Part 4
When I opened my eyes, light streamed into my room. I looked next to me where Blake had fallen asleep, and the spot was empty.
I grabbed his pillow and pulled it against my face, breathing in the scent that lingered. I loved everything about him, even if I hadn’t said it out loud.
I remembered he had hummed me a song right before I fell asleep. He was driving me insane, and I could finally understand why Tabitha didn’t want to let him go. I found my Cammy on my bedside table and picked it up.
“Blake Leaf,” I spoke and wielded my shield.
It rang a couple of times then his face appeared. He was in bed and still sleeping.
“What do you want woman? I’m tired.”
I smiled. “Good morning to you too, sunshine. I thought dragons could go without sleep for a long time.”
He chuckled.
“Why did you leave?” I was upset.
He wielded his shield too. I could see the faint sparkles in the background. “I told you, my dad…”
“Keeps an eye on you, yes I got that part.” And forgot all about it.
We were silent for a while and he opened his eyes. “What is it, Elena?”
“I’m scared of today.” I looked at him. “What if I can’t do it?”
“You have to. It’s time.”
“I know. Are you sure you will contain your father?”
“Elena,” he said softly, his tone mixed with authority and unhappiness.
“That’s not what I meant. He was your father’s rider.”
“Is, he still is. I will speak to Emanuel before the interview, just in case. Does that put your mind at ease?”
“I don’t care how many of you there are, I’ll still be worried about him.”
“He knows what the plan is. I just need five minutes to remind him.”
“Okay,” I said as Becky and Sammy barged into my room. It was so weird not hearing any sound. “I’ve got to go, see you later.”
“Counting off the hours.”
I laughed softly, and his hologram disappeared. I lowered my shield, and Becky just gave me the eye as she kept looking at the pillow next to me.
“It’s not what you think,” I said quickly as I got up from my bed and went to the bathroom.
I could hear her laughter as I opened my shower’s tap.
“Am I missing something here?” Sammy asked.
I tuned out their conversation as the warm water fell over my head. I hated waking and finding his spot empty. It was as if he really didn’t…stop that Elena, you read his poems. Then why didn’t he want me like that? Could he be thinking like Paul?
I got out with the towel wrapped around my body and both girls were sitting on my bed.
“So when did –”
“Shhhh, my walls aren’t soundproof, okay,” I warned Becky.
“How on earth did he manage last night then?” Becky asked as she wielded her shield around all three of us.
“My brother came back?” Sammy finally got it and blushed.
“Nothing happened,” I spoke fast, and Becky frowned slightly. She must have seen my disappointment.
“What do you mean nothing happened?”
“He doesn’t want me like that.”
“Elena,” she said.
“Then why, Becky? I don’t get it. Tabitha never had this problem.”
“Tabitha is nothing,” Samantha said. “My brother didn’t even care about her. Now you, I know he cares about you.”
I smiled. “I love you so much, Samantha.”
“I have to admit, he really had to be extremely good if my mother didn’t hear him.”
I started to laugh and Becky did too.
We grew silent.
“I’m glad you are finally trusting him,” Sammy said.
“Well, he showed me what I needed to see. It wasn’t that hard after all.” She didn’t know that I’d read his journal. I’d only shared it with Becky.
Becky looked at me. “Now you know how I felt.”
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. I closed my eyes as doubt crawled back into my gut, and recited his words. As entity I lived your years. I’ve seen your hope and your fears. It wasn’t a spell. The dent was real. It just had to be.
We sat around the table eating our breakfast. Afterward we would leave for Just Kev Studio, which was also in Tith. We needed Areeth to fight. I was done begging them, and Just Kev was the last interview where I could get through to Areeth.
I just couldn’t imagine how today was going to turn out. Would I be able to deliver? What if Kev only asked me about my time in Etan? What I’d gone through? Would it make me angry and would I storm out and leave without saying anything about my father? I feared it. It was evident in my plate that was still stacked with eggs and toast that Isabel had been eyeing for the past five minutes.
My Cammy beeped and it was a message from Blake.
The corners of my lips curved slightly.
