I KNEW I'D FIND YOU

Chapter 7

I Knew I'd Find You.

I tore my eyes away from the skyline, quickly re-entering my body. My eyes shot open as I rose with a start. I paused with my hands on my knees, giving my body time to catch up with my mind. When I caught my breath, I immediately took off. Dashing through the trees as I rushed to make it back to my room. If anyone asked questions, I could just say I went for a walk, nothing wrong with that. I picked up speed when I saw the wooden dome in front of me. The Bio-hover craft I saw in the sky shook the planet as it landed on the tarmac. A rumble, ceasing the once quiet land. Fatales lights flickered on as my roommates awoke. I listened closely, waiting to see if anyone was headed to my room. I heard shuffling in the hall as people exited their room.

"Is that a Bio-hover craft?" Daisha asked.

"What in the gods' name is a Bio-hover craft doing here this late at night?"

Zaylee responded with a yawn coming right after.

"No one informed me of a visit."

Drakson added, his voice sounding thick from sleep.

I sped up as I made it to my window, leaping to catch the edge of the window seal. My feet dangled below me for a few seconds before I propped my left on the window frame.

"Wake everyone up. I want them dressed and ready for whoever decided to visit us." Xanth ordered his voice sounding calm yet steely.

"On it."

Zaylee responded, and I heard her feet patter as she walked down the hallway. I waited a little bit when the footsteps faded down the hallway before slipping into my room. My feet had just hit the ground when the door of my room slid open. Xanth stood there with his arms crossed in front of his tattoed chest. His legs covered in white pants were crossed at the ankles like he had been standing there waiting for my arrival. His amber eyes scanning me from head to toe, taking in my disheveled features.

"Get ready. We have visitors." I shook my head yes in answer. Quickly running to my closet to grab my training outfit.

"Oh, and Mute."

Before I even have time to catch myself, Xanth's warm breath was on my neck. The only thing I could do was turn and jump back. With my hands in the air, I backed away from him. His brown eyes, darkening as he advanced toward me. My back pressed up against the freezing wood of my closet doors. The look in his eyes was enough to set me on fire and leave nothing of me behind except for a pile of ash. Xanth leaned down enough so that I could feel his warmth blazing from his body. He smelled like the trees growing near my temple during the summertime. Sweet honey lilies that still somehow had a hint of smoky earth underneath. The smell was enough to send my brain on a fritz. He pressed a hand on the door just above my shoulder. I froze. My spine, going rigid enough to send pain down my back. It felt like his amber eyes peered down into my ethereal form, and I could have sworn they brightened with something else. Pain. Tension shot through me as we continued to stare at each other. It filled the room, and it was enough to make me want to hide in the corner of the closet. "I understand your pain. We all have our stories. But If you sneak out again, I will not be so inclined to forth go your punishment. Am I understood?" I closed my eyes before nodding. Anything to keep from staring into those coppery colored eyes. I heard Xanth walk away. His bare feet slapping against the floor as the door slid shut behind him. I sighed. Shit, that was close. I quickly disrobed, tossing my old clothes to the ground before putting on my new ones. My dragons vibrated as they slid back in to place on my forearms. If Xanth knew I had snuck out, then why didn't he stop me. Or worse, report me to Elvira. What was his game? Because of you, dimwit. He knew you needed a release. Which also means he had some indication about my powers. If that's the case, then Xanth wasn't lying when he spoke about my Bio-file. How the hell was he able to get access to my file when even I had trouble trying to. It was forbidden and classified for a reason. His words from earlier replayed in my head as I braided my hair. "I understand your pain. Mute. We all have our stories." Stories? Then, what was his story? He had access to my life story and I had no clue about his. I have never wanted to know so much about a person in my life. I shook my head. Pull yourself together, Mute. We've got visitors, and if my gut was telling me anything. It would be that these Bios were the people my ancestors use to tell chilling stories about. My dragons vibrated in agreement as I slipped out the door. I slowed down as Masha caught up with me. We waited for the others to go ahead, she whispered. "Are you okay?" Before I could reply Daisha stepped in front of me. I had to quickly side-step just to keep from running into her. Her blue eyes were lit with determination as she spoke.

"I have new information that you decided to sneak out." I glanced behind her to see Kira looking anywhere, but at me. I sighed before locking eyes with Daisha again. I didn't have time for this. Xanth already reprimanded me, and that was all the ordering I could take for the night. So, instead of signing an answer, I shrugged, moving to step past her. She stepped in front of my path and I sighed again, getting a little more irritated. I squinted my eyes at her in warning she ignored, continuing with "Mute, not only was that selfish, and but it was also dangerous. This planet has only been mapped for a few kilometers. If you had gotten far enough, you could have been floated or worse." She threw her hands up in frustration. Her blue eyes growing cloudy. "My decisions are my decisions. I needed some peace. If for once, you could mind your own business, then maybe you can find some too. Do not block my path again." Masha interpreted for me.

