Chapter 19

Kiara sat by the small bay window and gazed out at the lush green lawns. The warm breeze played with the trees outside as a few bees danced around the flower beds. Macy's mother kneeled by the dirt and dug up a small hole. She examined the marigold in her hand with caution and care before plotting it down and patting the dirt.

"Kiara?" Macy's gentle voice pulled Kiara out of her head. She turned and found the girl standing by the door holding her phone. "It's Killian again. He's asking if I've heard from you."

Kiara shook her head. Her breathing grew uneven as she pressed her lips into a thin line and took in a long breath.

"Tell him you haven't heard from me," she said.

Macy nodded. She hit the unmute button on her screen and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Killian," she said. "Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

"Have you heard from Kia?" Killian's voice drove daggers through Kiara's heart.

"No," Macy said, looking at Kiara. "I haven't. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Killian lied. "I just...her phone is off and I can't reach her."

"Oh," Macy frowned.

"Let me know if you hear from her, okay?" Killian said. "And if she comes by, call me immediately."

"Will do," Macy nodded.

Kiara looked away and stared out the window as Macy ended the walk and walked over to her. She felt the girl take a seat on the window ledge beside her and fix her gaze on Kiara's face.

"What's going on?" Macy asked once more. "You've barely said a word since you got here yesterday."

"I'm sorry," Kiara turned to look at her friend. "There's just a lot happening right now and I didn't know where to go."

"I'm glad you came here," Macy reached out and touched Kiara's hand. "Why won't you talk to Killian?"

"I have nothing to say to him," Kiara looked down at Macy's hnd soothing her.

"He sounds worried."

"He probably is."

More about you than me probably, Kiara thought to herself.

"Did you guys have a fight?" Macy frowned.

Kiara shrugged.

"About what....if you don't mind me asking."

Kiara slowly fille dher lungs and let out a sigh. She looked up and stared out the window, feeling her throat tighten up, "I asked him a question and....the answer should have been a yes or no....but....it wasn't."

Macy wanted to ask more. But she already felt as if she was pushing too much. Kiara was clearly not in the mood to talk.

"I asked him if he believed me," Kiara said, more to herself than to the girl sitting before her.

"He doesn't believe you?" Macy raised a brow.

"No," Kiara shook her head. "I just....I feel as if I've been shot out of the sky. There is this hole...a huge hole in my chest and it keeps getting bigger and bigger..."

As Kiara spoke, tears started to pool in her eyes. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips and tried to muffle the sob that rose up but she failed. Macy leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Kiara and let her rest her head on her shoulder.

"It feels like I woke up and suddenly everyone and everything I knew in my life disappeared," Kiara cried. "My parents...Killian....I...they treat me as if I haven't spent my whole life loving them with everything I have. They believe a stranger over me, Macy. Like always they never bother to listen to me. And I thought Killian would be an exception to that but he's just like them..."

"I'm so sorry," Macy ran her hand up and down Kiara's arm. "Don't cry...it'll get better."

"No," Kiara shook her head. "It won't."

"You don't know that."

Kiara lifted her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, "They've already made up their mind. Nothing I say or do will change that. All my words will be laced with manipulation and poison to their ears."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I....I don't know yet," Kiara shook her head. "But I can't go back home. They'll convince me that I'm crazy."

"But your baby..." Macy frowned. "Killian and your parents...they must be worried about Lila."

"I have to do this for Lila," Kiara said. "I can't go back...her life will be just as miserable as mine if I go back."

"Kiara..." Macy hesitated. "I don't know what exactly happened but you can't....you can't take Lila away from her father. Killian wants to be in her life."

"I can't think about that right now," Kiara shook her head. "Maybe down the road....but right now if I go back, they will convince me that I'm crazy."

"You're not crazy," Macy said.

"Can I stay here for another day?" Kiara asked, feeling so broken she hardly recognized herself.

"Of course," Macy nodded. "You can stay as long as you want."

