Kingdom of Life and Death (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 15: The Kingdom of Tellus [part 1]

'Jonah is mine.'

How could I deny her? How could I tell her to let go of her desire for revenge when I understood her perfectly well?

Yet, despite all that, I could hardly stomach that she was the one to finish Jonah off after all he had done to me. After humiliating me, hunting me, tricking me, using my family against me, hurting the ones I loved and chasing me even in my sleep?

It was an extremely difficult request. But I needed Muvina's help. I needed all the help I could get. I would have the dragons, and now I would have the mermaids. Together with my army, we might have a chance.

'Deal,' I said without further thought.

Because if I kept thinking about it, if I kept debating whether she would really have to be the one to do it, then I would refuse.

Mena packed my dresses to go to Tellus.

I didn't know how many she'd packed, but apparently she'd made at least two more during our stay. She had a natural ability for dresses, it was a gift.

I hadn't asked her where she had gone that day.

Because I really wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

If she was the traitor, if she was telling Jonah everything, then I would have to imprison her or worse.

All the blue colours were replaced by green. Like the one she chose for me that morning. The corset was different this time, it wasn't really a corset, but strips of fabric tied behind my back. The dress was looser, more comfortable, as if she was listening more and more to my comments about the dresses she made for me.

She was quiet, which surprised me.

'Is everything okay?' I asked her at last.

'I can't get out of my head the image of Muvina holding her sister in her arms, her little sister,' a tear fell so fast from her eyes that I was surprised. 'I couldn't bear for that to happen to you. Maybe you think I'm a hypocrite after I didn't... if I'd known they were going to force you, chase you, I would have taken you out of that room. I thought it was a dream come true to have that life of luxury and I never thought if it was your dream. I don't want you to think that I don't feel guilty every day that I didn't get you out of there. And that the months in captivity were exactly what I deserved. Because I failed you once as your big sister, but I won't let that mistake happen again.'

I turned and hugged her, feeling the wetness on my shoulder from the tears that welled up in her eyes.

'You mustn't feel guilty Mena. What happened, happened. Now you're here, now you're with me. I don't want you to think any more about the past, put it behind you. You're my sister, and that will never change.'

'I love you Laia.'

'I love you too Mena.'

Together we left the room. I could no longer believe she was the traitor, there was no way she was. Not after everything she had said. Unless Jonah was controlling her mind in a way that even she didn't realise.

All that had to stay there, no one could know about the spy thing. It was just a guess, nothing more than that.

Russell and Rayn had already left with the guards when we all gathered in the throne room. Thank the Gods I didn't have to see Russell's face when he was told he had to go back to the Lost Kingdom.

'He left this for you,' Galaga said, handing me a small piece of paper.

I opened it and read it quietly, waiting for the rest to arrive so we could leave for Tellus.