Blackbird

†Chapter Seventeen†

The atmosphere of the house felt heavy once again as the sun dipped below the mountains and the last of its rays followed closely behind, unveiling the stars that lay hidden beyond the light. I held Axel's hand tightly as we waited for the Prince to arrive, my stomach uneasy and anxious. Victor, Raven, Rafael, Mikhael, Sky, and Naomi were all in the living room, waiting quietly, each looking nervous and ready to bolt. Rafael stood close to Naomi near a window left propped open just enough to slip fingers under, and Raven was just a foot away from both of them. Victor lingered close to Mikhael, who's hand rested between Sky's shoulder blades as she leaned forward in her seat, picking at the skin of her fingers with her nails. Fear was evident in all of their faces, in the occasional glances they shared, except for Axel. His remained emotionless and hard like stone, keeping all detectable signs of distress in check, but his grip on my hand gave him away. I leaned into him a little, trying to comfort him as well as myself, and he stiffly rubbed his thumb across mine in response.

I was determined to believe the treaty the Prince offered would work; it was our only sliver of hope at having a peaceful existence once again and I was desperate to cling to it. If it did work, Axel and I would be free, along with the rest of the rebels, to live the lives we wanted. My hope for this went deeper than just wanting a peaceful life for my species; I wanted my own, with Axel. I had never been in love before, but my mother had often told me stories about her and my father when I asked. She used to say it felt like an icy tidal wave, a gust of warm wind strong enough to bring you to your knees, and a raging forest fire deep in your chest all at once. I had trouble finding the words to explain what I felt when I looked at Axel, but I felt that my mother's explanation came pretty close. That feeling, so intense and wonderful, was why I was so desperate to believe in this treaty; why I was so willing to put aside sacrificing myself to kill the King. It was the power of love. at its finest.

Footsteps on the uneven path to the house caught all of our attention at once, making everyone suddenly tense and prepare to run. I watched Rafael put his hands behind his back and step in front of the window, sliding his fingers through the opening in preparation to throw it open. Naomi pushed off from the wall she leaned on and Raven stepped closer to his younger brother. I felt Axel become rigid and I prepared myself to run as well. From our position, we could make it to the window as well. Victor moved towards the front door, putting himself between it and Sky and Mikhael. They had a clear shot into the kitchen and out the back door, and how they stood and faced the hallway told me that had been their plan.

There was a pause, and then a soft knock at the door that made all of us flinch a little. Victor gently reached for the handle, putting his body against the door, and cracking it open just enough to peek outside. He glanced at Sky and nodded once, then pulled the door open to let the cloaked figure enter. The Prince pulled the hood off as he entered, smiling kindly at Victor who simply dipped his dead as a greeting.

"Welcome back, my lord," Sky said as she stood.

"I'm glad to be back. It's not often that I get to travel away from the castle," he replied gently as he removed the cloak and hung it on a hook beside the door, revealing a satchel at his side. "I have written the treaty out myself and brought it for you to revise. I hope I've covered everything and left no loopholes."

"Wonderful." Sky watched him carefully as he reached into the bag and pulled out a small stack of papers, handing them to her. Mikhael stood close to her, peering down at the papers over her shoulder as she began to read them.

"The treaty states that all pack lands be given back to your kind, plus necessary supplies provided by the Empire to rebuild. I've also introduced a protection act that deems the killing of any wolves illegal and punishable by death. Any human in possession of wolf skins will be subject to arrest and prosecution. How much time he or she spends in jail will depend on how many skins are found at the scene or in any establishment owned by said human. Harassment of wolves is also subject to punishment. Pack territories will be treated as lands separate from the Empire and free of its laws. Humans who are caught trespassing can be punished as your kind deems fit. If any supplies are needed, a trade can be made for said supplies if there are goods to be exchanged. You will be free of any taxes or any form of payment to the Empire. I know it does not make up for the tragedy your kind has experienced, but this will protect you from any further harm," he explained, looking at each of us. "Further details of what I've just described and more are written out in those papers."