 
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 25

Chapter 2 Chapter 26 Chapter 3 Chapter 27

Chapter 4 Chapter 28

Chapter 5 Chapter 29

Chapter 6 Chapter 30

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2014 by J. J. Weddle

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

Cover Design by Melchelle Designs [melchelledesigns.com]

This first lost adventure is dedicated to Larry and Elke Weddle.

To Larry because he taught me how to excel at being a dreamer.

To Elke because she always kept me with my feet grounded if I got too far lost in the clouds.

I love you mom and dad. Thank you for pushing me to follow my dreams.

 Chapter 1

I have to keep moving on. Since I was a small child, this urge to never stay in one place has never quite left. It's not that I love to travel; it's that I have never found a place that I could truly call home and mean it. I've always had the hope that someday something would make me not want to roam so freely.

It's another cold and rainy day and I'm staring out the Greyhound bus window, the endless fields of green roll before my eyes. It's a labyrinth of wonder and nature stretching out before me, this place that I haven't been to for so long is tinged with dark and rotted memories. I feel so lost, and it's beginning to be impossible to find whatever it is I've been searching for.

I'm traveling to another lonesome city, a city that I used to refer to as "home." I feel more disconnected in this place then I have ever felt before.

My mother and I were never close, but there were many times I wished for closeness between us. I craved for a person to share my feelings, my hopes and experiences with.

Although, there was a definite lack in my maternal relationship I remember these words quite clearly, and they have never left my mind:

"Unless someone cares a whole damn lot about you, nothing is going to get better about your life. Remember, you can only depend on yourself."

I realize how very right she was as the years fade into forgotten memories and unwanted experiences.

Does anyone really care, or are we stranded on an island of our own selfish creation?

The man sitting across from me unfolds a newspaper. I crane my neck to read the tiny print just barely maKing out the misshapen letters to form seamless words about the reality of things.

The headline reads:

Stabbed hero dies as more than 20 people stroll past him

This catches my attention and so I read further:

A heroic homeless man, stabbed after saving a woman from a knife-wielding attacker, lay dying in a pool of blood for more than an hour as nearly 20 people uninterestedly rushed past him, an appalling surveillance video obtained by The Post reveals.

Some of the passers-by paused to stare at Eduardo Vanstelt last Thursday morning and others leaned down to get a closer look at his face.

He had jumped to the aid of a woman attacked on Fifth Street at Lincoln Road at 5:40 a.m., was stabbed multiple times in the chest and collapsed as he chased his assailant.

I stop reading the article feeling appalled.

Would he still be alive if one person had offered to help him?

Was his fate to die in a pool of his own blood with none of his loved ones around to say goodbye?

My mind fills with unanswered questions. I often feel like that's all I can think about are these questions without answers to them. I'm always analyzing things that I shouldn't. Sometimes, especially when I read articles like this, I truly believe that my life is fine as the hermit that I am: even if I feel lonely most of the time.

I want to live in a world that doesn't exist anymore. Maybe it never existed?

I look at the man who is holding the newspaper. He's reading it intently, as if every second he's breathing depends on the story that he's reading. I watch as his facial expressions change, perhaps he's contemplating why the journalist chose to use an enormous adjective instead of some simple word. The man looks up. His eyes are dark, empty and soulless and he stares at me. His eyes dart straight to my chest and I feel this strange connection with him for a moment. I realize that he is just as lost and alone as I am. He stops undressing me with his eyes and continues to read the paper and I hum along to the music coming from my headphones.

The flamboyant bus driver shouts out some ghost town of a name. The town is an empty, desolate place that only the highway seems to escape.

A pretty girl of about fifteen boards the bus and I watch her closely. She doesn't pay attention to her surroundings because she's busy smiling and texting some boy who will probably forget her name by tomorrow. For that moment though she looks content, truly happy.

Another woman carrying a tiny baby in her arms appears. She looks worn and haggard, as if she hasn't slept for an eternity. The handsome man beside her stares at me. Then he looks down at his hands, and for some reason I feel like I know what he's thinking: Escape. He wants to escape this life that he didn't choose for himself.

Another human boards the bus. I wonder how many people live in this desolate town. This time it's an old woman and her cheeks are stained with a million tears that could not be wiped away, even by the kindest of hands. Her face is aged and wrinkled, wise beyond recognition. It's as if each line is a lesson formed by some painful, unforgettable experience and I try to smile warmly at her. She stares at me with her eyes full of misery and I blink and turn my face.

If God lost faith in humanity then I am not surprised. What's the point in trying to save something so incredibly lost?

Tomorrow is my father's funeral.

I don't want anyone getting sentimental. I mean we all end up in the same place eventually. My father was my last living relative—at least, the last one I claimed as a relative. My mother is still alive somewhere, or well, as alive as you can be in a mental institution. Strangely, I remember my life as being pretty normal until the day I turned 13.

I let myself escape to a past that I've tried so hard to forget. I also let the tears that I have been holding in for so long escape in a flood of fury.

It was seven years ago. It was the day that my father finally left my mother. I can still recall the day impeccably, as if it were engraved into my mind and all I had to do was push the play button to see it. I remember every detail: Every miniscule moment.

I felt a new sense of excitement, who wouldn't be excited about finally being a teenager? One step closer to being an adult, and isn't that what every innocent child dreams of?

I was now on the road to becoming a grown-up in my still youthful eyes.

I had asked for a Schwinn bike that year. Not just any bike though, it was a hot pink one with tassels dangling daintily off of the handle bars. The seat was a blinding white metallic that glistened in the sunlight. I had seen the bike on my last day of school before summer vacation began.

I press my nose against the glass window, and leave a smudge against the pane. An indent, a memory of a time when things were so much simpler that would eventually fade away.

I rush down the stairs that day in May. I am flying into a catastrophe that my unflawed eyes could never predict.

My spiraled pigtails bounce giddily with me, until we reach the bottom step. My hair stops bouncing as quickly as my insides. My father stands in the doorway, his arms are crossed and his suitcases are in a pile next to his feet. Three suitcases stand in a row, each larger then the next one.

His eyes show some deep torture, but his face shows something else: Regret.

I wear the party dress that my mother had forced me into wearing that day. It is white with pastel pink polka-dots and an overly large pink bow in the front. I know it is hideous; it is an over-compensation for all the times that I haven't worn a dress to please my mother. Some sadistic way to get back at me, but I want to make her happy so I wear it today.

My mother leans against the stairwell, a calm expression sweeps smugly across her face as she looks me up and down. An eerily strange look that I have never seen painted on her face before.

My father stares at me. His eyes full of a tender love that my mother has never quite shown towards me. The world begins to spin. My mind still intact is full of youthful hope, but I'm aware of what is about to take place.

It has been happening to my friend's parents lately, but I never imagined that it would happen to mine: Divorce. That single word that could pull apart happy, loving families and rip them out of a galaxy of contented happiness.

My parents have never really happy.

I always try to imagine our family as joyful and hopeful like the families I have so often envied on television, but the older I become the more that delusion moves farther away.

I think the most frightening thing about it is that I am not in the least bit surprised that my father stands prepping for an escape; a luxury I will never get to enjoy.

I know my parents don't love each other.

At least they don't feel that kind of emotion anymore, but I like to think they did feel it strongly at one time. I still like to believe that love is like in the fairytales my father used to read to me at night. He used to whisper tales of hope, loss and love in the wee hours of the night until my eyes became so heavy that I couldn't battle sleep anymore. Then I would dream of having something so magical and beautiful in my life one day.

I think what really bothers my selfish, adolescent mind is that my father chose the most sacred day of all for someone my age to do it on. Why would you leave on your child's birthday?

It is the day that she enters the world, and you decide to leave hers.

My hands tremble awkwardly, uncontrollably and my entire world feels like it is about to collapse. It is going to implode into a million pieces that I will never be able to put back together even if I have an eternity to do so.

I try to hold my emotions in, but my body feels as if it is convulsing. I soon find myself on the ground as my body shakes and trembles. I sob. I don't want him to go, how can he leave me?

"Ali, one day you will grow and you will see that this was all for your benefit."

The words will haunt me. How can this pain ever benefit me?

I wish that I could tell him the truth. I wish I could tell him that I've missed him that I love him but most of all that I forgive him. Now I guess I will never get that chance.

I interrupt his attempt at soothing me with my own hateful tone full of agony and seeking vengeance.

I pick myself up off the ground; my head feels light and heavy in the same moment. Why couldn't he have picked a different day to leave?

"I have to go. Your mother wants me to leave."

I sob harder, but what if I don't want you to leave? I wish I could tell him that. I hold it inside.

He looks at me with a sad guilt blazing in his eyes.

I stop shaking now. I feel a sudden current of anger racing through my body. I ball my fists at my sides, two tiny guardians of a hopeful girl who doesn't want to be left behind and forgotten. Thirteen years of my suppressed anger boils to the top, and I feel sorry for anyone that is in its direct line of fire.

I look at my father, the sweetest look I can muster plastered to my mannequin face – So sweet, so innocent and so deadly.

"Daddy, one day I will grow up. I will grow up into a strong woman that will be able to defend herself. You promised me that I would always be your little Princess, but if that was the truth you wouldn't leave me."

I look up from my words to see if I have wounded him yet. His face scrunches into a frown and I continue.

"Do you know what would be the best birthday present of all? If you would leave, but not just leave because even that wouldn't be good enough. I wish I could erase you from my memory so that you wouldn't even be missed."

I finish the painful words that I will never be able to take back and they linger in the air, making it hard to breathe. I look down at my hands, and I see that they are bleeding. I had clenched my knuckles too hard and my fingernails had dug into my skin. Strangely, I cannot feel the pain.

The one thing I will never forget is the single tear drop rolling down my father's face. His expression is full of pain as he stumbles to grab his suitcases, still trying to turn the door handle with as much dignity as he has left within him.

I race to the kitchen window and stand on my tiptoes to get one last look. I watch him with his head hanging so low, it looks as if it could touch the ground and his shoulders slumped. I watch him as he places his belongings in the trunk of the taxi, and he turns around looking longingly at the house with his deep red, swollen eyes.

My heart is broken for the first time. I didn't get to tell him goodbye the way I should have...

A hot breath caresses insistently at the back of my neck. Shivers race down my spine.

"Alison Callahan, I think you have made a very grave mistake."

My mother stands behind me. I look down to see her tangled mass of wild, red hair when I look into the reflection of a very sharp knife. My breath halts and I choke out ghastly sounds. I cannot escape now.

"Your father was the only one who could stop me from doing this to you. Oh, he will be very happy to know that his leaving has caused his precious little Princess to lose her head."

She cackles and she brings the knife's edge down hard against my throat. I can feel life seep out of me. The blood flows endlessly. I try to scream but everything is beginning to become so far away and all I can see is a light that blinds my eyes. I look down and the blood trickles like an overturned hourglass ticking away time. Extraordinarily, something happens. As quickly as the blood was trickling through my fingers a moment ago, it stops. I feel stronger than before and I elbow my mother hard in the ribcage ripping the knife from her bloodied hands.

I cry out in agony as she bites my ankle and I scream so loudly that it reverberates off of the walls, a constant echo in my mind. I scream for what seems like an eternity until our neighbor blasts through the door. A sweet old lady by the name of Ms. McHenderson scoops me up in her arms and stares peculiarly down at my mother with her bloodied hands sobbing and whispering the same words.

"It has begun and it cannot be undone..."

 Chapter 2

I open my eyes and clutch tightly to the side of the outdated bus seat. The bus slams forward with an earth-shattering speed. I stare straight ahead and trace the diamond pattern with my long, lean fingers. We barrel through more of the same Midwestern scenery: Old barns, corn as far as the eye can see in faded gold and green tints of color, tractors and every so often a cow speckled here and there on a slope. The simplicity of it all makes it appealing in an outlandish way.

"Jacksonville, IL"

I wonder what it's like to make a living off shouting out city names and dropping people off in either the most familiar places or the most foreign destinations.

When someone travels they either know where they're going or they're trying to figure out where they want to be. There really are only two kinds of travelers. One of them has always had a set, pre-destined journey and the other is on a path of mystery and adventure. I'd rather be on the path that leads me to adventure, but not everyone feels that way though.

The bus comes to a halt in front of a sleepy southern town. I try to ignore the line of strangers attempting to get on the already over-crowded bus. I don't do all that well with people. I've always been skittish in social situations like an alley cat unacquainted with the social luxuries of a house cat.

I close my eyes once more and rest my forehead against the seat.

I sense someone standing over me by the sudden breeze in the small cramped area. Whoever it is they move quickly.

"Is this seat taken Ma'am?"

I lean back and rest my head against the cool leather headrest staring at the speaker with the casual southern drawl. I look up to find (to my surprise) a tall and very handsome man in his early twenties standing above me, trying hopelessly to shove his tiny blue, over-used suitcase in one of the overhead compartments. His giant, luminous gray eyes lock with mine and he surprises me with a lopsided grin.

As my eyes scan hesitantly downwards I notice every insignificant feature of this unusual stranger.

He is wearing a gray T-shirt, which fits snuggly to the contour of his muscles and a pair of blue jeans tight enough to leave very little to the imagination. He looks like he jumped from the cover of the latest Rolling Stones magazine and entered reality only to be mildly disappointed by it.

I lick my lips and scoot over to the empty seat next to the window.

He sits down as the bus jolts forward intensely.

His dark raven hair shines with just a little too much gel and the smell nauseates me. I try to think of the scenery outside, of anything but the extremely attractive man to my left. We ride together in silence for quite some time; it feels like an eternity.

I can feel him looking at me with longing, sideways glances, as if we had met before this moment.

I can't help but look over at him with this strange sense that I have seen him once somewhere. I try to stare out at the scenery, but the endless amounts of corn and bean fields rolling by are becoming somewhat infinite.

Finally, the stranger and I lock eyes.

"Are you lost?"

It's such a strange question from such a familiar entity.

"W-what do you mean?" I hesitate.

"Oh. It's nothing. It must by my intuition playing tricks on my mind. You just seem so sad, and you are way too beautiful to ever feel that way. Unless you are one of the chosen few..."

The boy with the wistful eyes trails off, gazing off into a place that I am not invited.

I smile feeling relieved. There for a second I thought he could read my mind because if he could he would have known that I did feel lost. That was how I was feeling about the world at that exact moment, but I felt better knowing he just assumed I looked sad and lost.

It was still a very strange coincidence, one that I couldn't just ignore.

"My father just died."

I say letting the words linger on my tongue like a bad taste in my mouth that will not go away. It is the first time I have said the words out loud. My mouth feels like metal.

"I'm very upset."

The words surprise me. I hadn't really thought about how I was feeling.

"Well, I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm sure good things are bound to come your way."

He pauses as if contemplating what he wants to say next.

"By the way, where are you headed? I'm not sure where I'm going, but I know I have to get the hell out of Jacksonville. That place is swarming with creeps."

He says with a quick, nervous glance behind him.

"Creeps, I thought they lived everywhere now."

I say in a joking manner.

"Pretty and smart, you're a keeper."

He winks at me, his gray eyes flash excitedly.

The mood seems to change around us in an instant. He looks at me seriously, and I notice his eyes darken. They're burning into me as they turn hazy. It's almost as if he's trying to burrow deep inside my head, but I can't stop staring at his eyes. My head sears with unbearable pain.

"Alison."

Something whispers near me, and my eyes widen in astonishment. It's almost as if it were inside of me... that voice.

"Alison, can you hear me?"

It was inside of my head. I squeal aloud, and put my hand over my mouth. The strange boy puts his finger to my lips and I jolt backwards banging my head against the headrest.

"No need to be afraid. Just listen to me for a moment. It's my job; I can get inside of people's minds. You can talk back to me without actually speaking. All you have to do is think about what you want to say. Do not say anything out loud because we are being watched."

The man takes his finger from my lips and stares at me with an anxious look. A million thoughts explode through my mind and I can hear an echo in my mind, a painful reminder that tells me that this man is going to hear everything I'm thinking.

"What is going on?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Who do you work for?"

My body feels as if it's being torn in two. My skull burns in agony. It hurts like hell, as if my insides are scorching. It also feels soothing as if a part of me has been missing until this moment.

A million unanswered questions linger in an invisible channel that links our two minds. The stranger sighs deeply and rubs his hands together trying not to look at me. I wonder how obvious it is to the people sitting around us that we are communicating this way.

"I can't tell you very much yet. All you need to know is that I am a Protector sent to you from the Kingdom of Newhollow. It is a district of the Deepwood Forest. Your father sent me to retrieve you because he had a feeling that you were being followed and watched. I promise that as soon as we reach a safe destination I will explain everything to you."

"Where are you going?"

The stranger looks up at me with hopeful eyes.

"You can't expect me to tell my destination to a stranger."

I smirk and chomp on my gum loudly, trying to distract myself from the situation.

"I am Theo Veltri. I'm the King's Advisor. You are the daughter of the King of Newhollow. The beautiful lost Princess will finally return home."

My mouth opens so wide that the gum I'm chewing falls to the floor, but I don't have time to think about it. I can't think about anything except for that last word he said: Home...

I want to laugh, but I don't want to seem rude. I knew when I met this peculiar stranger something was off about him. He is insane. I am going along with this charade believing that were having some deep conversation in our minds. Maybe, I'm the one who is a little crazy.

What is wrong with me?

This bizarre man just told me that I am a lost Princess. I think my mother's madness has finally found its way inside of my mind.

Well, I guess if my mother taught me anything, it was that you have to run really fast in scary situations. If you don't know how to handle conflict just ignore it.

"Alison."

Oh no, get the voices out of me. I want to scream, but I don't want this attractive man sitting next to me to know that I'm going mad.

"Alison."

These voices are persistent. The stranger looks up from his shoes and stares at me with alarmed eyes. I ignore him and stare down at my hands and bite my lip.

"Champaign, Illinois."

I leap from my seat with more agility then I knew I possessed in my petite frame. I manage to squeeze by the handsome stranger. He quickly realizes what is happening and tries to grab my hand to pull me aside, but luckily I only have to snatch my backpack from the overhead compartment.

I run off the bus without looking behind me again. I know if the stranger is going to follow me he will only be a few seconds behind me, and I need to find a place to hide until then.

I scan the overcrowded bus station.

There aren't a lot of places for me to hide out so I choose the women's bathroom.

I know he can't find me inside of there.

"Alison."

Strange, the voices haven't stopped following me in here. I open up one of the stall doors and take a seat on the somewhat clean toilet. I open up my backpack and look at the time.

It blinks wildly at me.

12:53.

I wonder how long I'm going to have to sit in this stall for.

"Alison. I know you're in the women's bathroom."

"Of course, you know where I'm at. You're the voice inside my head."

"I am not the voice in your head. Come outside right now."

"No."

"I will come in there, and I really want to be a gentleman about this."

"Well, if you come in here I guess I know I'm not crazy."

The bathroom door creaks open. I scoot my backpack with my foot.

I look down to see a pair of gray converse under my stall door. There is a knock at my door and I frown knowing that it's the eccentric man from the bus. I let out a frustrated heave as a woman screams upon entering the bathroom to find a man standing there.

I hear nervous whispering as he tries to calm her down and she whispers that she understands. I open up the stall door.

"He's with me."

I grab his arm and lead him away from the pretty blonde girl gawking at him, as if he is some prime cut of meat and not a human being. His cheeks are a fiery red and I smirk at the hilarity of this situation.

 Chapter 3

I stand at the counter waiting for a rental car. I tap my foot impatiently. Theo stands next to me filling this void of space between us with an eternal longing that I have never felt before.

Women pass us and stare at him and I want to possess him more than I've even wanted ownership of anything. The brown-haired girl looks up from her list of papers trying to find my name on the rental list.

"Could you repeat your name?"

"Alison Callahan."

This is the third time I've had to repeat it.

"Could you spell it?"

"A-l-i-s-o-n"

"That's a strange way to spell it."

I try not to become infuriated. Theo must know because he tries to calm me down.

"It's okay if you don't have her name written down."

All he has to do is give her a smile and a wink and she miraculously "finds" my name on the list.

"Oh, right here Miss Callahan. Sorry about your wait and thank you for being patient. We have you down for the 2014 silver Mercedes Benz. Is that correct?"

I gawk at her.

"I don't think that's right..."

I trail off.

"It's correct. Someone called it in this morning and I entered it in my system."

She hands me over the car keys and they dangle before me. I'm too afraid to take them, so Theo grabs them from her without hesitation.

"You're not even going to question this, are you?" I ask.

"No. I mean...I may, or may not have had some hand in this situation."

"What did you do?" I ask. He grabs my hand and I try not to blush, but my cheeks burn from the embarrassment of being so close. He leads me forward, and we stop in front of a beautiful, angelic machine.

It glimmers in the hot sun, and reflects a million different colors and patterns back. Theo lets go of my hand and walks around the beautiful Mercedes with a slow-paced walk admiring every line of the vehicle.

"I'm almost afraid to touch it." I whisper.

"Oh. It's just a car" he says grinning, as he grabs for the passenger door handle.

"I-I don't want to drive it." I stutter.

He laughs, and stares down at me. His nose inches from my forehead; I never realized how tall he was before.

"In your dreams Princess, I'll be the only one who drives this. I was just being a gentleman and opening the door for you."

I step in the vehicle hesitantly. The leather material is hot to touch, but the inside smells so wonderful I instantly forget about my legs being on fire from the seat. And before I can blink we are off in what would appear to any onlookers to be a flash of whizzing swiftness as we speed through the endless corn fields of what I had known as my childhood home so long ago.

I want to scream, but somewhere deep inside of me a hunger bursts forth instead. I hadn't ever really had an adventure before. I hadn't even kissed a boy... I'd always kept a distance from people because I didn't want to get hurt. I felt kind of like an outsider in most places. I'd grown up in foster care being shuffled from one family to the next; it was hard to find a place to love or people to love.

We hit a dirt path of stretch that is familiar and wonderful, as the car kicks up dust around us, we move in a steady cloud of stirring earthy colors. I grin from ear to ear.

"You know you look beautiful when you look like that."

I reposition a stray hair behind my ear and bite my lip. Was I supposed to compliment him or something?

"Er. Thanks." I say.

We ride silently for the remainder of the trip, other than me telling him where to turn and when to stop. Finally, we arrive at a place that I had at one time loved so dearly. It hadn't changed from how I remembered it.

The yard was still huge and the weeping willow sat next to the pond where my dad and I used to fish and go kayaking together. The tire swing was blowing in the wind. The bridge that we had painted blue one summer still looked the same as the day we had finished it. I had imagined the house to be overgrown and deteriorated, but it looked the exact same as I had remembered it.

A tear rolls down my cheek.

Theo takes the corner of his shirt and wipes the stray tear away.

"Don't do that Princess. Don't cry, even though you still look lovely."

"I can't help it." I sniffle. He grabs me in his arms, and I weep into his chest.

"But why hasn't it changed? Why is everything still the same? My dad... he died and it's still all the same."

"Sometimes, people do things for us even if we can't see them." He whispers and kisses my forehead. "You just have to see the good in things."

"I try. But sometimes life just isn't wonderful." I whisper.

"But maybe you just haven't given it a chance to be good."

"Would you skip rocks with me? My dad and I used to love skipping rocks, and if I skipped one correctly I could make a wish." I murmur.

"Okay."

We walk to the bridge with a handful of rocks that we had picked up around the driveway. I try to muster a smile, but it feels so artificial. We skip rocks in silence, other than the plunking sound of each rock failing to skip across the water.

Finally, I hear the faint plink, plunk, plink of a skipped stone. I managed to skip one across the water. I close my eyes and make a wish.

I wish I could tell my dad that I forgive him.

"We should go inside. It's getting dark." Theo says, as he pulls me up to him. The fireflies dance and flicker in the field behind my house and the summer breeze carries them away easily.

 Chapter 4

Everything in the house is still disorderly. The papers lie scattered in every direction and the hulking bookshelf is still full of my father's odd treasures and rare collectibles from travels to far-off lands. I walk warily passing by the rare books still in alphabetical order. The top shelf still holds his favorite knickknacks like the giant shark tooth, a painting done of my parents in Paris near the Eiffel Tower and a little golden elephant with bright amethyst eyes.

I take the elephant and put it in my purse because I had always had a deep love for this particular knickknack on my father's shelf.

The house still smells like chocolate and the dusty books my father adored. I can still smell a hint of the cigars he used to smoke when he was stressed in his study. I would sit in the hallway near his door as the smoke billowed underneath the small crack in the door frame, smelling the deliciously intoxicating scent.

I sat in his chair just to smell that old, familiar scent that I had adored at one time. I was home again. I didn't realize I had missed it so much until this very moment.

There was a gentle rustle near the door and I opened my eyes to see Theo standing there peering at me luminously.

"What do you think?"

"Everything is still as I remembered it. It almost feels strange; I would have thought there would be a family that lived here." I say. "I was put in foster care at 13, after my mother was placed in the mental ward. I had no living relatives."

"Your father still came here quite often actually. He searched many years for you but couldn't find you. He kept this place because he believed that you might return one day."

He looked sad, and I almost felt guilty for what came out of my mouth next.

"Well he didn't look very hard, I'm sure he could have found me in one of those god-forsaken foster homes they placed me in if they weren't always moving me around." I say grumpily, pouting my lips and trying to make a point.

"Ah yes, but there was someone else who wanted to keep you hidden. Your father had no idea where to even begin looking once the humans had gotten ahold of you. He was genuinely concerned for your safety... but he also had a Kingdom to look after."

Theo looks down at his hands awkwardly and clears his throat.

"Alison, there's something else that I need to tell you. Do you like coffee?"

"I love coffee." I answer.

"Good because you might need some to keep you awake for the really long explanation I'm about to give to you."

"I feel like this isn't a good thing."

"Do you trust me?" He asks as he leans down across the desk, he's so close I can feel his hot breath against my face. He smells like a mixture of citrus and nature.

"I don't know." I answer honestly.

"I need you to trust me because it's my responsibility to protect you and to explain to you the circumstances of our situation. I need you to repeat the following words: I believe you Theo."

I cross examine him with my eyes, waiting for him to say this is all just a ruse. But he just sits there, and the quietness in the room begins to feel uncomfortable.

"I believe you Theo." I answer frankly.

"Good. Can you fight?"

"What?" I squeal. "You're joking!"

"No. There are three Sneaks coming for us from different directions. He has only sent three this time as a test to see if you can defend yourself."

"Theo, what the hell are you talking about? " I shriek.

"Sneaks are shadows from our realm that can be easily manipulated to do things for others. Mathew has snuck some to the human world when he was banished from ours. I have three weapons, but I'm not sure if you know how to use any of them."

"You have to be kidding me."

"They're closing in, and we only have a few minutes."

"Fine. Do you have daggers?" I ask.

"Daggers? You don't seem like the type to use those."

"Well, I was told I have a natural ability."

He opens the small blue suitcase that he had on the bus with him and it's full of weapons.

"I thought you said you only had three to choose from."

"I lied." He says. He hands me two intricate black daggers with shiny green jewels on the handle, and he pulls out a skinny javelin for himself. He takes out a tiny red bottle and puts it on his fingers then adds it to the ends of our weapons.

"So where do I aim?"

"There's going to be a small purple vein running down the left side of what should be his arm. You'll know it because it glows. These things can only fight at night and this is there one weak point so you can't miss it. They're fast, really fast and if they touch you... you'll dissolve."

"What?" I whimper. "I don't want to dissolve."

There's a rustling sound near the open window and my heart speeds up. How the hell did I get in this mess? A figure slithers inside pinning himself to the wall. It looks like a man's silhouette, other than the small purple vein that glows eerily on his left side and the hollow eyes and no mouth. I want to scream, but I can't because I know what will happen if I do. He'll know that I'm afraid. I cannot let him know that.

I toss the dagger, and the shadow screams in pain flying towards me in an angered rage. Theo and I stand back to back, but he moves me out of the way moments before the thing clutches me and hits the protruding, alien vein. It hisses as loud as a tea kettle and the sound reverberates off the walls. The Sneak turns into a smoking purple puddle on the ground and sinks into the floorboard and into nothingness far below us.

"You can't miss again." He whispers, as we race across the room together to grab the dagger that missed the first time. A second shadow, even larger than the first one enters underneath the closed door. It billows like smoke underneath it and reforms into something that almost resembles a man.

This time I spot the vein right away and I hit it with ease. This Sneak seemed to be much slower than the last one.

"The larger Sneaks are not as quick because they take more magic to use... the small ones are tough to catch. And the more people they dissolve, the larger they will become." He informs me.

"That might have been good information to know before." I whisper.

I notice something faintly moving across the floor. It's tiny, almost microscopic, but it's moving quickly towards us. I don't see a vein, but it moves towards the desk and just for a split second I see a glimmer of purple out of the corner of my eye.

I throw the dagger, and I hear the hissing sound as a third puddle dissolves into nothingness, leaving my father's study looking more like a science experiment gone awry with acid marks on the wooden floors.

Theo and I race out of the room and switch on all of the lights at once. We sit at the kitchen table staring at each other from across it. There are no words that can be formed at this moment. I think he knows that I'm in shock so he just sits there looking uncomfortable.

