Transcendance

2

"I know you're thrilled about this, Kyra." Amanda sighed. Heather was passing around washcloths to take blood off our faces and any other exposed skin.

"I sure am." Kyra's comment was dripping with sarcasm. We arrived at the hotel we were staying at.

"We'll talk more tomorrow morning. Get some rest for now." Amanda told us. We walked into the Hotel room. I'm glad our clothes is black but I'm sure we smell. We take a back entrance instead of the main lobby. I'm bunking with Kyra while Jackson and Heather as well as Lexi and Zander have a room to themselves. Kyra takes off the top parts of the body armor and her boots before heading to the shower.

I undid my braid and removed the top parts of my body armor. They needed a good soak. I needed a good soak.

"You okay, Erika?" Lexi asked as she was removing her armor and undoing her cornrows.

"Not really." I sighed. At this time, I should be over Brendan but I'm not. It always hurts to remember him. Katia and Devin had been wonderful to me since then, treating me like family. I had gone to a few cookouts and parties of theirs. My parents and I, both sets, had grown closer. But there was still a huge hole in my heart that could never be filled.

"I know everyone says that it'll get better with time but it never does fully." Lexi sighed. "That's how I felt after my brother died."

"I'm sorry, Lex." I told her. She nodded. Kyra got out of the shower, heading to the sink where she was applying a leave-in conditioner to her hair.

"Did you want to go next?" I asked Lexi.She nodded and grabbed her stuff. Kyra was in one of those wraparound towels. I turned my gaze down to my phone to give her some privacy. I was scrolling mindlessly. I saw some posts of women fighting over their baby daddy, a few former classmates getting engaged or married, and a few people trying to sell MLM products. I saw that my cousin Lupita got engaged and that the eldest of my little siblings was going to be Cinderella in her play.

"I'm done." Kyra is in an oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants. Lexi gets out of the shower, applying products to her hair. I grab some clean underwear, a tank top with a built in bra, and some shorts. I jump in the shower and scrub myself clean. I then head off to a dreamless sleep.

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After a quick breakfast of iced white chocolate mocha and a brownie, we head off to HQ. I was not looking forward to this. Lexi, Zander, Kara, and the others were on a mission to stop a vampire from poisoning the water supply of a small town and turning women into his thralls. Our bags are packed and ready for the mission to the Fae Realm. Amanda had guided us to an underground chamber where the portal to the Fae Realm lay. We had our bags packed with ammunition, survival gear, changes of clothes, and weapons.

"Remember, protect Leira at all costs, make sure she gets there safe, do not mess with fae politics and have fun." She says. I hugged Alberto, who was starting to really seem frail.

"I'll see you later." I told him. We jump into the portal that leads us to a nice forest trail that has three people waiting for us. One is a tall and handsome guy with a deep tan, black hair, and big green eyes. He's eyeing Kyra for a bit before his attention goes to us.

"Welcome to the Fae Realm. I'm guessing you're the Agents assigned to protect Princess Leira." He speaks. "I'm Brett, the head of the Royal Guard. This is Rhys," He motioned to an older man with a kind face to his left. "And Rhyana, his daughter." He points to a tall and muscular woman with short black hair.

"Hi, I'm Kyra." Kyra was looking flustered. Lexi raised a brow.

"Hi, I'm Erika." I waved.

"Jackson." Jackson spoke flatly.

"Heather." She chirped in a happy tone.

"Alright, follow us and we'll show you the way to the castle." Brett spoke. We walked behind them. There were lush trees, green foliage and you could occasionally see a small bird or rabbit running by. We passed into what seemed like a snaking river and there was a small island to our left with a natural bridge in the center. I could see a giant gray castle on a green field with a mountain/canyon to the back.

"That is Castle Rayne, the home to the Royal Family of Illinata. It used to be a military fort but after Illinata claimed its independence from Greenforest, it was turned into a palace." Brett spoke.

"It's really pretty." Kyra says. I notice the old people with Brett have clear wings but he does not. They're also giving Kyra odd looks. I know Kyra is half Fae but I don't know if Heather is or not.

"What are you?" Rhyana asked Kyra.

"I'm a halfling." Kyra states, continuing her walk.

"Ah, that figures. Well, Brett is one too." Rhyana asked.

"Rhyana.." Brett smiled. "I was going to say it but it's lovely meeting you, Kyra."

"I can say the same." Kyra smiled at Brett.

"We're almost to the palace." Rhys spoke. We reach a small dock with a small rowboat attached to it. We were motioned to get on it. We did a quick row to the palace. There was a giant staircase in the middle and it looked like there was knights outside of the stairs, guarding the castle. As we walked towards it, I felt a strange feeling, like I'd been there before.

I see a small structure in the distance, made of dark rock.

"Erika? You okay?" Jackson asked.

"I'm fine." I told him.

"You're looking there, aren't you?" Jackson asked me. I nodded. "Well, I was too." He responded.