HE REFUSED TO see anything past his desire to find her.
Eos clapped his wings, forcing them to accelerate his speed as he soared through the morning sky, the images of the previous night a cursed tattoo embedded in his memory. For seconds he tried to convince himself his sight had been fooling him, that there was no way what he'd witnessed belonged to reality, their reality.
The Shadows were here, and Warren had attacked Selene.
He had planned to go for one last flying tour around the city to reassure Helios there was no trouble when Selene's horror as she attempted to free herself from the leader of the Sky Kingdom's Underworld left him wordless, his breaths sharp from the shock. Before he decided to dive into her rescue, Warren had already delivered his threat and disappeared.
Eos fled, his mind having a rough time adjusting to the facts. He had failed to protect his sister. Instead of lunging forward and alarming everyone, the blood in his veins chilled, stilling him altogether. His presence would've been pointless afterwards and high chances were it would've added to Selene's angst.
His heart was shattering to pieces repeatedly at his sister's imprudent philosophy of handling everything alone. She didn't recognize the power of a united family and he wasn't going to tolerate her persistence of him remaining to the side-lines; a useless spectator.
Selene wasn't willing to listen or compromise in any form. She didn't settle, but so didn't he.
The low temperatures of the winter dawn didn't alleviate the suffocating warmth gathered on Eos' cheekbones; his shoulders taut. For once he was immune to the glory of his task – to paint the skies golden. A profound, unnerving feeling of helplessness replaced the thrill of setting the start towards a brighter day.
He hated the role of an overwatch. Helios had assigned to him the affirmation of the city's safety at the end of the day, but Eos was grateful he hadn't voiced aloud his inner complaints, otherwise he wouldn't have discovered the place Hilary and her friends resided in for the time being.
The pale rose clouds of the dawn were subsiding under Eos' sparks of magic dripping from his fingertips, giving the opportunity to the rays to sed light to the Capital – and maybe, some hope.
Selene, hang in there.
He had to act and no one was going to stop him.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
A significant perk of being an early riser was that she didn't feel trapped into a race against time.
Hilary was perched on the windowsill, the pillows of the couch Kai occupied during the night supporting her legs. Her eyes were absorbing the pages of the book, immersed into the talented storytelling. Fantasy stories were her least favorite genre along with horror as she deemed both melodramatic.
Horror stories' descriptions made her skin crawl and the scenarios she happened to stumble upon didn't have at least a decent ending. Fantasy books, on the other hand, were a whole lot different matter. Most of the world-building was impressive — marvellous even —but the unrealistic depiction of the relationships among the characters ruined the greatness of the imaginative storyline.
Nevertheless, exceptions weren't non-existent; the sensation of the paper between her fingers combined with its addictive smell being the proof.
Hilary took a sip from the tea cup resting beside her, the warm sensation travelling from her lips to her throat melting some of the cold. Contented, she flipped the page and tossed a quick glance at the door leading to the two rooms behind her.
Relief was inescapable as the team showed no signs of waking up. Seven A.M was an hour linked to torture due to their hectic schedule, but Hilary wasn't complaining. With Kai leaving for a run not too long ago and her friends' sleeping patterns she had managed to save some necessary me-time to restore her mental reservoir.
Closing the book and placing it beside her, Hilary crossed the distance to the kitchen for a refill, ignorant of the figure coming to a halt in front of the window. She turned and savored another drop, her eyes widening at the creature she was almost face-to-face with.
The liquid swayed in the cup, her hand trembling, but her swift reflexes prevented any damage done. Without dwelling on it, Hilary pried open the window, her heart pounding as one handle slipped from her grasp, apprehensive.
She was prepared to fire a chain of retorts at the man, but now that she had the opportunity to observe him the insults died at the tip of her tongue. The magic energy he exuded was radiant, a mild glow surrounding him. He was no mortal – of that she was certain – but the red pair of wings on his back with intricate designs of the dawn and the diadem crowning his brown, pushed-back curls had her guard rising.
"Who are you?" she asked, her fingers remaining latched on the handle as she regarded him through narrowed eyes.
Eos noticed the shift in her body language. She went from relaxed to wary and calculating in a flash, hiding most of herself behind the window frame. He watched her set down her cup, amused, all the while her stare at him unwavering.
Eos couldn't fathom for the life of him what she may have had experienced in the magic realm thus far for her to warrant such caution about everything. He had to be careful, otherwise she was going to alarm everyone and screw whatever plans he harbored for his sister's salvation.
His advent in broad daylight was already a risk, but Selene's obstinacy sent him to the edge. He wasn't going to let the inertia his sister expected from him contribute to her downfall.
Eos' eyes – a delicate, soft brown – were lost, gazing at her with an affliction that pulled at her heartstrings. He seemed so out of his depth and exhausted, the dark circles marring his smooth skin a clear indication.
After a protracted, bone-tearing sigh, he told her, "I'm Eos, God of the Dawn. You must be Hilary."
Hilary nodded and stepped out from her spot behind the window frame. She had to show a fearless front at whatever life aimed at her. Running away wasn't a solution. In the end, the road to pulling through was to face it, always, despite the consequences. Face it and prepare for the next stage.