 Chapter 5

"Well there goes any chance I've ever had at sleeping tonight." I sigh, putting my forehead into my hands and drawing circular patterns to match the wood grain of the kitchen table.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I grew up in some rough parts." I say looking up at him darkly.

"I see."

"I was a waitress, and I used to hustle losers in the city for money and food. I started out throwing darts when I was a teenager, and I became talented at it. Eventually I started throwing knives at targets for fun, but my foster parents didn't approve and so I kept getting in trouble. It was the only thing I've ever actually been good at." I say.

"I'd say. You're one of the best people I've ever had the pleasure to fight with. Your aim is impeccable, and I'll never know how you spotted that last Sneak."

"Luck, Fate... Destiny... whatever you believe, I guess."

Theo looks at me oddly as if I've said something that has offended him.

"Your father isn't dead, you know." He says looking at me pointedly.

The room starts to spin, encircling me into a deep oblivion. My throat tightens up. I can't breathe. What did he just say?

"I mean he appears dead but we can save him still. That's what I came here for. I somehow was lucky enough to be on the same bus as you after a mission to go to a few towns and get rid of some remaining Sneaks."

How?

"Just because we can use telecommunication doesn't mean we should. It drains you of essential energy and magic that you may need later. He isn't dead because he's just been poisoned by the same stuff that's in that bottle I used back there. "

"What was that stuff?" I question.

"Vampire's blood. It's potent to the sneaks but not deadly to us—we can only be killed by wolf venom."

"Wolves... and vampires... and ghosts, oh my." I mock him.

"This isn't funny, Alison. We are never, ever supposed to let the humans know of our existence. It could mean another war is on the horizon...and it's easy to see that Mathew has a very dark scheme he'd like to unleash."

"Who's Mathew? I've heard you mention him before?" I ask.

"Mathew was my predecessor. He was the King's Advisor, one of the most important and influential parts of the King's Guard. Mathew had a secret obsession with the Queen, but he was also your father's best friend—sworn to serve and protect him until his own death."

"When your mother became pregnant, Mathew realized that he could not have her because she had been tainted by the King. She no longer had the pure blood that he was looKing for. He grew impatient so while the King and Queen slept peacefully, Mathew plotted."

"Mathew was very powerful and even more evil; he had the ability to implant memories into anyone's mind. He could make them see and believe anything that he imagined. Your mother was a great Seer, and she could predict the future. She prophesied that terrible things would happen if they remained in the palace."

"Your father was stubborn and believed that he could protect her from anything. And so on one particularly stressful night, Mathew snuck into the sleeping chambers of the King and Queen and began to implant memories into the Queen's mind. The King was aware that there was a stranger in the room, but by the time he reached him it was too late."

"He had been betrayed by his best friend. He pinned him against the wall and shouted for the King's Guards who rushed in to imprison him, while he awaited judgment in the prison your mother's health slowly deteriorated. She believed that the baby inside of her was killing her, and so her body began to follow suit. Your father finally found a young Implanter who couldn't erase all the implantations, but who convinced her that the baby wasn't going to kill her so her health was once again restored, but her mind would never be the same again."

"Your father tried for years to find cures to rid your mother of the false memories. There were none. She would never again laugh or dance the way she once had. Mathew was exiled from the Kingdom on account of treason and murder. He was sent to the human world and locked away in a frozen chamber deep in the mountains. The Kingdom put an enchantment on Mathew to strip him of his abilities once he was in the human world, but someone had enchanted the world long ago to allow us to keep our powers so that we could survive. Mathew was a prisoner in a world that he could still control, and he had tricked the Elders and escaped the prison in a matter of weeks."

Theo sighs deeply and takes a sip of his coffee. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a leather bound book with golden pages and decorative green ink symbols.

"This is for you." He slides the book across the table.

I look at it, but the words are out of focus and unclear. They look like Egyptian symbols.

"I can't read it." I rub my eyes and the words begin to run together in a beautiful cursive scroll. The History and Tales of the Ancients the cover reads. "Thank you."

"It has always belonged to you. I thought it might help you figure out who you are: who we are." He says extending his hand across the table. I reach mine towards his and embrace it joyfully. Another tear rolls down my cheek and lands in a puddle on the table.

"Nothing makes sense anymore, least of all you..." I trail off.

"I hope that one day everything will make sense again, but it's a lot to take in. Just take it easy, maybe you could try to go to sleep?"

"I can't." I say.

"I know." He answers.

"Will you tell me about my father?" I ask. "Earlier you said he wasn't dead, but that he had been poisoned. Who would do such a thing?"

"It's my belief that Mathew learned your father would be in the human world so he sent someone to poison him and had plans to keep him locked away as a prisoner. But before Mathew could retrieve the body the humans found him, and they were convinced that he was dead. So they pronounced him deceased and contacted you—his only living relative here, other than your mother."

"So we can save him?" I demand.

"We can't. A Healer will be able to save him once we return to New Hollow."

"A Healer... and we're going to New Hollow?" I ask.

"Healers have special abilities that can cure and heal all kinds of ailments, while we are practically immortal in terms of human standards—we still suffer from many wounds, illnesses and injuries. My mission is to retrieve the King's body and return with you safely."

"What do you mean by 'immortal'?" I wonder aloud.

"Our bodies can survive for much longer than the average humans, but we also have a limit—4,000 years. After 4,000 years we fade away peacefully and we become animal spirits. Our animals...they do not die because they are us in death. We each have a guide, a sort of animal that we call our guardian, and it watches over us until we finally merge on our 4,000th day. My spirit will be a hawk." He says dreamily. "So if we ever get in trouble and you see the hawk—run. Danger is not far from it."

"Is anyone able to be immortal, I mean live forever?" I inquire.

"Yes... there have been two known cases in our recorded history where our race has been granted immortality. The first case was the Historian because we needed to keep a written record of our race's history for future generations. She was the first of our kind and she will be the last. The second case was an accident, but we believe he was created because the Historian grew lonely with no companion. He was a twin, these twins were the loveliest creatures in our land but one of them did not have any abilities. The other was granted double abilities—which is quite a rare case. He turned of age and still his ability never revealed itself, and the strangest part was that he had no spirit. He was taken to the Elders who finally revealed that he was a rare Immortal. That was his ability. He aides our Historian in keeping track of records, and they live together eternally happy." He answers with a strange mix of frustration and resentment lingering in his glittering eyes.

"I sense something beneath the surface of your answer..." I trail off.

"What do you mean?" He snaps.

"You answered my question as if you were envious...as if these two were undeserving of happiness or immortality." I reply.

"Oh...I hadn't realized you could read me so easily. I've always felt that it was unfair that royalty such as yourself and your family should not be given the gift of immortality." He whispers, looking down at his folded hands in embarrassment.

"I appreciate your kind words but just because someone is 'royal,' doesn't mean that they should not be given the same limitations and restrictions as everyone else. These two Immortals will live for eternity: they will never experience death, and they will certainly have to spend forever watching their friends and everyone they love die around them." I respond, suddenly feeling sorry for the Historians.

"Princess, I did not mean to offend you. I have never looked at our Historians in that way." He answers looking deeply at me with his large shimmering eyes.

It's hard to feel anything but admiration for someone so focused... and attractive. I try to distract myself by staring at the book. I look up, and he's still staring at me—strange, I thought this had all been a dream.

"Could you walk me to my room?"

"Um... sure. I mean, it is my duty to serve and protect you. Although, I think you're the one who saved me tonight." He jokes.

"Yeah, those things give me the creeps just thinking about them." I whisper nervously.

"That's an understatement." He replies. "I hope you don't think I'm crazy."

"Why would I think that?" I ask.

"Well, with everything that has happened today—why wouldn't you?"

We stop in front of my tall white door that still has the same "Keep Out. No Boys Allowed" sign and I feel strangely embarrassed by it. Of course, I would have the first guy that I've ever even shown a faint interest in see this sign from my weird childhood.

"That's cute." He says pointing out my attempt at a dragon breathing fire. "Does it still apply?"

"Yes." I say laughing. "It still applies."

He looks at his feet dejected. I feel a little bad for him because that may have been the only line he's ever used on a girl. He looks at me. I breathe in deeply, and he smells faintly of pine trees and the forest. He looks at me longingly; he's inches from my lips. I lick them, and they feel chapped. Now I can't stop overthinking everything.

Is this going to be my first kiss? We stand there awkwardly; neither of us knows what to do. Where do I put my hands? Why hasn't he kissed me yet? It feels like an eternity. I open my eyes and his eyes look concerned. Oh no. He takes a step back and pouts his lip.

"Special orders from the boss, I can't kiss the girl." He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. "What they don't know won't hurt them though."

He winks at me. And I look down crushed. That was supposed to be the moment. It was perfect. Damn. I open my door as he quietly slips away like a cat that was never there, but his scent lingers behind him.

 Chapter 6

Sweat drips down my forehead hitting my lips, and the salty taste lingers in my mouth. My body feels cold and unattached and my leg has that strange numb feeling similar to when it falls asleep. I had another nightmare. I roll over and groan into my pillow.

How many nights am I going to have the same horrible dream?

It starts off with me being kidnapped and tortured by a tall figure in a mask and a cloak. Each time a knight comes bursting through the door. But he never makes it a step past before my torturer's sword goes through his heart. He takes the long sword out from the knight, as he splutters his final words... and the whole room is a damned bloody mess.

If I was superstitious I may believe that this dream signifies something—like maybe I'm stressed or unlucky. I stretch my arms in the air and listen to the birds chirp joyfully outside my open window.

Stupid, cheerful morning people—I live for the nighttime. It's the only time when I can escape humanity and enter a world that is my own.

I snatch the red flannel robe from my closet and drape it over myself. I look at myself in the mirror to fix a few split ends that have decided to escape I spit in my hand and rub them down. I can smell coffee... and something else: chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla.

It's intoxicating.

I practically dash out of my bedroom and down the staircase for the kitchen as quickly as I can so early in the morning.

I stop dead in my tracks as Theo is standing there in his most glorious form—nothing but a pair of gray-striped boxers. They fit snuggly around his hips and show off his strong muscular calves. His back muscles tense up as he flips the spatula in an upward movement. My jaw drops as I watch the beads of sweat drip down his body.

A long black tattoo with an inky design stretches across the top of his back forming two scrolling patterns that eventually meet up in a spiral in the middle section.

I look down at my own morning attire. My robe hangs half off showing a bare shoulder and I know my hair is an unbelievable mess. I can't even remember the last time I used—let alone—saw a comb for it.

He turns around and faces me with a big, cocky grin.

"Good morning sunshine." He says.

"Mhm." I grunt.

"You're not impressed at my morning routine?"

"I cooked you pancakes."

I sit down in a chair feeling suspiciously like he's up to something. Why would he go through all this trouble? Who in their right mind would wake up earlier then they have to for breakfast?

"I've never met anyone who despised mornings as much as you do." He chuckles.

Damn it, he can still read my mind.

"You think I can just turn this off... I wish." He says grabbing a plate out of the cupboard and putting a tall stack on it for me. He hands me the maple syrup.

"You didn't have very much to eat so I had to go grocery shopping. Hope you like them, I put a lot of love into them."

"I'm starving actually. And these look amazing. Coffee?" I ask, staring a little too long at his abs.

"Yeah, maybe I should put a T-shirt on?" He asks pouring a cup of coffee and adding sugar cubes to it. He places the coffee in front of me and leaves the room.

The food tastes like magic; literally it tastes better than anything I've ever come in contact with—like it is from some strange alien planet. I inhale it within four bites and by the time Theo returns there is not a single pancake left.

"I'm sorry." I whisper embarrassed. "It was just so good, I couldn't stop."

Now, I 'm starting to regret it as my stomach churns from too much edible deliciousness.

"I may have had some help?" He says.

"Did you drug it, oh no—I'm going to be drugged aren't I?"

I start to panic.

"No." He laughs. "I just used an incantation to make it taste better; magic comes in handy—especially in the kitchen."

"You had me worried for a second." I say. "So why haven't you solved world hunger with this magic?"

"Humans and incantations don't really mix well, our magic can actually kill them—which is why they can't know of our existence. It's more harmful then helpful to them."

"How did you know my favorite breakfast?" I ask.

"Your dad told me what it was." He answers quickly.

"He told you that before he died? Did you two talk about me often?" I wonder.

"Not exactly." He says looking sheepishly at me. "We can still communicate."

"He's dead though." I exclaim.

"Not telepathically speaking. The King's Advisor is given the ability to use telecommunication with those he serve so that he can know exactly what they most desire, but it's also useful if they're ever in danger. Like right now I can speak to him and we will be able to locate him."

"My father must hold you in high esteem... to make you his Advisor. You have to be important people in the Kingdom... are you a knight or a Prince?" I ask curiously.

"The role of King's Advisor is a competition. A group of the most talented students in the Kingdom is chosen, and they must compete against one another for the position. The competition is fierce and endless, but the winner gets to live and serve the Royal family until he is replaced. Your father trusts me with his life and his family's, and that is of the utmost value to me." He says humbly.

"Will you teach me an incantation?" I request.

"Incantations are not used as often as abilities... they have all but died out in our world, but if you'd like I can teach you a few of them." He says exuberantly. "They were used by the Ancients before our time."

"What's the difference between the two?" I ponder.

"They both contain magic to some degree but abilities are a safer alternative. They take little to no magic, and they are just a part of who we are. Incantations require a much darker magic that lingers within each of us. Some incantations are so powerful and dark they can leave the user drained of his energy for days, which is why it's so dangerous to humans. We can't sustain some of the spells and we're practically indestructible—imagine the frailty of the human race." He answers knowledgably. "We need to leave soon. We must rescue your father before Mathew decides to come out of hiding and send more of his followers after us."

I excuse myself from the table and Theo's eyes follow me out of the room. I feel strange. I still have no idea what I am. I am not human—I know that now. But what am I?

 Chapter 7

I suddenly feel sad as I sit on the edge of my bed. I have a million unanswered questions.

I know my dad isn't dead but going to a funeral doesn't exactly put someone in the most chipper mood either. I stare at the mirror across from me. My eyes are puffy from crying. But he's not dead; I have to keep reminding myself. The tears shimmer playfully off of my cheeks as if laughing at me for even considering that I might not be as crazy as I thought at first.

I grip the piece of crumpled paper tightly in my hand and dwell on all the years I never had a father. I was never able to hug him or tell him how much I love him. I know he left me to protect me. I look down at the tear stained paper I wrote on for his funeral.

All of my deepest feelings were poured onto this poor innocent creature. I was going to put it neatly inside of his casket. I fold the paper up carefully and put it in my purse.

I retrieve the simple black dress I packed for the day from my backpack. It stops mid knee with cap sleeves that fit snugly around my arms. I zip the back up and slip into a pair of sparkly black flats. I never wear heels. I told myself it's because I don't like to feel so far from the ground.

My lack of grace may also play a small part in it. I hold the black veil attached to a headband in my hand and walk over to the mirror to slip it on. I adjust it a few times until I'm finally satisfied. I've always been a bit of a drama Queen, so I felt that the veil was appropriate.

I dab on my cherry chapstick and toss my cell phone, my handwritten note and Kleenexes into the classic gold and white leather vintage clutch. It shuts with a snapping sound and I tip-toe down the stairs to find Theo rearranging things in the kitchen.

He's wearing a form-fitting gray suit. He hums a beautiful song as he scrubs the dishes.

"What are you humming?" I enquire.

"Just some old song my mom used to sing to me. Would you like to hear it?" He asks spinning around joyfully revealing a skinny gray and black tie with spiral patterns over a metallic gray button-up shirt. He clears his throat and something magnificent escapes him. It's a sound as airy as the wind but as deeply rooted as trees are. The language is glorious.

"Tihr a' Lahn,

Unasae,

lye dagore Fuin.

I' dome Athan.

Gurth Nuin, ar' kalina

hinter lyee' dagora Adel."

I want to say something, but I'm speechless. I feel a strange sense of uplifting within myself though—it's indescribable.

"The song is another incantation...it was used by our ancestors before they were about to go to battle. It's still used today to soothe children. I guess it would be like a human lullaby." "Dance in light,

Don't give in

We battle darkness

The night beyond

Death beneath us

Light behind."

"I thought you could use the song before we start your first mission as part of the Royalty." He whispers, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I loved it." I cry and I hug him to both of our surprise. He lifts me in the air and spins me around placing me gently back on my feet again.

"You look beautiful." He says. "But even the most beautiful creatures must be prepared for this dangerous mission we are about to accept. So our first initiative is to recover the King's body. You will take your teleportation device back to Newhollow..."

"What teleportation device?" I exclaim.

"Your father told me that it's an elephant with amethyst eyes hidden in the library."

I open my purse and hold out the elephant.

"Perfect. Your father and I will have to find a closer destination since teleporting with two people is almost impossible. The closest portal is in Deepwood Forest, which is still a four-hour drive so we will have to drive there. We will drive to the end of the Mississippi River and that will be in close enough proximity to enter the forest with a device."

"That sounds like a really well-thought out plan and all... but how am I supposed to teleport to somewhere that I've never been?" I ask frantically.

"Easy. You just repeat the name of the location and eventually the device will pinpoint it either exactly or within close proximity." He says, as if that was the simplest answer and anyone should know it.

I flip the elephant around in my hands, stroking its trunk gently. The amethyst eyes glow bright enough to consume the rest of the light in the room and a dark haze begins to gradually surround us. I'm falling quickly and I can't breathe. I swear I'll be suffocated and die in this place within minutes if I don't escape it.

Everything stops. The wind and the sounds cease to exist and we fall into a pile of leaves that don't even crunch as we hit them.

I stand up dizzily clenching the elephant in my left hand infuriated with it. My eyes attempt to adjust to the brightness of being outside, and I suddenly realize where I am.

"I'm glad you know how to teleport now." Theo teases me and straightens out his tie. "I just hope no one saw us basically plummet out of the sky."

I look over at the newly dug up dirt and the hundreds of headstones with similar words inscribed on them. There's a small gathering of people at the very end of the cemetery that are huddled around whispering quietly to one another, as if afraid anything above a whisper will wake the dead around them.

I attempt to readjust my dress and brush the dirt and grass off my bare legs. Theo picks a stray leaf out of my hair and we walk briskly over to the funeral procession. My father's funeral has already started, and of course I am late. Everyone turns to see the late newcomer but when they see that it's me, their eyes awkwardly shift anywhere but directly at me—the few that remain staring at me seem apologetic.

All of the people gathered here are old neighbors from my past. There is not one face that I do not recognize. I scan the faces in the crowd trying to find an odd face that I don't know—but the truth is my father didn't work with humans—he ran an imaginary Kingdom. I stop at one face in particular. It's still youthfully beautiful—but incredibly dangerous.

My mother scowls at me from across the crowd of people. She has two security guards on either side of her.

The priest begins the eulogy. I can hear sobs coming from all different directions. I look down at my shoes—too afraid to look anywhere else. I will not look at the casket.

Hot tears flow steadily down my cheeks as the priest continues to compliment my father, he tells the gathered crowd about his amazing accomplishments and his active participation in helping to rebuild the community. He blesses the body and slowly the lowering of the casket begins. It sinks into the ground slowly and people toss white roses into the open grave. I put my hands over my face and sob silently.

With the last bit of dirt patted down, I run to the front of the waning crowd and drop to my knees next to the freshly piled dirt mound. I curl up and sob until my heart feels like it might explode and my throat aches from the heaves of silent tears.

I hear a noise that sounds like a muffled grunt and I look up. My mother is protruding light from her entire body; she whispers something quickly under her breath while the body guards wither into husks of nothing beneath her feet. She races towards me with her hand outstretched; she grabs the neckline of my dress as I choke and sputter.

She looks so frail and weak—but appearances can deceive us.

"Take me with you, Ali." She manages to choke out the words in a muffled speech before she falls to the ground.

"She's been poisoned!" Theo shouts frantically.

"I don't know!" I exclaim. "You couldn't help me when she was trying to kill me a second ago?"

"What? It can't be. Has she been poisoned?" Theo asks from my side.

"She was communicating telepathically with me. We're going to have to take her back to the house—and our plan has changed now that we have two bodies to take back to the Kingdom with us."

"We have to do the mission earlier than expected. There's been a slight bump in our former plan."

"What?" I shout above my pounding heart.

He hands me a shovel that he had hidden behind a tree and then he starts walking around in a circle whispering enchantments under his breath and spreading a blue powder around us.

I start to dig all the while staring at Marylyn's lifeless body—waiting for her to pounce again. I know what we look like right now, we look like crazy grave robbing thieves. I continue to dig up the freshly packed dirt. I don't want a felony on my record. How am I going to explain why I'm digging up my father's freshly dug grave to anyone?

"What if someone sees me digging up a body in the middle of the day?" I ask. "And how are we going to get these two bodies out of the graveyard without anyone seeing us?"

"I'm trying to do a complicated incantation...we'll only have an hour before it wears off, but it should shield us from the humans for the time being." He answers gravely.

Theo continues to chant, "Coiasira Putta."

The noises from the outside cease and people in the distance look like frozen statues:

Has he stopped time?

He takes the shovel from me and digs at a much quicker pace until we hear a loud noise. He opens the casket and heaves the body up on solid ground.

I try not to look. Theo manages to climb up from the bottom of the freshly dug grave gracefully. He's breathless and covered in mud and I look at my own hands which are stained black. I rip the veil from my head and toss it in the grave.

Theo whispers another incantation, "n'alaquel." The coffin clunks shut underneath us and the dirt shifts and moves back in a steady formation until it looks untouched.

"Ali you have to carry your mother." Theo manages to say underneath the weight of my father's body as he attempts to carry him. "I'll meet you back at your house."

He vanishes from sight and I want to run after him. It's just me and the monster now—her red hair blows lively in the wind. I manage to lift her up. It's not easy but I toss her over my shoulder and reach for the elephant. I think about home and then we're both sucked into the bottomless pit of nothing until we collapse on a hard floor.

"That was a much better landing then last time, Princess." Theo jokingly applauds.

I stick out my tongue.

"Ali we have to go now!" Theo yells as he grabs for my hand and we race for the rental car. We toss the bodies into the back seat and Theo floors it. The dust dances around us and we're on our way to a faraway place. He has a very concentrated look on his face so I remain silent.

"I'd like to kiss you one day." He murmurs to no one in particular. "Maybe when we're not being chased by people who want to poison and torture us."

"Okay." I agree with him. Something stirs in the back and I feel a cold shiver down my spine. What if this is all a plot and Theo is helping my mother finally kill me?

"My head, it hurts." A frail voice whines from the back of the vehicle. My eyes dart to see where it came from. My mother stares at me in awe—it's a different look then the one I've come to know. It's familiar somehow.

"You revived me?" She whispers.

"I-I-I what?" I stammer. "Let me see your hand."

I show her my hand, and quickly pull it away to look for myself. It glows a violent purple and tiny speckles of silver race through my veins. My mother takes my hand in hers and places it next to her cheek. My fingertip glows a brighter shade of violet when she does this. She places my hand on my father's head and I cry out.

"It burns!" I shout.

"You can revive him. It'll only hurt for a moment." She promises.

I see his face begin to contort and change shape, his eyes slowly open and then darkness consumes my entire being. I can hear Theo shouting at my mother in the background, but it feels so peaceful and warm here. I decide I want to be the darkness.

 Chapter 8

A light whisper surrounds me. Soft voices cloud my mind and my head pounds from the headache that I'm experiencing. I want to open my eyes but I know the brightness will hurt like a hell I've never felt so I leave them closed tightly.

"She couldn't possibly have developed her ability to that level without someone helping her." The whisper grows nearer.

"We had no idea." A unison murmur answers.

I want to speak. My mouth feels dry. My body feels heavy, and I try my best to shout at the talking voices. Am I even in the same room?

"When do you think she'll wake up?" One of the voices questions the others.

"Who knows... it could be days." The other replies instinctively.

"I want to wake up now. Where am I?"

"I think that she's awake now."

"How do you know?" They ask.

"She spoke to me."

I open my eyes. I rest my head against the leather headrest but I can't move it. I just stare ahead at the rolling houses full of bygone, forgotten architecture and people aimlessly walking with no decided direction.

"Hello." I whisper delicately.

"My darling, you're alive!" My mother croons in the backseat and envelops my head in her arms.

"I can't breathe! You're going to kill me." I manage to squeak out.

"I'm sorry." She says looking down into her lap sheepishly, child-like in appearance.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You fainted." My father answers matter-of-factly.

"I see."

I stare out the window as they drone on about history and rhetoric and politics of things that I do not quite understand. They try to include me, but I've never been one to acknowledge such nonsensical things.

"You know, you're going to have to rule the Kingdom alone one day." My father declares pointedly.

I roll my eyes.

"It would probably be better if you took this more seriously. Politics and war strategies are what make our Kingdom so powerful."

I sigh and rest my chin on my palm, continuing to stare out dreamily. The car tires squeal to a stop in front of a serene lake. A swan floats lazily atop it. I pucker my lips together thoughtfully.

Theo opens my father's door and then my mother's and lastly he opens mine. I grimace at him. He looks down at his feet distraught.

"What are you our slave?"

He stares at me with a hurt expression on his face. I don't speak again.

"Shall I lead the way?" He asks, as he grabs the remainder of my humanity from the trunk.

"I don't want to go." I start.

"You're going." My mother answers.

"You are the last person I should have to listen to." I answer.

"You're going." My father responds. I try to grab the keys from Theo, but he is too quick-witted for such childish games.

"Tie her up." My father grunts.

"You can't be serious." I blurt out, but Theo already has ropes in his hands.

"I'll come with you crazy people."

"I figured that you might change your mind. You don't belong here anymore, Alison. You never did." My mother says. "And neither do we."

"But I want to belong here. It's the only thing I've known my entire life. You can't just pull me from this world." I protest.

"Listen I don't mean to interrupt, but we should probably start going before it gets dark here." Theo interjects.

We start to walk past the serene looking lake with the ducks and the tall meadow grass growing around it. Why can't I hide in that tall grass? I'm not ready to go yet. I'm not ready to leave my broken life and this collapsing world behind. I stare straight ahead as butterflies dance and frolic happily in my stomach. I wish I could feel whatever they're feeling inside of me. I know it's nervousness that's getting the best of me. I realize that, but my hands are tingling and my mouth tastes metallic.

"How far do we have to go?" I ask.

"Not too much farther. See that clearing just ahead we have to go just past that..." He trails off looking alert. Trees snap in the distance and the forest animals grow steadily hushed.

"What is it?" I ask. I scan the treetops quickly to no avail. I can't see whatever the rest of them are seeing.

"Run!" Theo shouts as he grabs for my hand.

We're racing through the thickest part of the forest and we break into a meadow of sunflowers I gasp at the beauty surrounding me. If this were in different circumstances with him holding my hand it would be magical. I fantasize about that, and almost lose my footing to an overturned log in the middle of the path. The sun is so bright, it's almost too bright. I look behind me and I choke on my own air.

A hulking, menacing figure is gliding through the air at an inhumanely fast speed. I start to cough and splutter. Oh no, I'm going to die from choking on air or being attacked by this monstrosity. Tears stream down my face as I realize that he's only a few feet behind me. I look over to my other side and see that the other three have formed a line.

"It's only one. Can we take it?" My mother asks from the side of her mouth in a half cupped hand.

"Of course, on my mark you will shoot it." My father replies.

Theo stands soundlessly.

Are they crazy? They're going to take on this looming shadow figure in his dark cloak of doom. I want to close my eyes, but I just watch dreadfully. He inches near my face. I can see his eyes; they're almost cat-like in appearance. A sliver of silver stardust seems to have created them. He's growing larger, as if he's feeding off of my fear.

I can't breathe! I can't think. I don't remember why I was so afraid. He's almost lovely now, perhaps even angelic.

He could fly. He had wings? They were big, hulking shades of gold and silver made up of thin strands so splendid that I hadn't seen them until he was up close. And underneath that dark cloak is his golden shimmery hair. I reach out my hand to touch it. Where is his mouth? I reach my hand out farther.

"Ali. Don't do it." Something in the distance murmurs.

I want it. I want his hair and his eyes for my own.

"Please, Ali." The voice begs now.

I stare at the beautiful creature again. It fades from dark-black to silver-gold and I gasp for air. His eyes start to change shape and hue as if some colored dye was running into them, slowly evolving until they're as dark as night. I can hear a lulling music in the background. Is it night now? Should I sleep? His eyes are running down his face and the darkness is taking over. I scream. His body is shadowy again. It was all a ruse. He wasn't beautiful. I scream and his eyes become alert. This scream is long and loud. It's loud enough to break glass and from my right side a giant animal rams into the shadow.

What was that?

It's colossal. The largest animal that I have ever seen, it looks as though it was plucked from the night sky and placed here. It produces a dark smoke with gray and black swirling undertones. The colors are swirling and fading, creating the massive shape of a Moose and two of the brightest violet lights—as bright as stars replace his eyes. The eyes are attentive and angry. His antlers are silvery and they look translucent from where I'm standing. It's the most glorious creature that I have ever seen.

