at him. But the next thing I feel is a burning sensation. My father’s hand has stuck me across the face. I’m completely shocked. He’s never hit me, not once in my entire life. I put my hand on my cheek as my eyes fill with tears.
Da yells, ‘Leave! Get out!’
I glance at my mother with desperate eyes. I beg, ‘Momma?’
My mother simply looks at the ground and closes her eyes tightly. My gut drops. I can’t believe she doesn’t stand up for me or say anything! This is a nightmare, a terrible and ghastly nightmare that I can’t wake up from. How can they both abandon me like this? I’m their only child. I love them and I thought they loved me.
With my head spinning and chest so tight I can barely stand it, I turn away and run fast out the gate. I don’t know where I’m going and it’s hard to see through the tears.
Chapter sixteen
I pull my head out of my knees. I’m sitting near a dried up river not far from my house. When we first moved to Pekkin, I was shaken from the series of moves we’d faced over the years. I found this place one day after I’d run away from home. It quickly became my secret hideaway. My parents didn’t know about it and I liked that. When I was mad, I could make them worry by coming here. It’s a safe haven surrounded by trees and long grass. I would sleep there sometimes until I heard them calling for me. I tug my knees up. Those days are gone. They’re not looking for me this time.
Dry grass is crunched under foot behind me. I don’t turn around. ‘I should’ve known you would find me,’ I say.
Leo moves and stands next to me without a word. He’s been surprisingly tight lipped since we arrived. Honestly, it’s starting to freak me out and the anger from my parents is making it worse.
‘Why do you suddenly have nothing to say?’ I ask loudly. ‘After all, you must be pretty pleased with yourself right now. You finally got what you wanted. I’m yours and I have nowhere left to run, even if I did.’
I stand up and walk out to the road. Leo follows after me. ‘Where are you going?’ he asks.
‘Back to the Tower… it’s where I live now right?’ I say sarcastically. I reach the road and start marching towards Pekkin.
‘Wait…’ Leo calls. ‘You need a moment to calm down.’
I shout, ‘What I need is for you to go away and for things to go back to how they were!’ I crunch my fists tightly and start smacking my head hard with my knuckles.
‘Stop that!’ Leo yells pulling my hands away.
I do, realising what I’m doing to myself. It hurts. Leo lets go and I push the tears out of my eyes. I stare at the ground, my head spinning.
I hadn’t realised how much I’m whirling, that my hands are shaking, that my face is pale. But Leo does.
He gently reaches forward and rubs a stray tear away from my cheek with his thumb. I stare at him with watery eyes. ‘I hate you.’
‘I know,’ he replies softly.
‘Well, well, well… look who we have here. It’s Successor Leo,’ an unfamiliar voice calls.
The two of us turn our heads upwards. A scraggly looking man and a young girl float above us on a black flight board. The man lowers it and the two jump off. He says, ‘How unusual to find royalty out here in the sticks, especially without a single Sentry officer for support. Mighty dangerous if you ask me, rural folks don’t usually have much time for you hoity-toity rich snobs.’
I take a glance to the side. Leo’s face is serious and concerned. That must be the reason why he’s so quiet. The Guardians have no idea that Leo has left Poridos. He’s sticking his neck to bring me here.
The girl notices my silver bangle and says to the man, ‘Hey, she has an engagement bracelet! This must be the newest Guardian fiancé!’
The man chuckles and says, ‘Going for a change of pace, are we Successor? It’s not often you people choose someone like her to be your match. I thought those from the country were too lowly for you?’
Leo grabs my
Da yells, ‘Leave! Get out!’
I glance at my mother with desperate eyes. I beg, ‘Momma?’
My mother simply looks at the ground and closes her eyes tightly. My gut drops. I can’t believe she doesn’t stand up for me or say anything! This is a nightmare, a terrible and ghastly nightmare that I can’t wake up from. How can they both abandon me like this? I’m their only child. I love them and I thought they loved me.
With my head spinning and chest so tight I can barely stand it, I turn away and run fast out the gate. I don’t know where I’m going and it’s hard to see through the tears.
Chapter sixteen
I pull my head out of my knees. I’m sitting near a dried up river not far from my house. When we first moved to Pekkin, I was shaken from the series of moves we’d faced over the years. I found this place one day after I’d run away from home. It quickly became my secret hideaway. My parents didn’t know about it and I liked that. When I was mad, I could make them worry by coming here. It’s a safe haven surrounded by trees and long grass. I would sleep there sometimes until I heard them calling for me. I tug my knees up. Those days are gone. They’re not looking for me this time.
Dry grass is crunched under foot behind me. I don’t turn around. ‘I should’ve known you would find me,’ I say.
Leo moves and stands next to me without a word. He’s been surprisingly tight lipped since we arrived. Honestly, it’s starting to freak me out and the anger from my parents is making it worse.
‘Why do you suddenly have nothing to say?’ I ask loudly. ‘After all, you must be pretty pleased with yourself right now. You finally got what you wanted. I’m yours and I have nowhere left to run, even if I did.’
I stand up and walk out to the road. Leo follows after me. ‘Where are you going?’ he asks.
‘Back to the Tower… it’s where I live now right?’ I say sarcastically. I reach the road and start marching towards Pekkin.
‘Wait…’ Leo calls. ‘You need a moment to calm down.’
I shout, ‘What I need is for you to go away and for things to go back to how they were!’ I crunch my fists tightly and start smacking my head hard with my knuckles.
‘Stop that!’ Leo yells pulling my hands away.
I do, realising what I’m doing to myself. It hurts. Leo lets go and I push the tears out of my eyes. I stare at the ground, my head spinning.
I hadn’t realised how much I’m whirling, that my hands are shaking, that my face is pale. But Leo does.
He gently reaches forward and rubs a stray tear away from my cheek with his thumb. I stare at him with watery eyes. ‘I hate you.’
‘I know,’ he replies softly.
‘Well, well, well… look who we have here. It’s Successor Leo,’ an unfamiliar voice calls.
The two of us turn our heads upwards. A scraggly looking man and a young girl float above us on a black flight board. The man lowers it and the two jump off. He says, ‘How unusual to find royalty out here in the sticks, especially without a single Sentry officer for support. Mighty dangerous if you ask me, rural folks don’t usually have much time for you hoity-toity rich snobs.’
I take a glance to the side. Leo’s face is serious and concerned. That must be the reason why he’s so quiet. The Guardians have no idea that Leo has left Poridos. He’s sticking his neck to bring me here.
The girl notices my silver bangle and says to the man, ‘Hey, she has an engagement bracelet! This must be the newest Guardian fiancé!’
The man chuckles and says, ‘Going for a change of pace, are we Successor? It’s not often you people choose someone like her to be your match. I thought those from the country were too lowly for you?’
Leo grabs my
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