Chapter 36

"Is that necessary?" Nora asked the first responder who wrapped her ankle tightly and secured it to make sure no further damage could be done.

"Yes, ma'am," the woman said, sighing under her breath. "Your ankles are both broken and your legs show signs of severe trauma."

"Nora, don't fight it," Birdie said from where she sat beside the girl in the medical tenth.

"I agree," the doctor said. "And please stop talking. You've hurt your throat too. You'll lose your voice if you keep talking."

"Maybe I should call Hayden," Birdie said, her eyes flickering outside of the tent. "He can heal yo-"

"No," Nora reached out and took Birdie's hand.

Her eyes caught sight of Hayden standing outside of the tent along with Ares and Clare as the jinns from the Tyveer court rounded up all the elderly feys on the island who had stood with Afet. They were taken into whatever was left of the woods and quickly taken care of so that no one ever had to worry about them betraying someone who came to help.

And then there were the jinns who had followed Maaz's commands....

Nora shuddered thinking about what Heyder, Ali and some of the other jinns were doing on the other side of the island by the water. The air on the island reeked of death and destruction. Nora looked at Birdie and recognized the uneasy look in her eyes.

"Where's Noor?" She asked, her voice strained and raspy.

"Mom is evacuating some of the children," Birdie pulled at her long sleeves. "He ran off after her."

"Where are they going?" Nora asked, her heart contracting painfully in her chest. "What's going to happen to them?"

"I don't know," Birdie shook her head. "For now, Clare will hold them at the school until everyone decides what to do with them."

"They're just kids..." Nora's eyes watered. "They're innocent..."

"I know," Birdie nodded, pushing back her silver hair. "Baba is letting Clare and Ares decide what to do with them..."

"How many are there?" Nora asked.

"Not many," Birdie sighed. "Just the few that were healed."

"Birdie, please find Noor for me," Nora's heart twisted thinking about the hell they all had just lived through.

"He's fine, Nora," the silver haired girl assured her. "Baba won't let anything happen to him....especially not after today."

"Why did you bring him back to the island?" Nora couldn't help the way her eyes watered. "You should have stayed away with him."

"We couldn't...." Birdie said quietly. "Baba and Hayden told me not to tell you yet but..."

Nora didn't think it was possible for her shrinking heart to hurt anymore. But as she stared at Birdie and the way the girl's eyes shifted, Nora felt her ache in her chest rise up into her throat.

"What....what happened?" She asked, her voice cracking and losing sound.

"Maaz....he...." Birdie's eyes watered and the tips of her ears turned red.

Nora leaned forward and took the girl's hand, "Tell me."

"Maaz was after Noor," Birdie's words were a whisper. "If baba wasn't there...."

"Where's Noor?" Nora's bottom lip trembled.

"Ma'am, you have to stay still," the nurse nearby looked down at Nora with disapproval as she tried to lean over the cot and catch a glimpse of the little boy.

"Noor!" Nora called out, her throat burning as the sound escaped.

Hayden looked over his shoulder before leaving Ares mid-conversation and rushing into the tent. His eyes took in the casts around Nora's ankles and the many many many bruises around her face as Birdie and the nurse tried to get her to stay still.

"Hayden," Nora's eyes found the half jinn standing by the door. "Where's Noor?"

Hayden's eyes flickered to his little sister as she tried to avoid his eyes.

"He's fine," Hayden said, walking over to the cot and placing his hands around Nora's face. "He's fine, I promise."

"I'll go get him," Birdie said, quietly exiting the tent.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Nora cried, looking into Hayden's dark green eyes as he wiped the tears away from her face and began to heal her.

"How could I with everything going on?" Hayden asked, leaning his forehead against her. "Please stop talking....your voice..."

Nora tried to open her mouth and protest but Hayden pulled her closer and silenced her with his lips. He kissed her with warmth and magic, willing every broken bit and piece in her to heal.

At first, Nora drowned in his touch, feeling as if she finally found a fire after traveling in a snowstorm for days. But no matter how good it felt, she could not shake off how tired Hayden was. She could feel it in her bones as he held her and soothed her hair back.

"Please, stop," Nora whispered, pushing him away.

"I can't see you like this," Hayden shook his head, not letting go of her as he held the back of her neck gently.

"Save your streng-"

"Baba!"

Noor's voice startled the pair as the little boy ran into the tenth with another child his age. Birdie followed them inside and hovered by the door.

"This is my baba," Noor introduced Hayden to his friend as he ran in between Hayden's legs and laid his head down on his lap. "And that's my mama."

Nora sniffled as Noor reached back and took her hand in his tiny ones. He looked up and carefully placed her hand in between his as if he was holding a wounded bird.

"Why are you crying, mama?" He asked, his lips forming a frown as his eyes looked down at Nora's legs. "Does it hurt?"

"Just a bit, baby," Nora spoke and instantly regretted her decision as Noor's eyes flickered up with worry.

"What happened to your voice?" He asked, moving closer.

"Mama's hurt," Hayden said, lifting up Noor and placing him beside Nora. "Who's your friend?"

"That's Remi," Noor said, not really interested in anything other then Nora anymore.

"Hello, Remi," Hayden smiled at the little boy standing beside Birdie.

"Mama, I can make you better," Noor reached up and touched Nora's face.

"Noor, no!" Birdie rushed forward.

"What's wrong?" Hayden looked up in alarm as Nora secured Noor by her side.

"He tried to heal me earlier," Birdie's eyes stayed on Noor's hand on Nora's cheek. "He's not very good at it yet..."

Hayden's eyes widened as he caught on to what his sister was saying. He quickly turned to Noor and lifted him away from Nora.

