(Book 5) Hayden Mackay and The Pride of Haima-Endira

33. Tyrell-Town

The next day...

A swift rap of my knuckles against the glass of the window sounded like a drumroll. Pruthvi who was putting his shoes on, turned to look at me and at once jumped off his bed startled. He quickly put the glasses back up, shrugged flinging his hands up and grimaced. What the hell, man!?

"Open the door!" I mouthed, and he dashed out of his bedroom.

The secluded area behind the apartment was the best spot to sneak in and out. Two hours before the dawn, a not very busy dynasty and a friendly flying carpet in my hand that worked as per its rider's instincts, I arrived back to my apartment feeling extremely enthusiastic and with pumped-up adrenaline levels.

For a few minutes, trying to silence my heavy breathing, I stayed behind the wall of the porch, carefully giving the surroundings a once-over. I waited until a group of knights who were keeping a close watch on the residential community went completely out of sight. The sound of the horses dampened, whispers gradually reduced, and when the porch glistened with the lightning of the lantern, Pruthvi's shadow falling on the floor, I ran up the stairs leading to the porch and barged through the door almost knocking him off the balance.

"What's going on?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

"We gotta go. Hurry. I'll explain it in our way. Pack a lot of food. And when I say a lot I mean lots and lots. Bread packets, muffins whatever. Oh, and the basic first aid as well, if you got any. Hurry!"

"Dude, take a breather." He said, placing the lantern on the table.

"Where's Leena?" I asked, finding her room empty.

"She arrived late last night and if she's not in her bedroom then you should check Nazira's."

I halted midway, feeling my heart skip a beat. I wasn't ready to face whatever happened once I went inside her bedroom. I looked back for help and found Pruthvi already disappearing into the kitchen. I rubbed my nape and chided myself to even think of having another choice. I took a moment to prepare myself and knocked on the door.

"It's open!" Leena quickly responded, her voice shrill and demanding as always.

Making sure to not wuss out on seeing her, I pushed the door and it creaked open.

"Hay in the den! Hay in the den!" Maruthi screeched at once, gliding across the room, its wings flapped tremendously.

The two girls must have been in an intense discussion. They seemed slightly disturbed by my interference. Leena was sitting on the chair while Nazira on the bed. Our gazes weren't direct but I noticed her eyes enlarging and quickly dropping down to the floor. Tension pervaded in the air. There were papers beside her on the bed, which she slowly pushed underneath the pillow.

Singh, seated on the floor at the corner of the room, aroused from his resting position. He slightly growled and showed his canines a bit. His whiskers twitched and his head lifted up directed towards me.

"Let's go'" I said to Leena, feeling awful for ignoring both of them.

"To where," Leena asked, standing up. And so did Nazira, noticing my sense of urgency.

I fully entered the bedroom, walked past Singh and held Leena's wrist. "To get what we always wanted. Let's go."

I slightly ushered Leena up front but a small gasp eventually stopped me from taking another step. Now that I was standing so close, I suddenly felt weak and sinking into my knees. The urge to do something that she deserved intensified. Her unfailingly kind during those six months was what I thought of. No matter how much she claimed her appearance only to be a 'figment of imagination' those 'dreams' were absolute bliss and without them, none of this would have been happening. To hell with any dishonest intentions if she had any. At the given moment, I couldn't care less if all the help she had provided was her work for the redemption game. I was about to head for the big day and I'd call myself names if I didn't do this now. Follow your instincts, she had once told me, hadn't she?