Shattered Horizon

25 Bo

Chapter twenty five
Bo
Iris tells me to head downstairs, that she'll finish up. I pace, unable to sit still. Lightning mirrors my restlessness, his tail a nervous metronome. Finally, I collapse on the couch, but the worn cushions are no comfort.
Heavy footsteps sound on the stairs, each one a slow release of the tension that has gripped me for days. Iris emerges, her face drawn but etched with a quiet relief. I stand, and before I can speak, she pulls me into a fierce hug. We hold on tight,a silent acknowledgment of the ordeal we've endured. Tears flow freely, washing away some of the terror.
"We got him back," she whispers, her voice choked. "He's safe now."
We slide onto the couch, my head finding a familiar spot nestled against her shoulder. She hums â€" a low, familiar song that soothes the lingering fear in my soul. It's the same melody she sang for Annalina, the sound a comforting link between lost innocence and found family. I close my eyes, letting the weariness take hold.
Sleep washes over me, thick and welcome. Liam is alive, his pain managed. But as I drift off, a nagging unease whispers in my half-awake mind. Keeping him safe... that will be a different battle altogether.
I wake with a start, the weight of worry still heavy on my chest. A glance at Iris, sleeping soundly, tells me it's the middle of the night. I gently disengage and tiptoe to her side, whispering, "I'm going to check on him."
Her sleepy murmur of "Okay" and a grateful squeeze of her shoulder offer a brief respite from the tension. At the top of the stairs, Lightning lifts his head, guarding Liam's door. I scratch behind his ears. "Good boy," I whisper, "my turn now." His tail thumps softly as he trots back downstairs, sensing my unspoken promise.
The door creaks open. The room is spotless, any hint of the previous horror erased. Liam lies on his stomach, his breaths slow and steady, a reassuring rhythm in the darkness.
"Bo," he rasps, his voice weak.
"I'm here, Liam," I rushed to his side, taking his outstretched hand. He smiles up at me, the familiar warmth in his eyes dimmed but still present. His next words are a whisper, but clear enough: "Lay down."
I carefully ease onto the bed beside him, our gazes locked. "I...thought..." he trails off, then manages, "I thought I'd never see you again."
My fingers tighten around his. "I'm here now. Rest," I tell him, kissing his forehead.
"I love you," he whispers, the words barely audible.
A surge of warmth radiates through me. "I love you too," I reply, my voice catching with emotion. I brush his hair back,then stay still, holding his hand. His eyelids flutter, and finally, mercifully, he drifts to sleep.
I stay awake, the weight of the day replaced by a quiet gratitude. I send another silent prayer, a simple but heartfelt thanks.And finally, with Liam's hand still warm in mine, I let sleep claim me.
The crash jolts me awake. Shouting. Glass shattering. Liam remains asleep, and I rush to him, whispering a promise, "I'll be right back."
Downstairs, Iris peers out, her face pale. "They're close, Bo. We have to go. Now."
"Liam can't move," I protest, fear tightening my throat.
"We'll help him. There's no time for arguing! If they find us, it's over." Her voice cuts through my panic.
Another crash. Lightning bolts upstairs, whining at Liam's door. "Liam!" I shout, my heart hammering.
"I'm okay," he croaks, his voice a thread.
We find him on the floor. "Tried to get up... ankle gave out." My stomach churns at the sight.
BANG! BANG! Next door is under attack. We yank Liam to his feet, a muffled cry escaping him. Iris darts downstairs,returning with a mangled chair. She breaks off the arms with quick, efficient movements.
"Broken or sprained," she mutters, forcing socks over Liam's swollen ankle. He winces, biting back a scream. She splints him crudely with the chair remnants and pillowcases. "Can you stand?"
"Let him try," Iris's tone brooks no argument.
He rises, a shaky groan his only protest. He can limp, barely. Iris checks his bandages â€" no blood. I sling Liam's backpack over my shoulders, helping him with his jacket and boots. The other boot goes inside the pack.
