16. Lavender
Chapter sixteen
Lavender
I don’t know how much time has passed, but eventually Gabe picks me up and carries me to the shower. He bathes me, then washes and gently de-tangles my hair. When he turns me around to face him, his eyes are shiny again with tears he refuses to let fall.
“I don’t want to leave.” I don’t know if he can hear my whisper under the sound of the water against the tiles.
“I know.” He reaches behind me and turns the water off. We exit the shower and dress in silence.
A knock on the door grabs our attention. “We’re ready to go.” I can’t tell who’s talking, not over the pounding in my ears.
“Leeahla, are you okay? Hey.” Gabe’s words are muffled .
I try to respond but can’t. My body goes stiff and I’m not in control of anything. The world becomes blurry before it all goes completely dark.
My body is unfamiliar when I wake up, my vision’s unfocused. I’m outside; the sky is bright orange where it meets the horizon while everywhere else is cloaked in vibrant pinks and purples.
“She’s awake.” Uziel’s voice is coming from overhead—I don’t realize I’m laying in his lap until he speaks. This closeness to him is too intimate. I try shuffling to get up but his arm stills me.
“You’re okay, Leeni.” He assumes I’m confused instead of uncomfortable. “I’ve got you.” I don’t think he can speak any softer, and at that moment, I’m not sure if Uziel is talking to me or attempting to reassure himself.
I can hear footsteps coming towards us. I push up slightly, watching as Nyari and Eliam come into view.
“Everything’s ready. Let’s get her out of here.” I can hear the urgency in her voice.
Eliam squats and extends his hand towards me. “Ready to head back, Princess?” He flashes me a small smile.
“I don’t have a choice, remember?” I try to sound annoyed but my voice wavers, betraying my trepidation. I place my hand in his.
Uziel shifts behind me and supports my weight as Eliam helps me stand. I am a little dizzy once I’m upright, but the disequilibrium quickly passes. There is a lull in conversation as we exchange glances. My stomach flips, the nausea wracking me; I tighten my grip on Eliam’s hand.
“I got you, Princess.” Eliam scoops me up and starts walking with Uziel next to him, never taking his eyes off me.
“Wait, where’s Gabe?” I look at the two of them. Both stay silent. “ Answer me. ”
Eliam is looking out towards our destination when he replies, “He can’t come.”
“Where is he?” I don’t have energy left to scream, but fuck, I want to.
“He can’t watch, Leeni. Humans can’t watch us go back to the cosmos. It drives them crazy.”
Tears fall instantly, involuntary sobs racking my body.
We stop moving, and Eliam gingerly places me on the ground near the cosmic circle Nyari has constructed around my landing point. I move towards it; there’s a soft glow illuminating the space around the boundary, the cosmic light revealing the indigo and orchid colours of Nyari’s true skin.
I tilt my head upwards, feeling the transition from twilight to nighttime tingling along my spine; the first of the stars are waking up as the sky begins its transition.
The moment my left foot crosses the threshold, the cosmic energy starts to revitalize me.
I hadn’t noticed how frail I am becoming.
The air around me is shifting, cooler than it was a couple of seconds ago.
I can see the cosmic energy twirling on the breeze.
I bring my right foot into the circumference of the landing spot and inhale deeply.
Eliam and Uziel are standing on either side of the circle—just like Nyari, their true forms are permeating their human guises because of all the energy in the air.
“Leeahla! Leeahla !” My name is echoing through the trees, coated in panic and urgency.
My heart skips a beat at his voice in the open air. I whip my head around in the direction, holding my breath and waiting for Gabe to burst through the tree line. My stardust is beginning to swirl around my body, the cosmic energy increasing and the illumination expanding rapidly.
“Someone needs to stop him! Don’t let him come through. Somebody, save him!” I am pushing against the boundary of the cosmic circle—my fear, unraveling my ability to think.
Everything happens more quickly than I am expecting. Gabe barrels through the forested area into the open space, we lock gazes and I watch his eyes flash bright blue as they glaze over. I am screaming, tears running down my face as I hammer my hands against the building forcefield.
“You take her. I’ll deal with him,” Uziel is instructing Eliam, who nods and steps into the circle.
“Why won’t it let me out! Let me out!” Gabe’s fallen to his knees; his head is bent towards the sky.
I look at Nyari, my voice doesn’t sound like my own as I beg her for help. I plead, then demand she stop the process .
“I’m sorry, Leeahla! I can’t! Once the journey home starts, it can’t—”
I screech, unwilling to listen to whatever excuse she is throwing my way. Then I turn to Eliam, who is standing quietly in the circle with me. There isn’t much space between us so I throw my body into him, screaming for help.
He doesn’t move, but he lets me hit him a couple times before wrapping his arms around me. He hugs me tightly, using his strength to reposition me and block my view of Gabe, and Uziel, who has just reached him.
“I’ll make sure he’s fine—as fine as he can be. I’ll check on him for you.” Eliam is speaking into the top of my head.
I am so utterly distraught that I don’t notice the exact moment twilight transitions to night. I don’t notice my astral form returning as my human disguise fades away. And I definitely don’t notice my white-blue glow—the one I’ve waited so long to get—transitions into an amazing lavender.