“
Should we follow her?” Saylan asked.
“I think not. She needs to sort things out.”
“Xarrid, I feel terrible! This is all my fault. She never told me not to discuss this.” Saylan started crying, and Xarrid tried to comfort her.
“It was an accident, Saylan. You could not have known this.”
“I do not understand any of this. Why did Rayn become so angry with her?”
“It is difficult to explain. He has always been severely overprotective of her. They have had some complications in the past, but I thought everything had been resolved. I knew he would be upset if he ever found out how close she came to dying at Ondine’s hands, but I did not think his reaction would be this extreme. If he does not return by tomorrow, I will seek him out and attempt to smooth things over.”
Saylan was still sniffling, trying to recover from her crying spell. She felt like she had betrayed her best friend, and she did not know what to do to fix things.
Xarrid linked her arm in his and took her for a walk around the grounds. They came to a small bench and sat down where Saylan proceeded to cry her eyes out.
Meanwhile, Maddie crept in the house, praying no one would see her. She finally made it to her room and locked herself inside. Hopefully, no one would come searching for her because the only thing she wanted to do was to be alone.
She had never been the recipient of Rayn’s Power of Command before, other than when he had used it to calm her down. It was devastating to one’s muscles. She felt like she had just lifted weights for hours on end. Thank heavens that Xarrid had come out when he did. She would still be locked in position otherwise. On the other hand, maybe it would have eventually killed her, and right now, that was preferable to what she was feeling.
Maddie stayed in her room the remainder of the night, and finally, she fell asleep after crying bucketfuls of tears. She had lost Rayn and never imagined a life without him. She truly didn’t know how she would survive this. She had lost before and grieved, but that was when her parents died. This was something much worse; this was utter despair. She had lost her soulmate, and she had no one to blame but herself.
She caused this breech because of her idiotic notion of trying to live up to what Rayn was, when all along he loved her for herself. It was her own foolishness and desire to be more that landed her here. She did it because, if she was honest with herself, she had acted like a spoiled brat, wanting things her way, without any consequences. She had so carelessly set fire to the bridge that bonded their souls, leaving a raging crevasse that she could only pray would be mended. Right now, she severely doubted Rayn would ever consider that.
The next morning, she felt worse than ever. She kept reaching out for Rayn, but he was blocking her. She went to the palace, but he wasn’t there. Everyone tried to comfort her, but it was no use. There was nothing anyone could say that would help soothe the massive crater in her heart; it threatened to swallow her like a black hole.
Sharra stayed with Maddie constantly, and Saylan couldn’t look at her without bursting into tears. Annalise finally told Xarrid to keep Saylan away.
Maddie went to Rayn’s room and took his black satin robe and wrapped herself in it. Then she crawled in his bed and stayed like that for days. She refused to eat and wouldn’t allow anyone to enter Rayn’s room. She wanted to surround herself in his lovely scent; she feared losing that tiny piece of him.
After a week of this, Rowan sent for Julian. He came to the palace and brought one of his psychologists. They attempted to speak with her, but she was too despondent. They finally sedated her and moved her to the medical center, where they ran IV’s into her for nourishment. When her color returned, they began intensive counseling. After a month, she was released. She was there in mind and body, but the fire in her spirit had been snuffed out.
* * * * *
Maddie prayed daily, asking God to help her pull herself out of the black hole in which she had fallen. She was desperate to feel something, anything at all; she felt like a starving man searching for food. She begged the Deity to visit her, as He did that day on the mountain, but it never happened. Then, one day, as she prayed for help, she felt the mist descend upon her. Warmth radiated throughout her, soothing and comforting her, and she felt energized as the light infused her spirit. No words were spoken, but Maddie felt the beginnings of hope begin to take root and grow—not for her relationship with Rayn but for her ability to survive this crippling blow. Her Deity had been with her all the time, but she had simply needed this affirmation.
