Balance of the World
Chapter 15-Goodbye

Chapter 15: Goodbye

Eliaswas quiet as he and Zoey rode toward Varen’s home, slowly. She sat in front of him with his arms aroundher, holding the reins on Phantom and neither one of them had spoken much asthey rode from place to place saying goodbye to her friends. Zoey’s eyes and nose were swollen from cryingeach time she said goodbye, and she new there would be more tears when theyfinally reached Varen’s place. She tookin a deep breath, glancing up at Elias and chanced to start a conversation, evenif it was with Phantom.

“You’vebeen awfully quiet, Phantom,” she noticed, trying to smile. “This must be a record. Usually you’re so talkative.”

“Itold him not to speak,” Elias replied for him, making Zoey frown up athim. “He will not say a word this time.”

“Well,riding around in complete silence isnot helping me get through this any better, Elias,” she muttered, looking aheadagain and he glared down at her. “Imight as well go to Varen’s by myselfif that’s how it’s going to be.”

“Verywell,” Elias ground, pulling back on the reins and making her frown up at himwith wide eyes again and he only stared at her. “Get down.”

“Oi,Blackwood, what the blazes are you doing?” Phantom finally demanded.

“Keepyour mouth shut, Phantom,” Elias snapped as Zoey glanced between them and hedemanded again, “Dismount.”

“Elias,”Zoey chuckled, nervously. “You’re notserious, are you?”

“DoI look as though I’m joking?” he retorted.

Zoeyset her jaw and struggled to get down from the saddle to march down the trailthey’d been walking on as Elias yanked on Phantom’s reins to pull him down theopposite direction. He didn’t see Zoey’smarch slow to a walk as her shoulders began to shudder, tears instantly rollingdown her cheeks.

“You’regonna regret that bit of stupidity,” Phantom told Elias as they still walkedon. “Don’t think you can pull the woolover my eyes. I know what you’re trying to do and it’s onlygonna make it worse.”

“I’mdoing nothing,” Elias snapped.

“Oh,so you didn’t just start a fight so that you’re both angry at each other anddon’t have to say good bye forever?” Phantom retorted. “Again, I say, stupid.”

Eliaspulled Phantom to a stop and sat for a moment before turning in his saddle andlooking back at Zoey. It was then thathe noticed she’d stopped and had her hands over her face, making him sigh inguilt as he turned to sit properly in his saddle and yanked Phantom the otherway to set him at a trot.

“Damnyou, stupid horse,” he growled as he came up on Zoey quickly.

Herhands fell from her face and she frowned, glancing around at the sound of hoofbeats but before she could turn around, a hand was thrown around her waist andpulled her up to sit her sideways on a saddle. She gave a shout of surprise before she looked up to see Elias staring ahead,sending Phantom at a gallop as she threw her arms around his neck to keep fromfalling.

“Forgiveme, Angel,” he whispered. “I am a fool—”

“Hush,my love,” she murmured. “I know what youwere doing. I still love you.”

Varen’s Home...

“GeneralBlackwood! Miss Zoey!” Varen grinned ashe hurried toward them when Phantom stopped in front of his door. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Saddleyour horse, Varen,” Elias ordered, dismounting as Zoey still sat on Phantom’sback. “Miss Walsh is going back home.”

Varenlooked at Elias in disbelief before looking to Zoey with the same expressionand breathing, “What?”

“It’strue, Varen,” Zoey nodded, dismounting before Elias pulled Phantom toward thetrail they’d come down and she stepped toward the young man. “I’m going home.”

“You’llcome visit, won’t you?” Varen hoped and Zoey swallowed, trying to hold back thetears that were coming.

“Shecan never come back, Varen,” Elias replied for her as he stepped up next toher. “You remember the place where sheappeared, yes?”

“Y-Yes,Sir, but—”

“You’reto take Miss Zoey to that spot,” Elias interrupted. “Go get your horse.”