"Thank you," Kiara said, holding her friends hand tightly.

_____________________

Killian ended the call with Macy and had the urge to throw his phone across the room. His chest was as hollow as an empty drum. For the past two days he had barely had any sleep, not that anyone was sleeping with Kiara god knows where.

Killian would never forget the moment when he had woken up to check on Kiara in the middle of the night. The memories would haunt him in his dreams for as long as his heart beat in his chest.

The room was so dark. That was the first thing that had hit Killian. He remembered thinking it was so odd since Kiara never liked sleeping in the dark. He had moved into the room and his eyes immediately caught the silver necklace on the nightstand table. The moonlight creeping in through the window reflected off the pair of wings as if mocking him and taunting him.

It was just then when Cerberus' barks woke the whole house. Posey sobbed uncontrollably as Tobias and Killian followed the hellbeast to the waterfall and found Kiara's footsteps in the cave. And the universe seemed to only send more bad news as Ares dropped in to announce Kiara had terrorized Dr. Trystan's family.

All Killian wanted to do was bring Kiara back home. He knew Clare had a lot of questions for her. She wasn't going to like that. But she needed help and he wasn't going to let her go just like that. He loved her, with all his heart and more.

When Killian walked back into the room, Tobias looked up and arched a brow. Killlian shook his head. The god's face grew grim as he turned back to the screen.

"Hannah," Clare said in the other room, away from all the gods. "Walk me through everything once more."

Killian stood by the door and watched the screen. This was probably Clare's second or third meeting with the doctor. No matter how many times she asked the same questions, Dr.Trystan's answers always made the pit of Killian's stomach drop.

"I...I was in my kitchen," Dr. Trystan began as she ran a hand through her hair. "Ava was in her high chair. I turned to check on the kettle and that was when I felt something change in the room. I turned and Kiara....she...she was standing beside Ava's highchair..."

Killian's hands balled into fists. The muscles in his jaw jumped as he closed his eyes momentarily.

Kia....he thought to himself. Why did you have to do this?

"What happened next?" Clare urged the woman to continue.

"I was not expecting to see her," Dr. Trystan's hands shook. "She leaned down and kissed Ava's cheeks. She seemed calm...but then....when she looked at me...she grew angry. She pulled out a gun and held it to ..."

Posey's eyes closed as she listened to the woman's sobs. The fear in Dr. Trystan's eyes left her feeling weak as she sat beside her husband.

"Did Kiara say something to you?" Clare asked.

Dr. Trystan nodded, "She said....she said she still had more work to do...and she wanted me to to make you believe."

"Make me believe what?" Clare asked.

"She wouldn't say," Dr. Trystan shook her head. "She just kept saying make them believe it."

"What happened next?"

Dr. Trystan took in a deep breath, "She made me promise I would make you all believe.....whatever she wants me to make you believe and then....then she left."

"And that's when you called me?"

Dr. Trystan nodded.

Ares turned away from the screen and looked at his uncle. Tobias' face was unreadable as he sat motionless. Killian could hear Clare thanking the doctor before she got up and headed for the room they all sat in.

"We need to find her," Ares said. "And soon."

"But if we all go after her right now, she will feel cornered," Killian said. "Let me bring her back."

"She already feels cornered," Ares said. "That's why she ran."

"But why would she go to Dr. Trystan?" Posey shook her head.

"By best guess is she wants the doc to convince us she's okay," Ares said. "Kiara thinks Dr. Trystan put her in this position. We need to get her back."

"Killian is right," Clare said as she walked into the room. "If we all go, she will put up a big fight. It should be him. She listens to him."

Tobias nodded, "The furies found her scent. She's with her friend Macy."

"Furies?" Posey frowned. "You sent furies after her?"

"Only to find her," Tobias said. "They would never harm her or go near her."

"Yeah well, that didn't work so well with my wife last time around," Ares muttered from the corner of the room.

