Aftermath

The Armorian Chronicles

Courtney Beals

Copyright © 2017 Courtney Beals

All rights reserved. No part(s) of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form, or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval systems without prior expressed written permission of the author of this book.

ISBN: 978-1-5356-0943-2 (epub)

ISBN: 978-1-5356-0944-9 (mobi)

To my beloved great grandparents, Kenneth Loyd Himes and Betty Jane Ethington.

May your souls radiate in heaven until we meet again

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

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

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Lyla Langston stands in a dark room. A single candle is lit on the opposite side of the room next to a crib with two baby girls lying sound asleep. Next to the crib is a changing table stocked with diapers and baby wipes. Just across the room is a dresser on the side wall and a wooden rocking chair in the corner. A large circular rug is placed in the middle of the room. She notices two windows as the moonlight shines through onto the floor.

Loud voices arise in the hallway from a man and a woman. The sounds are muffled, but Lyla tries to make out the words as well as she can.

“Where is it?” asks the man.

“I do not have what you seek,” replies the woman with a firm tone.

“I know you have it,” he yells. “Give it to me or you and your children will die.”

Lyla hears what seems to be a struggle. Someone runs toward the room, so she moves to the other side by the crib. Suddenly, the woman comes through the door and closes it behind her. She locks it before rushing to the crib.

The woman is very beautiful, with long, dark brown hair. Lyla can see that she is very thin and frail as if she would break if anyone touched her. Her skin is very pale and looks like she has not seen sun in ages. Dark circles are visible under her eyes from lack of sleep. As she approaches, Lyla sees that she has the most beautiful eyes. They are a deep blue that compare to the depths of the ocean.

“I love you both,” she says to her two girls. She bends down and kisses them both on the forehead. She takes them in her arms and hides them under the crib before hanging a blanket over the side to cover the bottom so they are not to be seen. They both stay sound asleep as the mother crosses the room to the door. She opens the door, and waiting on the other side is the unidentifiable man.

Lyla notices that he is much taller than the woman and looks like a giant standing in front of her. He is clothed in all black, head to toe, and a dark hooded cloak hangs from his shoulders. She cannot see his face or any other way to identify him. He suddenly pulls out a sword, something she had not seen hanging from his belt under the cloak.

“You will pay for this,” he says, and shoves the sword into her abdomen, pulling it out as quickly as it went in. Her eyes go wide as she stumbles backward and falls to the floor with only a few breaths left. The man stares toward the crib, and Lyla feels as if he is looking right at her. The dark figure steps toward her.

Lyla woke suddenly. She lay on the hard ground covered by a blanket. She could see the campfire burnt down to smoking ash and her sister sleeping just beyond it. It was still dark, but she could see the sun creeping up beyond the trees that stood before her. There was a small breeze of summer air passing through that was still cool from the night.

She got up slowly and folded her blanket before putting it in her bag, which was a burlap sack with a shoulder strap for easier carry. She went over to her sister to wake her. Her skin was pale with freckles that lightly covered her face and she had brown hair to coincide. Her sister was very thin and frail, just as she was.

“Lilly, wake up.” Lyla put her hand on Lilly’s shoulder and gently shook her.

“It’s too early,” said Lilly wearily. She remained in the same position with her eyes closed. “Just a little bit longer.”

“Lil, we must go now. We have already stayed too long and dawn is quickly approaching. We have to keep moving. We mustn’t linger where we do not belong.”

Lilly got up slowly and steadily, wiping her eyes and yawning. “You look terrible,” Lilly said to her sister.

“Thanks a lot. You always give the best compliments.”

“Did you have the dream again?” Lilly asked.

“Every night for as long as I can remember,” said Lyla. “Always the same. Never more or less. I suppose I should be used to it by now, but I’m not. It’s a nightmare!”

Lilly looked at her with concerned eyes. Lyla looked back at her and gave a slight smile.

“It’s all right,” said Lyla. “Why don’t you take a few minutes to fully wake up? I will scope out the area, but be ready when I get back.”

Lyla took her knife in hand and walked north into the woods. It was still mostly dark, but she could see enough that there was no need to carry a light. She walked around carefully, so as not to make a sound, and saw nothing but a few creatures scurrying along. She had her sights on a rabbit that she would have killed for food had it not been for the four baby rabbits that followed behind her. They were a family, something she did not have much of. If it wasn’t for Lilly she would have felt as if she had no one. A feeling of sadness came over her that she tried to push away as quickly as it approached.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of twigs breaking and muffled voices up ahead. The animals scattered and Lyla moved forward slowly to investigate. She was very courageous and rarely ran away from danger. As she got closer, she saw three men walking through the forest heavily armed with swords and knives. They were dressed in black with dark cloaks. She had seen these men many times before and they always seemed to be searching for something, but she did not know what. She backed away slowly and headed toward camp.

When she got back, Lilly had already watered down the fire and covered it with dirt to make it look as if no one had ever been there. Her pack was ready and hanging across her body over her shoulder. She wore light-colored cotton pants and a gray shirt, both were very worn with tears and holes. Lilly saw the urgency in the way Lyla walked toward her. She knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” Lilly asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Takers! In the woods, not far behind us. We must move!” Lyla had a distressed look on her face, trying to make sense of what she’d just seen. “They have never come this far south before, not that I have seen anyway. What are they doing here?”

“We will figure that out later,” said Lilly. “Let’s just focus on getting home before they find us.”

Lyla and Lilly headed south into the woods, moving as quickly and quietly as they possibly could. The woods were all too familiar. They had been through it many times for hunting and gathering food. Also for training, and heading north to spy on the Takers. They did not know who the Takers really were or what they were doing there. All they knew is they had been around since they were infants and no one knew where they came from. Lyla and Lilly had given them the name Takers because they had been known to take and destroy. They had invaded the entire planet and caused an all-out war of mass destruction, and unfortunately the Takers were successful. Those who were not dead fled and went into hiding.

They came to a small town that had a town square surrounded by shops and houses. Each time they came through they would search only one house at a time, for fear if they stayed too long they would be discovered. After the towns were fully searched they would take new routes and search through other towns.

“We can’t stop,” said Lyla.

“We must!” said Lilly.

“Not when we have Takers on our trail. It’s too risky.” They were walking down a side street in between a long row of houses, all of which had overgrown plant life in the yard and broken windows, all part of the Aftermath. Lilly grabbed Lyla’s arm so she would come to a stop.

“Risky or not we need supplies,” said Lilly. “If they catch up with us we are fully prepared to defend ourselves.” Lyla didn’t want to admit it but she knew her sister was right. Supplies were hard to come by in the tough times they lived in.

“Fine,” Lyla said. “But we make it quick. We move fast and stay low.”

They stopped at a single-story home with a large front porch attached to the front. Just like many of the other houses the windows were smashed and the door frame was broken by someone who’d kicked in the door. When the invasion happened, it was said to be massive chaos all over the world. People were scared and afraid and ransacked other people’s home for more supplies, which left barely anything for Lyla and Lilly to find when they searched the houses. Every once in a while they would find something useful, but other times they left empty-handed and moved on.

Inches of dust and dirt had settled on every surface and feces were in various places of the house, indicating that rodents were occupying the space. When they first started searching houses, Lilly and Lyla would gag at the obscene smells and unkempt messes, but now they had seen it all and had grown accustomed to the harsh environments.

“I will search the cupboards for food if you want to search the rest of the house for any other supplies that might be useful,” said Lyla. Lilly nodded and went to search the rest of the house.

Lyla started for the cupboards with her knife in hand just as a precaution if something were lingering inside. One by one she opened the cupboards, finding a few lonely cans that remained on the shelves. She grabbed them and put them in her bag. Lilly came around the corner empty-handed.

“All I found were a few blankets and various furniture pieces. Did you find any food?”

“Only a few cans of vegetables, which is better than nothing,” said Lyla. “We have plenty of blankets. Maybe we will find something in the shops, but we must hurry.”

Before they left the house they carefully looked down the street and around the houses surrounding them to see if they had been followed. As far as they could tell, everything was completely empty. When they made it to the town square where all the shops were, they split up to save time. Normally, they would stay together, but they did not want to linger for too long when the Takers were nearby.

They had already been to the bakery and the grocery store on one of their previous travels through. There was hardly anything left, but they had managed to salvage a few items. Knowing that they would not be finding any food, Lyla headed for the clothing store. When Lyla walked in she noticed metal racks lying on the floor with minimal clothing scattered around them. It almost seemed hopeless to scavenge for food and supplies, but giving up would only make it seem more hopeless. Lyla stuffed whatever clothing she could in her bag. Even though none of them were her size, they would find a use for them.

A slight movement caught her gaze from the corner of her eye. Lyla spotted three figures walking in the center of the road and her heart contracted. The Takers had caught up with them. She ducked down away from the large glass window in front of her and hid behind a long counter. She pulled a knife from her belt and waited.

When Lyla heard the door open she peeked around the counter and saw that only one Taker had entered. He stood for a moment looking at all the fallen racks. Slowly he walked around opening doors and slamming them when he found nothing. Lyla heard him come to a stop and listened as his footsteps grew louder toward where she was hidden. Her heart was racing and as he came to the counter she stood and rammed her knife into his chest. She kicked him down to the ground and ran. She knew Lilly was in the building at the end of the street, but she didn’t know where the other Takers were. She had to find Lilly and they had to leave this town.

Lilly went into a large building at the end of the street. It was a brick building, but it had a glass roof. They had never searched this building before and she was curious to know what was in it. She opened the door and immediately came to a set of wooden stairs.

There must be a side entrance for the space below, she thought.

She walked up the stairs and looked up at the large glass ceiling as she entered the room. The room had hardwood floors and all around the room were shelves with flower pots on them.

It’s a greenhouse.

Lilly walked around the room and to no surprise, all the plants were dead. It had been years since anyone was around to water them. An old desk was sitting at the edge of the room and she searched the drawers. She found an old book, which she examined before placing in her bag. The door down the stairs closed as someone began to walk up the stairs. She assumed it was Lyla until she looked down the stairs and saw two dark-clothed Takers staring back at her. One of them gave out a deep evil laugh.

“You have nowhere to run,” said the Taker. “No way out. Your life is about to end.”

Lilly looked around thinking of a way out. There was always a way out. She wasn’t frightened or afraid, but calm and steady. She could either try to kill them, maneuvering past them and down the stairs or… There it was, her way out. She smiled at the Takers who were stepping toward her.

“Not today, boys,” said Lilly. “I live to fight another day.”

She ran toward the window behind her, smashed through the glass, and landed on a fire escape. It wasn’t the best landing, but she grabbed the railing, pushing past the pain, and pulled herself up. She heard someone call her name, and when she looked down, she saw Lyla standing in the street below. The height from the ground made her head spin, but she pushed through her fear and pressed forward. She ran down the stairs, and when she met Lyla, they ran into the woods.

They ran for miles on an unbeaten path with twigs scraping at their arms and leaves kicking up at their feet. Finally, they saw an opening through the woods where the light shined the brightest. They had come to an old, wooden, rickety bridge that they used to cross the river. It was a beautiful sight. Bright red and yellow flowers lined the outside of the forest on both sides. The sun was to their left, showing its vibrant orange and yellow rays. It felt so warm on their faces. The rushing river water was far below and was as blue as could be.

Lyla had crossed the bridge to the other side, and then she suddenly remembered Lilly’s fear of heights. They had crossed this bridge so many times, but it was like pulling teeth to get her across. She turned around and saw Lilly standing on the opposite side. Her face looked as white as a ghost as she stared down at the water.

“Lilly, we don’t have time for this,” said Lyla. “They could be right behind us and we have done this multiple times. Don’t make me come get you.”

Lilly did not move a muscle. “I can’t do it,” she said. Her eyes were glued to the water below. “The bridge seems to get wobblier every time we cross. What if the wood breaks underneath my feet and I fall to my death? I can swim, but the current would pull me under. How would you feel then?”

“If you do not cross you will die anyway. The Takers will kill you!”

Lyla was starting to get frustrated. It was very rare that she lost her temper with her sister, but Lilly was being impossible and this was an urgent matter. Just as she was about to cross the rickety bridge once again, she saw movement in the trees behind Lilly. Coming out of the woods were the Takers, armed and ready.

“Lilly, behind you!” Lyla yelled.

“Get them!” one of the men shouted.

Lilly turned and saw the three Takers standing behind her. She went to reach for one of her weapons when three knives flew by her, one after the other, and stuck in the heart of each of the Takers. They fell to the ground with a thud. Lilly turned to Lyla and smiled. “Nice throw. You always were the best at that!” Lilly exclaimed. “Although they are not exactly dead.” Lyla saw that she was right. They were weakened, but were still alive.

“I don’t understand how this happens every time! The knives went right to the heart of each of them. They just won’t die. This makes absolutely no sense!” said Lyla. She scanned the bodies of each of the Takers, wondering what was so different about them. “Quick, push them into the river before they get up. We have no other choice.”

Lyla crossed the bride to help her sister roll them over the edge and into the water. The men were groaning as they went to move them. They were heavier than they looked, as if they were full of bricks. Lyla and Lilly watched them as they splashed into the water, their bodies disappearing under the currents and down the river.

“Well, we escaped that mess,” said Lilly with a smile. She looked at Lyla, who was staring at her with the most grievous expression. Lilly’s smile went away as quickly as it came. “What?”

“Cross the bridge before I throw you into the water myself,” said Lyla. “That was too close of a call. Do you not realize how serious this is? You need to stop being so careless!”

“Okay, okay,” said Lilly. “No need to yell. I’m holding onto you as we go, though. I could still fall, you know.”

“Seriously, get over it you scaredy-cat.” She laughed as they crossed the bridge and into the forest. No matter how hard she tried, Lyla could never stay mad at her sister.

“I’m sorry! I cannot help what I am afraid of. I’m not like you. You are not afraid of anything.”

“I am afraid of a lot of things,” said Lyla with a sullen look on her face. “Losing you is what I am most afraid of. That is why I am so hard on you. I do not know what I would do if I lost you. I couldn’t go on without you.”

“I agree,” Lilly replied. “You are my other half. Literally and figuratively, with us being twins and all. We are one and the same, you and I.”

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Lyla said.

“That’s what sisters do right?”

They smiled at one another and walked silently for the rest of their journey. They walked for miles until they finally reached their destination. They came to a large rock wall covered with green vines that hung down to the ground. Anyone that came across it would think it to be just an ordinary wall and would turn back the way they came. To Lyla and Lilly, it was an entrance. Lyla went over to the place of entry and moved the hanging vines to the side like a curtain. Behind it was a short and narrow opening through the stone wall. Lilly went in first followed by Lyla. Lyla turned and moved the vines back the way they were so as not to expose the entryway to anyone that may pass by.

The entryway was dark, but she could see light at the end and Lilly waiting on the other side. The stone wall continued in a circle all around, apart from an archway they used as a second entrance and exit on the opposite side. Soft green grass encompassed the large space, with trees along the outer edge. There were the most beautiful flowers and landscaping, and in the center of it all was a cottage. It was covered in stone and in the middle was a brown door with a tiny window at the top. A dark-colored shingled awning was hanging above it. Above the awning was a small window in the shape of an octagon. Identical windows were on either side of the door with light-colored curtains showing through each window pane. The roof also had dark shingles, and on the left side was a stone chimney ascending from the top.

“We’re finally here,” Lilly said as they approached the door of the house. She turned back and smiled at her sister as she reached for the handle. “We’re home.”

Chapter 2

Lilly and Lyla walked into an open kitchen. It was old fashioned with warm-colored wooden cabinetry and cream-colored wallpaper with a flowered border. Many items were placed on the cabinets and around the room suggesting the owner had an interest in vintage and rustic decor. To the right was the dining room. The same wallpaper flowed into this room, and a tall wooden cabinet with a glass door containing fine china stood against the wall. On the back wall was a large bookcase completely filled with books. The table in the center of the room was wooden and very old, with scratches and unwanted marks, and had matching chairs that would sit four people.

“You’re back!” said a figure that was sitting at the table. She was an elderly woman with white hair. They could see her short and thin body as she stood up to hug them both. She had nice clothes on, nice as in not torn or worn, that consisted of a white cotton shirt and blue jeans. Her eyes were as blue as the sky.

“Hello, Grandmother,” they both said, one after the other, with a smile. “Where is Grandfather?” Lyla asked as she looked around, realizing he was absent. Her face immediately turned into a frown.

“He is working on his inventions as usual. You know how he is. He gets one idea after another and doesn’t stop until they are complete. I get concerned that he works throughout the night without any sleep though. He will be stuck in the basement for days before I hear a word out of him, and he always keeps the door locked so I cannot intrude.”

Before the invasion, Grandpa Joe was the best inventor around. People would come for thousands of miles just to see his work. He made a great fortune selling his trinkets and gadgets of all kinds. Now the money is of very little value. They left their beautiful home in the city and came down to the cottage to live with Lyla and Lilly as well as their mother, but when they arrived they saw the awful tragedy that had happened. Knowing that no one would be able to take care of the twins due to the recent death of their mother and the death of their father that had occurred only a few days earlier, they felt they had no choice but to raise them. However, they didn’t feel like they had to, they wanted to. They were their grandchildren after all.

“He will be awfully excited to hear of your return,” she said with a smile. She looked at them both and noticed how dirty they were. Dirt was all over their clothing and their hair was full of tangles and knots. “We will both want to hear of your journey, but not before the two of you wash up and get some rest. I will call for you when supper is ready.”

Lyla and Lilly did not argue. They always looked forward to getting a nice hot bath when they returned from their travels. Not to mention the nice clothes that they actually owned. Most of their clothes had come from shops that were abandoned during the invasion, but others were made by their grandmother. It was essential to wear torn and ragged clothes on their travels so that the Takers believed they were homeless girls wandering about if they were seen and, most importantly, captured. They didn’t want them to come looking for their home.

Lilly’s bedroom was on the right just past the dining room. Their grandparents’ room was just across from Lilly’s. Lyla walked past Lilly as she entered her room. Straight ahead was a door that led to the attic. Lyla’s room was to the right and down a narrow hall. To the left was the nursery. Not much had changed since the death of their mother. Their grandparents never wanted to go in there after what had happened. It was occasionally cleaned to prevent dust from collecting on everything, but other than that it was the same. Lyla never understood why they left it that way. In her mind, it made it harder to forget, even though that was exactly what she wanted to do. Forget.

She approached the door, put her hand flat against it, and closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure what she thought she would feel. Pain, sadness, or even some sort of a feeling that her mom was still there somehow. She wouldn’t dare open the door. A few moments passed and she headed to her room.

She headed down the narrow hallway. The bathroom was the door on the left and her room was at the end of the hall. She opened the door, dropped her belongings, and plopped down on her bed. Her bed never felt more comfortable than when she returned from a long journey.

Her bed was surprisingly comfortable for a twin-sized bed. Her room did not have much in it, but it was cozy to her all the same. To her right was her nightstand with a picture of her mom holding her and her sister when they were infants. She stared at this photo for a long while before she went to bed every night, hoping to dream of more pleasant dreams of her mother. A simple dresser stood against the wall by her door, her closet just across from it, and to her left was her bookshelf. It was hanging just inches above her bed so that it was within reach.

Lyla could hear the bath water running in the room next door. Lilly had beaten her in there, which was no surprise because she always did. When they were younger they would race to see who could get in the bathroom first. Lilly almost always won, of course. After a while, Lyla stopped caring. Lilly would complain if she got in there first anyway. She hated being dirty and muddy when she didn’t have to be.

With nothing else to do at the moment, Lyla picked up one of her books and started reading. The majority of her books were love stories and fairy tales. She often found herself wondering if she would ever find a love like the ones in her story books. She wasn’t sure if that was possible. Not in the world they lived in.

She had only met one boy in her entire life. His name was Ryan Tolemo and he used to be very good friends with Lyla and Lilly. They would play together every day; until one day he did not show up. Nor the next or the next. They had no idea what had happened to him or his family. Both of his parents were quite nice and he had a younger sister who was only five years old, but they had never met her and did not know her name. They were seven years old at the time. Many years had passed since then.

Lyla would often daydream about meeting her prince charming, and Lilly would make fun of her for it. “You’re the toughest girl I know, yet you are sitting here in la-la land daydreaming about boys?” she would say with the most disgusted look on her face. “What a waste of time! Even if I ever met a boy, I would never fall in love with one. I would rather marry myself. I don’t need a boy acting like he’s a real man, trying to show himself off to the world and take care of me. No, thank you!” Lyla ignored her sister at this point.

Maybe one day she will meet someone and change her mind.

Lilly knocked on the door even though it was open and stood in the doorway. Lyla turned from her book and looked at her. She was dressed in khaki pants that hugged her legs all the way down to her ankles and a black shirt with a green jacket over the top. Her hair was still wet and pulled into a bun on the top of her head.

“Bathroom is open,” she said.

“Okay, thanks,” Lyla replied as she closed her book and placed it back on the shelf.

“Hey, I got you something. Wait one second.” She ran out of the room with heavy footsteps leaving Lyla befuddled. When she returned, she had both hands behind her back, hiding something. She sat next to Lyla on her bed and pulled out an old-looking book. It had a blue cover with a woman asleep in a bed called, and it was called Sleeping Beauty.

“Where did you get this?” Lyla asked.

“Whenever we stopped in that last small town to look around for supplies that we might have missed, I was rummaging through a desk in that old abandoned building, just to see if there was anything of interest, and I found this.”

Lyla was turning pages to see how delicate it really was. It was a thin book, and the cover was a little damaged, but the pages were in good condition. She turned to her sister. “I love it! Thank you!”

“Good, because it’s your birthday present,” she laughed.

“You know that’s not for another few weeks, right?”

“Of course I do. How could I not know when your birthday is when we have the same birthday? It’s an early gift. I thought, since we just got back, that you may have some time to read it in between training time and our next journey.”

“I’m sure I will,” she said with a smile. “Now get out so I can go and take a shower.” Lyla threw a pillow at her and they both laughed.

After her shower, Lyla went to the kitchen and saw everyone gathered around the table with dinner ready. She put on the same clothes as her sister, which was normal. Her grandfather sat at the table, his white hair glistening from the lights above. He was taller than her grandmother, but he had a little bit of a belly. His eyes showed wrinkles as he smiled at his granddaughter.

“Come over here and give your old man a hug.”

Lyla gave him a hug and sat at her place at the table. Her grandma had made a nice warm onion and potato soup, which they had more often than not.

“So, tell me about your journey to Chicago, girls,” Joe said.

Lyla and Lilly looked at each other.

“Well,” said Lilly. “We went the closest we have ever gone to the city. We did not find out much about the Taker’s plan or what they were doing though. In order to do so we would have to go inside the city and we are not in a position to do so at this time.”

“You’re right!” Joe said. “You must better prepare yourselves before you pull a stunt like that, or you will get yourselves killed.”

“Don’t talk like that at the dinner table, Joe,” said Norma.

“Well it’s the gosh-darn truth, Norma. Anywho, did you bring home any meat, Lyla?”

Lyla looked up from her soup, not paying much attention. She had a nervous look on her face and she was tearing up the napkin in her lap.

She had never come home without some kind of meat for the family. They depended on it due to the fact that all stores were emptied and abandoned whenever the Takers took over. She decided not to mention the family of rabbits she’d seen in the forest.

“Actually, no,” she finally said. “We didn’t see anything on our journey. All I have are a few canned vegetables and some clothes.” Her grandparents looked at one another and she knew they were disappointed in her. Lilly looked at her grandparents and back at Lyla. “I believe it’s because the Takers are coming closer this way and they’re driving the animals away. We saw three Takers out by the river and came in contact with them, but they are gone now. It’s not likely they will come this far, but at least we have the barriers up to protect us.”

“You’re right, but that may still be a problem,” said Joe. “Without meat I am not sure we will survive the winter. Tomorrow morning, your grandmother and I will go to the next town over in search of food. There may be supplies left that we missed, and we may see some animals on the way.”

They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Once Lyla finished, she went to the sink and washed her bowl. She dried it with a drying towel that was sitting on the kitchen counter and placed it in the cupboard. By the time she was finished, everyone else had finished eating, so Lyla stacked the bowls and walked them over to the sink, followed by pleasant appreciations from her grandparents. Lilly joined her, and together they washed, dried, and put away the dishes.

“How about we all go to the living area and sit by the fireplace,” said Norma as she got up from her seat.

“Not for me, Norma,” said Joe. “I have a lot of work to do downstairs.”

“You always have a lot of work to do,” she groaned. “How about you, girls?

“We would love to,” they said simultaneously.

They walked into the living area as Joe made his way downstairs. Lyla and Lilly sat on the couch and Norma sat in her rocking chair. The fire was already blazing, giving off a beautiful yellow and orange color. Bright red coals were already forming at the bottom, and Lyla couldn’t help but stare at it.

It was such a cozy room the way her grandmother had it set up. The walls were a light yellow, and the fireplace still had the original stone that went up to the ceiling. Across the couch from where Lilly and Lyla sat was a recliner, and just beside it was a cabinet that held all the quilts their grandmother had made.

“I have something special planned for your birthday, girls.”

“And what would that be?” Lilly asked.

“Ah, ah, ah.” She waved her finger. “It’s a surprise.”

“Oh, please tell us.” Lilly now had her hands together and was sitting at the edge of the couch pleading to know what the surprise was.

“Now where is the fun in that?” Norma laughed. “My lips are sealed. I will not tell.”

Lilly groaned and fell back into the couch slouching her body. Lyla thought she looked like a puppet waiting for someone to pull the strings. She held her hand over her mouth, but she couldn’t contain her laugh. She pulled her hand away and let it out, followed by laughs from Norma and Lilly.

Lyla lay in her bed unable to sleep. She tried closing her eyes, but her brain was too active. She heard a creak in the floor and it sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. She got up, grabbing a knife that was on her nightstand, and slowly opened her door. No one was around, and the house was completely silent. She walked into the kitchen, and her heart started pounding as soon as she noticed the front door was cracked open.

She knew her grandmother had locked the door, she’d been standing right next to her when she did. Did someone break in? It didn’t look like anyone was in the house. Did they steal something and then leave without waking anyone? This all sounded crazy. No one would be able to find their house when the barriers were up. She walked toward the door and peeked through the crack before opening it all the way to make sure no one was on the other side. No one was in sight, so she opened it all the way. She stepped out and saw a figure sitting on the bench to her left.

“What are you doing out here?” Lilly asked.

“I could ask you the same question.”

“Usually when I can’t sleep I come out here. It’s so peaceful.”

“I didn’t know you did that,” Lyla said. She sounded more surprised than she intended to.

“I like to look up at the stars and think of Mom. I always wonder if she can see us, if she’s looking down and watching out for us, you know?”

“I’m sure she is, Lil. Nana said she went to heaven when she died.”

“Sometimes I’m not sure if I believe in that stuff,” said Lilly. “If God is anything like what Nana says, then why is the world like this? Why would He allow so much destruction and chaos, causing people so much pain?”

“I don’t know, but I do know that He has a plan for everything and He never puts us through more than we can handle,” said Lyla. “Things will get better, you’ll see.”

“I hope so. I would like to live a normal life for once.” They both sat in silence and looked up at the stars.

“I’m going to visit Papa in his study,” said Lyla. “Would you like to join me?”

“I’ll catch up with you. I just need a few more minutes.”

Lyla gave a smile and walked back into the house. She walked past the kitchen table and stopped at a bookcase that was built into the wall. She grabbed on to one of the shelves and pulled it to the right. The bookcase slid into the wall, revealing a set of spiraling stairs that led to the lower level of the house. The stairs and the walls were all concrete. As she stepped down, she ran her fingers along the smooth concrete walls. This was her favorite part of the house because it reminded her of a castle. If it were not for her grandfather occupying the space, she would love to have it as her bedroom.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw her grandfather sitting at a table against a wall with his back facing her. All around were gadgets that she could not even begin to know the purpose of. They were all so oddly shaped and made mostly of metal.

“What are you working on?” Lyla asked. He must not have heard her enter the room because he jumped back. He was wearing a peculiar headpiece that went over his eyes. It had circular glass sections with metal frames and she guessed it had to be some kind of a magnifier.

“Oh, Lyla, you startled me. Come in please.”

She stood next to him and looked down at the object he was working on. It was circular, but it was split in two. It had gears on each side, but she still had no idea what it was. Joe saw her staring and lifted the headpiece away from his eyes.

“This is my latest invention,” he smiled.

“What is it exactly?” Lyla was very curious at what this odd piece could be.

“I can’t tell you quite yet,” he said. “Not until it is completely finished.” Lyla looked disappointed. “What are you doing out of bed this late anyway?”

“I couldn’t sleep, and apparently Lilly couldn’t sleep either. I found her sitting outside. She does that quite often so she says.”

“Yes, I have seen her out there a time or two when I finish up for the night. I know she wishes she could have her mother back.”

“She does, but we are both very fortunate to have you and Nana.”

“You are most fortunate to have each other.”

They both heard someone coming down the stairs and saw Lilly with her brilliant blue eyes.

“Ah, Lilly,” Joe said. “I’m glad you’re here. I was just about to tell your sister something very important. Come listen.” Lilly walked over and saw that her sister looked just as confused as she did.

“When your mother was a little girl she used to be afraid of so many things so I came up with three simple phrases to help her.”

“And what would that be?” Lilly asked.

“Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.”

“Did it work?” Lyla asked.

“She said it to herself every single day whenever she was frightened. She even used it when she was about to marry your father.” He laughed. “She also used it when he passed away.” He frowned and looked away. “My point is, I want the two of you to say it to yourselves when you’re frightened or when times get rough.

“It sure would have helped if you told us that twenty-one years ago,” Lyla laughed. “But I’m glad you mentioned it.”

“You’re welcome, my sweet Lyla, and my dearest Lilly Pad.” He embraced the both of them for what seemed like ages. “All right, you two, off to bed. I have a lot of work to do.”

Lyla and Lilly made it back to their rooms, and this time had no trouble falling asleep.

The next morning, Lyla woke up to find their grandparents outside. They had a wooden carriage her grandfather had built that was being pulled by two of their horses.

“Leaving so soon?” Lyla asked. The sun had barely peeked over the trees.

“We thought it best to get an early start,” Joe said. “We will be back by nightfall. As for the two of you”––he nodded toward his granddaughters. Lyla was surprised to see Lilly come up behind her–– “You will get your chores done and then go to the training area and work with weapons for a few hours.”

Lyla and Lilly both nodded in agreement. After they said goodbye, Lyla and Lilly started on their chores.

Chapter 3

Lyla and Lilly had split the chores since they were old enough to complete them. At first, they hated getting up early every day to do them, but now they had done them for so long they had grown accustomed to it.

“Okay,” said Lyla. “We have to pull the weeds in the garden and trim the hedges. We also have to shovel the stables and feed the horses.”

“I really do not want to shovel the stables today,” said Lilly.

“We will flip for it.”

Neither of them ever wanted to shovel the stables, especially in the summer because the smell was absolutely diabolical in the heat. Lilly grabbed a rock from the landscaping along the house. It was mostly flat, and one side had specks on it.

“I get the speckled side,” said Lilly in excitement.

Lyla took the rock in her hand and threw in up in the air letting it plummet to the ground. The speckled side landed up and Lyla groaned.

“All right,” said Lyla. “What chores would you like to do for the day?” Lyla already knew what she was going to say.

“I will pull weeds in the garden and trim the hedges if you shovel the stables and feed the horses.”

“Fine, let’s get it over with.”

Lyla fed and watered the horses before starting on the stables. When she reached the stables, she opened the barn doors to let air in from the outside so the smell wouldn’t be as bad. An hour had passed since she started her chores and the heat was getting more intense by the hour. She knew Lilly had to be done already, but she was nowhere to be seen. Usually, they would help each other complete their chores once they were done.

Soon after, Lilly walked into the barn holding a tray with two glasses of lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons. Lyla was very grateful as she felt the cold refreshing drink begin to cool her body. After they enjoyed their drinks, Lilly helped Lyla finish shoveling the stables even though she did not have much left. She was very grateful to have a sister that would help her out in her times of need.

Lyla and Lilly changed into clothes that did not reek of manure and headed over to the training area in the woods.

The training area was nearby and was also protected by the barriers to keep it invisible around the perimeter. It was an open field full of green grass with a shed that stood on the outer edge, closer to the trees that surrounded it. Lilly opened the door that revealed weapons from wall to wall. Knives, bows and arrows, and swords were neatly organized throughout the room. There were even handguns, but they did not use them much because one shot could draw unwanted attention. There were enough weapons to armor up to twenty people.

Today, Lyla and Lilly were going to train on sword fighting. They each had a favorite weapon, none of them were exactly the same. The swords they used were made of a very strong metal that was very difficult to break, but it was also light weight, which allowed the girls to strike back at a quicker pace. For practicing purposes only, they had mock swords that would allow them to strike at one another without getting hurt.

They were both very well-trained fighters because they had trained their entire lives. They were self-trained, since their grandparents did not have much fighting skills. Their grandparents encouraged it more and more throughout the years, especially once they were old enough to go out on their own. They had to be able to protect themselves once put in dangerous situations, which happened very often.

As they reached the center of the field, they stood across from one another and drew their swords. Lilly had a strong stance, with squinting eyes and a stern expression, but a slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Lyla had more of a relaxed stance, with a smile on her face, almost taunting her sister. She was very confident in her fighting skills, and sometimes overly confident, which was her greatest fault.

“Today’s the day I will beat you,” said Lilly.

In one quick motion, Lilly took a step forward and struck her sword down toward her sister, but Lyla was just as fast, and pulled her sword up to block the incoming blow. “I don’t think so, sis,” Lyla retorted as the blades pushed against one another. Lyla pushed the weight back toward her sister and went to strike at her left side, but Lilly counteracted the blow and her sword scraped against Lyla’s arm. “Nice one, but even with a real blade not much damage would have been done. We aim to kill, not to wound. Let’s try again.”

A smile of great accomplishment spread across Lilly’s face. Lilly was a great fighter, but no match for her sister. She had natural skills that were hard to overcome. Lyla had never once rubbed it in her sister’s face. Her main goal was to make her sister just as good, and she had come so far since the beginning. At this point, Lilly was almost unstoppable, but she had one flaw that worried Lyla.

Almost an hour had passed of fighting with a few breaks in between. Just a few more minutes of training and they would be done, so Lyla went for Lilly’s weak spot. Their swords clashed up in the air and Lyla pulled her sword down and drove it into Lilly’s right side. Lilly winced at the bit of pain.

“You’re dead!” exclaimed Lyla.

“That kind of hurt you know. You didn’t have to do it so hard.” She stood rubbing her side, trying to make the pain go away.

“Maybe the harder I do it, the quicker you will learn to defend your right side. It will only leave a bruise anyway. Seriously, Lil, that is going to be a major problem for you if you don’t start practicing on your own time. How do you think I managed to get to the point where I am now? I’m afraid it will be the death of you someday.”

Lilly looked at her in defeat. They had been practicing this for a while. She excelled in every other defense, every other movement, yet she could still not do this one simple thing her sister had asked of her. She knew it scared her sister more than anything. How would her sister feel if this really was the way she could be defeated and she died because of it? Surely, she would feel it was her fault for not protecting her and doing everything she could to prevent it. No, she would not let that happen. She would take it more seriously and start practicing on her own time outside of training. She would make her sister proud. She would not fail her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I will work on it. I promise.”

Lyla smiled. “Good! I will hold you to that. Now let’s get back to the house and wait for Nana and Papa’s return, shall we?

“We shall,” Lilly responded.

