Phantom's Queen (Book Three of the Phantom Series)

Like Night

Harumi's POV-
I trudged home through the now-Dark night, my whole body aching. When I stumbled through the door, I fell into Jita's arms.

"Rumi... Harumi..." she whispered, tending to my wounds. "Never, never again. You listen to me this time."

Her salty tears stung my cuts as they fell onto my arms.

"Never leave again."

We sat there, in the silence of night, until the sun rose on us.

"Jita...." I said, yawning. "I have a senate meeting today, correct?"

Jitaku bolted upward. "Oh Lord Garmadon you do! We have to get you ready!"

Jita grabbed my hands and pulled me up from the couch. In a flurry I was clean, dressed, fed, and in a taxi to the center city.

Jita, sat next to me, her blue-black hair done up in a ponytail. The Apithian marks trailing along her face and arms were iridescent, glowing blue. I smiled, then looked down at my own gloved fingers. One could barely see the glowing green patterns on my hands.

That's the way it was. That's the way it had always been.

It was around noon when Jita and I reached the Senate building. The great hall was shimmering in the sunlight, the reflected light roasting the surface and blinding anyone who saw it.

Once inside the senate room, I heard nothing but my footsteps, echoing through the halls as I ran through the building. My wooden sandals clipped on the marble floors, the sound resonating through the building.

I reached the doors of the hall, out of breath.

The doors were solid metal, but not heavy, for they were made of very thin sheets of metal. The very of the doors, deceiving, seemed to represent the true dark nature of political life.

I sighed and pushed the doors open.

Relief filled my soul, illuminating the green markings on my skin, as I walked into the room. Not one of the fifty senators in the hall noticed me, as they were mostly preoccupied with idle chatter among each other.

I took my seat, on the left side of the hall. My desk wasn't spacious, and I could barely see (Senator Vi René, the man who sat in front of me, had a very large frame), but it was the place where I sat when changing the world was my goal.

I'm sure every senator in the room felt the same.

A lithe and tall figure made its way towards me. "Representative Sayan Kairoqui, welcome." I announced, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"Please, Senator Kogo," Sayan said, once she sat down. "It isn't safe for you here."

I glanced at Sayan. "I used to work for the Phantom Elite. I know how to take care of myself."

Sayan placed her hand on my shoulder. "Harumi, please-"

Her sentence was cut off as Jaimon Ro'Kouso, the speaker of the senate, called for the rising. The entire assembly stood, while each individual senator was announced, each name followed My a congregational "Hairo Kora Garmadon" . After the last name, representative Julius Zyx, was called, everyone in the hall collectively sat down as the room filled with the sound of moving chairs and feet.

Ro'Kouso stepped up the the podium again. "Today's meeting is called to order. The subject of the vote: Subject four of the Apithian Rights and Protections Articles. The articles read: the Apithian beings are to be held in internment camps until the fourteenth year of their captivity, then, with the consent of the current Emperor, a decision will be made by the senate in order to decide the fate of the 163 Apithian life forms currently residing in Ninjagan lands."
The speaker cleared his throat, then continued. "Those who vote in favor of releasing the Apithians and integrating them into our society, please select 'a'. Those who vote in favor of keeping the Apithians in captivity and away from human interaction, please select 'b'."

I knew that the speaker, though he couldn't say it, supported my cause. Jaimon worded his instructions carefully to play to my side. Was it unfair? Very much so. But such was the way of politics.

I selected option 'a', then stole a glance at Sayan Kairoqui. She smiled at me and confirmed her vote was mine.

I gazed across the room. Many of the senators had already cast their votes, but there was still a good fourteen to twenty-four senators who hadn't made up their minds yet.

Time passed slowly as Senator by Senator, vote by vote, the number of remaining voters decreased.

The last senator, Representative Viper Lainon of the Kasafeu sector, had cast her vote. It was over, the vote was cast, yet I still lived in anticipation.

Ro'Kouso stepped up to the podium again. "All votes have been cast." He announced. "The results of the vote will be presented shortly."

As Jaimon walked back into the shadows, I turned to Sayan. "I'm so... nervous. Sayan, do you think we won?"

When my eyes met Sayan's I noticed the apprehensive look on her face.

I was about to ask her what it was when I heard it.

A gunshot.

A burst of light.

I collapsed to the ground.

A/N. Nope not telling anyone anything about this hahahahah
You'll have to suffer alone..........