I fall down and hold my gut laughing as the shadowy figure explodes into the air into a billion silvery fragments. They slowly glide to the ground and I hear the faint sizzle as they melt. The massive Moose stares at me for a moment, bellows out a loud grunt and nods in my direction as he disappears into thin air.

"Did a Moose just save my life?" I ask astonished.

Theo, my father and my mother just look at each other wordlessly.

"I believe so." My father finally says after what feels like an infinite amount of silence.

Tears are streaming down my face and I'm shaking. Theo sits next to me and rubs my back gently.

"It's ok. I'll never let anything bad happen to you Ali." He whispers softly.

My parents are murmuring quickly and in frustrated voices.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask sniffling.

"Not at all, if anything you did everything right." He says. "We have to go soon before we're attacked again."

I leap up quickly when he says this because if I never have to see another one of those creatures again, I would die happy. He takes my hand and the rest of the world fades. All of my fear, my loneliness and nervousness disappear—I smile at Theo. He smiles back.

In the distance, I can hear a bubbling waterfall and croaking frogs and with each step it grows louder.

The air alters drastically, and I inhale the crisp, cool air that the waterfall generates. The water falls at a slow pace as if stopping to hug every rock and formation on its way down. It shimmers and reflects the sunlight from the purple and green gem-like pillars creating a small rainbow across the waterfall's surface.

The King and the Queen leap into the waterfall, hand in hand, and they vanish. They leave behind a rippling rainbow of colors. Theo beckons me forth with his own hand and an alluring smile.

 Chapter 9

My feet touch down gently as if I had glided from the air to land on this exact spot. I look down to see a grassy meadow outstretched around me. It's filled with purple and yellow flowers that look like detached dots in the distance. It smells like jasmine and lilacs and I inhale deeply. It smells fresh and exuberant and full of life.

I sprawl out on the grassy meadow floor. I smile as I look up at the bright blue, cloudless sky of Newhollow. I'm finally home.

"Oh, how I love it here." I screech delightedly. "Everything smells so wonderful. I feel like I'm on top of the world."

I get up and spin around in circles. My loose-fitting dress flowing freely in circles with me—I don't think I've ever been so happy in my entire life. Everything makes sense.

I now know who I am. I know what my purpose is and it's important.

Theo gazes out in the distance sitting next to me.

"I wonder where your parents are." He speculates. "They must have landed somewhere closer to the palace."

I continue spinning around in circles until a hand jerks me to a standstill.

"Ow! Let go, you're hurting me Theo." I protest.

"What is your name intruder?" A gruff, unfamiliar voice interrogates.

"Intruder?" I ask astonished, whirling around to see who would take away my brief moment of happiness.

"Her name is Alison Callahan. She is part of the Royal family, and I suggest you unhand her at once." Theo bemuses. "That is, unless of course you want to be executed for treason for the interrogation of the lost Princess of Newhollow."

"My apologies dear Princess, I did not realize that it was you. Could you ever forgive a bumbling fool?" He asks, bowing with downcast eyes.

I look at him gently. He looks strong and hearty. His hair is a wild, dark entangled mass atop his head with silver highlights, only slightly revealing his age. His eyes, full of seriousness, are as green as the meadow grass surrounding us and his chin is full of slight, dark stubbles. His bangs sweep across one of his eyes and his crooked nose make him intriguing. His cheeks are red from shame, but they give him a humbling look. He bends down and takes my hand, planting a slobbery kiss on top.

I want to be disgusted or outraged, but I smile at him.

"Welcome to Newhollow, Princess Alison. I hope you will forgive me for my mistake and that I have not offended you or made you feel unwelcome." He says, turning away quickly, his dark green robes trail behind him as they blow in the wind.

"Simon." Theo bellows out. Simon turns around to look at him. "I hope you do not make such a grave mistake twice."

Theo takes my hand in his.

"I truly am sorry for him."

"I know. He was just doing his job." I answer.

"Yes, but he should have known better. He has secretly always disliked me... I think he may have thought you were my Soulfire." Theo replies.

"Soulfire?" I ask bewildered.

"I guess the humans use the word soul mate. The belief that there is someone out there for each of us is absolutely true here. You're born with only a half soul, but someone shares the other half. You'll find them eventually, and when you do you'll know." He says winking at me cryptically.

"So have you found your Soulfire yet?" I ask.

"Not exactly..." He says trailing off.

"Oh." I answer, secretly thankful that he hasn't because I wouldn't want anyone to see his smile the way that I do. I shyly grab his hand, and he takes it caressing my palm. I look over at him and he's smirking and starry-eyed. We stare straight ahead, sitting like that for a while, enjoying each other's company.

"It's getting dark." Theo says, snapping me out of a fantasy world.

"Right, we should probably go." I stand up and stretch my arms cat-like above my head.

"I'm nervous."

"You'll be great, Ali. Just don't forget to smile." He embraces me tightly and I feel like I can take on anything with him by my side. I stare at him. He was beautiful before but there's something different about him now—something even more enticing. I think about his arms enclosing me and rolling around in the grassy meadow with his lips embracing mine.

Is he a good kisser?

"The answer is yes." He answers.

"What?" I ask him, realizing I had been pulled from a wonderful daydream.

"I am a good kisser."

I look down at the ground, mortified.

"I forgot that you can hear me in here sometimes." I say pointing to my head.

"Yeah, I wish I couldn't though. It would be nice to just guess what you're thinking."

"Can you turn it off ever?" I ask.

"I can only hear questions that you ask yourself. Not everything. I know you're kind of new to the telecommunication thing so maybe try to think of a different way to think about questions." He says.

"Sorry. I was a little distracted by other things." I say.

"It's understandable." He says laughing. I stare at him, questioning if he gets it. The feeling that I have when he's standing so close to me—I wish he did. I sigh.

"So where to next?" I ask.

"The palace." He responds. "It's just up ahead."

He points to something in the distance, but I can't see anything. All I see is an outstretched meadow of flowers and grass.

"Where? I don't see anything?" I inquire.

"Ah." He says snapping his fingers. "I keep forgetting you've lived in the human world for so long. You're still prone to shut out many things that we enchant."

He takes my face in his hands and kisses me gently. His lips are smooth and his arms are strong as he embraces me tightly. I cry out and my eyes widen in surprise.

"What was that for?" I ask astonished.

"Look now." He says, as my head begins to feel less light and airy and my senses come back to me. I look to where he points.

Now I can see it up ahead in the distance. Tall, stone buildings tower above us and wooden shops line the streets. The meadow is nowhere in sight. Instead we're standing on a busy street made of a shimmery red brick and cobblestone, bustling loudly with life and sounds. The buildings come in all shapes and sizes, some of them towering high above us with outstretched wooden balconies and enchanting gardens. One shop appears smaller than the others, standing just at my exact height with a tiny olive green door that reaches my abdomen. I watch as dwarf-like people stumble out laughing loudly as they hold their stomachs.

Each store is unique from the others in some way.

The bakery shop to my left—I only know this by the sweet smells that protrude from the open doorway—is made out of a dark-mahogany wood with a sunshine-yellow door.

The hardware store on my right is made of a dark-gray stone with a forest green wooden door. The shield and ax emblem give it a menacing look, but the characters that stroll out of it our far more frightening wielding worn battle axes and aged battle regalia.

Each store has a different material, a different door and a different purpose.

The sounds cease for a moment and every eye turns in our direction. An uproar in the crowd, and they begin to murmur and question one another:

"Is it the Princess?"

"Is it really her?"

"Has she come back?"

I hide my face in Theo's shirt, but the crowd begins to cheer and clap loudly and I look up. The people are bowing before me. Do I say something?

"Everyone, our Princess has come back to Newhollow as has been prophesized. Please welcome her and accept her into your hearts as the future ruler of our fair Kingdom." Theo bellows out using a commanding, hypnotizing voice I have not heard him use yet.

They crowd around us, chanting my name loudly until the sound of horse hooves come from somewhere in the distance. The crowd breaks and begins to scatter on to their daily lives. A pearly white carriage arrives with golden swirl embellishments as door handles and deep plum purple wheels. The gold trim of the wheel nearest to us reflect the faces of the people. The driver peers from behind the carriage and tips his feathered hat at us.

"Afternoon, Princess. Theo." He says hastily.

The cart is pulled by two enormous white Arabian horses and the chains that the driver holds are made of shimmering gold. The carriage sparkles and glimmers splendidly in the fading sunlight. The children race around the to get a better look.

The driver jumps down from his seat. A plump man with a well-trimmed and overly styled mustache, his bright red hair contradicts the elegant hat in an almost humorous fashion. He scratches his beard inquisitively. He appears much shorter when he isn't sitting in the extravagant carriage.

"I haven't seen you since you were about yay high." The driver says with his hand coming to the top of his head, he laughs loudly from the bottom of his belly. I giggle with him. He outstretches his hand and I give him mine as he plants a kiss atop it.

"I am Raleigh Hopper—the official driver of the Royal family." He removes his feathered hat for a flitting moment; his white suit fits loosely around his belly. He places his hat back on top of his twisted red curls. He opens the carriage door with a swift movement of his hand and holds it out to me to beckon me inside. His face is serious. I think that he looks quite like a ringmaster, but I try not to laugh out loud. He is the ringmaster to my new life that is so similar to a circus show.

I take his hand and step up into the carriage. Theo steps in, as if he has done this a million times and it's the dullest thing he will do all day.

The crowd bursts into a loud cheer as he closes the door behind him.

The horses begin to weave and zigzag through the crowd. Theo and I bounce back and forth helplessly in the backseat. We sit on seats of the softest white velvet my hands have ever touched. The walls are decorated with gold-flecked wallpaper that has deep shades of purple twirling and spiraling throughout it. The windows are covered by thick, lush purple curtains. I take a deep breath.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Theo asks hesitantly, taking my hand.

"Not exactly..."

"What can I do?" He enquires.

"I want to go home. Everything here is so strange."

"B-but this is your new home." He replies.

"It doesn't feel like it."

We sit the remainder of the ride in silence. My hands tingle and I feel light-headed and weak. I hope I don't faint again.

I don't want to be the Princess. I just want to go back to my normal, predictable life in the human world. Sure, it wasn't great. But I knew how to survive there. I could use my good looks and my skills to persist. Here, I don't have a lot of options—I think back to the terrifying monstrosity that almost killed me. He almost suffocated me to death with his magnificence and then his darkness. I could never take that on alone. I'm going to need allies. I look up at Theo.

And these people might be my only hope of survival in this place.

 Chapter 10

"We have arrived." The driver shouts curtly from his seat.

I feel the carriage shake and buckle from the loss of his weight as he jumps down. He opens the door with a soft click and Theo helps me get up as I take Raleigh's hand. I stand on the ground taking in the enchanting view. A white wrought-iron gate spreads out for miles separating the road from a garden of varying colors. The garden is speckled with red, white, yellow, purple, pink, orange and blue flowers and just beyond the never-ending garden stands a white wooden bridge that goes over a rocky, bubbling creek. I put my hand up to my mouth in astonishment.

The garden is so breathtaking. Every color imaginable lies within it. The stream that leads up to the bubbling creek weaves in and out of the flower beds. The roses even come in every color—their smell is intoxicating, making me even more light-headed.

We step inside. The lilies grow in multiples of yellows, whites and purples that hurt my eyes from their luster. A small bench sits near a towering azalea bush and a stone pathway with glints of shimmering silver gems leads to the palace once you cross the bridge.

Theo tugs a necklace out of his shirt—a small silver necklace with a red encrusted heart gem. The kind of key I imagine could unlock a place like the Queen of Heart's castle in Alice in Wonderland. The key glints in the sunlight and Theo puts it in the second gate at the end of the pathway. This one matches the first gate with one exception: It's much taller. It stands 10 feet tall. The white scrolls and circles that embellished the first gate made it look enchanting and welcoming but on the second gate it looks menacing and unnatural. The lock clicks open loudly and the door starts to lower, but only part of it is lowering to the ground. I watch as a large stone drawbridge replaces the gated door. The chains click noisily as it falls to the ground.

As we pass the drawbridge we finally enter the gated walls of the palace. Everything is a mesmerizing white. The walls stretch out for miles but the main building reminds me of many of the government buildings I've seen in the human world. It's made entirely of thick granite and the doors are tall and metal. The whole place feels elegant, but eerily ominous and dream-like in appearance. Large rectangular windows with their attractive gold engravings and patterns speckle the palace and on the very top are balconies made of a gold that glimmers enchantingly in the sunlight.

"This is your new home." Theo whispers.

I know I should feel happy, but I feel something that feels more like a deep pit growing in my stomach. This place doesn't feel like home. It feels like a prison. The gated walls, the menacing guards surrounding us and the weapons—why are there strange looking weapons everywhere.

"Please take me back. I don't belong here." I beg. "I just want to go home."

"Ali, you have to just pretend for a little bit. At least give it a chance." He pleads.

I look into his eyes, and I realize that he's right. I can't give up now. I just got here and I don't want everyone to think I'm a coward. I have to be strong and daring for once.

"Okay." I inhale deeply. "I can do this."

"I knew you could." He says winking. We walk by the guards and Theo nods at each one calling them by their name, they eye me suspiciously. I guess they don't know that they'll be guarding me soon, at least until my father announces it to the Kingdom.

"Why is the palace so large?" I ask. "It feels more daunting... then welcoming."

"It was created by your parents. They wanted a simplified look but something with structural security so that if we're ever attacked by the Mystics the building can withstand it."

"It's meant to allow everyone safety, if we needed to we could fit the entire city in here and still have room for all of the shops and homes so they could live comfortably." He retorts.

We continue to walk past the guards and the mysterious doors leading to perhaps other worlds... or perhaps nothing. It all feels like a maze by the time we finally reach the entrance of the castle's large metal doors—I'm exhausted. I crane my neck to see the top of the castle chapel, but my attempt fails, and I just end up with a painful crick in it.

We stop in front of two large steel doors with strange animals that appear to be almost as tall as baby giraffes with lion heads, a row of sharp teeth are bared at us, and I want to turn around. The golden color of the animals reflects vividly in the sun, and they look almost life-like. I'm thankful they're just artwork engraved into the doors.

Theo knocks three times on the door. The lion-giraffe animals let out a loud roar and I squeal, hiding behind Theo. The creatures on the door begin to move back and forth gracefully... stunningly graceful for their large, peculiar size: their bodies that are much too thin and their heads that are much too frightening weave curiously back and forth.

"They're alive?" I whimper from behind Theo's back, peering over his shoulder at the magnificent creatures.

"Yeah... I guess I forgot to tell you about the Hethums." He sighs.

The creatures let out another ravenous roar and then they start galloping towards us from inside of their frame at incredulous speeds. Oh no...

"They're going to escape." I scream and I sprint for the nearest exit, while the other guards are holding their sides in an uproarious laughter that echoes in the empty castle courtyard. It stops me in my tracks. I stare at them angrily and silence fills the air. I lift my chin up and march back to Theo's side. I won't let them think I'm a coward... even if I am.

From this moment forward, I will be brave.

The Hethums stop right before they're inches from the door frame. They've grown grandly in size. I watch them hesitantly and wings grow from four different directions: Left, right, middle and behind. I shudder.

The wings keep growing enveloping these powerful creatures into something menacing. They bare their teeth in a grin and they start to change and mold into a new form. I watch curiously...still cautious. Their bodies slowly encircle one another and a moment later they're connected: Two heads and one gigantic body. The body works slowly together, slithering forward with only its' neck and heads. Theo steps back so I follow his lead.

First the two heads peek out of the door frame looking to the left and right in an almost humorous sync. If this were any other situation I would laugh at the manner in which they work so perfectly together...but this doesn't quite feel like the kind of everyday humor that would make me laugh out loud.

One head stretches out toward Theo, using his nose he sticks it in the air and sniffs the air. Then he wraps around Theo, and I think he's going to murder him, suffocate him in a snake-like manner. But I watch and the animal stops short and licks Theo with his large wrinkly tongue, leaving him in a pile of purple drool. Theo laughs and pets the top of the creature's head as he nuzzles into Theo's neck. I can't help but laugh now.

The sound frightens the two heads and they slither in my direction. Four pairs of large golden eyes like daggers stare at me from all directions. Then one of the heads sneezes and purple mist swells from his nostrils and it becomes a cloud around me. I scream, but the purple gas is all that I can see. I can hear yelling from somewhere too far away from me to answer.

 Chapter 11

I wake up. I have this strange feeling that someone is watching me. It gives me goose bumps that chill my bones. I rub my eyes hazily and stretch my arms in the air. My head feels like it has been steamrolled and I lie back on the cool, refreshing pillow for comfort.

I stare up at a ceiling; a tall, existential ceiling that stands very high and feels endless. There are gold embellishments swirling and colliding with each other filling each dense space with brilliance and meeting at a pair of dark wooden beams that reach the middle of the ceiling.

A massive chandelier with purple gems and silver strands that look like icicles swirls and spins as if dancing, reflecting violet shadows that spin idly with the golden embellishments. I look to my left at the two huge windows that almost reach the top of the ceiling in an arching manner.

The windows have large draping curtains with poppy floral patterns that graze the floor, tied back with golden ribbon in tidy little bows on each side.

In between these two massive windows sits a pair of French doors, which I can see opens up to one of the quaint golden balconies covered in ivy. A small black café table with large, comfortable chairs sits at one corner of the balcony. On the other side is a golden birdcage.

I get out of bed. My mind is still cloudy with sleep, and I'm feeling drained. I want to inspect the birdcage so I grab onto the handle of the French door and a cool breeze meets my skin. I tremble from the touch of the invigorating air.

I step barefoot onto the concrete patio. I peer around the corner to see the most exquisite looking bird I've ever seen.

It stands a few feet tall with colorful, vibrant feathers. Each feather has a different shade of purple, going from light purple on top to a darker shade of plum on the bottom of its wings. The legs are as white as snow and its eyes are as blue as sapphires. It stares at me perceptively, full of interest. It reaches one of its sharp rose-colored talons upwards grasping onto the golden bars of its cage and stretches its magnificent wings to show the underside of its' blinding white feathers that shine brightly.

"Hello beautiful." I whisper as I walk closer toward it.

"Hello." It caws.

"You can talk?" I enquire. Am I really surprised?

"Of course I can. All birds can speak." It responds.

"What is your name?" I ask.

"Lucin." It croaks.

"Why are you in the cage?" I ask.

"Waiting..." He replies.

"What were you waiting for?" I inquire.

"You."

He uses his impressively large snow-white beak to open up the lock on the front of the cage and he flies to the table.

"Why were you waiting for me?"

"I was sent to deliver a message." He answers. "Remain ever wary, Princess. Not all who look sincere are as they appear."

And with that the perplexing bird flaps soundlessly away, and I watch in awe at its elegance and radiance as it spins ascending into the clouds and out of sight, leaving nothing behind except for the golden birdcage.

I sit down and ponder the peculiar bird's message.

What could it mean?

Who would have sent such a mysterious message to me?

"Are you awake now beautiful girl?" A familiar voice inquires.

"Theo. What happened to me?" I ask.

"You were stunned by the Hethums... sorry I forgot to tell you about those. I'm just not sure where to start and I think that the book I gave you might help a little bit." He says digging around in his pocket to hand me the leather bound book. "You might want to study it."

"I hate reading." I sigh. "I have a terrible headache."

"That's normal. The Hethums accidentally used their charm on you, which makes you sleepy and forgetful; it's actually used on intruders but one of the animals has a cold and he sneezed all over you releasing his powers. I hope you're alright." He utters, his gray eyes glistening in the sunlight.

"I'm fine."

"Good. So are you hungry or thirsty?" He asks.

"Not really." I answer, but my stomach grumbles in protest.

"Alright, I may be a little hungry."

"Wonderful. Dinner will be ready soon. I'm supposed to tell you to find something appropriate to wear."

"Appropriate to wear?" I ask. "What's wrong with my clothes now?"

I look down and realize that I'm only wearing a silky striped robe.

"Well, maybe you could put something a little less revealing on to meet the others."

My cheeks redden and burn from humiliation. I push him out of my bedroom, slamming the door loudly behind him with a clashing sound that rattles the chandelier and the windows.

 Chapter 12

Twelve chairs and a long wooden table sit in the center of the room underneath four circles of copper lights that look like sizeable, abstract globes with crisscross patterns of copper and gold intertwining with illuminating, flickering candles giving a romantic air to the room.

Each seat is filled, except for the one at the end between my mother and father. They watch me cautiously. I am late to dinner. A sigh of celebratory significance encircles the table and each unfamiliar face stands, one after the other nodding in my direction.

I take my place between the King and Queen and bow my head as the others have.

There's no point in looking at the faces. I don't know any of them. Someone at one end whispers something in a language I can't understand—perhaps a blessing.

I gaze up. Two eyes stare back at me. The same color as mine but it can't be. I thought that my eyes were unique and special. I look down at the mouth—identical.

A hand outstretches toward me. The hair is the same color but much shorter. The body is thin and muscular. It feels like a mirror has been placed before me, and had I been born as the opposite sex this is what would stare at me through my reflection each day.

"Ali." The voice with the outstretched hand murmurs and I whimper. I take his hand in mine. It's warm and it feels nice.

"My name is Viktor. I am your twin."

All eyes are on us now. I try to think of something to say, but I have nothing.

I have a twin brother?

I can feel burning tears trickle down my face. They hit the table with a soundless splash and linger there. What do I say?

Another voice breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"Ali. We are so glad to finally have you home again." The new voice retorts. "We have been waiting for a long time for this."

I look over to where the sound came from. A small, petite woman with a pile of snow-white curly hair in a bun on top of her head and intelligent spectacles eyes me from beneath her glasses. I nod at her. The lump in my throat only seems to grow larger with each passing moment.

"My name is Merian Griesmeyer and I'm your grandmother."

I look into her eyes and she looks into mine, I can see that hers are just as red and swollen as mine probably appear to be at the moment. She wobbles over to me and grabs me around the waist because she's so tiny and squeezes tightly.

"Oh, my beautiful granddaughter I am so relieved to see you."

"I am too. I can't believe you're real." I stoop down to hug her gently and she smiles at me, wiping away one of my tears. She walks back to her own seat briskly. The rest of the guests introduce themselves. There are six others in total.

Ambrosia Winters, Yasmine Tutonk, Earnest Hentz, Olivia Vanguard, Lily Sandesky and Blair Yarborough. Each of the guests seated has some special talent or job at the castle, but two of them catch my attention right away.

Blair has a short blonde pixie haircut that bounces enthusiastically with each word that she overly pronounces. It makes me grimace; especially the way Theo watches her magnetically. Her pale blue eyes contrast with her neon orange gown. The lace tulle envelops her petite frame and her skin looks as soft and pale as moonlight.

I decide I don't like her, but she doesn't ever stop talking. And her voice is so positive and chipper that you're obligated to like her. It's disgusting. I watch as Theo and Blair exchange knowing glances between each other. I watch agitatedly while half-smiling and answering questions about the human world. I talk about ice cream more than I've ever talked about it in my life. I try to explain it, but it's impossible. Everyone listens to me talk intently. It feels strange somehow.

Olivia catches my attention. It's more the way my brother reacts to Olivia that catches me off guard. He hangs on to her every word—she's soft-spoken. But there's something going on between the two that makes me observe them. It's as if they're connected in a different universe. There's this quiet magnetism that makes them both work so magnificently together. My brother seems to be snide and sullen with the others, but with Olivia he's gentler in his demeanor.

I watch all the pairs interacting with each other. There's something strange going on here. The boy and girl pairs seem to be drawn together. I want Theo. I watch him with squinting, jealous eyes ready to pounce at any opportunity.

Theo raises an eyebrow in my direction. I grow even more silent by each passing minute. I can hear a clock ticking in the background, somewhere loudly.

"Where is Ri—"My grandmother interjects, but she's suddenly cut off by the other voices.

They look at her gravely, and her face reddens with shame.

"Who?" I ask.

"No one." My father snorts.

I stare at him probingly, anticipating that he will answer her question.

"I was so hoping he'd be at dinner—he's quite the character." Gram replies.

"I want to meet him." I chime in.

Theo eyes me from across the table where he's seated by Little Miss Sunshine. I pucker my lips at him in a joking manner. He blushes and continues eating and listening to Blair drone on.

"May I be excused?" I ask hesitantly.

"Ahem." Viktor chokes out. Everyone looks in his direction. "May I be excused as well?"

My father nods his head in agreement and everyone continues their conversation. Olivia watches me sullenly from her corner, but then she begins talking to Gram.

"Could we go on a walk?" Viktor asks.

I look at him curiously.

Viktor stands up dramatically while rolling his eyes and I follow him out into the garden. I look back to see my mother and father kissing passionately and I snicker at the sight. Viktor looks over at me curiously.

"What's so funny?" He asks.

"Nothing. It just seems strange the way they are looKing at each other. The whole time I grew up they couldn't stand the sight of one another but now look at them." I say pointing in their direction as they are wrapped up in a passionate kiss at the dinner table—nonetheless—and surrounded by guests.

"Yeah. I guess that would be funny to see them this way for the first time." He replies.

We stroll wordlessly through the garden and I enjoy the momentarily solitude, away from the responsibility and the chaos that I've accepted as my new life. It feels nice to not have to talk to someone for a change.

Viktor points out frogs near the pond and the baby fox that lives near the willow tree that he seems to have befriended. The fox wraps its tail around Viktor's legs and he takes a treat out of his pocket as the fox stands on its hind legs eagerly.

He remarks that the willow tree is his thinking place, and he often finds himself out here to be alone. He stops in front of a gentle stream and removes his shoes. He rolls up his black pants just past his knees and sticks his feet in the water.

"Come on Ali." He says patting the spot next to him. I lift my silver silky dress that I changed into after the embarrassing robe incident with Theo.

I remove my shoes and sit next to him, dabbing my toes into the refreshing stream.

"Did you know I existed?" I ask quietly.

"Yes..." He sighs.

"You did?" I look over at him through a layer of bangs.

He removes something crumpled and aged from his pocket. He hands it to me. I caress it gently. It's a crinkled photo of two identical twins holding hands in a garden and smiling happily.

"That's us." He says pointing at the cheerful kids in the photo. "Gram took it the day before you left, but you were too young to remember me... I guess."

"I'd always hoped you and mom would come back home."

I start to cry again and Theo puts a comforting arm around me. I lean into his shoulder sobbing hysterically.

"Why didn't I get to stay here with you and Gram?" I ask.

"It was too dangerous. We all knew that."

"But I didn't know it." I look down at his white shirt and realize that mascara is running down it. "Sorry." I whisper trying to rub the blot out.

"It's fine."

He whispers something under his breath and the stain disappears.

"I can do enchantments... just don't have my powers yet." He looks down glumly. "I'm glad you're not like dad."

"What do you mean?"

"Dad can take things a little too seriously sometimes.... I think that's why I missed you and mom so much; it would have been nice to have you two here so that we could be a family instead of just half of one..." He trails off looking in the distance. It's beginning to get dark and the fireflies are starting to emit light.

"I wish that we could have stayed." I whisper.

"It wasn't your fault. I wish that we could have stayed together to."

"I know. But I still wish it didn't have to be the way it was. At least you had dad and Gram—I had no one. Mom was in the insanity ward for most of my life. And dad... well he was just a memory for the longest time." I close my eyes and try not to cry, but my brother wipes away the single tear with the back of his hand.

"It's okay to cry sometimes, Ali. Life is hard. No one would blame you for having emotions... or for hating us for leaving you alone and lost for so long. Dad was devastated when he learned that he had lost you. He hasn't been the same since the day he left to come back here."

"Is it okay if I stay out here by myself for a while?" I ask.

"Of course, please don't ever hesitate to ask me for anything Ali, you're my sister and I love you. I'm so glad your home." He gives my hand a quick squeeze and gets up to walk back toward the palace.

I cry and the stream seems to catch my tears in its pool of grief.

What am I going to do? Is this really my home and my family? I've spent half of my life looking for these things... to call something family or home—and I've always had it. It's been far away but it's been here.

I continue to cry. A beautiful sound creeps out of the forest. A soft, enchanting lullaby gently swirls around the trees and playfully dances in my eardrums, making me get up from my place of grief and devastation. I walk barefoot toward the sound. The melody continues to speed up as I reach the foot of the willow tree.

The cool wet grass squeaks between my toes and the locusts hum madly in the warm summer evening air beneath the shady trees, but all I can think about is the lovely sound beckoning me into the deep, dark forest. I walk past dozens of rose bushes and follow the stream that leads me farther and farther away from the palace.

The sound is getting louder now—more enchanting, as if it was made only for my ears. I spot something or someone in the distance. The fireflies move rapidly through the air toward the object spinning and dancing with the music as they crowd the air. I want to get a closer look so I hide behind a nearby bush.

It's a younger man wearing nothing but a pair of rolled up black slacks dangling his feet in the stream and playing a flute. He sits on the bank and plays his flute like a madman, but then everything grows eerily silent. A branch snaps in the distance and he sets the flute down.