Once Lyla and Lilly returned to the house they spent several hours on their own, but as nightfall approached, they realized their grandparents were not back yet. The sun was going down and they should have been back by now. The girls figured they were running a little late and would be home anytime. An hour went by, and it was nearly dark. The sun shone in the distance behind the trees, giving off just a little bit of light.

“We have to go find them,” said Lyla. “Something is wrong. They have never been out this late. We must go out and find them.” An uneasy feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach and she was growing more apprehensive as each second passed.

“I’ll get the horses ready,” said Lilly. “You grab our bags with our supplies and we will meet in front of the house.” They nodded in agreement. Lilly went for the stables while Lyla ran to each of their rooms and packed their bags. They were still mostly packed from their journey, but Lyla went through and made sure they had everything. Weapons, blankets, medical aid. She had the feeling they would need it in this case, but she hoped, above all things, that they wouldn’t. Her heart was racing and her hands were trembling, knowing that something bad must have happened. Panic started to creep up on her.

Pull yourself together. Everything will be just fine.

As much as she wanted to believe that, she didn’t, but she couldn’t let her sister see that in her.

Once the bags were packed and ready, she ran outside. Her sister had the two horses waiting. Juniper was her horse. She was very beautiful with an all-white coat and mane. She had raised this horse herself and knew from the moment she saw her that she was the one. Juniper reminded her of a horse from a fairy tale and she was her very own. Lilly’s horse was named Eris. She, too, was a beautiful white horse, but she had a light shade of gray at the tip of her snout. They both climbed on their horses and headed out the back way of the property, where there was an opening big enough for the horses to fit through.

They found the dirt trail that their grandparents would have taken to get to their destination. They sped up the horses and rode full speed, not caring about their surroundings or if anyone was around to see them, even though their carelessness could have put them in a dangerous situation.

The sunlight was fading fast and they had been riding for almost twenty minutes when the trail came to a curve through the trees. Lyla heard Lilly gasp. As they came to the other side, they saw two horses attached to a broken-down carriage. One of the wheels had been broken off and supplies were thrown all over the ground. They knew the moment they saw it that it was their grandparents’ carriage. They rushed forward, pulled their horses to a stop, and jumped off their horses.

Many emotions were rushing through the both of them. Fear, panic, worry, sadness. They both had unanswered questions, but they were afraid to know the answers.

Lyla was the first to get to the carriage. She drew her sword as she approached, only to find her grandmother lying on the floor of the carriage. She put her sword away and leaned down to see if she were unconscious or hurt or worse, but she knew the answer right away. Once she got closer, she realized what her grandmother was lying in. A large pool of blood. She was facing down and Lyla could see a large wound on her back. She let out a slow even breath and her eyes filled with tears. She grabbed her wrist to check her pulse just to be sure, but she felt nothing. Just the emptiness and warmth that still remained in her body. Their worst fears had become a part of reality.

Lilly had come up behind Lyla not being able to see what was going on. She tried to make her way forward, when Lyla said, “Don’t.” She turned to Lilly and wiped the tear that had fallen from her face. “She’s gone, Lil.” Lilly pushed her way forward and saw her motionless grandma lying there. “No!” she cried. “This can’t be; she can’t be dead. Let me through.” Lyla grabbed her, not letting her get any closer, as she fell to the ground, and held her while she cried. Lyla, trying to be strong, silently cried with her. Moments had passed before either of them said a word.

“Lilly,” Lyla finally said. “We can’t stay here. Whoever did this might come back. I’m going to search the area to see if grandfather is around. I need you to be strong and fix the carriage wheel so we can get out of here. Can you do that for me?”

Lilly, so caught up in her grief, had not thought about the whereabouts of their grandfather. So many questions were running through her mind. Where is he? Is he dead too? Who would have taken him? She didn’t say a word, but nodded to her sister.

Lyla closed the carriage door before leaving, so her sister did not have to see the tragedy that lay before her. It was already dark, so she reached into her bag and pulled out two lights that her grandfather had invented for them. They were round spherical pieces of metal that illuminated a bright light in the dark. They were created to only illuminate in their specific hands. Batteries were hard to come by, otherwise they would just use a simple flashlight. She gave one to her sister and left.

By the time she got back, the carriage was fixed, and all of the supplies that were thrown around were picked up off the ground. Her sister looked at her with tired, red eyes.

“I didn’t find him,” Lyla said. She saw the look of disappointment that spread across her sister’s face. “That’s a good thing though.” She was trying to be encouraging, even though she knew, in a situation like this, it was very difficult. Lilly looked at her curiously. “I was thinking while I was searching for him, he’s not around, which means he’s most likely still alive.”

“You think so?” Lilly asked with wide eyes and the sound of hope in her voice.

“I know so,” Lyla said with a slight smile that quickly faded. “This wasn’t an ordinary or random attack though. This was an ambush! I found tracks from multiple people in the woods, and I also found this.” She held up a torn piece of tan fabric. “This is from grandfather’s jacket. I found it on the ground by the footprints. He must have torn it from his jacket and left it behind for us so that we would know he’s still alive.”

“Or he’s dead and it was snagged on a tree branch as they dragged his body away,” said Lilly.

“Oh, don’t think like that. Have a little faith. Besides, I doubt there’s a tree branch sharp enough to rip a piece off like this, and I highly doubt that the Takers would do it for him.”

“You think the Takers did this?” said Lilly.

“Who else would do something like this?”

“Good point. If that’s the case though, the only place they would have taken him is the city. We’ve never actually gone in the city. How are we supposed to get him out?”

“I’m not sure yet, but we have to try,” said Lyla. “It won’t do us any good going through the woods in the dark though. We need to get back to the house. Tie Juniper to Eris and guide them home. I’ll be right behind you in the carriage. When we get home, I’ll start digging a hole for Grandma’s burial.

When they arrived at the house, Lilly put all four horses away while Lyla started digging. She grabbed a shovel and walked out to the large tree that was behind the house. She had gone there often to visit her mother and father’s gravestones. Now, there would be a new addition, one more person for them to grieve over. She always thought her grandma would die warm in her bed surrounded by peace and happiness not by the hand of someone else. Especially, by the hand of a Taker. She made a vow to herself that she would get vengeance on whoever did this, even if it took the rest of her life. She started to blame herself for what had happened, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. She should have been there to protect them both. Anger, frustration, and hate began to rise in her, as well as fatigue growing in her arms with every shovel of dirt she threw into the air. Her eyes began to tear up again just thinking about it. She hated to cry, but how could she not? She wiped the tears from her face when she noticed her sister approach.

She was carrying a wooden coffin lined with a soft fabric. “I made this for Nana,” she said. “I thought lining it with fabric would make it more comfortable for her, so she could rest peacefully.” She stared down at the ground, as did Lyla. It was then that she had just noticed how far she had dug. She had been so lost in thought that she didn’t realize. The ground level was well above her head; it was plenty deep enough. Lilly helped her out of the large, gaping hole.

Together they walked to the barn where the carriage was for their grandmother’s body. Lilly guided her into the barn where her grandmother lay on a table. She was all clean with no blood staining her clothes or her skin. She was beautiful, as if she had just been sleeping. A tin bucket of water and blood was sitting next to the table, along with the stained clothes that their grandmother had been wearing previously.

Lyla gazed at her sister. She had just noticed the blood that drenched her clothing from her grandmother.

“Lil, you didn’t have to do that. I could have...”

“Yes, I did,” she interrupted. “ I couldn’t have just stood by wallowing in my grief while you did everything. You may not show it, but I know you are grieving just as much as I am, and I know that you are trying to be strong for me, but we’re a team! We do this together; we are stronger together.”

“You amaze me, Lil. Sometimes I think that you are just so fragile and innocent. I forget how strong you really are. So, forgive me for thinking that.”

“You made me this way. You made me the strong person that I am, but even though I am strong, I am still fragile, and that’s okay. Sometimes I think you need to let go and not try to be so tough all the time.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I am right.”

They hugged each other, wishing they could forget the sadness and despair all around them.

Together, they placed their grandmother in the coffin that Lilly made. They said their goodbyes and placed the lid on the coffin. In some way, they managed to place the coffin in the deep hole without any mishaps. They shoveled the dirt into the hole, leaving a mound of dirt behind when they were finished. After, they both made their way inside, washed up, and finally went to bed. By this time, it was almost one o’clock in the early morning. Lyla lay in bed so tired, yet so awake, ready for the journey ahead. Ready for vengeance.

Chapter 4

Lilly awoke, just having a few hours of sleep. Lyla was soundlessly sleeping in her bed, and the house was completely silent. She was still tired, but very much awake. She continued to lie in her bed, not wanting to disturb Lyla. Through the window, she noticed the light of day barely starting to creep up through the darkness. She got up and looked into the mirror that hung on the wall. She looked slightly better than she did before she went to bed. She’d had red, puffy eyes most of the night and her hair was an absolute mess. Now the redness had disappeared, but her face was flushed and her lips dry. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had water with all the chaos going on.

She decided to go to the kitchen and retrieve a glass of water. She had a long cotton night dress on that her grandmother had made. Under her blankets she was nice and warm, but once she moved closer to the kitchen she felt a chill rush through her body. She went back to her room and put on her robe, adding an extra layer of warmth before returning to the kitchen once more.

Much better.

When she was back in the kitchen, she grabbed a glass of water and drank it slowly as she stood in front of the sink. She looked out the window that was placed right above it. It was still mostly dark, but with the sun creeping up she could see the silhouettes of everything, such as the trees and the barn that stood just to the left.

All of a sudden, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Whatever it was, it was heading toward the front of the house. She sat her glass of water on the counter and ran toward the front windows of the house. Was it some kind of an animal? She wasn’t sure yet. She pulled the curtain back just enough to see out of it, and coming toward the door was a person, a man. Her heart was racing. She felt as though it would jump out of her chest at any moment. Who was it? It had to be a Taker. Who else would it be? They had found them. Had they come here to murder them like their grandmother or take them away like their grandfather? She wasn’t about to find out.

She rushed to her sister’s room and began shaking her, whispering her name over and over. Lyla woke up with an almost angered look from being awoken so violently.

“Seriously, Lilly, what on earth could you possibly want at this hour?” she asked.

“Someone is here! It must be a Taker. We have to prepare ourselves.”

Immediately, Lyla got out of bed while Lilly told her what had happened. “So, you only saw one?” Lyla asked as she grabbed her sword and started to walk toward the door. She wore a cotton night dress just as Lilly had been, but she didn’t care about her choice of wardrobe at the moment. She was ready for blood to be spilled. “Yes, just one,” Lilly finally answered. “Good! That means he’s as good as dead.” Lyla held out her sword and walked carefully to the door. She put her hand on the handle and looked back at Lilly. She nodded toward Lilly and she nodded back, indicating that she was ready for whatever was about to happen. She turned the handle and opened the door ready to strike, and then she paused.

Standing before her was a middle-aged man with short brown hair and a matching mustache. He was tall and was wearing black pants with a long, gray overcoat. The last thing Lyla noticed was his deep blue eyes as she raised her sword up to his throat.

“State your business here,” she demanded with eyes like daggers, a firm mouth, and a tightened jaw. She knew he was not a Taker. He did not dress like them or look like them in the slightest, but the fact that he was at their door made her uncomfortable.

“Lyla and Lilly Langston, I must speak with you,” he said in a firm tone, despite the sword pressing against his throat. Lyla’s eyes grew wide. She turned back to Lilly and noticed hers had done just the same. “How do you know our names?” demanded Lilly. “Who are you?” She looked from the strange man to her sister, who had returned her gaze to the stranger, and back at him. “I know your names,” he said, “because I am your father.”

Lyla’s mouth opened, her sword dropping to her side, staring in awe and confusion. A moment of silence had passed and she was back into warrior mode with her sword right back where it had rest before.

“That’s a lie,” she said. “Our father died when we were only infants. You’re an imposter, a madman, and I want you to leave my house immediately.”

“If you would only let me explain,” he said. “I can prove to you that I am who I say I am.”

“I don’t believe you! As soon as we turn our backs you will take our lives. No, I won’t let you do that. Leave while you still can.”

Lilly had been silent the entire time. She could not make sense of what the man had just said. She had to know why he was saying these things. What if this man really was their father? What if what he was telling them was the truth?

“What is your name?” Lilly shouted over the two of them. Lyla looked back at her in surprise. “Lilly, what are you doing?” she asked. “What is your name?” she commanded. “Why do you need to...” but before Lyla the finish the man interrupted. “My name is William Langston. Father of Lilly and Lyla Langston and husband of Loraine Langston.” Neither Lyla nor Lilly knew what to think. Their minds could not apprehend the reasoning for this man’s appearance.

“This can’t be right,” said Lyla. “Our father is dead. He died many years ago. Nana and Papa even said so. They wouldn’t lie to us.”

“Lyla, you have to give him a chance to explain. Who else could this man be? How else would he know our names and our mother’s name? Our parents have been dead for many years. Who else would know that information?”

Lyla stood for a long moment before finally speaking. “Fine, he can explain himself, but until I’m convinced I will be keeping a close watch on him.” She turned to the man, her eyes sharp. “My sister may be more believing and convinced of who you are as of now, but if you make one wrong move, I promise I will throw a knife right into your heart. I hope we understand each other.” The man only smiled and said, “You’ve got fire in you just like your mother.” Lyla rolled her eyes and walked into the seating area of the kitchen.

Lilly was being most kind to the man that had claimed to be her father. She never had a picture of him or anything, only an idea of what he looked like. He looked nothing like what she had imagined. He looked much better with his kind eyes and gentle smile. She gave him a glass of water before he began his story.

Lyla sat across from him, knife in hand, as if this were an interrogation, while Lilly sat in the chair next to him. She looked like a little girl ready for story time, Lyla thought. How could she let down her guard so easily? Even if he was their father, they had just met. She figured Lilly would be a little more cautious, especially after what had happened the night before. As she thought about the previous night, her throat started to tighten and her eyes started to sting, but she fought back the tears as the man began his story.

“All right, girls, I must ask you not to interrupt until I am completely finished. Please save you questions for the end, as I’m sure you will have many.”

“I can’t promise anything,” Lyla said. William took a deep breath and continued as if she had never said anything.

“What seems like so long ago, I met your mother, and we grew quite fond of each other. We fell in love, got married, and moved into this house. Soon after, your mother informed me that she was pregnant, and we, later on, found out that we were having twins. Oh, your mother was so happy, and I was as well, but there was something about me that I never told your mother until after the two of you were born. This upset her very much, so she pushed me away and told me to leave and never come back. She never wanted your grandparents to know, so she told them I had died in an accident. I tried to come back, but I couldn’t. It took years for me to finally get through after the Demorites invaded. After all these years, I finally found you.”

“Who are the Demorites, exactly?” asked Lilly.

“They are the dark ones that invaded these lands.”

“Oh, you mean that is the proper name for the Takers?” said Lilly.

“That would be correct.”

“What was this big secret that made her push you away?” asked Lyla, still unconvinced. She was twisting the knife on the table creating a small circular indentation in the wood.

“Well, that’s just it. This is where I may lose you. You may not believe me, but it is all true. The truth is that I come from a different realm. A realm that has nothing to do with earth, and is a separate place of its own. In a way, it’s like a different dimension. It’s where witches and wizards live.”

“Oh, you must be joking,” said Lyla. “This can’t be real. There are no witches and wizards in the world. That’s all made up, all storybook stuff. No wonder Mom pushed you away. You’re mad!” she said almost laughing. Even Lilly was taken aback by what he had just said. Everything he had said up to this point made perfect sense, but this, this really was madness.

“I speak the truth. You are both half witches and I can even prove it to you. Let me take you to Armoria and show you.”

“That’s what it’s called? Your alternate universe is called Armoria?” asked Lilly.

“Yes.”

“All right, that’s enough,” Lyla chimed in. “I’ve had enough story time, and you may go.” She got up and started pushing him toward the door. She had heard enough talk about such an impossible thing by someone that she didn’t even know. Someone that was claiming to be her father. She had actually started to believe him until he came up with that nonsense. They had more important things to think about other than an alternate universe.

“Wait, I have one more thing to show you before I go, and then if you still wish me to leave, I will.”

Lyla let out a deep breath and dropped her shoulders, showing how annoyed she was, but she allowed the man to have one last attempt to prove himself. Lilly stood next to Lyla hoping what he was about to show them would be enough to convince Lyla to let him stay. He reached into his pocket. Lyla tensed thinking he was going for a weapon, but all he pulled out was a small piece of paper. He looked at it for a moment then handed it to Lyla. Lyla turned it over and pulled her hand up to her mouth. Lilly was just as shocked at what he had given them.

It was a picture. A picture of them, and their mom, and...him. He was sitting next to her and they were both smiling. One was holding Lilly and the other was holding Lyla. They had never had a picture of their dad, yet there he was with their mom, as happy as could be. This proved it. This proved everything. Everything he had said was the truth. He really was their father.

Lilly ran to him and gave him a big hug. Lyla didn’t have the same reaction. She still held the picture in her hand and kept looking at it like it would disappear if she looked away. She was sad and almost angry. She finally looked up at him, Lilly still at his side.

“I believe you are my father. How can I not believe it after this, after what you have told us? You can’t expect me to go on as if none of this ever happened though. As if you were around all these years, because you weren’t. I barely know you, so don’t expect me to call you my father. You have to earn it. You can’t just walk back into our lives and expect everything to be all right. It’s not. It’s still far from it. We have to find our grandfather, and we don’t need you getting in the way, so you can help us or leave. Your choice.”

“I understand that, and I would love to help you rescue your grandfather, but in order to do so, you have to come to Armoria first.”

“We don’t have time to explore your dreamland. We have bigger problems,” said Lyla.

“Yes, you do,” he said. “For starters, your weapons will not kill the Demorites, it will only wound them for a short amount of time.” Lyla and Lilly looked at one another. They were thinking the exact same thing. That was why the three Demorites at the bridge were not dead, even with a perfect throw to the heart. “They are from my world. They somehow got through the gateway, which caused it to lock itself shut. That is why it took so long for me to get back. I was stuck in Armoria because the gate wouldn’t open, until it finally did. I already knew the general location of the house, but for some reason I could not find it. It was like it moved, until this morning, when I saw it clear as day as if it never left.

Lyla immediately felt an urgency flow through her body. The barriers had gone down allowing him to see the house. If he could see, so could everyone else that came near. The rock walls still surrounded them, but the barrier was invented by their grandfather as an added source of camouflage to hide their location. It was only a matter of time before their home was discovered.

“The barriers are down,” she said in a panic. “Papa must have taken the device with him. Either he somehow hit the button in transit or the Demorites figured out what it was for and how to use it. We must leave now. They could be here at any moment.”

Lyla and Lilly both ran to their rooms, changed their clothes, and gathered only their things of importance. Lyla grabbed her usual bag, and added the picture that was sitting on her end table and the book that her sister had given her for her birthday, along with extra clothes. Lilly was already by the door next to William, holding three canteen bottles that she had just filled with water. They ran toward the stables and quickly got the horses ready.

Lyla and Lilly would ride their horses and their father would ride the black horse named Athena, since he had supposedly walked the whole way there. Lyla tied the brown horse named Mercury to Athena so that she wouldn’t be left behind to be slaughtered. As they rode away, Lyla looked back at the house, not knowing if she would ever see it again. This was the place she had grown up and where her mother had lived. This was her home. It was all she had in this cruel world.

As much as Lyla didn’t want to admit it, this Armoria place was sounding like a pretty good place to be at the moment, if it was even real. But where else were they supposed to go? Their home was the only safe place they knew, and they couldn’t be on the run for the rest of their lives, constantly watching their backs with no peace of mind.

“I suppose we have no choice but to let you lead and take us to Armoria. After all, we have nowhere else to go,” Lyla said as she looked back at her father. She was very angry, but not at him. She was mad at everything that had been going on. Yesterday she lost her grandparents and now this. How could this possibly get any worse?

“I am very sorry that it had to happen under these circumstances, but, yes, we must. We have no other safe place to go, and, besides, we have to go there anyway. I really do think you will love it. It is a very beautiful place.”

Both of the girls remained silent, and Lilly had been surprisingly overly quiet. She had not talked since they left the house. It must have affected her more than Lyla thought.

William made his way in front of the girls to lead them toward the gate that divided the two worlds. They had ridden for hours through open valleys and wooded areas before they had finally come to a resting place. It was an open area surrounded by trees in the middle of the forest. A campfire was still present from when William had been there months ago. The fire was out, but the ashes still remained. Lyla and Lilly had never ventured this far in this direction. When they traveled, it was mostly just in the general direction of the city. It wasn’t much different than what they were used to, except the air was unusually cool in this area for the middle of summer.

William started a fire while the girls prepared a resting place to slumber for the night. They were used to sleeping on the ground with just a blanket over them on their travels so this was normal for them. When the fire was lit they all sat around it. Lyla had her blanket over her shoulders and she was staring into the fire. She didn’t want to speak to anyone. She had heard enough for one day and needed to take it all in. Lilly was sitting next to her father, engaging him in quiet conversation.

Lyla knew Lilly was very happy to find out that her father was alive, and she should be as well, but she wasn’t. After all these years, they thought him to be dead, and then he’d just shown up at their door unexpectedly. He seemed sincere though, and Lyla knew he meant well, but it didn’t seem right. In time, she would warm up to the idea and maybe establish a good relation with him, but for now she wouldn’t call him father, only William, until he proved himself to her that he was worthy of the title.

It wasn’t much farther William had told them, so first thing in the morning they would head straight for the gate. Until then, all Lyla wanted was some sleep.

Chapter 5

Lyla stands in the all too familiar room of the nursery. The candle is lit as it always is, with her and her sister asleep in the crib. Every detail is just as she remembers it. The changing table, the dresser, the rug. Exactly the same. The moon shines in from the window.

Loud voices arise in the hallway from a man and a woman. The sounds are muffled, but Lyla tries to make out the words as well as she can.

“Where is it?” asks the man.

“I do not have what you seek,” says the woman.

“I know you have it,” he yells. “Give it to me or you and your children will die.”

Lyla hears what seems to be a struggle. She hears someone running toward the room and moves to the other side by the crib. Suddenly, a woman comes through the door and closes it behind her. She locks it before rushing to the crib.

She is the same woman with the long dark brown hair and the very thin and frail figure. She looks as though she has not had very much sleep as well, because she has dark circles under her eyes. As she approaches, Lyla sees that she has the most beautiful blue eyes, but she can see the sadness and worry that are overtaking them. She knows this woman is her mother.

“I love you both,” she says to her two girls. She bends down and kisses them both on the forehead. She takes them up in her arms and hides them under the crib, hanging a blanket on the side to cover the bottom, so they will not be seen. They both stay sound asleep as their mother crosses the room to the door. She opens the door, and waiting on the other side is the man. Waiting there just as he always has in her dream.

She knows what will happen next. He will unsheathe his sword and stab her mother. She is tired of watching this happen over and over again. Lyla runs forward as fast as she can, but to her it feels like she is running in slow motion. At this rate, she will never make it.

The man stabs her mother and she falls to the floor just as she always has, but this time Lyla is at her side, holding her. She begs her not to die, not to leave them. Her mother looks into her eyes and says “My child, you have grown up beautifully. You must find it! You must find what they are looking for.” Lyla is in shock. Her mother is talking to her. This has never happened in her dreams before. She has to be imagining this. Surely her mother can’t actually be communicating with her, can she?

Lyla awoke in that moment breathing heavily with sweat running down her forehead. William hovered over her looking concerned and worried. If he had not moved back at that very moment she would have punched him in the face.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “You were moving around and mumbling in your sleep. I was trying to decide if I should wake you or not. I was just about to when you woke up. Probably a good thing I didn’t. You looked like you wanted to kill me just then.”

She got up slowly, grabbing her head that began to ache with pain. The sun was shining high in the sky. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept so late. Probably never. Lilly was still asleep by the fire that was reduced to coals and ash. “I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “It was just a nightmare. You should have woken us sooner; we never sleep this late. We could have been long gone by now.”

“I would have, but with everything you two have been through lately, I figured you needed to get some rest. Do your nightmares happen often?” Lyla looked at him through prying eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to share personal information with him yet. “Because if they do...” he interrupted “...I know someone who can help. He can make them go away or even reveal more information about them as well.” This got Lyla’s attention immediately. After what had just happened in her dream, it made her want to know more about it. What had her mother wanted her to find? After all these years, how was it that just now she could interfere in her nightmare?

“That would actually be a great idea,” she said. “I would like to know more about my dream and what it means.”

“So, these dreams are one dream? You have the same dream over and over?”

Before she could respond, Lilly started yelling. She was sitting up throwing her hands into the air. “Why on earth are we still here? Why did no one wake me up? This is ridiculous! We shouldn’t be here still. What is wrong with you guys?”

“You two are just alike,” he said to Lyla with a smile. She couldn’t help but return the smile. It was so true. They were alike in every way, besides a few of their interests. Lyla gathered all her belongings while William poured water over the fire. She changed clothes, put her boots on, and took a moment to pull her hair back out of her face. Afterwards, she put all her weapons in place. She put on her weapons belt, which contained her sword and multiple throwing knives, and she also placed several more knives in her boots for safe keeping. Her bow and arrows were attached to her saddle so she didn’t have to carry them on her back. Lilly was angrily gathering her things as well. Mumbling to herself in the process. Lyla thought this was hilarious. Usually, Lyla was the one that had to wake Lilly up, and it wasn’t always easy. Now here she was, angry and bent out of shape because she’d overslept.

After everything was packed and everyone was ready, they all mounted their horses and continued forward to the gateway. William was still the lead, of course, then Lyla and Lilly were side by side, followed by Mercury, now tied to Lilly’s horse, Eris. The forest started to get thicker. The trees had grown closer together, and the bushes were close enough to scratch their legs as they passed by.

They came to a small path that had been made by William when he had first arrived. He had no horse then so he’d only had to make it wide enough for him to fit through. William got off his horse and started cutting the brush to make a wider path. At least wide enough for the horses to fit through. This slowed their pace exceedingly, but it wasn’t much further he told them. The brush was thick, but the gateway was just on the other side. After several minutes, they finally got through.

On the other side, it appeared to be just more of the forest. There was an open patch of dirt with trees all around and an enormous stone rock covered in greenery. Lyla and Lilly looked at each other, both assuming that he really was crazy.

“I know what you are both thinking,” William announced. “But it is here, it’s just hidden. Let me show you.”

Lyla believed him, but she still had her doubts. She was fully alert and had her hand on her weapons belt, ready to pull a knife if he tried anything suspicious. She would rather be safe than sorry.

He continued forward to the giant stone that stood before them and pulled back the vines that were covering it. Underneath, it seemed to be strange etchings in the rock. Two shapes ran parallel with one another in the shape of a door. In between these shapes were etchings of elegant swirls. Underneath these parallel figures were strange words.

Et la passerelle est ouverte

Both Lyla and Lily stared in amazement. They thought it was very beautiful, but didn’t understand how this could be a gateway to anything. After all, it was just a rock. How could this possibly be a gateway?

“Are these words supposed to have a meaning?” said Lilly as she stared at the carvings of the words.

“As a matter of fact, they do,” said William. “It means, And the Gateway is Open.”

“What language is that?” Lyla asked.

“It is the French language, although I have always wondered why myself. Armorians are not of French ancestry. I suppose it was a way to tie the two realms together.”

“Okay, so what now?” Lilly asked excitedly. She wasn’t sure what to expect, yet she was very anxious to find out. She had more faith in her father than Lyla did and she knew it.

“It’s simple really,” he said. “All you have to do is...”

Before he could finish explaining what to do, he was interrupted by a woman. “Not leaving without us, are you?” She was very beautiful. She was very slim and tall. Taller than Lyla and Lilly. She had dark hair that was pinned up on her head and big blue eyes that stood out against the dark makeup surrounding them. She had fair skin with soft features that complimented the rest of her body. She was wearing skin-tight clothing that was both modest and flattering. She looked like a badass warrior that was just about the same age as them. She seemed to be perfectly flawless.

Without thinking, Lyla clenched one of her knives in her right hand and threw it at the girl. The girl quickly pulled out her sword and deflected it. Lyla was shocked and amazed. No one had ever been able to avoid being struck by one of her daggers before. She looked over at Lilly, who had the same stunned expression as she did. She tightened her jaw and clenched her fists as she started to approach the girl, ready for a fight. William quickly interfered, stepping in between the two girls.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said turning to Lyla. “She is with us. No need to kill her.”

“Like she could anyway,” the girl chimed in.

Lyla immediately lunged after her again. William once again blocking her. “Is that really necessary?” he said to the girl. “You’re not making a very good first impression.”

The girl threw her hands up in the air in surrender. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll play nice, even though she started it.”

Suddenly a man approached from the same direction the girl had appeared. He had light-colored short hair and was just as tall as the girl. He wore just a simple T-shirt and jeans. He seemed to be in good shape.

An unpleasant silence passed, when, finally, William began to speak.

“Girls, this is Joseph and Giselle. They accompanied me on this trip to find the two of you. We somehow got split up when the Demorites came passing through and had a plan to meet up back here should anything like that happen.” He hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should continue with what he was about to say. “Also, this may be difficult for the two of you to hear, but…Giselle is your sister.”

Lyla gasped and Lilly’s mouth fell open but remained silent. As usual, Lyla was the first to speak. “What? You said nothing about their being others, and now you want to tell us that this girl is our sister? How could that be possible? She has to be the same age as us, if not older. Were you unfaithful? Did you tell our mother that you loved her and then sneak around behind her back? And then try to sell us the same story?” So much anger was building up inside of her. She did not understand this at all. Her life was nothing like she thought it was. Everything was changing in a matter of days and she did not like it at all. “Explain yourself!”

William took a moment to himself. He knew the girls would not be happy with what he’d just told them. He knew that they would not understand and would be angry with him. His shoulders and his composure fell. Lyla had never seen him so sad. She had not known him long, but so far, he always had a good attitude toward everything. He was very hopeful and Lyla saw that in him, but now it was gone.

“Giselle is two years younger than you girls,” said William. He was staring at the ground and had his hands shoved in his pockets. “I knew your mother was gone and I couldn’t get to her, like I explained before. The gate was sealed shut and I had no way in. I grieved for over a year and then I met Giselle’s mother. I fell in love with her, and shortly after, we had Giselle.” He was now looking directly into their eyes. His voice remained soft and comforting. “That doesn’t mean that I stopped trying to get to you, because I didn’t, and it doesn’t mean that I stopped loving your mother, because I do very much. I love all of you. Giselle came here with me because she heard so much about you and your mother. She knows what happened and she wanted to come here to meet the both of you and bring you home with us because that’s where you belong.”

Lilly stepped forward and put her arms around Giselle, welcoming her to the family. Unlike Lyla, she had an open mind about most things. She did not let the unexpected corrupt the way she felt. Instead, she embraced it, and Lyla admired that about her. She always had. She wished she was more like her sister in this way.

Lilly stepped back and looked toward Lyla, nodding her head toward Giselle, indicating that she wanted her to do the same. Lyla rolled her eyes and walked toward Giselle, who had a large smile on her face and arms wide open. Lyla managed a small smile and gave her a hug for Lilly’s sake. She stepped back immediately afterwards.

“Don’t expect me to call her mother. Whoever she is.” Lyla mumbled as she walked away.

“You won’t have to,” Joseph said quietly. “She’s dead.”

Lyla’s looked to the ground and her shoulders sagged. She regretted saying that. She was glad Giselle or William didn’t hear her say it, then she would have felt really bad. The absence of her mother was something she would never wish upon anyone. No one deserved to grow up without a mother.

She decided not to be so hard on them and to control her anger. Before all of this, when it was just Lilly and her grandparents, she didn’t have much of an issue with her anger, but after all she had been through in the last day it was becoming difficult to control.

“Great,” William said with a smile that had returned to his face. Let’s do this, shall we?” Everyone nodded and made gestures implying that they had been waiting forever and they wanted him to hurry it along. “As I was saying before,” he continued. “All you have to do is say the words on the door.”

“That’s all you have to do?” Lilly interrupted. “It’s that simple?”

“Yes and no,” he replied. “If you are not a descendant of an Armorian, simply saying the words will not open the gateway. You must have the Armorian blood in you. Meaning you must be a witch or a wizard. You must also have your Armorian symbol with you if you are attempting to open it alone. I will explain your symbols to you later.”

Lilly gestured that she understood so that he could continue. He turned back to the gateway and stood directly in front of it. He took a deep breath and recited the words on the door.

“Et la passerelle est ouverte.”

He stood back and the stone began to crumble before them where the door was. What it revealed left Lilly and Lyla in awe. They noticed everyone around them was smiling.

“Isn’t it absolutely beautiful?” Giselle asked, clapping her hands together in excitement.

“Very,” Lyla and Lilly said at the same time.

When the rock crumbled and fell to the ground it revealed the same doorway, but this one looked magical and alive. The gateway was now a beautiful golden frame. Inside the gateway was what looked almost like a blue clouded sky. Lilly stepped forward and looked behind the frame, but there was only a wall of stone. William noticed the mesmerized look on their faces and explained that it is just another barrier to ensure that no one that was not Armorian could enter without another Armorian. It did not show Armoria, only a beautiful enchantment. All they had to do now was step through the gateway and they would be in Armoria.

“Can the horses come as well?” Lyla asked. “I couldn’t dare leave them here.”

“Of course they can,” Joseph replied. “Any innocent-minded animal can enter into our world.” Lyla stood there for a moment thinking about what he had just said.

Innocent minded? Were all creatures not innocent minded? Even those who kill can’t help themselves. It’s in their nature.

They gathered the horses and prepared themselves.

“It’s very simple,” William said. “All you have to do is step through.”

“Joseph and I will go first,” said Giselle. “That way you can see how it is done to help ease the tension.” She smiled toward Lyla and Lilly.

Lyla thought she was nice, but she wouldn’t call her sister just yet. Just like she wouldn’t call William her father. She smiled back as Giselle turned and walked through the gateway. Once she stepped in, she disappeared, and all that remained was the beautiful enchantment. Joseph went through next, followed by Lilly. Lyla would be next, and then William. As she got closer, she took a deep breath, and then closed her eyes and walked through the gateway.

Chapter 6

As soon as Lyla opened her eyes, she realized she was standing in a courtyard. In the center, was the gateway that she had just appeared from. As soon as William stepped through, it turned completely transparent. It no longer had a beautiful enchantment flowing through it. Instead, she could see right through it to the other end of the courtyard. All that remained was the golden metal frame. The courtyard consisted of mostly grass, except for the four concrete paths that ran from the circular pad under the gate to the outer edges of the courtyard. Around the perimeter of the courtyard stood many buildings, side by side, which were also lined with concrete paths leading here and there.

From what she could see, it looked like mostly shopping stores, apart from the tall building on the north side. It looked more like an old church or courthouse, with its stone walls and detailed architecture. It was a very beautiful place. Everything looked very clean and well-kept and the grass was a perfect shade of green. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the sky had a beautiful blue tint that made it even better. People were wandering aimlessly, talking in small groups, or shopping around. No matter what they were doing everyone seemed...happy. There was no sign of decay or lifelessness, only beauty and life. They paid no mind to the group of people that just appeared out of nowhere.

They must be used to people passing through.

“This is Armoria, as I’m sure you know by now,” William said pulling Lyla from her thoughts. “I’m sure you will want to look around and get to know the area, but first I think it best you both get settled,” he said specifically to the twins. “You will be housing with Giselle, Thomas, who you will meet momentarily, and myself.”

