-----
Katie
The pain I've been learning how to control for the past few days bubbles up to my skin and this time I let it take over my body. My skin sings with pain just ready for somewhere to escape.
Going through the long forest, I try to only focus on running. One foot in front of the other till I can only go forward. Curls fall out my ponytail and start sticking to the sweat on my forehead. Ahead of us, an area of grass comes into view. The amount of trees in sight decreases and we're left in the open with nothing but the moonlight covering us.
I look at where the aliens stay. It's a whole town. Houses and roads along with buildings that look like restaurants, grocery stores, even a school. They've made a whole village here. Lights in houses all flicker on as we get the attention of those hidden behind the walls. Children look at us with curiosity and for a second I thought that we'd scare them, but instead, something like a smile crosses their faces. As my blood goes cold I feel like stopping and telling everyone to turn around. That we might not make it. But it's too late now.
I look up and see some faeries I don't even know hiding in the trees, throwing little spheres onto the town and seconds after...they explode.
Doors open and close, aliens run toward us with unnatural speed. One with four eyes looks at me and grins, coming my way. I realize with cold feet that this is my first official fight. And it's with something twice my size and three times my strength.
It's claws sharpen as it readies to pounce on me. But I take the first action. My sword holds all my pain, draining it out of me like Jenna's touch does and when I cut the skin of the creature, the feeling of hell seeps into it.
The alien hisses and squeals, falling onto the ground with a loud thud. I let out a breath of relief, relieved that it really worked.
"Katie!" Someone calls. I turn around and see Tony trying to get out of an aliens reach. The alien grabs hold of Tony's arm and dig its claws into his skin. Without hesitating I run towards them and bring my sword into the aliens back. It screams in horror and falls like the other alien did and crumbles onto the ground. With my left arm, I create another sword, so now I have two arms I can fight with.
"This is the most horrifying, but also the most beautiful moment I think I've ever had," Tony says, wiping the blood off his brow.
"What do you mean?" I ask but soon let it when I see more coming our way, "Come on, we need to go," I say, taking his arm and bringing him toward the chaos. The sound of the bombs exploding makes it hard to hear much else. Fire dances around the trees, and the remains of what was houses crumble to the ground in ash. The town is almost completely gone. But there are still so many aliens.
Pain erupts in my calf and I yell out, falling onto the dirt. "You think that just because you're the Empress that you can just control everything? This was my home! You killed my son! My only son! And now I'm going to kill you," I'm lifted from the ground, choked from the alien's claw holding onto the back collar of my shirt. "You bitch," She says, using her other claws to scratch my cheek, a long line from my brow to lip. Warmblood drips down my skin.
A smile crosses her face, hundreds of sharp teeth glowing in the dark with blood dripping from her lips. "What are you?" She then asks, "You look like you have a little bit of faerie blood...but I hear rumors that you were also human...but you don't look human at all."
"Why don't you come closer to get a better look?" I say, hiding a grin. I bring my face to hers, till our foreheads touch and with the contact of my skin to hers, my pain shoots into her, becoming even tenser as I focus harder. And she explodes.
I fall onto my knees with black blood spraying all over me, clinging to my skin and hair. I feel like throwing up. It tastes awful. "Katie!" Tony says, taking me by the arm and lifting me up. "Are you ok?" He asks.
I nod my head, trying to open my eyes, "I'm fine." I say, spitting out blood.
"Did you just swallow some of that?" He asks. I ignore the dizziness in my head and nod. "Shit, Katie! That stuff can kill you!"
I frown, "No, I have to keep fighting-"
"No, we have to get you back to the castle. Kallan!" He calls, still holding onto me. "Kallan, over here!"
I feel a hand on the top of my head, "What happened? Is this alien blood?" I hear Kallan ask Tony.
"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure she swallowed some."
There's a pause, "Okay, I'll tell the others what happened and I'll be back to help you bring her back."
