Haven's Army

Chapter 13

We sat atop the pillar, legs hanging off, in the middle of the hot Capital, and watched the Elite Angels take to the sky like strange birds and the Buccaneers flee to the sea. We chose to let them go, and once they were gone, everyone whooped and cheered down below. Residents of The Halo made their way out of their homes slowly and tentatively, still in their nice clothes and makeup but looking frazzled.

Nathan put a hand on my knee. "As much as I'd like to relish this moment, we have to make sure everyone is alright and see if the healers have all the help they need."

"Sure thing," I said, even though the exhaustion was starting to hit hard. "I can check around and in the Capital building."

He nodded. "I can take the residential area."

"I'll check in with Katie and James," Kathryn offered.

We all sat a moment longer, savoring the silence and the lack of constant movement. All three of us were exhausted from moving nonstop for hours and doing our special thing. Nathan was the first to move, jumping straight down. I followed in suit, and Kathryn just behind me. We all landed a little ungracefully out of exhaustion, then got our bearings and set off in different directions. After all we'd been through, I felt like a part of me was leaving with my two best friends.

I went in and around the Capital building, and though I couldn't be sure if I had checked all the rooms, I did stumble upon a room of black marble I recognized as the portal room. After repeating a few rooms, I hoped I had hit all of them and headed outside.

Just where the edge of The Capital touched the cliff, I found Arthur dumping vials of red liquid into the ocean.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He put down the last empty box. "Throwing the elixir to the bottom of the ocean," he said. "I hope we don't have immortal fish because of this," he added grimly.

"But you'll die," I said, worried.

He looked out at the ocean. "I've lived too long. I'm ready to go now." He looked back to me. "I won't make you all suffer. I'm leaving."

"Leaving where?" Cecelia asked as she walked up. She must have wandered off from the rest of the group.

"Another world," he said like it was nothing. Then he saw our surprised expressions. "There aren't only two worlds. There are many worlds, waiting to be explored. I'll travel to one and disappear. Actually, I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Promise you won't tell?"

Cecelia and I nodded, both a little speechless.

"I'll be going now."

We followed him through the Capital building to the portal room. He reached behind one of the seraph statues. The portal fired up with a whipping of air around us and turned up green. Then Arthur turned back to us. Even in the time he hadn't been taking the elixir, he had aged. He had already grown about a foot taller. At this rate, he would die in a few weeks. He smiled at us. He nodded at me, then Cecelia, and turned to leave.

"Wait, Arthur!" Cecelia called. She ran forward.

He turned just as she embraced him tightly.

"I'll miss you," she whispered. "I'll never forget you. You've been brave."

He blushed a little. "Thanks, Cecelia." She finally pulled away, tears in her beautiful brown eyes. "I'll miss you too but don't cry for me. I'm not a child."

She laughed but her laugh was choked by tears. He rolled his eyes but he laughed. His smile slowly turned solemn and he smirked sadly. He stood on tiptoe and kissed her awkwardly on the forehead and turned to leave.