Throne of The Forgotten (Millennium Legacy Book 1)

Chapter 28

Atemu

   "You need to let this go." Marie's voice floats on the air, rising with the heat as I sit hidden amongst the branches of the tallest tree in the park. "Who cares what my Father said. He could be wrong!" I hear the sound of her feet shifting beneath her, fallen leaves cushioning the soles of her feet as she leans against the bark. Marie had never been much of a climber, even when we were children she had chased after Heba and I like a devoted shadow but her pursuit would always falter at the roots of our favorite climbing trees. Even as my girlfriend her lack of adventurous zeal has proven to be a constant.

   "And how often has that happened in this regard?" I ask blandly, refusing to look in her direction. "The man is a reincarnation of an ancient priest, one of the councilors of the pharaoh, and you're trying to tell me that he somehow managed to misinterpret the signs sent to him by the gods and spirits alike. If the most qualified man in the world is incapable of interpreting the signs then it doesn't matter what we do, we are already screwed."

Silence extends between us as the familiar weight of my hopelessness settles in, resting atop of me like a cloak. Marie, no matter how hard she tries, will never understand what this feels like. She and her brother were not a set. They were not born together, nor do they share a fraction of the bond Heba and I have, so how can she ever hope to understand how I feel? Her father has all but sealed our fates; I will never see my sister again and it's all because the gods will it.

I have every right to be angry. I have every right to grieve. My heart and soul want to scream my anguish free of my body, silencing the voices within as well as my own, but I'm too exhausted. My body can't handle the physical and emotional strain of this loss for much longer. Even as I sit here my vision is beginning to blur and I can feel my strength bleeding from my muscles like liquid fire, pooling uselessly in my fingertips.

   "I know I used to complain about your constant upbeat attitude, but I really miss the old you." She mutters. "Tell me how to help you. If you want my help you need to tell me what to do here."

   "I'm sorry, is this inconvenient for you?" I grumble, my head lolling uselessly to the side, the muscles in my neck falling prey to their exhaustion. "Man, I should really get a grip, make this easier on you. God knows you deserve everything to be easy as pie."

   "Shut up Atemu." She grumbles. "You're being an ass and trying to pick a fight. I don't have the energy to deal with either of those things right now."

   "You don't have the energy?" I snap. "What the hell have you even been doing besides bitching at me from the roots of a tree?"

   "I've been trying to give you space! You think I can't tell what you're thinking when you look at me?" Her eyes flash as she peers up at me. I don't need to see her face to know she's on the verge of tears, her tell has always been her volume. Dad said it's the Wheeler in her that makes her so volatile and emotionally fragile, but considering her parentage it wouldn't be far off to believe this emotional tendency comes from both sides. Her voice is wavering as she slams her palms against the trunk with a ferocity I've never seen before, railing against it as if she could somehow knock it down with only her palms. "I know you blame me for what's happened to Heba. You're right, I was upset about her breaking my brother's heart, but I am neither petty or capable enough to remove her soul from her body let alone transport it somewhere else. You know that!"

   "You're being ridiculous. I know you didn't do this." I watch with annoyance as she continues her assault on the tree. People have begun to stare as this beautiful young woman attacks a seemingly empty tree, she's making a spectacle of herself. The thought of her being viewed as the town's resident mad woman makes my blood boil. "Give it a rest, people are beginning to stare!"