Word Count: 1490
~Akara
My head rests against the wall of the carriage as it rocks unevenly over the unpaved path.
"What can we expect there?" I ask, watching Nakoa who sits opposite me. She turns her attention from the window to me, looking tired. Her and I haven't spoken about her run-in with the Snow Demon, and I don't think she wants to. I think she just wants to be home.
"The inside of the place has been mostly trashed. At least what Vaia's followers had access to," she notes, shuddering.
Marek adjusts in the seat beside me. "Any guesses on where Tai went?"
"No idea. He doesn't have any remaining family, so he must have gone off to someone he knows...You may know." Nakoa looks at me, but I shrug.
Only weeks ago, Tai and I were deeply in love, and I was ready to sacrifice everything for him. Now, after everything that has happened, and after what Evolet said to me, I almost feel like I stranger to Tai. Thinking back to it, it's as if I never actually knew him. If I did, I would know where has gone.
"He didn't have many friends. I have no idea," I say. I know both of them are silently questioning why I don't know. "Where's Zavian?"
"He could be anywhere. He escaped when Marek first got you out, and has likely gone into hiding," Nakoa says.
Exhaling, I rest back in my seat, relieved. I'm glad Zavian got away before Vaia could get to him.
Marek leans forward. "Thank you Nakoa, for helping us."
"I trust Akara," she says curtly. It's obvious that no matter how she feels about what has happened, her trust for Marek is still limited. She never knew what he was like before the rebellion. To her, he is just a traitor. "Whatever she wants, I will go along with."
"I know we didn't speak much Nakoa, so thank you for having faith," I say honestly. In this world, I suddenly have no one, which makes Nakoa willing to help me mean so much more.
"Becoming a Noble meant needing to read people. Evolet trusted you, and now I trust you," she says softly.
She turns away, brows creasing as she wills herself not to cry. I want to acknowledge it, to tell her that's okay, but it means nothing. She doesn't want to be made to feel weak, especially in front of Marek, so I decide not to mention it.
"Alright. Let's just hope we don't actually find anything there, and we can go find Tai," I exclaim, as if I'm trying to convince myself that what Evolet said meant nothing.
But what if we do find something?
I have no guesses of what it could be, I just know it's somewhere beneath Tai's workshop, which he neglected to mention to me throughout our entire relationship. Whether he is there or not doesn't matter or not, I'm going to see what's there whether it's the last thing I do.
"What did Evolet say he was hiding?" Nakoa asks. I'm surprised Evolet spoke of it to no one, especially Nakoa, who I imagine could keep the darkest secret.
"She didn't have time to tell me, but whatever it is, it's dark," I affirm, before I turn to look out the window, watching the Jade Province forest pass by.
***
A few hours later, and we arrive at the estate.
Hoping from the carriage, I shrug off my jacket. After our journey into the Azure Province, it's a relief to be reunited with a slightly warmer climate. Marek steps out next to me, squinting as he looks over the estate he has snuck in and around many times.
The place is obviously vacated, but it doesn't look all that different than I remember. The front gardens are overgrown since everyone vacated the place when Tai was captured all those weeks ago. I had expected the place to be crumpling to it's foundations with almost nothing left to speak for, but it seems Vaia was somewhat merciful.
"The place looks fine..." I tell Nakoa as she stretches out, letting her long red hair down from it's binds.
"Wait till you see the inside" she mutters, motioning for us to follow.
Sure enough the inside has been trashed. Any furnishings have been shredded to pieces, broken glass and debris littered carelessly about the place. This place, that I once enjoyed living in is now a shall of it's former self.
"Did they spare anything?" I whisper.
"Most of the private rooms are fine, it's just the common areas that weren't locked that were trashed," Nakoa explains, rubbing her hands down her arms.
Marek wanders around, turning things over and kicking about various broken items. I can this is strange for him, being in his enemies home. His expression reveals nothing of what he is thinking, that stoic look he wears so well plastered across his face.
"I hate her so much." I grit my teeth, trying not to let myself be overwhelmed.
"It's not as bad as here as I thought...Someone's been cleaning up," Marek notes, gesturing to the floor. He's right, it does look as though someone has swept everything into piles at the edges of the room.
I frown. "Do you think it's Tai?"
"Let's all stick together, okay?" Marek murmurs, stalking toward me, as if just his proximity alone will ward of Tai. "Just case he is here."
"Akara?"
Everyone turns at the sound of my name being called, to see Zavian standing at the entrance of the foyer.
"Zavian...You're okay." I waste no time, rushing over to him before collapsing into his arms. I never knew I would be so grateful to see him like this, but suddenly everything feels as though it's not so bad, that we can get through everything because one more person is okay, and hasn't been hurt by Vaia.
He holds me at arms length, looking over me with wild eyes. "How are you alive?"
Miraculously, he looks wonderfully fine. The shadows I'm so used to seeing under his eyes have vanished, he's had a hair cut, and I swear he's standing a little taller. I must look the complete opposite, as I feel myself unravelling. Wherever he was, he clearly worked on himself, and made great leaps on only a few weeks.
"It's a long story, but I survived," I breathe, stepping away. Zavian looks over me with his crystal blue eyes, looking to see something different about me, which physically, is not much. "What are you doing here?"
"I got here a few days ago after fleeing back to my family," he explains. "I've been doing a bit of cleaning up waiting for Tai to come back."
Tai. He really isn't here after all.
And now, I can't tell whether I'm relieved, or whether I'm more anxious.
"You have no idea where he is?" I ask Zavian. If he doesn't have an idea, then I'm not even sure where we would start in our hunt for him. If he is still frightened of Vaia, then he could be anywhere.
"None...I honestly thought all of you were dead," he mutters, looking toward Nakoa. She strolls forward, hugging him also. I can see the relief all over Nakoa, knowing she may have lost Evolet and Nesrin, but she hasn't lost Zavian.
"All of us are sticking together from now on," Nakoa states, one arm wrapped around Zavian's waste while she looks over the rest of us, of the trashed foyer we stand in. "I mean it."
Marek leans against the far wall. "Including me?"
Zavian, who was studying Marek silently with withheld finally steps forward, unable to contain himself any longer. As far as Zavian is aware, Marek is a traitor, whether he saved his life or not. Everything that Marek has done while pretending to side with Vaia has still had effects on him.
"What is he doing here?" Zavian asks. I imagine he's holding himself back because Marek saved his life, even if he clearly doesn't want to admit it.
"I trust him. He saved me from Vaia until I went back in to save Tai. He's going to be working with us to put this place back together, okay?" I tell Zavian firmly. I don't need him and Marek fighting, although I imagine Marek wont' be very interested in confrontation with my friend, even if he once told me to stay away from him due to his addiction.
"What is Tai going to think about that?" Zavian asks lowly, nudging my side.
Marek's eyes are on mine, but I look away, knowing that whatever happens, it's not going to be pretty. "Tai isn't here. It's just us now."
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Remember that you can always find this story 10 chapters ahead on Radish (:
You will find it under King's Possession Season Three!!
~Midika 🐼💜