"Killian," Clare turned to the boy. "Go to Macy. Bring Kiara back. Don't pressure her. We need to keep her calm."

"Is going right now a good idea?" Posey asked. "I mean...she's angry and upset...will she listen?"

"We can't risk her being out there," Ares said. "She's with Macy's family."

"I agree with Ares," Tobias said. "We don't know what state she's in right now. We need to get her away from others."

________________________

Kiara ran her hands over the lavender bushes as she slowly made her way over to the swing dangling from the tree. Her fingers wrapped around the worn rope as she looked up and gave the thing a good tug.

"What do you say, little dove?" she asked her bump. "Should we try this?"

The trees rustled with the summer breeze. Kiara tugged on the rope once more before walking in front of the tire and taking her seat. Her feet hovered slightly off the ground as she pushed back and began to swing gently.

"You know, your dad and I had a swing like this," she said, holding the rope. "We used to sit on it for hours reading our books."

A small smile crawled across Kiara's lips as she remembered Killian's face. His burrows would always furrow when he read, no matter what he was reading. She liked the small v that appeared between his brows. Her finger fit on it perfectly when she used to push his skin back and laugh at him.

"You'll get wrinkles," she would tell him.

As the sweet memories danced across Kiara's mind she slowly ran her hand over her bump. The small action had become her way of making herself believe everything would be okay. She didn't know who she did it for more, herself or Lila.

As Kiara sat swinging on the tire swing, she felt the back of her neck prickle with heat. Her pulse quickened as she looked up slowly and noticed the shadow approaching her. She held her breath and listened to the footsteps. She knew those steps...

"Kia," Killian called to her.

Kiara's hands wrapped around the ropes as she bit down on the inside of her cheeks. She didn't move, her eyes watched his shadow on the woodchips below her.

"Were you just going to disappear?" Killian asked as he came to a stop before her. He allowed Kiara a second to answer before he lowered himself and placed a hand on her knee. "Look at me."

Kiara slowly lifted her lashes.

"What are you doing?" Killian frowned. "Why won't you tell me anything?"

"Because you don't believe me," Kiara said.

"Make me believe you," Killian said. "Don't run. Stay. You stay and you make me believe you."

"How?" Kiara asked. "How do I do that when everything I say sounds like lies to you?"

Killian's jaw clenched. His gaze held Kiara's as she looked away once more.

"Killian..." Kiara said his name and pushed down the pain that rose in her chest. "I've loved you since the moment I knew what love was...how could you....how could you believe Dr. Trystan over me?"

"I don't believe her," Killian shook his head. His answer only made Kiara laugh.

"I can tell when you are lying to me," she said. "You're my best friends, remember?"

"Kia, come home," Killian raised his hand and touched the edge of Kiara's face. "We're all worried about you. Your parents...me....I...I can't think straight without you. I told you I would never survive a day without you."

"And I would never survive a day with you," Kiara said slowly. Her brown gaze held Killian's as the trees overhead rustled once more.

"What do you mean?" Killian's face paled.

"I can't go back home," Kiara shook her head. "You all have turned that into my prison cell."

"It's not your prison cell."

"So my dad will take down all the boundary spells if I go back?" Kiara asked. "You will stop babysitting me? Keeping me in your sight 24/7?"

Killian once again had no reply.

"I....I can't live like that," Kiara shook her head. "A prisoner in my own home...I can't have Lila there."

"What are you talking about?" Killian's eyes narrowed.

"I'm staying here," Kiara said. "On Earth. With Lila."

"And what about me?" Killian asked.

"If you stay...you'll only be staying to watch over me."

"No," Killian shook his head. "I'll be staying because I love you. Because I want us to be a family. You, me, Lila."

"No, you won't," Kiara shook her head. Her heart hurt just thinking about a life without him. But she knew in her soul she couldn't live with a man who would never believe a word out of her mouth. "Killian, you're not even understanding what I am saying right now."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is!" Kiara said with frustration. "I know you, Killian. What part of that don't you understand? I know you better than you know yourself. You're sitting here in front of me but you still think every word out of my mouth is to manipulate you."

