Escape (Solaris Cane: Book One)

Escape - Chapter 13

“You can’t tell anyone else, okay?” I say when I’ve finally stopped crying, Nikos is leaning on the wall, under the portrait of the lady while I sit, my back leaning on the opposite wall.

“I don’t plan to,” he replies.

I look up at him, “what’s going to happen now? What am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, Solaris,” Nikos replies. “I’m not even sure what it is.”

I swallow and wipe my face so that the tears won’t be obvious—except of course the red eyes immediately give it away.

“I’ll try to figure this out, alright, Aris?” He kneels in front of me, his face determined. “For the past couple of days, I’ve been in the castle’s library precisely because of that, though I can’t say I’ve found much.”

I give him a small smile, so very thankful for his friendship.

Our heads snap to the side as we hear footsteps. Nikos quickly stands and jumps to the other side, trying to look casual. I feel my cheeks redden as I realize what we were doing must’ve seemed like.

The footsteps soon recede.

“Give me a week or two and I’ll be able to find an answer,” Nikos says as he pushes off the wall. Only now do I notice that his silver hair isn’t tied back into a braid, instead, it’s hung loose around his shoulders and down his back.

“What if there is no answer?”

“Then we will figure it out, little by little.”

We’re silent again for a while. Finally, I sigh. “Where are Helia and Reuel?”

“Reuel’s in the park, playing with the other kids, and Helia’s hanging around the warriors.” Nikos replies, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards.

“I should’ve known.” I smile, rolling my eyes as I do so.

With one last sigh, Nikos starts to walk back to the library. “You’ll see them during supper, in the mean time, I’ll be going to the library, you could head stay with me if you want.”

“Nah,” I reply as I get off the ground. “I’ll go walk around this place.”

“Suit yourself.” He waves his hand at me without looking back.

I wait until a few moments after he turns a corner before I lean back on the wall with a sigh, my hands trembling.

Dear God.

I don’t want to tell Nikos yet.

I don’t want to tell anybody, really, but I know that Andrea knows, by the way she had been looking at me earlier today. If she knew, then Markus knows or would know once he wakes up.

If my suspicions are correct, then there is more to Alaine’s choosing me than I originally had thought.

My looking like her contributed to it, but that wasn’t it.

She chose me because I am a Harvester.

I’m not stupid, it’s not hard to remember the glowing substance around Markus that time, nor is it hard to remember his blue glowing wings. Putting the pieces together is easy. That was why Andrea had looked at me so expectantly when she was explaining what Harvesting was.

I stand straight, and start walking.

It’s time I find answers.

And I’m starting with Leilani.

“There’s nothing much I can tell you, Solaris. I don’t know the particulars.” Leilani shook her head. “You’re Harvester, and I cannot explain to you how or why.”