The Changelings

Chapter 11 : Back home in Nexus

We took Lucas to the basement where some guards took him from us. He turned to me and smiled and I tensed and looked away immediately before anyone noticed.

We left him with the guards and we returned to the Aquarium to report in.

Am sure my father is on his way to the basement already.

Was Lucas telling the truth?? Is the king going to actually kill him?? What is really going on here??

On our way to the Aquarium we decided to pass through the city. Instead of taking the shuttle down to the Aquarium,,we just walked through the streets of Nexus.

When we were still under training in Nexus,,we always heard news about other senior teams and their latest cases that have just been solved successfully. The best place to get those information is in the city. Residents of Nexus loved hearing about our successes and they always pay attention to our missions. Since my teammates were ecstatic about the two missions we just solved they decided to boost their egos more by hearing from the people.

Today We just wanted to know if the people talked about the elite team and the two cases we just solved recently.

But the reverse was actually the case here because instead of hearing great news about the elite team,,we heard about the death of our teammate Cleo. It was said that she was killed in action. As we walked by the people stood by the sides and just starred at us with pity because we just lost a teammate.

What is going on here Brian asked.

I turned and signalled for him to keep quiet until we leave here.

We silently walked away and went on our way to the Aquarium. When we were sure there was no one around to hear us we stopped walking and just starred at each other.

Brian : I ask again "What the hell is going on here??

My teammates have the same expression on their faces. They were shocked and angry at the same time.

But I was worse than them all. This is too much for me to bear alone.

I was still pondering about my connection with the human guy and how all these is related to what my father did to his brother and the fairy wizard. Then just few hours ago Lucas just said some disturbing things to me about La Verdad. I still don't know what to do with all these information. Now Cleo that I personally reported her case and I personally handed her over to the extraction team to take her back to Nexus is dead. I was hyperventilating. I could not breathe. Am I the cause of her death??

Maybe am bad luck and that's why my father avoided me like a virus. I kept hyperventilating and collapsed to the floor while still struggling to breathe.

The others noticed my condition and came over to me.

Queenie : Now what is wrong with her??

Andrew : Queenie this is not the right time for your shenanigans. Just move back and give her some space. Back up everyone she needs enough space to breathe.

Jess : Come on Bells just follow my voice and breathe "In,,, out,,,in,,,out.......

As the others moved aside I was finally able to relax and calmed a little. I tried to listen to Jess voice and do as she says but it still wasn't enough to calm me completely.

I then thought about him. He's the only one that can calm my troubled heart.

I saw his face and he smiled at me.

Just as i expected my breathing stabilized almost immediately and I was able to stand up within just few minutes.

Jess : What the hell happened to you just now Bells?? You nearly gave me a heart attack.

Bella : Am sorry Jess.

Andrew : What happened to you Bells?? Are you sick?? Is that why you've been silent and keeping to yourself??

Bella : Come on. stop overreacting. Its just my body reacting to something I ate on earth. Or maybe it's the travel through space. Am still not used to travelling out of Nexus you know. But am fine now so it's ok. Sorry I startled you all.

Let's hurry up. Lord Harry will be waiting for us already.

Leo : Please don't scare us like that again.

Bella : I wont I promise.

Queenie : Helloo???? Have everyone suddenly forgotten about Cleo???

Bella : Of course we haven't forgotten about Cleo. How can you even say that?

We don't know what happened after she was taken from us by the extraction team and we can't just stand here guessing.

Right now Lord Harry is our best shot at finding the answers we need. Let's just go and hear what he'll say.

They all nodded their heads in agreement and we continued walking down to the Aquarium.

We saw Lord Harry sitting behind a table at the training grounds and beside him sat Vikki.

Lord Harry : You sure took your time to get here. You actually think you can act the way you like just because you have graduated right?? Do you believe I can have you spend the rest of the day in this training grounds working your butts out in your human form??

Bella : We are sorry Lord Harry. We just missed home so much that's why we decided to walk down to this place instead of taking the shuttle. We would have arrived earlier but we got distracted when we heard of the news of Cleo's death.

I noticed as he tensed up and the air was filled with total silence as if we all stopped breathing at the same time.

Lord Harry could see it in our faces that we have questions for him. He also knows that there is no escaping this because Cleo was our teammate and we shared a blood bond.

Lord Harry : Escuse us for some minutes Vikki.

Vikki stood up immediately and left the training grounds.

