule reassured us. She frowned; "I can't spirit travel."

"Look out!" Nala screamed as boulders raced towards our heads. Suddenly we were pulled through a vortex of flame. It felt like tumbling through a drying machine that was on fire. When the twising stopped, I was laying on a grassy field under a starlit sky. Everyone lay sprawled out on the ground.

"We're back," Angel said quietly. I looked around and saw a large building off in the distance, and a smaller, though still huge, building much closer to us. "Thank you, Atsila."

"Is everyone ok? I, I mean--" Will began. He gave up trying to speak and confined himself to silence.

We got up and headed towards the nearer of the two buildings. Gagan perched on Unule's shoulder and she led me by the hand to the building. We opened the door and walked into a large cafeteria-looking place. One girl dropped her plate when she saw us and everybody began to cheer.

"Someone get Akita!" a boy yelled. Soon we were bombarded by a mass of people pushing and congratulating us. We were overwhelmed by the mob as they flooded us with questions.

"Coming through, coming through!" Akita's voice sounded above the crowd. She appeared in a T-shirt and pajama pants. Her hair was brushed and she looked like she had been preparing to go to bed when she was called. She looked at us and frowned, "Where's Derek?"

There was a hush in the crowd as they awaited an answer. Suddenly I broke down and began crying into Unule's dress. She wrapped her arms around me and carried me away from everyone else, and people parted to allow us to pass. Gagan flew ahead of us and eventually we came to a plain room with a comfy bed. We sat down on the bed and I cried into Unule's shoulder as she stroked my hair and spoke to me in a low voice.

"Let it out," she said as her voice broke. A single tear dropped down from her eye and fell onto my skin. In that single drop I could feel all the raw pain she felt. Her despair was so great it was enough to break my heart just being in close proximity to it, but it was intermixed with something else. A sense of duty. I cried until I fell asleep.

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I woke up to a warm bright light on my face. I bolted upright in bed, not remembering at first where I was or how I got there. Then I remembered the events of last night. Instead of a torrent of emotions, I felt a crushing numbness. I just sat on the bed staring at the sunrays as they shone on the floor. That was how Unule found me. After knocking soflty on the door, she entered and brought me a change of clothes. An all-black suit. I refused to look at it as she placed it on the bed. I merely looked blankly at the door.