Lyla turned to him in protest. “Are you serious? We have to stay with you? Lilly and I have taken care of ourselves for most of our lives. I don’t think we need you to step in and start watching over us like a hawk.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way, but for now we are not going to give you a permanent residence all to yourselves when you have only just arrived. The house is quite big, and you will both have your own rooms. I think you will be quite content.”

Lyla did not complain any further. At least they would have their own space. It was not like she would mind sharing a room with Lilly, but she did not want to get all close and personal with Giselle just yet and who was this Thomas?

William turned and looked around for a moment before he yelled the name Thomas. Lyla followed his gaze to a man that must have been around her age. He was standing by a girl with blonde hair, her hand touching his arm. As William called his name he walked away from her, leaving her with her hands on her hips followed by an annoyed expression. As Thomas walked toward them, Lyla noticed that he was a very handsome man. He was tall and had short brown hair and pale skin. He had a plain gray T-shirt on with blue jeans, and Lyla couldn’t help but notice the definition of his muscles.

Lyla moved close to Lilly and whispered “Lil, he’s so handsome.” Lyla knew Lilly didn’t want to hear about her ridiculous obsession with love that she’d acquired from reading her fairytale stories, but it was like this man had been pulled from one and placed right in front of her. It was a realization she couldn’t ignore.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” she said, almost annoyed. “This is the first boy you have seen apart from Joseph in the last fifteen years. Seriously, Lyla, you don’t have to gawk at him.”

Once he was closer he looked even more handsome to Lyla, with his bright blue eyes and perfect smile. William made introductions and when Thomas shook Lyla’s hand she couldn’t help but stare into his eyes and smile. Afterwards, William explained that he had business to attend to and would not be home until later that evening, so Thomas and Giselle would show them the house.

Thomas and Giselle guided them along the concrete paths that curved and winded past the shops. Each of them was riding one of the horses that came with them through the gateway. They explained that housing was placed all around the courtyard, and their house was in the northwest corner, placed on the top of a hill, by the large body of water that surrounded Armoria. They also explained that to the north of the courtyard was where they planted crops. They had a large garden as well as a corn and bean field. To the southwest was Starlight City, or what they called the “City of Lights.” It was told to be most beautiful at night when the lights were shining at their best, but it was too far away to see from where they were. To the southeast was Dresden, which was where the Demorites resided, or at least the ones that did not manage to get through the gateway to earth. In between the three areas were plains and rivers, but mostly vast forests.

“What keeps the Demorites from coming to Armoria?” asked Lilly. “And how did they get through the gateway in the first place?”

“The Demorites live in a dark castle surrounded by mountains and treacherous terrain,” said Giselle. “It is also surrounded by the same body of water as Armoria, but a large river separates it from our land. In order for them to get here it would take a lot of effort, but it is possible. That is why everyone in Armoria starts training at a very young age. We fear one day they will try to overrun us.”

“Who are the Demorites, exactly? They have obviously invaded earth, but why?”

“They are dark creatures that have a poison running through their veins, but they didn’t always used to be that way. Long ago, they used to be like us. The leader of the Demorites wanted to rule Armoria, and grew drunk with power. He had a few followers and eventually his army grew. They escaped to the mountains and built the castle they reside in now. I believe they are still planning their attack, which is why they went through the gateway, but they did not come through our gateway though. In the beginning of Armoria, two gateways were built. One for the north side and one for the south side. We believe one of the gateways resides in Dresden, which is how they had access.”

“So, the Demorites can come and go as they please between the two worlds?” Lyla asked.

“Not exactly,” Thomas said. Lyla tried not to smile when he caught her gaze. Even his voice was perfect. “The gateway was built for us to exchange merchandise to and from earth. They were originally Armorian, so they could get in and out as well until the gateway detected their evil. We believe that is why the gateway sealed. As you know, it took years for us to finally have the ability to get through again and even then. We are not sure how that happened. We do not know how much power the Demorites have and if they still have the ability to go through the gateway again. As far as we know, they have not made another attempt.”

All this talk about evil and power gave Lyla and uneasy feeling in her stomach. This fight was not just for Armorians, but it was her fight as well. They murdered her mother and grandmother and abducted her grandfather. This was personal and she would make sure they would pay for what they had done.

Along the way, they passed many houses and the edge of the forest that surrounded them. They came to a house that stood on a hill. It was an old white Victorian home that was very beautiful and massive. Just along the side was a fence set up for the horses. After the horses were settled they all walked up to the house.

A grand staircase was the center of attention as they walked through the front door. Giselle and Thomas gave them a quick tour of the house. The kitchen and family room resided downstairs, along with William’s study, and all the bedrooms were upstairs. As they went upstairs, they were told which rooms belonged to whom. William and Giselle’s rooms were on the left side next to each other, with a bathroom across the hall. Further down was Lilly’s on the right, followed by Lyla’s on the left at the far end. At the end of the hall came a staircase that led up to the attic, which was where Thomas’s room was.

All in all, Lyla and Lilly loved the house. It was very spacious and had a lot of charm. When the tour was over, each of them went their separate ways into their rooms.

When Lyla walked in her room, the first thing she noticed was the queen-sized bed. It had white wooden pillars that rose above it, and it had multiple pillows. Lyla was not sure why it had so many, but the bed looked very comfortable so she didn’t mind. She placed her bag on the floor and let herself fall onto the bed, clasping the soft blanket in her hands. Thoughts quickly began to overtake her mind. She had so many questions to ask. If she and her sister really were witches, what kind of power did they have? Did they have a power source? What was the next step in rescuing her grandfather? They had to acquire Armoria’s weapons, but then what?

She wanted to forget about her troubles for a moment and relax. She looked around and saw that there was a bookshelf, a dresser, a nice big closet already filled with clothing, and an attached bathroom. Excitement flooded through her. She had never had her own bathroom. She had always had to share and now she had her very own. She wanted to take advantage of this right away.

She ran warm water and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked terrible. She had dirt on her clothing from sleeping on the ground the previous night before, her face was flushed, her hair was tangled, and she began to worry. This was the first impression she’d had on Thomas, and she looked like a homeless person. She decided that she would get cleaned up and the next time he saw her she would look more suitable.

After her bath, she found an outfit in the closet that she liked. It was different from anything she was used to, since her grandmother made most of her clothing. She slipped on a black pair of jeans and a white short-sleeved top. She had her hair down, which was slowly drying into waves, and she put on makeup that she found in the vanity to add color to her face. She put on her weapons belt and slipped on her lace-up boots.

Lyla made her way into Lilly’s room to find she was in the bathroom brushing her hair out. She too had taken a shower.

“You have a bathroom as well, I see,” said Lyla. “It’s a pretty nice feature to have if you ask me.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but I will miss racing you to the bathroom,” she replied.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” said Lilly. “We raid the kitchen, of course.”

They both laughed as Lilly finished prepping herself, and headed downstairs. It was so easy for them to laugh together. When they got to the kitchen they checked the cabinets and the fridge, which were both fully stocked with all kinds of food. They had never had this much food in the house at one time. They were both starving, so they grabbed a little bit of everything and set it out on the counter.

Many mouthfuls later, they heard someone coming down the stairs. They thought it was Giselle, but to their surprise, it was Thomas. Lyla immediately straightened her posture and swallowed the food she had shoved in her mouth. He wore the same clothes he wore earlier and his hair was messy like he had just taken a nap.

He looked around and saw the mess that was all over the counter. “I see you found all of the food,” he laughed. Lyla was embarrassed by the mess they had made, but she started to smile.

“I’m the same way,” he continued. “Except I usually do it early in the morning as a midnight snack.” He stopped for a moment and stared at Lyla and then looked away. “What are you ladies planning on doing tonight?” He noticed the weapons belt hanging from Lilly’s and Lyla’s waists. “It’s getting pretty late to be out and about by yourselves. It can be dangerous at night.”

“We thought we would go and do some training,” Lyla replied. “William tells us that the weapons are different from ours so we figured we needed to get some practice in.”

“Sounds like a great idea, but it will be dark soon and you don’t want to be out at night not knowing the area. How about I take both of you to the training arena tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure,” Lyla replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

He stared at her for a moment and, before responding, he nodded his head in agreement, and then told them he would meet them in the morning, bright and early.

“Nice going,” said Lilly after Thomas was gone. “You didn’t freak out.”

“My interest in him is nothing to make fun of me for.”

“You need to be the strong warrior girl that you are. Show him that in your training and see if he shows an interest in you. Men like girls that can handle weapons, and we both know you can.”

Lyla knew she was right, but being as she’d never felt this way before, it was hard telling what would happen.

William walked through the front door and smiled. “Making yourselves at home I see,” he said, looking at the food on the counter. “That’s good! I want you both to feel at home here. I’m actually glad you are both here, because I have something for you.”

Lyla and Lilly looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. William gestured for them to follow him into his work study that was connected to the family room by French doors. Books were lining most of the wall space, with a few paintings here and there. He had a large wooden desk in the center of the room with a few papers scattered on the desktop. He had them sit in the two chairs facing the desk, while he sat in his chair behind the desk. He reached down and pulled open the bottom drawer, revealing an antique box. It was a wooden box with a key hole in front, surrounded by swirling metal.

“What’s this?” Lyla asked out of curiosity.

“This box contains your Armorian symbol. Everyone gets one when they are born and they are all different. They can also be in many different forms.”

“What is our symbol?” Lilly interrupted.

“I do not know. Your symbols have been in this box since you were born, and since I never got the chance to give them to you, they reside in this box. There is a key, but I cannot open it myself. Most children get them when they are babies, but they have to be present for the parents to open the box. After so many years, the receiver of the symbol, in this case, you, have to open it themselves.”

He reached in the top drawer of his desk and pulled out the key. It was shaped like an older key, but it had unmoving mechanisms on it that looked like gears and chains. William handed the key to Lyla. It was unlike any key she had ever seen. She gave the key to Lilly and told her that she wanted her to be the one to open it. Lilly’s face immediately lit up as she took the key. William placed the box in front of her. Slowly she stuck the key into place and turned it, unlocking the box. She continued to open the box, placing one hand on each side and pulling the top up to where it stayed on its own.

What they saw inside was beautiful. Two blue crystals dipped in gold at the top of each. They were both hanging from two golden chains. Lyla and Lilly each took one carefully in their hands.

“What do we do with these?” Lyla asked.

“These are your Armorian symbols and they will protect you always. I told you that you are both witches, but there’s something you must understand about the way things work. We are not like the witches and wizards you would read about in story books. We do not cast spells or change people into toads. We, as witches and wizards, draw energy from each other, which makes us stronger. Our symbols also provide us with energy when we need it most.”

“So, no moving objects with our minds or hexing anyone?” said Lilly.

“Not at all,” said William. “It has been done in the past, but that was a long time ago. No one has been able to do it since.”

“Well, that’s no fun,” Lyla whined. She slouched in her chair and crossed her arms.

“It is not about fun. It is about responsibility to Armoria and our people. I also must inform you that you two are the first Armorian twins in the history of Armoria. We are not sure what your power is limited to, or if your symbols tie together somehow. We will figure that out tomorrow. Now it is getting late and I need some rest. I suggest you both do the same.”

“I have one question!” Lyla spat out. Not sure if she should ask or not, she began to hesitate. “Why does Thomas live with you? He’s not your son, right? Doesn’t he have family?”

Even Lilly was curious to know the answer to her question as she leaned forward and waited for a reply.

“Thomas’s parents died when he was very young and he had nowhere else to go, so I took him in and raised him as one of my own.”

“But what happened to...”

“That is all I have to say on the matter,” he interrupted. “I will not discuss his personal life without him present. If you would like to learn more, you may ask him yourself. Have a good night, girls.”

William rose from his chair and walked out of the study. The girls rose right after and headed toward their rooms, admiring their symbols that now fell from their necks. They parted ways at their rooms. Lilly first as Lyla continued down the hall and into her room. She undressed and put on a long T-shirt. The clothes in Armoria were more modern than what she was used to. She liked the style, but she also missed the clothes her grandmother had made for her.

Before she went to bed she placed the clothes from her bag in the closet and the book her sister got her on the table beside her bed. She reached in her bag again and grabbed the picture of her mother and placed it next to the book. She rested her head on her pillow and stared at the picture until darkness overtook her.

Chapter 7

Lyla fell into her usual nightmare.

She is in the same room at the same unpleasant hour.

She hears the same familiar voices followed by her mother intruding into the bedroom. She says her goodbyes to her children and goes to the door as she always has before. This time, before the door opens, she turns to Lyla and says “Find it, my dear. Find what they seek before it falls into the wrong hands.”

Lyla stands stiff not knowing what to do. Nothing like this has ever happened in her dreams. Last night and tonight are the first time anything has changed in any way and now it is like her mother is talking to her directly as if she never left. “What is it I am supposed to find?” she asks. Her throat harsh and dry. “What do I need to keep from them? Where is it hidden? I need to know where it is.”

Before her mother can answer the door bursts open. The same unidentifiable man, who Lyla now understands to be a Demorite, stands in front of them. He pulls out his sword, but instead of going after Loraine, Lyla’s mother, he goes after Lyla. Lyla’s heart pounds. She feels for her sword, but she does not have her weapons belt on. She steps back as he pushes forward with his sword pulled back ready to strike. Lyla’s back comes to the wall and she has nowhere else to go. She looks toward her mother for guidance or some kind of help, but she is in the same position as before. Facing the doorway like she is frozen in time.

Is this real? Is she really under attack through her own dream?

“You will find it and you will bring it to me,” says the Demorite in a deep voice.

Lyla gains some composure and straightens her posture. She is still afraid, but she does not want this monster too see it. Her voice grows confident as she speaks. “Even if I find it, whatever it is, I would never give it to you. I will die before I let that happen.”

The Demorite gives out an evil laugh.

“So be it,” he says as he lunges his sword forward.

Lyla woke up screaming. She was sitting up in her bed not yet aware of her surroundings. Her hair around her face was drenched in sweat. Dark shadows flickered around from the candle she had lit before falling asleep.

Thomas was the first to enter her room, knife in hand. He looked around the room, not seeing any potential threats, and lowered his weapon. He took a few steps closer asking if she was all right, but before she could answer, Lilly came rushing in throwing her arms around her sister.

“Are you all right?” she said. Lyla glanced at Thomas and then back again.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Lyla lied. She did not want to show weakness in front of Thomas.

“It’s the nightmares, isn’t it? They are getting worse.”

Lyla stared down at her blanket that still covered her and nodded her head. William and Giselle cautiously entered the room, unaware if they had imagined the noise in their sleep or not.

Everyone was in her room looking at her with curious eyes. Now she felt like she had to explain the meaning of her abrupt screaming in the middle of the night. She was not sure if she really wanted to tell Giselle and Thomas about her nightmares, but William considered them family, and she didn’t want to make them leave her room.

She told them of her nightmares, and how she’d had the same one over and over again for as long as she could remember. She told them that they were changing somehow, that now it was like she was a part of the dream and how it felt so real. She also explained her mother’s message and how she had no idea what it meant or what she was supposed to find. She couldn’t help but mention the Demorite that talked to her directly and threatened her life.

Lyla noticed the sad look on William’s face as she told the story. She had been so used to telling Lilly all these years that she didn’t think of how it would affect him. It was the story of how his wife died. That must have been really hard for him to hear, knowing that he wasn’t there to protect her. He would have been there if he could, but he couldn’t, and she didn’t blame him in the least bit. It was actually the first real feelings of compassion she had for him.

Lilly thought it was incredible that her sister was able to talk to their mother through her dreams. She felt a little jealous, in fact. She never had dreams about her mother and only knew her from pictures, but maybe it was for the best. If she dreamed about her, she would most likely have night terrors just like her sister.

William was more concerned about the matter. He thought it was possible that a dark force could be an imposter acting as her mother through her dreams. They could be using dark magic to get into her mind. It could also be as it seemed and maybe her mother was actually trying to send her a message. It could possibly even be both.

“I thought there is no dark magic or spells,” Lilly said.

“We believe the Demorites may have found a source of power in the mountains of Dresden,” said William. “This would be our worst fear, of course.”

“Why would they be targeting Lyla?” said Lilly.

“That, I’m not sure of.”

He assured them they would find out what the dreams meant. In the morning, they would go to Arthur Storington. He was said to be one of the eldest warlocks around and he was both wise and powerful according to the Armorians. The Armorians, as William had explained before, only had the power to harness energy, but Arthur had learned a few spells of his own during his long life, and many people went to him for help in their time of need.

After all was settled, everyone headed back to their rooms to get a few hours of sleep. Thomas was the last to leave the room.

“I guess we won’t be able to go to the training arena in the morning,” Lyla said before he reached the door.

He turned back and looked at her. “That’s all right. Maybe after you meet with Arthur I can show you around town. Just the two of us?” he said.

Lyla wasn’t sure if he was interested in her or if he felt sorry for her because of her nightmares and was only trying to be nice. Either way, she was willing to find out.

“I would like that,” she said with a smile. He returns her smile before walking out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

Early morning came all too fast. Lyla lay in her bed as she heard movement downstairs, and it sounded like everyone was awake. She wanted to stay in bed and sleep all day. She felt exhausted from the lack of sleep from the night before. Sunlight was shining in from the window beside her and she knew she had no choice but to get out of bed.

Lyla leaned up and sat at the edge of her bed for a moment, rubbing her eyes and yawning, trying to wake herself up. It was the middle of July so she knew it would be a warm day. She pulled on a black pair of shorts, topped with a burgundy shirt that she found in the closet. She pulled her hair back and put her boots on before going downstairs.

The smell of coffee filled the kitchen. She loved the smell of coffee in the morning. Everyone sat around the table with a coffee cup sitting in front of them, engaging in conversation, except William, who was making breakfast. He looked up as she walked in the room.

“Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you got some rest after what happened last night. How do you like your coffee?”

“Black with lots of sugar, please.”

He prepared her coffee and handed it to her. She took a sip immediately and thought it was the most delicious coffee she had ever had. She wasn’t sure if it really was that good or if she was just that tired and fatigued. “You like it,” William said, noticing her reaction. She nodded in agreement and walked over to the table.

“You must join,” Lyla heard Giselle say to Lilly as she approached the table. She sounded overly excited and Lyla was curious to know why.

“What are you talking about exactly?” Lyla asked. She sat at the end of the table next to Lilly and Giselle and across from Thomas, who glanced at her as she set her coffee cup down on the table, and then continued flipping through the Armorian paper, minding his own business. Lyla was surprised they even had a newspaper here. What news would they have to put in there that people didn’t already know about?

“The tournament, of course. It is set to happen in a few days.”

Lilly must have already heard all about it because her eyes were wide and she had the biggest smile on her face. “Doesn’t that just sound marvelous?” she said to her sister.

“What kind of tournament is this?” Lyla replied.

“It is a tournament that will test your fighting skills,” said Giselle. “It will first test your accuracy in how well you can shoot an arrow and throw knives. Then you will have to sword fight multiple people, and at the end, there will be a finale. The top candidates will be chosen to scout out the borders of Dresden.

“Dresden?” said Lyla. “Why would anyone need to go there?”

“They are sending people to see if they pose any threat to Armoria,” said Lilly. “Kind of like the journeys we made back home to see what their plan might be.”

“I’m game,” said Lyla. “I’m not sure how good the Armorians are at fighting, but I think Lilly and I have a pretty good chance of coming out at the top.”

“Well, you can get a glance at your competition at the training arena today after you meet with Arthur,” said William.

Lyla smiled at her sister before turning her attention to Thomas and noticing that he was looking at her. She returned his gaze for a few moments and then looked down at her coffee cup that was still steaming.

“Enough talk about the tournament for now,” William interrupted bringing over plates of biscuits and gravy, bacon, and eggs. “Dig in!” he said as he sat at the table. “After we eat, Lyla and Lilly will come with me to see Arthur. Giselle and Thomas, I expect you to get some training in this morning. They all had food shoved in their mouths, so they nodded in agreement. Lyla and Lilly had to refrain from shoveling food down their throats. They couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a breakfast like this.

After eating too much food, they all sat their plates in the sink and headed outside. They prepared the horses, and were soon on the trail leading to Arthur’s house. Giselle and Thomas would ride with them for as long as they could, until they hit the last trail that led to the arena. The horses galloped down the hill from their house and took the first trail on the left. This led them past many houses and parts of the forest until they got to the cornfield, which was where they parted ways.

William, Lilly, and Lyla continued forward, passing a bean field and the large garden the Armorians used as their primary source for produce. Several people were in the garden pulling weeds and picking ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and a few other vegetables. They also passed a farm containing cows, goats, and chickens. They continued past more houses––mostly looking the same except for a few minor details––until they reached another road. Arthur’s house was to the left and up to the top of the hill.

It was a lone cottage house surrounded by trees and solitude. It reminded them of home back on earth. Memories came swarming into Lyla’s mind like a wave crashing down on her. Their return home, their training, and their grandmother’s death, followed by all of this. It was too much to think about, so Lyla pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to focus on something else.

They tied the horses to a post and knocked on the door. After a few moments, an old man answered. He looked to be in his eighties, with white hair that surrounded a bald speckled patch on his head, and he had a long beard that was also white. He was slightly hunched over and had a walking cane.

“William,” he said. “What a nice surprise. I haven’t seen you in years.” He looked past him and noticed the two girls standing behind him. “Lyla and Lilly Langston,” he said softly with a smile on his face. The girls looked surprised that he knew them by name. “I have been waiting to meet the two of you since you were born. I have heard so much about you, and now here you are. Come in, come in. Please, come in.”

They all followed him into the house. It was a warm and cozy home. A fireplace surrounded by cobblestones drew their attention. A nice chair sat in front of it with a small blanket draped over the arm of the chair. Bookshelves were lined against every wall, each of them filled to capacity with books.

Lyla would love to someday own a home like this where she could sit in a chair by the fireplace and just read all day long with no worries or cares in the world.

They all sat in separate chairs that surrounded a coffee table. Arthur had poured them each a cup of iced tea, which was refreshing after being in the hot sun.

“So, tell me what brings you here to my home.” He looked around curiously at all three of them. “Surely you did not come just to pay this old man a visit.”

Lyla pressed her lips together and looked down at the floor, trying to avoid his gaze. William had started to explain Lyla’s nightmares and his overall concern. After he had finally finished, Arthur was holding his tea cup in one hand and stroking his long beard with the other.

“That is very peculiar,” he said. “It seems that these changes started to happen the closer you got to Armoria. It either drew power from you or you drew power from it.”

“I don’t understand,” Lyla said. How could that happen? I had just found out that I’m a witch.”

“The power has always been inside of you; you just did not know about it. Once the two of you found out about your power it was immediately unlocked within you. Our power is stronger than most people think. Learn how to use it properly and it will be of great use to you.”

“What do we do about her nightmares?” Lilly asked.

Lilly was happy to hear the news that someone could help Lyla with her nightmares. She had always been there for her sister when she awoke in the middle of the night. She did not want the problem fixed for her sake, but for Lyla’s sake.

“Fortunately, I have dealt with a similar situation before and I have just the thing.”

He slowly sat his tea cup down as it shook in his old, delicate hand. He started scanning the books that were on one of the nearby shelves dragging his finger across them as he went. He came to a stop and pulled out a dark purple book with a dark-colored binding and gold lettering. No one had noticed what the title was before he opened it. He flipped through the pages before landing on one in particular.

Paying no mind to his curious onlookers, he grabbed bottles and vials out of his cupboard that contained different ingredients. Lyla could not see what they all were, but she caught a glimpse of one that was titled “Mossy Leaf.” She was immediately repulsed.

After adding many different ingredients into a boiling pot, he poured the brew in a cup and handed it to Lyla. “Drink up, my dear,” he said encouragingly.

She had no idea what was in this soup or drink or whatever it was other than the mossy leaf. She did not know what it was for or what it would do if she drank this weird concoction. She looked from the cup to Arthur.

“Why do I need to drink this?” she asked.

He explained to her that this was a potion that would allow her to interpret her dreams better. It would either drive out the evil in her mind or it would make her dream broader and explain what the meaning was behind it, depending on which situation it was. This potion would show her more of the before and after events that happened the night her mother died. He continued to explain that it would only happen at night when she was sleeping and would only come in bits and pieces.

She looked at William who nodded his head. He knew this man and trusted him, so she would as well. She put the cup to her lips and tilted her head back. The fowl taste of the potion created a disapproving look upon her face and she could feel every last drop as it passed down her throat. She thanked him for helping her, even though it was completely awful.

They all began to chat for a little while longer when William remembered he wanted to know more about the girls’ symbols. William told him they had just received them the previous evening.

Arthur looked at the crystals that hung from both of their necks. They were the first twins of Armoria and no one had ever had the same exact symbol until now.

“I cannot be certain how two symbols alike will react to one another. It can be a huge advantage, but it can also be dangerous. These crystals acting together could possibly give you both immense power that no one in Armoria has ever had.”

Lilly then looked at her sister who then glanced at her for only a moment before returning her gaze back to Arthur.

“And how can they be dangerous?” Lilly asked. “They are our source of power. Our energy.”

“This is a very unique situation,” Arthur continued. “Your crystals will look to one another for power. They are bound in ways I cannot explain. I’m afraid that if one of you die and you are both wearing your crystals, the other may die as well.”

William, Lyla, and Lilly all looked horrified. These crystals were their symbols that were supposed to protect them and help them in need, not hurt them.

“This is only a theory, I must remind you. No one is sure, like I said, so you must be cautious.”

William saw that both of the girls were upset. He did not want this for them. He wanted them to embrace their power and who they were, not be afraid of it. He rose from his seat and thanked Arthur for his services.

Arthur reassured them not to be strangers and said to visit as often as they could. Lyla thanked him and shook his hand, forcing a weak smile. Lilly did the same.

They pulled themselves onto their horses and rode for the courtyard. They rode most of the way in silence until William finally said something.

“I’m sorry, girls. I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but keep in mind that it is only a possibility, and the possibility of one of you dying is slim to none. You are both great fighters and you also have each other.”

Lyla was picking at her saddle with her nail, and Lilly was the one to say that he was right and it is really nothing to worry about. Lyla turned to Lilly and her father and agreed.

“What is your symbol, William?” said Lyla.

“My symbol is an eagle.” He held out his right hand and showed them a ring that had a silver eagle perched on a branch. “I suppose I got this symbol because I keep watch over everything.”

“The eagle is also the symbol of our homeland,” said Lilly. “Grandmother told us all about it. You are very lucky to have such a symbol. The eagle was chosen for its beauty and strength. It’s a symbol of our freedom and independence, except…”

Lilly trailed off, but they knew what she was thinking. Their freedom had been stolen from them.

“We will win back our freedom,” said Lyla. “It’s only a matter of time now.”

They were coming up on another area of the forest that surrounded them on both sides of the dirt path. Rays of sunlight shined through the canopy above.

“Is seems like Armoria is mostly made up of trees from the forest,” Lyla said.

William looked at her noticing she was staring into the forest. “It is, mainly. There are plains near Dresden, as well as a lake, but other than that, it’s mostly made up of the forest.”

Lyla continued to look in the same direction. It looked no different than the forest she used to run in as a kid. She imagined herself running past trees and playing ‘tag’ and ‘hide and go seek’ with her sister.

A shadowy figure moved behind one of the trees and Lyla caught it out of the corner of her eye.

“Did you see that?” she turned to Lilly and William.

“See what?” Lilly asked.

“I thought I saw something move in the forest.” She stared thinking she would see it again, but she saw nothing. Was the sun playing tricks on her? Maybe it was some sort of side effect from the potion Arthur made her.

“Could it have been an animal?” William suggests.

Lyla didn’t reply and changed her focus to the path ahead. If it was an animal it was very large, but were there animals that big in Armoria? It looked tall from behind the tree. Was it a person? Whatever is was, it probably wasn’t anything to concern herself with.

Minutes later they passed through a clearing in the trees and into the courtyard.

Chapter 8

They had arrived in the courtyard, and all around them, people walked along the pathways and through the surrounding the shops. It was a new feeling being in a lively town where everything was normal and not abandoned or desolate.

They walked across the courtyard to a massive building that took up enough space for two buildings. Lyla and Lilly were confused. They thought the training arena would be out in the forest somewhere like they had back at home, but this one was indoors.

They walked through two double doors that opened into a large room. There were many people with different weapons either fighting or aiming at a target.

This had to be where everyone spent most of their time.

There were more people here than they had seen since they arrived.

William escorted them to the weapons room. Swords, bows and arrows, and knives hung on the walls. They even had a separate room where they could shoot guns. He explained that these weapons were made of a different metal that would be able to kill a Demorite if penetrated with it.

Lyla took a sword in hand and Lilly picked up a bow and arrow. The sword was a little heavier than Lyla was used to, but she was confident that she could handle herself.

William explained how everything worked. In the training arena, they had to start from the bottom and work their way to the top. The only way to do this was to enroll in the games and win. There were three different areas. One for sword fighting, one for bow and arrow, and one for knife throwing. Bow and arrow and knife training were all based on how well the shooter or thrower could hit the target. There were three levels that they had to pass. Easy, intermediate, and advanced. Different obstacles were placed in the game to make it even more difficult. Sword fighting was a bit different.

The sword-fighting games consisted of a one on one fight. There were no rules and no safety precautions. The higher the rank the more skills one had, making it harder to take down their opponent.

“Does anyone ever get severely hurt sword fighting?” Lilly asked.

“Sometimes,” said William. “Although, no one has ever been killed.”

“That gives us more of a challenge,” said Lyla.

Lyla was very excited. She was a perfect shot with knives and a bow and arrow. She was also very good with a sword, so she didn’t think it would be difficult to surpass certain people. The only problem was the only person she ever trained with was Lilly, and back in the forest Giselle had managed to deflect her knife without any hesitation. Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as she thought.

William, Lyla, and Lilly walked through the crowd of people. As they walked, someone had come too close to Lilly and hit her shoulder as he walked by.

“Watch it,” Lilly shouted, looking back at the man that had just run into her. He looked back smirking at her and continued walking. “How rude! Who is that guy?” she asked turning her attention to William.”

“That would be Charles,” said William. “He’s a good kid.”

“Yeah, he seems like a real winner,” said Lilly as she rubbed her shoulder. It was her first encounbter with him and she already hated him.

They found Giselle training with her bow and arrow. Lilly thought she would take it easy for the day and start with a bow and arrow as well. She stayed behind with Giselle as William and Lyla went over to the sword-fighting area. A sword fight was in progress as they approached and everyone was gathered around them in a circle. William and Lyla managed to push their way to the front.

Two male swordsmen were in a battle. Swords clashed together as they moved swiftly, avoiding the blow of the other. Lyla thought they were both beginners. They were both good, but they had some flaws in their forms and stances.

Lyla spotted Thomas across the circle carefully watching the two fighters. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Then she noticed the blonde-haired girl standing next to him. It was the same girl that had been with him the day before in the courtyard. She was almost as tall as he was, and wore a light pink shirt with khaki shorts.

Lyla felt jealous as the girl leaned in toward him and whispered something in his ear. His expression had not changed; he was still focused on the fight. One of the fighters had his sword pointed at the other boy’s chest. A large horn had sounded indicating that the game was over.

Lyla looked at Thomas again who was staring at her this time. She quickly looked away and turned her attention to William.

“Where do I sign up?” she asked.

He walked her over to the wall where there was a chalkboard full of names and numbers. William told her what it all meant. The name was who was fighting and the number was there to indicate when it would take place. The next fighter in line in the beginner’s category was Tyler Dellford. The number two was beside his name which showed that his game would begin in two minutes. Lyla signed her name next to his.

“Are you sure you want your first fight to be against a boy?” William asked hesitantly.

“What’s the difference?” she asked.

“Boys tend to be more brutal, especially when there are no rules.”

“That only means I can fight back even harder with no penalty,” she said and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’m very well trained.”

By this time, Thomas had come up behind William, asking how the visit to Arthur’s went. William began to explain, but then Lyla’s name was called followed by her opponents.

“Let the games begin,” she said.

Thomas grabbed her shoulder as she started to walk into the circle. “You’re going against Tyler for your first fight?” he asked. Lyla sensed a small amount of concern in his voice.

“Yes, why does it matter?”

“I’ve known Tyler for a very long time. He doesn’t play fair and he will do anything to win.”

“Well, there are no rules, so of course he won’t play fair. Let’s just hope I can outsmart him.” She turned away and walked into the circle.

“She’s a hard-headed woman,” Thomas said to William.

“Just like her mother.”

Lyla faced her opponent in the center of the circle with her sword in hand. She could hear whispers all around her. The words twin and new girl were being spoken amongst them. Most people had not met her yet and they probably hadn’t expected her to start in the games a day after she arrived. She cleared the voices from the crowd out of her head and focused on her upcoming battle.

Tyler stood in front of her. He was much taller and bigger than she was and she felt like an ant standing next to him, though she was unintimidated and remained confident in her skill level. What she was unaware of was why he was fighting in a beginner’s battle. Surely, he wasn’t a beginner. Maybe he liked to pick on people less experienced than him? Would they even allow that? If that was the issue, he would be sorry he ever messed with her after this.

He sneered as she stepped in front of him.

“This will end badly for you, little girl,” he said.

“Little girl? I wouldn’t underestimate me if I were you. I might send you crying home to your mommy.” People in the crowd began to snicker, but Lyla remained firm and steady.

His expression turned into a frown and he charged toward Lyla. He swung his sword at her left side and she blocked it. She turned full circle, pushing off his sword, and swung her sword down at his head in retaliation. He blocked it and moved quickly, aiming for her stomach, but she moved to the side, avoiding his blow. Minutes passed and they were still fighting just as hard as they were when they began. Everyone was staring, whispering to each other, debating who would walk away as the winner.

Surprisingly enough, she didn’t feel tired. She had her doubts, but maybe the crystal really worked and was filling her with energy throughout the fight.

Tyler was getting angry that he could not beat such a small girl. At the opportune moment, he grabbed her left hand, avoiding the sword in her right, and twisted her arm behind her back, spinning around with it. She stood unable to move and he cut her arm with his sword. She gave out a low scream clenching her teeth together trying not to reveal her pain as blood trickled down her arm.

“How does that feel? Not very good I bet,” he whispered in her ear from behind in a sinister voice.

She saw Thomas looking at her, standing motionless in the crowd. She would not let Tyler defeat her. She blocked out the pain just long enough to swing her right elbow around, digging into his rib cage. He released her as he let out a loud groan. Before he could regain his composure, she placed the tip of her sword under his chin. He felt it press against his throat and dropped his sword in surrender. The horn went off. She had won the game.

“Who is the little girl now?” she said as she walked away.

She started to grin as she approached William. He smiled back as he congratulated her, and he wrapped her arm up where it had been cut. Thomas was standing beside William.

“You worried me for a minute there,” Thomas said with a smile creeping up in the corner of his mouth. “You did well for your first fight. Keep it up.”

“I’m tougher than I look.”

His deep blue eyes stared into hers and it was as if the world had begun to move in slow motion, but she wasn’t sure what to think. Was he worried that she would get hurt because he liked her or because she was William’s daughter and he owed him everything? She wished she knew, but for now she would sit back and see how things played out.

She snapped back into reality when the blonde-haired girl came up beside Thomas.

“Thomas, are you ready to go over to join the bow-and-arrow games? I’m tired of watching sword fights.” She turned to look at Lyla and William.

“Hello, Mr. Langston, and who is this?” she gestured toward Lyla.

“This is Lyla, my daughter. She just arrived yesterday.”

“Nice to meet you, Layla. I’m Morgan Feeble.”

“It’s Lyla, actually,” Lyla said almost unkindly.

“Whatever,” she said, completely oblivious of Lyla’s tone. “Come, Thomas.”

