Chapter 28
Breathe
Alexa's POV
I had a very nice view of the sky from where I was gasping for air. I probably ran not even half of a mile before I collapsed onto the ground trying to suck air into my parched lungs. I was so out of shape, but the clouds looked pretty from where I was laying. Then Kaige's head blocked their view as he gazed down at me shaking his head laughing.
"Nice body, but terrible stamina," he teased," I'm going to have to whip you into shape!"
It sounded like he was enjoying the idea a little too much. I rolled my eyes as he stretched out his hand towards me. I was hesistant to take it because the fatigue was starting to rush through my body. He chuckled, picking me up off the ground as I groaned loudily at him.
"Quit complaining you're worse than Draven," Kaige said as I leaned on his shoulder for support.
I rolled my eyes as I pushed him away from me. He let me go willingly, but was satisfied when I stumbled over a tree root. My palms broke my fall courageously, skinning themselves to keep my face in tact. I got up quickly brushing the dirt from my shirt and pants not once looking at Kaige who was laughing quietly behind me.
I kept walking away from him hoping to get to the castle before Emmalia woke up, and so I could actually fall asleep too. My body was disoriented from the lack of sleep and tears, but I still struggled onward trying to find the stupid fort.
"Umm...Alexa? Where are you going?" I heard from a bit of a distance.
"Back." I didn't bother to turn around.
Kaige chuckled under his breath," You're going the wrong way."
I moaned drastically outloud and threw my hands upward towards the sky hoping that lightning would have just striked me down right then and there. I waited a couple seconds just for the heck of it, but of course nothing happened except Kaige laughed louder. With whatever dignity I could muster up, I turned in the opposite direction and passed the frustrating Shadow.
Damian was not half as bad as this.
I stormed away from Kaige mumbling under my breath about how men, especially Shadows are immature and mean. I stopped though thinking of what happened to me when I ditched Damian because of my immaturity. I turned towards a tree instead and sat under it waiting for Kaige to catch up with me. He ended up sitting next to me faster than I thought he would have. I yawned searching the sky above me dreamily trying not to think of Valerie or any of them. It took all my strength, but I won for the first time. Kaige finally spoke up then.
"So what are you really doing here Alexa?"
I tilted my head towards a cloud that resembled what I thought to be flames. I honestly didn't have an answer to Kaige's question besides the fact of helping Damian, which I wasn't able to tell him.
"You know Kaige....if I knew I would be a lot less confused. I mean I just found out I was a Shadow a month ago? I hardly know how to control my transporting, and I don't know anything about the Shadow Dimension, or my godmother, or you."
I stopped my rant there so he could understand what I was implying. Kaige didn't seem taken back, or confused at all. It was worse, his face had a miserable look to it.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...." I said, but I really didn't know what I was sorry for.
"No, it wasn't you. My father Amos Re...I lost him four years ago to Kairos and his army. He's been held hostage for years now if he's still alive, and as many times as I've begged Draven to send a search party just to get him out he wouldn't let me." he glared angrily but tried to cool himself, "My father told me so much about your family, and a little bit about you because he is your godfather."
I gawked at Kaige, overwhelmed with the news of his father and my godfather. A part of me suddenly wanted to meet him so bad that it hurt.
"Kaige...I don't know what to say...." I stuttered knowing how it felt to lose a father.
"Don't give me sympathy I get it enough back at the castle, but they won't even listen to me. I want to go by myself and just save him because I know he's still alive. All of the Council knows it too, it makes me so mad!" he yelled making all the birds come flying out of the tree. I ducked in cover.
" But you're part of the Council, why won't they listen to you?" I asked intrigued about my lost godfather.
He huffed which almost sounded like a pathetic laugh," I'm not experienced, plus I'm my father's fill in. After he was captured I had to take his place even though I'm a half-breed. It makes it all the more harder to be accepted in this dimension, the same with my mother. The Council won't even let her stay here with us because she is a human. The predjudice bastards!"
I was definetly taken back by this. I had another urge to meet his mother because she was a human, and I was raised as one. Before I could even ask another question or comment he was apologizing.
"Wow....I'm sorry that was really uncalled for. I just met you and I feel like I can spill my soul out. You must think I'm insane." Kaige's head dropped at the thought of me thinking lowly of him. I lifted his chin and brought it up to my face.
"Kaige, you are the only person here that has actually talked to me normally. I don't think you're insane! Hell, I'm a full bred Shadow raised as a human, and is now breaking the rules by being outside of the Castle according to Draven. You can't get more insane than that." I smiled lightly for the first time in what seemed to be forever.