Keep playing the beautiful tune, please.

Even the fireflies have stopped dancing.

He is sitting silently staring at the water dreamily.

"I thought you were never going to come." He says in a hushed, powerful voice. I peer out from behind the bush where I was hiding.

Our eyes lock and I can't feel anything at the moment. It's almost the feeling I got when I locked eyes with Theo for the first time—but stronger, more intense. My heart soars so high that I feel I'll never be able to catch it again. His eyes are golden, or maybe it's just the way the fireflies are encircling him making them appear to be golden. They sparkle mischievously and his smile is as blinding as the sun itself. I creep closer to him because I can't stop myself.

I would much rather stay in the safety of the bush, but for some reason I have to be near him. His skin is darker than the others and his light brown hair gleams from the light of a thousand dancing fireflies. He stands up to walk toward me; his body is powerful and well-sculpted. I want to fall down before him—I'd do anything for him, to be with him.

He reaches his hand out to me, to gently touch my face. Right as his fingertip grazes me I fall into a tunnel of darkness. I can hear him yelling my name in the distance.

I like the way he says my name.

##

 Chapter 13

I wake up in the violet room with the giant chandelier and the cool, refreshing silk pillows. I look over to see a chair pulled up beside my bed and the strange boy from my dream sitting in it. The dream where I was in the forest chasing the beautiful music.

"What happened?" I ask hesitantly. "Am I dead?"

The odd, dreamy boy from the forest stares absentmindedly up at the ceiling; entranced in something that I can't see.

"Hello. What is your name?" I shout louder. Maybe he didn't hear me?

He keeps staring upward. His face contorts in what I can only imagine is the most agonizing expression he can muster and he falls forward from the chair, crashing to the ground noisily.

I leap out of my bed and rush to the side where he was sitting, leaning over his unconscious body and shaking him. I hit him a few times, but in the process I just end up injuring myself because his shoulder is so hard.

"Ow." I say as I rub my quickly reddening hand that throbs from pain. I must have hit him pretty hard; I begin to shake him again—this time more violently. What if he's dead?

I feel for a pulse and everything seems to be working normally. His skin is hotter than the average person, but he seems to have a normal pulse.

"Hello." His eyes open and he gazes up at me enchantingly. "Why'd you have to hit me so hard?"

"I thought you were dead." I exclaim.

"So you decided to hit me?" He asks. "What? Was that your answer to bringing someone back to life?" He asks jokingly.

"I don't know... it's the first thing I could think of. I didn't think you were dead when I was hitting you—I was trying to wake you up." I reply. My cheeks are starting to get hot from embarrassment.

"Well, my knight in shining armor has saved me." He says holding his hand to his heart in a mocking way.

"You're infuriating." I say.

"Actually, I'm a Halfling. And the name is Riley." He says placing a gentle kiss on my hand.

Our eyes meet and we stare at each other for what seems like an eternity. I have to shake my head back and forth to clear my mind. "So what's a Halfling?"

"My mother is Elven and my father is a Beast. They met in the first Great War and fell madly in love. We believe that before birth you are one soul, but when you enter this world it splits in two. These two halves are called Soulfires."

"The Wolves call them twin souls. The Elves call them Soulfire. It's all the same in any language. An instant connection with someone that makes you fall deeply in love..." He trails off. "Ali, you're my other soul."

I reach for his head and look at him in a concerned manner. I place the back of my hand on his forehead, feeling for his temperature. It's still abnormally warm, but he doesn't seem ill.

"Did you bump your head or something? You do realize we've only just met?" I ask trying to avoid eye contact with him. "And anyways, I'm already interested in someone..."

"Who?" He demands.

"It's none of your business." I reply. He looks sadly at me and all of the sudden I feel the urge to tell him everything and to even tell him my secret.

"Theo."

"Not him. Anyone but Theo... can't you see he's a traitor?" He asks, his eyes becoming wildly hysteric with fear. "I just had a vision that he was going to take you away from me. He plans on kidnapping you!"

"Well, he's probably trying to kidnap me to get me away from crazy people like you." I say poking him in the chest. "Trying to convince me we're soul mates, Soulfires—whatever it is you call them when we've known each other for all of two minutes." I say as I stand up. I'm walking toward the door.

Riley is much faster then I gave him credit for. He blocks the door and my only escape. He crosses his arms against his chest looking broody and mysterious. I wish I could kiss him. Or hit him. I definitely want to do one of those.

"Please, Ali. Just give me a chance to show you that I am yours." He says making a suggestive pouty face in my direction.

"Listen. Riley, I already had a connection and it was with Theo so please leave me alone now."

He steps away from the door hunching his shoulders and looking miserably at the floor.

"Fine, just answer this. Ali have you had visions of me lately? Did you see me in your dreams?" He asks as I exit the bedroom.

"No." I answer as I slam the door shut and walk down the endless hallway.

I walk past dozens of white doors, trying to piece together the mysteries of life.

How have I never in my life had a boyfriend, sure I've had creeps that were interested in one thing. They loved my looks, but honestly I never stuck around one place long enough to get close to anyone. Now I was finally going to have to stay in one place. I couldn't just run from one city to the next anymore.

When did life become so complicated?

This is getting ridiculous I think to myself. I sit on one of the benches underneath a large framed painting of an enchanting garden.

I'm lost in thought when suddenly I hear footsteps in front of me. I hope it's not Riley. I turn around slowly letting out a dramatic sigh and look up to find Theo racing towards me.

"Ali. Are you hurt?" He asks breathlessly.

"No. Do I look hurt? I'm confused but not hurt." I say sardonically.

"You don't believe him. You don't believe that Riley is your Soulfire right?" He asks looking dejectedly into my eyes.

"No I don't believe in all the soul mate stuff that he's so apt on believing. And I've only known him for five minutes." I say breathing deeply.

Good. Don't listen to that guy because he's a Wolf. You know that the Wolves can't be trusted." He says winking at me as he grabs my hand. He holds it in his own, caressing his fingers lightly against my palm. His touch feels nice. I feel protected like nothing bad can happen.

"I have a weird question for you Theo." I say.

"What's that?"

"Is Blair your Soulfire?" I ask. "You two seem to know each other very well."

"No." he whispers. "I have one, but it's not her."

"Hm..." I sigh. "Well what's your ability?"

"It's not as impressive as the Healing ability." He says nonchalantly. "I can move things though."

"That's amazing. Will you show me it?" I ask hopefully.

"I have to get in the right mindset. So wait just a moment."

He stands very still and concentrates, staring at the photo that was hanging above us. The artwork hovers in the air and steadily it rises up faster and then he makes it fly across the other end of the hallway and back to its rightful place in a matter of seconds.

"That was brilliant!" I shout gleefully.

"Not really." He whispers, grabbing my hand. He gazes at me hopefully, hungrily. "Ali. You know how you asked me if Blair was my Soulfire."

"Yeah..." I say trailing off.

"I only have this moment. And I have to tell you because I couldn't dream of losing you."

He kisses me ravenously and I kiss him back. He pushes me up against the wall and we get lost for a while in the moment. Our tongues flick and dance in a rhythmic motion until we're left breathless, sitting hand and hand on the bench and laughing.

"Ali. You're my Soulfire." He whispers gazing into my eyes confidently.

I remember when life was simple... can I go back now?

"I have to go..." I whisper as tears stream down my face. "Don't follow me."

I take off my shoes and sprint for the gardens because it's the only place I can think about that they might not look for me. I can hear the guards shouting behind me, but I don't care. For a moment I'm free, I'm human—I'm not this mythical Princess with soul mates and responsibility.

I'm just me. It's me and the flowers and the birds chirping and the fireflies. That's it. Would it be wrong to run away from here already? The one place I've ever been that I actually have a family and a home.

Can I go back home?

Do I even belong there anymore...?

I plop down in the grass beneath a willow tree and a tall rose bush that swirls fragrant petals around me, lightly grazes my skin. I start to count the stars in the sky and realize how very small I am comparatively.

There's a rustle behind the bushes. I sit up instinctively.

 Chapter 14

I prepare for the worst. Who's it going to be Riley or Theo?

"Are you alright?" a soft feminine voice prods behind the bushes.

"Yes." I sigh a relief at the realization that it's not a male's voice. What if they're just pretending to be female?

"Show yourself."

A pretty girl, with olive skin and long silky hair stands next to the purple roses. She outstretches her hand toward me. I take her frail looking hand and shake it.

"I'm Olivia. We didn't get a proper introduction at dinner I'm afraid."

"Olivia. It's very nice to meet you."

"Can I talk to you about something, Princess?"

"Of course, sit down." I say patting the patch of grass next to me.

"Tomorrow... is my wedding day."

"Congratulations. I didn't know you and my brother were getting married."

She looks at me with the most haunting, expressionless eyes and I realize that she doesn't want to get married.

"Oh. You don't want to get married?" I ask. "Then why would you agree to it?"

"I do want to marry your brother, but I'm being forced to marry another man. My father needed the land so that we could grow food for the people so he made a deal with one of the wealthier families that he would trade my hand in marriage for half the land the man owns. And unfortunately he agreed." She answers looking devastated and her eyes glimmer as she holds back tears.

I put a comforting hand on my shoulder. To be forced into marriage is one thing, but over a piece of land... what is this the 15th century? Have I traveled back in time?

"And it gets worse. I'm in love with your brother... but, but he's a Prince." She begins to sob, and I rub her back and hug her.

"Well does he know your feelings?"

"Yes... he's reciprocated them. I didn't expect to find you out here. This is our usual meeting place."

"Oh..."

"Well, why don't you tell the man you don't want to marry him because you're in love with someone else? I'm sure my brother would be happy to pay off your father's debts."

"Yes. We've discussed that, but the thing is your brother and I could never be together." She says looking into her hands miserably.

"Why not?" I exclaim, knowing the answer without her having to tell me.

"He is Royalty... and I'm just the gardener."

"You did all of this?" I ask amazed.

She smiles and touches one of the flowers. It moves and shifts in her hand, and then wraps around her arm. The flowers start to shift and change as if a wind is blowing, but the sky is clear and only sprinkled with a thousand stars. There is no wind. The branches and leaves stretch high above us and then we're engulfed in a floral cave of roses that have become brightly lit lanterns of different shades of purple, emitting golden flecks of light into the air. The flowers begin to hum and sing as if they have been given life and voices.

"It's beautiful." I gasp.

She lets go of the branch and it returns to normal.

"It's my ability. I can control plants, and make them turn into different things."

"There you are my dainty little flower..."

Viktor peers from behind the rose bush. I put my hand up to my mouth and try to stifle a giggle.

"So she knows."

"I just told her everything... I thought she might be able to help."

"Me? How could I help you two?" I ask, secretly afraid of what the answer might be.

"Riley... you have to be with him." My brother answers.

"Anything but that..." I say trailing off.

"The only way that Olivia and I could ever be together is if one of our bloodlines stays in Royalty. Riley is a Prince. He may be a Prince to the Wolves and Thieves and Monsters..."

"I'm sorry. Did you just say Monsters? You're honestly going to let me give up my happiness to be Queen of the Damned so that you and Olivia can happily frolic together forever. And you want me to end up with the most exasperating creature on Earth for that." I inquire.

"Well when you put it that way it sounds horrible." He states.

"And honestly Riley is a really good guy. You should have seen the way he was doting on you earlier. It was sweet."

"Well at least he's nice to me when I'm unconscious because otherwise he makes me miserable."

"Can't you just give him a chance?"

"No." I whisper, folding my arms across my chest stubbornly. They both look at me with big begging eyes. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

"I knew she wouldn't go for it." My brother sighs.

"Go for what?" A familiar voice asks from the shadows.

"I tried Riley... I honestly did. But she isn't going to believe you guys are connected."

"You are such a traitor." I say standing up and kicking at the grass like a child.

"Now, I remember why I'm glad I never had siblings because this... they'll stab you in the back and try to force you into relationships. Or something along those lines, maybe steal your Barbie dolls. It's all the same."

No one follows me and I walk with my head down back towards the castle. Even the flowers look wilted and dejected. I must have hurt Olivia's feelings. Oh well... for once I thought I had made a real friend. Now I just feel betrayed.

I stop when I see two people in the distance shouting at one another. I hide behind a tall garden wall to try to catch bits of the conversation.

"You told her what?" A female voice explains.

"We're Soulfires..." A hushed male voice replies.

"Why on Earth would you tell her that?"

"Because it's true..."

"No, it's not. You're mine and you know that we connected a LONG time ago."

"Something has changed... I don't feel the same."

It's Theo and Blair. And they're heatedly arguing about something.

"Well maybe this will change your mind."

I peer out from behind the wall to see the two of them interlocked in a heated make-out session. Well, of course Theo would end up betraying me. He's just like everyone else.

The tears start to run down my face so I sprint inside before the two of them can see me.

I'm not sure where I'm going, but anywhere is better than here. I manage to find my room in the large, expansive castle after opening about twenty doors. I look under my bed to find the backpack that I came here with. I try to find the tiny purple elephant that can be used as a transporter back to home... back to the familiar loneliness of a hermit life. I want to go back there now.

I empty the contents of the bag onto the wooden floor. I start to dig through the clothes. It's not there. I know I put it in there. The book that Theo gave me is still there though.

Why isn't the elephant trinket in my bag? Did someone steal it?

That means I'm stuck here: Forever.

 Chapter 15

I plop down on my bed defeated grasping the leather-bound book with all of my secret history inside. That's it... if I can't beat them... I may as well join them. I sit cross-legged on the bed and flip to page one.

There's a drawing of what appears to be a beautiful Elf. It's an intricately done sketch of a girl with wispy black hair and eyes as green as the forest trees. One strand is tucked behind her ear, which is longer, and pointer than any human ear. But that appears to be the only marking that makes her stand out. My eyes scan to the second page where it gives a brief introduction:

Wood Elves are impossibly fast. They like to be sneaky and they can escape any dangerous situation. The female elves have the ability to enchant their male counterparts... if it's male it can be enchanted. They often are born with several abilities: Healing, Nature Manipulation, Teleportation and Charm.

If you come across a male Wood Elf: run. They are highly dangerous and do not like to be bothered... unless you are a female Wood Elf.

The elves can be spotted by their familiar markings... glowing eyes, pointy ears and scroll tattoos that go up their left arm. These can only be spotted in the moonlight. Otherwise, they look like us. Don't be fooled if you spot a Wood Elf. They are not friendly to humans.

I flip the book over. This was written by a human? It has to be ancient. A few centuries old by the leather cover and condition. How would a human know about this world?

I close the book and look at the cover. At the very bottom in elaborate writing is the name John Oliver. The title reads: Mythical Beasts and Creatures and How to Identify Them

Why would Theo give me a book written by a human? There has to be a better book then some hypothetical explanation of what these things are... the title even says "Mythical."

I flip to the second page hoping for more answers.

The next page begins a journal:

John Oliver

Oct. 15. 1842

My Dearest Merian:

I miss you dearly. You were the most enchanting creature that I have ever met. I know you told me that it is too dangerous to be near you, but I need to. I feel like I shall die if I am not close to you. You are wonderful. You told me that we were soul mates. I believe you. I have dreamed of you since I was a small child. My dreams consisted of trees and beautiful creatures that do not actually exist.

You are the only one who understands. I am not just a human. I'm a Halfling.

Halfling...didn't Riley say he was a Halfling? I continue to read:

I hope you will not think it is too forward of me to say but one day I will marry you. I don't care if Halflings have been shunned from the Kingdom because their blood is impure. I need you. It doesn't matter if we have to run away. There is a war starting here. I can feel it. I know I will have to participate, but I'll keep you close by for comfort. One day we will meet again, my beautiful Princess.

I gasp and look at the first page once more. This time I look more closely. Grandma, she's a Wood Elf. Something suddenly occurs to me. I go outside to my balcony where I can see the light of the moon clearly reflecting upon the metal bars.

I stand there for a moment breathless. I've finally figured out who I am... I hold my breath and roll up the sleeve of my left arm. I place it directly in the moonlight and gasp as the skin starts to transform. Purple veins interlock and connect swirling mysteriously into an intricate pattern of scrolling artwork. I touch my ears and they've become swollen and enlarged the very tips of them growing past my headline. I turn around to glance at the reflection in the window and see that my eyes have become purple glowing globes of light. My pale skin glows in the moonlight as if I am part ghost.

I sit down in the chair. And put my hands in my palms.

I'm an Elf. It all makes sense. No wonder I never felt like a human... it's because I myself am a "Mythical" creature.

"So you've figured it out." Croaks a voice from the shadows.

"Who's there?" I demand.

"An old friend." The voice replies.

"If you are a friend, you wouldn't need to hide in the shadows."

"It's me."

A gentleman in a white suit and matching white top hat with a golden bow tie and golden handkerchief poking daintily from his pocket appears. His hair is as white as freshly fallen snow, and a golden chain attached to an intricate pocket watch hangs loosely from his neck.

"Do I know you? "I ask.

"Yes." He replies. He takes my hand and places a quick peck on it, getting on one knee to bow before me. "Maybe this will jog your memory."

He removes the pocket watch and clicks the top knob of it. A cloud of shimmering white smoke appears and then swiftly fades out of sight to reveal an elegant, strong bird.

"I am Lucin, my dear lady." He croaks once more.

"Lucin. Why have you come back?"

"The traitor has decided he will reveal himself tomorrow at the stroke of Midnight."

"Who is this traitor? I have seen a lot of traitors today." I answer looking warily up at the sky.

"Those are not traitors. They are your friends and you cannot see them as conspirators, or you will lose sight of the truth." The bird eyes me carefully.

I stare at him.

"Just be careful. Pick your friends wisely."

And with that the bird flaps his powerful wings, leaving only a gentle breeze behind him.

I've figured out the secret... I'm a Wood Elf.

I need to find my grandmother. She'll be able to answer everything for me. I tuck the book back in my backpack and leave it on my bed.

Then I change my mind and take the book back out holding it by my side. I run down the spiral staircase towards the kitchen where Ambrosia Winters is gossiping with some of the other cooks. They grow quiet when they see me.

"Ambrosia, do you know where Grandmother is?" I ask.

"She's in the library where she always is at this hour, my dear."

"Thank you." I reply, quickly turning away and realizing that I don't know where the library is.

"It's at the end of the hall on the third floor, second door on your left." Ambrosia answers as if reading my mind. I smile and nod my head.

I rush back up the stairs to a floor I have not yet seen. It's similar to the second floor with all white marble and doors of different types of sizes. This door is much larger and grander than the others. I find the second door on my left and turn the antique, golden doorknob. The door creaks gently. I peer in.

"Grandmother?"

Silence is the only response I get as I tiptoe inside.

"Hello?" My voice echoes in the sprawling room.

It's a room filled with more books than I thought existed in the world. The shelves reach the top of the ceiling and there are books in piles all around the room. They overflow on the shelves and the room gives off a musty odor as I peer at the titles of the unorganized books. There's a long table in the center of it with more piles of books and dimly lit candles haphazardly sitting next to them.

The chandeliers are twice as big as any of the other ones I've seen in the house. At the end of the room is a dimly lit fireplace that crackles soothingly and a tall chair sits facing the fireplace. I can hear snoring coming from the chair. A mirror sits by the chair reflecting Grandmother with a book on her lap and her legs outstretched on the ottoman in front of her. I walk to the candles and blow the first one out.

"Who's there?" My grandmother shouts.

"It's me." I reply. "Alison."

"You're going to give your poor, old Grams a fright blowing out those candles."

"The creaking door and when I was shouting your name didn't wake you but blowing out a candle did?" I ask laughing.

"What did you need my dear?"

"I was wondering if you could answer a question for me." I ask, plopping down in the empty chair next to her. I hand her the old, leather-bound book.

She gasps.

"Where did you find this?" She inquires. "I've been looking everywhere for it."

"Theo gave it to me." I whisper. She appears to look relieved.

"I must have forgotten I gave it to the boy. I wanted to give it to you myself, but I couldn't remember where I put it." She laughs heartily.

"Yes. Well, have you read any of it then?"

"Only the first two pages."

"So you know then, what I am?" She examines.

"Yes."

"But who is John Oliver?"

"Your Grandfather..." She looks at the fire dreamily with a sad expression on her face. "He was quite the adventurer, you know."

"I almost didn't marry him, but I had a brother who married a Princess, which gave me the freedom to marry whomever I chose. My father was not happy, but my mother had a law written and passed that only one of the siblings had to marry Royalty. The other one could marry whomever they deemed worthy."

"So that's why Olivia and Viktor can't be together?" I question.

"It seems so. We aren't allowed to change the law because it has a curse on it. If we break the law and allow both of you to marry outside of Royalty then you'll both be cursed. It was the only way my father would agree to the new law." She sighs. "He was a stubborn man."

"So I have to be with Riley."

"No." She replies.

"But you said, we'd be cursed."

"Not exactly, the law was written rather vaguely. If the two siblings have connected truly with the other person who is not of Royal blood then you will not be cursed. But if you're not truly connected then all four people will be instantly cursed. You won't be killed; you'll just sleep for all of eternity."

"Well... what's the difference?" I ask. "Your father should have just killed the cursed ones."

"That would be too easy." She says scowling. "He wanted them to suffer for their betrayal so if they were cursed, they'll forever be tossed in a dream world where they believe they're tortured for all eternity."

"That sounds awful." I reply.

"So why doesn't Grandfather have the same last name as you?"

"I took my name back after he was killed." She replies gazing at the flickering flames of the dimly lit fire.

"He was murdered?"

"Yes he was murdered, but I was pregnant with your mother before it happened and we were secretly married. Then, he had to go to war and since he was a Halfling—he had to choose a side."

"The Elves would not take him because he was not a full-blooded elf and the humans accepted him because they didn't know what he truly was. He was killed by a poisoned arrow during the Great War, and he never got to see your mother." She whispers. "I-I tried to revive him with my Healing ability, but I had waited too long and he died."

"So my father won and I married a Prince from another realm... I didn't live happily ever after and your mother doesn't know that the man who raised her was not her real father."

"Why not?" I demand.

"It was one of the conditions I had to deal with. My father tricked this Prince into believing the child was his by implanting memories into him. He was a Dark Elf, which means he could use his abilities for illusion and trickery."

"There are different types of Elves?"

"Yes, my dear. You'll just have to continue reading the journal. Mr. Oliver was an educated man and he understood the Elves better than they ever understood themselves. He went above and beyond to analyze and study the creatures of Newhollow. This journal is better than any book you'll find in this library written by fools and half-wits." She replies. "I'm tired. That's all the questions I can answer for tonight."

She stands up, her bones creak and she plants a kiss on my forehead.

"Good night, Grandmother."

"Good night, dear."

 Chapter 16

I wake up and stretch my arms upward, popping my wrists and feeling more refreshed then I have in days. Today is going to be a good day. I'm not sure if it's true, but I'm going to try to make it that way. A soft knock at the door makes me clutch my robe tighter.

"Just a minute." I say, scurrying for the mirror. What if it's Theo? Or Riley?

I brush my hair quickly and put on a pair of slippers. I walk over to the door and prepare myself. It's too early for this.

I open the door and a petite woman appears from behind it with long, curly red hair and a smile that could light up any room... except mine.

"Mother." I sigh. "What could you possibly want at this hour?"

"It's noon, darling." She squeaks. "I thought it might be fun to go shopping."

"I hate shopping." I groan.

"Fine, but we haven't had a chance to talk about anything. And I'd really love to do that."

"Okay. I suppose I have to at least let you talk to me."

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you." She whispers. "I wasn't exactly myself back then."

"Well you looked like yourself. Especially grinning with a knife next to my throat, I mean you definitely looked like yourself then."

"Sit down. I have a lot to explain." She pats the spot next to her.

I listen to her and take a seat on the bed. She looks at her hands thoughtfully.

"I don't even know where to start."

"Start from the beginning." I answer.

"Many years ago, there was a boy named Mathew who came into your father's and my life. He was enchanting and charming. We both loved him dearly, but he was dangerous. He took our love for him and betrayed us by implanting false memories. He snuck into our room one evening and whispered charms into my ear so that I would burn the palace down and kill my own children.

"Your father woke up and heard the enchantments and managed to hold him while shouting for the guards who imprisoned Mathew. He was exiled from the Kingdom and sent back to Earth stripped of all his powers, but you see he's a Dark Elf and they can trick us. So he made one of the Elders feel sorry for him and allowed him to keep one of his powers while on Earth as a means of survival.

"He chose to keep his Soul or what he had left of it, which gave him all of his abilities back. So now he's on Earth, among the humans building an army to destroy the Elves and the other Beasts of our world.

"Alison, we had to leave because you and Viktor are twins. Your powers would flow into just one of you meaning that only one would get to live with a limitless amount of power, while the other would live eternally.

"Can that still happen?" I interject.

"No. Once your powers have been fully developed they won't combine. I saw that you were the one with all the power and Viktor was the one who would live eternally and rule the Kingdom miserably."

"I wasn't sure if your powers would develop while we pretended to be humans. But they did." She finishes.

"And what about the implanted memories? Why didn't you kill me before?" I ask.

"I was only ordered to kill you if I realized you would gain your powers. And your father thought that you hadn't because on your birthday you didn't gain them at the stroke of Midnight like you were supposed to. He believed it would be okay to leave and that my memories would go back to normal and I could take care of you, while he stayed here ruling the Kingdom and watching over Viktor."

"We didn't take into consideration that the time is different here and that you would get your powers on your birthday, but much later than we expected." She answers.

"Your brother... doesn't have his powers yet, which means splitting you two up didn't stop the curse from happening." She sighs. "It was all for nothing."

"The implanted memories would have made me kill you, but your brother would have been unharmed. We would have forgotten you existed because of Mathew's trickery. We have to find him and bring him to justice." She strokes my hair. "I'm so glad you stopped me that day."

"I did what?" I exclaim. "The elderly neighbor woman saved me."

"No. You used your Healing ability to heal yourself when I used the poisoned knife."

"Ali, could we start over?" She asks.

I think it over... she was under a spell. I have to give her a chance. It would be nice to finally have a normal mom and not a mom locked up in a mental institution.

"You know, I came and visited you once." I whisper.

"You did?" She asks intrigued.

"I saw you sitting outside in the gardens. You looked so happy and you were painting a portrait of the garden." I say. "It's the only time I remember you looking really happy and like yourself."

"I was painting you, my beautiful daughter. I was hoping you would come to visit one day so that I could show you that I had changed and that Mathew's implanted memories had worn off. But you never came. And I was left alone." She whispers. A single tear rolls down her cheek and she looks at me with haunted eyes.

We were the same at one time. Lonely and miserable; I take her in my arms and hug her gently. We cry softly and rock each other back and forth. It feels nice. It feels familiar like it should have always been this way, instead of the way that it had turned out to be. She kisses my tear-stained cheeks.

"You know what always cheers me up?"

"What?" I ask.

"A new dress!" She exclaims.

"Mother, I have one more request we have to stop Olivia's wedding."

"Olivia? Why would we stop her wedding?" She bemuses.

"Didn't you know? She's Viktor's Soulfire."

"Viktor connected with someone. I thought they were acting suspicious at dinner yesterday. Of course, what can we do?" She requests.

"I think we should find father and tell him."

"Were you looking for me?" He asks leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Were you listening in on our conversation?" My mother demands.

"No. I would never do such a thing." He replies grinning looking particularly mischievous.

"Okay, fine. I was listening in just in case something went wrong."

"Olivia and Viktor are Soulfires. Did you know?" My mother asks.

"Who wouldn't know?" He asks laughing. "After that display at dinner, I went straight to the man Olivia was set to marry and paid off her father's debts. It's all been taken care of, my sweets."

I rush over to him and he envelops me in a big hug. He wipes the dried up tears from my cheeks. My mother comes over and we all hug for a very long time.

To an outsider it would seem like the picture of perfection.

"I think it's time for a new dress for both of you since there could be a wedding in the near future." He says smiling. "Why don't you two go out and explore the city."

 Chapter 17

My grandmother has decided to join us on our shopping adventure. We all stagger into the carriage and fit snugly inside. I run my fingertips along the familiar silky interior and pull up the curtain to reveal the vast greenery around me. My grandmother stares outside with her luminous eyes that match the enchanting forest surrounding us. They grin at me from across the seat.

"I know it may be a bit soon but would you mind if we started your training a bit earlier, Ali?" My mother asks sweetly, her voice squeaking at the end.

"I can't wait to start training!" I exclaim eagerly. "Will you be my trainer?"

"No, you've been placed with Lily—she's our best Healer. She'll just teach you basic incantations and you'll be in a class with the other Healers. We're starting you a bit late, but I think with your ability you'll have no problem catching up with the rest."

"Do I have another Ability?" I ask anxiously.

"You may have another Ability that hasn't presented itself yet." She replies.

"What's yours?"

"I'm a Seer—like Riley."

"Riley is a Seer? But I thought he was a Wolf." I reply.

"He's a Halfling, which means he gets an ability trait from the Elves and Shifting from the Wolves side." My Grandmother replies.

