Beyond the Darkness (Book #1)

Chapter 30- Advice from a Traitor

"Makuri..." A soothing voice carried through the forever darkness of her mind.

Someone was trying to pull her out of the dream world. She grumbled and rolled away from the hand that was shaking her.

"Makuri, you need to wake up!" She heard the sharp command come from her mother.

"Go away, I'm dead." She mumble past her canines.

"Don't talk like that!" Kita growled, giving her a light smack on the back. "Quit with stubbornness and get up."

Makuri didn't react to her mother's attempts to arouse her out of bed. She instead, grabbed an unused pillow and sent it flying towards her voice. Kita squealed from surprise when the soft fabric hit her directly in the face.

"Makuri!" She snapped, flinging the pillow back.

It bounced on her head, coming to halt on her face. The navy pillow cover part of her vision when she cracked open an eye. Sun light flooded into her grand bedroom, causing her pupil's to dilate. A frown tugged at her lips as she began to pull herself out of the comfortable bed. She arched her back like a cat to loosen her tight muscles. Finally, she lifted her self into a sitting position and grumbled out. "What time is it?"

"High noon." Her mother growled, still annoyed by her antics. "You've slept long enough. You have thing's you need to do."

Makuri rubbed her eyes and gave a big yawn in response.

"I swear, what am I going to do with you?" She huffed and the bed slightly raised from the pressure change.

She forced her puffy eye's open and was met with her beautiful mother glaring down at her. This time she tried to stifle her yawn before asking. "What requires my attention? I just got here."

Her mother's golden eye's softened. She looked towards the towering windows that let in the relentless sun and sighed. "The Six Elite has requested an audience with you."

Makuri felt the painful twist in her gut. She wouldn't have is she hadn't of warned Vanessa. Had she been wrong to trust her? She started to chew on her bottom lip with worry, looking at her eerily still mother, she whispered. "Did they give a reason?"

"No, but I'm sure it's nothing serious. They most likely want to see the one that leads them." Kita silently glided across the white marble floor and disappeared into her closet.

"What business do you have in there?" She snapped without realizing it.

"I'm picking out an appropriate outfit for you." She hollered from the wardrobe.

"Stop it." Makuri growled. "I'm not a child anymore. I can pick out my own set of clothes without your help."

There was some rummaging coming from the closet. Thing's knocking together and metal clanking to the ground. Her mother returned with an arm full of black leather. Her lips drooped at the collection of dust that stuck to her white gown, but was able to spread her loving smile once she looked up. She dropped the dusty armour at the foot of her bed and commanded. "Put this one and head to the west field. They will be waiting for you their."

With much grumbling and complaints, Makuri slide onto the floor. She stripped the dirty clothes she neglected to take off before bed and threw them on the ground. She was in no mood to pretend, but of course, she had no say in the matter. She only had to play pretend until her father returned. Thing's will be different then.

She pulled a fresh white tunic on before slipping the leather breast plate over her head. She pulled the flexible pants over her toned legs and tied them tight. While she was putting on a new pair of socks, her mother grabbed a brush and started to slowly work out the knots in her hair. Makuri tried to ignore the repeated tugging as she tied her boots. She finish before her mother, leaving half of her hair unfinished.