‘Nevaeh,’ Hawk calls.
Only then does she feel the cold metal and looks down at the sword that has penetrated her side. She wonders if she can die a second time and like the first, she doesn’t feel any pain. Everything starts to blur, and as she falls, she notices the archway to the garden closing. The two guarding trees shimmering as they blend like watercolours.
‘So beautiful,’ she sighs unaware that Hawk has caught her until she looks up.
‘Nevaeh,’ he whispers, his voice hoarse, but she’s looking past him, her face frozen in horror. He flicks his eyes in the direction of his dropped sword. The reflection is demonic, distorted but the intention is clear - Anna is holding the sword above his head. Hawk is quicker, and in one movement, twists round, cutting off her shriek as he slams her onto the ground, cracking her neck. There she lays still, open and sightless eyes look out from her twisted face and they both look at each other. He strokes her face.
‘She’s dead Nevaeh, and is making her way through the veil, to the tree of life: em sentet en kshertu.’ Hawk places his hands on Anna’s eyes, then lifts his cupped hand to his lips and blows. She knows without explanation that he is blowing her soul to Nirvana, the real Nirvana.
‘Mika?’ She questions, struggling to speak. Hawk shakes his head, and she can’t help but feel grief stricken. Hawk shakes his head.
‘He disappeared when she died Nevaeh. She summoned him, and without her, he has no purpose. He is returning to the dark world of Khaos –look.’
She turns her head to the side where Mika had last stood. The memory of his smile and sea green eyes fill her with sadness and a longing she still can’t explain. A cold wind blows towards them both, ripping at the flowers, and the emptiness of the place fills her with dread. It no longer looks like her home and emotions that she thought were long forgotten flood her body. Everything was a lie, she wasn’t my true mother, and the dreams, were just that, dreams. She sobs, anguish tearing into her.
‘Hawk, I don’t want to die.’ She looks up at him. He smiles sadly before bending down to kiss her. They both groan, as long forgotten feelings rush back.
‘You’re not dying Nevaeh; you’re making a choice, the choice to return.’
‘I am?’ Nevaeh frowns from the effort. He nods, brushing her hair from her face, his fingers trailing down my cheek. His face is serious.
‘Nevaeh, it isn’t a lie. You are the true daughter of Gaia, and you do have a purpose on earth.’ He kisses her again more tenderly than the first time, and she feels her body ache for him. His mouth brushes her eyelids and nose before returning to her mouth. As he speaks she can feel him trembling and frowns, feeling his sadness.
‘Nevaeh, I will always be with you, live your life in the embrace of Gaia.’
Her frown deepens and she pulls away.
‘Hawk, you sound like you’re saying goodbye.’ She gives him a worried smile, expecting him to deny it but he just stares more intently. Nevaeh feels like he is trying to memorise every detail of her face and it frightens her. For the first time in a long time, she feels the familiar cold hand of fear.
‘Hawk?’ She asks nervously.
His face bends towards her again, and now she can see a small tear in the corner of one eye. She leans upwards, wrapping her arms around his neck, wanting to kiss the sadness away, to tell him it was alright, but he doesn’t let her. Instead, he is grabbing her roughly by the shoulder, shaking her and it hurts.
‘Nevaeh…wakeup…wakeup…
WAKE UP!’ he screams.