Kingdom of Life and Death (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 19: Consequences [part 2]

It all happened so fast.

Jessima left that very night for Eurus with the specific task of delivering the message to Brennus that her sister and I had crafted to perfection.

After weeks of searching for me, they had finally found me in hiding after having committed the worst crime of all. No questions had been asked, I had simply been locked in the dungeon. Julyana wanted Brennus to come to her Kingdom to discuss how to proceed now that I was a prisoner, and also how she could help him and Jonah defeat those who sympathised with my cause.

We had to trust her sister to say exactly that, that she would not break, that she would follow the plan perfectly. I had doubts that she would until I saw the look on her sister's face as she watched her go. I knew she wouldn't dare betray her, not again.

It would take a few days to convince Brennus to come, so I had to keep myself as hidden as possible. Only very few knew of these plans, and we wanted to keep it that way.

I even asked Aurora and Mena to withdraw for a few minutes to speak alone with Phoenix, Muvina and Julyana.

'There's something you should know,' I told them still in that precarious condition, my dress hanging from the few threads that had not been destroyed by the journeys I had made.

'Is there more? I feel like I've had too much for several years.' Julyana commented, holding her blonde hair in her hand.

'I suspect there is a traitor among my people.'

I knew that once I said that there would be no turning back, because the suspicion would no longer be a suspicion, it would be a possibility.

'A traitor?' Muvina repeated.

'Why do you think that?' Phoenix added.

'Well, I guess I'd start with the fact that every time I go anywhere, no matter where it is, Jonah finds out. I can't escape his shadow, which literally follows me everywhere. Yes, we have a connection, but he can't know where I am or what I'm planning all the time. He always attacks where he knows I'll be...'

'They attacked Anapos when you arrived,' Muvina came to realise that what I was saying made sense.

'And the same thing happened here too,' Julyana lost her gaze into the void.

'Do you have someone in mind?' Phoenix asked me, fixing his gorgeous green eyes on my gaze.

I couldn't answer that question, not honestly. Because otherwise I would have to say names I loved and would be devastated if they were the guilty ones.

'No one specific, but I know it must be someone in my close circle. I don't know if they will do it consciously or not, but something is going on. We have to be very cautious, that's what I say.'

'And you don't suspect us?' Muvina asked.

I approached her. She smelled good, she looked good, a shiny ring on her left hand displaying her new union.

'No, because... it's strange, having your power in me, it's like you're...'

'Your family,' Phoenix replied without letting me finish.

'Please don't, I have enough brothers and sisters,' Julyana added in what sounded like a joke that made us all smile. Well, we needed it. We needed a break, even if it was just for a second.

The second was too short.

'And what about the pirate?' Muvina questioned. 'Can we trust him?'

Julyana watched me carefully, perhaps remembering the words that had come out of my mouth in the cell that I should get used to speaking freely.