I froze, staring down at Daisha when she, again, ignored my warning. The energy around the room grew as my anger did. Daisha's blue eyes flashed orange as her wavelength darkened to a deep blue. Her fury and vibrations, matching my own. My dragons hissed around my arms as they sought to protect me from the threat. The air crackled with tension as Daisha and I continued to stare each other down. Daisha was always the one who wanted peace, but this time she was determined to not back down.

"That's just it, Mute. Your decisions are no longer YOUR decisions. When they are beginning to affect this team, then it becomes my business. You sneaking around tonight could have cost us greatly. Consequences no longer fall on just you, they fall on all of us. That thought process of everything being about you should have disappeared the moment you joined us."

I gave her a look before raising my hands. Daisha went rigid like she was preparing for a fight. Instead of just ignoring her like I wanted to, I signed.

"Your right. Won't happen again."

Daisha's mouth dropped in shock when Masha finished translating. She was right. My decisions were affecting this team, and from now on, my choices were being watched. Daisha continued to stare open-mouthed as I slid past her. I made my way to the entrance door of the dome. The metal door glowing blue from the force shield surrounding it. It thumped brightly before dimming with energy. Xanth and Drakson stood in front of bio-comms as they watched the bio-hover craft land. Red dust swirled as it landed on the tarmac a few feet away. The distant sound of the wop wop from the blades of the hover copter echoed through our silence. The doors of the craft opened, and I watched as Xanth went to work on the Bio-security pad. He pressed his hand to the screen, and it flashed white before the shield dropped. The snake armada trailed down the steps of the platform. The scales of their white uniform reflected light from the Fatales littering the tarmac. They separated, making two lines before facing each other. I jolted as we all watched Elvira step from the Bio-hover craft.

"What the hell is the queen snake doing here?" Zaylee gasped over the link.

"Damn, and here I thought we had finally gotten rid of her." Kira quipped over the link as well.

Elvira had her blond hair in her signature high bun. She stepped down the stair of the platform with her sugary sweet smile plastered on her face. The snake armada bent over with their arms posed behind their backs as they paid her respect. Then we watched as someone else stepped out. We observed as Elvira; along with a few snake armadas, bent down on one knee with their arms wrapped around their torso. A bowing symbol meant to show obedient servitude to whoever came next off the craft. A pale hand with a signet ring appeared, it gripped the edges of the door before an even more pale face appeared. My heart slammed so hard against my chest that I had to take a step back from the pain. I recognized that silver snake ring anywhere. I heard Drakson curse next to me.

"Is that….. is that who I think it is?"

Zaylee spoke over the link in horror, changing the color of her wavelength from blue to purple. Xanth went rigged next to me as his eyes narrowed. Drakson spoke up.

"Why are they here to check on our progress so early? They were not supposed to come until later in the last month of our training." Drakson shifted on his feet.

His nervous energy, doing little to calm us. Xanth's face went blank as we all waited in silence for his response.

"Because they are not here to check on our progress, they are here to check on mine."

Xanth stepped forward to wait by the door. Drakson stepped up behind, placing his hand on his shoulder. A dark look descended over Drakson face as he came to some silent conclusion.

"Whatever happens, we have your back, captain."

Every single one of my teammates nodded their heads in unison. While everyone else took formation behind them, getting ready to bend the knee.

Incoming Bio-Message from Plotwist/Nightshade.....

Hi everyone,

I wanted to start off by saying that I'm sorry again that missed my daily update. I keep trying to keep up with it, but again I failed. Apologies, my mental health has been a big impact on my mood and my ability to keep up with the important things in my life. I do not want to get all sappy, and stuff lol, but I urge anyone who is struggling with mental issues to please seek help from a professional. If you are not ready for that, then that is okay too. Journaling is a new thing my therapist has recommended along with exercise and finding hobbies to keep me occupied. If you want someone to talk to, I am always here, and I will do my best to be there for you. With all this being said, I now have to add school to my workload, so my daily Saturday updates will be a lot harder to keep up with. So, please bear with me, as I try my best to update the story when I have time. I will try my best to not be that author who takes a really long hiatus and leaves everyone on a cliff hanger lol. I thank everyone for taking the time to read my story. I hope everyone is staying safe out there. If you have school too, good luck with your classes! You got this!

Bio-Message was terminated by Plotwist/Nightshade.....