"There are three rare abilities that died out with the bloodlines long ago: Healers, Seers and Elementals. They still exist but are much harder to find now that we're allowed to create Halflings and breed with other species. The Elves no longer have pure bloodlines as they did before the start of the Great War."

"What's an Elemental?" I ask.

"Theo is an Elemental, which means he has the ability to control the Earth and any material it creates." My mother replies.

"Amazing." I sigh deeply, thinking about the kiss that I accidentally saw between Theo and Blair. I suddenly feel nauseous and the pit in my stomach grows.

"What's your ability?" I ask, trying to change the subject from Theo to something else—anything else.

"Charm and Energy." She responds.  
"I can make you do anything I want."

"Will you show me?" I request.

She places her warm, wrinkly hand around my wrist and whispers a language I can't understand under her breath. The next moment her touch fades to an icy cold grasp and thousands of knives plunge into my skull, demanding me to close the window. I try to force my hand away from it, but just as quickly I grab the window and yank it down. The warmth returns to my body and I feel normal again.

"I'm positive that you're the coolest Grandma ever." I breathe enthusiastically. "So what can your Energy Ability do, since that was Charm obviously?"

"You're absolutely right. I just used Charm on you. I create Force Fields through manipulating the Energy around me. It's useful in combat to block magic attacks, incantations, weapons, and any other abilities." She whispers grinning mischievously.

"I'm using a Force Field around us to make us appear invisible at this exact moment."

"So in the circumstances of the Great War you would have been the most important weapon on the field?" I ask in utter awe of this tiny woman. I try to imagine my small Grams standing out in a battle field protecting soldiers from attacks. It seems impossible.

"I wasn't the most important person; everyone had a role to play in the Great War. It was fun to beat the Wolves, alongside the Humans then. I was the Elves secret weapon. They had never had anyone possess the ability until I came along. The Wolves were outnumbered and outplayed, and they quickly surrendered after they realized what I was capable of." She says, clearly reminiscing about a time that has long since passed.

"Alright, Mom, enough with your war stories—you're going to scare her." My mother announces wrapping an arm around my Grandmother.

"No. It's amazing that you helped end the war. It's hard to imagine that the war could be ended by a tiny heroine such as yourself, but it means that we're all capable of doing great things—if we dig deep enough inside of ourselves."

The carriage jolts to a stop. The three of us climb out into the bright city square. People are walking past us not paying attention to the three Royal women standing in the middle of the square, underneath the blazing hot sun of midday.

Everyone ignores us. It's very unlike my arrival to the city yesterday when people were shouting my name from every corner and cheering loudly.

"Why are they ignoring us?" I ask.

"The energy force field I have in place will keep us invisible." My grandmother replies.

"It's nice to not have to dodge everyone and hide from the embarrassment of having my name shouted and all the cheering." I babble on, as my mother and grandmother ignore me and look straight ahead.

I stop suddenly aware that these two are up to something. The air has changed around us. I can't place the feeling at this moment but something feels off about it.

"Where are we going?" I ask. Although, I'm afraid of where they may be taking me—my mother points directly ahead an eerie shop just ahead of us. It's the only shop on the street. I look around and see now that the street is full and overcrowded. A strange odor lingers in the air.

The shop is painted a dark gray, unlike the bright cheery colors of the bakery and the jewelry shop from yesterday. The yellow door is horribly large and takes up a good portion of the front. It's painted the color of a vulture's beak... and there is mold growing on the sidewalk in front of the shop. I look up the sign above reads:  
"Murphy's mayhem and mishaps"

"I really had a bad feeling you were going to say we were going in there." I gulp.

"Don't worry; it's where we all go our first time in the city when we come of age." My Gran replies, trying to ease my discomfort.

The closer we get to the store, the creepier the people begin to look. They start to transform into people who only wear black robes and chant strange spells, looking suspiciously around at everyone their eyes happen to meet. We finally reach the front of the distastefully wide door and a cheerful bell jingles.

"Ah ladies, I have been expecting your arrival. What can I do for you?"

A tall, bald man with beady bird-like eyes asks. He's wearing a long yellow cloak that barely touches the floor with each massive stride that he takes. A tiny black cat appears, purring and wrapping its elongated body around one of his legs.

"We need a trusted Seer to tell us who the Princess is connected with. You see two boys have claimed to be her Soulfire. But we all know what the chances of that are..." She trails off. "I'll pay you double what your normal asking price is, and you must keep this meeting a secret from the Elders."

"What? I'm not destined to be with anyone. I don't want him to touch me." I protest, but my mother and my grandmother each take one of my shoulders, gripping it tightly and shoving me forward. They ignore my objections.

"Wonderful. We'd be happy to oblige, your highness. If you will follow me I will deliver her to the Seer." He answers, rubbing his hands eagerly together. The cat hisses at me from his side. I struggle harder to free myself from the tight grip. This is embarrassing... I can't even escape my grandmother's grip.

"It'll all be fine." My Grandmother croons releasing me, as we enter the darkest, deepest catacombs of the shop. We crawl through tiny doors to finally reach the end and even if I wanted to escape I would get lost in my feeble attempts.

The only light in the room are a few small candles and a large glowing orb exuding green and purple flecks on the ceiling. In the center of the room is a small oval table with a few mismatched chairs.

I always imagined a fortune teller's place to look exactly like this. I sit down uncomfortably in one of the chairs and only because my Grandmother has used her Charm to make me do so. I would never do this willingly. She also forces me to answer each of the Seer's questions honestly.

I've decided I hate the Charm ability. It's not a fair fight. The Seer enters the room—she's a bubbly older woman with long, curly blonde hair and too much makeup. Her lipstick is too dark and her eyes are too large for her obscenely round head.

She's wearing what appears to be the attire of a belly dancer, and her stomach bulges angrily out from the flowing fabric. The bells on the belly shirt jingle with each step that she takes.

"Hello. I am Madame Serenia. I am here with the solution to all of your problems." She says in an extremely raspy voice like she has smoked too many cigarettes in her lifetime.

"I doubt that." I respond sardonically.

"You would doubt my ability, young Princess?" She demands sneering.

"I'm sorry for my daughter's unpleasant behavior. We made her come here to get answers. You see she has two boys that claim to be her Soulfire, but we want to know which one is the true one."

"Your hand, Princess." Madame Serenia demands as she reaches across the table.

Her hands flow towards me and her cold hand grips mine tightly as she places my left hand on the glowing orb. It begins to change colors from white to bright blue. I grab onto her hands and hold tightly as we are transported to another universe. I'm floating now, watching my own life from afar. Images pass before my eyes of me in the human world. I'm sitting in high school eating lunch alone and then Theo enters the picture. I go back to the day we met while I was sitting on a bus. And then I see Riley riding on a majestic black horse. Theo's face appears again, but this time its bright red, full of loathing and he's spitting fiery words from his mouth. All of the images disappear and we fall back to the room—our hands slamming on the table, giving my mother and grandmother a fright.

Serves them right, I think to myself.

"So?" My mother probes.

"It's unclear. Both men are true candidates, but I found deep in her mind she may know which one is true." Madame Serenia replies hesitantly peering at me from behind the glowing orb.

"So?" My mother pries.

"It is unclear at this time. Both men are good candidates but I found deep in her mind that she knows one of them could be a traitor and only here to play tricks." Madam Serena replies.

"You didn't get an answer?" My mother sneers.

"It's peculiar. I've never seen anything like it before, but she's had a connection with both of them. They are both entangled in her soul." Madame Serenia replies.

My mother grabs me and hands the tall man a purse full of jangling gold. He apologizes profusely as we crawl through the tunnels of the store. He quickly escorts us to the exit.

"What's going on?" I demand, spinning my mother around. "You drag me to the creepiest, deepest part of Newhollow for a fortune teller to tell us what we already know."

"We had to know for sure."

"I will never forgive you or Grandmother for that." I say spitting on the ground.

My mother seems to be ignoring me. "This can't be happening. She can't possible have two Soulfires. It means that the Prophet was right. That it's going to mean something much worse is coming."

"I think we need to go back to the palace. We need to figure this out." My Grandmother replies.

"Fine." I respond, folding my arms. My mother looks at me her face full of concern and worry. She peers begrudgingly at me once we get back into the carriage. I would love to read her mind right now. Maybe, then I would understand what was going on since no one around here wants to include me in anything.

The entire ride is spent in silence. It's a long, awkward ride back to the palace.

 Chapter 18

My father greets us at the gate with a smile.

"Where's the fancy new dresses ladies?" He inquires.

"Funny thing, we went to see a fortune teller instead." I say scornfully. My father's jaw drops and he looks pointedly at my mother and Grandmother. "Also, she said I most definitely have two Soulfires."

"I told you not to go there... until we knew for sure." He replies.

"Well now we know for sure that it's true." My mother answers hastily.

"So now what? Do we take her to the Elders?" My Grandmother asks.

"No. They can't know, we'll have to take care of this ourselves." My father replies.

"Hello. What are you people talking about?"

"Nothing." They all reply in unison.

"Fine." I answer exasperatedly.

I walk away from them as they continue to speak in encoded languages and words that only they can understand. I despise secrets, especially when they're about me. The guards with the tall funny hats watch me suspiciously.

"Excuse me for my existence." I spit out.

They stand in silence, their gazes remain focused and forward.

I sneak into the back because I'm secretly afraid of the Hellums, and I definitely don't want to end up unconscious for a few hours again. I like being aware of things, and as strangely adorable as those giant beasts are—I'd rather stay away.

I spot a man sitting on a bench kicking at thin air and talking to no one in particular, he's sitting in front of the palace's back entrance so there's no way to get around him. I can't tell if it's Riley or Theo... but I'd rather it be someone else—anyone else. My ability to handle annoying things is at an all-time low at the moment.

The boy peeks up and I see that it's the same golden eyes from the forest. Riley...of course—he would be the weird man on the bench talking to no one.

"Who are you talking to?"

"The wind." He replies.

"No...really?"

"Honestly. I was trying to deliver a message home so I was telling the wind to deliver it for me."

I lift my eyebrow in suspicion and plop down next to him. The tension between us fills the air like a bout of static electricity ready to burst and shock everything in its path.

"Do you miss home?"

"Yes." He replies looking down at the ground and then watching his feet move back and forth. "I miss my little brother the most."

I look over at him to see his eyes have grown wide and innocent.

"What do you do for fun?" He asks.

"Fun..." I trail off. "I like to dance."

"I would have never guessed. Would you like to dance, Princess?"

"But there's no music." I reply. He takes my hand and places it on top of my head.

"Use your imagination, music is all around us if you listen hard enough."

He takes one hand and places it around my waist and takes the other in his hand. The sunlight casts a silver glow in his eyes. He whispers something under his breath and Fly Me to the Moon begins to play. The music is made by the frogs and the bugs and the grass and the birds and the wind. I smile as he spins me in circles, we spin rhythmically to the music as thousands of fireflies join us and the sun sets in the background.

We dance completely in tune with one another. He takes a step left and I follow instinctively. We can't take our eyes off of each other. I want to fall to my knees from the pure magnetism and heat his body exudes. I follow his steps leaning closer and closer until are noses are almost touching. I can see his wide eyes—full of hope and longing. I feel his hot breath against my cheek. His hand is wrapped tightly and securely around my waist making me feel protected.

An instant later, we're kissing. The fireflies bob in midair. We hold each other so tight that it almost hurts, but I couldn't imagine letting go or being in another place in time.

It's everything I had hoped it would be.

He kisses me with such ferocity and intensity that I feel like I might black out from the lack of oxygen. If he leaves though, I could crumble into a million pieces. The song ends and he slowly pulls away from me. His pupils dilated and his eyes wide with intrigue.

"Thank you." He whispers.

 Chapter 19

I sit in my bed staring at my reflection in the mirror. I brush my pale cheek with my hand searching for the purple scroll tattoo that only appears in the moonlight. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, but my ear still looks like it has always looked. It looks like a human ear. I take the brush from the vanity and brush my long black hair instinctively taking extra care not to pull too hard at the ends.

A fast-paced knock at the door makes me drop the brush noisily. I turn around on my chair and look at the door. Riley peers in and I rush to the door gently grabbing his shirt and pulling him in by the collar.

"Riley. What are you doing it's late." I whisper.

"I needed to ask you something. It's a favor... if it's too much then you don't have to do it." He whispers back. But his eyes are pleading. They've entrapped me and enchanted me, and I'm mesmerized by the deep brown rings and the golden flecks of light they reveal. He steps closer to me and I can feel his hot breath again. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply.

He smells like grass after a rainstorm. I inhale and look up into his big golden persuasive eyes. They start to shimmer and change becoming even lighter from excitement.

I start to feel insecure, completely unsure of myself at the moment. I know he wants to kiss me, but what if I don't do it right like that first time and I make a fool of myself. The only other boy I had kissed before him was Theo. That didn't quite work out as planned because Theo kissed another girl. I stop looking into his entrancing eyes. I stare down at my hands instead.

"What was the favor?" I ask, trying to pretend to be transfixed by my abnormally small, pale hands. I look up to see Riley's facial expression transform into a grimace. I know what he's thinking. We had a moment, we should be kissing. I can see the hurt in his eyes. He clears his throat humiliated and tries to ignore the awkward thing that just took place between us.

"I need you to come home with me." He says with a serious expression painted on his lovely face.

"Why would you need me to come home with you?"

"My oldest sister is getting married. I need someone to go with me. I would really appreciate it if you could accompany me." He says shyly. "It doesn't have to be a date. We could just go as friends." He adds quickly before I can answer. His cheeks turn a crimson red and he looks absolutely adorable. It might just be impossible to say no to this request.

"I would like that. It would give us time to get to know each other better." I reply.

Riley thrusts his fist in the air victoriously. I give him a smile, and I try not to laugh at his odd behavior.

"Thank you Ali. My sister is so excited to meet you. That's what I was sending the message about earlier... when you probably thought I was talking to myself. I told her that I would ask you if you would like to come with me. She asked me to ask actually."

Riley races out of the room before I can change my mind again.

My heart flutters and leaps around the room. I feel lightheaded and exuberantly excited. The giant knot in my stomach has taken over half my body and it's making it impossible to breathe. I'm thrilled about our upcoming "non-date," but most importantly I can't wait to see Riley again.

A loud knock rattles my door. Thinking its Riley, I leap up from my chair almost tumbling through my doorway from the amount of force I use to throw my door open. I paste a big smile on my face.

"Hi." I say breathlessly.

"Hello." My mother answers.

"Oh, it's only you..." I say looking down in disappointment.

"Please don't seem too enthusiastic about seeing me." She says giggling, her wild hair bouncing like hot flames around her shoulders. "I just stopped by to apologize and to tell you good night. Tomorrow we will begin your training and I'll tell you everything you need to know about the Prophecy and the two Soulfires."

"I don't like secrets. Especially when I've just started to trust you, but I also know you're trying to protect me from getting hurt." I say.

"I know but I promise that I had your best interest at hear." She exclaims frustrated.

"I'm excited to start my training." I reply dancing around the room. My mother wraps me in a tight embrace, making my dancing cease.

"I'm glad to see you happy. It's one of the best gifts a mother can witness. I heard some wonderful news by the way." She says grinning sheepishly.

"What news?" I demand.

"You and Riley have a date."

"It is not a date. We're just going to his sister's wedding together."

"Sure. Well you better stop him before the entire Kingdom knows I just saw him running down the hallway shouting about his date with the Princess." She says smiling in my direction. "And I know that's the reason you're really dancing around your room."

"Fantastic—now I have to explain to everyone that it's not a date." I say exasperatedly blowing my bangs out of my face. "He is so childish."

"Give him a break, Ali." She replies. "He's got a heart of gold and he's so sweet—even if he's a Wolf."

"Anyways, it's time to go to sleep you have a long day ahead. Good night."

"Good night, mom."

I watch my mother bounce gracefully down the hall. She's cheerfully humming a tune as I close my bedroom door. Someone is breathing heavily down my neck. I can smell a faint familiar smell, and I turn around to face a hulking giant leering over me. He's furious and who could blame him?

 Chapter 20

"What the hell is your problem?" He shouts, slamming his fist against my wall. It narrowly misses the top of my head, but I can feel the breeze from the excessive force. I try to scream but nothing escapes my lungs. I'm utterly paralyzed.

Help me, I think loudly in my head.

Please, someone. Help.

Theo's hand lunges for my throat, but I move to the side just in time as he crashes into my vanity. The glass shatters, and I use the momentary opportunity to escape my bedroom. The door creaks loudly as I force it open. I sprint as quickly as I can down the hallway, still unable to use my voice to scream for help.

Theo is yelling something at the top of his lungs and shards of glass come hurtling towards me as I race in the opposite direction.

Someone or something comes sprinting in the opposite direction, a colossal shadow of a blur as it whizzes by me at an unfathomable speed. I can see a glimpse of brown and gold fur streak past me. It stops short of my doorway and faces me. Its eyes are ravenous and animalistic. They appear to be large and golden with hints of orange and yellow flecks; a dangerous hunter hides behind them. The wolf lets out a long, deep shriek of a howl. It begins to ferociously paw at the ground with its enormous paws, its claws extending and growing sharper by the minute. I rush towards it, afraid that it will hurt Theo.

"Wait. Please don't hurt him!" I squeal as I sprint towards the gigantic Wolf. It's too late; he's already in attack mode as it leaps in the air. I reach my bedroom in time to see that the Wolf has an enormous chunk of Theo's leg in his mouth.

I drop to the ground with my hand over my mouth. He's going to kill him. And there's nothing I can do.

Theo screams in agony and clutches the enormous wound that has begun to profusely bleed all over my room. He tries to recite an incantation, what I imagine would be a healing spell but before he can finish he falls silent.

The animal drops down next to Theo, licking his paws clean and making a whimpering sound.

I'm not sure which is worse... the blood gushing from an unconscious Theo or the overgrown, sad Wolf whining in my bedroom with matted, bloody fur.

The room begins to fill with a suffocating gray mist. It's impossible to see but even harder to breathe. The effects make me feel faint so I grab the doorway for support. The mist finally clears and fades from sight, revealing Riley in nothing but a pair of red polka-dot boxers with Theo lying by his side clutching his leg.

"Riley is he dead?" I whisper.

"I don't know." He moans. "I didn't mean to."

I rush to Theo's side and clutch his wrist, relentlessly searching for a pulse—a breath of air—anything. I grab his hand and a white light protrudes from my fingertips. Riley watches in astonishment, as I gently glide my hand across Theo's wounded leg. I caress his open would and watch as it begins to heal. The pain in my head is splintering. I start to feel dizzy, but I clench my teeth and continue the task. My teeth begin to grind from the pain.

Riley starts to whimper again, but I try to focus on Theo's wound. Theo begins to wiggle, just barely and the pain in my body soon subsides. I let go of his leg and put my hands on the cool floor for relief.

"I'm so sorry." Riley whispers. "I had to save you—I saw what he was going to do to you. I couldn't control my emotions and I transformed." He gulps and looks down at his shaking hands for a moment.

I hug Riley, and I kiss him on the cheek for good measure. If he hadn't have come at that moment, who knows what Theo would be capable of.

"Thank you." I whisper. "I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

He looks up in surprise, as Theo groans from the other side of me.

"What happened?" He asks blankly.

"You just tried to kill Ali, you bastard!" Riley shouts.

"What? I would never do that!? Tell him Ali. I would never hurt you." Theo retaliates, but as he looks around at the blood. He grows silent.

"You wanted to kill her. The future said so and if I wouldn't have intervened you would have!" Riley yells furiously.

"Well, Wolfie maybe you need to get your brain recalibrated because I would never hurt her!" He answers defensively. "Really, what just happened? Why is there blood everywhere?"

"Theo. You tried to kill me." I answer quietly. "I don't know what happened exactly but you came in here furious, yelling at me and punching the wall. You lunged at me, and it didn't seem like you at all."

"I did?"

"Yeah. Do you know what happened?" I ask.

"I don't know. I mean the last thing I remember is I had an argument with Blair and she kissed me—and everything from that moment is a blur. I came up to your room to talk to you about it, but then everything started spinning and it got unbearably hot. My tattoos started to burn and then I blacked out." He answers cautiously.

"Can you lift your shirt?" I ask. "I have a theory about what might have happened. If you're embarrassed, you don't have to."

"Great. He tries to kill you and you still want to see him naked." Riley says snidely from his corner of the room.

"No. I need to test a theory. Riley. You owe me a favor."

Theo lifts his shirt to reveal a very fit body. I try not to stare at the sweat trickling down his skin, but there are clearly burn marks that look painful. They also look like the Elf tattoos, but the scrolling patterns are dark and scorched. I lick my lips and try to focus on the plan.

"Can you read the future Riley?" I ask. "Could you touch something and know what will happen then?"

"Yeah, I mean I can touch anyone and know what their destiny is. I can find their gifts, their profession, their love and their end. But just because I can see those things, doesn't mean it's definite. Futures can always change based on other factors." He answers thoughtfully. "Why?"

"I need you to touch him and tell me what happens." I reply.

Theo tries to wriggle free, but his strength is depleted and he doesn't get very far before Riley grabs his wrist. He closes his eyes and his face becomes emotionless, distant for a few seconds. He opens his eyes and looks incredulously at Theo.

"Who are you?" He whispers.

"What are you talking about?" Theo demands with a bewildered expression. "I am Theo Veltri. I am the King's advisor and the Princess's protector and true Soulfire.

"It's strange but when I touched you something went wrong. You don't have a future and everything inside was completely empty. That can't be possible." Riley cautions.

"Well maybe you didn't do it right." Theo shouts.

"Maybe it was a mistake?" I chime in.

"No. It's bizarre, but when I touched him I could feel someone trying to make me stop. There was someone else there with me. Someone kept repeating for me to stop, to let go of him and then my hand started to burn. I had to let go." Riley hesitates. "That voice was so creepy."

We stare at Theo and he stares back at us. He looks so frightened and alone. I feel sorry for him and I want to give him a hug, but I decide against it.

"Maybe, we should all get some sleep. We'll discuss it in the morning. I can tell Theo doesn't want to talk about it." I say. "And Riley you look like you've just seen a ghost. Good night boys. I'll see you in the morning."

I watch as they head off in opposite directions with their heads hanging low. They look so similar, and I try not to laugh. I quietly close the door and crawl into my comfortable bed, anxiously I wait to sleep but a thousand thoughts dance through my mind instead. I look on my nightstand and the clock blinks 3:10. I groan into my pillow.

A soft rustling of feet lingers down the hallway. I creep out of my bed toward my door. I cup my hand around my ear placing it gently on the door to listen to the conversation taking place outside.

"What are we going to do?" One voice asks.

It's unrecognizable. I try to place it, but I've never heard it before.

Why would they be near my room at this hour?

"I don't know. She'll find out soon enough what he is." The other voice whispers—this one is familiar. It sounds peculiarly like the deep, raspy voice of Ambrosia Winters. They laugh heartily and continue to creep slowly down the hall.

"Do you think the she'll still love him, once she finds out who he is?" The first unfamiliar voice asks.

"Only time will tell, our Master gave us strict orders not to communicate with each other. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, the Royals are going to suspect something if they see us together at such odd hours." Ambrosia replies. Silence follows as their footsteps echo distantly down the hallways.

I wish I could see who Ambrosia was talking to. Why can't I have X-ray vision or something useful? These healing powers are getting pretty boring when I think about all the other abilities I could have been born with. I return to my bed feeling particularly annoyed about all the secrets in the castle that I'm not a part of.

 Chapter 21

A tap at my window sends shivers down my spine. I see large white flapping wings and I immediately jump up and open it and peek my head outside.

"Lucin?" I ask into the cool night breeze. "What are you doing here?"

He transforms into the male human form in a cloud of white vapor, wearing the same dapper white top hat and suit with a golden bowtie. This time he has a purple handkerchief hanging from his vest pocket.

I hear a grunt from beneath my balcony and I raise my eyebrow enquiringly.

"Are you alone?"

"No." He replies. I can only see the shimmering moonlight behind him. A giant hand reaches up and grasps the balcony.

"Thanks for the help, pal." Riley sighs, heaving his body up over the railing.

"Anytime, Master." Lucin answers bowing.

"You're a very annoying bird." Riley replies.

Riley has changed into different clothes—he's not just wearing the red polka-dot boxers. He's wearing a dark red coat that goes down to his knees and a gray T-shirt with black pants. He's also wearing a shadowy cloak made out of a shiny, shimmery material. I unlock the French doors and invite them inside.

"Why are you two here?" I demand. Riley puts his finger to my lips and leans into my ear, as he whispers I can feel goose bumps racing down my arm.

"Don't think about anything. You're in danger." He whispers. "Remember to keep your mind void and empty of all thoughts."

He grabs my hand and the three of us crawl down from my balcony at a steady pace, when we reach the bottom my Grandmother waits for us near the gate.

"Grandmother, what are you doing here?" I ask. She thrusts my backpack at me.

"We were afraid you wouldn't listen to Riley so I came out just in case. I will follow you two out of town and keep an Energy field around us, but once we reach the end of the border I'm afraid you'll be on your own." She whispers.

Riley takes my hand. I want to ask them a million questions, but I know that something must be terribly wrong. I can feel myself relaxing as Grandmother grabs onto my shoulder helping me onto my horse. She whispers something into my ear, something I can't understand. She smiles back at me as she grabs the reigns and the horse bolts forward.

Riley and Lucin sit on their own horses looking apprehensively at one another. They continue to gallop forward with somber expressions plastered on their faces.

"You'll have to jump on Riley's horse once we reach the end of town. I must come back here." My Grandmother murmurs.

I can see her breath in the chilly morning as she speaks. I shiver and we continue to our destination. The ride through the forest is eerily quiet, dark and scary—the silence that follows us is as unnerving as the howls and shrieks of the night creatures in the forest. We stop at a large wooden fence and Grandmother kisses my forehead.

"Good luck, my brave child."

I grab my Grandmother's hand gently. I try to give her a pleading look.

"Please, don't go." I whisper shakily. "I can't do this alone."

Her eyes gleam in the moonlight and a tender tear cascades down her face. She jumps back on her horse and I try not to sob. She's leaving... again—I'm alone.

"You're not alone, dear. Riley and Lucin will take good care of you. Just stay safe." She smiles again, the horse whinnies in anticipation and then she's off into the night.

Riley heaves me up onto his horse and I wrap my arms around him.

"Are you cold?" He asks.

"Only a little, I didn't have much time to prepare." I mechanically respond.

He removes the dark shimmering cloak with the shiny golden button from his back and ties the two strings around my neck. The inside is made of a black, silky fur and I soon feel content again. I wrap my arms around Riley's waist and squeeze tightly. The large arms of my cloak dangle awkwardly past my hands, but it's keeping me warm. The soft, subtle pattern of Riley's breathing as his chest rises and falls starts to lull me to sleep. I fight to stay awake. My body is exhausted. I lay my head on his shoulder and fall asleep before I have the chance to ask any more questions.

.

 Chapter 22

I wake up to the sound of a crackling fire nearby, the heat radiates on my cheek. I sit up urgently looking around for Riley and Lucin. They're nowhere in sight. I start to panic.

They left me... here alone—in this frozen wasteland.

It's so cold, entirely too cold for anyone to be able to survive for long. I don't even have a weapon. I don't know how to build a fire. Do I look like a damn girl scout?

I spot two men walking up a snowy hill nearby. They start to get closer, and I see that they both are carrying an armful of fire wood. They wave at me and Lucin drops all of his firewood and begins cursing as he chases it down the rolling hill. I try to stifle a laugh, but I can't hold it and a chuckle escapes.

"Hey, don't laugh at him." Riley yells. "We went through all the work to keep you warm and you're going to laugh at him."

Lucin stumbles back up the hill and tosses the firewood next to me. He looks angry.

"Sorry Lucin, it was too funny not to laugh at you." I continue giggling.

"I told you I hate being in human form..." Lucin complains.

"I know you've only complained about it the whole ride here. You know we needed someone to take my other horse." Riley explains.

"I hate horses." He replies.

"So do I." I whisper.

"I know." Riley retorts.

"How do you know?"

"Look at you; you do not look like a horse person."

"Well, what's a horse person look like?" I ask.

"The opposite of what you look like. Plus, I've studied humans... they only know how to drive those automobile things."

"Automobiles?" I ask. "Have we been transported to a different century, where's Mr. Henry Ford when you need him?"

I tease him, and he is about to have some witty comeback but he falls silent.

"What do you call the automobile machines?" He asks.

"Cars..." I reply.

"Cars?" He asks. "What a strange word to describe them."

"I'd like to take one of those somewhere one day." Lucin croons next to us.

"You've never been to the human world?" I ask dumbfounded.

"No. We're not allowed..." Riley whispers.

"But why?"

"It's in the agreement with the Elves. Since we started the Great War on the humans' land, we aren't allowed to go there. We're allowed safe passage between the other worlds with the Others, but the humans—they're off limits to us. It's been that way for centuries." Lucin replies. Riley nods in agreement.