Morgan pulled Thomas away as he looked back at Lyla. When he disappeared into the crowd, Lyla turned to William.

“Who does that snotty brat think she is?”

“She is the daughter of Monroe Feeble, head councilman of Armoria. He owns a lot of the estate around here. They believe they are an upper-class sort. We do not allow that here because we are all equal. No one is viewed better than the rest, which is why most people despise them. However, I am trying to get everyone to agree on one leader of Armoria. One that is selfless and trustworthy and only wants the best for Armoria. I don’t believe someone like Monroe will be appointed to this position, but it is all a work in progress.”

“That would be great!” she said, smiling. She had not been in Armoria long, but having a leader like William suggested was a good idea. They needed to have someone to run things and be a leader, not to concern themselves with the status of their position above all else.

Lyla and William made their way over to the bow-and-arrow training games to find Giselle and Lilly. Giselle was in the training area making her way around various obstacles. She was a very good shot, which was no surprise to Lyla. Lilly noticed them and waved for them to join her. She asked how Lyla’s fight had gone, and was surprised about her minor injury, but not about the outcome of the fight.

Lilly had not gone through the course yet. There was a long list of names. She suggested that Lyla pick up a bow and they could go through the course at the same time and show everyone how it was really done. Lyla turned to William to make sure the rules would allow it. He couldn’t think of any reason not too, so Lyla grabbed a bow out of the weapons room and stood by her sister.

In the meantime, Lyla had explained her run in with Morgan and how she despised her already. Lilly agreed that she sounded like the type of person that was hard to get along with.

Lyla spotted Thomas in the crowd with Morgan. He was watching the games and not paying attention to her at all, which made Lyla laugh to herself. Giselle had joined Lyla and Lilly by this time, and they would be up next.

When their names were called, they stood next to each other and looked down the long range that they would be going through. All they had to do was run to the other end, shooting various targets, while avoiding the swinging obstacles that could get in their way.

As soon as the horn went off, they started into a full sprint. Lyla went to the left and Lilly went to the right. They stayed at the same pace so they wouldn’t get ahead of each other. The first target came in the middle. Lilly shot first, a perfect bullseye, followed by Lyla, who shot in the exact same spot, splitting Lilly’s arrow. Lilly ducked beneath an ax that was swinging on her side of the course and shot at an upcoming cutout of a Demorite. It was a perfect shot between the eyes. Lyla came up to a cutout of a Demorite that was standing behind a girl, holding a knife to her throat. Without hesitation, she shot him in the head as well.

By the end of the course they had not missed a single target and everyone was amazed how they stayed together and worked as a team. To Lilly and Lyla, it was nothing because they had done this their entire lives. Everyone rushed toward them and asked them various questions of how they could do something like that. To them it was amazing.

Lyla got a glimpse at Thomas who was smiling at her. Morgan noticed him smiling at Lyla and her face went beat red. Lyla broke eye contact before she found out what would happen next and her gaze landed on Charles.

Lyla noticed that Charles was staring at Lilly and she seemed to be completely oblivious. Either that or she was ignoring him. Lyla thought this was probably the most likely explanation. Lilly wasn’t stupid––she would notice if a boy were staring at her. For so many years, Lilly had told Lyla how ignorant it was to fantasize about meeting a boy and falling in love. She had always said that a boy could cause weakness, and any enemy would surely use that weakness against them. Maybe she was right, but Lyla thought it was worth the risk.

“I think Charles likes you,” Lyla said to Lilly in a whisper.

“Yes, I noticed him drooling all over himself,” she replied. She didn’t mean that literally, only figuratively. William started to laugh and Lyla rolled her eyes.

“He’s cute and you didn’t even give him a passing glance or return his smile. Maybe you should ask him out.”

“Absolutely not,” she replied. “All those times I told you it was pointless to fall in love, I meant it. I don’t need him and he seems like a real jerk anyway if you hadn’t noticed from before. You might like Thomas, but I’m not interested in romance, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

William was surprised at what he’d just heard.

“Wait, you like Thomas?” he asked Lyla. She immediately blushed and started to panic. Lilly looked shocked. She didn’t mean to tell Lyla’s secret. Especially, to their father of all people.

“You can’t tell him. If he finds out I will die of embarrassment.” She was pleading to him, and he just started laughing. Lyla was instantly frustrated. She didn’t think there was anything to laugh about.

“Don’t worry, darling. Your secret is safe with me.”

“You mean, you don’t mind?” Lyla asked. She was relieved that he wasn’t going to lecture her. “I know you practically raised him and all, so I don’t want you to feel weird about it. Not that I would care if you gave me permission anyway,” she teased.

“Of course I don’t mind!” he said. “I realize the both of you are old enough to make your own decisions. Including finding someone to spend the rest of your lives with if you choose to do so.” He looked at Lilly when he said that, then back at Lyla. “I think Thomas is a fine young man and will make you very happy if that is what you want, but it has to be what he wants as well.”

Lyla looked down at the floor and thought to herself. She could see him in her mind with his beautiful eyes and handsome smile. What if her interest in him never amounted to anything because he never felt the same way for her? She would be heartbroken for the rest of her life. She realized it was such a foolish thought. She was falling head over heels for someone she barely knew. Such thoughts were bad news.

When the crowd cleared, William suggested they go home. Lyla was surprised that it was already dinner time. They had been there for hours, but it did not feel like it at all.

Lyla had washed up and changed clothes. Her hair was already drying into waves as she headed downstairs. Lilly had already found her way to the kitchen, but neither Giselle or Thomas were anywhere to be seen. By the time dinner was ready, Giselle had come downstairs, but Thomas was still absent.

William had made supper that was delicious. Lyla was surprised at how good of a cook he was. During their meal, William played a vinyl on his record player that he had stashed away in his office. It was the musical works of Elvis Presley.

Lyla and Lilly loved Elvis Presley. Their grandparents had played it for them when they were younger. It was one of the few artists their mother had in her vinyl collection. William reminisced on how he used to play the record and dance around the living room with their mother. It was a beautiful thought that they would keep in their memories forever.

Lyla excused herself from the table early, saying how tired she was, but the truth was that she was upset about Thomas’s absence. Maybe he went to stay with Morgan for the night. She went to her room and tried not to think about him, but it was almost impossible. She wanted to get some rest and they had no plans for the next day, so maybe she would be able to sleep a few extra hours.

Tomorrow is another day.

Chapter 9

Lyla stands in the nursery as she always has. She hears the shouts and her mother rushing into the bedroom. She expects her mother to talk to her, but it is, again, as if she is a ghost. Her mother does not look at her or acknowledge her in any way.

She places her baby girls under the crib and walks over to the door. The Demorite pushes his sword into her and she falls to the floor. Lyla does not understand. Was it really an evil source that was talking to her before, and had the potion pushed it out? She really hopes it was her mother, but maybe it wasn’t.

He stands for a moment and looks around. He doesn’t seem to see her this time either. He slowly walks over to the crib and notices it is empty. He does not know where the girls are. He starts to walk out of the room when one of the girls wakes up and starts crying, followed by screams of the other.

He turns and walks back over to the crib and looks underneath. He pulls them both out so they’re lying on the floor crying. He raises a knife and is about to kill them both. Lyla tries to move and scream or do anything to stop him, but it is as it was before. She cannot move or do anything. She isn’t there.

Suddenly, an elderly couple come barging into the room. They see what has happened. The elderly man throws a device on the floor that opens into a bright light. The Demorite flinches back in pain and smashes through the window to escape.

When the bright light dims, she notices who the elderly couple are. They are her grandparents, only they look younger.

Of course, Lyla thinks. Her grandparents had saved them from the evil. She has always known that, but they would never explain how. They had never wanted to talk about it, and now she knows.

Her grandparents rush to pick up the children, before sitting on the floor weeping next to their daughter’s dead body.

Lyla was being shaken by someone, which caused her to wake up. For a moment, she couldn’t tell who it was. Her vision was blurry and it was still dark. Once her vision cleared she was surprised to see who it was.

“Thomas?” she said wearily. “What are you doing here?”

He was dressed and looked very alert and awake, like he had just had twelve hours of sleep. He was sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I felt bad that I wasn’t able to show you around yesterday like I promised, so I was wondering if you would go for a walk with me?” His hand cupped the back of his neck and slowly moved into his hair as he said it. She could sense that he was hesitating.

Lyla was tired and confused, but she didn’t care. Thomas was asking her to go out with him, and that she couldn’t refuse. Lyla thought she should probably say no so she didn’t seem too interested, but she didn’t want to. She was finally getting the chance to spend time with him alone, which made her nervous and very happy, but she tried not to let him see that.

“Um, yeah,” she said, sitting up in her bed, the covers still up to her waist. “Just give me a chance to change my clothes and freshen up.”

It was then that she realized she was wearing a thin strapped top, which made her blush. She moved her hand to her collarbone, but when she noticed her hair was covering it she was relieved and put it back down. He looked at her up and down before shying away. Lyla wasn’t sure if he knew that she noticed. He slowly got up and walked to the door.

“I’ll be right outside,” he said, closing the door behind him.

Lyla quickly rolled out of bed and pulled on her khaki pants, with a black shirt, and green quarter-length jacket. It was a safe assumption that it was still a bit chilly out since the sun hadn’t come up just yet. She left a note for Lilly on the table beside her bed explaining where she had gone and laced up her boots after carefully placing a few knives in them. Her weapons belt was left lying on her bed. She didn’t think she would need it just to go on a walk. Her hair was left hanging past her shoulders in messy waves, and she pinched her cheeks to add color to her complexion.

She opened her bedroom door and he was waiting on the other side, leaning against the wall. They quietly went down the stairs and out the front door, making their way to the back of the house and past the few trees before coming up to the edge of the hill. Far below was a patch of sand that connected to the ocean.

“Where are we going?” Lyla asked.

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

He didn’t look at her, but continued walking along the edge of the hill. They made their way down as far as they could and then had to climb the rest of the way down the rocky ledge to the patch of sand. Wherever he was taking Lyla, it wasn’t easy to get to. They finally reached the bottom, but that was not their final destination.

Lyla was very adventurous so she didn’t mind the trouble. She looked up and saw how far it was to their house. The stone wall ran all the way up to where the house was sitting.

Thomas led her down the shoreline. As they walked, she gazed at the waves as they pounded against the sand and drew back in on themselves, repeating over and over. She looked out in the distance and could barely see the horizon in the darkness.

“Have you ever been out there?” Lyla asked. He looked at her and followed her gaze to the open water.

“No,” he said. “No one has.”

“What?” she said, astonished. “Then how does anyone know what’s out there?”

“They say it just leads to the outskirts of Dresden and the city.”

“But how would they know if no one has ever been out there?”

“I don’t know,” he said. His tone was firm and she could tell he was frustrated. Was she asking too many questions, or was he upset that he could not give her a very good answer? “That’s just what they say.”

“Oh,” was all she could say. She was disappointed by the tone of his voice and he must have noticed.

“I’m sorry I just…it’s just…I’ve always wanted to go out there on my own and I haven’t done it yet.”

She could sense the hurt in his voice and regretted bringing it up. She had just reminded him of the one thing he wanted to do with his life. Did he want to be a sailor or an explorer? Both maybe? To be the first explorer of the oceans of Armoria would be a great deal.

“That doesn’t mean you won’t. You still have your whole life ahead of you.” He smiled, and she followed him as he continued forward, leading them to wherever it was they were going.

They came to an open area in the rock wall. Lyla thought it was like a cave, and that was exactly what it was. They entered the cave, passing down winding paths until they reached a body of water. The water was bright blue. She had never seen water bluer or more beautiful. Thomas grabbed her hand and guided her over to a flat area to sit. Her heart began to race with her hand in his. He let go as they sat down.

He settled on his back and looked up, and Lyla did the same. Above the water looked like a starry night sky. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

“What is this place?” Lyla asked.

“This is my secret place. The place I come when I have a lot on my mind or I just need to get away. No one else knows it is here because it is very difficult to get here.”

“Why did you bring me here if this is your secret place and yours alone?”

He waited for a minute, not sure what to say. “You’re different from everyone else, I think. You have lost and grieved just as much as I have, yet you are an amazing fighter, and you are strong willed. I just thought you would need a secret place to come to just as much as I do. You can tell this cave anything and it will keep your secrets. Its unknown beauty is a release. I’m not even sure what I am looking at, and it is an illusion that I do not dare question.”

It wasn’t the response Lyla was hoping for. She was hoping he would say that he cared for her just as much as she did for him and wanted to share this sacred place with her.

“What happened to your parents?” she blurted out.

He was staring to the stars above and flinched. His muscles contracted and he took in a deep breath. She was not sure if she would get an answer.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she added.

“My parents died before I was even old enough to walk. Our house caught fire and they burned to death trying to save me. By the time someone realized what was happening it was too late. They were already dead and their bodies were burnt to ashes. There was nothing left to recover. Your father came in the house and carried me out. He saved my life.”

Lyla was on her side, looking at him while he was telling his story. She felt sorry for him and could feel his pain. He never got the chance to know his parents, but that made them just alike. Lyla had never known her mother or father or even knew that her father was alive until now.

“I’m sorry to hear that. My mom died when I was very young too. I’m sure William has told you the story already. I thought he was dead too until he showed up at our door the other day. You would think I would be happy to see him, but…I wasn’t. He was alive that whole time and I had no idea. I know I can’t blame him, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

Lyla was upset as she talked about her mother and father, but after all these years she found it hard to produce tears just by thinking of them. She was used to her mother only being a thought in her mind. She would never feel her warm hugs or harmonious humming while cooking in the kitchen. She knew her mother loved them, but she would never be able to feel it in ways other people could. It was a devastating thought. She wished things would have been different. That her mother was still alive, so they could all be a family again. How different would their lives be if the Demorites had not invaded their homeland and her mother was still alive? She would never know the answer to that question.

Thomas and Lyla sat in silence and stared at the stars above them.

“Thank you,” Lyla said, finally breaking the silence.

Thomas turned to face her. “For what?”

“For listening. It’s nice to have someone to talk to about personal things. I know I have Lilly, but having you to talk to is…well…I appreciate it is all.”

“I’ve never really talked to anyone about my past, but for some reason you’re easy to talk to.”

They held one another’s gazes until he finally broke the connection.

“Would you like to go to the house and get some breakfast?” Thomas asked.

“I would love to.”

After breakfast, Lyla and Thomas went to the town square. Lyla wasn’t sure where he was taking her. They walked up to a brick building and entered the glass doors.

When Lyla entered, she was completely overwhelmed. This was the biggest library she had ever seen. Books were stacked up to the ceiling, covering every inch of the walls. There were bookshelves that stood in the middle of the room, and there was a twisting iron staircase that led to a second-level balcony. Lyla was even impressed that they had the rolling ladders that moved to different areas of the wall.

“This is amazing,” Lyla breathed. “How did you know I like to read?”

“Sometimes I walk by your room and see you reading.” His face turned red, realizing he’d just admitted he had intruded on her private time. “I saw the book on your nightstand the other night when you had a nightmare.”

“Sleeping Beauty.” She smiled. “My sister found that for me. It is such a great read. It just proves that a single kiss can fix anything, even a coma-induced princess.”

When she looked up he was smiling down at her. Her hand touched his as her fingers caressed his fingertips, but he pulled away and scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m going to get some coffee. There’s a coffee shop attached over here.” He pointed to the side with his thumb. “Do you want some?” Before Lyla could answer he was already walking away and into the other room.

Lyla stood, slightly disappointed. She didn’t think it would be this hard to catch his attention, but maybe he didn’t like her after all. Maybe she was being too forward and that was only pushing him away even more. The fact that she had never been interested in a man before made her question her every move.

She followed him into the next room and acted like nothing happened. He ordered her a coffee and they explored the library before going back to the Langston home.

Lilly got up and headed downstairs, where she found William making breakfast. After breakfast, Lilly went looking for Lyla thinking maybe she had just slept late, but when she got up to her room she looked around and realized she was gone. She noticed a note that was left on the table beside her bed.

Lilly,

Thomas has invited me to take a walk with him. I am not sure where we are going or when we will be back, so don’t feel obligated to wait around for me. Wish me luck!!

Love,

Lyla

Lilly was happy for her sister, but she also thought she was being foolish. She would find something to do while her sister was away.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and it was a lot louder than Lilly had expected. She knew William would get it, so she went to her room. She already had herself ready for the day, even though she had no idea what she was going to do yet.

William called for Lilly to come downstairs. When she came to the bottom of the steps, he had told her she had a visitor. She was surprised. Who in Armoria would want to see her? She went to the door and opened it. On the other side was the tall dark-haired boy with brown eyes.

“Charles, what are you doing here?” She was annoyed that he came to see her.

“I came to ask you if you would like me to show you around today?” He handed her a beautiful single red rose that she immediately threw on the floor. His smile turned upside down, and she slammed the door in his face. He rang the doorbell, and when she did not answer, he rang it again and again and again.

Lilly finally answered the door once more. “What do you want?” she yelled.

“Please, I just wanted to show you around and I wanted to apologize for running into you at the arena. It was very unlike me to do something like that.”

Lilly was still not convinced, but she had to do something to waste the day away.

“Fine, I will join you around town, but this is not a date and you are not to touch me. Not even once. Are we clear?”

“Yes, of course!” he answered with a smile.

She turned to William who was listening in on the entire conversation. “I’m going out.” She noticed a smile creeping up on his face. “I’m only going because I have nothing better to do,” she scolded.

“I wouldn’t think it be for any other reason,” he assured her.

When they reached the town square, Charles showed her every shop they had, and also mentioned some of the history of the older buildings. Lilly hated to admit it, but she was actually having a good time. She still had no interest in Charles though. After they went through all the shops, they decided to go for a ride down the trails that led to the houses and fields.

“So, Charles, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“Um, what do you want to know?” Charles asked nervously.

“Tell me about your family.”

“I live with my parents and my sister.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yes, but she is much younger than I am,” said Charles. “I love my family, but I can’t wait to have a place of my own.”

“What is stopping you?”

“Well, it’s an Armorian tradition that one must reside in their original home until they are married. Of course that doesn’t mean people stay there all the time. Couples still like to stay at each other’s houses every once in a while. Technically, they still live with their parents even though they don’t stay there every night.”

“Really? That seems…different.”

Lilly wasn’t sure what to think about it. Sure, Lilly and Lyla lived with their grandparents, but what choice did they have. The Demorites invaded their homeland, so they had limited to no options of moving into another home. Here it seemed like they had the freedom to move out of their parent’s house when they wanted to, except they couldn’t because of tradition?

As they came around a corner and to a dark patch of the trail where the trees covered most of the light, Lilly felt a little tense. She was not afraid of the dark, but this place didn’t look right. Something about it was eerie.

Charles noticed the look on her face and told her it would be all right. He had gone through this area many times before. This helped relieve the tension, until three dark figures came out from behind the trees. Lilly immediately grabbed for her weapons, but she had forgotten to put her weapons belt on before they left the house. She went to turn her horse around, but another man appeared behind them.

“Well, what do we have here?” one of the men asked.

Charles must have known who they were because he let out a big breath of air. “It’s just me, you guys,” he said, sliding off his horse. “We don’t want any trouble. We just want to pass through.”

“Did you hear that, boys? They just want to pass through.” The three other men began to laugh. “If you want to pass, it’s going to cost you.”

Charles started walking toward the man. “Look, I don’t have anything to give...” Before he could finish, the man punched him in the stomach, and he collapsed to the ground. Lilly got off her horse and ran to him.

“And what do we have here? Maybe you can give us something in return?”

The man started walking toward her, and she felt someone behind her. She threw her elbow back and caught one of the men in his ribs. He slightly stumbled and pressed both hands to his side. The guy to her left came at her and she punched him in the face. She reached for the knife in her boot, but it was too late. Another man came behind her and grabbed her arms, pulling them behind her. The man that had spoken before punched her in her stomach and she tumbled to the ground, then they pinned her to the ground and began tearing at her clothes.

Charles came up behind them and pushed them out of the way. One of the men grabbed Lilly and held her back while Charles fought the other guys. He was swinging left and right and avoiding punches like he was a trained fighter. One by one he took them down, and the three of them were lying on the ground.

He turned to Lilly who was still held back by the fourth man. He had a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if Charles came any closer. Lilly looked into his eyes and knew exactly what he wanted her to do. She pulled his arm away as she stomped on his foot and Charles threw a knife that landed in the middle of his forehead. The man fell instantly.

Lilly stood motionless. She had never been in a situation without a weapon to defend herself. If she’d had one, she would have been just fine.

“Lilly, are you okay?” he asked. He moved his hand up to her arm, but she pulled away.

“Don’t!” she said. “It’s time for me to go home.”

“Let me take you.”

“No, I can find my way.”

Lilly mounted her horse and rode away, leaving Charles standing alone on the dirt path.

Lyla was sitting in her room reading a book when Lilly came in. She sat on the bed next to Lyla and leaned her head against her shoulder.

“How was your day?” Lyla asked. “William told me you spent the day with Charles. I hope you didn’t give him a hard time.” She nudged her sister in a playful manner, but then noticed something was wrong when Lilly didn’t respond the way she expected her to. Lyla closed her book and turned to where she was sitting directly in front of her sister and stared at her.

“What’s wrong?”

Lilly had let out a loud sigh and told Lyla everything that had happened. Lyla was terrified and told her she should always carry her weapons belt, even though she had not taken hers that morning either, and she needed to be more careful.

“I was actually having a nice time until the end, but I don’t think I’m upset because of what happened, even though it completely caught me off guard. I think I’m upset because of how I left things,” said Lilly.

“You mean with Charles?”

“Yes, I was so out of it that I didn’t even thank him for what he had done for me, I just rushed home.”

“Are you starting to like him?” Lyla smiled.

“No, but it just seems selfish, doesn’t it? No one has ever done anything like that for me before, except you, and I just left him there without an ounce of appreciation.”

“Lil, you’re hurting because that is the type of person we grew up to be. We don’t take things for granted, and we appreciate everything no matter how big or small. You will get the chance to return the favor.”

“How?” said Lilly. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Well, the tournament is tomorrow and I’m sure he will be there. Just tell him then.”

“I can do that,” Lilly smiled. “I’m sorry, I’m being so selfish, I haven’t even asked about your day. How was your day with Thomas?”

Lyla’s face fell and she shrugged her shoulders.

“It was okay, but it wasn’t what I expected it to be. I thought he was going to tell me how he felt about me, but maybe he doesn’t feel for me at all.”

Lyla did not tell her where the secret place was, but she told her they went somewhere special and to the enormous library on the square. It was all too perfect, but there was no spark of interest to see from him. It was like they were just friends having a conversation, and all she wanted was a sign, no matter how small or insignificant.

“Am I crazy for falling for someone I’ve only just met?” Lyla asked.

“I know you want to believe what you feel is real, but how can you know for sure? You hardly know him.”

“I think I should just leave it be for now. Maybe I should just keep my distance and focus on other things, like training, and apparently saving the world.”

“I’m not telling you what to do,” said Lilly. “But I think that is a good idea. It will be good for you.”

Lyla sighed. She wanted nothing more than to be with Thomas, but her sister was right. This would be good for her. She had to stay focused for the tournament, and she didn’t need him clouding her thoughts and distracting her, or she would get herself killed. Tomorrow she would keep her distance, no matter how challenging that might be.

Chapter 10

The next morning started out with its usual routine. Lyla and Lilly went downstairs and had their morning coffee, followed by a delicious breakfast. Thankfully, Thomas was nowhere to be seen. Where was he anyway? Was he with Morgan?

No, she couldn’t think about him. She wouldn’t think about him. It was already proving to be a difficult task, but she was confident that she could do it with the right mindset.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Lilly asked.

William had given them both a set of Armorian weapons to use for the day, which wasn’t necessary since they were not fighting Demorites, but they didn’t want to give anyone any reason to say they had cheated in the end by using different blades, if anyone would even do such a thing. Lyla couldn’t imagine anyone saying anything. Everyone had been so nice to them and seemed to really like them, except Morgan. It was possible she would say anything to undermine Lyla.

“I will meet you there later. I will be leading the expedition, so there is no reason for me to enter in the tournament.”

“How did you manage something like that?” said Lyla.

“The Armorians know me very well and trust me with a lot of things that go on around here. When something happens, I am usually one of the first to know. Now, go on. You will all meet at the courtyard, and from there you will be escorted to the area where the tournament will take place.”

After they had changed, they met outside by the horses. Lilly already had a saddle on Eris and was mounting her as Lyla walked out of the house.

“Could you be any slower?” she teased.

Lilly was wearing all black, as was Lyla. Today, they would be able to really prove their skills, not only to everyone else, but to themselves as well. This would prove that all the hours they had spent training when they were younger were well worth the effort. Lyla was looking forward to this day. Her skills were the one thing she could count on from herself that would never fail. She wanted to make sure her weapons belt was perfectly placed, which was why she had taken so long. In her mind, if it wasn’t set right it could mean the difference between winning the tournament and losing it.

Lyla mounted her horse, ignoring her sister’s question. They rode in silence most of the way. Lyla was thinking to herself, and Lilly must have been as well. Most likely thinking about what the tournament would really be like. Lyla found herself looking deep into the forest as the horses trotted along the trail.

She saw a shadowy figure lurking behind a tree and stopped her horse. Lilly looked back, pulling the reins so Eris would halt.

“Why did you stop?” she asked.

“I saw the dark shadow in the forest again. I can’t be imagining it this time.”

Lyla pulled herself off her horse and slowly walked into the forest with her knife in hand. Lilly wasn’t sure if she should pursue her––maybe it was one of the men that attacked her the day before––but she decided to follow her sister. At least this time, she had a weapon and Lyla was with her.

They approached the tree that Lyla had seen the shadowy figure standing behind. She gestured for Lilly to approach from one side while she came from the other. Lyla silently counted to three before they ran around the tree.

Lyla was stunned and Lilly was relieved. Nothing was there. Lyla didn’t know what to think. She couldn’t be imagining these things.

“You’re never wrong twice,” Lilly said. “Maybe that potion got the best of you. It’s most likely still in your system and is causing these hallucinations.”

“I am not hallucinating,” she barked back. “I can’t be!” She started walking back to her horse very angry and confused. This didn’t make any sense. Surely Arthur would have told her of any side effects that did not have to do with her nightmares. Wouldn’t he?

Lilly ran after her, grabbed her shoulder, and spun her around.

“Now you listen to me” she said firmly. “We do not get angry with each other. I know you are upset, but whatever this is, we will work it out together. It’s you and me against the world, right?”

Lyla wrapped her arms around her sister and started crying. Everything that had happened, everything that she was holding in, she let out and Lilly comforted her. Lyla hardly ever let anyone see her softer side except Lilly, and even then, it was not very often. Lilly reassured Lyla that she was there for her whenever she needed to talk or a shoulder to cry on. Lyla knew that, but it was nice to hear her sister say it. She dried her tears and they moved on.

Letting out her emotions actually made Lyla’s day seem a little brighter. When they arrived at the town square they tied their horses behind the buildings so they could graze on the grass.

They both walked along the dirt path until it connected to the concrete paths in front of the buildings. They walked along the shops until they arrived in the center of the square by the gateway. Giselle was waiting beside the gateway and waved them over as soon as she saw them. They were glad she was there to greet them because they could walk to the area together. Spending the day together would be a good sister-bonding moment for all of them.

Giselle, along with many other Armorians, were wearing gray and white clothing. It was mostly all leather, except for the three buckles that were lined down the abdomen. It also had crisscross-patterned ties up the sides, and a matching weapons belt that hung around the waist.

“Like it?” asked Giselle, who’d noticed Lyla examining her attire. “It is the Armorian battle gear. We will need to get the two of you some very soon.”

Lyla and Lilly nodded in agreement.

By the time everyone had arrived, there were at least one hundred people surrounding the gateway. If Thomas was in the crowd, Lyla couldn’t see him, but she wasn’t looking around for him either. An older man got their attention as he stood on a bench and waved his arms around so everyone would be silent.

“All right, everyone. It seems like all who are participating in the tournament have arrived. I will be escorting you to the area where the tournament will be held, so if you will all follow me in an orderly fashion we will all be on our way.”

The man stepped down from the bench, and everyone started to follow him. They took a path that led into the forest, and they were heading south. Lyla and Lilly had never gone this way before, so they were anxious as to what they might encounter, even though they were only anticipating more wooded areas.

They came to an area that was surrounded by houses on both sides of the path. They were much like the houses they had seen on their way to Arthur’s house, but they seemed to have a lot of charm and character. Another wooded area was up ahead. Lyla was starting to wonder how far this was. Why didn’t they ride their horses? They would have made the trip in half the time.

After they passed the wooded area that was similar to the rest in Armoria, they came to a large, open field. Lyla’s heart leaped. This was a real training area, and it reminded her of the training arena they had back at the cottage. Targets were set up in multiple areas and weapons were hanging on racks all around.

“These are the plains that connect to the river by Dresden, are they not?” Lilly asked Giselle.

“Oh, no,” she said. She pointed out toward a tree line way out in the distance. “Way past the tree line on the other side are the plains that connect to Dresden, but it’s a very large forest and a long stretch of plains, so it would take a few days even traveling by horse to get there. You have nothing to worry about.”

“I’m more curious than worried,” she said as if Giselle had just implied that she was scared of the Demorites. She wasn’t scared. She had encountered them many times before.

They walked toward the center of the field, passing multiple targets on the way. The grass crunched beneath their feet and was a golden brown due to the lack of water. Lyla had just noticed a man waiting for them past the heads of the people in front of her. He was in a dark blue suit and was yelling into the crowd trying to get everyone’s attention. He was short with gray hair and was a heavy-set man.

“Who is that man and why is he wearing a suit?” Lyla said as she leaned closer to Giselle. Lilly leaned close as well because she was also curious.

“That is Monroe Feeble,” said Giselle. “He is the head councilman of Armoria. He likes to wear suits to show everyone how successful he is even though no one cares. He’s not as bad as his daughter, but he’s pretty close.”

“His daughter?” Lilly said.

“Yeah, Morgan is his daughter. I’m sure you have had the pleasure of meeting her.”

“Pleasure?” said Lyla. “More like a nightmare that I can’t wake up from.”

“I was only being sarcastic. No one really likes her.”

“I wonder why?” said Lyla. “Could it be because she is a complete snob?”

Lilly laughed to herself. “That along with many other reasons.”

When Monroe finally got everyone’s attention and the chattering subsided, he began to speak.

“Welcome, everyone, to the tournament we have set up for you. I am very happy to see all of your faces here today.” Everyone began cheering and applauding in excitement. “Those of you who come out of the tournament as our top competitors will scout the outer border of Dresden to see if they are planning on advancing into Armoria. Although it was over twenty years ago that they invaded earth, we believe they are planning something even greater, something that will affect us immensely.” Whispers were growing louder throughout the crowd. “Now, if you will all welcome William Langston who will explain the stages of the tournament to you.”

Lyla and Lilly were astounded to see William as he walked to the place where Monroe had been standing previously. He had said he was leading the winning group on their venture, but had said nothing of what the tournament would entail. Maybe he did not have the authority to tell anyone about it.

“Good morning, everyone. The first stage of the tournament will require you to shoot a bow and arrow, allowing you to show us how skilled you are with this particular weapon. As you can see, all around you there are targets set in several different places. There will be designated people at each area to record how well you have done, and at the end, we will be eliminating those who have not quite met our standards. At that time, we would like you to remove yourselves from the premises so we can continue on without any added distractions. If you have any questions find Monroe or myself. Let the games begin.”

The crowd dispersed as people went their separate ways to different areas of the field. Four different areas were set up to allow the process to go faster. Lyla, Lilly, and Giselle went to the shooting area on the opposite side of the field. There was already a line before them when they arrived so they stood and waited, watching the results of the people before them.

Three targets were lined up next to each other, allowing three people to go at once, but they still only had one person go at a time. Lyla concluded that it was easier to record their progress this way. It didn’t take long until Lyla, Lilly, and Giselle were lined up together in front of their targets. They were old fashioned hay bales propped up on a stand with painted circles on the face of them.

The girls waited for the woman who was writing down the progress from the last three contestants. When she concluded the results, she had an assistant remove the arrows from the targets. Giselle was the first to shoot, one arrow flying after the other. Her arrows were perfectly centered in the bullseye, circled around one another. The lady wrote down her information and nodded at Lilly for her to shoot. Lilly’s second arrow had penetrated the first in the exact same position, splitting the arrow in two. Lyla could hear excited whispers all around her as her sister took her last shot and placed her last arrow just above the previous two. Lyla smiled at Lilly as she turned around with her head held high.

“Wow, you did really well,” said Lyla. “Although, I knew you would.”

“I’m sure you will do even better.”

“Great job, Lil.” William had come up behind them at some point watching their progress. He stood back and watched Lyla as she prepared herself to shoot.

Lyla took her stance in front of her target and pulled back the bow with the arrow in place. Her first arrow landed right in the center of the target, followed by the second that split it in half, just as Lilly’s had done. She pulled back her third arrow, her breathing was steady and she knew she could hit it in the exact same place. She was about to release her arrow when something caught her eye. Thomas was walking by with Charles, and when he caught her eye he winked at her.

Lyla’s arrow released and landed on the next ring. She heard people behind her gasp. Lyla stood staring at her target. What had she done? How could she let Thomas distract her like that? She would not be able to move onto the next round after such a performance.

She turned around and looked from Lilly to Giselle to William, who all looked completely shocked. Without saying a word, she walked away and shoved past Thomas who was walking toward her.

“Ow,” he said rubbing his shoulder. “What did I do?”

“Just get out of the way,” Lilly said, running after her sister. When she caught up to her, she was out of breath. Lyla was walking so fast it was hard to keep up with her.

“Lyla, where are you going?”

“I might as well just leave now. There’s no way I will advance after something like that.”

“You don’t know that. Your first two shots were perfect. Will you stop for a second, please?”

Lyla stopped and turned to her sister. She was angry and disappointed in herself. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone.

“What happened, Ly?” Lilly asked.

“It was there. I had the shot perfectly lined up, and then I saw Thomas and I got distracted. I blew it and it is all because of him. You’re right, Lil. I was foolish to think I could love someone, but I can’t. I can’t afford to be distracted like that again.”

Lilly pressed her hands to Lyla’s shoulders.

“Lyla, I don’t want you to give up on love because of me. I know I have beaten down the idea, and I don’t know if it is something for me, but it is definitely for you. You deserve to have something like what you feel for him.”

“Not if in the end, it costs me my life.”

Lyla walked away, and this time Lilly didn’t follow. She walked back toward the target area where William and Giselle were, but before she made it, she ran into Charles.

“Oh, Charles, um, hi.”

“Lilly, I just wanted to say that I am sorry for what happened yesterday. I did not intend for anything like that to happen, and if you were hurt then...”

“But I wasn’t,” said Lilly. “And that is all thanks to you. I’m sorry I walked away like that without thanking you for what you did for me. That was very brave of you.” She gave him a slight smile and he unexpectedly hugged her.

“So, I’ll see you around?” Charles asked.

“I wouldn’t make a habit of it if I were you.” She smiled at him once more and walked away.

After all the competitors were finished with the first stage of the tournament, they gathered in the center of the field where they had met just a few hours prior. Lyla had found Lilly in the crowd of people. She hadn’t seen her since the conversation they’d had before. Lilly said nothing and slipped her hand into Lyla’s, holding it tightly to let her know she was there and that everything would work itself out.

Monroe had taken the attention of the crowd and announced all the people that were going to move on to the next round. Of the one hundred people that were competing, twenty-eight people would be eliminated from the first round. This made Lyla nervous. Twenty-eight people seemed like a lot, but that meant seventy-two people were moving on to the next round. Maybe she still had a chance.

