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Talia
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The entire time that Ada was with me after the vision, be it in the classroom, hallway and office, I had to force myself not to look at her. I had to avoid seeing her right now because all that I saw when I looked at her face was a pale white expression of fear that was frozen in place. Tears silently streaming down her cheeks that mixed with the blood that streamed steadily from the rune carved into her forehead. It was horrible, and I didn't want to think of my friend in that way.
Lex had carried me to the SUV and set me in the passenger seat, he even buckled me up since I didn't seem to be doing it for myself. After I was situated, he walked around to the driver's side and slid into his seat.
“Are you doing OK, Talia?” He looked at me as he pressed the button to start the engine.
“A..as well as I can be, I guess.” I was still feeling weak and tired as I answered him. I just wanted to get home and rest until I had to talk to mom and dad about this.
.....
“Did you call your parents as well?” He asked me as he started to pull away from the curb.
“No, not yet. They are in a meeting, so I didn't want to bother them. I will tell them what happened later, when they are not quite as busy.”
“We should go to see them right when we get back to the palace. They will want to know about this.” He was looking at the road and not me, but I knew that he had a serious expression on his face.
“I know.” I hung my head in shame. I knew that I should have called them, but I didn't want to be a bother.
“I will take you to see them when we get back.” He didn't ask, he was telling me that this was how things were going to go.
“OK.” I didn't even argue with him. “B..but, can you take me upstairs to our home and then get them for me. I don't want to see the others just yet. Just Mom and Dad.” He looked at me then, his eyes concerned.
“Yes, I can do that.” He was making steady progress toward the gated community that housed the castle. The entrance that led into Trinity Falls rather than Colorado Springs.
“I am sorry, Lex.” I spoke softly. Had he not had super hearing like a wolf, then he wouldn't have heard it at all.
“There is no need to apologize, Talia. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't ask for this.” His voice was calming while the words were reassuring, but I still couldn't stop blaming myself. I don't know why, but I felt like this was all my fault, like I had made all of this happen.
“Still, I am sorry.” I said the words again and slipped into silence. Lex didn't say anymore after that and neither did I. He just drove us into the underground garage and parked the car.
Lex was getting out of the car when I tried to make my body move. It still didn't want to listen to me. I felt weak and like my body had been sapped of all strength. I know that I wasn't like this after the last premonition. I was able to move that time. Then again, I had actually been asleep that time, not sitting awake in a classroom. Maybe that was why it was different. Maybe the state of my mind and body being different was the cause for the difference.
Well, whatever the cause for it was, I wasn't able to move. I was about to turn toward Lex and tell him that my body still wouldn't move, but he had already shut his door. I was watching through the windshield then as he came toward my door. He already knew that I still needed to be carried.
“Come on.” He said as he picked me up from the seat. “Up you go.” He cradled me against his chest and grabbed my bag. I thought that it was a little funny really. Lex with that pink and purple bag slung over his shoulder just didn't present the same look that he would typically have when I imagined him. That was just a little too feminine and childish for his normal appearance.
“Thank you, Lex.” I said as I clung to him.
“Of course.” He smiled calmly at me. “Though Talia, might I ask how you managed to get to the office if you can't walk right now?” He sounded strange. Was he thinking that I was lying or something?
“Mr. Amadeus carried me. I almost fell when I went to stand up, but he caught me and carried me to the office. He is strong too, but not as strong as you are.” I had a feeling that complimenting Lex right now was a good idea. He seemed to be a little off and I didn't want to upset him.
“Hmmrmmrmm.” There was a strange growling humming sound that came from his throat. I knew that he was acknowledging what I said, but he wasn't happy about it.
“He didn't hurt me, Lex. I am fine. He helped me.” He still didn't really answer me, but he did nod his head as if he understood what was happening.
We were silent after that. Lex took me into the elevator and hit the button for the living room of our royal tower. This was the only elevator that actually went to that part of the home as well as the other floors. In truth, it was a magical elevator since it wasn't located anywhere near the tower, but it still took us there. I always felt like I was in that chocolate factory from that really old movie. I think that it was like seventy years old now. It was older than my mom and her mom, that was for sure. It came out in like the nineteen seventies, I think. Still, it was a nice movie, I liked it.
When the elevator opened up, I was shocked by the sight that met us. Mom and dad were standing right there waiting for us.
“Mom? Dad?” I gasped when I saw them.
“Talia!” They both called my name when they rushed over.
“I was just going to see you two, after I set Talia down here.” Lex said with just as much surprise in his voice.
“You should have called us Alexio. As soon as she called you.” Dad yelled at him angrily. I didn't like the tone in his voice. He was mad, and it was my fault.
“I thought that she had called you, King Reece.” Lex continued walking into the room so that he could sit me on the love seat by the fire. After that, he stood to face my parents with determination on his face. “It wasn't until after we left the school and were driving back here that I found out that she didn't call you. I told her we needed to see you two right away, but she asked for me to bring her up here first and then get you myself. She didn't want the others in the meeting to see her like this.”
“I am sorry, Daddy.” I was on the verge of tears when I spoke to him. I had made him so angry. “I..I knew that you were in a meeting and I didn't want to disturb you. That was why I was going to wait until Alexio got me home to tell you.”
“It's OK, sweetheart.” Dad dropped to his knees in front of me. “It's OK. I am not mad at you. It's OK.”
“Don't be mad at Alexio either, please. This is my fault.”
“It's OK, Talia.” Mom came over and kissed me on top of my head. “It's OK. We were just worried. The secretary at your school called us and told us that something happened, but she didn't know what it was. We were so worried about you. That's why we were here, waiting for you to get home.”
“I'm sorry, Momma.” I started to sob. “I didn't mean to cause problems.”
“It's alright.” She hugged me to her chest and rubbed my hair. “What happened? Tell us what happened to you.”
“I..I..I had a..a..another vision.” I had to force the words out. It was so hard to say them with how upset that I felt.
“A vision?” Mom's sharp intake of breath made it clear that she was shocked by this development. “What happened honey?”
“Was it one of those people, from that same group as before?” Dad was trying not to trigger too many memories for me. He knew how upset I had been when I learned that my dream that I had that night was real. And here I was having another one of them.
“Yes, Daddy. It was them. They were killing my friends.”
The way that Mom and Dad both gasped at that, the sound of their voices with just that quick inhalation of breath, that told me so much. They were scared. They were worried. And they were angry.
I was sure that their anger wasn't directed at me, but I was the one that was sitting right in front of them. I was the one that could feel the waves of emotions that were rolling off of them. And that meant that I was even more scared than I had already been.
