Fire Moon by Miss CrazyPlantLady (phonics reading books .TXT) 📖

IT WAS AUGUST.

I was gaping at him. Eyes wide.

I was sure I was imagining him until Miles backed away for him, "Who is that?"

Relief flooded my body hard, drowning me with hope, "It's August."

We watched as he broke the glass with a single hit of his elbow, he bent down and smiled down at me, "Hey there, pup."

I wanted to laugh, cry, scream. I took his extended hand, my eyes burned as I took in the artist palettes of his and I almost started to cry right there. Our invisible string forever straining between us.

He broke the remaining glass shards to make enough room, "It's a tight squeeze but we can do it."

"Oh, if it isn't goldilocks" I froze at the sound of Alexei's voice, "Here to save the day."

August growled, "Stand down, Velasquez."

Alexei held up his hands, "I'm not going to stop you," he's eyes were drinking in the sight of me, almost like he was trying to take in my features, like he knew he wouldn't see me again, "The alarm was already tripped before you got to the window, you have 10 minutes tops."

August started to pull me up but I stopped him, "What about Urith and Miles?"

"We don't have time!" he tried to pull me up again.

I broke free and stepped back, "We can't leave them here!"

His eyes were wild, "We will come back for them!"

"Go Eden!" Urith urged, his voice broke with the volume and our eyes connected. All I saw was Quinn and Quinn wouldn't leave him behind, Urith wouldn't leave me behind and I wouldn't leave him behind.

There was a scuffle down the hall and Alexei shook his head before stepping away from the cells, "Of course."

It was Sawyer. He strolled down the hall with a wide grin, long hair swaying behind him, "No, I'm the one here to save the day" he turned to Alexei, fingers out wiggling, "Mmm Null-Hound, keys please?"

Alexei didn't seem as shocked as I did that the Soothsayer knew what he was and he gave up the keys regardless, "You should hurry."

Of course Sawyer knew who he was. Sawyer knows everything. I wondered how many people Sawyer had to manipulate to get here without injury.

"Sawyer, get them out!" August shouted from the window, his blonde head disappearing the following second.

Miles eyes met mine and I grabbed her hand, "We're getting out here."

Her honey eyes were wild and frantic. She was scared but she didn't pull away. She would be free. After so many years frozen in time behind bars. Miles wouldn't see another set of chains and her eyes glistened with emotion as if she realised it too.

"Shh" Sawyer waved off Alexei's warning and unlocked Urith's cell and ours, "Let's go."

I hugged Urith the second I could, the relief crushing me as I held him. His knit sweater was rough against my cheek. We survived. We were getting out of here. Quinn would get her mate back.

"We need to get the kids" I gasped, turning to Sawyer. He looked surprisingly saddened by my words, already knowing about them.

"Once Kier realizes you're gone, he will kill them" Alexei muttered from his place against the wall.

He was right. Dread washed over me, we couldn't save that many kids before Kier stopped us and I didn't even know which door led to them or if they had enough strength to follow us out.

The Soothsayer met my eyes and he knew. He knew I wouldn't leave them, he grabbed my arm and sighed, "Remember that everything that happens from now on is meant to be."

I rolled my eyes at his riddle and turned to Urith, my eyes wild as I held his, "Protect her."

He took Miles' hand from mine, accepting the challenge. Miles was silent but watching me with wide honey eyes, "With my life" Urith nodded, we hugged once more before I watched them disappear from sight.

"You're stupider than I thought" Alexei said as I felt him grab my arm, just as the Zetas rounded the corner and guns up ready.

"Where are they?" they Zetas yelled. Etas behind them ran past and down the hall.

I silently prayed they made it. Sawyer would get them out. The only one who could stand against him was holding my arm.

"Who?" I asked as Alexei sighed, "They escaped."

It was then the alarm came to life. Blaring siren and the entire hallway went red with warning lights. Casting a ominous scarlet shadow on everything. The Zetas eyes looked black in the red glow.

Alexei stepped ahead of me, my arm still griped by his hand, "The Curer and the Sigma escaped out the window, I managed to contain the Blaze."

"Who helped them?" the left one growled.

No one. No one. No one. Please say no one. I begged the back of Alexei's head that he wouldn't rat out my friends.

"I didn't see them" Alexei insisted, his voice calm and even, "It was too dark and they were too fast."

I could see it in their darkened eyes that they didn't believe him but they didn't dare questioned him, "Kier wants the Changeling."

He gripped my arm harder, "I'll put the Changeling back and go speak to Kier alone."

"No, Velasquez" the left one pointed his gun up at Alexei, "Kier wants the Changeling and he said to take her from your dead hands if we have to."

