Destroyers Little Pet | 18+

⤲forty

I'm barely dressed when the door flies open. "They're coming for her as soon as she is alone. They have been watching you, they know she's with you."

Destroyer is completely calm, there is no rush or panic to his movements. He just nods, as if he was expecting this all along.

"What do we do? Where do I go?" My feet want to run but I have no direction.

"He will hide you again and I will leave for training as expected. Then the information will be released and in the chaos, I will return. Be ready."

"I will be." I straighten my shoulders. Pushing down any fear, I reach out, taking his hand in mine. "Don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I will not." His lips curve slightly upward.

When I'm alone in the room, I let the panic consume me but only for a moment. Freak out now, let it all out, then hold everything in later. I can do this. Pacing the room and taking deep breaths, I focus on all of the things I can control.

Dropping down to the ground, I stretch out my legs. I don't really remember the moves but my sister used to do them before track meets. I might need to run, but I should be warmed up and ready. That is something I can control.

Seconds, minutes, at least an hour. I thought something would have happened by now. When is he going to come hide me?

I'm loose and limber. Ready to go. But no one is coming for me.

Just as I resign myself to waiting, there is a sound outside the door. A loud clang, then a scrape, like metal scratching against metal. It makes my stomach turn. It is possibly the most unfriendly sound there is.

The door opens and Rousur steps into the frame, weapon drawn, covered in blood. "You need to come with me."

Something is wrong. He is supposed to come to hide me but... I can't put my finger on it, an instinct in my gut.

"Hurry!" He lunges forward, sticking his sword into something that grunts and sprays blood into the air.

Running out after him, I'm met with carnage on the ramp. How are we going to run past that?

Rousur grabs me, his arm around my waist. "Hold on to me."

"What?"

Before I have time to grab him, he is jumping over the side. It seems he is in agreement about the ramp but this is not what I had in mind. We fall, dropping through the sky for what feels like a minute until he lands on his feet with a loud bang.

Craning my neck, I look at the scene behind us as he runs, helpless to do anything else. Yaden and Tim are running through the wreckage, following behind us.

He doesn't put me down, instead, he runs with me over his shoulder into the hangar. "That is Amarith, go!" He sets me down and gives me a shove before turning.

"Wait!"

Is this it? He's just leaving me here with no explanation at all?

"Where is he?" I reach out, grabbing his bloody, bulging arm. "Why isn't he here?"

"Come on!" Yaden screams. "We don't have time for this! We have to leave now before it's too late!" They run past us, scrambling toward the ship that is now humming, the lights glowing as it comes to life.

"Where is he?" I don't move or loosen my grip on his arm.

There is a pause. A moment that passes between us and he doesn't need to say it. I know.

"No." I shake my head. "Where is he? I don't believe you!"

"You have to go before it is too late. We will be overrun soon and I will not be able to get you into the ship and hold them back. Go now, it is not only your life that hangs in the balance."

A hand grips my arm and pulls, yanking me away.

"Wait!" I scream and try to pull away but I can't. He's pulling too hard.

"Come on! We don't have time for this. He's dead, let's go before we all end up that way!" Yaden growls, dragging me.

"He's not dead! We can't just leave him here!"

Rousur turns, rushing toward the door. Just as he reaches it, it swings open.

I'm barely inside the ship when it begins to lift off the ground.

"Woman! Grieve later!" A female voice shouts as we rise into the air.

The ship is small and partially broken. It's a wonder that it's airborne at all. Looking through the front, I watch as Rousur throws something toward the ships lined up in the hangar. It glimmers in the light before exploding.

The air around us wavers and we lurch forward.

"Sit down and strap in!" The woman yells.

Numb, my body collapses into a seat. For a moment it's all I can do. I don't believe that he's gone. They're wrong. He said he would come for me, that he would protect us.

"Where are we going?" Tim asks our pilot.

"I only have enough fuel to take us just beyond their airspace. We are going to have to land and hide out." She turns and for the first time, I notice that she's purple. Her hair is long, purple- rope like strands that contrast the lighter purple color of her skin.

"Fuck!" He runs his hands through his hair, ripping at it.

"I will get us out." She turns to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Do not panic yet."

I watch her hands as she maneuvers us through the sky. She is calm and sure of herself. I lose myself in her movements. Focusing on them instead of the pain in my chest.

I'm free, at least for now. But I don't feel free. There is a tugging in my heart. Is this grief? It doesn't feel the same as I felt for my family. It's different.

"Can I help?" I find my voice, forcing whatever feelings are swirling around into the recesses of my brain.

"Come sit here." She points to the seat beside her. The co-pilot. "Put your hands on that throttle and hold it steady."

Sliding into the seat, I roll my shoulders back. Accept the circumstances or change them. My fate is in my hands.

I will survive this. I've been given a chance. He'll come for me eventually, I know it.. 

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