Ch.25 You're home....

Chapter 25

Exton sat in his office going over the progress reports of all the new Queen's guards when he heard the door open. He looked up and found Maya entering with red eyes and a deep frown. At once, Exton's heart shrank with concern and worry. He jumped out of his seat and matched the frown on Maya's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Maya opened her mouth just as her eyes watered. The action made all the hair on Exton's body stand on their fine points. His daughter never cried. She was the one to make others cry.

Maya's mouth opened and closed without a single word. Tears ran down her face as she let go of the door and bit down on her bottom trembling lip.

"It....." she started. "It hurts."

Exton jumped forward and pulled Maya into his arms. She released a heartbreaking sob and threw her arms around her father. Breathing became difficult for Exton. He opened his link and called Gemma.

"What happened?" he asked Maya as he held her head against his chest.

"He....he," Maya hiccuped. "He broke my heart! He shattered it, dad."

Around her back, Exton's hands balled into fists. His frown changed from worried to anger as Maya sobbed in his arms. He heard Gemma rush down the hall and run into the room just as he was about to call her again.

"Maya!" Gemma gasped, breathlessly.

Maya lifted her head and started at her mother for a second. In that moment, she forgot everything and jumped into her Gemma's embrace.

"He doesn't love me," she said as Gemma pressed her to her body. "He will never love me."

I'm going to kill him, Exton mind-linked Gemma as he stood across from her as Maya's cries filled the large office.

"Baby," Gemma lifted Maya's face. "What happened? What did he do?"

Gemma felt her own heart ache as Maya let out a shaking breath. The girl was a mess of tears as she whipped her face with the back of her hands. The tips of her nose matched the red dress she wore. Her make had smudged long ago and only the memory of black liner remained as the tears continued to wash it out.

"It was always her," Maya looked at her mother. "I never stood a chance. I feel so stupid!"

"You're not stupid," Exton pulled her into his arms once more. He guided her head to his chest and let Maya cry.

"Sweetheart, come," Gemma said after a pause as she tugged Maya's arm. "Let's clean up and then we can all talk."

Maya didn't protest. She let her mother guide her to her room at the palace as her dad followed behind silently. The staff hurried around and drew the bath as Gemma helped Maya take off her dress in the bathroom. Maya quickly slipped into the bath and her mother sat down on the little stool. Exton waited outside in the bedroom, pacing the floor.

"Did you two have a fight?" Gemma asked gently. She picked up the sponge and soaked it in the bath water.

Maya shivered as her mother ran it down her back. The tender touch made her feel so vulnerable. She felt her chest shake as another sob rocked through her. Having her mother and father made her feel as if he was once again safe. She didn't even know how frightened she was the whole time until Exton had pulled her into his warm embrace and held her as if nothing in the world would ever hurt her.

But she did hurt. She hurt a lot.

The ach in Maya's chest was impossible to ignore. Every breath took too long and it was never enough to fill her lungs. The parts of her heart tried to keep up for dear life as every few seconds it shuttered, shivered, trembled, shrank, and cried.

"Baby," Gemma ran her hand over Maya's hair. "What happened?"

Maya didn't respond. She was lost in her own head as she stared at the fizzing bubbles. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, her skin pale and lifeless. Her blood shot eyes dull and colorless. Gemma wasn't even sure if Maya was listening to her or she even knew what was happening. But when she sat the sponge down and looked at the door, Maya looked up at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, watching her mother's brows furrow and lips turn down at the corners.

"Heyder is here," Gemma said slowly. "He's downstairs. You dad is talking to him."

Maya felt another piercing pain cut through her heart. Somehow, her dried eyes produced more tears as she shook her head.

"I don't want to see him."

"You don't have to," Gemma touched Maya's face to calm her. "I'll tell Exton to send him away."

"He won't listen," Maya gripped her mother's wrist. "Mom, you have to put up boundary spells."

"Baby, you know he can break through anything I put up," Gemma frowned.

"I don't want to see him," Maya cried.

"You won-"

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Maya and Gemma jumped as Heyder's voice spoke from the other side.

"Maya?" He called out to her. "Open the door, Maya!"

The water in the tub swirled as Maya looked at her mother with fright. Heyder pounded on the door once more.

"Maya, Please!" he begged. "I need to talk to you."

"She doesn't want to see you, Heyder," Gemma said.

"Bullshit!"

Pretty soon, the banging on the door was matched with Exton's shouts and Owen's growls. Maya began to cry as she heard the commotion outside. No doubt, Heyder was surrounded by guards with hot iron rods. No doubt Exton and Owen were trying to pull him away from the door. But as the struggle continued, the banging became louder.

"Maya!" Heyder yelled over Exton's demands that he leave. "Just talk to me for a second. I'm not leaving!"

Gemma started to grow angry as she watched Maya place her hands over her ear and shake her head. She linked her husband outside and told him to do whatever necessary to get Heyder out.

"Heyder!" Exton growled. "She doesn't want to see you. You need to leave."

"Maya!" Heyder ignore them all. He used his magic to keep his feet grounded as The guards inched closer and closer with the iron rods. It wasn't enough to do any serious damage, but they sure would hurt like a motherfucker.

"Maya, please," Heyder banged on the door. "Just come out here. I need to talk to you. You can't just leave like that."

"Leave, Heyder!" Gemma snapped.

