Chapter Text
We hadn’t stopped flying since we made it past the walls.
I felt… free. I swooped up, snapping my wings in to freefall for a moment, only spreading them again to catch myself near where Samuel flew. “We didn’t get the chance to tell Astra” He spoke just loud enough to be heard over the whipping wind. “I… I know, we just have to hope they aren’t gonna be an idiot”
“You know them, they’ll do something dumb” Samuel glanced over his shoulder, almost like our best friend would be behind us. “If they die…” “They won’t,” I reached out and nudged him, “They’ll be fine”
<~+~>
I gripped the edge of the table, glaring at my fellow kings, though it seemed like I was the only one still running this damn place. Sunny was gone, with not a single trace nor sighting of the bee. Lonan had said she’d gone to sleep in her own room and that was the last time she was seen.
I wasn’t buying it, Lonan knew something. He had to know, the two were too close for him not to have any idea where she was. Sunny's stuff was missing too, she’d run away before, hiding out in the fields with friends when she was stressed. But she’d never taken her stuff. I glared at my fellow kings, waiting for one of them to crack or provide any sort of evidence.
“Fa-” Rima's warning was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. Time slowed down for a moment as glass showered us, my skin gaining a few new cuts. A figure landed on the table, blood trickling from gashes after flying into a damn window. They tore off their hooded cloak, messy blue hair falling cradling their furious expression. They threw themself forward with unexpected speed, a purple glimmer in their eyes. They crashed into my chest, sending the both of us tumbling across the floor.
They were quick, I could give them that. Before I could even move to fight back they had a knife digging into my shoulder, knee pressing against my stomach. “What did you do to her!” I grunted, trying to move, but they had done everything so I couldn’t. I could see Rima in the corner of my eye, though they weren’t exactly moving. “What did I do to who?!”
I snapped back, biting my tongue as the knife was pressed deeper. “Sunny!” Their gaze was sharp, with the same purple sheen that Sunny got a couple times when she went all cryptid on us. I recognized them, a member of my own army, slowly working their way up through the ranks. “What the fuck did you do to my sister!” Lonan was suddenly on his feet. “Sister?! I thought you were dead?!”
“Of course I’m not dead, now someone better start talking!” “It's just a misund-” I took advantage of the fact that they were distracted, kicking up to throw them to the side. The knife was torn out as they tumbled, quickly climbing to their feet and resuming a fighting position. The door swung open as guards finally piled in, pushing the others behind them. “You can hurt me as much as you want, but don’t you DARE lay a finger on my sister” They threw a small array of knives before they dove for the window.
An arrow whistled past my face and struck their wing as they leapt. They faltered and veered out of sight. I dragged myself to my feet, pressing my hand down on the wound in my shoulder. “Have them arrested for now, I’ll deal with that later” I spoke as I walked past the line of guards that had formed. The others stayed silent. Useless. “Lonan, with me”
The avian had to scramble to keep up, as I was already out the door at that point. “Fal, I-” “You know who that was,” I cut him off, glaring out of the corner of my eye. “And you are going to tell me everything you know” Lonan folded their wings in, fear etched into his face. “Astra Knox, though they claim to have never received a last name… their from Chorus” My hand balled into a fist. “I gathered that, Sunny's their little sister I’m assuming, but the last name doesn’t match” “Exactly, Ma- Finley, is in a relationship with Astra's mother, Tara Knox, Astra spent time in and out of the palace, so she was close with Sunny a lot…”
Lonan trailed off, messing with the cuff of his shirt. It was clear there was a lot more he wasn’t telling me. He tugged me into the infirmary, gesturing for me to sit while he got supplies to patch my shoulder. “Ah, speaking of, how do you know Finley?” Lonan hesitated, a damp cloth hovering above my wound. “She… raised me” “So you’re a Morningcrest?” He hummed, dabbing gently at my shoulder.
There was a fond look in his eyes as he spoke about his family, it was clear that Lonan cared about them a lot, perhaps a bit too much. “Chorus was nice” It finished, folding up the cloth and starting to wrap the wound. “I know, I’ve been there to meet the family, I’m surprised we didn’t recognize each other" “My Grandfather had to curse Sunny and I for our own protection when we left, just a simple memory one for ourselves and anyone that came in contact with us, but it's wearing off” “That would explain it”
Everything was going perfectly, Lonan was falling into my trap, sharing all the information I needed. “Do you think that's where Sunny's gone? Back home?” Lonan quickly looked away, clearing away the supplies he’d used. He was quick to slip away, fast on its toes that one.
I needed to know where Sunny went, I can’t lose my weapon that easily.