Blackbird

†Chapter Fifteen†

I don't know how long I stayed outside, trying to get my emotions under control. I could hear conversations inside as the rebels fell back into their banter and I wondered if Axel was with them. I understood why he had gotten upset with me; my plan to kill the king was why we had gone on this journey together, but I had done what he asked and waited for what the rebels had planned. I had even agreed to an alternative, though when I had spoken up, he probably thought I saw it as the perfect opportunity to put my original plan into action. That wasn't what I wanted anymore; I wanted peace and to live the rest of my life at Axel's side. I wanted to avenge the death of my family and pack, but my love for him now overpowered that desire. If there was a way to put an end this nightmare and walk away from it alive, then it was my priority. 

I heard the door open behind me and my heart leapt in my chest, hoping it was Axel. "Blackbird, right?" a timid voice asked behind me. 

I glanced over my shoulder to see Naomi standing there, slowly pulling the door closed behind her. I slowly nodded and she stepped over, sitting down on the step beside me. 

"I heard you and Axel fighting," she said slowly, watching my face. "What did he mean by suicide mission?" 

I drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, looking down at the ground. "I met him while I was looking for information about why our kind was being killed. I told him that the only way we could end it was to kill the King," I explained. 

"Is that what you plan to do when you go to discuss the treaty?" she asked. 

I shook my head. "Not anymore. I didn't care if I died trying to save our kind, but that was because I didn't have anything to live for. Now I do," I replied. 

She looked away from me. "That's how I was... not caring if I lived or died. At one point, I wondered if I should expose myself just so they would kill me." 

"And then Axel found you," I said softly. 

She nodded. "I had never experience kindness that went beyond the occasional passerby throwing me a scrap of food. He showed me that not everyone was cruel and helped me learn to trust. He brought me here and Skye gave me a home, a room of my own, put food in my stomach, and a reason to live. I have a family again," she explained. "I have something to fight for now, and I want to join you when you go to discuss the treaty." 

I looked over at her. "Naomi, you don't have to do that." 

"I want to," she said. "If things don't go the way we want them to, we need a backup plan. Skye and Axel gave me something to live for, but also something to die for. I'm willing to give my life if it means that the rest of you can get out alive." 

"We'll all get out of there alive. No one else is going to die," I said firmly. "Too many have died already because of the King. He isn't going to be responsible for the loss of another life." 

"Blackbird, you don't understand. The chances that the King has truly changed are incredibly slim. You believe the treaty will work, but someone has to walk in there prepared for the worst," she replied, looking me dead in the eyes. "Besides, you have to live; for Axel. I've never seen him so happy and he deserves to stay that way."

"I believe it will work because I have to. I don't want any of you to die and I don't want to die either. I know it's ridiculous of me to say this, but I want a happy ending to this nightmare. Each and every one of us deserves at least that much after what we've been forced to endure," I said sadly. 

She was quiet for a few long moments, like she was thinking carefully about what to say and how to say it. Then, she slowly stood up and hesitantly rested a hand on my shoulder. "Life doesn't have a happy ending, Blackbird." With that, she walked back into the house, leaving her words hanging in the air. They were heavy, like stones trying to weigh me down as I thought about them. She had said it with such simple sadness; like she had come to terms with the truth of her words a long time ago. It only made me more curious about what she had been through. 

My gaze returned to the sky as I let my mind wander until I heard the commotion inside begin to quiet as the night faded into the early morning hours. I could see the sky beginning to lighten as the sun prepared to ascend above the east mountains. I wondered if he was still awake, but I doubted that he was. I was tempted to go back inside and lay down beside him, cuddle up next to him, and tell him I was sorry; however, I doubted he would even acknowledge I was there. I let out a long sigh as I leaned against the railing, feeling exhaustion beginning to set in. 

The early morning was cold, but my father's jacket was still wrapping around me, keeping me mostly warm. I closed my eyes and took in the familiar scent, causing pleasant memories to blossom warmly in my mind. I smiled a little as I drifted off into a much happier place, far away from all the pain.