Giselle was the first to be called out of the people she knew, then Lilly, Thomas, and Charles. Eventually, Joseph’s name was even called. Lyla had forgotten about him. As far as she knew, Giselle and Joseph were a couple. She had seen him around the house a few times with Giselle, but she had never really talked to him.

Lyla was getting nervous. Monroe had to be close to the bottom of the list by now.

“And the last name I will call is…Lyla Langston.”

Lyla didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she exhaled and felt a rush of relief wash over her when she heard her name. She must have barely made it to the next round. She was so happy to be going to the next round, and this time she wouldn’t let herself get distracted.

William once again took the place of Monroe and described how the next round would work. This round would be similar to the last round, except they would use knives as their weapons. Also, the target would be in the silhouette of a human. Since knives cannot split in two like arrows can, they were given two main areas to hit, the head and the heart. The third knife would be just for good measure if someone missed one of the two areas completely.

Lyla walked with Lilly and Giselle to the same area they were at before, trying to avoid Thomas if possible. Three targets were switched out to the human silhouette and were lined up just as the last targets were. Small red circles were painted on the forehead and the heart of each. Giselle, Lilly, and Lyla all stood next to each other once again. Giselle was the first to throw. She aimed one knife for the heart and one for the head both landing with perfect aim. Lilly was next and did just as well as Giselle.

When it came to Lyla’s turn she felt relaxed yet focused. She would not only throw two knives but all three to make up for her fault on the last round. One after another she threw the knives quickly and carefully. One landed in the center of the target’s forehead and the other two were centered in the heart of it with the tips of the blades touching one another. She was proud of herself for what she had accomplished. There was no way she wouldn’t make it to the next round.

It was no surprise that they had all made it to the next round, which William explained would be sword fighting. It would be just as it was in the training arena where they had to reach a certain level to advance. Twenty-eight more people were eliminated, leaving forty-four people left for this challenge. There were four different areas, and eleven people were assigned to each area. The top four of each area would move on to the next round.

Lyla and Lilly were split up into different areas, so they wished each other luck as they parted ways. Giselle and Charles were in Lyla’s group along with other random people she did not know, and Lilly was in a group with Thomas and Joseph, but she didn’t speak to either of them.

Lyla walked to the circle with Giselle, and this time there was a man that would record their progress. He called random people from his list into the circle to fight one another.

Lyla was called for the second round and she stepped into the circle. Her partner was a girl that didn’t seem too intimidating, but her looks were deceiving. Lyla quickly found out that the girl had very fast reflexes, and to beat her she would have to think quickly and try to anticipate her every move. They had been fighting for what seemed like ten minutes, and Lyla was growing weary even with the help of her crystal giving her extra energy. She had to find a way to end this. Lyla swept the feet of her opponent right out from under her and pointed her sword at her heart. She wished there had been a better way to end it, but there were no rules after all.

Giselle congratulated Lyla as she stood by her side.

“Good thing Thomas wasn’t here to distract you, huh?” said Giselle.

Lyla was stunned. “What do you mean?”

“I know you like him. I can see it in your eyes. I notice how your gaze follows him around when he’s not looking.”

Lyla was slightly embarrassed. Did everyone know how she felt about him? “That doesn’t mean he feels the same way.” She crossed her arms and looked toward the circle. She didn’t want to talk about something that wasn’t going to happen.

“Give him time, he will come around.”

Lyla knew she was trying to be encouraging and sentimental, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“It doesn’t matter, because I’m done. I can’t afford to think of such things when there are more pressing matters at hand. Lilly was right. Love gives us false hope, and men are just distractions from what really matters,” said Lyla.

“Love is the most beautiful thing we could ever experience in life. Don’t give up so easily.”

Before Lyla could respond, Giselle’s name was called, and she entered the circle.

The last sixteen names were called, and Lyla and Lilly were very happy to be advancing to the last and final challenge. The people who were not advancing groaned and whined as they left the field. The next challenge would take place in another location, and before they went there, they would once again meet back at the gateway in the center of the courtyard.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Monroe announced the names of each team. There were sixteen people left, and the two teams would consist of eight people on each side. Lyla was excited about most of her team members. Lilly, Giselle, Charles, Joseph, Thomas, one random person named Sophia, and Morgan.

“He can’t be serious,” said Lyla to William, who was standing nearby. “We can’t be on the same team. We hate each other.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t choose who is on what team. You will just have to cope.”

Lyla let out a loud groan and rolled her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Not only did she have to try to avoid Thomas, which seemed impossible since they were on the same team, she also had to play nice with Morgan.

William grabbed their attention once Monroe was finished with the names.

“Congratulations, to those of you who stand before me. You have all done well, and will be moving on to the last and final challenge. The team that wins this challenge will be the team that joins me to Dresden. The objective of this challenge will be to capture the other team’s flag.” Each team was smiling and talking amongst themselves. How hard could this challenge really be? William smiled. “Most of you are thinking this challenge will be easy, but I haven’t even told you the best part.”

Lyla looked at Lilly, who was still staring toward William, and everyone in the crowd was whispering to each other. They were all wondering what could possibly make it so challenging.

“This challenge will not be set in Armoria, but on earth.”

Chapter 11

Everyone was stunned and stared at William, mouths agape. They couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Relocating the challenge to earth was certainly a game changer. Most of them had never been to earth and didn’t know what to expect. Lyla and Lilly couldn’t help but smile. This was their turf, and it would certainly give their team an advantage, because they already knew most of the area.

Following William, who would oversee the challenge, they stepped through the gateway one after another. They came out on the other side with a full view of trees surrounding them in every direction.

“What a dump,” said Morgan.

Lyla couldn’t stand to be around her––everything she said made her want to strangle her that much more.

“Okay,” said William. “You want to find the other team’s flag, but if you find your own before the other team, that is a huge advantage because you can defend it until your teammates find the other flag. Any questions?”

“Yeah,” said a boy from the other team. “Do we get a clue or do we have to wander around aimlessly until we find what we are looking for?”

“That is a great question,” said William. “Your flag will most likely be placed in an abandoned town, but it is up to you to find the town on your own. My assistant, Robby, here will follow one team, and I will follow the other so we can keep track of you. We will each take you to a starting point, so both teams will not start in the same area.” He glanced at the sun, which was high in the sky. “It is about two-thirty and we are scheduled to start at three. That will give each team thirty minutes to reach the starting points. Robby, you will follow Team A and I will follow Team B. Also, be careful of any Demorites that may be lurking around. Good luck, and may the best team claim victory.”

Lyla and Lilly’s team were Team A, so they would be accompanied by Robby. They assumed William was assigned to the other team so he wouldn’t be accused of cheating if they won in the end. Robby was tall and had shaggy golden hair and blue eyes. Lyla didn’t want to admit it, but he was fairly attractive. They followed him in the opposite direction of the other team. By the time they reached their starting position, they still had fifteen minutes to waste, so they started creating a plan.

“Lyla and I know the area very well, so we can use this to our advantage,” said Lilly.

“Our best bet is to…” said Lyla.

“Wait,” said Morgan. “Why should you be the one to lead us? Maybe the rest of us have a plan and would like to contribute.”

“Okay,” said Lyla. “Would anyone like to share their ideas?”

They all looked at one another waiting for someone to speak up, but they didn’t and Morgan looked disappointed.

“Well I think we should…we should…”

“Morgan, give it a rest,” said Thomas. “You have no clue what is around here, and they do. If we are going to win this, we need to listen to what they have to say.”

Lyla stared at him in awe. He had stood up for her and pretty much told Morgan to back off. She wanted to smile and laugh in Morgan’s face, but she didn’t. This was game time, and she wouldn’t care if Thomas kissed her at this moment, she had to stay focused. Though the thought of him kissing her brought warmth to her cheeks.

“Okay,” said Lyla. “Lilly and I know where the closest town is to here, and it is likely that they would have placed at least one of the flags there since it is close by. Obviously, we have no clue where either of the flags are, but our best bet will be to find our flag first if we can. Like William said, it would be a great advantage. From there, we split into two groups. Four of us will stay with our flag in defense, while the other four go in search of the other team’s flag. Would anyone like to add to that?”

“I think it is a great plan,” said Giselle. Everyone, even Morgan nodded in agreement. Robby told them it was three o’clock and they could begin when they were ready.

“Let’s do this,” said Lyla.

Lyla and Lilly led the way as they ventured past trees and bushes and through tall grass. They came up behind a set of tall buildings that had tall plant life surrounding them.

“Okay,” said Lilly. “We need to stay low and quiet just as a precaution. We have no idea where the other team is or if there are Demorites in the area. Keep your guard up at all times.”

Everyone followed Lilly in a straight line and peeked around every corner to make sure no one was around. When Lilly saw that it was clear, they all came around the buildings and stood in the street. Buildings were on each side and only stretched down for no more than half a mile. It was a very small town and wouldn’t take long to search through.

Everyone spread out, one person to each building. Once they were completely searched they would move on to the next building.

Lyla came to a large building and slowly opened the door, her knife in hand. The building was very old and had a layer of dirt on every surface. There was an area with a large counter that was surrounded by stools, and a mirror hung up behind it. Shelves lined the wall that held several different bottles with labels that were so worn they were unreadable. She walked around the counter and picked up a few different bottles and noticed they were all empty. If she wasn’t mistaken this used to be a bar. She hadn’t even read the sign outside the door. She left the bottles in their place and continued looking, but she found nothing.

Lyla walked out to the street, hoping someone else had found something. When she stepped outside, she noticed Charles and Sophia had just come from separate buildings with nothing in hand and Thomas, Joseph, Giselle, and Lilly were standing in the street. They all gathered into a group, discussing their next move and where their flag may be, assuming it was close by. Lyla looked around at the people in the group, when she noticed someone missing.

“Where’s Morgan?” Lyla asked.

Everyone looked around, not realizing that she was even absent.

“I think she went into that building,” said Giselle as she pointed toward a building on the corner.

“I’ll go find her,” said Lyla.

Lyla walked into the building Giselle had pointed out. Morgan was nowhere to be found on the first floor, so Lyla walked up the wooden stairs that led to the second level. There were multiple rooms, each of which was almost completely empty, other than a few tables and desks. She walked into the last room and found Morgan standing in the corner holding a blue triangular flag that read Team A in bold, black letters.

“Morgan, you found our flag,” Lyla said in excitement. “Come on, let’s go tell the others.” Morgan wouldn’t move and remained in the corner. “What’s wrong with you?” Lyla stepped further into the room and noticed her staring at something on the wall behind her.

Lyla turned and was pushed to the ground hard and fast. When she looked up, she saw a Demorite with its dark cloak on and a knife in its hand. Lyla tried to get up, but the Demorite grabbed her throat and picked her up off the ground. She clawed at his hands, but his grip was strong and she couldn’t breathe. Before she allowed herself to lose consciousness she reached for her belt and pulled out a knife, ready to shove it into his body wherever she could, but she didn’t have to. The point of a knife was protruding from his heart, and he let her go.

Lyla took a moment to catch her breath, and her sister knelt down at her side.

“Lyla, are you all right?” Lilly asked.

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks to you.”

Lilly saw Morgan still standing in the corner. She hadn’t helped Lyla at all. She would never be able to fight in a real battle if she couldn’t handle one Demorite. The rest of their group walked into the room and looked from the Demorite to Lyla and Lilly to Morgan.

“What happened here?” said Sophia. She was holding a sword in her hand and her blonde hair was covering most of her face.

“Nothing to worry about now,” said Lyla. “Morgan found our flag. That means the other team hasn’t found it yet and will come looking for it. Four of us need to set out to find their flag. Lilly, can you stay here and guard our flag?” Lilly looked up at her in surprise. Lyla didn’t want her to find the other flag with her? “I trust you more than anyone,” Lyla whispered so no one else could hear. At that moment, Lilly understood.

“Yes, I’ll keep Morgan here as well. I don’t think she will be much help to you now.” Morgan came out of her shocked state and gave her an unappreciative look. “Charles and Sophia can also stay to help me protect it.”

“Okay, the rest of you come with me.” Lyla turned to Lilly before leaving, and embraced her. “Be careful.”

“You know I will,” said Lilly.

Lyla met Thomas, Giselle, and Joseph in the street. The next closest town Lyla could think of would be north, in the direction of the other team. They traveled back into the woods, straying away from the path of the broken road.

“If the other team is heading this way, they will use this road to find the next town. We need to listen carefully, so we don’t run into them.”

Lyla didn’t want to feel like she was being bossy, but she knew this area better than anyone. If anyone else had ideas she would have gladly taken them into consideration, but they all followed her lead.

They had traveled for a few miles when they heard some voices ahead of them. Lyla signaled for them to keep low and stay hidden. There were four Armorians walking along the broken road toward the town they had just left. Apparently, they had the same idea and left the rest of their team to defend their flag, which meant they were heading in the right direction. As soon as the group passed and were out of earshot they all stood up.

“Well, we can only assume they found their flag,” said Thomas.

“We need to get moving if we are going to find their flag before they find ours,” said Joseph. They all started walking, when Lyla stopped them.

“Hold on. We can’t just walk into the next town and expect them to hand the flag over to us. Once they see us they will do everything they can to keep us away, including shooting arrows at us. We have to be smarter than that.”

“What do you suggest we do then?” Giselle asked.

“We have to go in unseen. We do like we did in the last town and come in from behind the buildings. Two of us will go on one side and two on the other. After that, we take the fire escape to get to the roof. They will most likely have one person on each rooftop as a lookout, so if we can get behind them and take them out before they sound off an alarm, our chances will be better.”

“Then we get into the buildings and take out the last two,” said Thomas.

“Exactly,” said Giselle. “The only problem is the last two people are going to be inside together, defending their flag.”

“So, we create a distraction to separate them and take them out one by one,” said Lyla.

“Sounds like a great plan,” said Thomas.

“Then let’s put it into action,” said Lyla.

Lilly sat in the same room Lyla had left her in with Morgan, Charles, and Sophia. It had been an hour since the others had left, and they had not heard a sound indicating that the other team was close. She wondered if they had found the other team’s flag and how they would know if they did. Lilly forgot that Robby was around until he came strolling into the room.

“I know you are not actually a part of this, but roaming around could give away our position, so if you would please sit down and stay quiet that would be very helpful.”

He was surprised by Lilly’s aggressiveness and Charles smirked. Loud voices were coming from outside the window. Lilly held out her hand so everyone would remain seated while she got up to see who it was. Four Armorians were walking down the street. Three boys and a girl.

“Looks like they haven’t made it here yet,” said one of the men. “This could be easier than we thought.” They all laughed with one another and started searching buildings on the opposite side of the town.

“It’s the other team,” said Lilly. “We need a plan.”

No one moved, and she began to get very irritated.

“Charles, help me move this Demorite.” Together they raised him up and sat him in the chair behind a desk on the back wall. “If they come in here they will get a nice surprise.” Lilly laughed to herself. “We need to hide somewhere.” Lilly was about to open the door when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs and she began to panic. “Everyone in the closet.” They all crammed into a small coat closet by the door.

The door opened and a girl let out a loud shriek. She threw a knife at the Demorites head and ran forward to retrieve it. Another person followed in behind her.

“What happened?” he asked.

“A Demorite,” she said. “But I killed it.” Lilly could hear by the tone of her voice that she was so proud of herself. The second set of footsteps drew closer to the Demorite.

“This Demorite was already dead,” he said.

“It was not,” she said. “I just killed it.”

“There is a puncture wound to the heart,” he said. “The other team has been here.”

“That doesn’t mean they are still here,” said the girl. “Let’s try the next town over.”

“Unless,” he said.

“Unless, what?”

Lilly could hear his footsteps drawing closer to the door. She gripped her knife tighter, ready to fight back. He opened the door, and Lilly knocked him down. The girl screamed as Charles ran toward her and pinned her down. Lilly took the hilt of her knife and knocked the guy in the head with it, rendering him unconscious. Charles gently squeezed the girl’s neck just enough to make her pass out.

“That wasn’t so bad,” said Charles.

“Yeah, but we have two more to worry about,” said Sophia.

Arrows started flying toward them from the stairwell, sticking into the door, one of them grazing Lilly’s side. Lilly quickly shut the door and locked it.

“Lilly, are you okay?” Charles cried.

“I’ll be fine,” she said.

“Can they do that?” Sophia yelled.

“There are no rules,” said Lilly. “Let’s just hope our team gets their flag before we are forced to give up ours.”

Lyla and her group had split into two teams. Giselle and Joseph would take one side and Lyla and Thomas would take the other. Lyla tried to object because she would rather pair up with Giselle, but they were already moving away.

“Come on,” Lyla said to Thomas.

“I get the feeling you don’t really like me,” Thomas said.

“Is this really the time to talk about it? We need to focus on the mission.” Lyla ran forward before he could say another word. They came to the back of the buildings as planned, and quietly made their way up the fire escape. When they reached the top, their opponent had his back to them, just as they’d hoped. Thomas ran forward and wrapped his arm around his throat until he fell unconscious. Across the street on the rooftop Joseph signaled that they had done the same.

Thomas and Lyla made their way into the building maneuvering down the stairs and onto the next level. They tried their best not to creak the floors if possible. They stopped when they heard voices in a nearby room. Thomas nodded, and they snuck into the room next to the room where they heard the voices. In the room, Lyla found an old paperweight on a desk and threw it down the stairs making a loud noise.

“What was that?” said a voice from the other room.

“I don’t know. Go check it out and I will guard the flag.”

Lyla pulled out her bow and arrow as footsteps passed the room and down the stairs. She followed Thomas, and together they opened the door. Inside was a girl holding a red flag with the words Team B written across it. William was sitting at a desk with a smile on his face.

“You will not get this flag,” she said.

“Give it to us or this arrow is going through your head,” said Lyla.

“Y-you can’t do that,” she stammered.

“There are no rules,” said Lyla. “I can do whatever I want.”

“But you wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t wait around to test that theory,” said Thomas.

The girl hesitated and reached out to hand the flag to Thomas when the second person from her team came up behind them.

“Thomas, take care of the problem.” Lyla wasn’t about to take her arrow off this girl and risk their chances of winning. Thomas unsheathed his sword and swung it around at the person behind him. Lyla kept her glare on the girl––who was quivering, knowing that Lyla was prepared to end her life––while listening to the sound of swords clashing behind her. Minutes had passed, and fatigue was growing stronger in Lyla’s arms. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep it up.

“Enough,” said a voice from the doorway. It was Giselle and she had her arrow pointed at Thomas’s opponent. “Give us the flag or you are both dead.”

The boy fighting Thomas threw his sword down in rage, and the girl finally handed the flag over. They had won. It was finished.

They all walked out to the street, and William let off a loud horn that was sure to be heard from miles away.

Lilly was crammed into the coat closet with the rest of her teammates when she heard the other two Armorians from the other team smash through the door.

“Come out or we will shoot through the door,” said one of the men.

“What do we do?” Sophia asked.

Lilly sighed in defeat. “We can’t risk out lives. We have to give them what they want. We’re coming out,” she yelled.

She opened the door and stood in front of her opponent, who grinned, knowing he was about to win the challenge. A girl was standing behind him with her arrow pulled back, ready to shoot should they change their minds.

Charles, Sophia, and Robby stepped out behind her, and Morgan was still in the closet.

“We can’t surrender,” Morgan shouted. “How can you all give up so easily?”

“If you want to gamble your life away, so be it,” said Lilly. They stepped out of the way and let the man pass them to take the flag from Morgan. He was about to grab it from her when they heard a loud horn ringing from the distance.

“Well, that’s it then,” said Robby. “Team A has successfully acquired Team B’s flag. They win the game.”

Lilly couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Lyla had done it. They had retrieved the other flag and they had won.

“See, it’s a good thing I didn’t surrender so easily, huh?” said Morgan.

“Oh, be quiet,” said Lilly as she walked out of the room, and then took the stairs that let out of the building. Charles and Sophia laughed as they followed her, and two of her opponents from the other team were stomping their feet in anger as the other two team members were gaining consciousness.

William and Robby gathered all sixteen members that had competed in the final challenge of the tournament. They were now back in Armoria and waited for William to make a final announcement. He wanted them to get back to Armoria as soon as possible, just as a precaution in case some nearby Demorites heard the horn sound off.

“Congratulations to Team A for completing the challenge victoriously. You will all be able to join me on my expedition. There will be a celebration this evening in your honor, and everyone is welcome to attend.”

The members of Team B were discouraged, but they couldn’t help but get excited at the sound of a celebration.

“I will see you all in a few hours at the town hall.”

With that being said, they all went their separate ways.

Chapter 12

William, Giselle, Lyla, Lilly, and Thomas rode home together to prepare for the evening. It was not a formal gathering, but a casual event. They all did their own makeup, while Lilly did their hair. Lyla had no idea she had such a hidden talent. Giselle had her hair up in beautiful curls, Lilly had her hair half up and half down with a few curls dangling over her shoulder, and Lyla insisted she wear her hair down, should her collarbone be exposed.

When the girls were finished preparing themselves, William stepped through the door and had two outfits dangling from his arm. He put them on Lyla’s bed so they could examine them.

“I thought if you didn’t know what to wear you could wear these.”

One outfit was a pair of black pants and a dark purple short-sleeved shirt that matched perfectly with a nice blazer that was lying next to it. The other was similar and came with a long-sleeved button-down light pink shirt.

“Where did these come from?” Lilly asked, still admiring the clothing on the bed.

“Before I asked your mother to live with me in Armoria I had

some clothes picked out for her. That’s why you have clothes in both of your closets. I divided them up before I went to find you.”

“How different things would have been if she had just said yes,”

said Lyla.

“Yes,” said William. “But let’s not ponder on the things we do not have the power to change.” He hugged both Lyla and Lilly before leaving the room. “I will see you both downstairs.”

Lilly chose the outfit with the purple shirt and Lyla had no other choice but to wear the other one. They were both very nice, despite the fact that William had them from over twenty years ago. Lyla buttoned her shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans instead of the black pants, which she believed to be more her style.

William had a carriage waiting outside.

After they all stepped into the carriage, William followed in after them. He would be joining them as well, of course, because everyone in Armoria was invited. Thomas, however, was nowhere to be found.

The carriage arrived at the front steps of the same large building in the courtyard that Lyla thought looked like a church when they first arrived in Armoria. This building was their town hall, in a sense, and it held many purposes. They held weekly meetings with any Armorian that wanted to attend to discuss various suggestions about Armoria’s well-being, which were held by the head councilman Monroe Feeble. It was also a sanctuary for Armorians if they wanted to seek God in their time of need, and it also had a large ballroom just for occasions like this.

After they walked through the front door, they were escorted by a man down an open hallway that came to two large wooden doors that were propped open. Lyla could see a bright light coming through the doors and people dancing all around from down the hall. She could tell before she reached the doorway that the room would be massive.

A large open floor stretched out far and wide, and pillars stood around the entire room. Lyla looked all around and noticed the very high ceiling that was covered in beautiful art. Cream and gold were the two main colors that were spread throughout the entire room, including the detailed molding on the walls and pillars as well as the floor. This was how she imagined the ballrooms in her fairytale books to look like, and at that moment she felt like she was living in one.

Giselle found Joseph, and together they walked to the dance floor. William, Lyla, and Lilly sat at one of the tables that was placed around the perimeter of the room. A large table was set up on the side of the hall covered in food, desserts, and colorful drinks.

Lyla was surprised. She thought this was supposed to be a small celebration, but this seemed massive and a bit excessive. Charles approached the table and asked Lilly if she wanted to dance, but she denied him several times.

“Lil, go dance with the man,” said Lyla. “You love to dance, and it’s not going to kill you.” Lilly thought it over before finally giving in.

“Fine, but it doesn’t mean that I like him.” Lyla laughed as he escorted her sister to the dance floor.

William wasn’t one to dance around much, but he asked Lyla to dance, so she didn’t feel left out even though she could care less if she danced or not.

Lyla noticed that Giselle and Joseph were having a great time dancing. Most importantly she saw that Lilly was having a great time. She had not left Charles’s sight since he asked her to dance, and even though Lilly wouldn’t admit it, Lyla noticed how happy she was. Of all the years they had been together she had never seen her sister so happy. They were always training and hunting, and Lyla didn’t mind, but she thought if Lilly had a choice she would have chosen a completely different life. This was the life she deserved.

Lilly was dancing with Charles until a little girl interrupted them. She had dark hair and brown eyes.

“Lilly, this is my sister, Anna,” said Charles. Lilly thought she was the cutest little girl, and she had the same eyes as Charles.

“Hi, Anna.”

“You’re really pretty,” said Anna giggling to herself. She was pulling at her dress and swaying around nervously.

“Not as pretty as you though.”

The little girl smiled and ran off.

“She’s so precious,” said Lilly.

“She really is,” said Charles. “I love her more than anything.”

Lyla was sitting at the table alone. William disappeared for a few moments and then returned with two drinks, one for each of them. Lyla took a drink and almost spit it out.

“What is this?” she cried. “It’s disgusting!”

William couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s fruit punch with a little bit of alcohol. Keep drinking it and you will like it.”

Lyla did as he said and she did come to like it. She almost couldn’t believe that William was offering her alcohol, but then again she was old enough. It was then that she remembered her birthday was coming up. She had forgotten all about it with all the chaos that surrounded her. She still had to get Lilly something, but she had no idea what to get her. She was thinking about it until her thoughts were interrupted as someone approached the table.

A man in a casual shirt and tie sat at the table beside her. A few random men had asked her to dance throughout the evening. She would dance with them only for a few songs and then sit back down afterwards. This time it was a familiar face.

“Thomas?” she said.

“Yes, it is me,” he said giddily.

“Have you been drinking?” Lyla asked. She was completely astounded. She had never expected to see him this way.

“I have and I’m still working on it. It put me in a pretty good mood if I do say so myself.”

Lyla wanted to ignore him, but she couldn’t help but laugh at his behavior.

“Would you like to dance with me?” he asked Lyla as he held out his hand.

Lyla’s mouth opened, but she was unaware of what to say. She looked at William, who smiled and nodded, encouraging her to dance. She took Thomas’s hand as he led her to the dance floor. The music slowed, so he grabbed her waist and she put her hand on his shoulder. Lyla’s heart began to pound in her chest and she could feel her temperature rising. This is what she had wanted, until she decided otherwise. Her mind was running a thousand different ways and she didn’t know which direction to follow. She did not want to stare at him so she looked at the people around him until his hand pulled her chin toward him. His eyes were staring into hers.

“Are you having a good time?” he asked.

She could barely get a word out because her nerves were getting the best of her. She thought it was silly that she felt this way. Or was it? She was supposed to be tough, not this girl that was trembling with every touch from him. She took in a deep breath.

Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.

“Yes, I am having a great time,” she said softer than she had intended.

He smiled at her and she moved her head to his chest and let it rest there for the remainder of the song as he held her.

“Do you want to get out of here? We can go somewhere and talk if you would like,” said Thomas. Lyla looked up at him in confusion.

“You want to talk?” she said.

“That is if you want to.”

Lyla wanted to, but at the same time she was trying to forget about him and he was making it very difficult. Her heart told her to go with him, but her head told her to stay. She thought about what Giselle had told her earlier that day.

Love is the most beautiful thing we could ever experience in life. Don’t give up so easily.

Lyla forgot what her head was saying and followed her heart without a second thought.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Chapter 13

Lyla and Thomas left the town hall and Lyla followed him to a garden that was beyond the far buildings on the other side of the square. The moon was shining brightly above them, and they could see everything. Low trimmed bushes lined the outer edges of the path and flowers were all around. Red, white, and yellow lilies surrounded them, and in the center of the garden was a small fountain.

“I haven’t spent any time over here,” said Lyla. “I had no idea this was here at all, actually. This is beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” Thomas said. Lyla turned and looked at him astonished by what she’d just heard or at least thought she’d heard.

“What did you say?”

“I said you are beautiful.”

“Um, thank you, Thomas.”

“Lyla,” said Thomas. He had both hands on her shoulders, and then slid then down past her arms to her hands. “I need to tell you how I really feel about you.”

“Please, don’t do this, Thomas.” She pulled her hands away and continued walking. He followed her and turned her around.

“Please, stop,” he said. He wasn’t angry or frustrated, but gentle and almost pleading.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Lyla asked.

“I thought you liked me, but I didn’t know for sure. I noticed how you would look at me when I was looking away, and how you would look away when I looked at you. Today, was different though. I could feel you pulling away from me, and I hated it. My mistake was not letting you know how I feel about you sooner, but I didn’t want to be too forward.”

Lyla was now interested in what he had to say. She turned and looked at him, but hurt was in her eyes. Lyla caught herself biting her lip. She wasn’t sure if he was about to tell her that he only wanted to be her friend or that he liked her as much as she liked him. “And how do you feel about me?”

“You’re beautiful. Um, you make me feel unstable, and for some reason I can’t stop thinking about you. Something about you draws me in and I can’t pull away no matter how hard I try. You are a ray of sunlight in this dark world and I just can’t get enough. Tonight, I saw you walk in with William, and I couldn’t stop staring at you. I had to have a few drinks just so I could dance with you. At least then if I made a fool of myself you would have thought it was from the booze and not me personally.”

“A few days ago I would have been happy to hear you say that, but now I’m not so sure. The reason I missed my target today was because I saw you. You’re a distraction, Thomas.”

“Then I know you feel the same way. Look, I know I’m not good at this whole pouring-my-heart-out thing because I’ve never really done it before, but I’m being sincere.”

“What about Morgan?” Lyla asked.

“Morgan has been attached to my side like a pest since we turned fifteen. I never felt right with her, but there was no one else around that I liked either. I let her pull me around and I shouldn’t have. I love you, Lyla Langston, and I hope it is not too late.”

“You love me?”

“With all my heart.”

Lyla couldn’t believe what he had just said. She had imagined him saying that to her when she was consumed in every part of him. His eyes, his smile. What was she supposed to think now? This was what she wanted, but then she decided she didn’t want him, and now here he was confessing his love for her.

“I-I love you too, Thomas Tucker.” He took her hand in his and kissed the back of her hand, when he saw movement in the corner of his eye. Lyla followed his gaze and saw the movement as well. Whatever it was, it was moving toward them, and fast. When Thomas realized what it was, he told her to run. She grabbed for a weapon, but she didn’t bring anything with her to the celebration thinking she wouldn’t need it. Turned out she was wrong.

Lyla and Thomas ran as fast as they could along the buildings, but the creature jumped over them and blocked their path. Lyla thought it looked like a mix between a lion and a wolf. It was a very large animal with a large body and a long slender tail. Its paws and head were both massive. It had long hair, but dry blood was clumping up its fur. Lyla noticed it had very sharp teeth as saliva fell from its mouth to the ground. On top of the creature was a rider and Lyla knew exactly what it was. A Demorite. Why was a Demorite so close to the town square?

The Demorite slid down from the large animal. Thomas pulled out a knife and told Lyla to run. Lyla ran back from the direction they’d come. The Demorite ordered his monster to go after her and it obeyed.

“No!” Thomas yelled. He tried to run after the creature, but the Demorite pulled him back. Thomas instantly turned on the Demorite and tried to stab him in the heart, but the Demorite caught his arm and hit him hard in the stomach. Lyla’s screams sounded in the distance and he tried to go after her, but the Demorite held him back and laughed in his face. He threw himself at the Demorite, which knocked him down, and he shoved his knife into the Demorite’s head. When Thomas returned to his feet, he ran after Lyla.

Lyla ran in the opposite direction when Thomas told her to run. She had no weapon, so she would be of no help anyway. She reached the lawn of the courtyard before the creature caught up to her. She faced the creature as it leaped toward her, and she rolled out of the way before it reached her. She started to run again. Her best bet was to get to the town hall for help, but it was on the other side of the courtyard. She wouldn’t be able to evade the creature for that long.

The creature jumped and caught her foot from behind. She fell to the ground and rolled over on her back before the creature made its way on top of her. It was standing over her and she kicked her feet trying to push it away, but the creature bit her arm and she screamed. She tried to fight it off, but she felt heat beginning to rise in her body and she began to feel nauseous. She moved her hand along the ground around her to see if she could use anything against it and found a large stick. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. She took it and held it in both hands holding it between the creature’s teeth, keeping it from biting her again.

She saw Thomas come up behind the creature and drive his blade into its back. The creature let out a yelp and ran off into the forest. Her vision began to blur as she saw the creature run away.

Thomas leaned down to Lyla. Her shirt sleeve was soaking with blood, and her pants were now covered with dirt and grass stains. He saw sweat begin to drip down her face, and realized she had been bitten.

“Thomas, it hurts,” Lyla said weakly. All the strength she had left was quickly draining from her body.

“I know someone who can help.”

He picked her up, and reached his horse at the other end of the courtyard as quickly as he could. No one was around and he had no time to look for anyone.

He had to get her to Arthur.

He put them both on his horse, and he held onto her as his horse raced to Arthur’s house. She whispered his name a few times on the way going in and out of consciousness.

When he arrived at Arthur’s house, a single light was showing through the window. Without knocking, Thomas opened the door and let himself in, yelling for Arthur.

“What is all this yelling about?” Arthur asked. He came strolling out of his bedroom with a patterned robe and night pants on. Arthur saw Thomas carrying Lyla in his arms. She was barely breathing and looked lifeless.

Without question, Arthur guided Thomas into the spare bedroom, where he placed Lyla on the bed. Thomas quickly explained what had happened as Arthur flipped though pages of his books. Arthur had never dealt with a case like this before, but he knew he could find something in his books. The Demorites never came to the area of Armoria where they resided, so he’d never had this issue.

Arthur found the page he was looking for and started to make a potion for Lyla. He ordered Thomas to find William and bring him to his house.

William was sitting at the table alone while Giselle and Lilly were dancing with Joseph and Charles. He had a few more drinks before he decided to call it a night. After this last dance, they would look for Lyla and go home. He wasn’t sure where she had gone, but he saw her sneak out with Thomas.

William saw Thomas come flying in the open doorway and run toward him. As he closed in on him, William noticed he had blood on his shirt. He instantly became worried.

“William, it’s Lyla, she’s hurt.”

“Where is she?” he answered walking toward the door. With one sentence, he sobered up and went into all-out dad mode.

“Arthur’s house,” he panted trying to catch his breath.

“Find Lilly and Giselle and take our carriage to Arthur’s house. I’m taking your horse.”

William was already out the door before Thomas could answer. He walked through the crowd and found Giselle first. He told her to get the carriage ready while he looked for Lilly and that he would explain everything on the way. It took him several minutes before he found her dancing with Charles. By this time, he was frustrated that this was taking up so much time. He wanted to be there with Lyla right now.

“Lilly, come with me,” Thomas said grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from Charles.

“Leave me alone,” Lilly yelled. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“Your sister is hurt,” he yelled. “We have to go right away.”

Charles was understanding and told her to go. She left him without saying a proper goodbye. It seemed to be a recurring thing between them, but he didn’t mind.

By the time they walked down the steps of the town hall, Giselle had the carriage ready for them like he’d asked. He had explained everything to them as he said he would. They were both horrified by what he had told them.

They arrived at the house, and when they walked in, William was helping Arthur with whatever he could. The potion was almost complete. Unfortunately, it was a potion that took some time to prepare. They had everything set up in the bedroom where Lyla lay unconscious on the bed.

Lilly ran in and started crying when she saw her sister. She had gone very pale, and the bite on her arm was turning black. Where her shirt was torn, Lilly could see the veins that surrounded it were black as well and were spreading throughout her body.

