Her King Of Shadows

Chapter XIII.

She was aware of the sense of unrest in her escorts. There were four of them. Until now, she had a chance to get to know them even if they hadn’t spoken a word to her. Two of them were brothers. They shared the same sky blue eyes on the pale skin. Their hair was the color of wheat. They seemed like warriors from the north. And she knew so little about the far away north, so she didn’t ask any questions. And the names which they had given her were not theirs. She knew as much even she was a child. The third one had dark skin with chestnut eyes. Spoke only in a whisper, always looking into the distance. He was the scout. His hair was short and sprinkled with grey. He reminded her of the hunters from the children's stories. Nobody would look into her eyes. For them, she wasn’t real. The leader. If you could call him such. He was a leader once. She could see as much in the way he stood. But now he had the life of a mercenary. The brown hair hid curious dark blue eyes which reminded her of the ocean. He was the only one who would speak. On the first night, he said his name was Gideon. The two brothers were Jonathan and David. She had to smile at that. Their silent friend didn’t say a word. His name was Abel.

For the first couple of days, they drove on foreign streets in two cars. It seemed to her that they were waiting for some news. And the news coming to them was not good. After a week of non-stop driving, she had a feeling they were going into circles. And they were not any closer to their destination since the night they had started. She noticed the tension rising in their silent looks. They were ever so careful. Abel would spend more time outside. And it became clear to her that something was wrong. Something had happened which they didn’t consider.

Even though they had tried to avoid any conversations, to be had around her that rule was becoming less strict. They were together in all this. By the end of the first week, they stopped in front of a small house in the clearing. She had a sense of this not being a part of their plan. Something must have been wrong since they had brought her to such a place. But everything was better than the constant driving on lonely roads and rain which never stopped falling. She longed for clean sheets and a bed. She comforted herself, thinking this night she wouldn't have to sleep in the car. Giedon took her small bag, leaving everything else behind. Slowly, they entered after Abel checked all the rooms. She followed him to one of the two bedrooms. If someone lived there before them, it seemed as if they had stepped out for a second. The place still smelled of them. She didn’t know in which city or state they were at the moment and it wasn’t important to her anymore. They had a safe place to stay for a night and it was all that mattered. Gideon put her bag on the bed and went to close the door. She looked after him but there was no key on the door. No matter how much her father trusted them, she didn’t. And she would feel much better behind locked doors.

She took off her thick sweater and went into the bathroom. She let the warm water flow into the bathtub. She went inside and her long hair was soon smelling of lavender. She felt each muscle in her body relax. There was something in the warm water which let the memories and seriousness of her situation to leave her for a bit. She dressed in fresh clothes afterwards and brushed her hair, still feeling the traces of jasmin and lavender on her skin. She came to the open window, drowning herself in the smell of rain which kept falling. The day was turning into night and the stars were crowding the sky. The cold night air made her feel more fresh. She closed the window slowly, aware of her own face in the glass. She heard voices from the living room. She longed for a cup of hot tea to warm her sorrows but she wasn’t sure if she should interrupt them. Still, slowly she went for the stairs, aware that sooner or later they would call for her. But later, maybe it wouldn’t be the right time. In the small living room, the brothers were talking to Gideon. Abel was in the yard. The TV was on on the local news channel but the sound was mute. Jonathan was sitting on the sofa with a computer on his lap. On the other side of the room was a small kitchen. When they saw her, all conversation ended. She entered the kitchen opening cabinets in search of tea and sugar. But all she could find was an opened box of Earl grey and that had to suffice. She refilled the kettle and prepared a long black cup ready to surrender herself to the fragrance of black tea and almonds.

-What happened to the plane?-Gideon's voice was perfectly calm. But she felt his gaze on her. Jonathan was concentrating on the computer.

-The first flight was cancelled because of the weather, the second was for technical reasons. They needed time to search the passenger lists.-he said. She poured a cup of tea and left it cooling on the counter. She kept opening the shelves more from curiosity than need. David joined her without saying anything. He had found a box of biscuits and a left over fruit cake. He opened the box and tried it.

-Ship?- Gideon didn’t resign. Jonathan waived his head this time.

-They are even more strict with passenger details. They have to be surrendered up front and each passenger has to be stated by his full name.-he answered. She saw by the way he touched his head that Gideon was slowly losing his patience.

-We can't drive the entire way. We are an even bigger target then.-he commented. She didn’t want to be a part of this discussion. She took a sip of her tea. David pushed the box with the biscuit towards her without a word. They were with chocolate. She looked into his eyes. Did they really think that all girls eat chocolate? Jonathan closed his computer as if coming back to the real world.

-We will go by train. Controls are not that strict as long as we have tickets. And we can leave it anytime. It is the safest choice for now. Tickets can be bought online. All we need is an email address and a credit card. That is already done. I bought tickets for three different directions. They will not know which way we are going.-it was all clear to him. Gideon sat on the sofa.

-It is better for you and David to have some rest now. Abel will stay on guard. You can relieve him in the morning.-he nodded his head. They both left. David took the box with him.

-They will find us.-she said quietly. It was maybe the first time she spoke to him. But she had to. It was a warning of sorts. They had a right to know what was happening. They had a right to make the best decisions.

-Who will find us?-he asked, closing his eyes. She stepped out of the kitchen looking at him calmly. He was a warrior. He knew how to fight. But this time it was futile.

-The killer will find us. No matter where we hid. Which way we go. How many of you are there around me. Nothing could stop him.-she knew what she was talking about. Now he looked at her better. And she knew that all he saw was a sixteen-year-old girl.

-We do not hide. We are here to take you from one place to another.-he reminded her. She nodded her head, holding her hot tea. But there was no more flavor in the hot liquid.

-Do you know who it is you are supposed to take me to?-she asked with a whisper. He nodded his head because he refused to speak his name out loud. Sometimes it was a bad omen. They didn’t want to call him.

-You could still change your mind. There is still some time. Bring me back. I am sure they will understand your motives. I will tell them myself it wasn’t possible.-she had to at least try. But he understood. He saw in her dark eyes that she wasn’t speaking from a desire to save them. She spoke because she was afraid. She didn’t want to reach her destination.

They knew who she was speaking about. They both knew what was waiting for her from the other side.

-Who are you to him?-He was curious. Shana just smiled. She didn’t dare to tell him. She wasn’t allowed to say it. She left the cup on the table.

-It is late.-she said, leaving him. She returned to the bedroom and closed the door. The room was in half darkness. The only light came from a lamp which Gideon turned on when he entered. But she could feel him. All she could see from the window was darkness. But the darkness was him. She sat on the bed, noticing it becoming thicker. Until the darkness itself turned into the shape of a warrior. He could not have done this before. But they are connected now. They have shared one life. She wore his symbols on her hand. Even though they were far away, somehow he was here. Somehow he had come. And she could not speak. She could not call the warriors and warn them. She could not move or make a step. There was hate in those emerald eyes. Burning like ancient fires. He was coming closer. Until she could smell him. And she closed her eyes, refusing to look at those two green abis. She put her head down on the pillow aware of his whispers in her ear. But she didn’t understand what he was saying. It was in a language which she knew long ago, but she hadn’t heard in such a long time. It was almost forgotten. And the words have lost all their meaning. It was the language of her mother's son. It was the language of her people.