The Stars of My Heart [Completed]

Chapter Twenty-One

   They start to trickle through the doors, two or three at a time. The guards smile, waving at them like they are some old friends. How? How did he do it?

I watch as all of them file in, looking completely different than how they did behind bars. I count thirteen before he finally arrives. Coming in last, John takes the floor.

My senses were right. The air shifted the second they walked in. Not enough for a normal person to tell, but a dreadful feeling for someone who can magically feel emotion.

I don't let my eyes leave from him. I feel the unsettling around me, circling me. My body screams to look. To make sure that everything is still okay. But my mind is focused. Never leaving my target. Because my target has his eyes out for the person that meant the most to me.

A gaggle of girls swallow me with their puffy gowns. They gossip about the village men, dipping their bread in chocolate fondue.

I huff and puff through the heaps of fabric, my movements as discrete as possible. Once the chatter had filled the ballroom, I had not had to worry about the rubbing of my leather.

Almost falling to the floor, I finally make it through the heap of people. Immediately my head shakes. Frantically, I try to spy for John. I run the outside of the room again, but he is nowhere to be seen. Along my path, I had spotted Lucy again with Rosalyn. Mentally checking that off the list, I keep searching. Black and white. Black and white. Every man looks the same. Every suit the same color, but one thing is for sure. Axil is not here yet. Nowhere do I see a blue suit. The thought calms me a bit.

I run around about two more times, still to no avail. I look back at the clock. One line away. From what I remember, that means I only have a couple of minutes. I try. Try to levitate off the ground. The air swoops around me, holding me a couple of feet high before I collapse to the ground.

Tucked in a ball, I stay until I am sure no one is looking. I can't even fathom if someone has caught me. After a couple of seconds, my heartbeat goes back to normal. Voices sound the same. Calm, joyful. I take a risk and stand up.

I slow my steps. Maybe I was searching too fast. I take my time to examine everything. Every person that is in a suit. Their height. Their weight. The way they hold themselves. The only thing I find are most of the prisoners and guards. Some of them mingling with each other.

There is something not right. Something that does not add up. I look again for Guard guy and Lucy. Thankfully I find them together, exactly where they had planned to be. As close to the thrones as possible, still looking like commoners. I can feel Lucy's blood heating by the second. I worry she might boil over.

Everyone's emotions are so intense. Everyone except John's. I try to tap in. Reaching as far as I can into my magic, but nothing shows me what I need to see.

Sweat starts beading on my forehead, my breath hitching on every inhale. I cannot feel his anger. Only my own. My fury and nerves. I am ashamed to admit it to myself, but I am scared. Fear takes over my mind, making me feel like I am some kid again.

It feels as though a dark presence is looming over my shoulder, pushing me to my breaking point. I take a breath, but on the way out there is nothing. I cannot breathe. Heart pounding in my chest, I try to move. Again, nothing follows.

In my right ear, hot air brushes my skin. A whisper that sends nightmares. "I found you."

***

I try to kick, scream, do anything to escape, but there is nothing. John holds his grip around me tight. As far as I can see, there is not even a John. Just a panic cloud wrapped around me. My feet catch along the bottom of the floor. Pushing as hard as I can, I move to dig my heels in.