The Earthly Queen: The Woman of Worlds Apart

Chapter 10: (Eris)

Caine says to keep calm. He suddenly scoops me up into his arms and holds me securely and with ease.

"Wha - what are you doing?"

"We're going out there he says and nods to the light outside."

With that, he steps out of the window into thin air. Immediately I feel weightless. My hair billows around me as though I'm suspended in water versus air. We rise up into the air towards a large mass in the sky under an invisible cloak; I can barely see it.

I guess this tractor beam is cloaked or something because nobody seems concerned that a couple college age people are floating upwards in a bright shaft of light.

The Tri-Gate has detached from the building and rises lazily a few feet below us.

As i look down I feel sick. We are so, so far away from the ground. Even if Caine let go I probably wouldn't fall but I still cling to him hard. He has a very strong body; it makes me feel slightly more secure.

"You scared?" Caine asks, chuckling at me squeezing his torso for dear life.

"Terrified. Why, do i look scared?"

"Kinda. But all things considered, you're doing better than most."

"Huh, that's comforting.

Caine holds me a little tighter just to make me feel a little better.

Since i have an up close and personal look at Caine i realize for the first time just how handsome he truly is. With almost being killed and being traumatized every other few seconds I never really looked at him critically until now. He's quite attractive, really. I'm a sucher for blonde hair and have a thing for guys with face fuzz. His eyes are a deep, rich shade of chocolate brown; I could get lost in them.

I scold myself mentally. Really? This is what I'm thinking of right now? Get a grip!

I rest my head against Caine's firm shoulder and listen to the humm of the ship get closer and closer. I feel so exhausted right now, I hope there are bunks on board. I let my eyes drift close.

I start to notice, far off, something like a jet approaching. I open my eyes and see Caine looking off into the distance. He looks somewhere between somewhat concerned and panicked.

Whatever's coming sounds more sinister than a meer jet, somehow.

"What;'s that sound?" I ask.

Caine's tablet begins buzzing. Mack-He materializes next to us in thin air, his face frantic. He starts speaking in a rushed manor. "Caine! We have serious problems right now! I've just received confirmation that Lord Kris has ordered the destruction of any ship near Earth! Battleships have arrived in orbit and have deployed battle cruisers and they're coming right for us! GET OFF THIS TRACTOR BEAM!"

The battle cruisers are right here. About eight uncloaked ships. They race closer at an alarming pace. They look naturally frightening, jet black and shaped like scorpions. They have wide wings that move as they fly, like the wings of pterodactyls.

"OH SHIT!" Caine bellows, eyes wide.

Hundreds of green lasers shoot from the cruisers as pierce Caine's ship. It explodes with a tremendous boom and spews fire and debris in every direction.

The tractor beam cuts out and we both drop. Caine gets hit with a chunk of metal and he loses his grip on me. I flail uselessly in the face-first freefall.

I'm falling at what feels like a thousand miles an hour. The ground rushes towards me way too fast! I'm going to crash down on the roof of some neighboring business.

The Tri-Gate falls with me, a few feet below. It hits the roof of the building and activates creating a wide hole.

I fall through, nearly being decapitated at the edge of the hole that's still solid and am suddenly stopped when I hit something soft. I land on my side and dozens of sharp cracks resound from multiple parts of my body. I wail in blinding pain as it hits me everywhere at once.

I've landed on a foam bed in the middle of a mattress store. What are the odds? Great karma, huh? Well, except for the blinding pain.

There are a few people in the store all staring at me with wide eyes.

A man behind a counter stares wide eyed, jaw dropped, until somebody yells at him to call the police. Several people get on their phones calling 911. A tween boy gapes at the Tri-Gate and records it on his phone.

After a few moments of laying there in agony, I suddenly feel the pain recede. In meer seconds I feel fine as though it were nothing more than recovering from a quick trauma - which broken bones certainly are not!

I sit up. Everything in me is perfectly solid. How am I possibly fine right now? Hell, at that height I shouldn't even be alive. Even with the mattress I should be a red stain. We were at least twelve stories up, probably more.

The lights flicker moments before the front of the store explodes as the wreckage of Caine's ship falls, crushing it.

People run as mattresses burst to flame, the lights explode and flaming material rains down through the Tri-Gate hole.

I roll off the bed and scramble away as a half melted hunk of metal crashes down on the spot I was in a moment ago.

Everyone rushes for the emergency exit and I follow. We manage to get out and rush to the streets mere seconds before the rest of the building is completely obliterated in a huge fiery explosion.