Page 13 of Rising

As I descended the stairs that felt like I had ascended not too long before, I focused on keeping my knees steady and eyes ahead. Willing myself not to tumble down and appear confident with each step.

A white butterfly appeared from nowhere, landing on the top. A gift from Riley, a silent offer of comfort in a time where he knew innately that I needed strength.

Dropping to my knees, I allowed a moment of vulnerability to show from leadership, letting all the titles and optics fade into the background as I said my final goodbyes to my friend. My life partner.

“Jaxy, you will always be the flame that fuels my soul. There won’t be a day that I walk this ugly fucked up Earth that I won’t live out your dreams and visions in your honor. I promise to take you with me with every step that I take, every decision that I make. I will channel your heart. Every beautiful thing I see, I will think of how to describe it to you in the next life, because I will find you there. I promise to. I promise you that as long as I breathe, I will be fine. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I live for you, so you can live through me.”

Harley let out a long, mournful howl. Sniffles and coughs circled The Arena.

Standing up, I glanced around the room one final time, making eye contact with as many of our citizens as possible. Flicking my fingers, I surrounded his coffin with silver flames. Flames of eternity.

They would burn for the rest of the night, and in the morning, he would be entered to the cemetery that lay just outside the walls.

As I exited The Arena, my new second and my trusted friend fell back in my wings, my sisters close behind. I didn’t need Reina’s powers to feel the anger and surprise coming from two of the four.

“Happy now? I’ve done what’s been asked.”

Riley sucked in a breath. “Oh boy,” he said quietly enough for only Seth and I to hear.

Reina chuckled, face red, eyes bulging. She was doing what she did best, trying to keep the majority of her emotions contained, always keeping up the optics.

“What’s the matter, sister? Can’t you be happy for your brother?” Seth taunted.

Harley pranced over to my side as Reina dropped her leash in order to close in on her brother. Things had always been rocky between the two and the situation must have deteriorated even more in the days that followed, as it wasn’t often Reina stepped in to challenge anyone, let alone her own brother.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to have your temper get good men killed, or even us behind these very walls. Did you think about that, Amaia? Or how about how he won’t talk to anyone about the accident? Not even Moe. Imagine that, a lieutenant that is too shaken up to give a solid report back to their general.”

Seth’s sea storm eyes shot over to Tomoe, whose eyes had darted to Reina full of fury over some unspoken secret between the two.Whatever that’s about.The crowd poured out of The Arena, now taking in the scene that was unfolding before them.

“Perhaps we should do this in a more private setting, General?” Riley said through his teeth, filling his face in the fakest of smiles in a tone only he could take with me.

“Perhaps you all could fuck off,” I stated with an even faker grin, turning on my heels and walking towards my office on the other side of The Compound. Without a doubt they’d all be quick on my heels, following to resume the debate I wasn’t in the mood to have.

Riley

The walk back to Amaia’s quarters was quiet, which was great for me. I preferred things this way. Typically, Tomoe would have been savoring it with me, but not today. One glance back at her and I could pretty much read the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Reina was pissed too, more than I’d ever seen herself allow to show before. She was pretty much all smiles, and though we didn’t interact much on our own; I knew everyone had their limit.

Something was exceptionally weird between the Moore kids. Everyone here tried not to acknowledge the rift they felt between the two. Mostly for the sake of not having to be in the uncomfortable position of being near them interacting, but it had always intrigued me. I’d been there that very first day; I’d seen how things had changed the second she hopped off her horse.

No one knew the true reason for their distaste for each other and I guess that was their business, and theirs alone. But here in The Compound, what’s private businessismy business. Not a peeping Tom, but in the post 9/11 George Bush Patriot Act sort of way. My insects never had anything to report from the rare moments they shared in private, either.

Probably didn’t help that Seth and Reina are aware of my gifts, any fly, ant, or spider they automatically assumed belonged to me.I freaking wish. So far, I’d only been able to control a couple hundred at a time. And I didn’t waste my time on pointless information. Not when there were 30,019 more important people to worry about, keep an eye on, 30,015 if you counted out Tomoe, Prescott, Amaia and myself. There was something odd about the two of them, secrets they kept for sure.

We all had secrets. But it was my job to make sure those secrets didn’t get people killed.

Once the wooden doors to Amaia’s office were thrust open, the peaceful silence was over. Amaia threw herself down onto her black tufted leather couch and glared up at the ceiling.

Tomoe and Reina hovered over her, Reina rambling off as if she’d prepared a list of reasonsnotto appoint Seth for this moment, while Tomoe offered quips of support. That was an odd thing to see, considering they were one tragedy away from ending up in each other’s bed.

Seth leaned against the dark wooden desk, arms folded across his black shirt, with a smug grin on his face.What a dickhead.

I stood back leaned up against the door, always sure to place myself between Amaia and the point of entry to any room. I would give my life for her. She’d already saved mine years before. The Compound had only been around for a few months, in the early stages and about a thousand citizens.

She’d found me hunkered down in a cave near the cliff side, surrounded by insects, to her true horror. I grinned to myself, reflecting on the fact that as much as my tiny friends helped her out, she would never stop gagging if a few made an appearance in her presence.

After my sister passed a few months prior, I had deigned to spend the rest of the days I had left to myself. My survival at the mercy of any fish that I could catch at dawn, which wasn’t much. Malnourished, I survived off what edible plants the ants I controlled could bring back to me. My weakened state was why, when I’d gone out to try to fish one early morning, Amaia was able to follow me back to my cave without me knowing. She spent hours right outside watching me from a distance, determining whether I was worth bringing in.

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