He'd had enough for one day and he was exhausted. Alex felt guilty for contemplating sleep given the circumstances. The day had come crashing down upon him quickly after leaving the library. He sat down on the lower bunk bed, alone in the room. He felt full of angst. The powerlessness that plagued him whilst he allowed two strangers and Zach to keep his mother, the only family he had, safe. Alex couldn't say he exactly understood how Zach had allegedly kept her secure, but he wasn't exactly going to criticise the one weird thing today that seemed somewhat positive. It was obvious they were going to run in to trouble, but Alex had faith that they could handle themselves. Alex lay flat on his back and his final thought before falling asleep was of his mother.
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Alex sat on the edge of the precipice once more. These nightmare's once again plaguing his sleep. He felt himself being slowly pulled towards the bottomless pit of darkness beneath him. Very suddenly, Alex felt a burning need to see those ravenous eyes again. As if to look upon them was to look upon something magnificent.
"Lucky," came Lestrat's voice from behind him, just as before, "You were lucky!"
Alex agreed, "I was lucky."
Once again, Alex felt compelled to agree with him on everything.
"Had my acolyte not been so cowardly, you'd be mine already..." Lestrat said ruefully, "Still. It's just a matter of time."
Alex felt his will growing, the feeling of despair and agreeableness began to subside, "You're not as powerful as before," Alex pointed out.
"This is an echo," Lestrat admitted, "A leftover connection from my foiled attempt."
"You failed," Alex replied, "But why come speak to me now? Unless..."
Alex slowly gathered the strength to turn around. He realised something puzzling, "All you wanted was to talk to me, why?"
"You will find him at the temple. I need you to find him for me. My master will not forgive me again," he said cryptically.
"Find who?" Alex asked.
Lestrat did not respond, as the scene around him faded. He made an audible sound of frustration as the 'echo' connection between them began to fade.
Alex yelled in to the darkness, "Find who?"
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Alex awoke, alarmingly, to the sound of screaming from outside his room. He practically threw himself out of bed and sprinted down the corridor toward the sound's source. He found Laura trying to get in to the room where Lucy had been sleeping.
"This is unbearable!" she exclaimed, "Someone needs to wake her up."
The door was bolted and sealed beyond tampering, the bunker had been made nearly too well. Alex realised they'd have been very effective if the attacks hadn't come from within their communities. The Ethereals had never considered such a betrayal, he realised.
"Stand back," came Tom's voice as he strode toward the door, "I'm the best equipped for handling this."
He placed his hand on the door-hinges and they began heat. They glowed red, then white. The hinges fell off the door, and the door fell inwards.
Startling Alex, Lucy sprinted out of the room and grabbed him by both shoulders.
"You!" She shouted, "You're the nice one. The one she wants!"
"Who's she?" He asked in reply.
Lucy shook her head manically, "No time. There's no time. He's coming back."
"Who is?" Tom asked nervously.
Lucy did not move her gaze from Alex, "Help me! Please! I'm trapped. I can't take it anymore."
Abruptly, she fell unceremoniously to the ground in to a slump.
"She's unconscious," Laura pointed out.
"She's mental..." Tom muttered.
"Oi!" Laura snapped, "Kurt told us she wasn't well. Have some respect."
Tom snorted disagreeably, "All I want to have right now is some sleep."
"There'll be time enough later," came Aaron's voice striding down the long corridor toward them, "We need you all in the sparring room, now."
Kurt quickly joined his friend. He looked startled to see Lucy in such a state and ran to her side.
He appeared to mutter something in to her ear, that seemed to comfort the girl. Slowly, she woke. She looked up at the group she had awoken to. Her eyes rested on Kurt and she smiled, "You're back!"
Lucy hugged him tightly and Kurt, visibly taken aback as if not one for physical affection, gently hugged her back.
They split their embrace and Tom helped Lucy to her feet.
"She's sick," Kurt clarified, "I hope you can try and understand, it isn't her fault."
"I'm sorry..." she said sheepishly, "Whatever I did. I didn't mean it."
"Come with me," Aaron interrupted, "All of you. It's about Alex's mother."
YOU ARE READING
The Ethereal Saga - Volume One - The Child of Light
FantasyA mother who refuses to remember, an all too familiar school counsellor, and a teacher hiding a terrible secret. Alex never knew his father. A fact which he has allowed to define him for his whole life. He always believed there was more to the myste...
