Shadow Moses [Fransykes]

Chapter 36

Alissa stood before the Phylumins with Alex by her side, her words thundering through the forest as a sword shone high in her hand.

"Here is the plan," she shouted, "we roam the territory. We take as much time as we need to find Christian's son. Whoever finds him first brings him to me - alive."

My heartbeat was fast, my steps hesitant as I paced over the soil behind Hannah, clenching Josh's hand harder and harder as we got closer to the horde of Phylumins.

Hannah said all we had to do was stay behind her. She promised she would stop this and I had to trust her. If we didn't have that left then we didn't have anything left.

"We will hold a trial, but the outcome is set." Alissa's words only grew louder as we got closer. "It has been brought to my attention that justice is sometimes cruel, no matter our perception."

She glanced at Alex and he nodded at her.

"Find Christian's son." She looked back at the crowd.

"I found him," Hannah said as we emerged from the bush.

My breathing was discontinuous but I reminded myself over and over to stay calm.

Though all eyes were pinned to us, nobody moved.

Alissa flinched before she slowly turned, as if hearing Hannah's voice saying those words was the last she expected.

"Hannah," she breathed out.

She dropped her sword and with a muffled clatter it hit the soil.

Her eyes flashed with some sort of relief, as if she fell unaware of the situation surrounding us.

I stared at her in questioning. For a few seconds she seemed strangely confused, out of her mind even. Who knows what Alex had told her.

A smile cracked on her face then. "You came back."

Alex got her hand, stopping her before she could move. "The plan, Al."

She didn't seem to acknowledge his words as she pulled away from him. She ran towards Hannah.

Hannah dodged her arriving hug, pushing her away.

Alissa stumbled back, almost falling over and Hannah drew a knife. She held her chin high then leaned the blade to her own throat.

I stiffened, my eyes widening. 

I tilted my head. What... was she doing?

Alissa regained her balance quick, her eyes wide as she glared at Hannah.

Alex gripped her hand, turning her back towards the Phylumins.

"The plan," he said, "this is a step towards-"

Alissa pushed him away before she held her hand out towards the Phylumins.

"Nobody moves, not a step," she hissed, her voice cracking the air like a whip.

Her eyebrows stood pulled down together, her lips so strain they appeared like a thin pink line on her face as she gazed the Phylumins. The second she looked back at Hannah, her face softened.

"The Moon of my night," she said slowly, softly.

Hannah shook her head. "Don't you dare." 

Alissa crossed her arms, not in a strict way, more as if she hugged herself.

"I thought you left," she said.

Hannah shrugged. "What is this? Since when do you kill innocent people?"