Neverswan

Chapter Eight | Kaylessa

AHHH! This chapter has a trigger warning for death and drunk-ness, in case you're sensitive like that. The drunkness is just minor giggliness, but if you're not okay with that, you can skim over the mention of fizzleberry wine. I wrote this chapter and I hope you enjoy!!

—caly

A loud clang outside of her bedroom woke Kaylessa up from her sleep. Kaylessa sat up quickly and ran outside into the hallway to find her dad digging through her closet. His back was hunched over as he frantically dug through her clothes.

"Dad?" Kaylessa asked. Her dad jolted upright and banged his head on the ebony doorframe. He rubbed his head as he faced his daughter. Kaylessa eyed his clothes covered in lushberry juice and mallowmelt stains. Why is there lushbe—nevermind.

"Yes?" he groaned, stretching out his back.

"What are you doing? It's the middle of the night!" Kaylessa asked, glancing at the clothes her dad tossed on the floor. "Why are you going through my clothes?" Her dad shook his head and rubbed his bleary eyes.

"I was just—nothing," Elion Salvaxe sighed. He slouched his posture and made his way to the living room. Kaylessa followed him and watched as he slumped on the couch.

"Sorry, I was just . . . looking for something," her dad corrected, closing his eyes as he settled deeper into the sofa.

"For what?" Kaylessa said gently as she took a seat across from her dad. "What were you looking for?" Elion gave her a pained look as he rubbed his temples.

"Something I lost," he explained. Groaning, he got up and smoothed his shirt over. "I have to check the guest house now." Her dad dragged his feet over to the door and left Kaylessa's house. She frowned. What did he lose? Kaylessa reached down into her tunic pocket and closed her hand around the pendant hidden there subconsciously.

Kaylessa took the necklace out of her pocket and examined the engravings. A diamond bird had its wings outstretched towards the sun, basking in the light. The words, 'Wild', were engraved in the open space before the bird's wings. Kaylessa brushed her thumb over the letters and tucked the pendant back into her pocket.

A sudden beeping from her Neverseen bracelet made Kaylessa jump. She rolled her eyes at the invitation. Who was summoning her this late at night? Gisela is asleep for a fact.

Kaylessa ran back to her room and slipped on her Neverseen cloak hidden in her sheets. She ran back into the kitchen after securing the hood over her head.

She sighed and took out her Neverseen leaping crystal and turned it to the Everglen facet as indicated by the number of bleeps from her wrist accessory. She held it up to the ceiling light and stepped into the weak beam of light.

When she got to the Vacker home, she quickly ran behind a group of trees as she scanned the premises for anybody watching. She was glad that the Vacker's took down the gates so that it made it easier leaping onto their property. Alvar used to have to lie about his girlfriends and friends to get access for some Neverseen members. But now that he's gone, at least the gates were gone.

Kaylessa found the grounds to be clear and she ran towards the right side of the property under the cover of the dark. She slipped behind more trees as she looked for the tree carved with a curved line symboling a swan's neck. Sometimes, the best way to hide something is using your enemy's symbol.

She licked the hidden DNA panel painted to look like bark as the ground slid open to reveal steep stairs. She ran down the stairs as a deep, haunting voice rang out in the dark.