Page 31 of The Void

“As much as they can be,” he answered, then he paused and moved over to talk to one of his men, who had rushed up there to find him. “Sorry,” he said when he came back. “I must go and see to some things. I didn’t mean to worry you, but… time is short. Whatever it is you’re destined to do, I’d request it be done soon.”

When they were left alone, Lucas turned to Mia, who stared out over the darkness to the fires.

“I can fly out there. See what we’re up against?” he offered.

She turned quickly to him, shaking her head. “No.”

“Hey.” He took her shoulders and pulled her close. “My abilities are restored. I can’t be hurt anymore. Remember?”

“Did you get that black eye you were sporting when you arrived here before or after your powers were hidden?” she asked, tilting her head at him.

He shouldn’t have confided in her that back on Earth, when he and his sisters had been fighting Moros, the battle had taken a toll on all three of them, even though they all had superhuman strength and resilience to pain and injury.

“Fine. What if I just flew overhead and didn’t land?” he offered.

Mia thought for a moment, then pulled back. “Only if you take me.”

“No,” he answered immediately.

“Hold on.” She held up her hands and smiled. “I have an idea.” She waved her hand in front of herself and, to his surprise, she vanished. She was completely invisible.

“What the…” He frowned, but seconds later, she was back.

“You fly, I’ll keep us hidden,” she offered with a smirk. Then she waved her hand in front of her and changed back into a pair of black pants, a gray T-shirt, and dark sneakers. She tied her hair up in a long ponytail.

He sighed. “Fine, but we’re staying very far up.” He turned around and tapped his shoulder. “Jump on my back.”

She easily jumped on his back piggie-back style. He shifted to hold her close.

“I’ve never flown before. I mean, at least not like this.” She giggled when he stepped towards the banister.

“All you need to do is hang on.” He stepped off the building. Wanting to give her a ride, he let them fall a few floors before pushing up into the night sky.

Mia’s squeals of delight had him laughing.

“My god, this is such a rush,” she said into his ear.

“We can enjoy a few moments before we head out there,” he suggested.

“Take me up high. I want to see the city from above.” She held on tighter to him.

He took them up more than a mile above the tallest part of the city. Even though it was completely dark, there was enough light from the three moons in the sky to make out the city streets and buildings.

“Son of a… There really isn’t a red desert outside the walls,” he pointed out.

There, encircling the high walls, was a massive waterway. He could see the place he’d been dropped off and gauged it was less than a hundred feet to the wall and doorway where he’d entered the city.

“It has to be some form of protection put on the city by the guardians,” Mia answered. “This place is beautiful. Even at night.” She sighed. “It’s still strange how few people there are and that they don’t have children.”

“I’ve thought about that.” He glanced towards the fires. “If they can’t have children, and they don’t remember when the last child was born, does that mean that the ones that are here are thousands and thousands of years old? I haven’t seen anyone older than late forties, I’d wager. The youngest looks about sixteen.”

“I’m not sure,” Mia said, then she pointed. “Look, that must be the desert we both arrived in. My Void,” she said. “I had no idea this lay just beyond the mountains. I’d always been told never to wander far.”

“Maybe it was to protect you?” he suggested as he started moving towards the fires.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I haven’t heard from Feng since I arrived.”

“You’re great-great whatever?” he asked.