As she reflected on the path her life had taken, she realized she could not stay here, in Rayn’s room, reliving every moment they had shared together. She must begin anew and create her own path, one that did not include Rayn.
She knew she would be leaving here soon, so she made up her mind to put things in motion. She contacted her Commander within the Guardians and requested a new assignment. It would be impossible to fulfill her original one on Earth as Rayn’s second in command.
Two days later, she was summoned to the Guardian headquarters in Aurora, the capitol city. She was given an opportunity that she could not pass up. Her Commander had recommended her for diplomatic duties. This was an area in which she had excelled in training. With her duo-planetary background, she would make the perfect diplomat. After discussing it with Taruk and Rowan, she accepted her position and prepared to move to another quadrant of the universe.
She went back to the palace and requested to see Rowan and Annalise. She told them her new assignment required her to leave the next day. While they were glad she had accepted this new position, they were sad to see her leave.
“I will miss you, but I know it is time for me to move on. I cannot stay here forever, moping around like some lovesick fool. To be sure, that’s exactly what I am, but nevertheless, it’s time for me to pick myself up and move ahead in a different direction. I am so sorry for bringing such turmoil into your family. I know you must think I’m a terrible person for the things I have done, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart for it all. I never intended for things to become so complicated, and Rowan, I’m especially sorry for involving you in my decision to become a Guardian. If I could take it all back, I would, but since that’s not possible, I can only hope that someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I never did any of it with malice.”
Maddie looked at the two of them, and when they lifted their arms, she ran to them, hugging them both. When she stepped away, her face shone from the moisture of her tears.
“I keep thinking that someday I won’t have any tears left to shed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,” she said with a little laugh.
“Maddie, you are always welcome here, with or without Rayn. We love you as our own daughter. We applaud this decision of yours, and if ever you need anything, please do let us know. I expect you and I will be speaking a lot. You have a tough road ahead of you in dealing with the Xanthians. You will find them to be most difficult, I am sure,” Rowan concluded.
~ Rescue ~
Several weeks passed, and Maddie was absorbed in her new life. With Rayn’s permanent absence, she was mentally functioning at fifty percent. It was odd how his absolute and total rejection of her had impacted her. Her heart had been cracked into a million pieces, and half of her soul was missing. Functioning as a complete and whole being was an impossibility. She wondered if she would ever get her soul back or if Rayn would annihilate it with his
shadar
. She was sure he would if he could, and she honestly couldn’t blame him.
She ate infrequently and then only to survive. Her sustenance consisted of the basic nutrients required of her body and nothing more. She exercised as if the devil himself was chasing her. She would put herself through vigorous, grueling workouts, intending to erase any thoughts of Rayn from her mind. Her sessions were designed to be painful, for she realized that when she had exhausted all her energy, she could drop off to sleep for a few hours. Without the exercise, she was an insomniac, edgy and restless.
What Maddie never noticed was how her intense and body-pounding workouts transformed her physique. She had become a sleek, well-defined, fighting machine. She was as strong as ever, and she was chiseled with muscular definition throughout her entire body. She rippled with any kind of movement. Her form fitting uniforms clearly emphasized her assets. Gone was the softness and childlike figure of her teens. She had morphed into a strikingly, stunning picture of athletic perfection. Glances thrown her way quickly turned into frank and open stares. She was the desire of all males and the envy of all females—and absolutely oblivious to it all.
Her diplomatic position took her to the far edge of the universe, where she became a liaison between the Vesturions and Xanthians. She was living on a small planet called Nydriath, where the Vesturions maintained several colonies. The atmosphere was not conducive for sustaining life, so the colonies were protected by a biodome. Had Maddie been operating at her normal capacity, she would have been amazed by it all. She was assigned to the Alpha colony where all diplomatic functions took place. There was a Guardian Compound there, and while it didn’t compare to the one on Earth, it offered the Ambassadors a full array of security and protection.