“What’s happening to her?” Lilly asked.

“A Demorite creature bit her,” Arthur said. “An Akrin to be exact. They have poison running through their veins, and a single bite can turn someone into one of them. If we do not get her this potion soon, I’m afraid there is nothing we can do for her.”

Lilly started to cry even harder.

“Lilly,” said Arthur. “I need you to stop crying and help Giselle take your sister’s shirt off. We need to bandage her arm before it gets worse.”

Lilly wiped her tears and carefully cut up the arm of Lyla’s sleeve so it would be easier to take off. When they got it off, Lilly rinsed the wound to clear away all the blood, but the bite marks were deep and blood was rushing out.

“She needs stitches,” Lilly said.

“I can do it,” said Thomas. “I’ve had some practice.”

“Great,” said Arthur, who was still working on the potion. “Clean your hands and get to work.”

He did as Arthur said and carefully started stitching up her arm. He was glad she was unconscious for this because she would be in a lot of pain. Not just from the stitches, but from the bite as well.

“Wait,” Lilly said sniffling her nose. “Lyla told me twice that she thought she saw a dark figure in the woods. The first time, Dad was with us. Neither of us saw anything, so we thought it must have been a side effect from the potion she had taken before. The second time Lyla mentioned it, we went off the trail to see what it was, but it disappeared. She was right this entire time, and I didn’t believe her.”

“No, my dear, the potion has no outside side effects. It only has to do with her nightmares. She saw what she saw.”

Lilly felt like it was all her fault. If only she had listened to her sister and believed her, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe they could have stopped it. She let her head fall to the bed as she held on to her sister’s hand.

“The Demorite must have been following her around,” William said.

“First in her dreams and now this. Why would the Demorites target Lyla?” Giselle asked.

“Maybe it has something to do with her grandfather,” William suggested.

Lilly felt Lyla move and looked up at her. Her eyes were barely open, but she was awake.

“Lilly?” she breathed lightly.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here.”

“Try to keep her alert,” Arthur said. “It will be easier to give her the potion if she is awake.”

Lilly tried talking to her sister to keep her awake, but it wasn’t easy. Lyla was weak, and was hardly conscious to begin with. Arthur rushed over with the potion and managed to get Lyla to drink it, giving her small amounts at a time.

“All we can do now is wait,” he said. “It all depends on her and how far the darkness has taken her.”

Hours had passed and it was in the early hours of the morning. Giselle had fallen asleep in the chair by the fireplace, and Arthur had gone to bed telling them to wake him if anything happened. Lilly told William she would watch over her sister so he could get some rest. She wanted to be there when her sister woke up.

Thomas had been quiet since he arrived. He was staring into the fireplace, watching the crackling fire with its red embers and golden yellow flames. He felt guilty that he couldn’t protect her. He regretted many things. He should have told her how he felt sooner. Maybe then he wouldn’t have taken her to the garden, and they would not have been attacked. Then they would be enjoying their evening instead of watching Lyla, hoping she will make it through this.

He was sitting by the fire for what seemed like hours. He couldn’t sleep or eat, and Lilly had been in the room with Lyla since she arrived. Thomas got up and rummaged through Arthurs’s cabinets until he found tea bags. He boiled water on the stove and poured it in a delicate china cup. He put the tea bag in the cup along with a scoop of sugar. He placed it on a saucer with a spoon and walked into Lyla’s room.

Lilly was sitting in a chair next to Lyla’s bed. She was still holding on to her sister’s hand and she looked up as he entered the room. He could tell she was exhausted. Her eyes were heavy and red; dark circles had begun to form under her eyes.

“I brought you some hot tea,” Thomas said.

Lilly accepted the tea gratefully. She was too upset and exhausted to force herself to smile.

“How is she doing?”

“She’s breathing, but she hasn’t moved at all. I worry for her, but she is strong and she will beat this. I know she will because she must. I can’t live without her.”

Tears started to surface into her eyes once again. The thought of losing her sister was unbearable. It would be like losing her soul mate.

“I can’t even imagine what it must be like for you. The two of you are very close.”

“She loves you, I hope you know that. The first time she saw you she couldn’t keep her eyes off you. She told me she had fallen in love just by the mere sight of you, which I thought was ridiculous. I was the one to always doubt her idea of being in love. I thought all the fairytale books she read were bad for her. At the time, I didn’t think she would ever meet anyone, and I didn’t want her to get her hopes up. Once we heard of this place and she saw you, everything changed. Despite how tough she tries to be; she believes in love more than anything in this world.”

“When I first saw her I knew there was something about her that was special. I thought about her every second of everyday and I couldn’t wait until the next time I saw her, just to see how beautiful she was.”

“Do you mean that?” Lilly said.

“I do.”

“She didn’t know if you felt the same way about her or not,” said Lilly. “I suppose if I hadn’t convinced her not too, she would have told you how she felt, even though there was a possibility that you would have broken her heart.”

“I would never do that to her.”

“She didn’t know that. I think you are a good man and you can make her happy.” She forced a smile at him.

Thomas gave a slight smile as he watched Lilly turn back to her sister, continuing in her state of worry. He suggested that Lilly get some sleep and let him watch her for a while. She was hesitant, but she agreed nonetheless. She knew there were other people that cared for Lyla and wanted to be with her as well, and she knew she needed to rest anyway.

She got up, taking the tea cup with her. Thomas took her place and held Lyla’s hand. Her body was very cold, so he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. He noticed a scar crossing her collarbone, but decided not to ask about it.

Before Lilly closed the door behind her, she turned back to him.

“Oh, and Thomas” she said, getting his attention. “If you ever hurt my sister, I’ll kill you.” She smiled and shut the door. He knew she meant every word, but she also meant it as a way of accepting him, and that’s all he could ask for.

Chapter 14

The next morning, Thomas could hear loud whispers in the other room and he was finding himself more and more exhausted as every minute passed. Lyla was still unmoving and cold to the touch. He didn’t want to leave her side, but he had to know what was going on, so he rose from his chair and quietly snuck out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Lilly, William, Giselle, and Arthur were seated around the large wooden table.

“I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing,” Lilly said.

“What’s going on?” Thomas asked. By the way they reacted, he assumed no one had noticed him appear from the other room. Lilly seemed tense and William looked exhausted. Giselle was tapping her fingers on the table, looking slightly annoyed.

“Thomas,” Lilly said keeping her voice low. If it were not for Lyla in the other room she would have been yelling at the top of her lungs. “Tell them to let me go with them!”

“Um, where exactly is everyone going?”

“We are going after the Akrin that bit Lyla,” William said.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“No, I want you to stay here with Lyla. If she wakes up she will want to see you.” Thomas took a moment to contemplate. He wanted nothing more than to kill the creature that hurt Lyla, but he also wanted to be there for her when she woke up. “Then you should let Lilly go with you.” Lilly’s eyes brightened and she bit her lip to try and hide the smile that was wanting nothing more than to force itself onto her face.

“It’s too dangerous,” William said banging his fist on the table. “I don’t want this creature to go after her too. One of my daughters is enough.”

“Lilly and I are both going with you,” Giselle said. She was frustrated and cranky from lack of sleep. Sleeping in a chair didn’t exactly leave her well rested. Her neck hurt and she was not in the mood to argue. “What do you expect us to do? Sit here and do nothing? We are better off going with you. Besides, you can’t go alone, and Arthur has to be here for Lyla.”

William let out a loud groan and rubbed his forehead. “Fine, you can come with me but you better stay close and listen to what I say. Unfortunately, we have to get Monroe’s permission first.”

“You’re kidding,” Lilly said. “Why would we have to tell him anything?”

“He is the head council and everything has to go through him, especially if it is something dangerous like this. Grab your weapons and let’s go.”

William, Giselle, and Lilly waited outside of Monroe’s office. There was a large wooden door with fancy carvings around the edge of the door as well as the middle. A circular black metal handle hung on the right side. It was very much like a ring that farmers would pierce the nostril of a bull with, only larger.

A woman walked out of Monroe’s office that Lilly had never seen before. She was tall and thin and looked very unfriendly.

“He is ready for you.”

As soon as they walked into his office they realized how poorly lit it was. He had two candles on each side of his desk that were flickering in the darkness. Lilly looked up and noticed a light on the ceiling. She couldn’t understand why Monroe had not turned it on.

Monroe was sitting in a padded black chair behind his desk. His elbows were resting on the arms of the chair and his hands were clasped together. “Welcome, what is it that I can help you with?” Lilly didn’t think he seemed snobby like his daughter, but she hardly knew him.

I’m sure you have heard about the attack on Lyla that happened the previous evening?” William said.

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry to hear that.” He was now rummaging through a stack of papers that were on his desk as if he didn’t care at all.

“It is,” William continued. “We want to go after the Akrin that attacked her. It got away and we need to find it.”

“I don’t believe that is a very wise decision, William,” Monroe said. “Not only are you putting your life in danger, but you are risking the lives of your daughters as well.”

“If we don’t go after the Akrin it could return and harm other citizens. Is that what you want?”

He took a moment to answer, but William didn’t think he could refuse. As head council, the safety of all Armorians were now in his hands. He wouldn’t possible risk it.

“How do you expect to catch up with the creature. It is most likely all the way back to Dresden by now.”

“Thomas wounded the creature, trying to save Lyla,” said William. “There’s no way it could have gone that far.”

“Very well. Go after the creature, but if anything happens to any of you…” his eyes passed over all of them “…I am not to be held responsible.”

“Of course,” William said.

“Actually, since you are going toward Dresden anyway, I think it would be a great time to take the members of the winning team and scout out the area,” said Monroe.

“I can send for Sophia, Joseph, Morgan, and Charles, but Lyla and Thomas will not be able to attend.”

“Why would Thomas not be able to join you, might I ask?” said Monroe.

“I have asked him to look after Lyla while we are away,” said William. Monroe stared at him through prying eyes.

“So be it.”

William rose out of his chair and exited the room before he could reconsider his answer. Giselle and Lilly followed.

Two hours had passed since William, Giselle, Lilly, Charles, Joseph, Sophia, and Morgan left the courtyard. They had picked up on the Akrin’s blood trail that they found in the dirt and on various leaves as it passed through, but still had no luck finding the beast itself. It didn’t help that they had to be cautious and move at a ridiculously slow pace. The creature could be anywhere, lurking in the shadows of the forest. It could be hunting them just as they were hunting it.

For the most part they were staying close to the main trail, and it came as no surprise that it was leading toward Dresden, but they still had a long way to go before they reached it. Morgan and Sophia were on the main trail, leading all the horses, while the rest of them tracked the Akrin. The sun was warm and was beating down on their shoulders. With the little amount of sleep added to the sun’s unwelcoming rays, they were quickly becoming exhausted. They had started dragging their feet with every step, but they couldn’t turn back after coming so far.

“I think we should take a minute to rest,” Lilly said.

“I agree,” said Giselle “I’m exhausted.” William didn’t want to admit it, but he could use a rest as well.

“All right, but only for a few minutes. We need to keep moving. Dresden is a two-day ride by horse and we are nowhere close.”

Giselle and William sat in the dirt surrounded by the rest of the members of the group while Lilly sat on a log that was lined with the edge of the forest. With canteens in hand, they all took in small sips of water.

Feeling fully refreshed, they continued on their journey. They heard rustling in the leaves that was created by small creatures in the trees. They came to a fork in the road and William guided them to the left.

“Where does the other path lead?” Lilly asked.

“It leads to the north side of Dresden. We want to come out on the east side because it is less likely we will be seen.

“And this path leads to the east side?”

“That is correct. We will come to another cross in the road and we will have to take a right. The left side would take us to a large lake, called White Lake, that has not been visited in many years because of its close proximity to Dresden, but it is a very beautiful place. There is a cabin just along the water that people used to stay in as well.”

Many hours had passed since they turned on the new path, and Morgan was beginning to wonder how important their mission was becoming. They had spent all day walking and found nothing.

“I think we should ride full speed to Dresden,” said Morgan. “The creature is far enough away that it is not going to be back in Armoria anytime soon, so we need to focus on getting there, and if we find the Akrin in the process, then great.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” said Lilly. “You don’t care about Lyla at all.” She turned to William in protest. “We can’t just quit now. Not after all this time.”

“Lilly, she’s right,” said William. “We have come too far to find nothing. The creature made it farther than I thought it would. We have to press forward.

“Fine,” Lilly said. She let out a deep breath in frustration. “Let’s go.” She wanted nothing more than to kill the creature for what it did to Lyla, but she couldn’t very well stay behind in the forest alone.

They made it to the river that separated Armoria from Dresden in two days. They had stopped to rest for only a few moments before continuing on their journey. On the other side of the river were tall trees followed by the mountainous terrain of Dresden. The estuary would allow them to get across on horseback.

Once they crossed, they traveled through the forest, and then through miles of rocks, and through trails of the mountain.

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” Morgan cried. “This is so exhausting.”

“You didn’t have to come with us,” said Charles. She glared at him and turned away without saying a word.

“It won’t be long now,” said William. “I think it is just over this ridge.”

They climbed the rocky hill, and when they peeked over the top, they saw it. The castle of Dresden. The castle had dark gray stone walls from what they could see. A thick fog lingered above so they could not get a good look at the castle, but they could see through the light fog that rested below. Even through the thick fog they could see the dark, eerie clouds that were circling above the castle.

“Welcome to hell,” said Lilly.

“We’re not going in there, right?” said Morgan with a whimper. Lilly shook her head in annoyance. Even though Morgan acted tough, when it came to real-life situations, she wanted to run and hide.

“This is as far as we go,” said William. “We will remain here just for a little while and see if we find out any useful information.”

“Useful information?” said Morgan. “What kind of information are we going to acquire from here?”

“That all depends on what we see,” said William.

After a while everyone was watching the castle closely, but Morgan grew bored and started throwing rocks down the mountain in the direction they came. William told them it was time to move on. They didn’t see anything and there was no sign that indicated what the Demorites were planning. Everyone turned to walk down the steep mountain when Lilly stopped them. Something drew her attention, so they all returned to their post, except Morgan who continued walking.

The drawbridge of the castle was lowering. From the opposite side of the castle, which they could not see from here, came a large group of Demorites.

“Where did they come from?” Lilly asked.

“I don’t know, but it seems to be a whole army of them,” said William. He stared as the group of Demorites entered the castle. When the last of them came around the corner they noticed four wooden objects with iron bars all around them. Inside, something was moving.

“Are those people?” Sophia asked.

“It looks like it,” said Joseph. “And they are being held prisoner.”

“But where did they come from?” Giselle asked. “If not from Armoria they would have to be from earth, right?”

“I’m afraid so,” said William. “I think it’s time for us to leave.”

“We can’t just leave them,” said Lilly.

“Lilly,” said William. “I know you want to help them, but we are outnumbered. We wouldn’t even be able to make it past the gate.”

Lilly knew he was right, though she didn’t want to admit it. She wanted to help those people. They didn’t belong in Dresden, and why were they there anyway? What did the Demorites want with them?

A few days later, they made it back to the clearing that led to the courtyard. It was later than they had expected, but they were grateful for having made it back safely. A small amount of sunlight still shone in the distance, but darkness was all around them.

They could hear screams ahead of them, so they ran in between the buildings that led to the center of the square. On the opposite side, one of the buildings had caught fire, so most of the available Armorians were trying to put it out before it spread to another building. Children were running into buildings that were a safe distance from the fire, while a small group of people surrounded a dark figure. The Akrin was clawing and biting in the direction of everyone that surrounded it.

“I guess we should have let the creature come to us,” Giselle said.

“How did we miss it?” Lilly said.

“It must have doubled back around us.”

“We’re fortunate that it did not attack us,” William said.

Lilly pulled out her sword and ran toward the creature. Charles yelled after her, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. She had to do this for Lyla. She would do this for Lyla.

She made her way into the circle of people that were defending themselves from the creature. It swatted at them with its large claws and lunged forward trying to attack. Swords were swung and arrows were flying, but the creature remained standing. It ran forward, knocking over a group of people that were on the opposite side of the circle of Lilly. She took this as an opportunity to attack. A boy to the right of her began to charge forward. He couldn’t have been older than sixteen.

“No,” Lilly yelled. “It’s mine.”

The boy stopped and stared as she ran past him. She ran forward and jumped up above the creature, ready to bring her blade down into the creature’s head, but the creature turned and swatted her away to the side with its massive paw. Its attention was now directed to her and her alone. It was running right for her with its mouth wide open, exposing its sharp teeth.

The Akrin spread its claws, ready to pounce on her, but she quickly rolled to the side and onto her feet. She knew this was a dangerous creature, but she also knew she could defeat it as long as she could outwit it. She willed the monster to come after her, taunting it with every movement.

“Time for you to die,” she said.

She ran toward the Akrin and it ran toward her. It jumped for her, and she slid underneath it. She quickly turned and ran up the creature’s back, ready to bring her blade down on its head once more. It collapsed to the ground and she pushed her blade in as far as it would allow. Everyone around her cheered and celebrated, but the noise became silent in her mind. Her hands remained on the hilt of her blade and she watched as the blood ran to the ground. She was angry and unmoving. She knew she should feel relieved, but she despised this creature with every fiber of her being.

A hand was placed under her wrists slowly pulling her hands away from the hilt of her blade.

“Lilly, are you all right?” William asked. Her hands were shaking and her lip began to tremble. She wrapped her arms around him as he stroked her hair.

“I don’t know,” she cried. “I felt so much hate that I lost myself.”

Lilly had only felt that way once before and it was when Lyla was left with her scar. She felt so much hate, and it wasn’t like her at all. She always had a positive outlook on everything. She was more easygoing than Lyla and always found the best in every situation.

“Let’s get you back to Arthur’s house. Maybe Lyla has awakened.” Giselle was standing close by and pulled Lilly’s sword from the Akrin as they walked to their horses.

Chapter 15

Lyla is surrounded by an unpleasant darkness. She can see nothing, not even her hands, which she holds out in front of her as she walks, thinking maybe she will run into something. She is hoping to come to a wall or a door, but the darkness seems to be never-ending.

Finally, a light appears out of the corner of her eye. She turns around, seeing not one but two lights of fire dancing on torches mounted on opposite walls. Lyla slowly walks toward them. As she nears the first two torches, two more appear, followed by two more. They seem to be leading her down a stone corridor. The corridor comes to an end, and Lyla can see more light shining through the edges of a wooden door.

Lyla comes to a halt at the door. She is not sure what will be on the other side, but she can’t go back. There is nothing in the direction from which she came, only darkness. She swallows hard as her throat tightens and her breathing grows heavy. She lifts her hand and presses it to the door, slowly pushing it open.

The room is lit only by a fireplace that is on the wall in front of her, and she can instantly feel the warmth from the fire. An oval rug is placed in the center of the floor with an old wooden rocking chair on it. When Lyla fully makes her way into the room she notices a large bed to her right. This is someone’s bedroom, but whose?

She looks around the room more closely. There are no pictures or personal items that might suggest to whom the room belongs.

Something is lying on the bed. Once she gets closer, she realizes it is a weapons belt. It holds a small axe, knives, and a sword. She isn’t sure how, but the sword looks strangely familiar. The hilt has a red jewel at the end with silver vines twisting along it. She pulls it out of the holster, and is disgusted when she sees the dry blood that still remains on the blade. Whoever owns it does not take very good care of their weapons.

It is then that she knows why this blade looks so familiar. She has seen it so many times in her dreams. This is the blade that killed her mother, and that must mean…

“Hello, there,” says a dark, enchanting voice. Lyla turns toward the door and sees the Demorite that killed her mother, the Demorite that has haunted her dreams for so long. She had never seen his face before, but she knows it is him. He wears the same dark clothing from her dream, but he is different than she expected. He has long dark hair with dark eyes and pale skin. Knowing he is much older than her, he looks surprisingly young for his age. He looks human, but Arthur said they were once Armorians so they would, wouldn’t they? She tries to speak, but no words will come out. Her throat is dry and she stands frozen, unable to move a muscle.

“I see you have found my chambers.” He stares at her as if he can see right through her. “I usually do not allow anyone in here, however, I have been meaning to speak to you for some time now.”

“Y-you killed my mother,” Lyla stammers.

She can’t understand why she is acting like this. This can’t be real. She had always imagined what it would be like to meet the man who had killed her mother. How unafraid and strong she would be, like she was made of the toughest iron, but now that he is standing right in front of her, it feels much different than she thought it would. She is afraid of this man.

Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.

“Oh, come now. Let’s not linger on the past, and don’t be so afraid. I’m sure you have realized this is only a dream by now.”

“Of course it is,” Lyla says, controlling her voice. “Because if this were real I would have killed you the moment I saw you.”

“So much spirit, I’ll give you that, but I’m afraid that it won’t be as easy to kill me as you have come to believe, even with an Armorian blade.”

“How do you know I’m in Armoria?” Lyla protests.

“I know everything! I am head of the Demorites. You can call me Damien. I sent you a visitor, who, unfortunately, was most unkind.”

“You sent that creature after me?” Lyla can’t move and she is getting angry. This man killed her mother, sent a Demorite after her, and here he stands, yet she can do nothing about it. Is it her dream that is rendering her immobile or is it him?

“Yes! Though they were supposed to bring you to me, not harm you in any way.”

“Well, they did harm me. That creature bit me!” Lyla’s anger is growing with every word, but she knows she needs to use this as an opportunity to get information even if it is only a dream. She takes in a deep breath and lets it out. “What do you want with me anyway?”

He takes a step toward her. She wants to move back, but her feet are still glued to the floor.

“I am in need of a few items, and you can bring them to me.”

“Why would I do anything for you after all you have done to me? Find them yourself.”

“Listen, foolish girl,” he yells. “You will do this or you will suffer the consequences.”

“No, you listen,” Lyla yells back. “The only thing you will get from me is a one-way ticket to hell.”

Damien’s hand touches her shoulder, and a wave of pain drifts throughout Lyla’s entire body. It is as if she has been struck by lightning and she is being electrocuted as it runs through every nerve of her body. The pain finally stops and she falls to the ground. She doesn’t move for fear that the pain will return. He looks down at her and grins.

“In time, you will do as I say and will wish you did what I asked the first time. I have more power over you than you think.”

The room begins to spin and Lyla drifts back into the darkness.

Lyla saw sunlight as she opened her eyes. Thomas had both of his hands intertwined with her left hand; his forehead was leaning against them. She lightly squeezed her hand in his and his head shot up. He looked terrible. His hair was messy and he had dark circles around his eyes, but to her he was still handsome, and she was glad to see him.

Lyla moved to get up, but he told her to stay lying down. Her arm was wrapped with a cloth where she had been bitten, and she could feel the soreness from the bruises that were spread across her body.

Thomas went to get up and inform the others that she was awake, but she wouldn’t let go of his hand. He sat back down in the chair.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Arthur’s house. He was the only one that would have been able to heal you, so I brought you here.” He cupped his right hand to her cheek and she pulled her hand to his. “How do you feel?”

“My body aches, but most of the pain is gone.”

“Let me inform the others that you have awoken. They will all be very happy to hear.” Thomas kissed her forehead and tingles flowed through her body. She watched him as he got out of his chair and reached for the door handle.

“Thomas,” Lyla said. “Did you mean what you said before? Before the attack?”

“Every last word,” he said. Lyla gave a slight smile as he opened the door and walked into the other room. She heard muffled voices and loud shouts. Lilly ran into the room full of excitement, followed by Giselle, William, Arthur, and Thomas.

Everyone was smiling at her, trying to talk to her all at once.

“I’m so glad you are awake,” Lilly said. “I knew you would pull through.”

“Let me through, let me through,” Arthur said calmly. “I have to make sure she is stable. I don’t want her to lose consciousness again.”

Arthur asked her a series of questions as he checked her temperature and vitals. Her temperature was still above average, but other than that, she seemed to be all right. He still expected her to rest for a few more days until her body fully recovered. He informed them that someone would have to change her bandages until her arm fully healed to prevent the venom from spreading again.

Thomas quickly volunteered.

Lyla looked surprised at the word venom, so Arthur explained how the venom from the bite could turn her into a Demorite. The venom in her was now contained, but she would have to take more of the potion. Arthur had made two vials for her to take over the next few days.

“It is imperative that you take both of the doses or it won’t completely rid the venom out of your system,” Arthur said.

Lyla nodded in agreement. She looked down at her clothes. She was no longer wearing her torn shirt and pants anymore. Lilly noticed her observing.

“I took the liberty of changing your clothes, with some help from Giselle,” she said. “I wanted you to be as comfortable as possible. Thomas stayed by your side most of the time and he even stitched your arm up.”

“Thomas, you didn’t have to do that,” said Lyla. “You must be exhausted.”

“I wanted to. I couldn’t miss my sleeping beauty waking up, now could I?” Lyla smiled. She quickly changed the subject, looking all around her.

“How long was I out?”

“You were in and out of consciousness, it seemed,” said William. “Sometimes you would whisper names in your sleep, but you were out for five days.”

“Five days?” Lyla yelled.

Everyone was taken aback by her outburst.

“It was a very serious injury,” Arthur said. “You could have died. You’re lucky it was only five days with as much venom that coursed through your body.”

“I am grateful. It’s just that there’s still so much to do.”

“All of which you can do once you have fully healed. Going out like this can be very dangerous for you. Continue to rest, at least for tomorrow. That is not a suggestion.” Lyla fully understood, but she didn’t like the idea of lying around.

“What about the venture to Dresden?”

“It already happened,” said Lilly. “Sorry, Ly.”

“Without me?” Lyla was disappointed. She had worked very hard to win the tournament just so she could go, and she missed it, but she knew there was no way she could have gone in her condition.

“I’ll tell you all about it,” said Lilly. “I promise.” Lyla smiled knowing that Lilly wouldn’t leave out a single detail.

Now that she was awake they were able to transfer her to her bed at the Langston household. Lyla thanked Arthur for all that he had done for her as everyone helped her out of the house. She could walk, but she was a little wobbly.

Arthur loved the company from all of them over the past five days, even if it was under the worst of circumstances. They pulled up the carriage for her, accompanied by Lilly, William, and Thomas. Giselle volunteered to ride Thomas’s horse back to the house.

Lyla was in her bed reading the book Lilly gave her. This was the third time she had read it since then. Thomas wanted to stay with her, but she told him to go to his room and get some rest. He needed it more than anyone. He hesitated, but he knew it was for the best and she would call for him if she needed him.

She was interested in her book, but she continued to get lost in the pages as she thought about her dream. It was the first dream other than the death of her mother, and it seemed so real. It seemed like Damien, so he called himself, really did want her to find something for him. What was it though? Was it the same item her mom told her to find in her other dream? There had to be some sort of a connection. And what did he mean when he said he had power over her? In her dream, he caused her pain. What if he really did have that power?

On top of that, she was thinking about her grandfather. It had been several days since they had arrived to Armoria. Lyla and Lilly had been so entranced with how good they had it there that they were not focusing on the reason they came in the first place. They needed weapons that would kill the Demorites when they went to rescue him. Armorian weapons. They needed to prioritize. She promised Arthur she would stay in bed the following day, but after that they needed to leave this place.

The next day was worse than the previous day for Lyla. She had taken her potion and felt like she was ready to get out of bed, but William wouldn’t allow it. Thomas looked well rested and bathed when he came to visit. This time when he came into the room he was glowing. He was still handsome even when he was exhausted, but Lyla loved the freshness that he carried with him now. She could smell the scent of soap and peppermint on his skin and she loved it.

“I hate sitting around doing nothing,” Lyla said.

She hated feeling like a pouty little girl, but she felt fully rested. The only reason she had to stay in bed was because of Arthur, and William would not go against anything he said.

“Would you like me to run some bath water for you?” said Thomas.

“I would love that. It’s very much needed at this point.”

“I didn’t want to say anything, but you’re right.”

Lyla punched him in the shoulder as they both laughed about it. Thomas filled the tub and walked her to the restroom. “If you need any further assistance, yell for me.” Lyla glared at him. “I’m only kidding.”

Lyla was biting the inside of her cheek. She wanted him to kiss her, really kiss her, but it wasn’t something to be rushed.

Lyla got into the tub and let her body relax. She tried to keep her arm out of the water, not knowing how her wound would do just yet with the stitches.

Another scar most likely.

That’s just what she needed.

Horror struck her. Thomas must have seen her scar by now. What did he think about it? Hopefully, he didn’t find it gruesome and disgusting. It wasn’t large or deforming in any way, but it was the one part of her that she hated.

Lyla felt much better after taking a bath. After getting into bed and pulling the blankets over her, she called for Thomas to wrap her arm. After a few minutes, he came in and sat at the edge of her bed.

“Thank you for taking care of me,” she said as he pulled the cloth around her arm.

“Isn’t that what people do for the ones they love?” Lyla was not used to a boy saying he loved her. It was a new feeling, but a good feeling nonetheless. He looked up at her. His blue eyes staring into hers. “I know you would do the same for me.”

“I would do anything for you.”

They continued to stare at one another until Thomas looked away and broke the connection. She looked down at the blankets that were pulled to her waist. Thomas tied the knot on her bandage, causing Lyla to wince.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said.

“No, it’s quite all right,” she half smiled.

She looked at him, then away again. He slipped his hand under her chin and slowly turned it toward him. Without warning, he pressed his lips to hers. His lips were soft against hers. Her heart was pounding as she took it all in, and tingles rushed through her body. This was her first kiss. It was her moment, the moment she had been waiting for. It was the best moment of her life, and nothing could compare.

Thomas pulled away. Their foreheads were against each other, their eyes closed.

“I’m sorry,” Thomas said.

“For what?” Lyla breathed as she pulled her head away and looked into his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to rush things. I want to wait until you feel comfortable with us and our relationship.” He looked down as if he had made a mistake.

“I wanted it too, so don’t feel like you are rushing things, because I felt the same way. I want this if you do.” Before she could say another word, he kissed her again. This time was even better than the last.

“I love you, Lyla.”

“And I love you, Thomas.”

A knock came at the door and Lyla told whoever it was to come in as she slid her hand into his. It was Lilly, and she had a smile on her face that made her look like she had a secret that only she knew.

“Lyla, I would like to try something if you don’t mind.”

Lyla looked confused, and Thomas was getting up to leave.

“No, you can stay, Thomas,” Lilly said. She sat on the opposite side of the bed from Thomas. “I need you to put your crystal necklace on.” Lyla did as she asked. She reached for her necklace that was lying on her nightstand, and pulled it over her head. “Now I need you to close your eyes and clear your mind. Try not to think of anything.” Lyla still had no idea what was going on, but she complied.

Thomas watched as they both closed their eyes and waited for something to happen. Lyla cleared her mind and sat for a few minutes waiting.

“Lilly what is going on? This is silly.”

“Wait, just a few more minutes. I just need a little bit of time.”

“Time for…” Lilly cut her off. “Please, just trust me.” Lyla looked at Thomas who was staring at them in curiosity. She closed her eyes once more and waited. Three minutes. Four minutes. Five minutes. Just when she was about to give up, she heard something. “Can you hear me?” It was Lilly’s voice, and she hadn’t said it aloud. It was in her head. She repeated, “Lyla, can you hear me?” Lyla hesitated, but she tried to answer back. “I can hear you, Lil.”

Lilly and Lyla looked up at each other with wide eyes. Thomas looked at them as though he had missed something drastic.

“Did that just happen?” Lyla asked.

“Yes,” Lilly said excitedly. “We can read each other’s minds.”

Chapter 16

Lyla and Lilly sat on Lyla’s bed and continued to practice their newfound power. Thomas was impressed. No one that he knew, or in the history of Armoria for that matter, had the ability to do that. Not even Arthur, and he had acquired several skills over the years himself.

Thomas suggested that Lyla and Lilly go to Arthur the next morning. He would be able to tell them more information better than anyone could.

The night was getting late, so Lilly went back to her room to get some rest for the next day. Thomas stayed for just a few more minutes, making sure Lyla didn’t need anything before he went to bed. He kissed her once more and went to his room.

It took a while longer for Lyla to fall asleep than she had anticipated. She thought about her powers and what more she might have. Arthur had said before that they were a special case. No one could possibly know how different they were or what they might have the ability to do.

She thought of Damien and the power he possessed over her. How he made her fall to the ground in pain just by a single touch. She had not mentioned her dream to anyone. It was only a dream, so it couldn’t have been real. Damien couldn’t have power like that. Could he? If he did, they were all in danger. She could only hope she would be able to stand up against him when the time came.

The next morning couldn’t have come soon enough. Lyla had been in bed for several days and felt overrested. She got up before the sun even started to show in the distance, and walked downstairs to the kitchen.

The lights were on. She peered around the corner and saw William, who was already awake and sitting at the table drinking coffee. She wondered if he had done that every morning before making them all breakfast.

His hair was disheveled and he looked tired. She concluded he must have had a rough night.

“Good morning,” he said. His tone was flat, and his grim expression remained the same.

“Are you all right? It looks like you didn’t get much sleep.”

“I’m fine. How are you?” he said, changing the subject. “It is your first day out of bed, you must feel fully rested.”

“Too much rest, actually. If it were not for Arthur, I would have been up yesterday.”

“He knows what he is talking about.”

“I know! That is why Lilly and I are going to see him today.”

William raised his brows at her. “Oh, really? And why are you going to his house? I fear we have bothered him enough these past few days.”

“I think he enjoys the company. Besides, Lilly figured out that we can read each other’s minds. Isn’t that great?”

William didn’t answer right away. Lyla’s smiled faded as he walked to the fridge. He leaned over, pulled out a basket of eggs, and sat them on the counter before turning back to Lyla.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to have power, but it can also be dangerous. You’re making a wise decision going to Arthur.”

Lyla nodded her head and sat silently while William made breakfast. The sun was slowly coming up and Lyla wondered if she could communicate with Lilly from downstairs. She cleared her mind and asked if she was awake. A few moments later Lilly responded saying she would be down in a minute and how amazing it was that they could communicate this way.

By the time William had finished breakfast, Lilly, Giselle, and Thomas had made their way to the kitchen. Giselle was still in her pajamas and her hair was in tangles. She held her arms above her head stretching as she walked to the fridge and poured herself a glass of orange juice. Thomas had come down fully refreshed and wide awake.

While they were eating, Lilly told Giselle of their new power. Giselle was happy for them, but she also expressed a hint of jealousy. Lyla was talking to Thomas about their plans for the day. She was disappointed when Thomas told her he would not be escorting her and her sister to Arthur’s house. He wanted to go to the training arena and get some practice in, since he hadn’t been for a few days because he was looking after Lyla. Lyla knew she needed to give him space, but she hated the idea of being apart. She planned to meet him at the arena once they were done speaking with Arthur.

Lyla and Lilly arrived at Arthur’s house with a knock on the door. Arthur was surprised to see them, but was glad to see that Lyla was back on her feet. He guided them into the sitting area by the fireplace.

“What do I owe the pleasure of your visit today, my dears?” Arthur asked.

Lilly told him of her theory of mind communication between her and her sister. She explained that she had read about it in a book, and that is when she went to her sister’s room to test it.

Lyla didn’t even think about asking Lilly how she had come up with the idea to try it out. She was gaping at her sister, who didn’t seem to notice. Of course, Lilly knew how to read, but she had never picked up a book of her own will.

Arthur was not surprised to hear that they had successfully administered it. He pulled out one of the books from his shelf. It seemed that he had a book for everything, and contained answers to any question that might be asked of him. “Telepathy, my dear girl,” he said as he looked down, flipping through the pages. “That is the proper name.”

Lyla and Lilly were sitting forward in their chairs, eager to hear more.

