Moon Angel

Chapter 45: Rescue

Chapter 45: Rescue

It only took me a few hours to get back to the house. Without the weight of the bags I usually carried, I had been able to halve the time. I had to be careful. They'd be waiting for me. I landed behind the tree line. I couldn't see anyone from where I stood. It was reaching midday by now so I hoped that the Elvirans would be asleep. I remembered that when we first arrived on Earth we spent as little time in the sun as we could. I could use that to my advantage. I should have waited until night fall so that my powers were stronger but then Cyra would have left the planet and Em would be killed.

The earthquake had done a lot of damage but the main house was still standing. In the transmission, it had looked like Em was in a cell like Cyra's, underground. The opening to the storage room was still there, from when I'd broken it open only a few hours earlier. I would be able to access the tunnels from there, and now that it had been opened to the air, I would be able to use my powers too. I ran quickly, crouched down, across to the opening and dropped into the storage room. There was rubble everywhere. It felt weird being back here. I shouldn't have come, but here I was. I had to complete the mission.

I moved through the rubble to find the door. When the walls had shifted, the door had come off its hinges and now hung at a strange angle. I climbed onto the table, which was still against the door, and kicked. The door, already unsteady, swung open enough for me to crawl through the opening. It was almost pitch black on the other side but my eyes adjusted instantly. The passageway had collapsed on one side but there was enough of a path left for me to find my way through. I found my way to where Cyra's cell had been. There wasn't as much damage here, although a few of the cell walls had fallen in.

The damage of the earthquake was extensive. It shocked me that I had done all of this. If I wasn't careful, I could hurt a lot of people with my power. Imagine if I lost control in a city centre. I grimaced inwardly at the thought. I wouldn't let that happen. I had hurt enough people in my lifetime already.

It was clear that they hadn't put Em in this cell block so they must have had another. I made it to the door and looked into the corridor. Seeing no-one there, I wrenched the door open and poked my head around the corner. I could see another heavy door, like this one, a few metre down. When I was sure no one was coming, I darted across and looked in the window. I couldn't see any movement. The tunnels were still as empty as they had been last time. I pulled open the door and went inside, closing it silently behind me. It seemed to be another prison block, but instead of cells there were chains on the walls. Em had to be here somewhere. I walked down the corridor. I could make out a figure in the dark. It had to be her. I walked closer and there she was, huddled on the ground, chained to the wall. She was here. She was real. She was alive. I almost couldn't believe it.

But then a doubt crept into my mind. I stopped in my advance for a second. If she had survived the explosion, why hadn't she contacted me? It had been two and a half months.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. The first thing I had to do was free her.

She peered into the darkness. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ellie," I said. "I've come to get you out of here." I was surprised at how fast my language could change between English and Lumen.

"Ellie?" she asked, uncertain. A flame flared to life in her hand, casting light on me.

I squinted at the sudden brightness while my eyes adjusted again. The confusion on her face melted as she saw me. "It is you," she whispered. "I thought you were dead. How are you here?"