Nox Inferno

Chapter 40: Side Effects

I sat down looking at a massacre. There where bodies piled upon bodies. I wanted to cry or scream but I couldn’t. I just stood there, helpless. A porcelain like hand stretched toward me but I couldn’t bring myself to touch their hand.

“I’m so sorry.” I began to sob, clasping my hands over my mouth.

Suddenly there was a blinding light and white winged angels descended down from the sky. Even with the shiny armor and razor-sharp weapons of steel they floated down gracefully.

The leader, with his face hidden by the blinding light in my eye. Extended his hand down for me to hold. I scrambled back but he just picked me up like a sack of potatoes. Then he began to soar high into the sky as I faced down at the Earth. The land was destroyed with bits of blood everywhere.

I tried to grab at the fleeting Earth, but it was no use. I couldn’t go back.

“WAKE UP!” A voice rang, “WAKE UP!!” It yelled again.

I snapped my eyes open and plummeted to the ground with a thud. A blanket was draped over me. I looked down to find myself completely naked. I hugged the blanket tightly around myself. What just happened?

As if reading my thoughts Kai spoke up, “You mid-shifted in your dreams.”

Hugging the blanket tighter around my naked body I squeaked out, “I did, what?”

“What where you dreaming about?” Alvina asked as she picked me up off the ground.

“Um…” I tried to recall my dream, but I couldn’t recall anything, “I don’t know.” I finally said.

“That’s strange.” Nyra said dubiously, “I don’t remember, nor do I see remnants of the dream still lingering in your mind.”

“Let’s get you inside.” Clementine hugged me and we walked away from the questions.

“What happened?” I asked softly.

“I have no idea.” Clementine said, “We all heard a loud crash. Then suddenly you were hovering outside mid-shifted.”

“Does this happen often?” I asked hoping this was a common occurrence because of the new power I inherited.

Clementine’s silence answered my question. Squashing any hope to normalize it.

“Lucky fir you.” Zephyr slung his arm around my bare shoulders, “Everyone is probably still out partying. Nobody will know this happened to you.”

I nodded. That’s good, I can’t imagine how well that would have gone. A Nox Knight out of control shifting in her dreams.

“Clementine. Why don’t I take Twyla back. You can help everyone clean and hide the burns.” Zephyr said and pulled me closer. I grabbed on tightly to the blanket to stop it from fall off.

“Sure…” Clementine said warily but turned and walked away all the same.

Zephyr glanced back a couple times before we reached steps ascending upwards, “We got Lamina to read the map.” He whispered.

My eyebrows shot up, “When?”

“When you went to canoodling with Kai.” Zephyr said with a wag of his eyebrows.

“Shut up.” I grumbled quietly as we went through an archway, “What did it say?”

“That’s the thing. She said it could mean one of two things. Either, here lies the doorway to the alliance. Or, here lies the path to betrayal.”

“Oh great.” I almost flung my hands up in the air but remembered I only had a blanket on.

“I know it doesn’t leave much help. But Alvina thinks that it could mean both.” Zephyr’s voice was barely above a whisper when someone dodged out of a room.

“What do you mean?” I breathed out as Zephyr and I hugged the walls.

“It could mean that it’s a portal. Or it is where one alliance was formed and another was betrayed.” He said as he picked up speed all while hugging the walls.

Zephyr opened a door and shoved me inside, “We want to lure Gabe into meeting you.” Zephyr said while bringing his head closer and I leaned in to hear him, “We will trap him and reveal the area you were taken too.”

I squinted my eyebrows, “That sounds like a terrible plan.”

“Well I-“

The door burst open and Zephyr and I whipped back away from each other, “What are you two doing?!” Kai shouted.

“Nothing.” I said all too quickly.

“I was just helping Twyla because…” Zephyr looked at me for help.

“To get an eyelash out of my eye!” I said triumphantly but Kai glowered dimmed my expression.

“You know you aren’t allowed to kiss anyone.” Kai squinted his eyes at me.

“You mean, a Nox Knight.” I added.

Kai’s eyebrows shot up, “That what I said!”

“No you didn’t.” Zephyr taunted.

“Shut up!” Kai roared, “I know what I said. You two are sidelined!” He announced before marching away.

Zephyr groaned but I had no idea what that meant, “It means we aren’t allowed to train or go on missions.”

“We go on missions? Since when?” This was news to me.

“We haven’t gone on any missions yet because we aren’t allowed to until you meet Satan. Remember the whole veil thing. Imagine how much of a nightmare it would be to scout or do anything else in a veil.” Zephyr explained.

“So we can’t go?” I asked.

“No we can go. Just in case they need us. But we aren’t allowed to do anything but watch until Kai deems it fit to fight again.” Zephyr groaned, “It’s stupid! We didn’t do anything!” Zephyr shouted.

“Do you want me to add another week?” Kai shot back from the back room.

Zephyr and I groaned, “This is stupid. Why is he acting like this?’ I grumbled and stalked into my room. He’s being irrational. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“I think he is jealous.” Nyra piped up.

“For what?” I grumbled and pulled on another pair of pajamas.

“Think of it from his point of view. You were really close to Zephyr. You two where acting suspicious. Plus you both stink at lying.” Nyra ruffled her feathers.

“I was talking to him. Big deal. He doesn’t have to know what I was talking to Zephyr about. He’s being controlling like my dad.”

“Adopted dad.” Nyra corrected.

“Whatever. He raised me; the other man doesn’t get to be called my father. He did nothing for me. Heck, I don’t even know who it is.” I plopped down into bed. Allowing my anger to consume me.

“Just breathe, Twyla.” Nyra soothed, “Your acting angry because of the shifting. It brought out your negative emotions. If you are not careful you are going to say something you regret.”

I let “Hmph.” Before closing the link between Nyra and I. I rolled over to my side and closed my eyes.

A loud beeping sound went off and I screamed in frustration. I grabbed to alarm clock and hurtled it to the other side of the room. As the clock smashed into the wall and broke into a thousand pieces my anger dissipated.

I ran out of bed and stooped down towards the alarm clock. I tried to put the little pieces back together, but it wouldn’t fit. Oh no I broke it. It was only trying to do its job and I got mad at it.

“Are you okay?” Zephyr swung the door open.

I had tears in my eyes. I broke it. It won’t ever be whole again. Instead of comforting me, Zephyr began to laugh.

“I’m sorry.” Zephyr hiccupped, “But are you crying because you broke the clock?”

“It will never be fixed again!” I exclaimed and held up the broken pieces.

“Oh that’s so sad.” Zephyr said with a smile as walked over.

“I killed a family!” I tried to put the 12 and 1 back together.

“No you didn’t.” He said and grabbed the pieces out of my hand, “why don’t you go back to sleep. Let the effects of the shifting fade away.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the bed. He raised the blanket and let go of my hand so I could crawl into bed.

“How about in the morning if you are still feeling sad, we can hold a funeral for the clock.” I nodded as he tucked me in.

“Don’t leave! I don’t want to be alone with the dead.” I grabbed onto his sleeve.

“Okay. I’m not going anywhere.” He sat by the bed and began stroking my hair.

Slowly I drifted asleep but not before hearing, “You remind so much of my sister, when she was alive.” Which only filled my eyes with more tears.