The Glade and Its Glitch: Book 4 Escape

Chapter 13

"You thought about how to propose to Nya?" 

Jay jumped nearly a foot into the air, "Shh!" He hissed at Kai, "She might hear you."

"Hear what?"

"Oh, my master! Cole, you scared me, I thought you were Nya."

"Why don't you want Nya to hear you?"

"Jay's gonna propose to her." Kai smiled proudly.

"Yeah, he knows." Jay turned and got his nunchucks off a rack on the wall of the training room.

"You told Cole before you told me? I'm her brother."

"It just kinda came up Kai. You expect me to keep things secret?"

Both ninja gave Jay a look that plainly said "You have got to be out of your mind"

"...Right. But this is a good secret, something I can't keep quiet. I've already almost told her three times."

Cole put his face in his hands.

Kai just stared. "I can't believe it. How are you still alive?"

"Caffeine and prayers." Jay tossed Cole his scythe and Kai grabbed his sword reluctantly.

Jay was definitely the most chaotic ninja. Out of all of his brothers, Kai would have thought Jay to be the last one to get a girl. But it seemed he may be the first. Sure he had Skylor, and Zane had PIXAL, but Jay was actually going to ask Nya to marry him. Or be his Yang. Same thing.

Zane was already sitting in the living room with his shurikens.

Nya had her spear already strapped to her back. She walked over to Jay and kissed him on the cheek. "Ready to go?"

Jay blushed, "Heck no, let go."

The ninja laughed and Kai rolled his eyes as he laughed.

He saw how Nya looked at Jay and he knew she loved him. And while he may have been reluctant to let her date him, he knew Jay made her happy. And he also knew she made Jay happy. If they didn't both remember Nadakhan he didn't think either of them would be here today.

Master Wu walked into the living room. "Let's head out." They decided they couldn't wait any longer. The Glade had to be dealt with and they had to do it now. Even if they didn't defeat the Glade, they needed to show that they meant business.

~~~

While TJ and Skye had fun in the treehouse, Sunbeam, Acorn, and Dani patrolled the border. They passed Flora and Brandon as they left and the younger two got back, and Acorn gave his daughter a quick hug before she ran back to their house to get ready for bed. Brandon went back to his house as well.

"How's Rex doin'?" Sunbeam asked Dani. It was going to be a long patrol, he might as well make conversation.

"He's alright. He either doesn't sleep or sleeps all the time. He either avoids dreams or the dreams take over. But he always sits in his chair, staring off into space." Dani smiled, "Kiki helps, he likes her."

Sunbeam laughed, "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. And she likes him too. Calls him Uncle Rex."

Acorn chuckled, "Speaking of uncles, do your kids have aunts or uncles? I know they don't see their grandparents."

"Yeah, I don't trust my parents enough to take TJ and Kiki to visit, plus they're not the nicest people in the world. I would take them to see Tai's parents though. I need to tell them what happened to Tai too. I have a brother and a sister. Michael and Fae. But I don't think I'd let them see the kids either. Tai was an only child."

"How are you doing? Speaking of Tai," Dani asked.

"Considering my wife died nearly months ago, and I'm left to raise two chaos gremlins? Not bad."

"Niko we're serious." Acorn bumped his shoulder against his buddy's.

He sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. "I've been better. Luckily we've got war and enemies to focus on. I have things to do."

"How are you going to be when it's all over?"

"I have no idea. But I expect grief and tiredness will kick in and I'll just collapse for a few days."

"Well, we'd better make sure that doesn't happen. Maybe you need a break. A small mini vacation."

"I can't do that. I have two kids to raise. Plus one or two more."

"You visited the memorial yet?"

"...No"

Dani looked at Niko with sad eyes, "You should. It might do you good to talk to her."

"They're always listening," Naveen slung his arm around Niko's shoulders. "Heck, I told Jess how my mother used to be super strict and mean. Boom! The next day all the flowers outside our treehouse were dead."

"You sure that's not because it's been near freezing these last few days?

"All the other plants are fine!" Naveen got a crazy look in his eyes, "She's cursing me. Punishing me from up above. Rose's fury is like a-"

"Get it together Naveen." Dani rolled her eyes, "Your mother hasn't cursed you."

"Did you ever meet my mother? She was a terrifying woman."

Niko fidgeted with the hilt of his sword. He enjoyed peaceful moments like this. He wasn't alone, but that was ok. Sometimes it wasn't good for him to be alone. Maybe he should go talk to Tai at the memorial. The old stone wall with the names of the Glade's fallen soldiers. Yeah, maybe he would do that. He could take TJ and Kiki too. But he thought he should go alone first.

Dani finally gave in to Naveen's ramblings. She worried about Niko. Kiki had told her that he didn't sleep some nights. And when he did he was up late and up early. Sometimes she said he even woke up screaming. But if he said he was fine she was going to let him. But she wouldn't forget.

Naveen stopped, "Did you guys hear something?"

"No." Niko kept his voice low and looked around. "What was it?"

"It sounded like the first blast of a bugle."

Dani nervously clutched the strap of the satchel she wore. "Why didn't it finish?"

The lookouts who watched from the trees were given bulges. They were instructed to blow a certain pattern of toots depending on which post it was. All of the posts had at least three blasts.

The trio waited for a minute hoping the bugle would continue. But it didn't. Someone had seen something and had been cut off before they could finish their warning.

"Which post did it come from? Naveen, can you feel the trees?"

Naveen rested his hand on a tree's trunk. All the trees of the border were connected, and Naveen could communicate through them. "It's the one by the bonfire. The one closest to us."

Niko pulled out his sword. "Then let's do our job."