“Many people have come to believe that twins have either the power to read one another’s minds or feel what the other is feeling. Pain, for example. There are no known human twins that have this ability, but it does not surprise me that the two of you do. You are witches, after all.” Arthur had stopped on a page and was skimming through the reading.

“William said that witches and wizards are not like most people think; that the only power they acquire is the energy from their symbols and from each other. If this is true, then why do we have more powers than most?” Lilly asked. Arthur moved his eyes from the pages to the girls. His head was still down and he was peering above his spectacles.

“As I told you before, you are both very special. You are the first twins in the history of Armoria. You must realize that these powers may not be as glamorous as they seem. They may be a hindrance and must be used with caution. Cautious as you will, we must find out what else you are capable of.”

Lyla and Lilly didn’t think their powers could be dangerous. In what way could they be dangerous? Regardless of what they believed, they would take Arthur’s warning into consideration and proceed with the utmost care.

Arthur turned the book around for them to see what he was reading. Each page had a different ability with the description of what it was and how to administer it underneath.

“In the beginning of time, there was only one that had the ability to accomplish all that was in this book. Others had only select powers. As time went on and the bloodline continued, their powers dwindled as each generation passed. Now they are only left with the power to enhance energy and draw strength from it. Many people have come to me to see if they can do as the book said, but they all fail. All but one.”

Lyla and Lilly turned to each other then back at Arthur as he continued.

“The leader of the Armorians had acquired an abundance of power. He grew mad and became evil. That is when he had the idea to rule Armoria and was banished to Dresden. Years later, a Demorite known by the name of Damien who was just as powerful, followed in his footsteps and now rules in his stead.”

Lyla felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She had no idea he had that kind of power. Maybe her dream was real.

“Would he still have the same powers now?” Lyla asked.

Arthur was intrigued by her question. “I suppose he would have the same abilities, but without drawing power from those around him, his power would be weak. Unless, he found a power source in the mountains that we are unaware of, but it is very unlikely.”

“What if he did have all of that power and he was only getting stronger. How would anyone be able to stop him?”

Arthur was pondering on her question, contemplating an answer.

“Well, I wouldn’t know. I suppose one would have to match his powers and defeat him that way. Why do you ask child?”

“No reason!” Lyla said nervously. “It just seems that he is up to something and no one knows what it is. We can’t rule that out as a possibility.”

Arthur squinted his eyes and glared at her. He knew she was hiding something, but returned his attention to the book, and continued.

The book contained information on telekinesis, clairvoyance, teleportation, and much more.

One by one, the girls went through the book with Arthur to see what abilities that had. So far, they had not been able to achieve any. Arthur explained that everyone had the power inside of them, but not all could wield it. He told them to go deep within themselves to draw that power out.

Arthur placed a wooden bowl in front of each of the girls. They all looked at the page and read what the book had to say.

Telekinesis:

Definition:

The ability to move objects with your mind.

How to Achieve This:

Clear your mind, and visualize yourself moving the object. Feel your power within. It will then come to pass.

“I don’t feel like this is very helpful,” Lilly said. She placed her elbows on the table and began rubbing her head.

“How did you achieve telepathy? Because you wanted too, right? Because you believed you could. If you really want to do this, you can.”

This got Lilly’s attention. Maybe that’s all it took. Could it be that simple?

Lyla and Lilly prepared themselves to try it. They cleared their minds just as the book said and focused on what they wanted to do, move the bowls. After a few minutes, nothing had happened, not even a wobble. Lilly was about to give up when Lyla told her she couldn’t. They had the ability, she could feel it. They just had to keep trying.

Lyla focused on the bowl and what she wanted it to do. She held her hand out toward the bowl and stared at it. She felt a cool sensation run from her stomach to her chest and the bowl moved. She didn’t move it to a different spot, but it wobbled. She gasped and her eyes lit up in surprise. Lilly noticed it out of the corner of her eye. If her sister could do it, then she could too. She focused on the bowl, and the next second, she got her bowl to move toward her an inch. Lyla and Lilly smiled and hugged each other.

Arthur told them they would have to practice before they were good enough to control it. They tried a few other powers, but nothing seemed to happen. Either they did not have the ability or they were not able to unlock the full potential that lay inside them yet. If they found out they did not have other powers, they would not be upset. They were happy with what they had. Telepathy and telekinesis.

Before they left, Arthur told them not to mention their powers to anyone else just yet. Lyla asked if they could borrow his book so they could learn of all the different powers. He didn’t refuse, but he wanted it kept in good condition, which they both promised to do, and then left.

As they rode away Lyla thought it was a good time to mention a few things that had been on her mind.

“Lil, I think it is best that we leave tomorrow morning.” Lilly stayed silent. “We have to go after grandfather. I know we have it good here, but he needs us. We can’t abandon him.”

“I agree, we have stayed longer than expected, and it is time to go. We have to finish what we started.”

Neither of them wanted to leave Armoria. It was such a great place, and even though they had only been there a few weeks, they fell in love with it.

“Maybe grandfather can come here and live with us when this is all over.” Lilly smiled.

“I’m not sure that will be possible.” Lilly frowned and looked at her sister, not understanding why. “If I remember correctly, only Armorian descendants can pass through the gateway.”

Lilly didn’t want to lose hope. “Maybe there is a way. I will ask William.” They rode in silence the rest of the way, but they knew they were both thinking maybe, just maybe, he could come to Armoria.

Chapter 17

Lyla and Lilly arrived at the courtyard, and tied their horses to a post behind one of the buildings. Lyla was going to the training arena to meet with Thomas, and Lilly was going to meet with Giselle.

As they were about to turn from behind the building and onto the concrete path of the courtyard, Lyla fell to the ground. She was holding her stomach and trying not to scream out from the pain. A burning sensation was now running through her entire body. Lilly crouched down next to her and asked what was happening. She was about to run for help when the pain stopped. Lyla got up, and it was as if it never happened. Lilly insisted she go home and lie down. Maybe it was from the bite on her arm, but Lyla refused, saying she was all right and felt fine.

After minutes of convincing, Lilly finally allowed her to go to the arena. She told her to go straight home if it happened again. Lyla promised her she would and disappeared.

Lilly reminded Lyla of a concerned parent who didn’t want their child to go back outside after coming in with skinned knees and elbows. That had happened once when they were young. Lilly had dared Lyla to jump out of a tree, and, never backing down from a challenge, she did it. She was young then and not as coordinated as she was now, so she fell to the ground. Her feet hit the ground and she lost her balance resulting in all-over scratches. Lilly had felt terrible and walked her all the way home.

Lyla wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell Thomas what had happened, but she decided to tell him anyway. She didn’t want there to be secrets between them.

The arena was crowded as usual. Lyla spotted Thomas by the sword fighting circle, where two young men were fighting each other. From where she was standing they both looked exhausted, and she wondered how long they had been fighting, but their symbols allowed them to continue. She was walking toward Thomas, when she saw Morgan approach him, and Lyla stopped in her tracks.

Morgan smiled at him, saying a few words, while Thomas stood and crossed his arms, listening to whatever she had to say. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her before he could pull back in retaliation. Lyla stood horrified as she watched Morgan kiss Thomas. She had expected him to push her away, but his hands met her waist. Morgan finally pulled away and turned her head toward Lyla with a large grin on her face. Thomas followed her gaze and saw Lyla staring at the both of them. She turned and walked out of the arena with Thomas running after her.

Morgan was at the top of the ranks of people she despised most in the world, right alongside Damien. Lyla had saved Morgan’s life from the Demorite during the challenge on earth, and this is how Morgan repaid her. She wished she hadn’t saved her life because then none of this would have happened. She’d thought maybe one day Morgan would finally get over Thomas and that they could coexist, but that would never happen. Morgan would never change and would forever be a thorn in her side.

“Lyla, wait,” said Thomas when he caught up to her.

“What?” she said as she spun around to face him. She wasn’t upset, but frustrated and angry.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I had nothing to do with that.”

“No, but you certainly had no problem kissing her back.”

“That was a mistake, it was…nothing.”

“It was more than nothing to me,” said Lyla. Even though her relationship with Thomas was still fresh, she felt betrayed. She wanted to scream to the world and hit something as hard as she could. “She’s never going to stop, is she?” Thomas said nothing, but looked down at the ground. “It’s time to end this.”

Lyla walked back into the arena and spotted Morgan on the opposite side of the circle. They made eye contact, and Morgan looked angry as she saw Lyla and Thomas together. When Lyla approached her, Morgan had a very smug look on her face, her arms were crossed, and she was not happy. Her plan to break them apart had failed.

“I see you have chosen the emotional child,” she snarled, looking at Thomas. Lyla thought it was absolutely ridiculous being called a child. Morgan had to be a few years younger than her.

“He doesn’t love you,” said Lyla. “He never has and he never will.”

“We will see about that,” Morgan snapped.

“No,” said Lyla. “This ends today. You and I will step into circle and battle it out like adults.”

“The victor wins Thomas’s heart,” said Morgan. “The loser walks away and never speaks to him again.”

Lyla cracked a smile. “I’ve already won his heart, but I’ll agree to your terms.”

“Lyla you’ve just suffered from a horrific injury; do you really think this is the best time?” Thomas protested. Lyla knew he was referring to the bite on her arm, but she had to do this. She would fight Morgan and be rid of her once and for all for Thomas’s sake.

“Injury or not, I have already accepted the challenge and we are in agreement,” Morgan said, not taking her eyes off of Lyla. “I’ll meet you in the circle in five minutes. Be there or you automatically forfeit.” She spun on her heels and stomped away.

Lyla walked to the weapons closet. She still carried her sword in her weapons belt, but she wanted to fight Armorian blade with Armorian blade. Thomas rushed after her, telling her how bad of an idea it was.

“You believe in me, don’t you?” Lyla said. She was scanning through all the available swords. She picked up a few, feeling their weight and checking their length. She chose one that she felt could move well with her.

“Of course, I do!” he exclaimed. “But…”

Lyla interrupted before he could finish. “I’m doing this for you, for us. If this is the only way she will leave you alone and let you make your own choices, then so be it. If you regret your decision about us, then now is the time to say so.”

“I regret nothing, other than allowing Morgan to come between us. I shouldn’t have let her…”

“Do not enter the circle under any circumstances or the battle will be lost.” She took a step forward and tightly embraced him, before pulling away and starting for the circle. Thomas remained standing in the weapons room running both hands through his hair. He knew Lyla was a great fighter and was more than capable of winning this battle, but this was not her fight to win. He should be the one fighting because this was his life and his decision. If Morgan wanted to take it from him then she should fight for it and she was, but she was fighting the wrong person.

He ran after Lyla, but she was already in the circle. He pushed his way to the front of the screaming crowd that was encouraging the fight.

Lyla stood tall and strong as Morgan entered the circle. She could see the slight muscles in Morgan’s arms as she firmly grasped her sword. They both looked equally confident in themselves.

The fight began and Morgan made the first move. She ran toward Lyla and swung her sword toward Lyla’s midsection. It would have made a deep cut had Lyla not jumped back to avoid it. Lyla swung over her head down at Morgan, who quickly pulled her sword up and blocked it. They held their gaze for a moment before Lyla swung her sword to the right toward Morgan’s ankles. Morgan did the same and met her sword at the bottom.

The crowd watched in amazement as the girls battled back and forth. Their swords clashed over and over as they blocked each other’s strikes.

After a while, Morgan began to get violent and physical. She was angered that Lyla was as good a fighter as she was, if not better. Every move she made Lyla counteracted and she began to worry that she might not win, as every blow became more aggressive than the last. She was letting her emotions get in the way, and Lyla knew she could use that to her advantage.

Morgan waited until their swords were out of the way, and pulled her fist back before she launched it forward and hit Lyla in the face near her temple. Lyla stumbled back and fell to the floor as her vision blurred Lyla counter acted and sng Morgan to come between us. I shouldn;t sh she felt betrayed.ery nerve of her body.. Her sword loosened from her grip and slid behind her. She reached her hand to her head, trying to fight back the pain. Her gaze met Thomas’s as her vision cleared and she gestured that she was all right. If this is how Morgan wanted to play, she could do the same.

Lyla stood up and noticed Morgan running toward her again. She looked around for her sword and noticed it was behind her. She turned and rolled to her sword. She grabbed the hilt and she swung it up just in time to block Morgan’s sword from coming down on her. Lyla saw the look in her eyes and realized that she was trying to kill her. Had this been her intention all along, or had she been enraged by the fight?

She was the type of person that was spoiled and would not take lightly to possibly losing or not getting everything she had ever wanted. In this case, it was Thomas. Lyla understood her adoration for him, but she wasn’t just in love, she was obsessed with him. All these years she had tried to win his affection, but he never once felt that way about her. Now that Lyla was in his life, he never would, and Morgan was willing to kill her because of it.

Lyla rose to her feet, pushing Morgan back. She was trying to get her at every angle she could. Lyla clenched her fist and drove it into Morgan’s stomach as hard as possible. Morgan collapsed and tried to regain her breath. It didn’t take long and she was back on her feet, but Morgan threw her sword on the ground. She was done sword fighting and wanted to continue without. Lyla was not against the idea and threw her sword down as well. Their audience, which had grown to twice the size since they started, gasped.

Lyla and Morgan circled each other.

Morgan came in first with another blow to Lyla’s head. She came in for a second hit, but Lyla blocked it with her forearm and kicked Morgan’s feet out from under her. She rolled to the side, avoiding any hit that Lyla might have planned next, and stood up. As Morgan came in with another hit, Lyla blocked her fist with her hand, and punched Morgan in the face to return the favor. Lyla slightly smiled, and Morgan held her head down and yelled through her clenched teeth. She looked up at Lyla with a look that could have killed her if possible.

Morgan ran toward Lyla and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. Lyla yelled out, putting her hand over Morgan’s as if it would stop the pain. Morgan pulled a knife from her waist and cut Lyla over her bandages where she had been bitten. She screamed as blood began to flow down her arm.

She felt an uncontrollable rush of heat flow through her body. It was taking over all her senses and all her control. Her hands fell to her sides, fingers stretching to the floor. A burst of energy came from her body like a wave, knocking everyone down to the ground.

Thomas looked around unaware of what had just happened. Everyone was lying on the floor except Lyla. She was standing as still as a statue with her head back and her arms dangling down. He slowly got up and called her name, but she did not respond. Walking up to her with extreme caution, avoiding all the groaning and complaining people that were beginning to move, he saw that her eyes were dark and cold. It was as if she had escaped her body. All of a sudden, she gasped for air, and collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Morgan was enraged about what had happened in the arena. Her arm had been broken when she was blasted to the ground, and she now had to have it in a sling. Lyla had cheated. She was possessed or something that Morgan could not explain. Whatever it was, something had to be done about it. She would make sure Lyla wasn’t around for it to happen again.

She walked down a large hall with glossy floor and pillars on either side. She went up a set of stairs and came to a corridor that led to her father’s office. Morgan slammed the doors open, intruding without consulting Monroe’s assistant, who just so happened to be her mother. Her mother sat motionless in the chair that was set in the corner of the room, and her father had not even looked up from the papers he was shuffling through. He knew when someone barged into his office without warning it was always his daughter.

“Mother,” said Morgan. “Wait outside.”

“Yes, dear.” Her mother scurried off and shut the door behind her as she left the room.

“Father,” Morgan yelled. Monroe looked up at her and smiled.

“Yes, pumpkin?”

“Did you hear about what happened in the arena today?”

“I heard something about it, yes.”

“And why haven’t you done anything about it?” Morgan asked.

“What would you have me do?” said Monroe.

“I want you to get rid of that girl, Lyla. Banish her, or do whatever you have to do.” Morgan was pacing back and forth in front of his desk.

“On what grounds?”

“Did you not see what she did to my arm and my face?” said Morgan as she turned so he could get a better look. She touched the bruise on her forehead and winced. “She is dangerous, and ever since she came around, Thomas doesn’t like me anymore. I hate her.”

“I can’t just banish whoever I want to,” Monroe laughed. “There are rules that I must abide by.”

“Why? You are the head of the council, you should be able to do whatever you want.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” Morgan placed her unbroken hand on the desk and leaned in just inches away from his face.

“You will do what I ask or I will make sure everyone knows what you have been up to. They will finally see you for what you truly are.”

“Unbelievable,” said Monroe. “I’m being blackmailed by my own daughter.”

“It’s a cruel, cruel world, pops,” said Morgan as she headed for the door. “If you want to make it to the top, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. Do as I say and I won’t breathe a word.” When Morgan left, Monroe banged his fists down against the top of his desk.

“Marla,” Monroe yelled. She rushed into the room and stood at his side. “Send for Mr. Langston, immediately. I need to have a word with him.”

William sat in Monroe’s office once again. A desk was sitting in front of him with an empty chair behind it. Book shelves were placed all around and a large rug lay at his feet.

He turned as the door to his left opened. Inside, stepped the head council, Monroe. His hair was disheveled ,and he looked distressed. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, William.”

“Of course,” he said dryly.

“I am not one to sugarcoat things, so let’s get down to business. With the recent activity your daughter Lyla has shown, I believe it best that she leaves first thing in the morning.”

“Excuse me?” William said in surprise, as if his ears were deceiving him.

“She has to go.”

“You can’t make her leave,” he shouted. “She belongs here just as much as everyone else. Monroe, why are you doing this? No one has been banished from Armoria in ages. She is my daughter; she is not a bad person.”

“I understand you are upset, but she is a danger to others and herself, and I will not have her here hurting Armorian citizens. With what happened in the arena, I’m surprised no one was killed. Sixteen people were injured, including my daughter. I’m sorry, William, but you will make her leave. Any retaliation from you or anyone in your family will call for immediate banishment.”

“What about the other board members?” said William.

“Already informed.”

William’s fingernails were digging into his hands. He knew the next words that came out of his mouth would not be pleasant, so he dismissed himself from the room without another word.

Lyla woke up in her bed. The last thing she remembered was Morgan cutting her arm. She lifted her arm up to see the damage, but someone had already wrapped it and most likely re-stitched it.

“There’s nothing we can do,” she heard someone yell from the hall. What were they talking about? Who was out there?

William and Thomas came into the room. They both looked tired and extremely frustrated. She hoped it wasn’t because of her, but she knew by the look on their faces that it had to be.

She could only remember bits and pieces of what had happened during her battle with Morgan. She remembered why they were fighting: for Thomas. She remembered Morgan’s persistent intensity of trying to kill her, and the way she’d cut her arm without any restraint at all. By the end of it all, punches were being thrown back and forth between the two of them. After that, she remembered nothing. Did she faint? Did she black out when Morgan hit her? How embarrassing that would have been in front of everyone.

“Where’s Lilly?” she asked. She pulled her hand to her forehead as she felt the massive headache that was surrounding her entire skull. The pain was unfathomable.

“She will be here momentarily with Giselle. It took us a while to track them down,” William said. Lyla heard the unnerving tone in his voice.

Lyla remembered that Lilly had went to meet up with Giselle when she went to the arena, but she had no idea where they would have gone.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. She remained lying in bed, fearing that the pain would only develop even further, if that was even possible. William hesitated before finally speaking.

“Monroe called me to his office. He said because of what happened in the arena…he wants you to leave Armoria first thing in the morning.”

Lyla didn’t understand. Morgan had started it, and now she was being banished because of it?

“Why? Is it because I hit Morgan in the face?”

William and Thomas exchanged glances before looking back at her.

“Do you not remember what happened?” Thomas asked.

“I fought Morgan because she…” Lyla looked at Thomas. She remembered Morgan kissing him and that is why they had the fight to begin with. “We had a battle for Thomas. I hit her then she cut my arm. After that I blacked out.” Lyla sat for a moment trying to remember. “Oh, no!” Lyla pulled her knees to her chest and hugged her legs. “I lost the battle and now she wants me to leave so I can never see you again.” She looked at Thomas with worry and disappointment all over her face.

“Lyla something else happened after Morgan cut your arm,” Thomas said. Lyla looked at him, not sure what he was talking about. “You let off some burst of energy and knocked everyone to the floor. Then you…” He hesitated before continuing, “Your eyes were dark and you were not responding. It was like you went to another place or someone else was taking control of you.”

Lyla looked at him in horror. How could this happen and she not know? Then she realized, she knew exactly what this was. It was her worst nightmare come true.

“Have you talked to Arthur about this?”

“Yes,” said William. “He said there’s a possibility that someone could be controlling you, but there’s also a possibility that it is some unknown power within you. It could be your power growing stronger inside of you, but not being able to control it could be very dangerous.”

Lyla didn’t understand. According to Arthur there was only one person in the history of Armoria who had immense power. The power to do things that no one else could. If she did have this power how would she learn to control it? Did Lilly have the same power? Whatever it was, she didn’t want it. Learning that she was half witch was enough for her. Being able to use their symbols to their advantage was plenty, and she didn’t want everyone to become afraid of her because she had a power that she couldn’t control, but what if it really was someone doing this to her?

“If it is someone doing this to me…then I think I know who it is,” she said.

“What do you mean? You know who is doing this to you?” William asked.

“Yes, and I’m sure you have heard of him. He’s the king of Dresden, and the most vile and malicious person I know of. Damien.”

Chapter 18

William and Thomas were not sure what to think. They knew exactly who she was talking about because everyone knew who Damien was. He was the evil leader of the Demorites, but they didn’t understand how he’d done this to her. They had never actually met one another, and as far as they knew, he was not capable of controlling anyone.

Lyla explained her dream set in Damien’s quarters, of how he wanted something from her, and how he inflicted electrifying pain through her body with a single touch. She also mentioned what Arthur had said about the possibility of him having great powers, and how she believed he must have found a power source in the mountains to have the power he had. He somehow had put this darkness in her, most likely through the bite on her arm. It might be the reason he had sent the creature after her in the first place.

“Did you take the two vials Arthur gave you?” William asked.

“Yes.”

They were not sure how, but they needed to figure out how to cut the connection Damien had with Lyla. That could make her a danger to them all, and that is what worried Lyla the most.

“We can’t go to Arthur to fix our problems every time we come across one,” Lyla said. “Besides, we have already tried potions, and they are not working. It’s something far greater than that. We need to find out what it is he is after, and then rescue my grandfather before it is too late.”

“You’re right,” William said. “We will figure out what he wants. Once we know what it is, we can decide what to do, and where to go from there. For now, your grandfather will remain unharmed. Damien wants you to bring him something, and he will use your grandfather as leverage.”

Lyla nodded her head. “It’s settled then. In the morning, we go back to grandfather’s house. We go back home.”

Lilly and Giselle had arrived just as they were finishing their conversation. William filled them in on what they missed. Lilly was concerned about Lyla, but she was excited to be going back to her original home, even though she knew it wouldn’t be the same. They were not the same. They were stronger than ever before, not only in their skill level, but in their love for each other and the people around them.

The morning came quickly. When Lyla went to the kitchen, William had a bag on the counter that was packed with food for their journey. It wasn’t much, but it contained zucchini bread and almonds. They needed to get an early start, so he didn’t make the usual breakfast.

Lilly came down soon after, carrying everything that she’d come with, which wasn’t much. She held the same bag that Lyla had, which was the same shoulder bag they always carried.

“Now that you are both down here, I have something for you,” William said. Lyla and Lilly looked at one another, shrugged their shoulders, and followed him into his study.

Sitting on his desk were two long boxes covered in purple velvet bags. He handed one to Lilly and one to Lyla. They pulled off the velvet covering and opened the black cases. Each box contained a beautiful custom sword made just for them, along with matching knives. Their names were engraved near the tip of the blade and the hilt had gold accents that also covered part of the blade. In the center by the hilt was a pair of golden angel wings. Lyla raised her sword and admired its beauty. She had never seen a sword like it before and it was so stunning. The hilt fit perfectly in her hand, and it was light weight. William explained that they were Armorian made, so they could use them against the Demorites.

They both said thank you without looking at him. Their eyes were still glued to their new swords. William said it was the only thing he could think of to get them for their birthday. It was something he could personalize, but would be very useful to them.

William was right. It was their birthday and Lyla had almost forgot the gift she bought for Lilly. She rushed to her bag and pulled out the gift. She gave Lilly a small box and said, with a large smile, “Happy birthday.” She pulled out a gold ring with a sapphire jewel in the center and two opal stones around it. “I was told it is bad luck to purchase an opal for yourself, so I thought I would buy it as a gift for you,” said Lyla. Lilly put it on, stretching her arm out to admire it, and loved how perfectly well it fit. It looked so big on her tiny, delicate fingers, but she loved it all the same. “I love it,” said Lilly. “Thank you!”

They heard someone come downstairs so they walked back into the kitchen.

Thomas was standing by the counter examining the food William had packed into a bag. He saw the swords as the light coming in from the window bounced off the blades and into his face.

“Nice swords,” he said, shielding his eyes with his hand. Lyla looked apologetic as she handed her sword to him so he could examine it.

“Thank you,” said Lyla. “It was a birthday gift from William.” Thomas’s eyes widened. Lyla saw the panic on his face and giggled. “Don’t worry, I never told you about it, so I don’t have to yell at you for forgetting it.” She slid her sword and knives into her weapons belt.

“In that case, happy birthday, and to you as well, Lilly.”

Lilly showed her gratitude as she tightened her belt around her waist, admiring her new weapons. William stepped out from his office and into the kitchen.

“Thomas, may I have a word with you?” said William.

“Sure,” said Thomas as he shrugged his shoulders and followed William into his office. “So, what’s this about?” Thomas sat in one of the chairs in front of William’s desk and propped his feet up. William sat at the edge of his desk and pushed Thomas’s feet away.

“I don’t want you to come with us,” said William. “I think it would be best if you stayed here.”

“What?” Thomas said. “I can’t do that. I want to go with you so I can protect Lyla.”

“You being there would only put her in more danger.”

“How can you say that? I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” said William. “But you are a major distraction to her and if she can’t defend herself because you are around then she will be killed.”

“During the tournament we worked together just fine.”

“The only reason she made it that far in the tournament is because of me,” said William.

“Because of you?” Thomas stared at him, not quite sure what William meant.

“The first round of the competition she didn’t hit her mark because she saw you and that cost her. I had to bump someone out just so she could advance, otherwise she never would have made it past the first round. Don’t you see? She isn’t fully focused around you, so you have to stay here.”

Thomas got up and ran his fingers through his hair. He had no idea that he had cost her so much and that William had done that for her. She would have been heartbroken if she hadn’t moved on to the next round. He wanted to pick something up and throw it against the wall.

“What am I supposed to tell her?” Thomas said. “She will expect me to go with her.”

“Tell her you are staying here to take my place if anyone should need me. She will understand.”

“Will she?”

William and Thomas walked out of his office and back into the kitchen. Lyla and Lilly were laughing with each other because of something Lilly had said.

“Are we all ready to go?” William asked. The girls nodded and walked toward the door. Lyla looked back when she realized Thomas wasn’t following them.

“Are you coming?” Lyla asked.

Thomas glanced at William who was staring at him, waiting for him to tell Lyla what they had talked about in the office.

Thomas cleared his throat before speaking. “I’m going to stay here, actually.”

“What? Why?” Lyla asked.

“I’m staying to take William’s place.”

“William’s place?” Lyla walked into the kitchen in front of Thomas, and looked from William to Thomas. “Is that what you were discussing in the office?”

Thomas could tell that she knew something was going on that she didn’t quite understand. He had to say something, even if it hurt her.

“You didn’t expect me to go with you, did you?” said Thomas.

“I don’t understand, I just thought…”

“There’s nothing to understand, Lyla. I don’t want to go and I’m staying here.” Thomas could see the hurt in her eyes, and it pained him more than anything to know that he had caused it, even though it was at William’s request.

“Okay,” said Lyla quietly. “I guess that’s it then. Goodbye, Thomas.” She turned and walked to the door. Lilly shook her head at him and put her arm around her sister as they walked outside.

“It’s for the best,” said William. Thomas turned in anger.

“Is it?” He walked up the stairs and into his room. He was mad at William for what he’d made him do, and he didn’t want to talk to him or see him a second longer.

Lyla, Lilly, William, and Giselle had arrived back on earth through the gateway. After they left the house, they had met Giselle in the courtyard. She wanted to make sure she had said goodbye to Joseph before they left. Lilly was surprised to see Charles waiting for her by the gateway as well. He had heard that Lyla was being forced to leave, and knew Lilly would follow. He wanted to say one last goodbye to her before she left, not knowing if she would return or not. He gave her a small Armorian coin to remember him by. Lilly thought it was a nice gesture, and found Charles to be a great man, but she was not sure how she really felt about him.

William led them back toward their grandfather’s house. They brought their horses with them, so it would only take them one day of riding to get there.

When dusk came, they found an area to camp for the night. It was an open area surrounded by trees. William and Giselle went into the forest to find more firewood, and Lilly sat with Lyla on a log that they had pulled close to the fire. Lilly knew her sister was hurting and wanted nothing more than to cheer her up, but Lyla had barely spoken since they left Armoria.

Lyla told Lilly she was going to go into the woods to collect some water, and Lilly wanted to join her, but Lyla insisted she stay by the fire. Lyla picked up two empty canteens and walked into the woods. She didn’t know where she was going, but there had to be a stream close by. She knew these woods, but in the dark it was hard to tell where she was, despite the moon shining from above.

Eventually, Lyla found the stream and sat next to it. The moon was shining on it, and it was beautiful. She could fill the canteens and hurry back to camp, but she wanted to be alone for a little while. She had her weapons, so she was safe enough. She knew her sister meant well and wanted to cheer her up, but that’s not what she needed right now. After all they had been through, something was weird about Thomas not wanting to go with her, but she couldn’t figure it out. She thought that, since she wouldn’t be able to return to Armoria, he would leave with her. Did Armoria mean that much to him? Was she wrong for wanting him to leave with her? Armoria was his home. How could she expect him to leave it all behind for someone he had only known for a few weeks? But isn’t that what love is all about? Were you not supposed to make sacrifices for your significant other?

She sat and thought to herself for a long while, until she thought it was time to return to camp. She started filling up the canteen bottles, but she stopped when she felt a presence around her. She slowly reached for her bow and placed an arrow against it. When she heard a stick break behind her, she turned with her arrow pulled back, ready to fire.

“Woah, don’t shoot,” said the man as he stepped into the moonlight.

“Thomas?” said Lyla as she lowered her bow. “What are you doing here?” She was happy to see him, but at the same time, she didn’t want to see him after how they left things in Armoria.

“I had to come after you. I couldn’t let you go.”

“I could have killed you,” she said. Her voice was low and angry. She started walking back toward camp with him right behind her.

“Look, I’m sorry okay? I made a mistake.”

“Seems to be happening an awful lot lately, doesn’t it?” said Lyla.

“Lyla, please.” Thomas turned her around and spun her against a tree so she couldn’t walk away from him. “I love you more than anything.” Lyla took a moment before responding. She was no longer angry. Anytime he said those three words to her, her heart melted.

“I love you too, and I’m sorry for expecting you to come with us. It was wrong of me.”

“Don’t apologize,” said Thomas. “I shouldn’t have told you I wanted to stay.”

“Then why…” Thomas knew what she was going to ask and didn’t want to have to tell her about his talk with William in his office, so he brushed her hair from her face and kissed her.

Lilly was surprised to see Lyla smiling when she returned, and realized it was because she was with Thomas. “Where the heck did you come from?”

“I changed my mind,” he said.

“Uh, huh.” Lilly grabbed for the canteens, and realized one was empty and the other was only half full.

“Oh, sorry about that,” said Lyla. “I was filling them when someone caught my attention.

“That’s all right. I will fill them.”

Lyla insisted on going with Lilly, but she said she would be fine, so she didn’t argue. Lyla had to remind herself that Lilly was not a child anymore, and had not been for a very long time. Lilly had grown up to be very strong-willed, and she could take care of herself, but Lyla still felt uneasy letting her go alone.

Lyla and Thomas sat by the fire next to each other. They both stared at it while the coals burned, and the wood popped and cracked from the heat.

How could something so mesmerizing be so deadly?

“Lyla,” Thomas said. “There’s something I wanted to ask you, but I wasn’t sure how.” She looked at him and watched as the shadows danced around his face.

“You can ask me anything,” she said. She had a stick in hand and was poking at the coals.

“When you were attacked and you were lying in bed, I noticed the scar on your collarbone. I was just wondering…how did you get it?”

Lyla tensed up, dropped the stick, and moved her hand to her collarbone.

“You’re ashamed,” he said watching her.

Lyla let out a deep breath. “Yes,” she said. She pulled her legs in close and wrapped her arms around them, trying to make herself as small as possible. She wanted to disappear. She knew he would one day ask, but she didn’t want him to. Really it was nothing to be ashamed of, and the scar wasn’t as bad as she made it out to be, but she hated it.

“You have no reason to be. Our scars keep our pasts alive. Our scars remind us who we are and who we have become.”

“Until the moment I met you, nothing in my life was going right. I don’t want to be reminded of my past. I want to forget it completely, but I can’t when I have this thing to remind me.” Lyla didn’t want this. She didn’t want to talk about it or remember how it happened, but she couldn’t keep it from him. They had no secrets, and she loved him.

“I think your scar is beautiful.”

“How could you think that?”

“How could I not.” Thomas lifted his shirt and pointed out a scar on his chest, even though Lyla was more focused on his body. He was thin but he had chiseled abdominal muscles and a defined chest. She turned her attention to his scar. It was a small mark on his chest, but he wanted to point it out. He got it during the fire that burned his house down and killed his parents when he was younger.

“If you’re not ready to tell me yet, you don’t have to. I just wanted to show you mine, so you will stop being so insecure about it.”

“No, I will. It’s time I stop being so sensitive about it. I want to share everything with you, even the memories that I want to forget.” She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“Lilly and I were on an expedition. We were younger and did not have much experience going out on our own. We stumbled upon a group of Demorites. There were only two, but at the time it seemed like an army, and they came after us. One came after me and tried to carry me away. I pulled out a knife and drove it into his side. He stumbled and came after me again, so I drove it into his heart. He went down, but he was still alive, and at the time I didn’t understand how that could be possible.”

Lyla was playing in the dirt around her, grabbing it in her hands and letting it fall back to the earth. She stopped for a moment, feeling Thomas watching her, then continued.

“I heard Lilly scream. The other man went after her and had his knife raised. He was going to kill her without hesitation. I stepped in front of her and pushed her back, so his knife grazed me instead. I fell to the ground and he was going to finish me off, but Lilly got to him first. I remember watching her stab the Demorite repeatedly. It was like she lost herself and forgot who she was. That was the first time we had ever used our weapons. It would have been the first time we killed someone had they been able to die by our blades. She carried me all the way home, and my grandmother nursed me back to health.”

“I’m sorry that it was so difficult for you growing up. I wish you could gave grown up in Armoria, but you are who you are because what you have been through. You are stronger because of it, and I love every part of you, even this part.” He put his hand over her jacket where her scar lay beneath.

“If it weren’t for Lilly I wouldn’t have this scar, but I…” Before she could finish she was interrupted by Lilly, who had tears in her eyes.

“Is that what you really think? That it was all my fault that you got that scar?” she cried.

“Lilly, I don’t know what you heard, but you are mistaken. I didn’t…” Lilly cut her off once more. She wiped the tears that were streaming down her face.

“I didn’t ask you to step in front of that blade for me. All these years I tried to make up for what happened because every time I saw your scar I thought I was the one to blame. I tried to help you get over it and make you understand that it was nothing to be ashamed of because you saved my life. You sacrificed yourself for me and I will be forever grateful, but if I knew you would feel this way after all this time I would have stopped you from doing what you did. I wish you had just let me die!”