Then I kinda thought about what I had said , I was really in trouble for being outside of the Castle. I didn't care though, too bad for Draven and his bossy self. Kaige put a friendly arm around me, which made me shiver from his unnatural warmth.
"Thanks Alexa, I think I'm gonna like having you around," he flashed a bright smile at me, his green, gold flecked eyes staring into me.
I laughed a bit, and got up from the ground obviously disappointing Kaige.
"We better get back, I don't want you getting in trouble with the Council."
He waved a hand in the air," Like that's never happened before, but for your sake let's go."
I lent a hand to Kaige who obviously didn't need it, but it felt good to help someone in the slightest for once even if was helping them up or listening to them rant. My times as the damnsel in distress were over, no more being saved.
It was time I saved myself for once.
Kaige and I talked to whole way back to the Castle, and I learned a great deal about himself and my real parents. According to him they were the leaders of a rebellion against Kairos, which all the Council members and Emmalia were in. Kaige was born a year and a half before me, being the first half breed in the Shadow Dimension. He said it made him feel special, and he really didn't like it.
"The worst part is..." he said during our walk," every Shadow can live forever, humans can't. I don't know which gene I inherited. I could die when I grow old, or be brought back to life."
I shuddered at the thought of Kaige dying of old age, and how I would be turned back again.
My parents created the first Council, and fought against Kairos's want of power and dictatorship. That's how they died, in an attempt of finally destroying Kairos and in the process saving me. Amos, Kaige's father and my godfather, became leader of the Council until he was mysteriously captured my Kairos. That's when Draven took over, and controlled most of the Shadow Dimension while the other members watched.
"It's pretty corrupt these days, and none of us can do anything about it," Kaige complained kicking a stone with his shoe.
I sympathized for him," Kaige, if anyone can fix this mess, it's you. You're pretty determined."
He smirked a little," It's going to take more than just a good looking guy like me to change the world."
" You never know," I replied confidently.
We eventually made it back to Elderaana while it was still a little light out meaning it was morning. I tried to transport into my room but nothing happened. Kaige chuckled when I opened my eyes to still be in the same room.
" Elderaana has a protective shield around it. No one in the shield can transport in or out of it unless the shield is broken. Which would be nice if I could actually transport," he moaned.
My eyebrows raised," You can't transport?"
"Nope. That's my mom's genes, they suck. I got my mental powers from my father, it gives me somewhat of an advantage. I can get into anyone's mind and create messages of emotions, pain, happiness, you name it I can do it. I just can't read the minds or kill them."
What Kaige said reminded me of what I did to Lori. I froze her in a paralytic state that she could have died from. I shivered at the thought of hurting Lori, even though she was already...gone. I took a deep breath and knew I was about to cry. I ran up the large staircase holding back my much needed tears. Kaige was calling my name worriedly from below me. I felt bad leaving him with no explanation, but I couldn't let him see me crying.
I ran into my room and locked the door behind me letting myself go. I cried obnoxiously for Lori even though I kept telling myself to be strong. It was so hard! I loved her as my mother, the only affectionate person I had ever encountered was ashes to me, and I would never let that go.
I heard running from the staircase, and pounding at my door that set off a larger headache.
"Alexa?! Open the door!" another couple pounds," please just let me in," Kaige begged anxiously.
I curled up towards the door," Just please go....." I whispered wanting to be alone.
His slamming stopped, and I could hear his body slide down the door inches away from me. We sat there in silence for awhile until Kaige murmured," Did I say something that upset you?"
I mentally hit myself for making him think this was his fault," Of course not...it has nothing to do with you. You were so nice to me."
I could pictured his face full of confusion," Then what's wrong? You're obviously upset about something."
I exhaled and wiped my face off as best as I could before I opened my door. I twisted the doorknob cautiously letting Kaige in. He got up in a split second, and sat next to me with a light smile on his face. My breathing was shaky, and I knew the tears were welling up again. Kaige wrapped his arms around me, and held me close.
"What happened?"
I attempted to speak," Before...before I came here I was adopted by another family. They raised me as their own. They were all murdered by Kairos's followers, and that's why I was...." I stopped because I was about to say Damian brought me, but I didn't trust him enough to talk about him.
"....transported myself here."
Kaige stared at me wide-eyed and wiped some tears from my face that I didn't even know dropped. He rocked my body whispering that he was here for me, and was not going to leave. I nervously nodded and let him hold me, but I wasn't thinking about Kaige like I wanted to.
I was selfishly only thinking about Damian holding me, and whispering everything was going to be fine. Only I knew that Kaige wasn't going anywhere like Damian was.
I could trust Kaige, I knew more about him than I did Damian, but I didn't want to know about Damian.
I wanted to find out.