Tempest

36 : Safe is not just a word

Noah was furious. How had there been a breach in his territory?

She had whispered it to him, having picked up a new essence amongst them. He had gotten his men to rush to the arena but they had already left, literally disappeared into thin air. He snarled at the guard who was tied down in the holding cell, his arms chained to the wall.

"How did he get into the arena?" he asked for the last time.

"I don't know, boss," the man cried, tears and mucus mixed on his face to form a wet mess. "He wasn't there and then he was."

"And what of the woman?" Noah asked, holding a knife and twirling it slowly in his hands.

"She disappeared too. I don't know," the man wailed. "I swear to God I don't know."

"I believe you," Noah said as he took the knife and stabbed the guard in the heart. He twisted it and watched as the man bled out and the breath left his body. He pulled out the knife and wiped it on the man's shirt. He turned to Liam and handed him the knife. "We are moving the attack up. We go out in three days."

He didn't notice Liam's hesitation. But she did. She never missed a thing. As she followed Noah out of the room, she cast one last look at Noah's second in command and knew she had to take care of him. Soon. He was not going to destroy the plans that she had worked so hard for.

*

Tempest watched as Adria walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a simple dress that Tempest had found for her. She had taken a shower for the first time in heaven's knew how long and had spent close to an hour under the soothing spray. Tempest had heard her crying in the shower and had gone out for a bit. She had headed straight to Galan, weeping in his arms for a few minutes. He had held her, whispering soft words to her until she calmed down.

When she was done, he wiped the tears from her face and kissed her forehead. He had smiled at her and she had smiled back, her eyes red-rimmed and her nose a delightful shade of cherry red. Still, she was gorgeous and he loved her, loved that she had chosen to be vulnerable in front of him. He kissed her nose and she gave him a watery smile and headed back to her mother's room.

Now, the two women stared at each other from across the room. Tempest had not seen her mother since she was eighteen. It had been too long. Way too long and the emotions coursing through her body almost paralysed her.

Finally, Adria walked slowly up to her daughter. She raised her hand and touched her cheek gently. Her eyes roamed over Tempest's face and the pride that she felt was visible in her eyes.

"I didn't know if I would ever see you again," she told her daughter. "You have grown into an amazing and beautiful young woman."

"Hardly young," Tempest chuckled. "I am almost seventy-five."

"Still a very young one in the grand scheme of things," Adria replied, her face lighting up, making her brown eyes sparkle.

Tempest turned her face in her mother's hand, and raised her hand to press her own palm over her mother's hand. She inhaled deeply and relished the touch that she had wondered if she would ever feel again. Then, she tugged on her mother's hand and pulled her to the bed. They both sat down, facing each other.

"How is dad?" Tempest asked. "The others?"

Adria looked at her before her eyes filled up with sadness. She gathered herself and shook her head. "I can't feel him, Tempest. I don't know what they have done to him and I am so afraid for him. The same thing with the rest of our kin. They separated us. Some have died." Her voice slowly died away.

Tempest squeezed her hand before her eyes saw the raw skin on Adria's neck. She touched it and a growl escaped her throat.

"It's healing, almost gone," Adria said dismissively.