The hand pats back some of my hair from my face and then is gone. "Next time you slay an alien, maybe keep your mouth closed. You should know by now that if a strange liquid goes into your mouth that you shouldn't swallow it!"
I shake my head, wanting so badly to say it, "You really need to watch how you word things, Tony."
He doesn't laugh at my joke, "My gosh, grow up,"
"Okay, well it's not my fault I have the mind of a fifteen-year-old."
"He's coming back," Tony says, holding me tighter. I look up, hoping to see something, but my vision has almost completely blurred. Only shadows move.
"Shit," I hear Tony hiss.
"What?"
"An alien is coming over here, I'm going to lay you down, okay?"
"Okay." I'm laid gently onto the ground, and near me, I can hear the aliens breathing, ready to attack.
I hear screams, multiple screams making me think that there aren't just one about to attack us...there's at least two. And they're communicating to each other.
The sound of Tony's sword hitting one makes me flinch. The scream of it is muffled by the bomb that goes off near us, my senses overtaken by the feeling of the earth-shaking.
I look up, my vision clearing a little and try to sit up too, but my muscles give out and I'm back on the ground. "Tony?" I call, wiping away the blood on my face.
"I'm here, I'm here." He pants, he helps me up again, "Let's just get you out of here."
"Wait...Jenna could help, bring her."
"Right, darn it, hold on. Kallan! Kallan, find Jenna! Now!" He pauses, "Can you see or walk?" He asks me.
I already know I can't see and I try to move my foot, but I feel nothing, "No."
"Okay, let's go. I don't know for sure if they're following after us or not but we need to get you back now."
"I'm strong and don't need some guy helping me back," I argue as my mind starts getting fuzzy.
"I need to get you back. Come on," Tilting my head back I smile and slowly, my eyes close till I can't see anything.
---
I sit up, badly attempting to adjust the pillow to support my back but it doesn't help. After a second a sharp pain goes through my skull and finally I sit back down. "You're awake," A relieved voice says. I look to my left to see Jenna sitting in a little chair, her cheek red from resting her head on her hand.
"You're safe," I sigh, resting my head back on the pillow. "Is everyone else safe?"
Something crosses her eyes and she shakes her head, "No, unfortunately."
I take a second then ask, "Who?"
"Dustin," She answers, looking down.
My body freezes and I begin to realize that I don't know how to feel. One of my own brothers. One I never even had the chance to have a real conversation with. "Everyone else is okay? How long have I been asleep for?" I ask.
"Everyone is fine. Most did get injuries, but nothing worth to worry about. And it's been about two days since the attack," I nod my head, suddenly wanting to go to sleep again. "But with the death of your half brother, there is going to be a funeral and after that, your father ordered that right when you'd wake you two would have a private meeting."
"Private? As in no one else in the room? No Kallan? No you or Jess? Or Gabby?"
"He might allow Kallan. But no one else," She says while running a hand through her light hair. She stands from the chair, "Do you think you could walk on your own?"
I nod my head without hesitation. The last thing I need is to walk into my father's throne room on a wheelchair. I quickly tear the covers off my warm legs, the feeling of cold air making my hairs stand. Slowly, I move off the uncomfortable bed. "We're still in my father's castle?"
"Yes," She says. I put my foot on the floor and already know that this isn't going to be fun. "At least let me help you off the bed," She says, putting her hand on my bare arm. She flinches silently, so quick I almost didn't notice. She takes some of my weight as I finally find myself able to stand. "You good?"
"Yes, I'm good. I should be able to walk on my own. It's not like I was stabbed or anything."
"No, but there was enough poison found in your system that could make an elephant pass out. This is just as serious as most stab wounds,"
I mumble something as we continue down the hall in silence.
---
The throne room is the same as before. My father sits upon the large throne with flowers growing from the ground. Thorns prick his skin and drip deep red blood onto rose petals. And something else that hasn't changed is the red fire flaming from his ears as his face reddens in anger.