Eos intended to take the initiative of a long chain of thoughts. Hilary's grim expression as she spoke altered his plans though.
"With all due respect, sir – or God, or whatever creature you are – if you're here to cause any more trouble I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'll handle none of it. I have enough on my plate as it is."
Eos stared at her for a beat and masked his astonishment under a neutral curl of his lips. Hilary Miller's feisty spirit was a force to be reckoned with, and he was in the unfortunate position to understand she wasn't going to facilitate their discussion.
Eos had to repress his amusement with a bite on the inside of his cheek. Selene's visible traces on her gentled the crease on his forehead, and Hilary wondered if he had noticed.
Not that it mattered, she thought. If the guy was searching for trouble then he'd come to the wrong place and chose the absolute worst person for it. She'd grew tiresome of the Gods and their problems. The ironic element of the situation was the exhaustion was the repercussion of having to deal with just two who were her blood.
Eos swallowed the lump in his throat and regained his composure. He couldn't waste his time, otherwise Helios' suspicion would rise, and hell he was in no mood for his dictating bullshit.
"I'm not here to harm you," he said, at last. "As for the part of causing trouble that's up to you to decide, but I'm here for a person both of us care about."
Her arched brow and mockery silence prompted him to continue. "Selene needs help."
Hilary was speechless, but her contemptive armor was quick to guard her vulnerability as she connected the dots of Eos being Selene and Helios' brother, her other uncle. "What makes you presume the Goddess' complications are of my concern, or even worse, I'm capable of aiding her? I'm nothing more than a fairy-in-training."
His original idea of going easy on her was thrown out of the window. He wouldn't permit a mini version of Selene push his buttons and dance him around. He arrived here with a purpose.
"Hilary," he said and held the reins of his temper. The sternness of his voice that obtained a harsher pitch caused the hair on the scruff of her neck to stand on end. He fixed her with a pointed look, a shudder seeping through her spine. "Helios and Selene weren't the only ones who've been watching over you throughout the years. You've grown into an amazing, skilled woman and fairy, but if you let the negative emotions about Selene overpower you, it's like letting everything you've learned go to waste."
Hilary processed his words. "Really?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest, defiant. "How is that?"
"One of the basic traits fairies learn to develop – unless it's already rooted within them – is compassion and respect for a person's nature as they are." At the firm press of her lips shut, he carried on, "Besides, you wouldn't have travelled to the Sky Kingdom if you didn't care, if you didn't want to find out what's truly going on."
Hilary released a defeated sigh and averted her eyes to the clock on the wall. Seven Thirty and her teammates were still lost in the blissful standstill a needed sleep provided; a blessing and a curse at that moment.
"You're right," she admitted, her head lowered with embarrassment. "I-I don't know what to do though. Everything she's told me..." she trailed off, trying to put her scattered thoughts in order, "I believe her, I just don't know how to approach her. She gives the impression she's so surrendered to her fate that I'm not sure if she's worth all the hassle."
She lifted her eyes to meet Eos', glassed with honesty and a concealed desire to cry. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Her voice was shaky, her heart close to leaping out of her body. "She may have never been a real mother to me, but this isn't an excuse. I shouldn't speak this way of her, yet I can't help it. I can't lie to myself about how I feel.
"You shouldn't," he agreed with a nod. "You have a right to your own feelings, but I need your help. Helios isn't the man everyone thinks he is."
Hilary rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Yeah, I had the disappointment of figuring it out myself." The weight of his presence on her shoulders was almost unbearable, but she didn't want to shoo him away. It wasn't right, not when he was risking everything to have this conversation with her. That, along with the fact her curiosity won the overwhelming urge of turning her back on the matter at hand.
The frosty bites of the winter atmosphere had her shivering. Hilary grabbed her knit jacket from the arm of the couch and reconsidered. If she adopted a passive stance then their trip here and all the emotional conflicts within her during the years would end in vain.
She made up her mind, at last. "You said Selene is trouble. What happened?"
"One of the Shadows visited her last night in her bedroom."
"The Shadows?" Hilary mumbled, the name familiar somewhere in the back of her mind as she tried to clear the haze. Her breath hitched, though she stayed quiet, waiting for Helios to reveal the rest of the story.
"Warren, their leader and ruler of the Sky Kingdom's Underworld has been trying to take over the Capital for centuries. He may have failed so far, yet every time he returns, he's stronger. Something doesn't add up."
"Why?" she questioned, rubbing her arms. "It makes sense to me when the bad guys do everything in their power to achieve what they're after."
"It wouldn't be irrational if they weren't locked in the Lost Dimension."
Hilary was setting the cup on the windowsill the moment Eos' words reached her ears. Her head whipped around to face him, her mouth agape. "I thought it was only a myth."
Eos' lips curved to a sneer. "It'd be a bloody miracle if it didn't exist, but alas, magic doesn't work that way."
