Chasing Blue- The Final Saga (Book 4)

Chasing Blue- Prelude

A/N: This is the trilogy to my story series. Chasing Blue takes place a month after the last story, "Domain of Power," leaves off. FInd out where the tides take Troy in this adventure-packed read. If you enjoyed what you read don't forget to vote or leave a comment. Enjoy!

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Blue.

The color of the sky on a cloudless day. Except the sky wasn't blue anymore. At least not today.

I breathed in the briny mist of seawater that filled my lungs only to expel a heavy sigh. The sea breeze that sent my thin tunic flapping reminded me that warmth was fleeting. So was my voyage as the ship glided closer to the sleepy boulders ready to greet our ship. Most people called the island we were approaching, Crete. I did not know anything about the island. Then again I did not know much of anything outside Aegea or the first fifteen years of my life at that. The only thing I knew about my new destination was that it was my asylum. My face should swell with joy right now. I was about to taste freedom after being confined for weeks on this boat. Nobody could hurt me here. But I kept thinking about the family I disappointed. The friends I was leaving behind. Even my best friend's last letter before he took his final breaths on the stake. His last words flooded my mind as I waited for impact.

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Greetings from Romeos to Troy,

I will cut the salutations short because I am running out of time. I know you are scared. And if you are reading this maybe you will know you are not the only one. If I could turn back time I would go to the time before your riding accident this past winter. It was a more innocent time then. We both had our hopes set to attend the rhetoric school together but things did not work out as planned. Now I will never be admitted but maybe you have a chance next year. You are an intelligent and capable young man. You do not have the cloak of the blacklist hanging over your head.

But you and I know that times are changing. It has not been the same since the time of your injury. I tried to ignore it, to belittle it, even laugh it off but I am afraid that even I cannot escape the inevitable truth. The island is not the same place I knew it to be when I was a boy. This fear is sweeping the island like a plague. I can feel it. In this world where the face of the enemy is blurring you are one of the few people left that I can trust besides Julius and my parents. It saddens me to think this may be my last letter I send to you Troy. I wish things were different because something bad is going to happen. I can just sense it. I hoped there was some way you could fix it but perhaps that is foolish thinking on my part. For now I will try my best to ensure this letter does not end up in the wrong hands. I wonder how long we can keep up this pretense—

"Not long enough!" Apollus sang. His voice held a bitter twang as he ripped the letter in a thousand little pieces. It was the last letter he found that belonged to Troy. It was the last document that still bore his name. How did he miss this letter in the countless letters and documents that belonged to Troy? Everything else that ever belonged to him—burned. Even the name was forbidden. The only place it resided was in the smoldering embers with only his legacy billowing from the dusty smoke that rose from the Valley day and night. The flames were always hungry there. Always.

He tried to compose his trembling hands before thrusting the shredded parchment onto the marble floor in his room. His hazel eyes closed shut before heaving a hot breath. Why would his youngest brother do something so devastating to the family name? This was more shameful than when his older brother Barbarius took off to the 'outside' world over a year ago. Eventually he would come crawling back but things would never be the same. How could they? The tables had turned. Now he was king.

Suddenly a gusty breeze barraged through the window, disturbing his thoughts. As he adjusted his toga in the long elongated mirror that hung on the frescoed walls, a gentle voice perturbed the rustling of the soft fabric between his fingers.