It was freezing in the cargo hold, but tucked into the corner with a thick blanket thrown over his shoulders, Theo barely felt it. And the cold wasn't close to his biggest concern anyway.
After his fight with Zenith, he'd run all the way down here. Crammed with supplies, it provided plenty of nooks and crannies for hiding. Theo had jammed himself into the far corner behind some barrels almost as tall as he was, but this didn't feel like enough.
There was only so much room aboard the skycraft, after all. Up until today, he'd never realized just how cramped the Blue Sky actually was. Sooner or later, he'd be found.
And he'd have to face Zenith again.
The prospect twisted his heart into knots. Some insane part of him wanted to get off the craft right this moment, even if all that awaited was miles of empty air.
But even that had to be more appealing than looking at Zenith's stupid face. The instant the thought came to him, he bit down a bitter giggle. Jumping just because he'd been rejected? Melodramatic much?
Not that hiding in the cargo hold was much better. It was something a bratty little kid would do after throwing a tantrum. Just like what Zenith had accused him of being.
By doing this, wouldn't he only prove Zenith right? Well, he didn't care. All he knew was that he would lose his mind if he had to look at those stone-cold eyes, listen to him blather about duty and Darian.
It hurt so much, like a dull knife gouging out his heart, to know he'd never be more to Zenith than just a wizard. Just a way to increase his power. And maybe Theo would have been prepared to accept it if Zenith hadn't spent so long merrily leading him on.
Okay, maybe Theo had done his share of misinterpreting Zenith's actions. But last night had to be a hundred percent on Zenith. He'd had so many chances to reject Theo, to make his feelings clear. Instead, he'd let Theo kiss him, confess, and do much more without even a token protest. Hell, he had even made the first move.
Even if Zenith didn't understand emotions, that was no excuse. It wasn't like simple honesty was beyond him.
The fury churned hotter in Theo's chest, but clammy sweat stung his skin. He wrapped the blanket tighter, though it didn't help an ounce.
Things only got worse when footsteps thudded from above, shaking the low ceiling. Dismay clenched Theo's stomach. Dammit, he thought he'd have a little more time. Then again, he didn't exactly know how long he had spent down here.
Voices came with the footsteps, sounding uncomfortably close to the hatch that led into the hold. "We haven't checked down here, right?"
Great, Sam. Almost as much as Zenith, Theo didn't want to see her. She'd pester him for details, and while he didn't want to tell anyone, he wanted to tell her least of all. Worse, she'd probably try to make him apologize to Zenith.
Theo's heart thumped when he heard the telltale bang of the hatch opening. He hunched down low, tugging the blanket over his head, and tried to fight the ridiculous feeling that he was playing hide-and-seek.
Across the hold, Sam clattered her way down the ladder, followed by the unmistakable clank of armor. Theo's heart froze. No way. Had she brought Zenith with her?
Then a raspy voice cut through the air. "Let's get to it."
It took all of Theo's effort not to sigh from relief. Ryllis, of course. Besides, if he thought about it rationally, he'd realize he hadn't sensed Zenith's Levia grow stronger through the contract.
That damn contract. Theo hated that if he thought too hard, he could still feel Zenith's stark light pulsing somewhere in the distance. It felt a little colder and dimmer than before, though, and it must mean something that Zenith hadn't found him yet, since he could just as easily sense Theo's Levia.
Not like any of this mattered. Theo bit his lip, urging his heartbeat to calm down as Sam and Ryllis shoved and bumped their way across the hold. At least it seemed they were going about it slowly and methodically, judging by how often they stopped.
"You really think he'll be in there?" Ryllis snapped, followed by a clank as if Sam had put the lid back onto a box.
"Just wanna make sure," Sam said. "Oh, Theo, where did you even go? What happened with you guys?"
"Seemed like a pretty bad fight," Ryllis grunted.
"Isn't that super weird? I mean, those two never fight!"
The concern in Sam's voice made guilt squirm inside Theo. While he hid like a child, Sam – and everyone else – must be worried out of their heads for him.
