Hiraeth: Blackout (I)

Chapter Twenty

I snapped awake, my hand still touching the fox's paw.

"W-What'd you do to me?!" I stuttered, backing away, trembling.

I blinked and whirled around. Nothing had changed. I was still in the ballroom. Only a few seconds had passed.

"What'd you give him?!" the one wearing the mask asked frantically, scanning the crowd with wary eyes.

"I gave him five, but he wouldn't take a few names," the fox replied.

The masked one dropped their voice to a whisper, not knowing that my ears could still pick up what they said. "Please tell me you could give him Roxie."

"I tried, but Bexley's magic blocked her specifically. All I could give was one small moment with her in them."

"This is bad, Kioku."

"What's bad?"

"We couldn't give Jade anything and Troy only took one. What if Bexley's getting stronger?"

"Jade?!" I blurted.

Every beat of my heart echoed in my eardrums.

The black-and-brown haired being grabbed my shoulders. "You remember Jade?"

"No! Well, yes. He's my gentleman-in-waiting! What did you do to him?"

Kioku slapped a paw to her face, diving down and onto the other's shoulder. "We didn't hurt him! We tried to bring his memories back."

"Those were... Those were my m-memories?" I stammered with a shiver.

"Yes!"

I was getting dizzy. My knees were weak.

"Karter, you must explain to him that we are trying to help," Kioku said right before she flew away.

"K-Karter..?" The name had been in the flashes of events, and it scared me.

Karter ripped off her mask. I could see water and longing in her eyes. "Michael?!"

"I remember your name..."

Karter pulled me by the wrist and through the crowd faster than I ever thought I could run. We burst through the huge golden doors and down several halls.

While we ran, Karter talked. "I'm the leader of the Ragdoll Army. I don't know what Bexley may have told you, but we are not trying to hurt anyone and we are not your enemy."

My mind was racing with my heart now.

I screeched my heels to a stop, flaring my wings out and finally ripping free from Karter's grasp. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I know who you are. I know the truth."

I started to turn around to leave. "How do I know you're not lying about that?"

As I took the first step, Karter screamed, "Your wings!" Her voice was desperate.

I turned back around slowly, looking at the pair of leathery appendages.

I'd grown so used to them, but a sinking feeling inside of me never left. A feeling that I knew was there for a reason.

"They're not yours!"

I winced, the dreams or visions or whatever Kioku had given me flashing back through my head.

I didn't have wings - or ears - in any of them.

Not in a single one.

"You knew it all along, didn't you, Michael?"

I touched my ears with trembling hands. I felt my wings droop.