Broken Wings

Chapter Twentyfour~ "You'll be a wonderful queen."

I was looking at the floor, so confused and interested in what had just happened, I didn’t notice Eelii looking straight at me.

I eventually looked up and our eyes met. His eyes were just as questioning as mine and in seconds his lips had pursed and his arms had folded.

I shook my head slightly, trying to close my eyes so any tears wouldn’t fall. And Eelii was gone again…

I sucked in a deep breath and prepared for anything bitter he was about to say.

Before he could even utter abusive words there was another sound being emitted from the balcony doors.

It was a high-pitch shriek that managed to still sound glamorous and dazzling. Only one person alive could manage that. Eliyn.

My feet kicked in before the rest of my body and I smacked into the glass of the doors, but before Eelii noticed I fumbled with the lock and stormed through the corridors.

My dress was creased  from a night’s sleep on the balcony and my hair wasn’t any better, my feet were bare as I’d taken my shoes off hours ago. They hit the floor and the sound of the skin contacting with the marble echoed through the halls. The coldness made me cringe, but I managed to ignore the feeling and carry on running until I was completely lost.

Another scream set me in the right direction again. This time it wasn’t Eliyn’s, it was younger and more innocent, Miranda.

I pushed all the thoughts in my head out, knowing if I started to worry now it’d only end badly. I focused on the corridors and stairs beneath my feet.

Another right turn. Another set of open doors. A left turn. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.

What’s going on? What’s going on? What’s going on? What’s going on? What’s going on? What’s going on?

My mind repeated itself like a broken record as I reached a crowd of guards.

“Move!” The words urged out of my mouth, parting a pathway in between the swelling. As I walked in between them I ignored the pitiful looks thrown my way and looked dead in front of me.

Just as I managed to make out what was happening, Leo pulled his sword powerfully from Eliyn’s chest and she fell majestically to the floor.

“NO!” I screamed, failing to calculate what the hell was happening. This… this had to be a nightmare. I was still on the balcony. I was sleeping.

Before I could reach my mom’s frail, bleeding body on the floor arms were holding me back. I fort against them, scratching and jumping towards my mom but the held onto me tight.

The arms through me backwards with force and I was stood face to face with Leo. He was looking into my eyes and I took the chance to jump towards Eliyn again.

“Heal yourself!” I screamed at her body, kicking Leo to try and get to my own blood and bone. Her head turned slightly, so her gold eyes were looking straight at me, and I relaxed under the flow of light.

The weak smile on her face made me allow Leo to pull me back so I was in front of him again.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I had to do it. It was you or her. I saved you so I had to kill her. I’m sorry. Anna.”

I wasn’t listening, I was just staring at him. He… he had just killed…. He had just killed my mom!

“Get out.” I said through gritted teeth. I didn’t care if he had to do it. I didn’t care what would happen if he didn’t. She was my mom and he killed her. I was immune to any excuses he may have now.

He didn’t move; he just tightened his grip on my arms.

“Anna-”

“GET OUT!” I shrieked, pushing him away from me with so much force he went flying into the marble wall behind us. His head the wall with a smack but he managed to keep consciousness.

I ran to Eliyn, sliding to my knees as I reached her.

“Heal yourself. Now. Please. Mom!”

She smiled, raising her hand to my cheek. I shook my head trying to form words, but no words came. Just tears…

Just tears…

“Please- You can’t leave me…” I whimpered, grabbing her hand on my cheek and placing it over the wound hoping she’d heal herself like that.

“I know it hasn’t been long.” Her hoarse voice was the only thing comforting me now. “But just know I spent nearly every day since I sent you to earth thinking about you. It would’ve been dangerous for a half-human to be growing up here, I was waiting for you to be ready to come home!”

I nodded, willing her to keep talking, willing her to heal herself and live.

She nodded herself, looking straight into my eyes. She reached up with her free hand and her fingertip touched my pupils. I felt the change then. I felt the warmth spreading through my body.

She was passing on her golden eyes. It must be like passing on a crown.

I shook my head, despite the irritable warmth now inside my body. “Not now! Don’t leave me now! We haven’t even spent a year together, mom. I’m not ready. But you can still make it- heal yourself!”

“It doesn’t work like that, sweet. For saving your life, Leo had to take mine as a payment-”

“That doesn’t matter! I-I’ll go back and I’ll be killed myself. You’re the queen, your life matters more!”

“What’s done cannot be undone. I’m sure if Leo hadn’t of come here then Thif and his wife would’ve come to do the deed themselves. And I’m sure they wouldn’t have done it as nicely-”

“We could’ve fort them. We could’ve beat them. Won the war!” I laughed madly and then returned to my woeful state. “I can’t do this without Eliyn, without the queen, without you!”

He hand rested on my cheekbone and stroked soothingly. “Yes you can.” She sucked in a large breath, coughing slightly. "You’ll be a wonderful queen.”

Her skin lost its colour; her body lost its warmth; her veins lost their pulse; her muscles lost their movement; her heart lost its beat and her eyes lost their sparkle.

“No.” I whispered, “No I won’t.”

(A/N: I know, I know, I'm just so evil. Muahahahahha.)