Kiara reached up and touched the tears at the corner of her eyes, "You think these are to get your defense down. You think my emotions are a show."

Killian felt the pain inside of him rip through his soul like a violent storm.

"Tell me you haven't questioned our entire life together," Kiara said.

"Kia.."

"Tell me!" Kiara's voice cracked. "Tell me you didn't spend the nights laying beside me going over everything in your head and questioning it. Do you...do you even believe me when I tell you that I love you?"

"Of course, I do."

"Stop lying to me, Killian," Kiara begged as if the word caused her pain.

"Kiara, I'm trying," Killian suddenly said. "I'm trying, okay. The things that you did....I try to understand them and I do. But then things are brought to my attention that has my head spinning. What am I supposed to do? I want nothing but the best for you. I want to keep you safe and happy and protect you. But if I ignore things right in front of me, how is that me protecting you? So, you tell me. What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to trust me!"

"I'm trying!" Killian said again. "Believe me, I'm trying. But you're not making this any easier by running away in the middle of the night."

Kiara shook her head as her cheeks soaked with tears, "Go away. I don't want to see you."

"No," Killian shook his head. "You don't get to make that call. I love you and you're carrying my child. I am not leaving your side."

"I'll just run away again."

"And I'll find you," Killian once again lowered himself. "Kia....please. Don't push me away. Let me help you."

"I don't need help."

"Let me help you with Lila," Killian pushed. "She's my responsibility too. You can't take her away from me."

"I really don't want her anywhere near you at this moment."

"You're upset at me and I get that," Killian said. "But make me believe you."

Kiara looked away. Her eyes burned as she released more tears. Killian raised his hand and wiped them away as he cupped her face and pulled her a bit closer.

"Come with me," he said, looking into her eyes. "We can leave all this behind."

"And go where?" Kiara asked.

"Anywhere," Killian said. "It'll just be us three. We can leave all of this behind. Start over."

"You can't start over with someone you don't trust, Killian."

"I trust you with my life," Killian said. "I trust you with my daughter's life. Whatever this mess is...we can leave it all behind."

Kiara shook her head, "No."

"Yes," Killian nodded. "We can. I'll fix this. Just...just work with me and I promise I will fix this."

"Killian," Kiara looked down at her hand as the pressure in her chest pushed out a sob.

She felt broken to the point of no return. Everything around her seemed to move on as she stood with her world crashing down around her. Kiara had never felt so alone in her whole life.

"Please," Kiara whispered and Killian moved closer and kissed her temple. "I...nothing makes sense anymore....please believe me. Please."

"I love you, baby," Killian pushed her hair out of her face and pulled her closer. "I love you so much and I promise I will make this better. I'll be just us and Lila. We'll leave all of this behind."

Kiara broke into sobbs that rocked her body. She covered her mouth and let Killian pull her to her feet as he wrapped his arms around her. His heart hammered on in his chest as she placed her cheek over his chest and soaked his shirt with her tears.

"Let me help," Killian pulled back to look into Kiara's eyes. "That's what you want, right?"

Kiara nodded, "Yes....help me....believe me, please."

"I love you," Killian said once more, his chest was so tight he feared one more breath and he would snap in half. "Come with me."

Kiara sniffled with a frown on her lips, "Where?"

"I'm going to make this better, Kia," he said for the hundredth time. "Just trust me, and let me help."

Kiara stared into his eyes. Her stomach twisted painfully and told her not to listen. But her heart had learned to beat again from his world. She gazed into his eyes as he waited for her to answer. Something in the back of her mind urged her to pull away. But she loved the boy. With everything she had and she couldn't denly how badly her heart trusted him.

Slowly, Kiara took a step forward and let her heart take the lead. She nodded her head as Killian let a small sigh of relief escape his lips. He turned the pixie ring on his finger and summoned a portal behind them.