"I'm not at all happy with what happened. The battle you planned was not a good idea," He says, resting his left arm on the armrest, "Not only did you ruin an alley with the aliens, but you also killed one of my sons, you're own brother! Do you know what this does to my family?" My fingers curl into a fist just as I begin to feel the pain increase rapidly.
"I didn't kill him! He willingly came with us into battle! And we had to kill those aliens because they were going to attack us!"
"You should go to prison. I have plenty of cells open. You and your friends could all fit perfectly with the other criminals. If only your mother were here to see what her daughter came out to be."
"My mother already hates me," I mumble while looking down at my hand and see a dark red blotch. I flinch and put my hand behind my back.
"I don't want your friend here while we're having this conversation," His dark ocean eyes look back at Jenna.
"I want her in the room. And I want Kallan here too."
"You aren't the boss here, girl. You may be my daughter, and you may be the Empress but you're nothing here in my lands. I'm the king and you will listen to me," My blood really boils now.
Knowing not to press farther I say, "What is it you need to talk to me about?"
"Before lunch, your brothers funeral will be held. I need you to be dressed and ready. We will then continue this conversation after."
A hand touches my shoulder softly. I turn around to see Spencer there, dress in hand. "Let's get you ready," She says quietly. I look back at my father. He doesn't even look back at me. He just waves a hand to dismiss us. Spencer takes my arm and begins leading me out the room. Jenna follows after us, her face pointed to the ground.
We walk in silence with only the sound of their heels on the concrete floor. "Was it successful?" I ask, needing to know.
"We were able to destroy the village, but there were some aliens who escaped," Jenna answers.
I nod my head, not knowing how to feel. We succeeded. But while trying to succeed we lost a prince. My brother lost a brother. I lost a brother. My body feels numb. Just like it did when I drank some of the alien blood. Like when my body was slowly shutting down. I hear a door open and look up.
Spencer opens the door to our chambers and lets us all walk in. I go in after Jenna. The dark hallway doesn't show any signs of people until I hear another door open and see a head pop through the opening. I see green eyes and ginger hair. Alli.
She opens the door all the way and rushes to me. Her arms wrap around me in a tight hug. She stuffs her face into my neck, "You're okay," She sobs.
"Yes, I'm fine," I say, rubbing her shoulder. The other doors open and more people come into the hallway. Gabby, Jessica, and Abby all rush over along with Kallan who joins Alli in the tight hug. His arms wrap around both of us, squeezing tightly till I can't breathe. "Kal," I wheeze.
Reluctantly he lets go and lets my friends come and give me hugs. I hug them all quickly. A cold hand touches my shoulder behind me, "We should get you ready," Spencer says. I nod my head and lead the way to my room. She follows after me and closes my bedroom door. I sit on the bed and slip off my white socks that now have dirt on them.
She places my black dress on the bed and the shoes on the ground. I stand and take off my nightgown. Spencer quickly takes the dress off the hanger and helps me into it. Her cool fingers brush my bare skin and goosebumps form on my arms. Ignoring them, I slip my arms into the sleeves. She zips the dress from the back and brings out some makeup from a bag that lays on my desk. I sit down on the chair and let myself relax as she lightly paints my face. She takes blush and puts it on my cheeks and my nose. Rose lipgloss coats my chapped lips and black mascara is applied on my lashes.
Her fingers brush through my tangled hair and puts it into a high pony. I put on the simple black heels.
"You're ready," She says.
I nod my head and don't bother to look in the mirror, I'm sure even with this make-up and nice dress I still look horrifying.
---
The funeral takes place in the beautiful gardens. Next to this part of the gardens is a little grave area with only three gravestones. I look at the graves closer and read the names. The first grave from the left has the words engraved with what looks like it could have been stone. I try to read the names but notice they're written with symbols I've never seen before. There were spots in the stone that looked like decay, showing age.
"It's not every day that we have funerals. It's very very rare. Especially when a fae dies so young." I look over to where the voice is and see January.