I look at the scenery surrounding us; it's breathtaking. We're sitting on a snow-packed hill that slopes steeply downward until it hits a large half-frozen lake and from there you can only see greenery and flat lands speckled with tall evergreens.

The tiny ice particles in the lake reflect the sunlight upwards and in the distance are a few large mountain peaks covered in blankets of pale white snow.

"Where are we?" I ask shivering violently. "Why is it so cold?"

"We are close to Elacia—my home." Riley answers proudly. "It's located in the Northern Otherworlds because Wolves are more accustomed to the cold temperatures."

I look at him solemnly and notice that he has changed into a red flannel jacket. He looks like he was born to roam the mountainsides. I stare at him as he bends over adding more firewood to the dying fire. I stare into the fire and I think about my own family and the palace. I wish that I could reverse time and return there, I think longingly about the only place I've known as home since I've been born.

Riley pulls something familiar looking out of his jacket pocket.

"Your Grandma wanted me to give you this." He murmurs.

"The journal..." I whisper. "I almost forgot it."

"Is my family going to be okay?" I ask.

"I believe so, the vision I had earlier showed that no one was seriously hurt. They did manage to damage your room looking for that journal, but everyone escaped with minor cuts and bruises." Riley answers.

"Will I ever be able to go home again?"

"Maybe, but not for a while I'll keep you safe until then." He replies matter-of-factly.

"But what about Theo?" I muse.

I really don't want to hear it, but deep inside I'm longing to know if he's okay. I look down at my palms glowing with sweat—even in this cold, frigid weather. The chilly breeze lightly blows my hair back. I look up into Riley's golden eyes imploringly.

"I need to know."

I try to reassure myself that this is actually what I want from him. I feel sick to my stomach and any moment whatever is sitting in my stomach, won't be there much longer.

"Please don't be mad that I didn't tell you earlier." Riley begs me.

The world starts to spin, but I loved Theo. He can't be dead. He's dead. But the world is going to feel so empty without him. The world starts to fade and Riley grabs my shoulder tightly and looks at me. I stop thinking about Theo.

"No one was hurt, Ali. I said that. Theo isn't dead... but he might as well be." He says, with a certain callous emphasis on Theo's name.

"Theo's father is Mathew—he doesn't know yet. Theo was forced to kidnap you but he failed in accomplishing that and since then he has disappeared. No one knows where he is—or if he's alive. I'm the only one who knows—who saw—he's still alive. His father has him."

"Theo's gone?" I whisper, feeling much more emotional than I thought I would, especially after he attempted to murder me. But this is worse. Much worse, Theo is my Soulfire and he's gone... and his father wants him to kidnap me. I feel like I've been ripped into a thousand pieces.

One part of me deeply loves Theo but the other part of me is angry at him for considering bringing me to his father. I mean if he really loved me, he'd be able to have free will. Right?

"Mathew implanted false memories into Theo when he was a baby. It might be the case that Theo has never had free will?" I question.

"I'm sure that he's had some free will." Riley replies. "He's only been told certain things by Mathew... I couldn't hear everything that he inserted into his mind but I think that him being part of the King's Guard was part of it. And kidnapping you was definitely part of the fabricated memories."

"Theo might be a jerk, but I also saw that he would never intentionally hurt you." Riley says, surprising himself. Lucin looks over at him with an astonished look but remains silent playing with sticks and making intricate patterns in the snow while we talk.

"How do you know all of this?"

Riley tosses another log onto the fire, but then he becomes alert. Lucin stands up with him. They both sniff the air. Lucin transforms into the giant bird and Riley puts his arm out for him to sit on.

"Be my eyes." Riley whispers and Lucin is off spiraling into the air going higher and higher until he's out of sight.

"What is it?" I ask. Theo puts his finger up to his lips in a quieting gesture.

I grow increasingly alarmed, as I think about the giant hulking shadow in the forest right before I made it to Newhollow. Who knows what kind of creatures this place has. Lucin lands in front of me turning back into a man.

"Nothing for miles." He replies out of breath.

"No. Listen." Riley says.

As I listen closely, I start to hear a rustling noise in the nearby treetop and my heart thuds loudly in my chest. I'm sure Riley and Lucin can hear it from where they're standing back to back.

They both draw weapons from their pockets. Riley has a hunting knife, a long black gleaming knife that is sharp enough to do some serious damage. Lucin has a tiny spear that's shaped like an arrow at the end: Pointy and dangerous.

The invisible thing moves swiftly and quickly above us. It jumps from the tree, landing gracefully on his two feet. I think I'm going to have a heart attack. I close my eyes and the sounds stop. I open them to see that he's stopped moving at incredible speeds, a small boy stands in front of us. His hands on his hips in a Superhero pose. The boy stands inches from Riley's face floating in the air and giggling.

"Big brother!" The little boy exclaims gleefully. He jumps on Riley's back, which makes him drop his weapon. It falls with a loud thud to the ground and the snow melts beneath it. All three of the boys are on the ground rolling and laughing hysterically.

I stand above them and raise my eyebrows curiously.

Riley stands up, lifting his brother up easily. They both wear the same sheepish grin on their faces. I stoop down to get a closer look at the little boy. I realize how very similar he looks to Riley. They both have golden-flecked eyes, but the boy has short black hair. Riley has hair that is a little longer and wavier, with hints of golden blonde in his light brown unkempt hair. Their cheeks are rosy. The little boy has his hands in his pockets just like his older brother.

"Is this the Princess?" He coos, staring at up at me with big doe eyes. "She is beautiful."

"I guess I haven't introduced you yet." Riley muses.

"Princess Alison, meet my younger brother, Lucas." Riley says, patting his brother on the head. Lucas fights trying to escape Riley's hold, and when he finally manages to escape he runs up to me with his hand outstretched.

"Nice ta meetcha' "

"Lucas. You know mom told us to speak more eloquently. We're Royalty."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting. It's very nice to meet you, Princess. Our family has been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

His tone instantly becomes more formal and I shake his hand but he looks at me strangely. He takes my hand and places a quick kiss on it. "Girls don't shake the hands of men around these parts." He says, trying to impersonate an old western cowboy's accent. He takes off an imaginary cowboy hat and bows before me.

Riley playfully taps him with his fist on his shoulder, Lucas cries out in mock pain. The mood in the group suddenly turns serious.

"Does mom know you're all the way out here by yourself, Lucas?" Riley asks, crossing his arms and looking fiercely down at his younger sibling.

"Yeah..." Lucas trails off. He looks up at his brother with a sheepish grin and his eyes widen. Everyone in the group knows he's lying.

"Aw. Fine, you caught me. Mom doesn't know I'm out here. But I started getting my superpowers. I'm going to be just like you!" He exclaims. His brother's moody temperament shifts instantly. Riley picks up the little boy and squeezes him into a bear hug. He swings him around at dizzying speeds, they're moving so fast that it makes my own head spin.

"You have powers?" Riley asks. "So what are they?"

"I'm a Seer, just like you! Isn't that great?" He says beaming happily.

"That's fantastic." Riley replies, sounding distracted and looking worried.

"Well we should start heading towards the palace before the night creatures come out." Lucin says. I almost forgot he was there, he's been so quiet.

Riley grabs Lucas' hand and drags him to our horse where he hoists him up onto the majestic horse.

"Do you mind riding with Lucin?" Riley asks. "I didn't think we'd have an extra person."

"That's fine." I reply. Lucin holds out his hand and helps me up.

"Actually, I'm going to fly instead."

"But, I've never ridden a horse before." I groan.

"You'll be fine." Lucin replies, winking at me as he turns into a mist of evaporated air. He soars out of sight and into the darkening gray sky.

I grab onto the horse reigns tightly. The horse bolts forward and I let out a scream. Riley and Lucas aren't far behind me. Riley is screaming something, but I'm still too far ahead to hear anything. Lucin has come down from his place in the sky and he's flying beside me.

"Let go of the reigns a little and stop digging your feet into the horse's side. Loosen up and relax a little." He caws out commands. I do as he says, and the horse starts to slow down a little. Riley and Lucas burst out laughing and I look solemnly ahead ignoring them.

I realize I don't really like horses. This is my first conscious experience with riding a horse and it isn't turning out very well. My stomach feels queasy and I'm trying not to vomit all over this gigantic beast, who probably wants to stomp me to death already.

As we start to gallop out of the snowy hillside and toward the grassy fields, snowflakes begin to fall around us. They shimmer in the sunlight and I look to my left as we pass the lake that I had seen from the top of the hill. It sparkles as the snowflakes land on top of it, covering it in a thin layer of translucent snow.

As we make our way closer to the lake, I start to see shadowy figures dancing beneath the icy waters making it move and swirl in a rhythmic motion.

"What are those?" I ask pointing a finger toward the lake.

"Demon souls." Riley replies seriously.

"Sure." I say smirking, imagining that he's just trying to scare me again.

I watch Lucas as he casts a wary eye toward the lake and realize that maybe Riley isn't lying. They do look like those shadows that attacked me at my old house and right before we got into the Kingdom of Newhollow.

I decide not to look at the Demon Soul filled lake, and I look ahead mesmerized. I gasp as my horse stops in front of a giant concrete stone wall. It's very unlike Newhollow; Elacia has sprawling city skyscrapers made out of black reflective glass and concrete material. The city bustles with life behind the wall and every building is lit up with lanterns like an evil enchanted fortress beckoning for trouble.

This could easily be a city in the human world... except for the not human sounds and smells coming from behind the wall: like horses' hooves and eerie shrieks of laughter, strange languages and even stranger smells.

The stench of the city slams into my nostrils making my head spin. It's a mixture between dirt, blood and a sewer. It's awful and I want to lean over my horse but I pull my jacket up to cover my nose and try to breathe normally.

Hot steamy breath meets my face and it smells like a rotted swamp. I cry out and hold my jacket tighter to my nose, I know something is towering high above me, but I'm too afraid to look. I close my eyes tightly; they're closed so tightly that they're starting to hurt.

"Rodger!" Riley shouts with glee. I open one eye as I hear a deep-bellied chuckle coming from the thing standing above me. It looks like a tree.

Is it a tree? No, it's walking and talking... and laughing.

It certainly looks like a tree though—it's made entirely out of old bark, its facial features are made out of moss. Big hollow eyes stare at us and it smiles revealing sharp pointed wooden teeth covered in moss. I look at its fingers and they're made out of a lighter carved wood. He towers above us at thirty feet and I want to cry. His big hulking muscles are made out of tree limbs. He's holding a staff with a big purple gem at the end, but the rest of the staff is made of wood with four spirals meeting at the top in a curving formation.

"Rodger, how are you?" Riley yells.

The tree leans forward, limbs moaning under the extreme weight of his body. It doesn't have legs but it moves as if it's part of the earth... more of a glide than a walk. He stands above Riley now.

"Greetings, Master Riley." It groans. "And young Master Lucas, I see."

The tree bows but looks as if he's going to fall over as he steadies himself, leaning on the intricate staff once more. A tiny hobgoblin moves out from behind the tree man. He has cysts growing out of his forehead and green, gooey lacerations as he extends his hand toward me and grabs mine. He kisses it, leaving slimy green slobber behind in the shape of lips. I want to scream... or die... or both.

My mind is whirring and I can feel myself drifting from this place. I can feel it leaving and it's starting to get really dark. It's happening; it's going to happen again. Goodbye sun—goodbye sweet Riley. I try to mumble something, but I become paralyzed and the darkness starts to set in.

"Dammit!" Riley shouts as he jumps off of his horse, catching me right before I fall to the ground.

"What a wimp." Lucas says between fits of laughter—and now a strange tree man and a disgusting hobgoblin are laughing at me... and I'm pretty sure I'm just dreaming. I look into Riley's eyes for some sort of reality.

"Riley." I moan. "P—Please don't make me go in there."

"I'm sorry, Princess." The hobgoblin says pleading. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

He starts to sob uncontrollably and his tears shoot from his eyes like some sort of strange cartoon hydrant—I'm not sure whether to laugh or feel utterly horrible.

"It's okay." I manage to splutter out. Riley strokes my hair and looks into my eyes longingly.

"I probably should have warned you about the city first—but I was certain you wouldn't come with me." Riley says, winking at his younger brother. He holds me tightly in his arms.

"Boris is my name." The hobgoblin says after he has stopped sobbing. "And Boris is very sorry for hurting you."

I'm not going to let them see how cowardly I am... I can't believe Riley thought that I was so shallow that these scary creatures would make me not want to come with him. I mean they do frighten me but I'm not a coward. I straighten myself up. Oh no, if this is what guards the City... I don't even want to know what kind of monsters are waiting for me inside.

"Keep up the good work." Riley says holding his horses reigns as he salutes the tree man and the goblin.

Lucin swoops down in front of us and turns back into his human form.

"So you made it without fainting Princess?" He asks laughing.

"Of course I did." I say standing a little bit taller on my horse.

"Good. Just wait until you meet Gryph, now he's something else."

"Who?" I ask.

"Nothing." Riley and Lucas say in unison.

I gulp suddenly realizing that whatever Gryph is, it might just be worse than the countless warlocks, witches, trolls, zombies, dwarves, vampires, ghouls, goblins, ghosts and anything else that my mind can conjure up in my nightmares. I'm pretty sure the Abominable Snowman just strutted past me, grunting a greeting and leaving behind an icy trail.

I'd like to go home now.

"Would you two mind taking Alison with you?" Riley asks suddenly. "I have some unfinished business to take care of in the City."

The two boys nod in agreement.

"I don't want to go with them." I argue. "I want to stay with you."

"I have something I need to do. You'll be fine. No one is going to hurt you." He replies. He hands off his horse to Lucin and Lucas throws his hands up gleefully as if he's on a rollercoaster.

"I'll go with them." I reply exasperatedly.

"I knew you would."

He turns and walks with an ever quickening pace away from us, my heart sinks as I feel the magnetism between us slowly fade away into the distance. I look over at Lucin and he gives me a sly smirk.

Is this already home? Why do I feel so empty when he's gone...?

 Chapter 23

This city was built for all those creatures that weren't wanted in the mortal world or the flawless world of the Fae and the Elves. Werewolves care a lot less about appearances and morals than the Fae and the Elves, we're all for equality. This is what I call home, although I've always had the slightest urge to see the human world—but it is and always will be forbidden for me.

This city was built as a safe haven for all the undesirable things in the worlds. We have warlocks, witches, trolls, zombies, dwarves, vampires, ghouls, goblins, ghosts and anything else that was classified as Unwanted by the Others.

I move past the restaurants, the bars, the shops—all owned by the creatures of the night. I look up at the sign that I've been looking for. It reads:

Trolley's Trinkets and Treasures

This is what I'd been looking for, a way to make Alison love me. I'd do anything to make that happen: Anything.

I open the purple triangle-shaped door and the tiny bell rings in my ear. A fat troll with large pointed ears, a pointy chin, purple skin, bloated eyes and a crooked nose looks up from a book with an alert expression. He scoots his glasses forward so that he can see me clearly.

"Prince Riley!" He shouts with glee and strolls towards me in a welcoming gesture.

"I wondered what had happened to you. Have you found the girl then?"

"Yes, I found her. How are you Trolley? How's business?" I inquire.

"Wonderful! Everyone loves gold pieces and shiny objects and magical potions to get you anything you could ever desire. Business is booming. What can I help you with today?" he asks in a serious tone. "Would you like a love potion, a Harpknick or perhaps a floating broomstick—the newest line just came in?"

He holds up a golden broomstick with silver, wispy strings that move when he places his hand on them. The golden broom whisks around the shop and stops in front of him, standing up on its own.

"Impressive." I reply. "But do you still have the ring I requested?"

"Oh, the ring? I've had to keep it hidden, but I still have it." He yells, racing toward the farthest corner of the store. He begins digging through one of the many treasure chests that line his store, flinging unimportant trinkets behind him. He walks over and opens his hand to reveal the tiny ring that I had requested. I take it from his hand and hold it closely to my face: a platinum ring, double-sided and sparkling with an enormous purple stone in the middle and tiny iridescent ones surrounding it.

"Perfect." I breathe in.

"Will this be going on the tab?" he probes.

"No. I'll pay in gold today. I can't have anyone knowing about this purchase. You must keep it a secret." I reply. "I'll pay a little extra for that to happen."

I wink at the troll knowing his weakness for bribery. He sighs and nods his head in agreement.

"That will be 100 Liefs." He replies, eyeing the ring thoughtfully. If there's one thing that Trolls hate, it's parting with their shiny trinkets. But their love for money far surpasses their love for jewels.

I pull out two golden coins with my great-grandfather's face embedded on them. A constant reminder of what I am—on one side is his man form but on the other is the growling beast that we can become. They each have the number 50 embossed around the circles. I smile at Trolley as he gingerly puts the ring in a beautiful white box and ties it with a purple bow.

"Thanks again." I reply, tucking the box into my coat pocket.

"It's always a pleasure, my dear Prince." He replies, grinning and revealing his rotted teeth.

"Remember. That ring can cause catastrophic problems if it gets in the wrong hands... Eternity gems are rare for a reason and the Elders all but forbade us to have them so if anyone finds out you have one, we're both in big trouble."

"I know." I reply turning and giving Trolley a wave goodbye, as I exit the shop with the clang of bells ringing in the distance.

A horse neighs nearby. It's my horse so Alison and the others must have made it to the castle safely. My horse stares angrily at me as I reach into my pocket to pull out a few sugar cubes. He's a very stubborn creature. He refuses to let anyone ride him without a treat. I walk up to him and pat him softly on his head, giving him some sugar cubes in the meantime.

I jump on his back and lean into his mane, whispering our favorite word.

"Fly."

He releases his huge, majestic wings and I stroke the silky feathers as we float upwards. The wind starts to rush around us and I hold on tightly to the reigns. My horse is allowed complete control when we're flying. I look down at the city—it's dark and gloomy but the people that dwell in it are the opposite. They may be considered monsters to some and to the Others but to me they're friends and neighbors and my people.

They're lovely during the day, but when the sun sets, it's a different story. If you aren't one of them, you should consider leaving Elacia quickly. Or there's bound to be trouble, and I wouldn't want to be around to see it.

We soar up higher and higher, as high as the mountains and cliffs that guard and surround the city. I can see my home, the castle sitting between tall mountain peaks in the distance. It's one of the ancient palaces of the Otherworlds, sitting atop a cliff overlooking an exceptionally large body of water. Here in our world my home sits next to the Dark Sea, the sea that separates the Elacians from Newholloweds.

The sea is dark and deep and full of creatures that have gone mad, living in an obscure and lonely pit that they've been banished to for attempting to escape Elacia. A few of these Dark Sea creatures have been known to escape our sea to the mortal world—the Trenadines are the sneakiest of all.

They're an ancient breed that has lived in the Dark Sea far longer than we have lived on their land. They have dark gray skin with gleaming silver scales that look like leather and four tiny fins for swimming on their sides. But their tail is the thing that helps them swim; on average their tail is 15 feet long with green and yellow razor sharp edges that are its only source of protection in the cruel sea. Their teeth are also razor sharp and they have thousands of eyes on their dragon-like snouts that are as soulless and dark as I imagine the depths of that Hellish Sea are.

Trenadines are unimaginably fast and very clever, even in the mortal world they are a rare sight. I have read that one has finally been spotted. The humans name it "Nessie," what a strange name for such a frightful beast. These "Nessies" as the humans call them are so fast they can easily escape through wizard portals and have been doing so for thousands of years.

My horse lands in front of the ancient castle. He stretches his wings up high into the air and neighs at me as he puts them back where they belong hidden in his mane. I scratch his head gingerly and he nuzzles my cheek.

I take in the familiar scent of home and the wilderness that surrounds me. The trees, the salty smell of the Sea and the smell of campfires in the distance make me remember what being home feels like. I lick my lips and direct my horse toward his stables. I put him in with the others and feed him one more sugar cube.

I enter the side door from the stables to the kitchen. The cooks are hard at work preparing a delicious dinner for the family. I smile as I walk by and try not to disturb them, but they all see me and start to whistle and cheer. It's their way of saying hello without actually saying anything. I whistle back in return and escape into the lavish dining hall. The hall with the giant crystal chandelier and the light wooden floors that are so spotless you can see our reflection. The room that is much too large and extravagant that it makes your head spin as if your one of the mad dancers that has to dance in this ballroom once a week to please my mother. I practically sprint out of the room, remembering all the dance lessons that she made me take just so I would be prepared for her weekly dinner parties and the endless parade of girls she introduced me to.

The walls are painted a deep shade of royal blue and embossed in a silver leaf pattern. Beautiful works of art—some even made by artists in Elacia—line the walls but my favorite piece is the one that hangs above the entry to the kitchen.

It's a large painting with streaks of blue, green and yellow that depicts a simple field just at sunset but the bushes are painted black, as if they were shadows in the distance. I stare mesmerized at the painting and am startled when someone exits the kitchen door.

"Riley! Is it really you?"

A tall, reedy woman with frizzy blonde hair asks as she enters the room. Her skin is quite a few shades paler than mine, and she is wearing a bright orange dress the color of flames.

"Oh, I missed you darling."

My mother pulls me close to her and hugs me so tightly that it's hard to breathe, especially when she's wearing so much perfume. I try to squeeze out of her death grip but I'm unsuccessful so I just let her hold me, my arms flailing uselessly at my side. She sniffles and takes a step back.

"You look so handsome. I've missed you so much." She coos, staring down at me because she is much taller than I am.

"So did you convince the Princess that she is your life mate yet?"

I look down somberly and feel a little bit upset at the thought. She realizes that it's a touchy subject and quickly changes it to something else because who would want to ruin such a perfect mother and son reunion with probing questions?

"Your sister is ecstatic about her wedding tomorrow. You should go see her and congratulate her!" My mother fusses, "I'm sure she would love to see you, and I think that she's already met Alison and made her feel welcome as part of the family."

My mother grins slyly at me. I hate when she does that, it only means trouble lies ahead.

"Did you do something embarrassing?" I quip, "Did my sister do something embarrassing? She's my first real girlfriend and hopefully my last. I suppose getting you guys to not do anything humiliating for once is too much to ask for."

I sigh, sticking my hands in my pockets in dejection and looking up at the ceiling.

"Riley. I swear you act more like your father each and every day." My mother replies, "Stop being such a Drama Queen. What I meant by your sister making Ali part of the family is that she asked her to be in the wedding. She knew that since you were a groomsman, Alison might feel awkward without a date to sit by so now she'll get to sit by you during the whole wedding."

"That's brilliant!" I answer, hugging her tightly.

"Yes." My mother replies, pushing me away gently and awkwardly—she's a lot like a cat. She wants attention and affection and adoration when she wants it but if you want to give it to her: Forget it.

"Well Eva is taking a nap you should probably go and wake her up to try on dresses for the wedding. You better try on a suit while you're with her. I want to make sure everything is perfect." She purrs the word perfect and I know she means business.

The door slams noisily behind her; she sure knows how to make an entrance.

I'm left alone in the empty space and I smile at the door. I missed my mother, even if she's a bit eccentric: She's still my mother.

I missed the Kingdom and our ancient castle. I open the large wooden doors and trek upstairs to the formal library where everyone is getting fitted for the wedding. I think about Ali and how beautiful she will look in anything she wears. I lean against the railing and sigh like some love-struck fool.

 Chapter 24

I wake up on an exuberantly large canopy bed with silky pink sheets and a pink-and-white striped frilly bedspread. The curtains billow in the wind. This room is fit for a Princess with its extravagant plush white chaise piled with books next to the large bay window. It's extremely well decorated, if you're a girly-girl and into that kind of style.

I look around at the endless wall of books, as high as the ceiling with white floral patterned wallpaper and a beautiful view of the Sea below.

The pink room contrasts with the murky waters and the cloudy, gray sky outside. I must be dreaming, this place can't possibly be real. I pinch myself—nothing happens.

I hug myself tightly trying to keep warm from the chilly air coming in through the open window. My skin still feels like icicles and I'm wearing a long gray button-down cashmere sweater and some black silky tights. I changed the moment I got into the room for my nap.

I open the door into the hallway. The floors are made out of a gray brimstone marble, while the walls are covered in a dark wood paneling.

The place looks ancient and smells musty—yet familiar, like the old library I used to visit in the city. There are footsteps coming toward me, and I feel a sudden tightness in my chest. I hold my breath waiting to see what kind of creature will appear from the shadows. I'm prepared for the worst and my hands are balled up tightly into fists at my sides.

The person walking continues to whistle a happy sounding tune—they stop short when they see me. It's a large man. But not just a large man: An exceptionally large man. He stands over six feet tall, and he's rather fat. His belly is larger than the average man; and his medieval-style helmet fits snuggly on his head. He's carrying a large sword engraved with mysterious black symbols and his suit of armor and the symbol of the black dragon embossed in the center looks two sizes too small. He holds his sword out defensively.

I moan and try not to panic: Is he going to kill me?

He tosses his sword to the side, and it makes a deafening clank against the hard floor. I cover my ears and my eyes widen as her tugs his helmet off gracefully. He tosses his helmet beside the sword, and I can see beads of perspiration trickling down his face. He grins at me behind an enormously large beard. I can only tell he's smiling because his beard has moved a tiny bit in the upward direction.

His blue eyes glimmer relentlessly, and I notice something that I hadn't before.

The man is not just large—he takes over the hallway—he consumes it with an exuding, ever-present power. He IS power, and he is the King.

I'm not sure what to do so I do an awkward half bow, half curtsy introduction. The man chuckles deeply and rumbles of laughter shake the hallway unintentionally.

"So you are the Princess I keep hearing about?" He requests, his voice a tender baritone with a slight implacable accent—perhaps Scottish or Irish. I don't know enough to distinguish the two.

"My son has been very excited to make your acquaintance."

I feel flushed and hot suddenly—I've never met a King before. I mean other than my father. Who I didn't even know was Royalty until just recently. I have no idea how to act. Are my hands doing weird things? Of course my brain forgets manners and courtesies when it actually needs them—I also don't remember how to form a coherent sentence evidently.

"I—I'm Ali..." I manage to stammer miraculously.

The King bows before me graciously, and I suddenly feel uncomfortable again.

"I am King Edward, ruler of Elacia and I welcome you graciously to my home. It's not much on the eyes, Elacia, but the true beauty you will find within our inhabitants." He replies regally. "Please, make yourself at home Alison, and if you need anything feel free to come and find me."

"Thank you for your kindness." I whisper, barely audible even to my own ears. King Edward grunts and begrudgingly puts his helmet back on and picks his sword up. He turns toward me with the hand clenching his sword.

"I must be on my way; I'm teaching the children how to properly use a sword." He bellows out, but his helmet muffles the words, and I can only catch bits of the sentence.

"Also, Riley is looking for you."

He side-steps past me and continues wobbling in the heavy clanking armor down the corridor.

"Ali." Riley bellows down the hallway. I turn around to see him standing there. I feel like the air has been knocked out of me—he looks so beautiful. I feel like I'm whole again with him nearby. He races toward me and lifts me in the air spinning me around.

"I missed you." He sighs.

I don't want to admit that I missed him...

I can't let him win so we stand there in each other's arms in an awkward silence.

He slumps over in my arms unconscious.

"Riley." I scream. "Please, please wake up."  
I lay him gently on the ground, clutching his head in my arms and rubbing his hair.

What happened? Did he faint from the excitement of being near me?

"Riley. Wake up!" I yell into his face; I begin to sob into his hair and stroke his cheek. It feels cold against my hand. He suddenly lets out a giant breath of air and chokes on it. Coughing and spluttering he grabs me by the cheek and puts it next to his face. My heart leaps out of my chest: He's alright. We lock eyes, and I instinctively look at the ground. I feel sudden warmth exuding in my stomach. I feel calm and safe here so I let him rest his palm on my cheek, and my heart beats faster.

He puts his hand gently into mine and tugs me upward so that I'm leaning into him against the wall. I wrap my arms around his neck. How am I going to get out of this?

He grabs me persuasively by the waist pushing our hips closer and then he kisses me tenderly. His soft lips meet mine and we get lost in a swirl of purple and silver cloudy mist. Nothing exists except for the two of us in this moment... everything I've ever known fades from existence as if this is it.

"What's happening?"

"It's happening." He replies.

"What is?" I ask.

"The connection."

"The what..." a searing pain hits me in the gut, and it feels as if my insides are going to be ripped out into a thousand tiny little shards. I hold onto Riley instinctively.

"But it hurts." I cry.

"It'll be over soon. I'll never let anything hurt you."

"Are we dying?" I continue to sob. But it feels like I'm not even whole anymore, as if a part of me is being shoved into him to share a mind and body with him. I look down and a purple and silver glowing mist links between us where our hearts are meant to be.

"What is this?" I ask trying to touch the misty colors but my hands are stuck around Riley's neck.

"Our souls are finally joining." He whispers.

"I don't want them to join." I shriek. I try to force myself apart from him, but nothing works.

"Why is this happening?" I ask.

"It's natural—it's love. Just let it happen Alison. Stop fighting it."

We land in a heap on the ground, and I'm pretty sure that we were both on fire. I touch my forehead, but it feels cool to the touch.