Varenwas about to say something but shut his mouth and turned to do as he wastold. Zoey swallowed again beforeturning to Elias and looking up at him with tearing eyes. He said nothing as he pulled her toward himand held her close as she began shuddering and sobbing against his chest.

“Ihave to admit, Angel,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “After all the tears you shed today, Ithought you would have none left for me.”

Zoeysaid nothing as she continued sobbing and wrapped her arms around his neck sothat they could hug each other tightly before she pulled away slightly,sniffling as he frowned at her in wonder.

“Iwant you to have this to remember me by,” she explained as her hands went tothe necklace around her neck to unclasp it, but Elias lifted his hands to takehers in his grip, making her frown, weakly.

“Keepit, Angel,” he murmured. “I need nothingto help me remember you. I told you, Ishall never forget you, my love.”

“MissZoey?”

Shejumped and glanced over his shoulder as Elias looked up to see Varen and hishorse ready to ride.

“Wheneveryou’re ready,” he nodded, stepping closer toward his horse to stroke his neckas Zoey turned back to Elias, chewing on her lower lip.

“Donot drag this out any longer, Zoey,” he warned, seeing the look in hereye. “Go.”

Zoeyonly nodded and turned to head toward Varen, but she stopped after a step ortwo and spun around to throw herself into Elias’s arms, planting her lips tohis as tears flowed down her cheeks. Hereturned the passionate kiss but soon realized, this was too difficult for herto get through herself. He waved Varentoward them, and the young man pulled his horse toward the two as they remainedin their lip-lock before he mounted, ready to make a quick exit. Zoey lowered her head to break the kiss andsettled her forehead on his shoulder, both hugging each other close.

“Ilove you, Elias,” she shuddered.

“AndI love you, Zoey,” he whispered in return before lifting her chin to press atender kiss to her lips.

Beforeshe could try to deepen the kiss, he gripped her waist and lifted her towardVaren who threw his arm around her waist. Her eyes shot wide and she glanced around in confusion before lookingback at Elias as he lowered his arms, and Varen sat her in front of him,sideways on the saddle.

“No!”she shouted, trying to shove Varen’s arm from her waist, but he was somehowstronger than she was. “Elias! Wait!”

“Go,Varen,” Elias ordered.

Varensent his horse at a gallop as Zoey still tried to escape.

“No!”she sobbed. “Varen! Go back!”

Shegave way to her sobs and leaned against Varen, her hands over her face as hemanaged to keep her from falling. Itwasn’t too long before they stopped and Zoey lifted her red face from her handsto look around, recognizing the spot instantly.

“We’rehere, Miss Zoey,” he murmured and she swallowed as he dismounted, then liftedhis arms up to help her down. She jumpeddown as he helped her and she looked to the hole that was still in the groundwhere she and Elias had climbed out of the tunnel after he’d saved her fromRada and his men. “Do you need helpgetting down there?”

“No,thank you, Varen,” she breathed in a raw voice before looking back at him witha weak smile and took his hands in hers. “I’m going to miss you, Varen. I’m sure you’ll make an excellentgeneral some day.”

Varennodded and quickly pulled her into a tight hug, making more tears come to hereyes as he murmured, “We’ll all miss you, Zoey.”

Theypulled away and she smiled again before pressing a small kiss to his cheek thenturning to head toward the hole in the ground. She sighed, sitting at the edge and carefully lowered herself into thehole. It was a little deeper than she’dremembered and she gave a small grunt when she fell to the dirt floor but shemanaged to stand up and dust herself off.

Takinga deep breath she realized that the only light in the tunnel was the sunlightcoming in from above. She lifted herhand and murmured, “Éadrom.”

Awhite light hovered in her hand and lit her way as she cautiously stepped downthe tunnel.

“Hello?”she called as she walked. “Is anyone inhere?”

Whenshe heard nothing, she continued quickly down the tunnel and soon came to theroom she’d seen Rada and Elias fight in after she’d tried to make herescape. Remembering the beginning of herjourney in Kalina made her heart clench, painfully. She swallowed and stepped toward the table tohold the light in her hand above the candle, and it brightened the room so thatshe could see the exact space where she’d been dropped into the room.