Out the back, thankfully a second exit exists. Liam scrambles over a low fence, then collapses, panting. Iris veers right, guiding us through the yards, toward the neighboring street. We move slowly, Liam stumbling, me and Iris propping him up. The sounds of destruction rise and fall â€" sometimes uncomfortably close, then fading.
Hours pass, a relentless blur of pain and exhaustion. Liam's faltering steps and ragged breaths betray his attempts to mask his struggle. "I'm fine," he insists, but his forced smile can't hide the truth.
Finally, he collapses, his legs no longer able to bear his weight. A look passes between Iris and me, silent acknowledgment of the inevitable. She spots a small, weathered mobile home â€" a potential haven.
We manage to get Liam inside and settle him on a worn couch. Iris examines his bandaged back and splinted ankle."Everything looks okay," she declares, relief edging her voice. She surveys the trailer, then plants herself by the door, eyes scanning the darkness. "You two get some rest. There's a bed in the back. Bo, make sure he's on his stomach, and keep his ankle elevated. I'll take the first watch. Five hours, then I'll wake you."
We nod, and I help Liam into the cramped bedroom. He winces as I remove his boot and prop up his leg. We lie side-by-side, and I take his hand, the warmth a lifeline. I kiss his brow, and he stares back, eyes glistening.
"What happened to you, Liam?" I whisper, my voice barely above a breath.
"Doesn't matter now," he murmurs, a single tear tracing his cheek. "I love you, Bo. I'm grateful to be here." He shifts closer, his breaths slowing as exhaustion takes its toll. I rub his arm gently, then plant a kiss on his forehead. Sleep claims us both.
Iris rouses me hours later. The trailer is bathed in pre-dawn gloom. I try to pull away without waking Liam but he stirs,the confusion in his eyes quickly replaced by the weight of reality.
"Go back to sleep," I murmur. "Iris will watch over you. I'll be just outside."
He struggles to sit up. "I'm coming with you, Bo."
I help him up, Iris guiding his unsteady steps back to the couch. "Five hours," she reminds me softly, then envelops us both in a fierce hug.
Lightning leaps onto the couch, resting his head on Liam's lap.
"I don't know what we'd do without him," I say with a tired smile.
Liam pets his loyal companion. For a long stretch, silence reigns. It's a comfortable silence, borne of shared experience and the simple joy of his presence.
But the question burns inside me. Finally, I break the quiet. "Liam...what happened to Rose?"
He shakes his head, his expression haunted. But then, slowly, he begins to speak, pouring out the whole story â€" the darkness, the pain, and the lingering uncertainty.
"They did that because you kissed me?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
He nods, a flicker of pain in his eyes.
A shiver runs down my spine. The knowledge that they watched, that our stolen moment of tenderness led to his torture...it makes me sick. I blush, but a deeper unease twists in my gut. Why wait until Iris and I left? A question of numbers, maybe. But still...
"So, Rose stayed behind...to help some rebellion start?" My voice sounds hesitant, trying to reconcile the Rose I thought I knew with this new truth.
"Yep. My escape was her way of making things right. She swore she'd bring me home to you...and she did," he says, his voice thick with a mix of gratitude and sorrow.
A wave of guilt washes over me, nearly suffocating. I'd blamed Rose, resented her for taking Liam from me. Yet it wasn't her, not really. It was those monsters, the living ones far more dangerous than any Vry.
Hours pass in a mix of hushed conversation and uneasy silence. "How's the ankle?" I finally ask, breaking the quiet.
"Hurts like hell, but I think I can manage," he replies with a grimace.
"I'll wake Iris," I say, rising. A quick knock at the bedroom door, and her muffled voice replies, "Just a sec." I glance back at Liam. I suspect she wasn't really sleeping anyway, too wired with worry.
We wait, and I help Liam into his jacket and boot. He winces but pushes through.
Iris emerges, pulling on her shoes. She gives Lightning a quick head scratch, then a wry smile flickers across her face."Come on, lovebirds," she says, holding the door open.
I look at him and he looks at me. He grabs my hand and we walk into the dark.