"Wait," Kiara said as he began to step back with her. "I didn't say goodbye to Macy."

"We'll come back," Killian said.

"But I want to thank her parents."

"Kia," Killian grew slightly impatient. "Not now."

Kiara wiped her tears with her hands and then wiped her hands on the dress she wore. Killian reached out and placed his hand on her lower back and ushered her forward. Kiara took in a deep breath and reached back to touch him. She took hold of the hem of his shirt as they stepped through the portal together.

For the first time in almost a week, Kiara felt her soul rest peacefully. Her heart hummed without pain as every cell in her body seemed to release a breath all at once. She wanted to turn back and look at Killian but as she stepped through the portal, her world shattered around her once more.

Killian and Kiara portaled out of Macy's farmhouse and stood in the middle of Clare's office. They all stood silently and watched her as the portal closed and Killian stepped closer.

Kiara felt as if someone had punched her through the heart. If she wasn't holding Killian, she would have surely fallen to the floor.

The pain that ripped through her was indescribable. It started in the center of her chest and spread like wildfire. Her eyes began to burn as the breath she had just taken got tangled in sharp knives in her lungs. Her body had grown numb. She wasn't even sure how she was standing. Somehow, through the pain and heartache, Kiara managed to turn to Killian.

"Why..." she managed to choke out.

Killian's face twisted in pain. His broken eyes looked down at her as Kiara's eyes filled with anger.

How dare he look as if he was the one hurting? Did he know anything about the pain he had just caused her?

"Kiara," Posey took a step forward. "Baby, where did you go?"

Kiara turned to look at her mother. She barely heard the woman speak as her head began to sway back and forth.

They will always betray you...no matter how much you love them...

"Kiara," Clare spok up. "We want to help you."

"Help me..." Kiara felt her vision blur with tears.

"Yes," Clare nodded. "We're going to help you."

"...how?"

"Dr. Trystan can teach you how t-"

"Not Dr. Trystan."

"Okay," Clare nodded. "We have other doctors at the palace you can speak to."

"I don't want to speak to anyone," Kiara shook her head. "I'm not crazy."

"Did you go to Dr. Trystan's house?" Tobias lost his patience. He couldn't stand around and tiptoe anymore. He couldn't see his daughter like this.

"What?" Kiara looked around the room. "No!"

"Did you hold a gun to her daughter's head?"

"No!" Kiara yelled again. "I didn't. I never went to her house! She's lying!"

"Where did you go then?" Tobias asked. "You sneaked out in the middle of the night."

"It's only sneaking out if I was being held," Kiara shook her head. "I went nowhere. I went to our summer home in Italy and then to Macy."

"Can you prove you weren't in Dr. Trystan's house?"

"Can you prove that I was?" Kiara stared at her father feeling as if every bit and piece of her was being crushed like glass bottles.

"Clare sat with her," Tobias said. "Dr. Trystan is not lying. She said you were there."

"And you believe her over me," Kiara said. She wasn't even sure if she even spoke those words aloud.

"We just want to know what is happening," Clare jumped in. "Kiara, my love, no one wants to hurt you. But if you are hurting other peo-"

"I'm not hurting anyone!" Kiara backed away as Killian tried to hold her hand. She suddenly felt as if she had dropped in a pit full of snakes. "I don't do anything. She's lying! I never went to her house! Mom! Please! Believe me."

"Talk to Clare," Posey tried to calm her daughter. "Please just sit with Clare and talk to her."

"I..." Kiara felt utterly defeated.

Time froze as she looked around the many faces in the room. Each one seemed so familiar...but they were all so wrong and twisted...

Someone in the room said something but Kiara couldn't hear. Someone stepped forward and took her hand. Someone pulled her to their chest and kissed her forehead....