"What was that?" I demand.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." Riley quips. I want to punch him. He's sitting there with a smug look on his face. I try to take a deep breath and count to ten. I can still feel my anger boiling deep inside. But I feel different somehow—more aware of things.

"Why did that just happen?" I probe.

"We kissed." He replies.

"No. But we've kissed before. It didn't happen last time..."

"You were ready to accept that our souls were meant to be conjoined. So when you kissed me your soul opened up to mine." He replies matter-of-factly.

"Well the only reason I even kissed you was because I was picturing Theo in my head." I reply callously, sneering and folding my arms across my chest. His face wilts and he appears to be offended by it. I try hard not to feel wicked, after all he deserves it. My conscience gets the best of me. A deep, long sigh escapes me. I can't lie to my Soulfire... since we're most definitely connected now.

"I'm kidding Riley." I say. He looks up with a glimmer in his eyes. "But can we just start off as friends and see where it leads?"

"You were there when that just happened, right?" He replies. "I don't know if we'll be able to be "just friends" with the whole connected soul thing going on between us."

I purse my lips angrily.

"Fine, I was trying not to kiss you in the first place but when your lips get all pouty and you look so beautiful it's incredibly hard." He whispers, pouting his lower lip. "I promise I won't try to kiss you or do anything. We will just talk."

"I had a vision earlier."

"I know." I reply. "What did you see?"

"We have to leave after the wedding." He answers with downcast eyes.

"Why." I ask. I can tell that he's not telling me something by the look on his face—full of concern and worry. He gulps inward, I watch as his Adam's apple moves anxiously.

"It's Theo. He's in trouble." He replies still looking downward. He can't even look me in the eyes. "He's the last person I want to help, but I saw him in the vision, and he was trapped. Mathew has him and he's planning on killing him for disobeying him."

My heart burns and I'm split by the possibility that I may never be whole again if Theo is killed by Mathew. Because I love Theo and I love Riley. How am I ever going to choose? Two tears race down my cheek. Riley wipes one of them away and the other one falls into the palm of my open hand.

 Chapter 25

Riley leads me to the door where the other women will be trying on dresses for the wedding; he turns and goes in the opposite direction where the men will be at. We've decided to keep our departure a secret, and we'll act as if everything is normal until then.

I knock on the door and wait a few moments—the sound of muffled, high-pitched laughter escapes the crack in the doorway. I knock once more.

"Hello. May I help you?" An older woman in a black dress and tall white socks demands, soaring above me she looks menacing. She's much taller than I am and her hair is the same fire-engine red as my mothers, but she looks twenty years older. Her eyes sag and the laugh lines around her mouth form in tight creases. Her bright green eyes are the only sign of youthfulness. I try to make myself look presentable and tug at my gray sweater. She stands impatiently staring down at me and tapping her spotless black heel against the wooden floor.

"Yes—erm, well my name is Alison. Alison Callahan. I am the Princess of Newhollow." I say quickly, trying my best to sound official. I think I pull it off pretty well because everyone in the room gasps and they fall silent. I can see a silent hatred building up in the woman's eyes; she angrily spits at my feet and slams the door in my face.

Hot tears sting at my eyes, and I begin to sniffle. I fall to the floor hopelessly and pull the gray sweater over my head to hide myself. The door creaks open again, but I ignore it. I'm too busy feeling ashamed of myself.

Someone sits next to me and places a consoling arm around my shoulders. I poke my head back through the hole in my sweater—I use the sleeves to wipe my eyes. A pretty girl with bronzed skin and jet-black hair falling in natural waves around her face smiles at me. Her almond eyes watch me with concern. She is the one to break the impending silence between us.

"My name is Helena. I'm Riley's sister. I must apologize for our maid. She's been known to act like a complete lunatic at times." Helena replies, gently caressing my back. "She had no right to treat you with such disrespect."

I've never known anyone who could console someone as well as this lovely girl. I feel a hundred times better after talking to Helena.

"My name is Alison. I've come to Elacia with your brother. I heard that you wanted me to try on some dresses." I manage to say between sniffles.

"Of course, I've been so excited about meeting you!" She exclaims smiling brightly. She extends her hand and helps me up. "You are all my brother talks about."

We walk together into an extraordinary grand library. One wall has three large golden bookshelves—holding books of every shape, size, texture and color that you could possibly imagine. The shiny floor is made of dark oak and the walls are painted a bright white.

A large luxurious antiquated desk sits in front of two large windows and chairs piled in books scatter around the room. On top of the chairs are piles of pink formal dresses. Some of the dresses are tulle, silk, lace and any other fabric and shade conceivable.

The maid is nowhere in sight, I'm glad this is the case. I look for her though.

The other girls are giddily bouncing around the room trying on the different dresses. Helena introduces me to four other girls. Two of them are her younger sisters.

Anna is about to turn ten and Isabelle is sixteen. Both of the girls are tall and skinny with dirty ash-blonde hair. Anna has striking blue eyes and Isabelle has almond eyes like Helena.

One of the other girls is Felicity—Helena's cousin. Felicity is chubbier, in her late twenties with dark brown hair and green eyes. She resembles the sisters with her dark complexion.

The last girl that I'm introduced to is Alice. Alice is smaller than the other women and much more fragile looking, her skin is transparently pale and her cheeks are constantly rosy. She has long, straight platinum hair.

"And finally this is my best friend and maid of honor Alice." Helena says proudly hugging her tightly.

"Helena." Alice whispers. "Don't tell everyone that."

The girls shake their heads in response, but I can see the faint glimmer of jealousy cross Felicity's face. I extend my hand to shake Alice's hand, as I had done with all of the other girls. She takes mine and holds it for a few moments but a sudden jolt sparks between our touching hands. I try to let go.

It's as if a magnet has been placed between us, forcing us together. Our eyes widen and we stare at each other. Her silver-gray eyes appear as frightened as an animal. Explosions of images flash before us as if a projector screen has turned on inside of me. I hold my breath as images of Alice and Helena start to come into focus.

It's them as small children in the forest. They look to be about twelve, Alice is resting on one side of a river soaked and shivering—I can see that she's been badly injured by the way her arm hangs limply by her side. Helena picks her up and gently brings her to the safety of the castle. She's whispering concernedly trying to keep her friend awake. They arrive in front of the castle and Alice's eyes widen in recognition.

I'm slammed back into my body and I have to catch my breath. Alice is still staring at me with shocked eyes full of tears.

"Helena saved me." She whispers in her breathy voice. "My parents abandoned me... my father tossed me over the bridge and I would have drowned if it weren't for Helena. I ended up with a broken arm, a few cuts and bruises—but most importantly I ended up with a family and a friend for life."

Helena squeezes Alice's hand lovingly.

"I've lived in the castle ever since as part of their family, and I'm so delighted to have each and every one of them in my life."

"Your brother never told me you were a Seer." Alice replies, looking quizzically at me.

"I didn't know either. That was my first vision." I reply, my mouth feels entirely too dry.

"You know my brother is a Seer. We're half-Elf so we each have an ability from that bloodline. My ability is mind control, but I very rarely use it." Helena informs me. "I must admit, I used it on you earlier when you were sad. I made you think of happy things."

I look at her surprised, I don't remember her using it. But I was wondering how she could make me feel so calm.

"Do you all have abilities?" I ask.

"I can control fire." Isabella replies, placing her two fingers together and rubbing them causing a spark and a giant flame to emerge. She shapes it into a spinning ball with her two hands and then claps them together to make it disappear. She grins at my wide-eyed expression. I'm impressed.

"That's incredible." I gush.

"Daddy never lets me use my ability. He thinks it's a disaster because I couldn't control it for a long time, and I would catch everything on fire. He even gave me a nickname: Sparks." She says, blushing and staring at her hands.

"Watch me!" Anna shrieks from beside her sister. She starts to spin around in circles, moving quickly. I lose sight of her and she moves around the room in seconds and back again. She spins gracefully like a ballet dancer and then abruptly stops. "I'm super-fast and sneaky.

"I bet you know all kinds of secrets." I say, winking at her. She smirks, as if to say that she knows more than she should probably know.

Felicity coughs loudly, clearing her throat so that we must all direct our attention to her.

"Ladies, ladies that's enough fun for one day—we should be focusing on more serious matters like what are we going to wear for Helena's wedding?"

She tries to take control of the situation, but Helena is much better at taking control of a room. She claps her hands together and four servants appear with more dresses. They all undress into nothing but their corsets and slips. I sit down in an extra-large rose colored chair in the corner and watch them, trying to give them my honest opinion as they model their dresses off for me. Every once in a while I'll give a nod of approval or a thumbs down. I stretch my legs lazily across the arm of the chair after a while. Anna tosses a dress in my direction.

"You have to try this one on." She squeals excitedly. "It's perfect."

I hold it up. It's a long silky evening gown, in a rose color slightly darker then the chair I'm sitting in. There are thousands of golden beads gently embellishing the thin straps and plunging neckline. I turn the gown over and the back plunges deeply with fold of fabric made of a see-through material slightly lighter than the rest of the dress. I take off my clothes and slip into the dress. Everyone stares at me in awe.

"You look beautiful."

I turn around to see Riley standing in the doorway in a white suit and rose-colored bowtie. Lucin is standing next to him staring at me with his jaw dropping.

"I think you have a little slobber, Lucin." I quip. Riley hits him playfully in the arm still staring wide-eyed at me.

 Chapter 26

Someone puts cold hands over my eyes. I scream panicked and whirl around to see who would wake me from my nap. Blair stares at me wide-eyed and innocent, her hair bouncing wildly in the wind. She hands me a pair of shorts sheepishly grinning.

"Blair. How did you find me?" I gasp. "I thought I was going to be stranded and Mathew was going to find me."

"I—I tracked you." She stutters. She puts her hands on her sides, looking at me with a confused expression on her face. "Everyone at the palace is calling you a traitor; they found out that Mathew is your father."

"They think I'm a traitor?" I shout angrily, kicking at the dirt and leaves around us. "I'm not a traitor, I barely escaped my father. He used some sort of spell that almost killed me. I almost drowned."

Blair stares at me silently. Her lips pressed together, she looks at me with a look that I've never seen cross her beautiful face—full of passion and concern.

"I'm glad you're okay." She whispers into my ear, barely audible. It tickles but feels soothing. We stare at each other silently, sitting across from each other on the bench. The wind starts to pick up again, and I pull on my clothes. They're still a little damp but the sun has dried them off considerably.

"How did you find me anyways?" I ask.

It hadn't even occurred to me that she would have to use a teleportation device to reach the human world, and then she'd have to locate me even if she was able to use it.

"I've been training as a Tracker for the Kingdom. I'm getting really good at it." She replies with a certain note of sarcasm. "Although, I wasn't ever good enough to be able to Track the Princess like you did."

She takes my hand into hers and gently rubs circles into it, massaging it and staring aimlessly out in front of her.

"We need to go. I sense a presence nearby."

As soon as the words escape her lips, we hear the sound of snapping twigs a few feet behind us. She clutches my hand tightly and we're being transported somewhere far away, but before the mist settles around I see a dark shadow reaching up in the air for us. He almost catches my foot but narrowly misses. I shut my eyes tightly.

We land on a secluded beach with only the sounds of waves and the gentle squawks of seagulls lingering around us. She's taken us somewhere in the mortal world. Elves seldom visit the human world but if they do come—they always come for the ocean.

Our world only has one ocean: The Dark Sea. And it doesn't compare to the beauty that the humans get to experience at their oceans. We don't get sunsets or white sands or playful sea creatures. The Dark Sea is murky and full of horrible, ancient creatures.

Blair looks into my eyes and smiles up at me. The sun setting is the most beautiful backdrop that could be set before us.

"I've never been to the ocean." She whispers, "I thought it would be a nice place to visit with someone as special as you."

It's silent for a long while; we sit there holding hands in the grainy white sand. I hold her in my arms and rest my chin on her head, inhaling the fresh, salty air. I've never been so close to the ocean before, even though I've been to the mortal world often searching for Alison.

I stare at the vastness before us and think about how it's like my relationship with Ali. She's so close to being mine, but she's so far away. I can feel her getting farther away from me every day. I remember who I'm holding in my arms at the moment and it makes the situation more complicated.

"THEO!" I scream into the empty air. I start to cry; he's so far away. I need him here with me, holding me and protecting me. Riley pops his head up from the pillow.

"Alison?" He groans. "Are you okay?"

"No!" I yell. "I'm not okay."

I start to sob and shove Riley away from me.

"You lied to me Riley." I say looking at him as his eyes widen in surprise.

"You said that Mathew was going to kill him. That's not true, I just had a vision and Theo is perfectly fine. He's cuddling with Blair at the ocean, but he's fine otherwise." I say whimpering.

"A vision?" Riley demands. "You mean a dream."

"No." I reply. "I mean I'm a Seer now; I can have visions."

"Since when?!" He exclaims.

"Yesterday." I reply heatedly. I stand up, infuriated.

"Riley, I have to go. I have to go now." I say sounding braver then I actually feel. I try to get a head start, but even in his sleepy state, Riley is still much faster. He grabs me by the arm and turns me toward him.

"Why can't it ever be easy with you?" He demands. "Why can't you be doe-eyed like all the other girls and just listen to me?"

"Because if you haven't noticed I'm not like other girls, I'm not going to drool all over you just because you're a little bit handsome and charming." I reply smugly. "We shouldn't wait another minute if Theo really is in trouble. Blair could be tricking him."

Riley lets go of my arm and we stare at each other for a moment.

"I don't know what to do. I can't miss my sister's wedding, but I can't let you go alone. It's too dangerous. I wish you weren't so stubborn."

"Well, I wish you weren't so stupid." I reply snidely. He surprises me with a long, passionate kiss. It silences me. It also confuses me, but I remain quiet for a little while.

"Don't you feel anything when I kiss you like that?" He asks. "I know you were there when our souls connected together finally."

I fold my arms across my chest and try to look serious. My stomach is turning, and my heart is fluttering around. I want to scream at him, but I also want to kiss him again. How am I supposed to feel?

"Even though our souls connected; I don't feel complete." I reply sighing.

"I won't kiss you anymore." He says hopelessly. "If you don't feel complete, then we're obviously not connected."

He looks miserable as he plops down on the bed sulking.

 Chapter 27

I haven't seen Riley all day—I'm pretty sure he hates me now—but I promised to wait to go after Theo with him until after his sister gets married. So for now we're playing it cool like nothing is wrong. But he ignored me all through breakfast and lunch, which was incredibly awkward and his family can sense the tension between us.

Now it's dinner and I don't even want to go downstairs. I can't endure another awkward conversation. But his mother has forced me downstairs in my best evening gown for an elaborate dinner party she's about to throw. I don't know whether to vomit all over my shoes from being nervous or run away—either way I'd be miserable.

I step down on the bottom stair and lift my black silk dress that is a tad bit too long, even with these tall slinky heels on. The scene taking place around me is chaotic, people are running around frantically, waving their arms uselessly in the air and yelling demands every which way.

I take a deep breath and try to find some solace in the mess that was formally the Great Hall, but has magically turned into a circus scene within hours.

I find Helena in the center of it all, sitting in the Queen's throne with a spiral notebook. She's frantically scribbling something down inside and looking very serious. I walk over to her because she's the only face I recognize in the madness surrounding me—other than Riley—who isn't speaking to me at the moment.

"Helena!" I shout, hoping that she may be able to hear me over all the noise around us.

She looks up to my delight and smiles brightly at me.

"Ali, just the girl I was looking for." She replies, looking up for a moment from her notebook. She places the pen gingerly behind her ear and beckons me toward her, pointing to the empty seat next to her—the King's throne.

I take a seat, feeling awkward and small in the behemoth throne.

"The throne suits you well." She whispers, "Maybe, one day you'll be the one to help rule the Kingdom."

I look at her with a surprised expression but continue to remain silent; she stares at me with admiration in her eyes. She begins to yell at one of the servants, and he rushes to her side.

He's a lanky man with abnormally pointy ears and sad, droopy eyes. His skin has a green tinged look to it, as if he's become ill with some strange disease that has turned him reptilian. He slithers when he walks between people, weaving in and out quickly and gracefully.

"This is Alison." Helena explains, "You will need to fit her for the dress that she has chosen as my bridesmaid. Can you handle that Benjamin?"

"Yes, madam." He replies. His voice sounds like a hissing whisper and he pronounces his "s" with a slight lisp at the end. I look over at Helena, hoping that she's only joking. She never looks back up and Benjamin stares at me from the corner of his eyes, appearing to be extremely impatient. I follow him into the library, and we walk silently. I try to keep a good distance from him.

He tosses the dress at me and quietly leaves the room. I try it on once more, spinning around in front of the mirror that they've set up.

Benjamin pokes his head in.

"May I come in, Miss?" He probes.

"Yes." I reply.

"That looks almost perfect—it's a little bit too long at the bottom, but we can fix that right up."

He takes the bottom and bends over to pin the hem of the dress. He does it quickly and effortlessly.

"How long have you worked at the palace?" I pry.

"Many years..." He trails off.

"Do you enjoy it?" I ask.

"Yes. The King and Queen are kind and they take good care of my family, they're also paying for my daughter and son's education."

"How old are they?" I ask.

"My son will be twelve soon and my daughter is five."

"I see. What do you think of Riley?" I ask.

He has a few pins sticking out of his mouth, and he ponders the question for a moment.

"He's different from the others." Benjamin replies.

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, he has a certain aura about him that it isn't like his siblings." He suddenly stops talking and continues to pin. "Do you like Elacia so far?"

I can see that he's trying to change the subject.

"It's strange." I reply simply. A sharp tap at the door interrupts our conversation.

"Almost finished?" asks Helena.

"It's almost complete, your majesty—I'll have to take the bottom hem up but the dress is perfect otherwise." He replies.

"Could I discuss something in private with Alison?" She asks. Benjamin nods his head in agreement and exits the room.

"What is it, Helena?" I ask noticing the uncomfortable expression on her face.

"There's a guest here for you. I think you may want to get dressed and hurry."

Helena leaves the room, and I gently place the dress on the chair so that Benjamin can fix it for me.

As I reach the bottom step I can see two shadowy figures standing in the doorway.

"My name is Blair and this is Theo, and we have come for Princess Alison."

I can hear Blair's distinct high-pitched voice as she speaks to the large woman blocking the doorway. I rush to the doorway to shove the woman out of the way. The noise and chaos that once was, slowly diminishes as every eye turns to see the new faces.

Riley stares at us from across the room. He clears his throat.

"Everyone back to work, my sister is getting married in two days and you have a lot to do before then." He bellows out. The people oblige his request and continue being noisy and sorting out decorations and flowers.

He takes a few long strides towards us and stops—considers something—and then continues in our direction, his eyes brimming with hatred. But there's something else hidden in them: Relief?

He reaches us and takes Blair's hand in his own. He kisses it softly and bows graciously and then shockingly he shakes Theo's hand. My eyes probably don't mask my amazement very well.

"We were afraid you had been killed." Riley says, putting his arm around my shoulder. I shrug it off and look at him strangely.

"Mathew couldn't kill me." Theo replies laughing quizzically.

Theo and Riley stare at each other tensely for a few moments, initiating in some strange masculine competition that I'll never understand. Blair and I look at each other our eyebrows raised curiously. I grab Riley's hand and the flashes of a vision sink into my mind. I can see what's about to happen.

"Riley, don't." I mouth. But it's too late.

I shove Theo out of the way but he doesn't budge an inch. I can see it in their eyes—they want to rip each other's throats out. And if Riley had his way, he would according to that image he just let me see a glimpse of. They've been in the same room for a few minutes and they already want to murder each other.

I'm thankful that we don't live in the era of Ancient Coliseums that housed bloodshed and victory, these two would put up a good fight. Hell, they may even have had statues depicting their epic battle. But before I can grab Riley, he's on top of Theo grasping his throat firmly around his large hands.

I try to wrap my arms around Riley, but he's too big and I can't get him to move. I look up thankfully to see that Riley's father has entered the Great Hall. He storms into the room, banging the heavy wooden doors loudly against the walls and rattling old family photographs and heirlooms on the walls.

"What's this racket in my palace?" His deep voice bellows out.

Riley scurries off of Theo like a frightened cat backed into a corner—I've never seen him so afraid. Everything around us stops; it's as if someone has frozen time. People stand surrounding us as still as statues in mid-drink, their goblets pressed to their lips, just waiting for something to happen. The King thunders towards us, his feet clashing hard on the ground. I gulp trying to find a way to escape.

He grabs Riley by his left ear and Theo by his right ear, making these large men look like tiny insects next to his incredibly tall, masculine frame.

"You two will follow me now and that is an order." He commands, letting go of their ears, he tosses them both effortlessly to the ground. The two boys follow behind the King, looking pouty and defeated. They all leave the room in silence.

The music continues as well as the laughter and cheers, as if nothing strange or out of the ordinary had just taken place. I'm left standing awkwardly next to Blair. I don't know what to say so I flag the servant carrying the drinking goblets over. He hands me a glass of a strong smelling bubbly liquid. I take it graciously and try a sip. It tastes like raspberries but it burns like bourbon. I cough and splutter.

"Alison." Blair says my name quietly. I turn to face her, holding the goblet with my pinky out: Is this how royal people hold drinks?

"I didn't know that you had feelings for Theo." She whispers. "I'm sorry."

I can sense that she's being honest, but how do you forgive someone that you've hated since you first met them? I wish I could like her, but I can't so instead I turn away from her. She jumps in front of me her face reddening and her eyes filling with hatred. They seem to cut me in half, I spot Riley's sister and dash across the room to escape Blair.

"Helena. I never got to congratulate you earlier on the wedding." I say. "Are you excited about your big day?"

"I can't wait to get married." She gushes. "Plus, it means I'm not entitled to take over as ruler of Elacia." She puts her hand over her mouth and falls silent. "I mean, you haven't met the groom yet. Have you?"

What is it with everyone changing the subject around here?

"Well, he'll be here soon. He said he'd be here around 6 p.m." She looks down at her watch self-consciously.

I don't understand why people wear watches in a land full of magic. What's the point in keeping time in a place like this? It doesn't seem relevant...

"Because time is still relevant to us." Theo replies from behind me. I spin around to look at him curiously. "We still need rule and order here. Time gives us that just as it does so for the humans."

He looks better than when I last saw him somehow. He seems to have changed, his facial hair has grown slightly longer—making him appear more rugged and handsome. He envelopes me in his arms tightly. It feels strangely comforting to be here again.

"I missed you, Ali." He whispers, breathing slightly in my ear. My heart stops and skips a beat. This is it. This is where I'm meant to be. I couldn't possibly be happy anywhere else, but here in Theo's arms. I close my eyes and I bury my face in Theo's shirt. It smells warm and familiar. I don't want to leave this comfort.

A loud crash from behind us interrupts my one solitary moment of peace. Theo grabs me in his arms and we're running quickly. It feels as if we're flying—as the breeze rushes against my face and the scene around me becomes nothing but a blur.

I can hear people screaming and dishes breaking; now swords and weapons are clanking loudly together. Magic spells are tossed around the room. Birds and bats and dark colors swarm in front of my eyes, clouding my vision. I look behind me just for a moment to see blood: Everywhere. It's dripping from the walls and those shadows are crawling from the windows high above towards the people on the ground. I scream because I want to go back. I can see Helena and Alice as they clutch each other and look helpless. I have to help them. Why isn't he stopping?

Helena and Alice stare at the ceiling, their eyes open and lifeless. They stare at a place that I can't see. I scream for what seems like hours. It doesn't go away. It doesn't stop. All I can see is the scene replaying over and over again in my mind.

Is anyone alive?

Am I alive? Or is this hell?

Theo wraps me up protectively in his arms and we wade through the cold, dark water. It gets deeper and the currents grow stronger. I can see shadows underneath us trying to catch us but failing. I want it to go away. I just want the pain to go away.

"Make it go away." I whisper.

"I can't." Theo says. He pushes me aside and his eyes change. Where are the beautiful, mysterious gray eyes that I love so dearly? Where have they gone? They've been replaced by icy blue eyes that look as cold and empty as the Dark Sea. Please come back Theo. Don't go.

"Ali. Swim, you have to get away from me. I can't control... get away..." Theo yells, between gulps of water. I can't see him anymore. Is he going to drown? I swim towards where he just was. But it's empty and dark except for the shadows at the bottom of the lake.

If I go under would he try to save me?

I let go. I'm too tired to swim, and I start to sink. I didn't think this is how it was all going to end. I thought I'd live longer. The shadows are floating around me, glowing, flickering and tickling my skin. The shadows twinkle and fade into visions and memories of my life. There I am as a three-year-old spinning around in my father's arms and my brother is sitting on my mother's lap giggling joyously. I'm happy there. I have a family again. I want to go back to that place where we were so happy.

If I'm going to die here: I want to remember something happy.

Something cold grabs my wrist, I try to shake it off but it sticks like a leech.

No. I don't want that cold thing anymore. I want the warmth that this place offers. The darkness sets in and I fall away from here, from there or wherever I was before this, but I'm moving upwards rapidly. I can see the thousands of lights flickering into the shape of an animal: The Moose?

"You're not ready to join us." It whispers, and a thousand voices caress me gently. They wrap themselves around my legs and arms with their warm embrace. They hold me in the darkness and keep a fading light against my skin, giving me air and my breath once more. I can breathe.

There is no more water filling up my lungs. I don't feel heavy, I feel lightless and airy. I reach my hand to touch something solid. I'm not sure what it is. I close my eyes and I caress my fingers against the object, trying to feel what it is. It's smooth and as hot as fire against my skin. I open my eyes to see red skin burning like the ember of flames against my hand. I don't know where we are, but I can hear soft, lulling voices surrounding me now.

"Is she okay?" The soft voice that sounds like a lullaby asks. "Was anyone with her?"

I can't answer. They must not realize I'm dead.

"The castle has been attacked."

My eyelids flutter open.

"Riley..." I whisper. "Where are Theo and Riley?"

I cough up water as it rushes out of my mouth and empties from my stomach. I feel like I'm going to be sick so I heave myself to the side and more water escapes my lungs.

"The Princess?" A correlating gasp expels from their mouths.

"We thought you were killed in the attack."

I eye them reluctantly.

"How do you know who I am?"

"He told us." They point downward.

"Who?"

"It does not matter. You're alive that is all that matters now." They reply cryptically.

"They want to eliminate you." The small girl with purple hair squeaks. "You are the one to save us all. It has been foretold in the Prophecy."

"Prophecy?" I ask intrigued. "Why would anyone want to kill me?"

"The Narwhal, he told us a story that there would be a girl with violet eyes to save us all. And only she would be able to reunite the two worlds of Newhollow and Elacia once again."

The boy with the sparkling sea-green eyes and bright blue hair explains, "This girl she would be called, 'The Lost One' and her eyes would be the color of the Amethyst stones. She is our only hope against the evils that are to come."

"Who are you?" I demand.

"We are water nymphs from the Vanished City of the Sea. We live near Elacia; they offer us protection against the unspeakable island. Suamar is the island of prisoners who may not return or be named again." The boy replies curtly, "I am Yetoro. This is Fira. We may take you as far as the first sands of the island but then we must part ways again."

"Why are you not allowed to go to the island?" I ask.

"It is forbidden."

I lay my head against the warmth of skin beneath me.

"Alison." The figure beside me, splutters out water. He reaches his hand towards mine. I scoot my heavy body closer to him, taking his hand in mine.

"Riley." I ask softly.

"Don't be so happy to see me." He struggles to speak as more water escapes his lungs. I put my finger up to his mouth to keep him quiet. I hug him tightly and he hiccups. He smiles at me, pushing my hair out of my face.

"I had to save you." He whispers, and then he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

"He is a strange one." Fira and Yetero reply together. "He cares deeply for you. But you should not take advantage of his kindness. The Narwhal whispers that one of the souls is not real."

"When you reach the island, you must find the man named Tovla." Fira explains. "He will guide you to the place that you need to go. Do not speak his name on the island: Names are forbidden."

I spot a large heap of land ahead and we quicken our pace to the inland. It's a large piece of land that stretches out farther then the eye can see, full of sand and uneven dunes, only a few trees speckle the landscape, and even those are rotting and lifeless.

The Narwhal comes to a sudden halt, dropping us off in knee-deep water. I carry Riley halfway until he wakes up and walks the remainder of the way. The Narwhal follows us, making excited squealing noises.

"Wait. We forgot to give you the gifts." Yetoro replies handing us two leather backpacks. "They are from our ruler. And we wish you luck in your journey. I'm sure we will meet again."

Yetero whistles and the Narwhal turns around in the opposite direction, the two nymphs wave until we can't see them and they fade in the distance.

We sit on the hot sand and stare up at the sky above us. It shifts into different colors, the blue and white clouds glimmer with violet and gray specks. They shimmer around us in a swirling motion.

"Are you curious?" I ask, observing the backpacks warily.

We agree to open the backpacks at the same time, I was hoping for food or water but it's empty except for two small silver boxes the size of our fist.

I angrily toss mine to the side. What kind of joke is this?

