Chapter 66 Sixty-Six

Chapter 66 Sixty-Six
Amber, earlier that day
I closed my eyes and waited for impact, but it never came.
I didn’t feel it when I landed, but I knew I wasn’t falling anymore. It was as if I was whisked from the abyss and thrown into a place of warmth and familiarity, yet I dared not open my eyes. I could say I was scared. Even doing what Elma instructed and keeping my thoughts focused on my siblings, there was still a tiny possibility that I could be off by a bit. I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about Drew too.
I listened, but the only sound source was a melodious chirp of some type of bird and the quiet flow of what sounded like a stream. With a deep breath, I allowed my eyes to flutter open, and little by little, I beheld the beauty before me.
In all my life of travelling, vacations and visits to the most prestigious castles in the world, I have never laid eyes on a more beautiful idiosyncrasy. The first thing I noticed was the feathery pink hue that engulfed the atmosphere. It was like fog, yet I could see everything else so clearly. It was cool, too and tickled my skin with a soft caress that plunged me into my own world of solace.
I let my eyes wander more around the area. There was no sun, but the sky was littered with tiny specks of light that seemed like stars, but they were brighter. It also held a similar colour to the fog around me, and the plants complemented the physique of this realm—whatever realm it is—but everything seemed perfect.
I feathered my fingers through the lush grass that I landed on. It was softer than the grass on earth, yet I somehow couldn’t pluck it out of the ground. It was bestrewed with wild, purple and blue flowers with an unfamiliar petal pattern, and small insects roamed along their way as if routine.
I was in utter and complete awe at the place. If this is where Alex and Aliah were, they surely wouldn’t want to come back to earth.
My body felt like it belonged to someone else as I stood, and even walking felt floating in the air even though my feet were planted on the ground. For the first time since I arrived, I smiled as a furry animal brushed against my ankle. This wasn’t heaven, but it seemed like a close equivalent if you asked me.
I then remembered why I was here in the first place, and as I focused more, I noticed that I could still feel the area around me in the conscious world. I would still feel myself holding my siblings’ hands, I could feel the brush of the wind on my forehead every now and then, and I could hear Elma’s low mumbling as she kept me here.
I knew that Mason could feel my peace, but I acknowledged that my emotions would change once I found Alex and Aliah, and I wouldn’t want him to get too emotional on my behalf. I figured that I would leave as soon as possible, as soon as I got to see them again.
Looking around, I noticed that I was alone except for the tiny critters that tumbled around. I felt a hint of panic that I might’ve landed in the wrong place, but I tried to suppress the feelings, remembering that Mason would feel it too and probably think I was in trouble. They were all quiet now, but the slightest slip-up, and I knew Drew would go all caveman on everyone.
“Alex? Aliah?” I called, feeling as if I was disturbing the peace and quiet of the area. But I knew I had to find them. “It’s me! I’m here.”
I frowned when I was met with more silence. Elma said that since they knew I was coming, they’d seek me out too. Yet, here I was in a strange place. Alone.
Sighing, I plopped down on the incredibly soft grass and buried my face between my knees and chest. If I continued wandering, I could get lost and risk Mason letting go. I knew I was focused enough to be where they are, so I wasn’t sure why I’d end up here—alone.
“Amber?”
I froze. I knew that voice far too well because no one else on this earth had that same base and grunt in his speech. My back stiffened, and I could feel the hairs on my neck standing at attention. I didn’t want to turn around. I was scared that if I did, I’d see them and wouldn’t be able to say goodbye when or if the time came.
The soft sound of pattering feet came closer to me, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited. Then, there was a hand on my shoulder, and that’s when I broke. Instantly, I spun around and launched myself in Alex’s arms, and he wholeheartedly hugged me back. I could feel my entire foundation crumbling as I sobbed into my brother’s shoulder. He squeezed me too—tighter than I ever remembered—as he hushed me quietly.
As I opened my eyes, they landed on Aliah, standing just a few feet away with an unreadable expression on her face. Slowly, I shuffled from Alex’s embrace as I went to her, and immediately she broke out in similar sobs as she grabbed me to her chest. Alex soon joined us as we all knelt in the soft grass, never letting go as Aliah and I cried. I didn’t want to let go. I couldn’t. It felt like if I did, then they’d disappeared, and I wouldn’t get to see them again. Ever.
“Is it really you?” Aliah mumbled as she pulled away, but I wasn’t quite ready to let go yet. Nonetheless, I nodded at her question, deeming it impossible to speak. “I can’t believe it,” she added. “I mean, I heard what the witch was talking about, but….” She didn’t finish her statement, and I didn’t blame her.
The impossibility of the moment was almost surreal. Though it had been over four years since I saw them, the familiarity of being with them again was spectacular. My older brother and sister. We have united once again.
And it was utter bliss.
“I’ve missed you guys so much,” I finally said as I wiped my eyes. “A lot had happened since you died, and I thought I couldn’t go on.”
It was the first time I admitted out loud that there were times when I thought of giving up. Sometimes, I would be deep in a nightmare and wake up in panic, thinking I could take refuge in them, only to remember that they were gone. It was the most awful thing ever.
I hated not having them with me. It was only when I found Drew that I found happiness again. He filled the void they left when they died, which is also why I’d forever be grateful for his love.
“We missed you too,” Alex mumbled as he too pulled away. I hated the space between us. I wanted to hug them forever.
“And when you found us… When I heard your voice…” Aliah’s gaze shifted as if she was remembering, and I saw her eyes watering again. “I thought I’d never hear your voice again.”
“We can always be together from now on,” I said, knowing there’s no way I’d lose them again. “Please come back. Help us stop Dageian so we can live in peace. All of us.”
They shared a look, but I knew it wouldn’t have been so easy to convince them. I didn’t want to spend all the time we had together arguing with them, but I also needed them to agree.
“You’re a hybrid’s mate now,” Alex mumbled as he dropped his gaze, shifting the subject elsewhere. He didn’t sound disappointed or sad. He sounded composed and stoic about it. Aliah, on the other hand, frowned a bit.
“Yes, she is,” Aliah added. “I don’t… I don’t understand why fate would mate a Rousseaux to a hybrid.”
I felt the sudden urge to defend Drew, and so I did. “Guys, Drew is the best. He loves me; he protects and respects me. He is the perfect match for me. I know you guys won’t understand. Trust me, at first, I didn’t either. But once we got closer, I knew there wasn’t a mistake with us being mated. We were destined to be together, guys. If you come back with me, you’ll see.”
“The hybrid adores you. That is for sure,” Alex mumbled. “But that leaves me with one thought, after all, I’ve heard when from the minute you found us, and the mere fact that you actually found us, being at Dageian’s home and all.”
“What is that?” I asked, even though I already knew what he’d ask. Although I always did rogue hunting in their names, and I never once felt ashamed of it until recently, the thought of revealing it to them unnerved me. They always tried to protect me from it. And all I did was revel in it instead.
Carelessly too.
“Did you start hunting rogues?” he asked, and I didn’t answer.