Golden

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

            I meet Quinn in the training room, observing the Unborns as they continue with their scrimmage and deliver blows of wood against wood. Shouts of triumph and frustrated cries of loss echo off the towering walls and ceiling.

            Quinn’s lips are curved into a slight smile as he watches them, his arms folded across his chest as he leans against the pitted climbing wall. “They have come incredibly far considering the short time lapse,” he says as I approach him.

            I nod, “it is a relief – knowing that we will not be fighting alone,” I murmur.

            He turns to me, “are you afraid?” His expression is one of pure curiosity, no source of mockery that laces his words or storms his eyes.

            “I am afraid to fail Penella,” I frown, copying his cross-armed stance. “I am afraid to be defeated and die knowing that I was titled her Warrior, and turned out to be useless to her in the end.”

            “Now that you know you are her daughter, it strengthens the pressure,” he states, as if he already knows the nervous thoughts that run chaotically through my mind.

            I look away, murmuring “yes.”

            From my peripheral vision, I see Quinn shuffle his feet and run his hand through his light brown hair. “Have you seen Blake?” he suddenly asks, and I am grateful for the topic change. “I have not seen him at all since my return.”

            I shake my head, “no, I have not seen him.” Sighing, I add, “after you left for Maltha, I told Blake the truth about Penella.”

            Quinn grimaces. “I assume he did not take the news gently?”

            I bite my lip, “no. He was infuriated that I had not told him sooner, and lied as well. I have not seen him ever since.” I frown, “I should not have left him in his time of anger. He could have run to Norun simply to spite me.”

            “Blake is not moronic,” Quinn says, shaking his head. “He is faithful to Penella – he would not betray us.”

            I lower my gaze, “that is what we thought about Adrian as well,” I say softly.

            Quinn sighs and then moves away from the wall behind us, “since Blake is missing, I should return to my Agent tasks.”

            Quickly, I rest my hand on his shoulder to stop him, “I forgot to tell you,” I say, Penella’s words trailing through my head. “Penella wanted me to tell you that she has closed the sea and blocked any new Unborns from arriving.”

            His expression grows appalled, “why would she do such a thing? That would mean stopping the rebirth system altogether!”

            Moving my hand off his shoulder, I nod, “I know, however she said it was a safety precaution. She did not tell me why it was a precaution though.”

            “What will happen to the new Unborns?” he asks. “Will they simply die without being reborn?”

            “She has opened up a ‘waiting room’ of sorts until the battle is over,” I explain. “After the battle, the room will close down and the waiting Unborns will arrive in the sea as normal, meaning you and Blake will have a lot of Unborns to resurrect,” I give him a smile, attempting to lighten the dark mood.