Leaving Sivadia Read Online Free

hall, Cy glanced in each room.
It could be the last time he’d ever see the palace and he wanted to remember
everything the way it had been. He glanced at Vind and he seemed to be doing
the same. If he had ever been the sentimental type, he’d kept it hidden. But
the longing in his eyes suggested he loved the palace as much as Cy did.
    When they reached the kitchen, Alpheus threw one arm
around Cy’s shoulders and the other around Vind’s. “I’m so pleased you both are
safe,” he said. Alpheus had worked for the royal family since Cy’s father was
young, and had been his and Vind’s caretaker since birth. Although he wasn’t
blood related, he was very much a part of their family. The rest of the royal
staff came out carrying their bags, and then everyone scurried down ten flights
of stairs to the underbelly of the castle.
    Relief flooded Cy as his father and Oz met them at the
entrance to the tunnels. Something was wrong with Oz. His eyes looked lifeless,
as if a light had short-circuited inside of him.
    They filed into the narrow tunnel one at a time. Due to
the metal composition of the rock and soil, they couldn’t transport and would
have to travel through the tunnels on foot. They were sandwiched front and rear
by heavily armed soldiers, with Oz up front leading the way. Cy’s mother
followed them, then Vind and Cy, with his father directly behind him.  
    Once everyone was inside, Cy jumped as the door slammed
shut and the locks engaged. He should feel safe locked away deep underground,
surrounded by so many people. But he felt more like a trapped animal, sitting
in a field surrounded by hunters.
    “Father, where will this take us?” Cy asked.
    “We’ll come out in a forest outside the city. Once we
leave the tunnel, we’ll transport to the launch facility.”
    “What if the Haagons are there when we reach the end?”
    “We’re prepared for that. Don’t worry, Cy. We will make
it to the facility safely.”
    Bile rose in Cy’s throat. There was no one he trusted
more than his father. But the sky had been so saturated with Haagon pods, how
could any place on Sivadia be safe enough for them to hide?
    They had been traveling through the tunnel for an hour
when his father’s com-link buzzed. Cy recognized Oz’s voice coming through the
earpiece, and strained to hear what was being said.
    Oz is just up front. It must be bad if he doesn’t
want to yell so the whole group can hear.
    “Cieran,” Oz said. “The Haagons have overtaken the
castle. The fighters are still clearing the woods at the exit. When the tunnel
ends, we’ll have to remain inside until we get the all clear. As the lieutenant
checks-in, I’ll let you know how things are progressing.”
    “Thanks for the update.”
    Thirty minutes later the tunnel ended. Oz turned to the
group and held his hand in the air. “It’s clear for the moment, but I need
everyone to move quickly and to transport the moment you clear the tunnel.”
    Cy’s mother turned and looked at him and Vind. One
perfectly arched eyebrow rose, her telltale sign that you had better listen to
what she was about to say. “Boys, you do exactly as Oz said.” Her eyes met her
husband’s. “I truly hope you’re not planning some type of heroics.”
    “I’ll be right behind them, dear.” A hint of amusement
laced his father’s voice. Mother was the only person who could get away with
ordering the king around. Their love was evident every time their eyes met. If
Cy ever found his life-mate, he would strive to show her the same respect and
adoration his parents had always shown each other.
    A tall ladder attached to the wall led up to a manhole
cover. One of the guards climbed up first. As he slowly removed the cover, Cy
held his breath and prayed the woods were not still full of Haagons. The
guard’s body eased through the hole and disappeared. Cy tensed as gunfire
erupted in the distance.
    Once they had the all clear, his mother and Vind climbed
through the manhole.