U can do this. I have faith in you.
That’s all it said.
I can do this. I had no choice and still felt like crap that I’d be breaking my father’s promise.
Becky, George, Dean and Sammy came with me. The boys acted as my bodyguards, pushing through the crowds that were stationed right in front of the studio.
A woman welcomed us inside and took us to the dressing room. My hair and my make-up were done while Sammy and Becky kept me company.
“What did Blake mean when he told Isabel to watch today’s show?” Becky asked.
“Just wait, Becky,” I said without looking at her. I felt bad since Blake had said her father was one of the men who was still alive. I was going to give all the names we’d spoken about last night. Etienne Johnson was among them.
“Five minutes,” another guy with a device around his head told the make-up artist, and she nodded.
She finished and smiled at me. “You are ready to go.”
“Thank you.” I got off the chair and walked to the door then stopped in front of Becky. “Just know that I am so sorry, Becky.”
Her face fell and then it grew into worry lines. “You are scaring me.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I had no choice.”
She nodded, and I grabbed her tightly. I was sorry. I should’ve told her, but there would always be things that I wouldn’t be able to share with them.
I touched Sammy’s shoulder as the stage manager came to get me. He led me on to the stage where Kev and I were going to have our delayed chat.
Just get through to Areeth, Elena.
I had to push Sir Robert to the back of my mind, and I could still feel Becky’s and Sammy’s eyes on me.
“Good luck,” Becky mouthed as I sought her gaze.
Kevin got up from his chair when I reached him and took my hand softly in his. “I’m surprised that you kept your end of Blake’s deal, Elena.”
“I’m a person of my word, or in this case, his.” I smiled and with his hand, he showed me the open chair where I would sit.
Another guy clipped a small microphone onto my shirt while the make-up artist applied another layer of powder on Kevin’s face. When both of them left, and the stage was cleared, Kevin’s stupid melody started.
“Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another Just Kev Interview.”
He was finishing his introduction as I took a few deep breaths. I’d done this so many times now.
Keep your answers simple, say what is in your heard and don’t forget to tell everyone that your father is still alive.
I blew out the air softly.
You can do this. I smiled.
BLAKE
The cafeteria was packed. Every dragon who had attended training was here, watching Elena’s interview.
I stood next to my father, leaning on one of the tables in the back row. Emanuel’s face was as pale as a ghost’s. He looked like he’d seen one too, as he stared at the table without blinking. Still, he took his post right on the other side of my father.
Emanuel was struggling with the truth. I shouldn’t have sprung it on him like that, but he’d kept pushing so hard when I’d asked him to just be there when Elena revealed something, something that might let my father act irrationally.
Kevin’s show started, and I watched as Elena walked on stage. I hated this show. She can do it, I know she can. He asked her something, and she replied with a faint smile tugging on the corners of her lips. When the introduction melody stopped, he welcomed everyone to his ‘brilliant show’ and put the main focus on Elena.
Many people were watching today; they couldn’t wait for today’s episode.
He immediately bombarded her with questions about Etan and she answered them like a professional, as if we’d rehearsed this a million times.
“She brings up so many memories,” my father said.
“I know,” I whispered and put my one hand on his shoulder. She did. She might not look like Queen Catherine, but she sure was her daughter.
“You brought about how many people back now?” Kevin asked.
“About a hundred and fifty,” she said and smiled. “We still need plenty of support from anybody that would like to assist. There are plenty of children that need to be educated, to get them emotionally ready for attending school. It’s like they have to go through some sort of rehabilitation process, just getting them ready and helping them learn that they are safe this side, that no more bad people will take them away from their family.”
Kevin merely nodded as she kept talking to him about everything. She really knew just what to say to make people relate to what it was these people had lived through the past seventeen years.
“And we also know that really bad things happened to you that side.”
“Kevin,” both my father and I scolded as if he could hear us. I stared at the fan and prayed she had strength just to tell him something to make him shut up about this.
I looked back down to the screen. Elena took a deep breath. I felt sorry for her. I should’ve been there, but I had no choice. She wanted me here.