Shetook in a deep breath, knowing there was no going back now and marched toward thegap in the dirt wall and stepped on the exact spot where she’d been standingwhen the wall around came crumbling down to reveal Rada and his men. She turned to face the room, breathingheavily as her heart thumped, nervously. She opened her mouth to say the word she needed to go back home to hermother, her adopted sister, and her friends, but nothing came out. She was hesitating, or stalling. Either way she was confused by it. She swallowed and tried again, but not asound came from her mouth.

Hermind suddenly took her back to the day of the ball Kaysar had thrown in herhonor and the conversation she’d had with him played over in her mind.

“Why are you giving this to me?” she’dasked, and as she heard Kaysar’s answer in her heard, she rummaged through herpockets.

“Because sometimes, what we think we shoulddo, is not what we truly want,” he’d replied, just as Zoey found thecompass he’d given her and she gazed down at it with a small frown.

“Pointsto your heart’s desire,” she recalled in a mumble then chewed on her lower lipin thought before opening the silver cover over the face and stared at it. The arrow went round and round and round theface of the compass as she swallowed, wondering where it would point. Her breath caught her throat and she frownedwhen it pointed ahead, making her look up in wonder and her eyes shot wide indisbelief.

There,at the other end of the room was Elias Blackwood, panting from having ran theentire way from Varen’s home to the place he stood now. She stared at him in overwhelming shock asElias stared back at her, trying to catch his breath before he broke the silencebetween them.

“Angel,”he panted, neither one of them moving and he shook his head before continuing,“Don’t go.”

Zoeyfelt her heart race as they both stared at each for another moment. Elias suddenly marched toward her as Zoey ranout of the small space and they met in the middle, throwing their arms aroundeach other and planting their lips to the other’s.

“Zoey,I’m sorry,” he breathed after they came out of their lip lock. “I tried. I truly tried to hold myself back, but I couldn’t. I can’t live without you, my love. Don’t go.”

“Kaysargave me a compass,” she whispered, making him frown in wonder as they pulledaway enough to look at each other and she grinned through tears, explaining,“It points to the heart’s desire.”

Sheheld the compass between them and he looked down at her hands to see the arrowpointing at him and he looked back up at her with wide eyes.

“I’mnot leaving after all, Elias,” she murmured and he hugged her close again,lifting her off her feet and twirling her around once before setting her downagain and pressing his lips to hers.

Zoey’s room at home...

Christinegrunted and groaned as she slid herself across the floor of Zoey’s room on herstomach.

“Christine?”a woman’s voice called from down the hall. “What are you doing?”

Thelittle girl didn’t answer as she shuffled under the bed and grabbed what she’dbeen eyeing since she’d dropped the doll she was playing with and bent down topick it up. When she’d leaned over, shesaw what looked like a piece of folded paper she didn’t remember seeing therebefore. Now she stood and plopped ontothe mattress of Zoey’s bed that had been left disheveled from the night she’ddisappeared. It had been a week, almosttwo since she’d gone, and Christine had always believed she’d gone toKalina. Christine opened the piece ofpaper and tried reading it, but she hadn’t gotten that far in school yet.

“Christine?!”

Sheshot her wide-eyed, green gaze at a woman standing in the doorway of thebedroom with curly, fire-red hair and sapphire blue eyes.

“Whatare you doing in here?!” she questioned, stepping toward the girl.

“Ifound this under Zoey’s bed,” Christine explained, holding the paper out to her. “Read it for me, Mommy Autumn.”

Autumnfrowned in wonder at the paper before she took it and looked it over. Her eyes widened and she threw a hand to hermouth as she choked back a gasp.

“Mommy,what’s wrong?” Christine questioned, seeing her distress.

Autumnsniffled, tears gathering in her eyes as she lowered her hand and sat besideChristine on the bed, still staring at the paper. She took in a breath before beginning.

