Leora - hidden light

Chapter twenty one

Somewhere around dawn I fell asleep. And what I saw can only be described as the worst nightmares I've ever had. Fire. Lots of it. Someone in the center. Lucian. No. M'tiiti. Burning, screaming and then falling off a cliff. And I slip. Falling into a hole.

"Told you, you have to sleep early from now on, Leora." Laylea wakes me up by shaking my forearm.

After a distasteful breakfast of rabbit and bitter berries, I did not feel any better.

"Mount your Zersies, and be off. We are headed to the vallies, from where we'll be off to the grasslands in the border of Thestronia." Gervic announces before we start. The Zersies pick up the speed about an hour into the journey. These ones are much bigger than the ones we rode first. I'm sat behind Mayi as she comfortably leads the Zersy to the location.

Midday sun starts burning my face. We have come a long way from the frost tipped mountains. The first stop of the day is in the open space in the green grass of the valley. As soon I get down from the two seater saddle, someone touches my shoulder.

I turn, my hands hovering over the small daggers I've hid in my armour.

"It's just me." Adonis holds up his hands defensively. His eyes are no more cold. And I feel the surge of heat escaping his body. Maybe its because it's actually hot out.

"Hear me out." He says. I stay silent, folding my arms.

"Come with me." Without waiting for an answer, he pulls my hand and leads us towards the area filled with green trees and bushes.

"Why did you bring me here?" My stare is meant to tear through him, but all my stare does is get a smile out of him.

"You're trying to be angry. It's cute." His grin is wide and his eyes crinkle at the edge.

Cute? I'll show him what's cute. I quickly pull my sword out from behind me and stand in an attack position. He doesn't flinch, but he keeps his smile and posture.

"You won't, sweetheart." He says, folding his arms.

"I know it's this cute thing in Kodurk, but STOP calling me that. I hate it." My cheeks are so warm that I wonder if its on fire. He grips my hand on the sword and pushes me back into a tree.

"Hear me out." My heart is beating so fast in my chest that I'm barely able to hear his whispers.

He takes a step back and says,

"That night, infront of the lake, I was gonna tell you something," he starts and I hope it is what I want it to be.

"It's about Uncle Gervic." Oh.

"What about him?" I ask.

"I think he's plotting against us. I mean, I definitely know that for sure." His words confirm something I've been wondering.

"He's the one who sent Shelke and Fiyara with M'tiiti." I mutter to myself.

"I overheard him last night. I couldn't sleep." For sone second I realise how similar we are.

"He was "watching guard". With him a dozen other soldiers. And some gifted too. They know all the locations about where the dragons are. He was instructing them for today. I couldn't tell you without confirming...." He drifts off thinking, as if he's still figuring out things.

"We have to tell others. " I say with urgency, trying to push past him.

"I tried. Tellia doesn't buy it. Wyn doesn't either." He says. That's right. Laylea was hesitant in believing all this.

"Then what are we going-"

BOOM and then smoke. Adonis and I lay on the ground. My hands clutching his shoulder tightly. He rolls off of me and gets up quickly, searching the surroundings. Someone just used the grenades we reserved for dragon attack.

BOOM and smoke.

There's ringing in my ear as I hold on to Adonis and stand up. My head is spinning and Adonis is calling my name. I tell him I'm fine and we rush to the camp. Adonis is faster than me right now, taking out his arrows and bow. He aims for something. High, High up in the air.