Chapter 62

Sarah paid for the taxi to drop them off just around the corner from the school, dragging the princess into the small coffee shop to get a drink. They had an hour before their first class, and usually they spend it studying, but special circumstances call for something different.

Not only was it Elika’s birthday, but she saw Darkous and his men in the crowded street, outside of her favourite bookstore. They didn’t see her, or at least she didn’t think that they did, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t and considering that were at her favourite place in the entire city, they had to know she was here.

What would happen should they find her, was the war still being fought?

She almost laughed at herself, of course the war was still going on, it had been that way for centuries, it wouldn’t change just because she had gone missing for almost a year.

A year of freedom, is that all she would ever have?

If Darkous caught her she would never see the light of day again, she knew that for certain, he wouldn’t allow her to ever leave his side again. He would make the same mistake twice, and that is the only reason she got away to begin with, HE made a mistake.

He underestimated her, he didn’t think she had enough courage or power to escape, but she managed it, with the help of Jake. He had found her in the woods whilst planting cameras to spy on the creatures who lived there, he never expected he would see her.

He thought that she was dead, so did her father. Jake said it would be best for Atlas to remain in the dark, if he knew she was alive she would have never made it to earth. She would have been forced home and made to enter a political marriage to help turn the tide of the war.

She didn’t want to marry a stranger, she didn’t want to marry anyone, she was more than just a woman with a womb, she wanted to live by her own rules, and make her own choices.

It wasn’t the dark ages anymore, women on earth had rights, and it was about time that immortal women were given the same. Not sold to men at sixteen to be married and pregnant within a year.

It was sickening, especially when human women that age were seen as children, until they were eighteen, they had to attend school and study. Elika never had that privilege. If she was back home, her freedom would have been swapped for gold or soldiers.

It shouldn’t be how things are done, but because her father rules like his father before him, it will always be the same. Her brothers don’t even know that there is a problem, and that is where the issue will continue, because they will not change the outdated law that imprisons every immortal woman.

The princess finds a seat towards the back of the shop as Sarah grabs two Lattes in take out cups, just in case they need to leave before they have finished their drinks. She hated to waste good coffee, they both did.

Sarah sits across from Elika, handing her packets of sugar. “I think you better start from the beginning, because as far as you told me, you were an orphan.”

“I had no choice but to lie about everything.” The princess murmurs, glancing at everyone and no one at the same time.

Darkous’ image will always haunt her, but right now, it is all she could focus on.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Elika nods, stirring her coffee and placing the lid back on, she wasn’t in the mood for sugar, she wanted the bitter edge that only strong coffee can give her.

“It started a while ago, I guess years before I was born… my family are at war I guess.” Elika begins, knowing that she can’t reveal her immortality. Not to anyone. “My uncle killed my mum, and one of my four brothers, he kidnapped me for a while, hurt me. But I got away.”

Sarah’s eyes widen as she leans forward, “Why isn’t he in prison?”

Elika thinks for a moment, trying to come up with a reason that her friend would be able to understand, “He is very powerful and smart, they can’t get enough evidence against him.”

It was hard to twist her own story, but how could she tell a human girl, a friend that she was immortal, and her family have been at war for longer than either of them have been alive?

Oh, and she has magical powers like out of a human story book. There was no way she could explain it and not sound insane. So, she changed the story, made it more human.

The ending will be the same.

Sarah is quiet for more than a minute, processing what she has been told, “Why were you freaking out in the street?”

“I saw my uncle outside the book store I go to.” Elika murmurs, trying to hide her face behind her coffee cup. “I think he’s close to finding me, and if he does, I’ll never be free again.”

“Is he going to kill you?” Whispers her friend, her eyes wide with fear.

Elika shakes her head, “What he has planned for me is a thousand times worse than death.”

He would use her as a weapon against her own father, and she would have no choice but to obey, her skin still remembers the sting of his hand from where he hit her, or the strike of his blade. Images of her own death still haunt her, and the pain she endured whilst regenerating was even worse.

Sarah grabs the princess's hand from across the table, “We have to go to the police; they have to help you.” Her voice was frantic, terrified. “If they hid you before, they could do it again.”

“The police didn’t hide me, my brother Jake did.” Elika swipes away the tears that slide down her cheeks, feeling hopeless. “But I have no idea where he is, he vanished.”

Sarah slumps back in her chair, “You have to leave, don’t you?”

The princess nods, “Yes.”

“Can I come with you?” Sarah sniffs, fighting back her own tears.

Elika shakes her head, “It’s too dangerous, he will kill you if we are caught.”

“Stay for a few more days at least?” Sarah takes a sip of her coffee, “we can do all the things we never got a chance to, like ice skate and roller dance.”

She smiles at her friend, her heart swelling with appreciation. No one had ever tried to make her life better before Sarah arrived on the first day of school, and since then she has been like a precious rock that Elika had held on to.

She will be sad to leave her behind, but she knows that she doesn’t have a choice, she can’t risk her life for selfish reasons. She won’t put her in danger.

But a few days wouldn’t hurt, and she did want memories to hold onto when everything else falls apart. It’ll make her imprisonment much easier to know that she had a taste of the life she wanted, even if it was just for a short while.

“Yeah, I’ll wait a few days.” She decides, taking a sip of her coffee.

Today would be a good day, she won’t let her demons destroy her last chance at happiness. Darkous could come for her at any time, and she was ready for it.

She would never cower again; she was stronger now that she knew what she was fighting for.