"How old was he?" I ask.
"Only a couple of centuries. I know that may seem old to you, but to us, that's just the age of getting your life together. Dustin and the other two triplets were planning on joining the guard." No tears stain her face.
"I wish I could mourn for him like you. I wish I could have gotten to know him. But he died before I had the chance."
"You know, for us, every day goes by in a blink. When we breathe, years have already gone by. He wouldn't have remembered you. Even I won't remember you. When you die time will have already gone by so fast."
"Shouldn't I live longer since I'm part fae?" I ask. "I probably won't be immortal but I'll have a longer life span than most mortals."
"I don't know. It's rare for the fae to mix with mortals," She says, tugging on her sweater. "Not to offend you, but you do look quite odd here. Your pastel skin which would look weird if you take a family photo with us. Even your eyes are a little different. They are the normal blue that we get from our father but...I don't know. Must be those strange human genes you got from your mother."
I look down at the bright healthy grass, "I've been getting that a lot. Ever since the glamour was taken off everyone thinks that I don't look half-fae and half-human."
Her hand rests on my shoulder and I look up at her to see her wince a little, "No matter what father says, I don't blame you for this. You are simply a young girl fighting for her people. Dustin went into the battle knowing what could happen. He was never the bright one," She mumbles quietly at the end.
Behind her, I see Mike, the oldest of the triplets picking a yellow daisy. The flower's petals seem to grow bigger and more vibrant in his touch. He smiles sadly and goes back to where Lucas stands near the coffin.
My gaze goes around the whole garden. People stand everywhere. Some eat the little cakes that have been set out, others sit nicely on benches. I look around and stop when I see father talking to a tall blonde. I can see the tense conversation from here. Both don't look happy to be near each other. As if noticing my eyes on her, she looks back at me and frowns.
Her face wrinkles and she begins pointing a finger at the king's chest. Then, she walks over to me. Her straight gold hair sways perfectly around her as she comes closer. "You must be the bastard," She screams.
"Mom, not here," January says, shaking her head.
The woman's hand smacks her in the face, "Don't talk to me. I'm not here for you, spoiled girl," Her dark black eyes look back at me, "I'm here because I received news that my son was killed because of you!"
"I didn't kill him-"
"You stupid child!" She towers over me, her height making me feel like I'm shrinking. She stares at me like I'm a monster. "Your kind should never be welcomed here. I want you gone-"
"You can't make that decision!" I say back.
Her eyes look at me closely, her gaze following the blotches on my skin like it was a little ant crawling on me. Her eyes meet mine again, "I am the queen of these lands. I have power over you." She turns around, her hair whipping in the air, fast like a sharp knife. She walks away and doesn't bother looking back.
"She's a real bitch," Jenna says when the queen is far enough away where she can't hear our conversation.
"No kidding."
"I think I peed a little," Gabby mumbles.
"Try having her as a mother," January says, her hands in tight fists at her sides. Her cheek is bright pink. I look at her and wish I could help her. But before I could comfort her, she walks back to her brothers
I wish this were over. My whole body tingles and I try to settle down. My breath goes slower and finally, most of the blotches go away. "I just want to finish this."
"You and I both," Jenna says.
I look at her, "Do you know if Jess or Abby have gotten their powers yet?" I ask.
She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know. But if they have we need to ask them and we all need to learn how to use our powers during battle."
"Not only have they taken our own families, but the smurfs and aliens have taken the faes loved ones. It's us and the faeries against them."
"I never thought I'd miss my old life. But I miss my family, my home, even school!" Gabby says as her eyes tear up a little.
I go up to her and gently wipe her tears away, "Don't cry here," I tell her softly, "They're all watching. And judging. We don't want them to see us as the weak humans who lost everything. We may have lost everything, but we're not lost. Not yet."
She nods her head and looks at the grass. "Katie, could you be the next queen of the fae?" Jenna asks.
