Fly or Fall

Chapter Twenty-Three

"You're Wythynian," Kol said, his voice trembling but he stood tall and faced the man. "We won't let you take Andy and Anna." Anna watched the large man's eyes, her arm raised in case he made a move for the prince.

Bedric laughed. It was an unsettling sound, like listening to a bone stuck in a meat grinder. "Stand down little prince," his eyes flickered back to Anna and Andy, it was like being stared down by a churning ocean, agitating, cold and terrifying. "I'm here for them and them alone. I'll return you and your sister to your little island safely, if you're good little royals."

Kol opened his mouth to say something but Anna stepped in front of him. "What do you want from us?" she asked.

"I do not want nor need anything from you, but my commander," he said, "she really wants to meet you."

"Commander?" Andy asked. Bedric didn't answer, before he could the hovercraft lurched as if it'd hit something. The engine's humming sound slowed and the propellers stopped spinning.

"We're here," Bedric said and turned for the door. "Come along children."

"Do we follow him?" Hae asked.

"Do we have a choice?" Anna answered and was the first to go after Bedric.

The hovercraft was beached on the shore of a sandy island. Palm leaves whipped in the night wind, waves crashed against the beach and somewhere in the distance cicadas and crickets sang in harmony. The sky was still dark but where the ocean met the sky a faint line of marigold glowed. It was dawn. Anna stepped off the platform, her combat boot crunching the wet sand. This could almost be called peaceful, the island was calm, but it went against her racing mind and thundering heart.

In an oversized sweatshirt, dark sweatpants and sneakers, Layla Echowood stood next to Bedric. Her auburn hair had been pulled into a ponytail. The bruises and cuts that had marred her face the night she arrived at the Dello ball were mostly healed now. Her expression was placid, showing no hits of guilt, Anna found this unfair. The woman was betraying them, the least she could do was look guilty.

"Why are you doing this?" Anna demanded as soon as she was face to face with her aunt.

Layla didn't answer, she turned to Bedric and said, "They're waiting. We should start moving." Anna clenched her fists, her nails digging dangerously deep into her palms.

"Answer me!" she yelled stepping closer to Layla. "I'm confused. You said you'd protect us, that you'd always do whatever it took to make sure we were safe. Why are you doing this? This man," she glared at Bedric, "he tried to hurt us. I don't understand why you'd be working with him."

Layla didn't say anything but something flashed in her charcoal grey eyes. Pain. Anna was sure. "Please," Anna begged. "Don't let him take us."

"I-I can't... I'm sorry," she apologized before turning away.

"Don't look so glum kid," Bedric said. "I can promise you we're not the bad guys. We're not going to hurt you." Anna didn't believe a word. They took her aunt away, they'd already hurt her.

"Start walking," Bedric commanded. Andy, Kol and Hae now stood with her. Andy took her hand and squeezed it tightly and tried to smile. He was promising everything was going to be okay. She wanted to give him the same reassurance but the best she could do was a nod. They started walking, following the trail Layla had left.

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Kol was shaking, partly because of the cold but mostly it was due to the fear. He hadn't been this terrified since the day his father died. Some nights he still dreamt of that day, the blood, sticky and warm on his hands. It had a metallic scent like copper. He'd see his father laid out of the palace floor, unmoving. He'd kneel next to him, eyes filled with tears. His mother would be standing next to him, her face expressionless but her eyes raging like a storm. He'd hear her call for the guards but he'd know it was too late. The emperor was dead.