The Lost Dimension had the form of a black hole in the Universe a few had access to. It gathered the most ruthless, violent and ferocious criminals with a knack for sadistic behavior and an inexplicable thirst for blood and murder. Inside lied the fallen civilizations of all history and the Underworld of the Sky Kingdom was one of the predominant amidst them.
"Okay..." Hilary trailed off, shifting from one foot to the other. She wasn't going to sit with her hands tied. Selene acted tough, the most recognisable trait they shared, but she was already past her limit. She needed someone to show her there's always light at the end of the tunnel.
Inhaling a breath of determination, she asked, "What do we do?"
"If we want this situation to get somewhere you must make Selene warm up to you. Whatever she may've told you isn't enough. You deserve to know the full story, but you have to keep out of Helios' radar at all costs, which won't be trouble if you decide to go to the palace at morning. Helios doesn't get to finish his duties before three p.m, so the coast is clear until then."
Hilary nodded. She'd have to craft a plan as soon as Eos departed. "I wish things hadn't turned out this way."
Eos unclenched his jaw, his voice smoother in an effort to provide comfort. "All of us, but you have to be careful whenever Helios is present, especially when it comes to Selene."
"I know," she agreed. "One more thing though. Now that I've thought better of it, is it possible that Warren possesses the power to opening the gate of the Lost Dimension?"
Eos pondered the thought before shaking his head. "He doesn't hold that kind of strength, nor can he disguise himself and fool the gatekeeper. There has to be something else – a crack that allows him to slip through the barrier undetected."
Hilary dug her nails into the skin of her palm. She had to dive deeper to have a better grasp of the situation. "Did you happen to notice when they attack? From my team's experience they appear to have a strategy."
He didn't have to think twice to answer. "They show up at the last days of the Starilight Festival."
A small smile played on Hilary's lips. "Good. At least we have a starting point."
The sound of the clock ticking eight from the Kingdom's church grounded them to the present. Eos began shifting away from the window, an apologetic look crossing his face. "I should get going. I already overstayed my welcome, and Helios will demand my whereabouts."
Hilary rolled her eyes. "You're not six to give him reports."
Eos blew out a breath, his voice dripping disdain. "Try telling him that."
He was about to leave when he whirled around. "Oh, and Hilary? Promise me you'll go to the palace no matter what."
She nodded again, not bearing a heart of stone to refuse to his sweetness. She watched him retreat and slumped on the pillow beneath her, tucking one leg under the other.
It may've been too much to take, but she wasn't going to give up on Selene, despite how much she believed she wanted to.
The front door opened and Hilary almost received another heart attack. Kai walked in a little breathless as his chest rose and fell. He stripped himself off the black hoodie, leaving him in dark grey T-Shirt and black sweatpants. A pale pink hue tinged his cheeks, his face fresh and alive from the exercise.
Hilary's smile widened. "I suppose your run went well."
Kai pushed his side fringe out of his eyes. God, he craved a shower. "Yeah, the city was empty and that path leading to the hill behind the palace was perfect. Peace and quiet."
Hilary leaned back to the wall, smirking. "Taking a break from Tyson was that relieving, huh?" she joked.
His lips quirked to a wry smile. "Damn right it was," he said as he poured himself a glass of water and twisted his waist to look at her. "What've you been up to?"
She shrugged. "Nothing much. Been reading a fantasy book, which, I have to admit was interesting. I didn't get bored after the first three chapters."
He set the glass on the counter. "Well, there's a first time for everything."
Hilary was skeptical whether she should inform Kai about what took place when he was gone, but his question brought her out of her dilemma. "Did someone else come here when I left? I think I heard voices while keyed in the access card."
She hoped she'd put a persuasive performance. "No, I was muttering to myself about how these two protagonists are so thick-headed. They're arguing over the tiniest of things and their stupidity is out of this world. Not even Adams is that much of an idiot."
Kai folded his arms, fixing her with an unimpressed look. "I don't appreciate lies. Not when they come from a teammate."
Hilary sighed and raked a hand through her hair. Kai didn't wait for an invitation and strode towards her, sitting across her on the windowsill, arms resting on his knees.
"I need you to tell me what happened, if we're going to help."
Hilary started from the beginning, glad she was getting the chance to free herself from the weight. She told him everything without hesitation, a sense of gratitude blooming. Kai proved to be a great listener and at that moment, it was what she needed the most. Someone to understand without judging her, someone who respected her as she was even though they hadn't known each other long enough.
There were days she felt everyone was against her, but they were coming to an end. Lyla had always been there for her, a source of unbounded optimism. With her, Kai and Max beside her – and maybe the whole team – there wasn't darkness she couldn't find the light to shine through.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
A / N
Hi guys! I hope you're doing well.
Oh my, it's nearly 4 A.M but, today is my birthday (Wednesday, October 7th). It's finally Libra season and since I was on a roll, I couldn't wait to publish the chapter later today. It was a chapter I worked very hard on so it'd mean a lot if you told me your thoughts in the comments.
As always, a vote & a comment are always appreciated for they can truly motivate an author.
Also, what do you think of ARC 2 so far? What do you expect to see next?
Much love,
Pavlina x.