Everything moved with snail speed in Kiara's head. Her heart began to slow as she just looked on at the figures around her. Someone tugged her forward and her feet moved. They moved her to a separate room somewhere in the dome. Kiara couldn't even remember if they had taken the stairs or elevator. There was a small pressure on her shoulders and then she was sitting in an armchair. Somewhere, a door opened and someone walked in and another person walked out.

Don't cry, little bird....

Kiara felt her breath hitch.

Shhhhhhhh, it's okay, my love. You are strong then this...you will not let them break you...

"Kiara," Clare said. "This is Dr. Ming. He will be replacing Dr. Trystan, okay."

Kiara turned her head. Who was she even looking at?

"Hello, Kiara," a man smiled. "We just have a few questions, okay? Clare will be here with us."

Kiara said nothing.

You will not let them break you...

"Kiara, did you ever go to visit Dr. Trystan?"

You are stronger then they will ever be. Your strength is as strong as a million souls...you, my dear, wear the crown of people who have come before and made kingdoms bow. You will never let them break you.

"No," Kiara's vision cleared slowly.

"Kiara..." Clare raised a brow. "Who's speaking right now?"

You will not bow to her.

Kiara slowly tilted her head. Her hand moved up from her side and spread over her bump. She felt Lila's strong heartbeat sourcing through her veins as she looked into Clare's stormy gray eyes.

Dr. Ming and Clare watched as Kiara's eyes shifted into focus. She slowly leaned forward and locked her gaze with Clare.

"I will not bow to you."

As soon as Kiara said the words, Clare's body flew across the room and collided with the wall. Dr. Ming jumped up as Kiara raised her hand and a sharp pain appeared in his chest. He became breathless as a strange pulling suddenly took over his body.

Clare raised her hand and a shield appeared around the doctor. Kiara groaned as she turned back to look at the woman.

"Kiara," Clare held up her hands. "You can't do this. Think of Lila."

"Even gods bleed, Clare," Kiara said. Her voice was so serene and calm that it made her words sound like poetry. "And I...will make...you bleed."

Clare gasped in pain as her knees gave out and she dropped to the floor. She tried to block Kiara's energy but the girl was focused as if her life depended on it. All the air was beginning to be suck out of Clare's lungs and her vision was starting to blur. She tasted blood in the back of her throat and began to choke immediately.

Suddenly, the door opened and Ares rushed in. He swung his shield and it flew across the room, headed straight for the side of Kiara's head.

"Ares, No!" Clare delivered her energy from Kiara to the shield. She pushed it away and sent it flying to the other side of the room.

"Kia!" Killian jumped forward as he pulled Kiara out of the way.

Kiara released a wave of energy that knocked Killian off his feet. Clare groaned in pain as she began to feel more blood rush to the back of her throat.

"Kiara," Ares grabbed his wife and looked back at the girl. "Stop! You're hurting them."

"Do you want to see what I did on that island?" Kiara smield.

The deadly wave of steady energy she released intensified. Clare began to grow pale as Killian struggled to rise to his feet. Ares looked on in horror as the radius of Kiara's blast widened and the kids downstairs in the dome all began to scream.

"Kiara!" Ares yelled, trying to get to her throat the layers and layers of energy she radiated out.

Just then, from behind Tobias walked in and wrapped an arm around his daughter. He flinched as her energy burned his skin. But he could withstand the pain. She was death but he was immortal.

"I'm sorry, little dove," Tobias said to her as he pressed down on the pressure point on her neck that made Kiara's knees buckle.

Kiara turned just in time to see her father pull a small box out of his pockets. She could hear the kids screaming downstairs as her eyes widened and connected with her father.

"Dad..." she said, her voice cracking. "Dad....I don't want to go."

But it was too late.

Tobias opened Pandora's box and the wind sucked in Kiara like a tornado.  

What are you feelings about everything that happened in this chapter? 

Also, my vacation is coming to an end so I will not be able to upload multiple times in one day but I will be uploading as often as I can <3 Love you all.