Until We Fly: The Guardian Legacy

Chapter 35: Blood is thicker

-Jake-

"Köleil please...eat something..."
I mumbled, holding up some soup to her lips.

Her pale body didn't seem to react to the contact at all. Could she even feel it?

"I know you're sad, I know you're scared...but this isn't helping..."

"I miss James..."
She struggled.

Those three words tore me up each time she'd said them.

"I know...but James has gone home now. James is safe."

"Why did he go home? Why did he leave us?"
Her voice breaking as she spoke, she held on tightly to my shoulders.
I was crouched before her, trying to convince her to eat.

She'd not been doing so well, her condition only worsening.

"Because it was for the best, Kö. It was the best thing to do."

I'd been so sure of that at the time.

Not only for everyone else, but for James too. He'd been ripped away from his normal life, had his childhood stricken from him without a second thought.

I grew up like this, I understood it.

But I couldn't bare the idea that this whole mess had ruined his life, his chance at a normal life.

I thought this way, he wouldn't get hurt.

He couldn't feel the guilt when others suffered.

But was it really my right to make that decision?

Of course not, but that's not how it all seemed at the time.
I could have sworn I was doing the right thing.

I was certain.

But hey, that's just me, right?
No matter how hard I try I never seem to make the right goddamm decision.

I just make life more difficult for people.

"Jake? Is everything alright?"
Static stepped inside, kneeling down beside me.

"No...she won't listen to me."

"Oh dear...Right, you go downstairs​and relax. I'll handle it, don't worry."

Tired and stressed, I took the offer immediately.

I rubbed my face, trying to gather my thoughts in the elevator.

The kitchen was bright and welcoming compared to the dark abyss that was now Köleil's room.
She'd only gotten worse.

After I sent James away, she got so depressed.
She must have felt abandoned.

It was near impossible to believe he'd been gone for almost five weeks. Without him, the place lost a bit of its charm.
True, James hadn't exactly been the greatest person to have around lately, but it was still James.

Still that guy who threw his life away to help us.

I'd never seen Köleil like this before.
I'd never seen anyone like this before.

Bedridden, simply moving limbs requiring the up most effort.
I could feel her pain when she spoke.
When she even could.

Something wasn't right.

And if we didn't fix it soon, it didn't seem like she'd last much longer.
She was deteriorating.

But what was I supposed to do?!

Nobody even knew what was wrong with her, let alone how to fix it!

Blank and Jasper had been hidden away in their room for almost the entire endeavour, but they came out occasionally to help Köleil too.