I shake my head, "No. You have to be like a pure bread. Fully fae," She nods her head, "I don't think I would want to be either."
"Why not? Imagine having all this beautiful land! And you'd get to know your family more."
"This land is beautiful, but there are so many horrible things that live here. And I wouldn't be getting closer with my family because they'd hate me for taking the throne when I very obviously don't deserve it."
I walk towards the coffin. Black roses grow before my eyes around the sharp edges of the mahogany wood.
In the coffin lays Dustin. His eyes are closed as his skin seems to grow paler by the second. His golden skin full of light now looks like a fragile porcelain doll. I wish so badly I had something to think of him at this moment. The seconds are ticking by and my mind can only think of how I don't deserve to be here. I don't deserve to be with his family while they celebrate his life and share loving stories together of him when he was young. They all have something to share, but I only have the word of gratefulness to him for sacrificing his life for my people and me.
My eyes burn but I can't cry. I have nothing to really mourn for but the thought of not being able to grow close to him.
"It's not your fault," Tony says behind me. I feel him hesitate before finally gently placing his hand on my shoulder. "You didn't do this."
I feel my eyes flash with anger and frustration as I turn around and smack his hand off me. "I wasn't thinking that. You don't always have to be there, five steps behind me. I'm not the fragile piece of glass you all see me as. I am a person too, and just because some shit happens doesn't mean I'm not going to survive. I've survived this far and I'm sure I'll be just fine going through the next," I take a step closer to him and look up at him closely, "I'm done having you feeling sorry for me. Now, get the hell away from me."
I step to the right and walk quickly back into the castle. My heels ring through the halls as I make my way to my room, ready to stuff my head into a pillow.
I run to the doors from the back patio and make my way to my rooms. I rush up a flight of stairs and right as I'm about to run up another I hear, "Katie!" A voice calls. I look down to see Jace.
"If your going to yell at me, now is not the time," I take another step up the stairs and stop when I hear him rushing up towards me.
"No, wait I need to say something-"
"You can just keep your opinions to yourself-"
His hand grabs my arm and he looks right at my eyes, "I'm not here to yell at you," He says, "I just...wanted to say this to you," He steps up to the same step I stand on and rests his forehead against mine. "I've been such a jerk to you. The truth is...it's hard to see you get close to Tony. I want you to be with me. I want you, Katie. And there has been no good time to tell you so I realized that there never will be and to just tell you-"
"Yeah, well now is probably the worst time to be telling me."
"I love you, Katie! And I get it, I've been shit to you lately but that doesn't mean you have to react like that when I'm trying to tell you how I feel," His hands cup my cheeks, bringing my face to his, "I was in love with you the first moment I saw you. When Tony introduced us I looked at you and knew you're the one I'll always be in love with-"
"We're too young, Jace! You can't really be in love with me, especially when you don't know me! I don't even know myself! I've changed so much in the past three days I don't even remember being the person I was! The girl you fell for back on earth is gone. She was too naive and thought that she could make an easy joke and everything bad would go away, but she was a fucking idiot."
"No, no! She wasn't! You aren't!" His face comes closer and right away I feel nauseous.
"Get away! Get away from me!" I yell while pulling away from him, "I need space, please!" He yells when my skin touches his. "My brother just died! This is the last thing I need right now," I run up the stairs quickly before the tears begin to spill down my cheeks. The moment I close the door to my room I crumble to the ground.
"Katie-"
"You're such a dick! Now go away before I say something I'll regret!" I yell before they continue.
The door opens and my back now rests against open air. Hands lift my head onto a lap and strokes my hair. "Sh."
I look up and see Spencer. Her brown hair gently falls out of her bun as she looks down at me, "You can go," I mumble, "There are other more important things-"
"This is more important."
I feel my cheeks begin to blush and I stuff my face into my arms.
As her fingers soothingly run through my hair, my eyes slowly begin to close and all of a sudden the world goes dark.