"Maya!"

"Mom, make him leave," Maya said quietly as she began to tremble in the warm bath.

"Maya, I'm not leaving!"

"Mom, make him leave," Maya repeated as she pressed her hands firmly against her ears.

Desperate to help her daughter, Gemma placed her hand over the door and pushed with her magic. The whole frame lit up with live electric current. Brilliant blues and purples.

"Cut it out, Gemma," Heyder snapped before he groaned from the shock.

"Leave." Gemma demanded.

"Birdie!"

Maya wanted to pull her head underwater. She felt as if it would be the only thing that would make all the nose and commission stop. And Heyder calling her Birdie was starting to make every cell in Maya's body scream.

"Birdie, please. I'm begging you," Heyder banged on the door again despite the currents. "Just talk to me."

Gemma was about to push harder with her magic when Maya suddenly started to scream in the tub.

"Maya!" Heyder panicked as Gemma whirled around.

The water in the tub was glowing a shimmery lilac. It radiated a pulsing glow as Maya sat in it with her hands covering her ear. Her eyes were shut as she continued to scream.

"Maya?" Gemma tried to rush forward but she knocked into an invisible shield and fell to the ground. "Exton!"

Heyder wasted no time. As he heard the fear in Gemma's voice, he blew the door out and ran in.

Gemma laid on the floor as the bubble around the tub swirled around like a plasma ball with billions of currents. Maya sat screaming with her eyes hurt and her hands over her ear.

"That did you do?" Heyder looked to Gemma.

"You got some nerve!" Gemma jumped to her feet.

"Maya!" Heyder ignored the witch and approached the shield.

"Go away!" Maya screamed.

Heyder tried to stick his hand through the forcefield just as he had done the day in the cellar. But just as he touched the current, it started to grow a brilliant white before bursting in a blast. Everyone shielded their eyes against the harsh light.

A harrowing silent rang out through the room as the light retreated. Gemma slowly lowered her hand as Exton reached out for her. They turned to Heyder who took a step forward.

"Where did she go?" he asked, looking into the empty tub.

________________________

Maya felt her skin shiver as goosebumps rose up. Her naked body laid completely exposed on the forest floor as her eyes began to slowly flutter open. The pounding headache in her head made her stomach turn as she slowly pushed off the ground.

With great confusion and pain, Maya looked around. She did not recognize where she was at all. She hadn't done any spell to transport herself and her back didn't do the thing it always did whenever she traveled to the past. She wasn't even aware of where the blast of light had come from right before she felt the warm water disappear from around her.

Calling to her magic, Maya dressed herself in a pair of shorts and a big t-shirt. But just as the spell rose to the surface of her skin, she felt the image shift in her mind against her will. Instead of the blue shorts and yellow shit she had been imagining, a long white dress appeared. Maya didn't even have a second to wonder what was happening as the fabric materialized over her body. She looked down in confusion.

Maya touched the soft muslin of her dress as she climbed to her feet. She felt the back of her neck prickle and her body tense.

"I know you're there," she said, not turning around.

Maya.....

The whisper came in with the wind. Maya whirled around, her heavy wet locks swinging behind her.

Maya....

"Show yourself," Maya demanded. She tried to open her link but she couldn't reach it in her mind. Her magic flickered on and off like a flashlight about to give out.

The silent air suddenly filled with the sound of running water. Maya stood in her spot turning in all directing. The strange urge to go swimming was all she could think of.

As Maya took the first step towards the direction of the sound, a part of her brain clicked open. She tried to stop herself and tell herself she should find a way back home. But the need to go for a swim seemed so alluring. She wanted nothing more than to feel the cool water against her hot skin and to have a long drink.

In the back of her mind, she felt as if she needed to remember something. Maya frowned as she walked along the dirt path of the forest. The hem of her white dress started to pick up mud stains. What did she have to remember.....

Someone was banging on a door.......there was shouting......who was at the door?

As Maya walked, she started to notice something very peculiar. There was no path in front of her. The trees and shrubs blocked off anything ahead. But every time she took a step forward, they stepped aside. With every step Maya took, a little more of the road cleared.

Curiously, Maya reached out to touch one of the branches. She gasped as it coiled around her wrist before retreating back.

"What are you?" She asked, her voice a whisper. She looked around in amazement at the lush green leaves and vines. There was no sunlight, but still the whole forest was lit up in a dreamy haze.

Running her hand along the trees and bushes, touching everything in her path, Maya finally arrived at the waterhole. She walked around a tree and placed her hand upon it's dark barks as she eyed the water.

A small grassy hill rose up from the ground. Water ran down its side and into the tiny pond. It was so small, Maya could stretch her arms and the tips of her fingers on each hand would be able to touch the sides of the pond. She pushed away from the dress and inches closer.

The running water was endless and cool as Maya leaned over. She caught her reflection on the surface.

Maya....

Maya jumped back and looked over her shoulder.

"Who's there?" She asked. "Show yourself."

You're home.....

And just like that, Maya was thrown out of the forest.

The sensation of falling through the air hit her as she fell into the tub. Someone had drained the water from earlier leaving Maya's body to fall painfully. Her hair dripped water as her naked body shivered. Gripping the edges of the tub, Maya pulled her head up.

"What the fuck?" Clare said from where she sat on the floor cross legged.

What is happening? What did you like?