Bluebirds Without Wings | Julie and the Phantoms

Sun and Shadow

"You're out of your mind," Flynn told Julie. She had told her about her little escape plan that was more impulsive than genius. "Obviously, that wouldn't work. If you really wanted to get rid of him, the only way is to have him sacrifice his life for you." Julie flinched at the idea of there being a blood bath in their kingdom. Flynn had no idea how probable it was, and she was mentioning death so lightly. Julie didn't know the stakes either if she was honest with herself.

"I think you're the one that's out of your mind now," Julie sighed. They were both sitting out on the balcony, watching the skies turn pink as the sun went down. No birds to take note of.

Julie hadn't left her room since the day before, so she hadn't seen Luke at all. Even though she felt angry knowing that he was there, she was starting to feel guilt creep up her throat for the way she treated him. It was all her initial frustration melting away, uncovering both understanding and fear. She shoved it to the back of her mind for later.

"Wouldn't they just assign you a different guard anyways?" Flynn asked her. Julie was tired of hearing that. Her dad, Carlos, and even a maid had told her that, and yes, they would've just done that. But maybe, in a different universe, her planned worked and she got back her independence that didn't make her question her every break down and move.

Julie ignored Flynn's question and told her, in a low voice as if Luke was standing right behind them, "Sometimes I feel like... he's just there to observe me." She hadn't been with him that long, not even the full week yet. But on the walk to the cemetery, his gaze felt like a wheelbarrow of cement. It made her feel stuck.

Flynn looked at her the same way she looked at her when she suggested taking a plane to the United States for her birthday. "What? Isn't that his job?"

"No. Well," she shrugged. "Yes? The point is, I feel like he's telling my dad my every move and the other knight is doing the same with Carlos."

"Sir Reggie?"

Julie raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "Reggie?"

"He told me to call him that. He's really cool. He knows how to make cranes out of aluminum foil." They stared blankly at each other for a moment before Flynn waved her hand, "Go on about your knight."

"That's all I have."

"You haven't even been around him that much to know what he's really like. Maybe he's not as attentive as you think."

"That strangely does not make me feel better." Safer would be a better word.

"I think there's a real reason why you don't want him with you, but even you don't know it yet. What would your mom say about things like that? A gut feeling?" A presentimiento. It translated straight to feeling. But when her mom said it with her hand over her heart and looking up at the clouds for a sign of movement, it was ghostly and spiritual. Julie felt like her mom was able to predict the future. It's why she knew she was going to die.

"Yeah," Julie played with her mom's ruby ring on her finger. "Maybe that's it."

Flynn left before four in the afternoon, and she left Julie soaking in her silence. She still wasn't used to living in a quiet shell of who she used to be, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to stay in it much longer. She tapped her fingers on the balcony edge in a pattern that was reminiscent of playing the piano. She looked out, begging for the universe to place a chirping bird in her view. But the skies were cleared out. She would have to bring in the music herself.

Julie took a deep breath, confirming to herself that she was going to go play music for the first time since her mom died. As she took steps away from the balcony and into her room, she tried thinking what was pushing her feet. Maybe it was the thought that she could also die, too. War was war. Maybe, it was the one thing that truly made her feel free and she never realized she had been locked up long before Luke even got there.

She walked into the hall, Luke surprised to see her. He broke eye contact and looked at the walls as she closed her door shut. She forced her feet to stand in front of him, getting his attention once again. She realized then how much taller he was than her in that moment. She had to slightly tilt her chin up to be able to face him. "I'm sorry for leaving you at the cemetery," Julie told him. Luke's eyes were wide open, his mouth open but empty of words. This time, she was the one that broke eye contact.

"It's alright, Princess," he finally said, bowing his head. When he looked up again, the hard look he carried on his face was softening up. Julie noted the cut he had on his face when he first got hired was almost healed. She nodded at him and started walking down the hall, to the music room. Her steps were loud in her head, but it could have been the pounding of her heart.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" she asked as she stood in front of the door at the end of the hall. There was a window there, sunshine pouring in to light up her skin. Luke was one step away from being engulfed by the sun, but he stood in the shadowed carpet, soft spoken.

"Yes, Princess." Julie turned the handle and pushed the door open.

"Good to know." She walked in, leaving the door open. The room was sunny, the large windows making it look ethereal. "You can come in." She didn't know why she asked him to do that, but a part of her knew it was because she couldn't be in that room alone yet.

Luke walked in behind her as she approached the piano. It wasn't dusty and all the plants in the room were alive in well, showing that the maids hadn't given up on the essence of the room. Julie looked around, seeing her mom everywhere and especially on the piano bench in front of her. She touched the keys as if they would shatter by touch, wondering if her mom's fingerprints were still smudged there and if she played, it would feel like holding her hand again. She took a deep breath and found a song on top of the piano. Her mom gave it to her for her last birthday she was able to celebrate with her. Julie had never played it, but she sat down.

A guitar string note played, and Julie snapped her head back to see a terrified Luke with his hands in the air. She couldn't help but laugh, and she turned away from him to hide the fact that he broke her wall down in one note. "You can play the guitar out in the balcony if you want. Or you can sit there on your phone. It's peaceful." She didn't see him until he walked up past her and to the outside where he shut the glass, her mom's old guitar in one hand.

Julie picked up the song and spread out the sheets, staring at her mom's handwriting. She hadn't cried in a few days, and although everything seemed to be falling apart, she felt as light as a feather in her mom's company. She smiled, and she started to play.

Here's one thing I want you to know

You got someplace to go

Life's a test, yes, but you go toe-to-toe

You don't give up, no, you grow

-

A/N: They finally had a nice moment!! I planned out over 20 chapters of this fic the other day, and I'm so excited to write them. I haven't planned out the final chapters yet either. The chapters are much shorter than what I like to do, but it lets me update more with less pressure and trade off between Luke and Julie's POV.

Thank you for your votes and comments! <3 Until next time.