“DearMom and Christine,” it read. “I’m sureyou’re worried about me, but I want you to know that I’m happy where I amnow. It may sound like I’m dead or thatI hurt myself, but I didn’t, and I’m very much alive. I’m living in a place called Kalina with manyfriends and a General I fell in love with—”

“Elias!”Christine suddenly cheered, making Autumn frown in confusion at her.

“What?”she breathed, catching the little girl’s attention.

“Shewas having dreams about someone named Elias!” Christine grinned. “She said she didn’t know who he was, but Ibet that’s who she’s talking about!”

Autumnsaid nothing as she turned back to the paper to read, “I’m getting ahead ofmyself. Let me start from thebeginning…”

Back in Kalina...

Eliasquickly straightened out his back formal jacket before lifting a hand to smoothout his hair in the reflection of a mirror in the captain’s cabin of the Mela Ear.

“Youlook so nervous,” Eona laughed, slightly as she sat on the window seat,watching him.

“That’sbecause I am, Eona,” he replied, notlooking at her as he made sure everything on him was perfect. “You would be too if it was Felix out there.”

“Notthis nervous,” she smirked, standingand stepping toward him to place a hand on his shoulder and turn him towardher. She straightened his collar alittle more and brushed the shoulders of his jacket before nodding insatisfaction. “You look handsome,General.”

“Thankyou, Eona,” he nodded, before turning and taking a deep breath as he looked atthe closed doors. “I never thought…”

Eonafrowned at him when he trailed off then smiled and patted his shoulder,murmuring, “I know.”

Hewatched her head toward the doors and she opened one, just enough to slipthrough it, but stopped halfway out to tell him, “I’ll be with Felix today andtomorrow. You’ll have the house toyourself.”

Eliascould only nod as he swallowed before she stepped out and shut the door behindher. He flexed his fingers in and out ofhis palms before marching toward the doors and opening both of them. The ship was deserted for the moment, butwhen he heard a giggle come from above him, he remembered that he wasn’t aloneand smiled at the thought of who was currently at the helm of the ship withKaysar, King of Kalina.

Hehurried up the steps and took in another breath when he saw her. Fire red hair cascaded down her back as itfaced him, contrasting greatly with the white train of chiffon that it led to. When she turned he felt his heart skip at thesight of those ice blue eyes he’d spend so much time becoming lost in, and thesmile that won his heart the moment she gave it to him.

“Thereye are, Blackwood!” Kaysar grinned as Elias somehow found his feet to stepcloser to him and Zoey. “We were worriedye weren’t ready. Cold feet, eh?”

“No,”he replied, staring at Zoey as she turned to face him in the most beautifulwhite, chiffon dress he’d ever seen. “Never.”

“Well,let’s get this done, shall we?” Kaysar said, clapping his hands together andglancing between the couple as they only stared at each other, dreamily. “Right. I’ll start. As Captain of thisfine vessel, I am given the honor to marry you fine people on this fine day inthis fine land. As I have no bible, Ishall proceed as I see fit.”

Zoeyand Elias didn’t really hear any of Kaysar’s rattlings as they only stared ateach other, Elias taking Zoey’s hands in his, trying to resist the urge to pullher close for just a few more moments.

“Theshort version,” Kaysar continued. “Doye, Elias Blackwood, take our beautiful Savior, Miss Zoey Walsh, to be yourwife?”

“Ido,” Elias nearly sighed, making Zoey’s smile grow.

“Cheers!”Kaysar grinned before continuing, “And do ye,Miss Zoey Walsh take our fine General, Elias Blackwood, as your husband?”

“Ido,” she nodded, taking a step closer to him as he still held his hands.

“Praisethe seas, Goddess Calypso be blessed and ye may kiss the bloody bride already!”Kaysar announced, slapping Elias on the shoulder, which the general eitherignored or didn’t seem to notice.

Eliaspulled Zoey close by the waist to plant his lips to hers before lifting her andhugging her close, her arms slipping around his neck.

Theirlove, brought Balance to their World.