Star Beings: Dawn

Shadows

It was on the news the next morning. Corinna lied, she lied about what had happened. Claimed that my betrayal had led Cassius to throw himself from the window, and that they had yet to find the body.
I doubted they were even looking.
Throughout the whole broadcast, Cain glared at his sister with barely concealed rage. He knew. He knew what happened, but for some reason he wasn't saying anything. I cried through most of it. He was just a kid. Just a 16 year old kid with a shitty family. And now he was dead.
It wasn't fair. It wasn't fucking fair.
I retreat into my room, curling up under the sheets and hoping that I would just die here. It was my fault the little crow was dead. I should have taken him with me when I left, then he would still be alive. Maybe he'd be living with Elian, who would be the first decent father figure he'd have. Maybe he'd be flying around the island in bird form, finding all there was to discover.
Or maybe he'd be with Anai right now, goofing off and laughing like a kid should. Instead, his body was lying broken at the bottom of a mountain, where no one would look for it and leave him to rot away and for the animals to feast on.
Dammit all. Dammit all to hell!
Why? Why of all people did Cassius have to die?
"Ani?" I hear my girlfriend call quietly as she walks into the room.
"He was just a boy, Leigh. He was on our side too... he helped me gather info, and I truly was stupid enough to think that Cori didn't know he was involved. She killed him for it, and it's all my fault."
"Anai, it is not your fault-"
"IF I HAD TAKEN HIM WITH ME HE'D STILL BE ALIVE!!!" I roar. Leigh is taken aback, her eyes wide and afraid. Dammit. I'm really just fucking everything up today, aren't I?
"I... I'm sorry."
"I know you're hurting, Ani. I'm sorry I can only heal physical wounds."
"I'm just angry at myself. And at Corinna for lying on live fucking television. And at Cain for not saying anything. He screamed and sobbed when he realized Cassius was gone, did you know that? He cried so hard he collapsed, yet today he just stood there glaring at his sister as though they had had a petty argument. Who the fuck-"
Tap.
"... who the fuck would be-"
Tap tap.
"Ok, what is tapping on that damned window?!"
Leigh walks over and opens the curtains.
"Oh, just some dumb crow."
"A crow?"
I get out of bed and hesitantly approach the window, opening it slowly.
"Anai what are you-"
"Trust me."
The bird hops inside, but by the time it hits the floor it's no longer a bird. It's a boy. A boy with dark hair and bright red eyes. A boy who's shaking.
A boy who very quickly passes out.
"avicula!"
Leigh is quick to bend down and check his vitals, which she can do with a simple touch.
"He's fine, just exhausted. Probably flew the whole way here."
I scoop Cassius up and lay him down in bed, pulling the sheets up around him. He was alive. Tired, but alive. He had not been left to rot at the bottom of the mountain. He had not been picked apart by vultures, wolves and griffins.
Cassius Bruneau was alive and well. The boy had not died.
Thank the gods above.

"Where the fuck..."
"Cass!" I exclaim, running to the bed. He looks at me with bewildered eyes.
"You flew here, Cassius. You're at the Star Beings' base. And you're alive somehow."
"I morphed into Bird form just before I hit the ground. Been flying since yesterday. Cori... she..."
"I know. Cain looked heartbroken, if it helps at all. He fell to the ground crying."
"I know. I heard him."
The two of us sit in silence for a while before there's a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Natalie enters followed by Hade, Leigh and my uncle. The first smiles when she sees Cassius, happy to see that he is indeed alive.
"You've managed to surprise us all, little crow. Good job."
The boy smiles.
"For now, you'll stay with Elian and relax for a while. Stay undercover. If your sister finds out you're alive, it won't end well for any of us. Your title is shadow lord, and now you must be one. Stay in the background, unnoticed."
"You deserve to just be a teenager, Cassius." I tell him quietly.  He looks nervous, and he has every right to be. I would have been too if I was in his situation. But that's the good thing about this whole ordeal, I suppose.
Cassius won't turn out like I did. Cassius will learn to be a kind person, he will learn that he was born to be so much more than a soldier. He wouldn't be another Anaideia Timor, wouldn't be another weapon for the world to use and then discard once the war was over. He would be free, and knowing that I could possibly be the reason for that?
Gods, it was worth all the risks I took.
"Kid, I'll take care of ya. You have nothing to worry about. If I can handle Anai, I can handle you."
I chuckle at my Uncle's statement. I had no doubt he'd make sure Cassius was both safe and happy.
The boy gets up and walks over to my uncle, turning around and flashing a tired smile before leaving my apartment. I feel Hade rest their head on mine, and Leigh's grabs my waist.
"You ok, red?" Hade asks me quietly. I nod.
"Yeah... yeah, I am."

A week goes by and there's no word of Corinna, Cain, or their entire legion in the mountains. Normally, I'd be overjoyed for the break.
But I was the one blamed for Cassius' death. Yet the fact that I was still breathing and that we hadn't faced an attack was beyond suspicious, and, ironically, it was Cassius himself who first mentioned this.
Shortly afterwards, a decision was made. One of us would go to the palace to see what was going on. Caleb was the first to offer his help. He left...
And then he came back no more than twenty minutes later.
The palace was empty.
The entire legion, every soldier, servant, medic, blacksmith, and shadow lord had just vanished.
I knew at that moment my damned curse would come in handy.
I could track them down, take any remaining magic strings and pull on them until I found what I was looking for.
Until the seam finally came loose.
We agreed that all of us would go, and that's what we're doing.
We didn't bother traveling all that way this time. Instead, we teleported about three miles off and started hiking.
I'm glad that it isn't hot, but it looks like there's rain on the horizon.
A storm is brewing.
I glance around at our group.
At Lane, Natalie and DJ all talking, DJ and Lane's hands intertwined.
At the brothers, who are goofing off with Maxine and Gabriel.
At Karson and Mateo, who talk quietly with each other.
And at Hade, my once enemy. My partner. My strangely tall companion who scared the shit out of me sometimes.
And right now, They're smiling at me.
"Everything alright, Ani?"
"Yes," I lie, leaning my head on their shoulder as we walk, "Everything is just fine."