Maddie’s quarters were comfortable, offering her every amenity imaginable. She didn’t take advantage of all the entertainment and activities. The only things she involved herself in were work and exercise. She spoke with her grandparents weekly, and she was in close contact with Rowan, due to the nature of her role as a Vesturion Ambassador.
The reports she kept receiving were not positive on the progression of the conflict. The Xanthians were not easing up on their invasions, and the Vesturions were doing their best to impede any of their activities. There had been quite a few skirmishes with causalities, but so far they had been small in number.
Maddie fretted over Sharra’s assignment in leading many of the defensive attacks against the Xanthians. As a Commander of the Star Avengers, an armada of fighter ships, Sharra was high up in the ranks of the pilots. She refused to sit behind a desk and hand out orders; she was hands on and had gained a deep respect for this from her subordinates. Maddie communicated with her regularly, and Sharra was constantly reassuring Maddie of her safety.
Maddie had become quite a respectable leader herself. She quickly gained her coworkers’ respect and was willing to do every kind of task imaginable. Where others complained, Maddie jumped right in the heart of things, intending to accomplish whatever was necessary to further Vesturon’s goals.
It didn’t take long for Maddie to learn the Xanthians were a nasty bunch. They were conniving and mean spirited, and they could not be trusted. They had broken nearly every treaty they had signed, and deep down, Maddie felt it would be better for all if the universe came together and collectively got rid of every one of them. However, it was not her call. She was just a flunky following orders.
One night after work, a group of Maddie’s friends invited her to join them for dinner and drinks. After exhausting all excuses, she was pressured into saying yes. They ended up in a small restaurant for a quick meal and then headed to a club for some dancing.
Maddie let a giggle escape when she had a vision of herself going into her gyrations on the dance floor. They had no idea what they were in for.
They arrived at the club, and everyone ordered their favorite drinks. Maddie did not like to drink alcohol, so she ordered water. After untold amounts of criticism, she relented and ordered a chardonnay. Since they were in a remote colony, chardonnay wasn’t available, so the bartender poured her a glass of something similar. It was the most disgusting thing Maddie had ever tasted.
The club reminded Maddie of what clubs looked like on Earth. Even though she had never been to a real club, she had watched enough TV and movies to get a good idea. The music was blaring with a strange beat, and everyone trickled onto the dance floor.
Maddie started moving her legs and feet to the rhythm of the music, and before she knew it, she was engrossed in it. Her legs were kicking out at odd angles, and if her friend Tynia hadn’t ducked, she would have been hit in the head with Maddie’s shoe as it accidently flew off her foot.
Maddie started spinning around wildly, and her arms turned into weapons. Since leaving Earth, she had become incredibly fast and strong. With her arms flailing around, she was a danger to all those around her. Several people came into contact with them and dropped like flies. Still, Maddie danced on, oblivious to everyone’s pain and injuries.
When the music came to a blessed end, Maddie became aware of the fact that she was the only one left on the dance floor. Several people were holding ice bags to their heads, and one person appeared to be suffering from a broken arm.
“What in the world is happening here?” Maddie asked Tynia.
“I would suggest Maddie that when you dance again, you give everyone fair warning,” Tynia responded.
Maddie snorted, “Yeah, I know I’m a horrendous dancer.”
“I was not referring to that. I was referring to how dangerous you are when you throw yourself around. I nearly got hit in the head with your shoe…of all things. It flew at me with shocking speed. I am still surprised I was able to duck quickly enough. Everyone you see with an injury sustained them because of your dancing.” Tynia was not pleased.
“Ohmigosh! I did not intend for that to happen. I haven’t danced in so long, I was not aware that I was dangerous.”
Two huge men approached Maddie and informed her that she would have to leave; the other customers were not comfortable with her in the club. Maddie couldn’t believe everyone’s reaction, but then again, she hadn’t seen herself dance. She left the club and wandered down the street toward her quarters. She’d been having a good time until she got booted out. That tickled her too: her first time to a club, and she gets kicked out! Oh, the irony of it all! She would have to call Sharra tonight and tell her about this one!