The hallway was thick with the threat of violence, sticking to the walls of my throat and I huffed, breaking the silence, "Lead the way then."

Alexei's warm grip was stopping me from flying away, my body was a numb cupboard and as if was out of my body, I was watching myself drag behind Alexei. I wouldn't see my friends or August again for while, or at all I thought. Kier would most likely kill me, then the children and Alexei for helping me. I was surprised at the emotion that thought alone pulled out of me, I was on the brink of tears and nothing I did could change the outcome of this mess.

Everything that happens from now on is meant to be, Sawyer said and how dare the moon give me a sad ending. A miserable and life-crashing fate.

"You're on" Alexei muttered in front of me.

I glanced down at my flames, "I'm never going to see my mate again, am I?"

He waited until I extinguished my fire before letting out a low chuckle, "If you think goldilocks is your mate, then you two deserve each other after all."

I glared at the back of his head, "You know nothing about love or loyalty—"

His head snapped around so fast that I jerked in surprise, "You're a fool, sweet Eden" his eyes were glowing with rage, "No mate would leave their own behind, trust me when I tell you this because I have killed many pairs and I know mates when I see them, he is not yours."

I felt my blood thin, "Did you kill Mara?" my voice the lowest I could get it.

The vein in his neck bulged out, he looked at me with a deadly expression, "Why would I kill someone from my own pack?"

My glare was that sharp it would've cut him and I didn't push the issue. I eyed the silver chain around his neck, "Let me guess, that's your mate's?"

"My mother's" he growled, "Before I had to kill her as well!" his voice was so raw that is broke coming out of his mouth, he was anger itself and for the first time, I was actually scared of him.

I felt myself take a step away with a frown on my face, "Why are you being like this?" I've never seen him like this.

He twisted my arm behind my back and shoved me against the wall, "You stupid fool" he spat, his eyes so intense I couldn't meet them, "You think Kier will kill those children? You're so fucking wrong because he wouldn't dare do such an act."

I eyed him as a humourless laugh escaped his lips and finally I realised why he was so enraged. Kier wouldn't kill the children. Kier would make Alexei kill the children and Alexei would have to obey him. Alexei would have to kill those children.

His breath was warm on my face, "Exactly" he smirked, knowing the look on my face, his hard body pressed against me, "Consider yourself fucking lucky."

The Zetas separated us, pushing Alexei off me and pointed their guns at us, "Shut up and keep walking."

It was strange watching the Zetas pretend not to be afraid of Alexei. Their guns gave the confidence they didn't have before. I watched their hands shake regardless. The rest of way was dead silent. Alexei didn't turn around again but he was stubborn enough to not let go of my arm, gripping it with white-knuckle strength.

Kier's eyes were red when we finally entered. His hands in permanent tight fists, he didn't give me a second glance before turning to Alexei.

"Take him" was all he said and I gripped Alexei's wrist, at the same time his grip loosened on mine. He didn't want to fight them. He couldn't.

Our eyes connected as they dragged him out and I felt my blood heat with the rise in my temper, "Where are they taking him?"

Kier didn't answer straight away but instead stood from his royal high-chair and strolled down to me, a slow wicked smile creeping onto his face, "Oh Changeling, somewhere you wished you went."

Was all I remembered as a vicious blow landed on the back of my head and the next I was waking up in a cell. Not my cell but one without a window and bars. It was a four-walled suffocating room. The walls were made out of rough laid bricks, the floor of cold hard cement and there was a small slit of glass, on the very bottom of the door.

My body was screaming. The pounding in my head was enough to make me vomit on floor, the harsh aching of my left arm told me it was broken and the sharp angle of my fingers were a clear enough sign that they were also broken. My skin was painted with deep purple and black bruising. It hurt to breathe and I couldn't lift myself out the bed. I could see the small mark in the crevice of my arm and I knew Kier took his blood. My blood. He didn't kill me and I was shocked by the small heavy feeling in my chest that wasn't relieved I was still alive. The pain in my body was so prominent that I wish he did kill me.

No Healer came. No one came. I lied there like a bag of broken bones for what felt like days. I had no indication of what time it was. There was no sun or moon. My body was cold but there was no blanket and I couldn't curl my body to stop my heat from escaping. My bones would burn with pain in protest if I moved anything. I didn't have enough strength to bring my own flame. I wasn't strong enough to warm myself.

The darkness swallowed me and I didn't put a fight. I practically jumped into the black pool, letting it drown me. I thought of Mara, of Wren and I wanted to be with them. The window would open on their side from time to time and I only knew when they'd slide plates of brown mash through that it might be night. I couldn't get off the bed to eat and I watched day after day as they pushed another plate through and the mash would wobble, knocking the previous plate.

One day,