The Forgotten Light

74. Fairlight

She lay still on her back, covering her eyes with her arm. It had been a long time since she had felt such unbearable, burning heat. It meant only one thing...

She propped herself up on her elbows, squinting her eyes against the glaring sun. She was in the desert. Her heart suddenly remembered what it felt like to beat with joy.

"We made it," she whispered, seeing distant mountains and canyons. The sun shone high and seared her skin mercilessly, but she had never felt such joy in her life. There were no walls surrounding her anymore, no city. Just emptiness, boundless space that confirmed what she felt. Freedom.

She started to get up, not taking her eyes off the view stretching out before her. "We are..."

Someone's strong hands saved her from falling.

"Easy. Don't get up for now," Kaelen said just above her head.

She sat back down, everything around her spinning. Her eyelids were heavy as if she was about to fall asleep, her temples pulsed with pain.

She looked for the rest, eventually stopping her eyes back at the golden-eyed boy, who was walking back and forth, kicking the sand and taking off the Being's disguise.

"Where are Amaris and the rest?" she asked.

"Probably in the Sedona camp. The portal had been open long enough for them to make it to the other side."

Fairlight raised her eyebrows in surprise. "And where are we?"

"Ask him." Kaelen nodded at the Invicta lying on his side.

The portal must have broken somewhere along the way when the Prince had lost consciousness. She moved over to him and started shaking him by his shoulder. "Get up," she growled.

Darksen opened his eyes. They seemed unusually pale. When he leaned heavily against a rock, she propped her elbows on her knees and looked at him reproachfully.

"Why didn't you say anything to me about your plan?"

Kaelen circled around them, trying to figure out the directions. He kept muttering something to himself under his breath and sneezed as he looked at the sun, trying to determine its trek across the sky.

"Because even though you were their hope, these people treated you like an enemy, and I knew you would never agree to escape alone."

Fairlight snorted in disbelief. "How could that even cross your mind? I'm talking about leaving people at the mercy of your sadistic daddy. We would have taken everyone with us..."

Darksen looked at her, frustration growing in his eyes. "You're right! I could have just gathered all the human slaves in one place, thus drawing the attention of all Invicta in the castle. I can't believe I didn't think of that right away." He swung his arms and immediately winced, clutching his left elbow.

Kaelen stood behind him measuring him with an odd look. Fairlight shook her head, deciding to end the subject. There were no more people left in San Diego, and that was all that mattered. They were safe, away from the King and his army.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her hand trembling with fatigue, and asked, "How far from the camp are we?"

Kaelen was still looking at Darksen, as if she was directing the question to him, but she was looking at one, then the other in turn, waiting for anyone's answer.

"The portal broke a few miles before the destination" Darksen declared.

"You and your broken tunnels," Kaelen muttered.