Lord Harry : Speak up Isabella.

Bella : Thank you Lord Harry. We just want to know what really happened to Cleo.

Lord Harry : There was an ambush. The extraction team was ambushed by La Verdad's soldiers. They fought very bravely and they defeated the enemies but we still lost three soldiers including Cleo.

Andrew : What were they after??

Lord Harry : They wanted to take the teams Lama so they can gain access to the portal and invade Nexus.

Brian : How do they know that the extraction team came to earth??

Queenie : How do they even know their location??

Lord Harry : We don't know yet. We believe that there is a traitor in our midst but we aren't sure yet. That is why the king asked for a member of the organisation to be kidn*pped.

Jefferson : Does that mean that La Verdad knows our location??

Leo: Would they come after our teams Lama??

Lord Harry : Like I have just said,, we don't know their agenda yet. That is why we asked for a member of the organisation to be brought back.

Bella : Where is Lucas now? Has he started talking??

Lord Harry : I don't have all the answers Isabella. Now all you have to do is go to your rooms and rest. You will be briefed on your next mission very soon.

Jess : How soon??

Lord Harry : When the king is done with the interrogation of the prisoner then you'll get a new mission. For now,,you're dismissed.

Oh before I forget,, Jess please go get Vikki.

Jess went and called Vikki back in.

Vikki will be replacing Cleo in the elite team.

When you leave the Aquarium,, go straight to the council's cabinet. They are expecting you already. The former blood bond has been severed. You all need to be bonded again.

Jess : Was that why we did not feel it when Cleo died??

Lord Harry : That would be the case.

Suddenly it clicked in my head. Was Cleo's death what I felt when I was hyperventilating earlier??

What if she didn't die in an attack on earth?? What if she died here in Nexus??

We all left the Aquarium and made our way to the council's cabinet. There we performed the same blood bonding ritual that we performed on the day we were delegated.

As we stepped out of the council's cabinet we saw the king himself coming in. Even if he is the king he still has to report to the council because they are the keepers of the crucial orb. The orb is the life force of all our past generations. Without the Orb,, the king will not possess the Aura of a true leader.

The council is made up of descendants of the original dwellers of Nexus who happens to also be our ancestors.

The king went into the council's cabinet and I signalled to my teammates to slow down. We slowed our footsteps so the king will not know that we followed him back.

We wanted to hide by the door and eavesdrop but Vikki was not in support. I then slowly walked to her side and told her that we just want to hear about our next mission and we are not going to be caught. She grudgingly agreed because she saw that we are all in support.

And so we hid by the door and eavesdrop.

King Arthur : I have a rather sad news. The wolf is dead. He stole a gun from one of the guards that are watching him and he shot himself. We tried to save him but we couldn't. He did immediately because the bullet was made with wolfsbane and he shot it straight to his heart.

Council leader : Were you able to get any information from him??

King Arthur : He said nothing. He'd rather die than betray his master. Those were his very words.

Alfred (Council member): What's our next course of action my king??

king Arthur : Our best teams have been pulled out of every other mission. We would infiltrate the dwellings of all the other creatures and find out how many of their kind have joined forces with La Verdad.

When we know the strength of his army,,then we can pinpoint their weaknesses and then we can attack.

Council leader : Good. Let's debrief all teams immediately.

King Arthur : Theres One more thing you need to know. We may have a traitor in our midst.

Julian (Council member): How is that even possible??

Ray (Council member): Do we have proof to that effect??

King Arthur : Not yet. But we'll fish them out soon.

I was so close to hyperventilating again.

My father stood up from his seat at the head of the table which means that the council meeting is over but I still could not move from my spot.

Andrew literally dragged me away before we are caught eavesdropping. The penalty would be death by hanging and am sure my father would do it with so much joy and gladness.

What have I done??

First I handed Cleo over and she's dead. Now I handed the werewolf over and he turns up dead too.

What is really going on??

I need to talk to someone about all these and share my opinions and thoughts.

If I keep hiding all I know am sure the guilt will kill me someday soon.

Dear Lord,, What can I do?? Who can I trust??

We all walked back to our room in absolute silence. Even Jess who is never quiet seems to be shaken up. Vikki could not even ask any questions because she can sense our moods.

I can't even risk sneaking to the chambers tonight because they are already looking for a traitor.

I don't want to be mistaken for a traitor.

We silently went to our rooms where we waited for further instructions. Am sure none of us will be catching any sleep.