"Mama's going to be fine," he said, kissing the top of the boy's head. "You can help her feel better by making her a card."

"Okay..." Noor agreed with a small pout.

"Noor," Birdie held up her hand. "Let's go take Remi to the portals with the other children."

"But Remi didn't meet Paba yet," Noor protested.

"Who's Paba?" Hayden asked in confusion.

"Paba," Noor said again. "My chest was hurting and Paba made it stop."

"He's talking about baba," Birdie said.

Hayden and Nora's eyes flickered to the little fey in front of them. Hayden reached out and guided Noor closer and sat him down on his leg.

"Baba healed you?" He asked.

Noor nodded, "He said I can't call him by his name."

"Of course he did," Hayden let out a short laugh. "What else did Paba say?"

"A lot of bad words," Noor laughed. "But he said I can't say them if you and mama don't like it."

"Does he know you call him Paba?"

Noor nodded once more, "Paba is nice."

Hayden's eyes connected with Nora over Noor's head. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she smiled and reached for Noor.

"Yeah," Hayden said, kissing Noor's head. "Paba is the best."

________________________

A few weeks later.

"Seventeen," Hayden said, lowering the list in his hands.

"And Clare confirmed they're all with her?" Maya asked from where she sat on the sofa.

Hayden slowly nodded his head, "They're inside the dome. Top floor. Away from the rest of the kids at school."

"How long can we keep them there?" Nora wondered.

"Not for long," Maya sighed, rubbing her forehead. "They'll start to think they're in a prison."

"The little ones won't," Hayden said. "The big ones might. They're already too scared. Some of them haven't said a word since they left the island."

"Can you blame them?" Maya shook her head. "After all they have been through..."

"What..." Nora felt the ever present pressure reappear in her chest. "What are we going to do with them?"

"That's the big question right now," Maya looked down at the red ruby ring on her finger. "What do we do with seventeen fey children?"

"Is there really nothing left of the island?" Nora looked to Hayden.

"No," the half jinn shook his head. "Baba and Uncle Ali turned the whole place down after we evacuated....then Ares had Poseidon swallow up the burnt land into the ocean."

"It was the only way," Maya added, noticing the way Nora's body recoiled from the horrors. "We had to be sure no one was left alive on the island. The kingdom had to fall."

"I understand..." Nora slowly nodded.

"I'm sorry, Nora," Maya's voice was coated with guilt.

"Why are you apologizing?" Nora asked.

"The island was your birthplace. It was Noor's birthplace too. And your parent's cottage...."

Nora pushed down the bittersweet memories that tried to rise inside her mind of the island. She fiddled with her hands on her lap as she stared out the window and cleared her throat.

"It was full of lies," she said.

Maya opened her mouth to say something else when the door to the home office opened and Heyder walked in.

"The little creature is hungry," he announced. "Does it eat meat?"

Nora unfolded her legs and rose from the sofa.

"Yes," she chuckled. "Noor eats meat. He loves cold turkey sandwiches with pickles."

"Beastly little thing," Heyder muttered.

"Paba!" Noor suddenly hollered from the hallway.

"Oh god, he found me," the jinn rolled his eyes and moved away from the doorway. "Tell him I'm not here."

"Mama," Noor ran into the office huffing and puffing. "Have you seen Paba?"

"I..." Nora's eyes flickered to the jinn hiding behind the door. "Nope. Haven't seen him."

"I can smell him in here," Noor sniffed the air.

Hayden watched with amusement as Heyder silently summoned a narrow portal and tried to escape. He was almost successful until Maya snapped her fingers and the portal shut, revealing the wall instead of Heyder's sweet escape.

"Noor, do you remember the seeking spell I taught you yesterday?" She asked, rising from her chair and walking around her desk. "Wanna try it again to find Paba?"

"Yes!" Noor hopped up with excitement.

"Excellent," Maya smirked. "Let's go set Paba's ass on fire."

"Ooo!" Noor laughed, showing his pearly white teeth. "Mama, mimi said a bad word."

"Ass is not a bad word," Heyder snorted. "It's a body part."

"Paba!" Noor exclaimed. "I found you!"

"Congratulations. I wasn't trying to hide from you."

"Can we go see the treehouse again?" Noor asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I am tired. I am old. I need sleep."

"After your nap?"

"No."

"Then when?" Noor wondered.

"Never."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Are you going to repeat everything I say?" Heyder narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to repeat everything I say?" Noor placed his hands on his hips and tried to copy the jinn's scowl.

"Hey, here's an idea," Heyder suddenly clapped his hands together. "Why don't you go see Eggs and Gem? You haven't seen them in a while. And the horses."

"No, Heyder. Mom and dad are busy with work this weekend-" Maya tried to intervene but Heyder had already opened a portal to the farm and pushed Noor through.

"Don't worry," he looked towards Nora as she opened her mouth and Hayden stood up with a deep frown. "Exton caught him."

"Caught him?" Hayden questioned.

"He likes jumping down from portals."

"Since when?" Nora asked, looking at the portal.

"Baba, you can't drop him from a portal," Hayden shook his head. "He's six."

"I dropped Birdie when she was six," Heyder said. "Look at her. She's fine!"

"This family is mental," Hayden muttered as he headed towards the portal himself to retrieve his son.

Nora didn't know what to say as Maya and Heyder began to bicker with her standing in between them.

Hayden...she opened her mind-link. Maybe it's time we started to look for a place of our own.

Already ahead of you, Hayden replied as he walked back out of the portal with Noor. 

You guys know I suck majorly when it comes to writing sweet happy endings....just bare with me as I close out this story LOL