The guilt only grew worse when Sam started shouting his name. "Theo! Thee-ohh!"
As her voice echoed around the hold, Ryllis said acidly, "If he wanted to be found, he'd have showed himself already."
"I know, but still! I just wanna make sure he's okay!"
Theo squeezed his eyes shut, feeling like his heart was about to burst. Really, what the hell was he doing? Just because Zenith had been a dick to him didn't mean he needed to return the favor to his friends. They had nothing to do with this, but he'd dragged them into his mess anyway.
Swallowing hard, Theo made up his mind. He yanked the blanket down from his head, ready to stand up and call out to Sam. While he'd never forgive Zenith, he could at least apologize to her.
But just as he rose to a crouch, a noise blasted from above. It sounded like a trumpet, loud and blaring. Before the ringing in Theo's ears could subside, a voice started shouting.
It was muffled through the ceiling, but Theo recognized it as Amaro. He must be making an announcement through the pipes, which didn't extend into the hold. Even so, there was no mistaking the urgency to his tone, almost shading into panic.
"What's going on?" Sam yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Sounds serious. We should check," Ryllis said.
"Aw, but we're not done here!"
"Keep looking, then. I'm gonna give it a listen."
"Hey – " but a clank suggested Ryllis had gone off. Soon Theo heard the hatch click open and Amaro's voice became louder, though not much clearer. Theo strained his ears, trying to make out the words, only for a bang and clatter to cut them off.
Then Ryllis' footsteps came thudding back in Sam's direction. "We should go. Now."
"Huh? But – "
"He's calling all the crew to the deck. Seems like...like...a giant cloud's shown up in the sky. And it's heading straight for us."
"Say what?"
"Yeah. Sounds crazy, so we ought to check it out."
"But Theo – "
"There's no way he hasn't heard too. Knowing him, he's already on his way."
This seemed to do it for Sam, because the next thing Theo heard were footsteps hurrying after Ryllis. They climbed up the hatch together, swinging it shut with a tremendous clang, and Theo let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
The blood pounded in his ears, almost drowning out Amaro's announcement. Ryllis was right; he did want to find out what was going on. If this strange cloud had gotten the seasoned pilot Amaro into such a panic, it couldn't mean anything good.
So Theo got up and headed across the hold. Even if it meant he had to face Zenith again, he didn't care. The dread only deepened when he climbed up the ladder and Amaro's voice became clear.
"All hands to the deck! Repeat, all hands to the deck. And to battle stations too, I guess. I'm changing our course but that damn cloud's matching us move for move. At this rate, it's on a direct intercept in less than ten minutes!"
Even as the craft lurched through sudden turns, Theo didn't stop scrambling through corridors and up ladders. By the time he reached the deck, his elbows and knees ached from all the times he'd banged them, but it didn't hurt half as much as the dread squeezing his heart like an iron fist.
No...this wasn't just dread, was it? It was something else, a terrible pressure thrumming through his Levia.
And it only grew worse as he lifted his head, sweeping his gaze past the people on the deck to the cloud descending from the sky. Wispy tendrils spread far along the horizon on either side, but in the center where it gathered thickest and densest, golden light pulsed as if it hid the sun itself.
Amaro spun the wheel frantically, but it was too late. The cloud loomed before them like a mountain of glowing fog. Golden rays cast soft ripples across the deck, a strangely beautiful sight, but Theo couldn't focus on it through the pressure – no, the Levia – crushing his body.
Suddenly the golden light flashed, blazing so bright it blinded Theo. As he stumbled, an icy wind surged across the deck and brought with it rolling waves of fog. He fell onto his rear, shielding his face with his arms.
Just when he thought it would last forever, the wind died. Theo cracked his eyes open, blinking cautiously. A few scraps of mist drifted about, almost invisible beneath the light pouring harsh and undiluted across the entire skycraft.
By now, the Levia gripped his body so tight he could barely twitch a muscle. Still, he fought with all his might to lift his head even just an inch.
When he finally succeeded, awe and terror stole the breath from his lungs.