“Those people are surrounded by darkness, Kevin,” she said. “What happened to me wasn’t easy, and I don’t wish it upon my worst enemy either, but I’ve had plenty of amazing people supporting me this side, making sure that I know I am safe and that somehow pulled me through all the darkness in my life.” She smiled, and a warm, fuzzy feeling heated up my core. It was good knowing that she knew that.
“So, in less than two months you are going to free Etan. We all know what the plans are, but you truly need Areeth to stand with you on this.”
My body froze, and Elena nodded.
C’mon you can do this. I know you can.
She looked at Kevin. “We do need them. We can’t win without them but they made it perfectly clear that they don’t want to be a part of this.”
No, don’t do this. Please.
Both Emanuel and I just stared at her.
A deep breath Elena, you can do this.
Just then, she took a deep breath as if she could hear me.
“So I’m begging them one last time, please stand with us.”
My body was on alert, and I felt Emanuel getting ready too. My father just stared at the screen.
“We can’t overrun Goran on our own. We can’t kill the Saadedine on our own, and we can’t bring peace to Paegeia on our own. If you don’t want to fight for me, then do it for my father.” She stopped. It didn’t have the impact she needed.
She knew it as well as she looked around her, and it was as if her entire body deflated. I could see her taking another breath. Her body straightened. She was going to give this another try. “I don’t mean by what he stood for, who he was, I mean for the man…he still is.”
The entire audience gasped. So did a few of the dragons in this room.
“Wait, what?” Kevin was caught off guard. “You want to tell me that King Albert is still alive?”
She nodded. “I figured it out the day I ascended. He didn’t want me to say anything…” She kept talking about it.
I froze as she said it.
“I promise you he is still alive trapped behind those Creepers.” She started to name a few of his men who were barely hanging on too, saying Etienne Johnson’s name as well. I told George to be there for Becky when she heard her father’s name. He would make it better.
The entire audience was in utter shock; everyone in this room too.
The show’s audience started voicing their concerns. Kevin tried to hush them. My only worry was my father standing next to me. He was frozen solid as he just stared at the TV screen.
“Dad.” I spoke softly.
He didn’t answer, and I closed my eyes.
In one second my father leaped over the table and ran for the door.
“Emanuel!” I yelled and we both ran after my father. He wasn’t thinking straight. Elena had been scared of this; she had feared this, and I wasn’t prepared at all.
He took flight and I followed. He was heading straight for the Creepers. I flew faster and gained on him in no time.
I pushed him back with my body.
He grunted, but didn’t say anything. He fought as if he’d never fought before as I pushed him down toward the ground.
“You can’t do this. You know the Creepers will kill you, and Elena is not going to take you inside. We have a plan, and you will ruin this.”
“Don’t, I beg you, don’t. Just let me go to him.”
We were almost on the ground now.
“Dad, please,” I begged as we touched down. I held him down with both my front paws. His one wing was secure under my paw. “You know the plan. Your actions will let Goran know that we have found a way in. Please, there are so many people that are counting on you.”
“He is my rider.”
“I know what he means to you, but if you go in now, you will kill him. Don’t be stupid. Think, please. I know you can do this. You are his dragon. He’s still alive. I promise you, we will get him out that way, but you have to stick to the plan.”
I didn’t know if my begging was getting through to him. He had so much fight left – fight I hadn’t seen for a long time.
“Calm down, please, Dad. Remember the plan. It’s your plan, and it’s good and solid.”
Emanuel landed, with a few other dragons, and my father finally succumbed. He wailed, and I knew he was crying.
“A small part of me knows how you feel. I promise I will get him out. Just stick to the plan.”
“Okay,” he eventually said after a soft, wailing song.
Reporters were going to bombard him again, and I had no clue how that was going to end.
“Is he okay?” Emanuel asked.
I turned my head and looked down on his dragon figure.
“He’s fine.”
I let one of my paws off my father and watched him turn.
I did the same and both of us were handed robes.
“You get him out of there, alive.”
I nodded. “You know I will.”
“I will stick to the plan, on one condition, Blake. We speed this up.”