It bounces back, glimmering and changing colors. It fades from silver to black to red and then it starts to widen and narrow as if it's developed a breathing pattern on its own.

"Unlock me." It hints, teasing us with a child-like voice.

I pick it up and turn it over in my hands looking at it in various angles. I search for a code or a message on every side. But it just continues to flash to different colors, breathing rhythmically. I exasperatedly set it aside after a few minutes. It bounces back, nudging my leg.

"Open your eyes. The key is nearby." It murmurs.

I look around and dig through the backpack again. I turn the bag upside down but there's still nothing inside of it. I start to dig with my free hand at the sand. I exasperatedly set the box down on my lap, contemplating where the key might be.

"Alison?"

"Yes. Riley?"

"I think I'm about to..." Riley trails off.

He fades away from this world and enters a new one. Does he have to have a vision right now? We haven't figured out the way to open this stupid box. He folds his head in his hands, clearly looking as if he's in agonizing pain.

"They're dead—they're all dead!" He screams, and the sand starts to swirl angrily around us. I hold him tightly. I'm not sure what else I can do, but I guess he has seen what I've seen. The blood and the chaos and the screaming; all the things that I wanted to believe were part of a nightmare have suddenly become nothing but reality.

"It was Theo." I reply.

"What?" he demands. "Theo?"

"He murdered all of those people and he was supposed to kill me but something saved me. I was supposed to die." I shove my face into his shoulder and start to sob. He's cold and we're shivering—helpless and alone. We're trapped on an island full of criminals.

"My mom, my sisters, my baby brother... my dad..." He whispers. "Everyone I knew and loved, they're all gone."

I've never seen a boy cry, but I've also never really talked to boys before all of this happened.

Before this world, before I knew who I was—I was just a girl that everybody stayed away from. I pushed people away. I was too afraid to get close to them. I was weird and peculiar and I didn't fit in. Boys didn't want anything to do with a girl like me. But this, this feels real and it feels lovely and raw. It hurts like hell here, but I finally feel something.

I hold Riley so close to me that it feels like our bodies might become one in that instance; like I would take all the pain that he's ever experienced just to see that big stupid smile spread across his face. His heart speeds up and then slows down. We sit like this for a long time. Not feeling alone in the world, for once. I can be real.

"My brother is hurt." Riley jumps up, sprinting towards the water. "But he's alive. We have to help him."

He places two fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly three times. A flash of black breaks through the purple and gray barrier, it hurdles towards us at unimaginable speeds.

"Felix." Riley screams from below, "I need you to fly faster then you've ever flown before. Come on boy."

Felix lands gracefully on the sand, his wings drawn out wide to make him look like some kind of dark fallen angel here to rescue us. Riley plummets towards the horse and holds out his hand for me to join him. I hurry and place the two silver boxes back into their bags. I hand Riley his and then put mine on my back.

"Close your eyes, darling. You're in for one hell of a ride."

I listen to Riley and I close my eyes tightly. The wind nips at my face and I feel like if I open my eyes again they'll explode from the pressure. I've always hated heights. My cheeks feel like they are flapping from the force of the wind, and I try hide my face behind Riley. We stop so fast that it sends me flying over Riley, clutching my backpack. I land in a soft patch of daisies. I brush myself off and I grab onto Riley as we race for the castle. I'm breathless by the time we reach the doors.

"He's in the cupboard." One of the servants says pointing towards the kitchen.

Riley races off in that direction, he leaves me alone in the devastating room. My stomach knots up into a million pieces. Bodies lie scattered everywhere. I want to get out. The stench is overbearing.

I walk over to the throne to find the Queen's pale arm outstretch toward her husband. The hand quivers only slightly. I grab for it, my tears fall creating a stream of water around me. I cry, heaving and sobbing so badly that it makes my head pound. I lay my head down on the floor beside the Queen, and I close my eyes and let thoughts fill my exhausted mind.

This is all of my fault... all of these innocent people are dead because of me.

I killed everyone that Riley loved. He should hate me.

He saved me, but all I do is cause him pain.

"Princess?" A weak voice asks. The hand in mine starts to move. I let go, astonished.

"My Queen?" I ask. "You're alive."

"We can save them just give me more power." She murmurs weakly.

I hold onto her hand firmly. I will all of my power to be connected with hers and I think about happy things and not the pain that I'm currently experiencing.

She stands up. She grasps the knife sticking in her leg and yanks it out. It drips shadowy venom out, but I watch as her leg begins to heal itself. Ferocity and hatred fills her eyes and she bends over her husband gently touching his back. She touches each individual only gently for a few moments and they start to stir. The entire room which was once lifeless jumps up now full of energy and power—sparks linger in their eyes, full of lust and revenge. They remove the weapons from their bodies and watch in intrigue as the weapons drip the same dark venom that had been on the Queen.

Riley races into the room, holding Lucas in his arms. Lucas whimpers at every step that Riley takes. Riley sets him in front of me.

"Ali. You have to heal him." He begs. I wrap my arms around him and I think about everything that makes me happy—Riley kissing me and Theo holding me in his arms and my family smiling and hugging. Lucas stands up proudly; he punches his fist into the air excitedly.

The King steps up onto his throne. The room falls silent.

"I am your King. This is my Kingdom; I will not condone violence unless it is absolutely necessary. But I'm afraid that war was inevitable. The things that we had been afraid would happen. They have happened and we must band together to stop them." He bellows. "We will endure and our Kingdom will live on peacefully... but only through war. We cannot let our enemies stun us with these poisons again because next time it may be worse. This was a warning from the enemy. I will die for the safety of my people. Now I ask: Will you?"

The crowd cheers, erupting into applause.

Why war... isn't there another answer? There must be another alternative?

 Chapter 28

Riley and I sit on his bed, each turning over the transparent boxes. We don't talk about what happened earlier today. We don't discuss the healings or the possibility of war. We have to figure out these boxes.

They've fallen asleep now. They aren't changing colors or shape anymore. They remain the same transparent box with shimmering silver smoke inside. And I grow increasingly more frustrated.

We attempt all kinds of methods: Nothing works.

Riley sings to it and gently strokes the top of it, as if to serenade it.

I yell at it and smash it against a wall a few times.

Our methods are a little different.

I toss the box aside irritated. I turn towards Riley and to my relief the box shifts and bounces towards my feet. It begins to nudge my leg and so I continue to ignore it. It begins to change colors. I continue to ignore it and only momentarily do I look at it. To my astonishment, the box has grown a full set of arms and legs.

One of the hands attached to the arm is holding out a small golden key towards me, it rocks back and forth as if trying to get my attention now. The outstretched arm waves impatiently at me. I pick the box up and take the key from it.

"You have solved the mystery!" The box exclaims.

It glows a golden yellow like the bright rays of the sun. I set the box on the ground gently. A small door appears that we would have to crawl through in order to use. Riley stares over at me astonished.

"Open me." The door whispers through his ever-growing callous smile. I hesitate for a moment.

"Are you sure about this?" Riley asks, "We have no idea what's behind this door. It could be anything and that smile plastered on it is weird. It reminds me of Alice's cat."

"Alice?" I ask bemused. "The Cheshire cat?"

I stare at the door and realize how very similar the two do look with their pink and purple striped colors and mischievous grin.

"How do you know about Alice in Wonderland?" I ask.

"My mother used to read it to me. She had managed to find an illustrated copy."

"Well, I guess I have a bit of curiosity like Alice because I have to know what's behind the door."

I gently bend down to grab the golden doorknob, slowly turning it. I'm expecting the worst because this door could be a trick. It could lead absolutely anywhere or nowhere. I throw the door open and get on my hands and knees. Riley blocks the entrance.

"Let me go first."

He crawls inside without hesitation. I grab the other box and place it in the backpack. I close my eyes and I descend into a tunnel.

It's pushing me from all sides and it's hard to breathe in here. I'm starting to feel dizzy and claustrophobic. The air grows frigid and the tunnel begins to swirl around in a blue and white haze. It feels like ice is pounding my skin. I'm so cold. Then I see the dark hole and the bottom of the tunnel. I'm rushing toward it because it's sucking all the colors and myself inside. I close my eyes and hold my breath.

Is it a black hole? Are we going to a different dimension?

I land on something scratchy and I open my eyes to find sand covering my legs. I cry out in pain.

"Are you okay?"

Riley rushes to my side and helps me get up.

"That was a strange experience." I mumble.

"Those were the Spirit Doors—they were used by the Spirits many years ago to travel between worlds that were no longer easily accessible." A tall man in a dark cloak explains.

I jump with fright at the sound of the unfamiliar voice behind me.

"Spirit Doors, I thought those had all been destroyed by the Elders." Riley states.

"Yes, almost all of them were destroyed, except for two. I am Tovla." The strange man replies, extending an outstretched hand. Riley takes it graciously.

"I have been expecting your arrival for quite some time. I have so much to tell the both of you but I'm afraid that our time is limited."

"Why have you been expecting us?" I ask bemused.

The wind begins to escalate and the sand starts to spin dangerously around us. It stings as it pierces our skin and eyes.

"Follow me. We must get indoors quickly. It's time for the sand storm." Tovla answers. We follow him into a small cave. There isn't much inside, other than a bed, a stove and a sink. The only personal item inside are a few books and one very old photograph on the wall.

"This is my home. I mean prison... but I've been here so long that it's starting to feel like home."

Tovla walks over to his bed and pulls out a long dagger from his pocket. My heart begins to race. Was this a bad idea? Should we have come to a criminal's prison? But he's our only hope to get some answers...

Tovla struggles to flip the mattress over. Riley grabs my hand, it shakes nervously and I look over to see small beads of sweat forming on his chin. Tovla begins to cut down the middle of the mattress; it makes a loud searing sound. He sticks his hand inside to retrieve yet another book with frayed golden pages. It looks similar to my grandfather's journal. He also removes a piece of rolled up parchment. He hands the items to me and then flips the torn mattress back over, sticking the knife inside of his cloak pocket.

"I'm sure you're wondering what these are and why they're so important that I would need to keep them hidden. This is the Prophecy." He declares, pointing to the rolled up parchment. "It was created by the very first Seer. He has long since died. He said that the girl with the Amethyst colored eyes shall be found again. And only when she is found can she put the world back together."

He takes a deep breath before he continues.

"The book explains how to use the Spirit Doors. Remember, they are not just doors. They wouldn't have been destroyed if they were merely doors, they can be and do many things. The reason I am here and considered an Unnamed is because I stole these so that you could reunite and bring us peace once more. If you succeed, maybe one day I'll be free again..."

He removes his hood so that I can see the truth.

He's a Spirit—a transparent being, ghost-like and grim but he's still able to grasp solid objects. He was perhaps handsome when living, but now he's frail and thin, his curly hair is wild and unkempt and his glasses are too large for his huge nose.

I hug him because I realize that he sacrificed his life to help me protect everyone.

"Tovla if it is the last thing I do. I will come back to set you free." I reply. I look into his ghostly, haunted face and for a brief moment a smile appears. His hollow eyes sparkle enthusiastically with life and determination.

"I wouldn't have done it for anyone else." He replies, grabbing my hand in his cold skeletal fingers. "It will not be easy but you will succeed. I have seen it. And my visions are never wrong."

He winks at me and points at the old scroll rolled up in my hand.

"Are you the Seer who created the Prophecy?" Riley inquires.

"I am." He replies. A faint scratching noise begins to grow louder at the door. "Riley, don't give up for you are the truest of the two."

The scratching sound becomes louder and now we can see long nails piercing through the door frame.

"Go children. Hurry! And safe travels. Please retrieve the box before the Wilders find you!" He shouts.

I'm already snatching the box from my bag. I place the scroll and the book inside. I set the silver box down and it magically transforms into a large golden door with a key inside the lock, much bigger than the tiny door we had to crawl through before. As we jump through the door, I can hear growling and screaming, but it's too late and we're plunging head first into ice. I'm shivering and I look over at Riley, his face is pale and his lips are blue, tiny icicles start to form on his eyelashes. We hold onto each other tightly falling on the wooden floor of his room. I land roughly on top of him.

The golden door fizzles and bursts into pieces, revealing nothing but a tiny transparent box. The second door explodes into various colors and also turns back into the transparent box. They're sitting side by side.

"That was intense." I reply.

"Alison, we can't let anyone know we have these, or we're going to end up on the Island of Suamar with all the other Unnamed. These things were banned in the ancient times because anyone who acquires them is guaranteed infinite power. And the more we use them, the more powerful we will become."

He picks them up gently and places them under his bed. I open the backpack up unrolling the scroll carefully.

It's yellowed and weathered with age, there are strange red symbols and markings all over the page. I don't understand what any of it says.

"Do you know what language this is?" I ask, hoping that Riley might have some sort of clue. He shakes his head and I flip the scroll over. There are pictures drawn on the other side. Oh great, Prophets for Dummies... just in case this language is old and outdated, just flip over for pictures.

One of the scenes displays a girl with black hair and purple eyes, there is fire in the foreground and the other image shows her riding an enormous wolf with a sword in her hand, in a fighting position with her head turned to the side. I roll the scroll back up.

"Do you think anyone could translate the words for us?" I ask.

"I know we have Historians that work here, they can translate some of the archaeological finds from the Ancient world. They might be of some help." He replies, his eyes full of hope.

"They might be our only option." I say sighing deeply.

"Alison, where do you think Theo is?" Riley ponders.

The question shocks me; I'm surprised that Riley even cares enough to ask. I sit and contemplate the question.

"Maybe, he's on the island." I say, "That's the only place he could have escaped, but he does carry a teleportation device so he could be anywhere by now."

"Oh." Riley replies glumly. "Well we're going to find him and kill him."

"What?"

Should I be shocked that he said that? I mean he did try to murder me, and he did technically hurt everyone that Riley has ever cared about. But I still can't imagine killing Theo, something burns in my stomach and I feel the slightest glimmer of optimism. I hope he's still alive.

How can I still care about Theo? After he's tried to kill me twice... but he didn't kill me. He tried to protect me. He told me to run away from him because he knew that he was being controlled.

"Wait, Riley. I just realized something. Theo knew what he was doing." I say pausing for a moment.

"He tried to kill you and everyone else I cared about." Riley replies. "Obviously he knew what he was doing."

"No. That's not what I mean. He was trying to protect me. He picked me up in the palace and carried me to the ocean so that I'd be able to get away. Whenever we were swimming he was telling me to get away from him." I explain. "I saw the Sneaks in the walls before we left the palace. That means that Mathew has found a way to get them here. He used them to kill your family and friends. It wasn't Theo."

I begin to feel sorry for Theo. What kind of life would it be if you never really had a choice in the way you lived it—if you had to worry at every instant if you were going to hurt someone. Theo's mind hasn't actually ever been his own... it has always been Mathew's.

"You think that Theo was trying to save you?" Riley asks irritated. "I'm the one who saved you; the Nymphs owed my family a favor. How can you feel sorry for him after everything he has done?"

"I do feel sorry for him." I reply simply, "Imagine how you would feel if you were constantly being controlled and forced to do things that could hurt other people. It's not his fault that his father is a monster. I don't think Theo would do any of those bad things if he was given the choice."

"You don't want to kill him because you still love him, don't you? You still believe that he's your Soulfire." Riley shouts heatedly. His cheeks grow red with frustration and he stares at me furiously.

Riley sighs deeply and then he takes my hand in his. He places a small purple velvet box with a neatly tied white ribbon in my hand and then he turns away.

I'm left in the room. I silently stare at the box. I've grown too afraid to open it. I know what's inside, but why would he give me something like this at such a terrible moment. If I choose to open this box, does that mean I really do love Riley?

If I choose to keep it closed am I choosing Theo?

I stare at the tiny box, the one that could hold my future. I know what I have to do, but I don't know who's going to get hurt in the end. I put the box into my jacket, knowing that the decision can wait.

 Chapter 29

I stare at the small velvet box that's been sitting on my bedside table all week. Riley hasn't talked to me since he gave me the box. He hasn't acknowledged my existence at any of the meals and, he ignored me even when we had to practice marching together for his sister's wedding.

He hasn't snuck into my room to cuddle with me in the middle of the night. It's been strangely lonely and absent here. I don't want him to hate me... but could I really be dishonest with him about my feelings for Theo?

I pick the box up and a sudden burst of light glows from the tips of my fingers. The box starts to spin upward as if suspended in midair and I become incredibly dizzy and light-headed. The box crashes to the ground as images fill my mind. I feel like I'm underwater from the pressure pounding in my head.

I can see Theo off in the distance. He's talking to a strange disfigured man in whispers. The man has to stoop down to listen to Theo. Riley is standing beside me. The disfigured man is putting his hand inside of his pocket, and now he has something in it. Theo isn't paying attention to the man for a moment because Blair's high-pitched laughter has distracted him; the strange man lodges the dagger in Theo's heart. Now Blair is screaming and I'm screaming—but Riley won't let me go. He's holding me and then he points at my hand where I'm wearing a wedding ring. A beautiful dark purple stone sits in the middle of four petite transcendent stones in a silver setting with engraved branches around the edges. It's so breathtaking, I forget about Theo.

"Take the ring off." The stranger shouts, but I can't get it off my finger. I struggle to pull and tug at the ring, but it won't budge. I look up to see Blair holding Theo's lifeless body in her arms sobbing, but I can't feel anything but emptiness. The purple stone dislodges from the ring and starts to float towards the stranger's outstretched hand—Riley's eyes grow wide and I scream.

My head hits the hard wooden floor of my bedroom. And I squint as the lights start to get bright and out of focus. I close my eyes for a few moments and things begin to return back to normal when I open them again.

I stare at the box on the floor next to me; I haven't even opened it yet. It couldn't hurt to look at it. Maybe it's not the same ring as in the vision.

I slowly reach for the ring but a sharp pain races up my arm. I continue to reach for it, ignoring the searing pain in my hand. I open the box gently. My arm feels as if it's been stuck in hot magma, it burns and I can hear my skin sizzle. I look at the ring and realize that it's the same ring from the vision.

Should this impact my decision?

Do I ignore the bad omen that this ring has already given to me or do I embrace it?

A soft knock at the door startles me, and I quickly shut the box again with a snap.

Lucas pokes his head in for a moment and looks alarmed to see me on the ground.

"Are you alright?" He asks, looking worried. He walks over to me and musters all the strength in his little arms to help me up off the ground.

"I'm okay." I reply, staring at the box on the ground and trying to ignore the agonizing pain in my arm and head.

"The wedding is about to start. Everyone else was too afraid to wake you."

"Thanks, Lucas." I reply, stooping down to embrace him in a hug. He tugs at the bowtie that he's wearing embarrassed.

"I'll see you soon." He whispers, racing towards the door and slamming it shut.

I manage to straighten out my hair that has decided to be extra frustrating today. It finally becomes silky and straight after the brush goes through it a thousand times. I dab on a little bit of perfume that smells like honey and wildflowers. I add a small amount of plum lipstick and sparkly gray eye shadow that makes it look like a thousand diamonds have landed on my eyes.

I pucker my lips one last time and add the dress as a finishing touch. I look at myself in the full length mirror and admire the image that reflects back. I look older, more mature but aware of something. I'm aware that I'll never be as myself as I feel right now. I'll never truly fit in anywhere else.

The pink gemstones cascade in a V-pattern down the deep cut in the front of my dress. Benjamin was kind enough to sew more gemstones on the back of the dress where there were only folds of plain and translucent fabric. I look stunning and elegant. I smile, tugging one strand of hair behind my ear and letting my bangs cascade around my face.

I turn towards the door, almost forgetting the small box on the ground I pick it up and put it in my clutch for later.

The beautiful music greets me at the bottom of the stairs and everyone turns their head to look at me. I can hear the crowd growing louder with impatience as I fight to find my place next to the rest of the wedding party.

The marching music starts playing slowly, rippling majestically through the Great Hall. The harpist smiles lazily, strumming key notes and her hair is as golden as the strings of her harp. The melody is enchanting and Riley takes my arm in his. I try to get a look at his face, but it's impossible to keep in rhythm and look at him so I just concentrate on one thing.

My stomach feels as if it's in a giant knot that takes over the both of us, and I feel nauseous. This is the first time we've had any kind of interaction for seven days.

The music continues to play enthusiastically in the background. I catch a glimpse of Riley's sullen face. He looks over at me and his eyes burn into me full of agitation.

Helena had to postpone the ceremony after the attack on the castle so that they could get everything in order and make sure that everyone was rested and healed for the event. I helped her plan out every detail of the wedding. It helped keep me busy so I would stop thinking about Riley.

I still haven't told him about my decision... I'm still not sure if it's the right one. But I know that being this close to him is painful, especially knowing that I've already hurt him once. It's as if I can feel the same emotion that he's feeling. It burns inside when I know he's sad or angry.

People stare astounded at us as we walk down the center of the aisle. I try to focus on the rest of the events surrounding us.

Riley's youngest sister is blowing her nose loudly and crying but the rest of the wedding party looks upbeat and cheerful. Riley lets go of my arm as we reach the front of the ceremony. I want him to hold it just a little bit longer but I oblige and I go stand next to Anna.

After us, Alice and Ted prance down the aisle smiling from ear to ear at the attention. Ted is Riley's older cousin, they look almost identical. Ted has tan skin, light blonde hair and striking green eyes. Alice giggles as she stands next to me; her face is hot and flushed because of something Ted whispered into her ear only moments ago.

Helena told me that Ted and Alice have known they were Soulfires since they were young, but that they were waiting for the right time before they made it official. Alice eyes Ted cautiously and then she leans over to me.

"Ted proposed!" She whispers enthusiastically with her hand cupped to my ear. I look down to see a stunning silver ring with a simple square diamond.

"It's beautiful. Congratulations, I'm happy for you both." I whisper back, giving my best half-hearted smile. Riley looks over at us and rolls his eyes. He's so moody. This is a day of celebration, not irritable mood swings. He's been extra callous to everyone the last few days, especially if he sees me talking to someone or smiling or laughing. He'll ignore that person, storming out of room and slamming doors behind him.

The upbeat music transforms into a peaceful lull and the crowd begins to hush as they turn around to look for the bride as she enters the dimly lit room that smells like rose petals and lavender. It really is beautifully decorated with hundreds of small white lanterns, flickering candles, white rose petals and lavender line the aisle.

This is the first time that anyone has seen Helena's dress. Now I realize why she wanted it kept secret—it's breathtaking.

Every inch of the fabric sparkles when she walks and the bottom puffs out in mountains of overlaying tulle material. The sweetheart neckline cuts deeply downward, but isn't too revealing—there is still plenty left for the imagination. I catch myself fantasizing about my own wedding dress.

I could only dream of looking as beautiful and radiant as Helena does at this moment. I catch the groom staring at Helena with his mouth agape. I think that he's definitely surprised by the extravagant dress that makes her look exquisite.

Helena smiles, waving to the crowd as the flower girls dance around her, throwing flowers at her feet. She stops in front of the groom and they take each other's hands, gripping tightly to one another. The music abruptly stops and silence follows.

"George, do you take Helena to be your wife? Do you pledge..." the priest drones on and on. I try to focus on the bride and groom but my attention keeps finding Riley more intriguing. He keeps staring over at me. Finally, he grins. I smile back; it's the first time that he has had something on his face other than food or a scowl. I'm not sure what exactly the smile means. Maybe he's forgiven me?

"And you may now kiss the bride."

George and Helena become entangled in what feels like an endless kiss and it makes my heart yearn for that kind of passion and love. I want a kiss that feels like seconds but in reality it's longer—I want the kind of kiss that I don't want to ever end.

I look over at Riley. I could have that kind of love with him. We could be happy, even if we're constantly bickering. The room wouldn't be quite so bright without him in it and my conversations wouldn't be as exciting because he challenges me to be better and to dig deeper. He understands compassion and emotion.

But I could have that with Theo. He's kind and smart. He's analytical and he can protect me from the Shadows that want to get me—but then again he's also one of those Shadows at times. The real Theo is the one that I love, not the Theo who's forced to murder and do awful things against his will. Not the icy blue-eyed monster that wants to hurt people. Theo could make me happy even if he wasn't always himself.

Everyone starts to clap and cheer as Helena and George finally end their passionate romantic kiss. The music starts up again to let the crowd know that the festivities are about to start. The bride and groom let go of each other and George tosses Helena in the air and holds her in his arms, carrying her down the aisle. Helena laughs joyously and George smiles protectively looking at her.

Riley has a different idea.

"We're ditching the reception." He whispers as we follow the bride and groom down the aisle to the Great Hall where food and drinks await us. I punch him in the arm. He rubs it and looks offended.

 Chapter 30

"You know for being the only hope of our survival, you sure are jumpy." Riley exclaims, as we soar higher in the air. He turns around to look at me and his eyes flash with excitement.

"Riley, you better make Felix go back to the reception." I reply angrily. "And I mean this instant."

Felix neighs in protest and then he soars even higher through the puffy white clouds.

"I know you're afraid of horses and heights but that means you can't get away from me when I talk to you." He says looking dangerously handsome. "I know you'll listen to me up here—it's the only place you have a level-head and can think clearly."

"You. Are. Frustrating." I emphasize my anger by saying each word very slowly.

"I know and you enjoy every minute of it." He replies in a mocking tone. He turns around to face me. He grips my face in his hands and kisses me with so much passion that I swear I can hear the sound of fireworks exploding off in the distance. I wrap my arms instinctively around him and we get lost up there for a while. I forget all of the problems and the decisions and the challenges I've had to contemplate the last few months.

I forget about Helena's wedding reception and the chance of an imminent war brewing to seek revenge against Mathew. I forget about trying to save Theo from being his father's prisoner. At this moment there is only one thing on my mind: Riley.

He lets go of my face, breathing heavily. We stop kissing and my heart starts to throb and ache. I need him to be close to me again. I need his warm hands pressed against my face. He stares at me with an intense expression.

"Did you make a decision?" He demands. "I need to know."

I remain quiet. I still don't exactly know my decision. I don't want to make the wrong choice. Riley sighs exasperatedly and turns around furiously with his back towards me.

"Felix, please take us back to the wedding reception." Riley requests in a deflated tone. The horse whinnies in acknowledgement and then darts off as quickly as he can to get us back to the castle. I close my eyes and tuck my head behind Riley. We arrive in a matter of minutes but Felix lands very softly and gently on the ground in front of the iron doors.

Riley hops off of his horse and then reaches his hand up to me so that he can help me down. I smile at him and we walk to the castle holding hands. His palms are sweaty.

I wonder why he's not angrier at my indecisiveness. He didn't get mad or yell or fight—he's been peculiarly calm about the whole thing tonight.

We enter the Great Hall, which has been decorated to look like the evening sky with flecks of glitter and glimmering stars dangling from invisible strings and a translucent midnight-blue canopy of fabric hanging from the ceiling and from the middle of the ceiling are blue and black banners cascading and twirling around meeting every so often in certain places.

The tables have been set with an iridescent, shimmery silver cloth. The places have been placed perfectly in a set order with two forks, three spoons, two knives, a salad plate, a soup bowl and a main dish. Everyone's eyes land on us. We are the last ones to enter. We walk quickly towards the center where the rest of our party sits waiting for the food to be brought to them on hot steaming plates. I can already smell the delicious scents wafting from the kitchen and the sound of clanking pots and pans is only faintly muffled by the loud music.

The first tray and servant arrive and a loud cheer erupts from the room. The sound of clanking metal and chattering are the noisiest when the last dish arrives at the table and everyone begins to eat their main course.

The woman behind us in a flowing pink dress plays the harp flawlessly, her golden waves bouncing with each exquisite note. Behind her sits a large orchestra band, which will be the evening entertainment for upbeat, lively music to dance to.

The food is delicious and soon my plate is empty. I've refilled my goblet with sweet white wine a few too many times and by the time we reach the Ballroom, I'm in a half-drunken stupor and Riley has to practically carry me from the dinner table.

We laugh. He's had more than enough barley and wine, and he's having trouble walking as well.

We dance gracefully for how much we've had to drink. He spins me around and I laugh and for a moment I forget all my problems again. I forget that there are other people in the room because he makes it feel like it's just us there. He twirls me around and holds on to my waist protectively with each perfectly-timed, flawless step to the music.

"I told you I liked to dance." He bellows next to my ear over the music. His hot breath makes me shiver and when he pulls away he has a smug smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"I know." I reply between hiccups.

"Did you have too much to drink?" He asks teasingly.

"I don't think so." I whisper, as my hand extends from his shoulder to caress his strong jaw and perfectly chiseled face. "You're pretty."

"Thank you." He replies, spinning me around in elegant circles and ending the song with a perfectly matched dip. "But you are the most beautiful creature in all of the Otherworlds."

He takes me in his arms and strokes my face lovingly.

The song ends abruptly and I decide that it's now or never. I dig around in my clutch held tightly against my back.

"Which hand?" I test. He looks at me oddly.

"The right one."

I reveal the hidden purple box with the white ribbon tied in a neat little bow from behind my back and he gasps, enveloping me in one of his signature bear hugs. His golden eyes gleam, appearing almost wolf-like in the dim light of the ballroom.

Did I make the right choice?

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