Until We Fly

Chapter 30: Red Skies

-James-

"So Jūx kept you like that? For how long?"
Nim asked, her expression concerned as she wiped the dirt from my face.

"I have no idea. But it felt like years."

"Huh...and how did you get so dirty?"

"Baîk kept dropping him."
Jake mumbled staring out of the window.

"Baîk? What kind of name is that?"
Myrora frowned, staring at him.

"Uh...my name. And may I remind you, your name is Myrora. That's not exactly a 'normal' name either, you know."

"Baîk...Baîk...nope. Too weird. I'm just gonna call you Billy."

"But my name isn't Billy. It's Baîk."

"Yes, yes, we all heard you the first time, Billy."

"My name isn't Billy!"

"Jake, Billy's being mean. You should send him to his room."

"What room? I don't live here!"

"Don't try and be a smart ass."

"It's not being a smart ass! It's just facts!"

I let the other voices fade into the background as I stared at Jake. He had that one, certain expression.
That one where you knew his mind was going crazy, that he was thinking super hard.
But yet he still managed to look somehow expressionless.
The guy had talent.

It felt so weird, being back to normal.
In my current state, the switches were entirely fifty-fifty.
Always full then always empty.
It was so weird.

Jake had seemed to know an awful lot about the whole thing.
It made me curious.     

Jake turned, looking straight at me.
"Köleil should be okay now. James, you go check on her. She's in her room. It's you she'll want to see most. Use the time you have wisely. We should start thinking of a plan."
Jake, Nim and the others all gathered around the table while I went upstairs to get Köleil. I couldn't wait to see her again.
I'd missed her so much.

"Hey, Kö! How are you...doing....."
My sentence trailed off as I stared into a bare, Köleil-less room.
Of course!
She always slept in my bed, how could I have been so dumb?

I opened the door.
Empty.   

"...Köleil? Come on, where are you hiding?"

I searched everywhere. Under the bed, in the wardrobe, behind the curtains, every room.
But she was nowhere to be found.

Confused, I slumped down on my bed and rested my face in my hands.
Where could she have possibly been?
She definitely wasn't downstairs.

"This doesn't make sense...where is she..."
I mumbled to myself.

"It's possible he could have also taken her physical form. With a lot of energy, that is."

"Gah!"
I yelled, leaping up in sudden shock of hearing another voice. As I looked around, I saw Jake stood by the window.
"Uhh...what?"

"Jūx. He took her into darkness. Like he did with you and Nim, with everyone else. Though not everyone likes to say they've been there. Strange really. But still, he could have used her mind then the very energy he gained from that to take her body too. Creepy fuck..."

"How do you...know that?"

"I'm not as clueless as I seem. I can't quite explain it but I...have a sort of...connection...with him. With Jūx."