Keepers of the Moon

Chapter 13. The King (3)

I wasn’t sure what to expect during the evacuation, maybe panic? An alarm that would be blaring out of invisible speaker, while people were running around with their heads not in their right mind? It was none of that. People were just chattering and following each other in neat lines through the castle. Each separate line had someone at the front and back of the row who wore an orange safety jacket. None of the people looked scared or even remotely worried. There was a sharp tension in the air though, the anticipation of things to come nearly reachable, it was almost excitement. ‘Nothing ever happened here.’ But now it would be at the very centre of this conflict between Nordlys and Caledonia. Even without knowing what was about to happen I had a foreboding feeling that nothing would ever be the same again.

I was making my way toward the day care out in the garden next to the cantina, Abi safely inside my arms. She had been uncharacteristically quiet and seemed to inhale all the commotion around her with growing apprehension. Her eyes were big and her skin was pale. She picked up the fear coming from me.

Her trauma was still so fresh.

My trauma was still so fresh.

I felt guilty for putting her through all this again, but this time we were prepared. At least better than last time. This time we might even be on time.

We passed another long line of people who were eagerly chattering like a flock of birds. They nodded to Abi and me and that solidified the feeling that I’d done the right thing. These people were kind and helped a stranger, from a strange place back on her feet without ever asking any questions.

The large cantina was quickly emptying and food trays were left abandoned on the long tables, someone was checking the loo’s for strays and then left too, when he found none. It was still raining heavily and the normally paved patio was covered in large puddles and mud. The bay had was shrouded in slithers of mist and the lights of the boats in the trench were barely visible. There was no wind and everything fell straight down. It sounded peaceful. Like the world had fallen asleep. Miss Wells however was far from calm and was running up and down, with her grey hair sticking to her face. She was completely drenched and shouting commands to a bunch of unruly children.

They didn’t listen.

Of course they didn’t, to them this was just a game.

I called out to her and there was a sigh of relief visible even in the rainy haze.

‘Indigo, dear! Am I glad to see you.’

I smiled at her, but felt that that smile did not reach my eyes. Tension was coursing through me. It was like all my senses had been dialled up and there was so much input from the environment around me that I could barely process all that I was feeling, hearing and seeing. But my mind was clear and slowly started to adjust to its surroundings.

‘Miss Wells, Sir Macintosh send me. How can I help?’ She managed to grab a little boy who kept running circles around her and hoisted him on her hip. He shouted out with glee and then pulled her hair. Her usually neat bun, which had already been falling apart, came completely undone. She looked with resentment at the mess but then turned back to the more important matters at hand.

‘There’s a big, red bus at the entrance. We need to get all 12 of them onto the bus for them to be taken to the sports hall next to the port. There their parents can pick them up and otherwise we’ll provide a shelter if their parents have business elsewhere.’ That last came out a little bit despairing, almost as if she wasn’t sure everybody would be able to evacuate.  

She felt the same thing I’d been feeling.

A terrible dread.

‘Well then, let’s get going. I don’t know how much time we have left, but the sooner we’re on that bus, the better.’ Miss Wells just nodded and got a hold of another child, which she put on her other hip. Only ten more to go.

I whistled loudly and grabbed the attention of the few that had been standing close to us.

‘All right lads and lassies, there’s a big bus out on the front. There’s hot coco and ice cream for all of you. But only if you are quick! The first who gets there, gets the largest ice cream!’ Even though only half of them seemed to be listening, the entire group suddenly bolted toward the castle, except for one little girl with cute little pigtails.

‘But I’m allergic to dairy!’

‘There’s one specially made for you, Maddy!’ Seemingly satisfied with Miss Well’s answer she also ran toward the castle, closely followed by Wells and I.

‘Smart, why didn’t I think of that?’

I snorted.

‘Let’s just hope none of them gets lost along the way.’

Miss Wells nodded.

That was when we both heart an earth shattering thunder, followed by a rising black plume of smoke coming from the westernmost part of the castle. My heart stopped and the world was spinning.

A bomb had gone off.

I was too late.