Lilly turned and ran off into the forest. She had no idea where she was going, but she wanted to get far away. She needed time to think to herself. She pushed through bushes and tree limbs. One of the tree limbs swiped her cheek causing blood to rise to the surface.

She came to a large tree and sat next to it. She held her head to her knees as she wept. How could her sister say something like that? She knew the only reason Lyla had that scar was because of her, but Lyla had never mentioned it aloud. In fact, she never talked about it, because she wanted to hide it and forget about it. She felt betrayed. She had never felt betrayed by her sister, and it caused her so much pain.

After several minutes of crying, Lilly lifted her head away from her knees. She hadn’t realized how dark it was when she’d run into the woods. Her eyes adjusted to the silhouette of trees and wildlife, and she could hear an owl hooting in a tree not far from her. In the distance, she saw a flash of light, and it was moving toward her. She would have run toward camp to get away from it, but this didn’t seem like any ordinary light. It had a silvery glow that left a fading trail of light behind it as it moved.

Lilly arose from the spot she where was sitting and began to move toward the light. As she moved closer she realized it was a bird, but it wasn’t. The silvery light was in the shape of a bird.

This can’t be real.

She couldn’t resist, and followed the bird through the woods until it came to a stop and perched itself upon a tree branch. Lilly was mesmerized by its beauty and reached out to touch it, when it disappeared. She heard rustling in the trees all around her. Four Demorites came out and surrounded her.

Her heart began to race and her breathing grew heavy. She tried to yell for someone, but the words would not come. Her first and only thought was that they were there to kill her and she had to defend herself. She reached for a knife that she had in her boot. She would have grabbed her sword, but she left her weapons belt back at their camp.

The Demorite in front of her came closer with his sword in hand. Lilly did not notice the Demorite behind her until he grabbed her and pinned her arms down. She screamed as loud as she could, but she didn’t know where she was. She could have been miles away from camp and no one would hear her. She struggled in his grasp, but he was very strong and he wouldn’t let go. The Demorite in front of her pulled her knife out of her hand and nodded to his companions as he turned away. A bag was placed over her head, and she felt something hit her head. The pain disappeared as darkness began to cloud her thoughts.

William and Giselle arrived back at the camp shortly after Lilly had left. William gave Thomas an angry look, but he didn’t have time to say anything to him because Lyla was hysterical. She told them what had happened, and they all left in the direction Lilly had left to begin their search for her.

They tracked her foot steps to a large tree. They could tell she had sat there before taking off in another direction by the dirt. They continued to follow her footsteps until they heard her scream. Lyla immediately started running toward Lilly’s screams, followed by the others. It felt like she had been running for ages and she wasn’t sure if she was still going in the right direction, but she couldn’t give up. She couldn’t leave Lilly out there all alone. Was she hurt? Was she in trouble?

They came to an opening that was surrounded by trees and William noticed multiple footprints in the dirt. There had been some sort of a struggle, and Lilly was nowhere to be found.

Lyla’s eyes turned to a large tree to her right to where something was hanging on it. Once she got closer she realized it was Lilly’s knife stuck in the tree holding up an envelope. On the outside was her name written in fine ink. She gasped. Someone had planned this. She was meant to be here and find this envelope. Carefully, she removed the knife and opened the envelope, reading what had been written.

Lyla,

As I am sure you are aware by now, I have sent my men to retrieve your sister. I thought she would be an extra motivator, just in case you were thinking of double-crossing me. With the help of your grandfather’s invention of the ‘Bird of Light’ it was proven to be quite an easy task. Continue to your grandfather’s house and find me what I seek. Your dreams will show you the way. Do not disappoint me or test my patience. Otherwise, I will be forced to terminate your precious sister. You have one month.

†Damien†

Lyla threw the letter to the ground and pulled her hands to her head. Tears began to flood her eyes, not out of sadness, but of anger. How could she let this happen? She was supposed to protect her sister and now she was in the hands of that monstrous villain.

William picked up the letter and read it aloud. Horror washed over their faces as he read it. He read it to himself a second time. Maybe the reason for their grandfather’s capture was for his inventions. Maybe this had been Damien’s intention after all, and he was using their grandfather to get to them. Your dreams will show you the way, he mouthed.

“He knows,” William said. Everyone turned to him and he walked over to Lyla. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were splotched with red spots. “Damien is not controlling your dreams, but he has access to them. He knows what you dream and what you see. He knows that your nightmare is beginning to show you the bigger picture. Your dream will reveal what we are looking for, and whatever it is resides in your house. That is what he is saying in the letter.”

“We need to get to the house tonight,” said Lyla. “We can’t waste any time.”

No one disagreed, and they walked back to their camp to gather their things. The house wasn’t much further. William guessed they would be there in two hours, and he was about right. They had arrived just shy of two hours. They were all exhausted and ready to get some rest. They put the horses in the stables and walked to the house.

The door was slightly open, so they all pulled out a weapon just as a precaution. They put them away when they realized no one was in the house, but the house was a complete disaster. Cabinets were open, glass, along with many other items, was broken and thrown on the floor. The nursery room door was open and everything inside was ruined. The crib was smashed to pieces, the rocking chair was broken, and the dresser was knocked over. In a way, Lyla was relieved. This room haunted her dreams for so many years. At least now it would only exist in her dreams.

Lyla’s room was a disaster. Her books were thrown on her bed and her floor. Clothes were lying everywhere as well.

The barriers were down, and Damien had sent his men to find whatever it was he was looking for. According to Damien, they were very unsuccessful. Lyla hated seeing the house this way. It was just another tragedy to add to her day, to her life.

Lyla picked up the mess in her room before lying down. William went in her room to see how she was feeling before he went to sleep. As soon as he asked how she was, she started to break down and cry again. He held her in his arms and comforted her. Lyla wanted her sister back more than anything, but it wasn’t going to be easy.

William knew how she was feeling. He wanted her back just as much as she did. He had always loved the twins even without knowing them. After spending the last few weeks with them, he hated the thought of losing them. He wanted to ease some of the pain she was feeling, and began to tell her a story.

“Once there was a young man from Armoria.” Lyla continued to lay her head against his chest as she listened. “Once a week, he would go to earth to different farms, collecting and selling crops and meat. He stumbled upon a beautiful cottage home, and he passed it every day. One day, he saw a beautiful lady outside watering the flowers. He thought she was so beautiful that he had to know what her name was. He casually rode up to her house and asked for her name. She was startled at first, but she found the man to be quite charming. Every day since, he stopped by just to talk to her. Eventually, he came to her just as he always had and wanted to confess his love for her, so he proposed. She accepted, and after they got married, they had two beautiful baby girls. They loved each other very much.” Lyla pulled away and looked into his eyes.

“That’s how you met Mom?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said with a slight smile.

“It was a beautiful story, though I wish it had a better ending.”

“I as well, darling.”

Lyla hugged him once more. “I love you, Dad.” William felt… relief? Happiness? He wasn’t sure what it was. This was the first time Lyla had ever called him “Dad” instead of William.

“I love you, too,” he said, squeezing her tighter before letting go. “All right, I think it is time we get some rest. If you need anything I will be right down the hall.” He left the room, and shortly after, Thomas entered.

He kissed her and said goodnight. He was walking out of her room when she got his attention, not wanting him to leave.

“Thomas,” she said. She was biting her lower lip and moving her hand through her hair. “Will you stay with me tonight? I just don’t want to be alone right now.” Thomas smiled.

“There’s nowhere else I would rather be.”

William was staying in her grandparents’ room and Giselle was in Lilly’s room. With nowhere else to sleep, Thomas had made arrangements to sleep on the couch, and Lyla didn’t want that. With Lilly’s kidnapping and the flush of memories rushing through her, she wanted him to hold her all night long.

He shut the door and walked over to her bed. She moved over to the side of the bed that was pushed up against the wall and made room for him, which wasn’t much because she had a twin-size bed, but Lyla didn’t mind because that meant she had to be closer to him. He slid in under the covers and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, breathing in his sweet scent.

“Thomas?”

“Yes?”

“I know I try to be tough, especially for Lilly, but I’m terrified. Do you ever feel that way?”

“I’m terrified of a lot of things,” said Thomas. “The night I thought I was going to lose you made me feel more terrified than I ever have. I believe people who are afraid of nothing have no heart.”

“I keep telling myself that I’m going to save them, but I’m not sure that I can,” said Lyla. “I don’t know if I can be brave enough.”

“Bravery comes to those who are most terrified. There is no way you will fail with the love that you have for Lilly and your grandfather. You will save them, and I will be here for you every step of the way.”

Lyla closed her eyes listening to Thomas’s comforting voice, and in just a matter of minutes, she fell asleep.

Chapter 19

Lilly woke in a dark room. She lay there for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. She remembered the argument with Lyla, and the irresistible light that had led her to the ambush of Demorites. After they put the bag over her head, she’d blacked out.

A single torch was lit and was hanging outside the door. The door had bars on top of it, allowing very little light to come in. She could not see much of the room, so she felt around, and realized the entire room was made of stone. She was in a dungeon. She had nowhere to lie except the floor, which was very hard and cold.

She pulled her legs close and rested her head on her knees. She had no idea what to do. She was trying to think of an escape, but she would not be able to pry the doors open, and even if she could, she had no idea where to go. She would be stopped for sure before she made it to the entrance. If Lyla were here she would think of something.

Her head shot up. That’s it. She would communicate with her sister through their telepathic powers. Her hand reached for her neck and gave out a sigh of relief. Her necklace was still there. Without it, her plan would not work. She closed her eyes and tried to reach into her sister’s mind as they had done many times before.

An hour had passed and she heard nothing. Was she too far away? Did her sister not have her necklace on? Was she sleeping? Lyla never wore her necklace when she went to bed. What time was it? Lilly had no window to the outside world to see what time of day it was. She had to keep trying. After all, she had nothing better to do.

It had been two days since she woke up in the dark dungeon, and she had not seen anyone since. No one had brought her food or water, and despite the extra strength from her crystal, she felt herself growing weak. She had not seen her grandfather and was beginning to wonder if he was alive or not. She pushed the negative thoughts out of her head. He was alive, and Lyla would save them both. They would make it through this. In the end, Damien would be sorry for everything.

She spent her time trying to levitate tiny pebbles and the ring her sister had given her, but she had not progressed in her ability. They would barely rise off the ground before she acquired a massive headache. She continued trying to communicate with her sister, but she had no luck.

She felt like she had been in her prison for years. The silence was driving her mad. Every now and then she thought she heard voices, but it was all in her head.

Lilly. She thought she heard someone say her name, but she had to be imagining it. Lilly. She heard it again. Lilly. The voice grew louder.

“Is someone there?” she asked.

“It’s me, Lyla.” Lilly got up and looked out the bars of the door, but she saw no one. “I’ve been trying to communicate with you for days.”

“You mean it’s working? Our telepathy?”

“Yes, where are you? Is Papa with you?”

“I have not seen him. I have not seen anyone since I woke up in this miserable place. I’m in some sort of dungeon most likely in Damien’s castle.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to get you out of there.”

Lilly heard footsteps coming from down the hall.

“Lil?”

“Someone is coming. Stay with me.”

Lilly pressed herself into a corner as a Demorite unlocked the door and walked in. He did not say a word as he tightly grabbed her arms and tied her hands behind her back. Before they left, he put a blindfold over her eyes.

“Lil, what is happening?” Lyla asked.

“I’m not sure, I can’t see. He is taking me somewhere.”

Lilly tried to memorize which directions they turned so she could remember how to get out when she escaped, if she escaped. She pulled tightly at the rope that bound her hands, but it was only digging into her skin.

They finally came to a door and she was pushed in by the Demorite, who closed the door behind them.

“Lyla, I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. I’m here, just stay with me. Don’t forget what Papa said.”

Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless

The Demorite pulled the blindfold away from her eyes and she stood in a large room. It had a long roll of carpet leading up to a large black chair that had the shape of skulls lining the outer edge. A raven was perched on the arm and was staring right at her. The room was all concrete like the dungeon they kept her in, but this place at least had windows and more torches mounted on the walls.

A man had come up in front of her. With his youthful appearance he didn’t seem to be much older than her, but Lilly knew better. He had shoulder-length coal-black hair and pale white skin. For some reason, he gave her a chill that went right into her bones. He wore the most unpleasant smile on his face.

“Welcome to my palace. I am Damien. I’m sure your sister has told you all about me.”

“If you mean how evil you are then, yes, I have heard everything there is to know about you.” The Demorite that was standing next to her hit her in the stomach and she fell to the floor. She could not catch herself because her hands were still bound. This didn’t seem to bother Damien at all. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

She managed to stand back on her feet.

“You are my prisoner and will do as I say. You will not back talk or make smart comments or I will have my guards punish you as I see fit. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Lilly said.

“Now you can start by handing me your necklace.”

The Demorite cut her binds. Lilly paused. She knew if she gave it to him she would not be able to communicate with her sister. This was their lifeline.

“Lilly, what’s happening?”

“Damien wants to take my necklace.”

“You can’t let him do that!”

“I don’t have a choice. He will take it even if I don’t give it to him. I’m sorry, Lyla.”

“Lil, I will come for you.”

At that moment, Lilly pulled it from her neck and handed it to Damien.

“Good girl,” he said. “Take her back to her cell. I am done with her for now.”

The guard retied her hands and blindfolded her once more. He cut the tie on her hands when they reached her cell door and pushed her in, laughing as she fell to the ground. She rubbed her hands along her wrists, which were red and partially bleeding.

The next day they finally brought her a piece of bread and a small cup of water. The bread was stale, but at this point she would eat anything. The water tasted great, but it wasn’t nearly enough. She hoped they would bring her more food soon, but she did not count on it. Her stomach was constantly growling, and her mouth was so dry it would no longer produce saliva.

Hours had passed, and she heard footsteps once more. She perked up thinking they were actually bringing her food again, but no. They were escorting someone into the cell beside her. Had they captured another person?

As the guard left, she walked over to her door.

“Hello?” No response. “Hello? My name is Lilly. What’s yours?”

She heard scuffling sounds before she heard the man respond.

“Lilly? My little Lilly Pad, is that you?”

“Papa?”

“I’m so sorry I got you into this mess,” he said.

“Papa, you didn’t. It’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it is. They made me create that ‘Bird of Light.’ They knew you would follow it and get captured. I’m so sorry.”

Lilly’s heart was broken. He had created that thing, that beautiful thing that aided in her capture. It wasn’t his fault. They had forced him to do it and he had no other choice. If he hadn’t done what they told him he would be dead, and she didn’t want that.

“They made you do it. You had no other choice.”

She could hear him sobbing, and all she wanted to do was hold him like he did for her when she came home hurt or scared. She wanted to comfort him.

“Your grandmother…is she...”

Lilly waited a long moment before responding. “I’m sorry, Papa. She…she didn’t make it.”

His sobbing grew louder. He had no idea what had become of her. He had hoped that she had somehow miraculously made it. She had just told him the worst news of his life, apart from the death of his daughter many years ago. She let him grieve without bothering him in any way.

Days had passed before he finally spoke again. She was sitting with her back against the wall, massaging her toes, trying to warm them.

“We were on our way to the next town over to find more supplies like we had talked about. Before we made it, they ambushed our carriage. They pulled me to the ground and bound my hands. The last thing I saw before they put a bag over my head was one of them entering the carriage where your grandmother was. She had not been feeling well, so she’d gone in the carriage to lie down. I didn’t know what had become of her, but I hoped she had survived.”

“Lyla and I went after you when you did not make it back. We found her in the carriage, and buried her by our mother.”

She didn’t want to tell him of the gruesome details, so she tried to avoid it if at all possible. She didn’t want to remember that night when they found her lying dead in the carriage, or the way they had to bury her. They had never had to bury anyone they loved before, and it was one of the most difficult things she had ever done.

“The next morning our father showed up at the door.”

“That is impossible. He is dead. He was in a car accident.”

“We thought the same thing, but he told us everything.”

Lilly explained everything they had done since they last saw him. She told him of Armoria and the reason her mother made her father leave. She told him that they were witches and how she could communicate with Lyla through their minds.

He didn’t respond for several minutes. Lilly knew this all sounded crazy to him.

“I knew something wasn’t right about that evil man always ordering me about. There’s something about his presence that doesn’t feel quite right. Like an evil lurking in the shadows. I hope your sister comes prepared. She has no idea how powerful Damien really is. I have seen what he is capable of.”

“She is wise,” said Lilly. “I know she can defeat him.”

The night had passed much quicker than any other night, since she had her grandfather to talk to. She woke up to the sound of her door being opened. A Demorite pulled her through the castle with the same procedure. Hands bound, blindfold on. She figured this would happen every time they came for her.

She was not led back to the same place as before, but of course Damien was waiting for her when they arrived. She was outside of the castle, and buildings were all around them. They were covered in vines and leaves just like any other place. What once were streets and sidewalks now had weeds pushing their way up through the cracks. Was he going to let her go? She hated herself for thinking that. Of course he wouldn’t let her go.

“How delightful to see you again,” Damien said.

I wish I could say the same.

She didn’t say it aloud, but she wanted to. Instead, she remained silent.

“I have decided to make you more useful to me. Every day you will work. Some days doing the same tasks, other days doing different tasks. Whatever I would like you to do for the day.” He began walking around the side of the castle. The Demorite pushed her to follow. She wished he wouldn’t push her so much. She was getting very irritated.

“Today, you will work over here where you will move stones from one place to another. I hate this terrain with weeds and grass,” he said in disgust. “The primary goal is to make this a region full of rock and stone. Just like my palace in Dresden. You will stack the stone until you can no longer see the dirt underneath.”

There was a building made of concrete stone that had fallen to the ground surrounded by people that were doing various tasks. She had not seen so many in one place before, not on earth anyway. They must have been captured during the invasion and forced to work for Damien. Where was he keeping them all?

“You will get one break. Bread and water will be provided during this time, and you will work until sundown.” He began to walk away, and turned back to her. “Oh, and Lilly. Should you try to escape, my guards have permission to do as they please. I trust you’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled, turned away, and walked back into the castle.

She shot him an ungrateful look and turned away before the guard noticed.

As Lilly walked over to the pile of rubble, she noticed an abundant amount of guards. They were around every corner and at any place that someone would think to escape. Most of the people that were working were using various tools to break down the larger pieces of stone from the building. This would be the most time-consuming job. Other people, such as herself, were carrying the stones to the designated areas. She noticed other people pulling weeds and cutting down vines.

Her break could not have come soon enough. The air was dry and hot. She could feel the sun burning her shoulders. She slowly drank her water, hoping it would last longer, but her bread was gone in minutes. She was slowly starving.

A young girl approached her. She had long black hair and tan skin.

“Hi, I’m Akina.

“I’m Lilly. Nice to meet you.”

“The first day is the hardest,” she said.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Lilly didn’t mean to sound aggravated, but she did.

“I’ll leave you alone if you want. It gets pretty lonely though.”

“No, I’m sorry,” said Lily. “I’m just exhausted. How long have you been here?”

“Fifteen years.”

Lilly couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Fifteen years this girl had been here working for Damien.

“So, you must have been really young when they brought you here.”

“Yes, I was five years old when they captured me and my family.”

Lyla didn’t ask about her family. Were they around working somewhere? Had they died? She did not want to risk bringing up sad memories for the girl if they really had died.

“They escaped,” Akina said as if she could read Lilly’s thoughts. “They will come back for me, for all of us I hope.”

“Really?” That was the best news Lilly heard in days. “How long ago was that?”

“Fifteen years,” she said as if it were only a day. “But I still have hope. One does not give up on family.”

This made Lilly think of Lyla. They had always been there for each other through thick and thin. She had no doubt that Lyla would come for her. They were best friends, and without one another they felt empty, like a piece of them was missing. She missed her laugh and her smile. She even missed her stubbornness. She felt so alone and longed for her presence.

Break was over and Akina had gone back to her designated area.

The rest of the day went by slowly. With her malnutrition and the hot sun hovering over her, she felt like she would pass out at any minute, but she would not give Damien the satisfaction. She pushed through and felt relieved when she was back in her cell. The cool floors and walls helped her red skin cool off. She knew the next day would not be easy, because every muscle in her body would ache.

Two weeks had passed, and she was once again shoved into her cell at the end of the day. She had been in the weapons room sharpening blades. She didn’t think it was wise for them to leave her in the armory because she quickly learned they were Armorian blades and they could be killed by these weapons. At least she was not outside in the blistering sun, although it had cooled off the past few days. It was the middle of August and the air was getting colder. She was beginning to know her way around the castle even though she had always had a blindfold over her eyes. She was fairly confident she could make it from her cell to the weapons room on her own.

She couldn’t wait for Lyla to rescue them. She wished she would hurry, but she had no idea what they were doing. Had they found the items Damien wanted so badly? What were they? Were they close? Were they in the castle making their way to them at that very moment? She hated not knowing, and she wished Damien had not taken her necklace. Why did he want it anyway?

She heard footsteps coming down the hall. Hopefully, they were not coming for her again. As they got closer, she realized there were multiple footsteps. She stood up and ran for the door. Was it Lyla and the rest of them? Were they finally there to rescue her? Was it her grandfather being escorted back to his cell?

They still had him inventing new things for them. In his opinion, it was nothing to worry about, but Lilly was still concerned. Maybe his inventions were more dangerous than he thought.

Her excitement withered away when she realized it was a Demorite escorting a man and a woman to the cell across from hers. She waited until the Demorite was long gone until she spoke.

“Hello?”

The man and woman appeared in the doorway, but Lilly could barely see their faces. “Hello?”

“My name is Lilly. What are your names?”

“My name is Daniel Tucker,” said the man. “This is my wife, Anita Tucker.”

“Did you say Tucker?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Are you Armorians?” she said ignoring his question.

The man hesitated before answering.

“Yes, and you must be as well, seeing that you know about Armoria. I don’t understand why you are asking this.”

Lilly didn’t acknowledge her being an Armorian as well.

“I know your son. You’re Thomas’s parents.”

Chapter 20

They had been staying at her grandparents’ house for three weeks with no clue as to what they were searching for. Lyla’s dreams had not changed to suggest any hiding place where it could be, and they had searched through everything. Drawers, under rugs, in the barn, and even her grandfather’s office of inventions. Nothing they found seemed to be anything that Damien was looking for, or maybe they had found it and just did not know it yet. Without knowing exactly what he was after, they would never know. They decided all they could do was wait for one of Lyla’s dreams to give them a clue.

With only one week left and no progress to show for it, Lyla was growing anxious. What if she ran out of time and could not find what Damien was after? He would kill Lilly and most likely her grandfather as well, if he hadn’t already.

She had communicated with Lilly telepathically, but it was very brief. All she found out was Lilly was in Damien’s castle, and before she’d found out anything, Damien had taken her necklace.

Lyla went into the woods and sat by a nearby stream to clear her mind. She needed time away from the house and everyone in it. No one was saying anything to her about not finding what they were looking for, but she knew they were growing impatient. All the weight and pressure had been placed on her shoulders. She had no idea why her dreams were not leading her in the right direction, or changing at all, as she found herself dreaming the same old dream she’d had for the last twenty-two years, or at least as far as she could remember. Was it because she was so far away from Armoria? She couldn’t go back to find out. They had already wasted enough time, and she was also ordered not to return by Monroe. Morgan most likely had something to do with it.

The thought of Morgan made her angry. It wasn’t just because of her obsession with Thomas. She was no better than the Demorites, taking and controlling everything. Lyla threw a rock as far as she could and punched the ground, immediately regretting it. She shook out her hand and rested it on her leg waiting for the pain to subside.

“Are you all right?” She turned and saw Giselle walking up behind her, gazing at her throbbing hand.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled. Giselle sat next her and dipped her hand into the water, feeling it graze her fingertips as it slowly flowed by.

“You don’t seem okay to me and you have no reason to be, really. Your sister and grandfather are gone, and you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately.”

“I said, I’m fine,” Lyla snapped. Giselle rose from where she was sitting and started to walk away.

“Giselle, wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…I know you mean well. Like you said, I am under a lot of pressure, and I’m just worried that I won’t be able to save them.”

Giselle returned to where she’d been sitting, and placed a hand on Lyla’s shoulder. “You know I’m here for you, right? We all are. I know I’m not Lilly, and I’m only your half-sister, but I want you to feel like you can come to me for anything.”

Lyla smiled at her.

“You know I didn’t like you the first time we met. You deflected my blade, which I can’t even do, and you just seemed so perfect. I guess I was sort of jealous.”

“I didn’t like you either. You tried to kill me after all.” They both broke into a laugh. “I’m glad you’re my sister,” Lyla said. “I’m glad too,” Giselle said. “I can teach you how to deflect a knife by the way. With your skill level, I’m sure you will get it on the first try…maybe the second,” she chuckled.

“I’d like that,” Lyla said.

The sun had gone down as they both walked back to the cottage. William had made dinner with what was left in the cupboards and a few vegetables from the garden. They all sat around the table, and for the first time in weeks, they all seemed happy, as if they had forgotten about all the pressures of the world. She knew she would get a good night’s sleep…or so she thought.

Lyla stands in the kitchen of her grandparents’ house. The house is silent, until the door opens. Her mother comes through with a letter in hand. Her eyes are red and she looks more tired than Lyla has ever seen her. She sits at the table and throws the letter to the side. She rubs her eyes before putting her hands down and looks across the table. She reaches for a shirt that is folded nicely and begins to cry into it.

Lyla comes to the conclusion that it is her father’s shirt and she must have made him leave just recently. That’s why she has been crying.

She continues to weep into the shirt until she finally puts it down and wipes her eyes. She reaches for the letter and opens it. Lyla notices her address on it, but it is addressed from an unknown source.

Lyla can’t tell what it says or who it is from, but she sees her mother’s expression change from sadness to worry and horror.

Her mother finds a piece of paper and begins writing. A few short sentences later, she folds the paper and runs into her bedroom. She comes out with a small box, the piece of paper, and a piece of twine. After writing a message on the blank sheet, she places the paper on top of the box and wraps the twine around them so they will remain together.

She makes her way to the nursery and Lyla follows. The babies are sleeping in their cribs and Lyla can see the sun disappearing through the window. It is getting late in the evening. She turns her attention back to her mother who has pulled the dresser away from the wall. Lyla watches closely as she pulls up a piece of floorboard and places the box inside. She replaces the floorboard and moves the dresser back against the wall.

That’s it! That must be what I am supposed to find.

Her mother makes her way back into the kitchen and grabs the letter before continuing to the attic. When she returns she is empty-handed. She goes to her room and pulls out an empty bag from under the bed. She begins stuffing it with clothes and the same picture that Lyla has always kept beside her bed.

She is leaving.

A loud banging noise comes at the door. Lyla’s mother walks to the kitchen and a dark figure has knocked the door down.

Damien.

Her back is pressing against the kitchen counter as he approaches her.

“Where is it?” he asks.

“I do not have what you seek,” she says.

“I know you have it,” he yells. “Give it to me or you and your children will die.”

She reaches for a glass vase sitting on the counter behind her and smashes it over his head. She runs past Lyla and into the nursery, closing the door behind her. Lyla knows perfectly well what happens next. She stands out of the way and waits for him to follow her mother to the nursery, but instead he grabs her throat, squeezing tightly, and presses her against the wall.

Lyla grabs at his hands, trying to get him to release her, but she can’t get him off.

“You know where it is,” he says. “Bring the pieces to me or she dies.”

“Lilly,” she whimpers, trying to catch her breath. Damien squeezes tighter around her throat, stealing her breath, and blurring her vision.

Lyla woke gasping for air. Thomas was over her, and William and Giselle had appeared behind him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re safe,” Thomas said.

He held her in his arms when she’d calmed down and caught her breath. She told them about her dream, and how her mother had been crying over her father. William seemed happy that she had missed him, but it also brought back sad memories as well. She told them of the letter, and what Damien had said and done to her.

Giselle pointed out that she had claw marks on her neck. Lyla’s hand touched her throat. She must have clawed herself in her sleep when she was trying to get Damien to release her.

“Do you know where the item is?” William asked. “Whatever it is, they are after.”

Lyla looked at all of them, from one face to another. She quickly got out of bed and walked into the nursery. The dresser was no longer knocked over from the invasion. When they were searching through the house over the past three weeks they had restored it to its former glory. The house was neat and clean with no broken pieces of furniture or shattered glass on the floor. Lyla grabbed the edges of the dresser and pulled it away from the wall. William, Giselle, and Thomas stood behind her and watched as she pulled up the floor board. It was still there. She reached down and pulled out the same paper and box that were tied together in her dream.

“This is it,” Lyla said. “I think this is what he wants.”

Lyla sat with her back against the wall as she untied the string and opened the paper. It had aged and turned yellow, but it was still legible. She read it through once on her own as everyone stared in curiosity.

One heart turning into three,

Oh, how special you will be

Crystal and gold will surely meet,

And find destruction at its feet

So, pray it falls in the right hands,

Before earth meets its final stand

“It’s a poem?” Lyla said. “I don’t understand.” She shook her head and read it aloud for everyone to hear.

William told her to open the box and perhaps it would make more sense.

She did as he said and opened the box. Inside lay a ring. It was a diamond ring with a gold band with two leaves on it, on each side of the diamond. One was a light green and the other was a soft orange. Lyla thought it was very delicate and beautiful. She couldn’t stop staring at it.

“Lyla, do you know what that is?” William asked.

“It’s a ring, but what could it mean?” she replied.

“That is your mother’s wedding ring,”

Lyla stayed silent as she pondered why Damien would want this. How could her mother’s wedding ring mean anything to him?

“Isn’t it obvious?” Giselle said. They all stared at her. It wasn’t obvious to them, but apparently to her it was clear as day.

“Why don’t you enlighten us instead of keeping us all on edge,” Thomas said with an irritated tone.

She glared back at him, and went through each line, explaining what she thought it meant.

“One heart turning into three, oh how special you will be,” she repeated. “Your mom had the two of you.” She gestured to Lyla. “Three people, three hearts. When she gave birth to you her one heart turned into three for you and Lilly. Also, you are the first twins in the history of Armoria. That makes you pretty special if you ask me.”

So far everything she had said made sense so they let her continue without interruption.

“Crystal and gold will surely meet, and find destruction at its feet. Crystal meaning your symbols. The crystals you have hanging around your neck, or at least you should have around your neck.”

She noticed Lyla did not have hers on. She had taken it off when she went to bed, and it was on her nightstand.

“And gold meaning your mother’s wedding ring. According to the poem, if all three are put together something bad will happen. So, pray it falls in the right hands, before earth meets its final stand. The reason Damien wants these three pieces is most likely because he wants to destroy the world. If they fall into his hands that is most likely what will happen, which is also what the poem means when it refers to falling into the right hands.”

“What I don’t understand is how my mother knew all of this. She knew Damien was coming after it, but she wasn’t Armorian so how would she know?” She thought to herself for a moment and then remembered the letter. “Dad did you send her that letter? In my dream that letter seemed to be the reason she hid her ring in the first place.”

“No,” he said. “At the time, I had just told her I was Armorian, and the Demorites hadn’t yet invaded earth when I left. I had no idea what your symbols were at the time either. Not until you opened the box in my office.”

Lyla rose to her feet and went to the attic door. She had never been up there and had never wanted to, but now she had no choice. She had let everyone else search the attic while she searched her grandfather’s office. She had been in there many times to take him dinner when he was in the middle of an invention and would not leave the room until he finished, so it did not bother her. Except, it made her miss her grandfather even more seeing all of his inventions. Some finished and some unfinished.

She walked up the narrow stairs and everyone followed. It was dark and everything was covered in dust. Most of the items were her mother’s old things, which was the reason she never wanted to go in the attic. It would only make her miss her mother that much more. The room was not very big, but she hoped her mother didn’t hide the letter in a secret compartment or they would never find it. Everyone spread out in different directions and searched for the letter.

Since the attic had already been searched, they had a good idea of where to start. They had seen many letters and papers before, but they did not pay much attention to them. They had no idea a letter could be of such importance.

Lyla headed toward an old desk while everyone else searched through different boxes. It had stacks of papers piled on it that looked ages old. She looked through them, but she didn’t find the letter. No one else had found anything either. She felt defeated, but then she noticed the desk drawers that were hidden by a stack of boxes. She opened the top drawer and found nothing. She looked through the second drawer and found nothing but old newspapers. She was about to give up when she reached the bottom and saw an envelope. She was hoping this would be the one. It had her address on it with an unknown sender and it was the same envelope she’d seen in her dream. This had to be it. She felt a sigh of relief wash over her.

They all gathered in the kitchen and sat around the table as Lyla read the letter.

Dear Mrs. Langston,

We have never met, but I am from Armoria. I’m sure your husband has told you all about it by now. I have known him since he was a boy, and he has come to be a very fine young man. It is my greatest displeasure to tell you that you and your children are in grave danger. A darkness is headed your way that cannot and will not be stopped. In my younger days, I came across an old document that mentioned a prophecy. In this prophecy, a set of Armorian twins are born and grow up to be great leaders that defeat grave evil. I did not think anything of it, because no one had ever had twins of Armorian descendants until now. Your children are the first twins in the history of Armoria to be born and they are destined to do great things. This man that is coming for you will kill them if given the chance. You must save them, for the future of humanity depends on it. Below is a poem that comes with the prophecy.

One heart turning into three,

Oh, how special you will be

Crystal and gold will surely meet,

And find destruction at its feet

So, pray it falls in the right hands,

Before earth meets it final stand

This poem is about your family, my dear. You have two children, and with your own, it makes three hearts. Every Armorian has a symbol, and according to the poem, your children will have crystal symbols. If your golden ring comes together with their crystals and falls into the hands of the dark ones all will be lost and earth will exist no more. Hide your ring where no one will ever find it. Many lives depend on your bravery.

Sincerely,

A.S

“I guess I was pretty dead on about the poem,” Giselle said proudly. Although it would have been easier to find the letter first.” Everyone ignored her and she frowned.

“A.S,” Thomas said. “Who is A.S?”

Lyla stared at the letter and the initials signed at the bottom. The letter began to shake in her hand. William shot a concerned look in her direction.

“I know who it is,” Lyla said. “I noticed a book in his house initialed in the same handwriting. We’ve encountered him several times since I arrived at Armoria.”

No one took a guess at who she was talking about so she rolled her eyes in frustration.

“Arthur Storington.”

Chapter 21

Everyone gasped when Lyla told them the name of the man who had secretly written to her mother. Lyla could hardly believe it herself, but who else could it be?

“He never spoke a word of this to me,” William said. “He is a family friend. Why would he hide this? How did he know they were coming for her? For you?” His gaze landed on Lyla.

“It’s like the letter said,” Giselle chimed in. “He knew of the prophecy, and they fit it perfectly.”

“He should have said something. He should have told me.” William was getting upset, and his voice grew louder with every word. How could a man he knew for so long keep such a secret from him? His mind was going in a thousand different directions trying to wrap his head around the situation.

“There was nothing you could have done,” Lyla said. “Even if you knew, you would not have made it to us. You couldn’t have, there was no possible way. Arthur knew that, and that is probably why he didn’t tell you. It would have torn you apart knowing that we were in danger and you could do nothing about it.”

“I need to see him. I need to hear it from him,” William said. “I feel like he betrayed me.”

“We can’t go back to Armoria. We don’t have the time. Lilly and my grandfather have been taken, and I will not waste a moment until I know they are safe. You can do nothing about what happened in the past, but you can help me. Right now, Lilly needs us.”

William sighed and tried to force his anger to diminish. “You’re right! They are our number-one priority.”

“With that being said, we need to think of our next move. We need a plan on how we are going to break them out. Everyone take some time and think of suggestions. We leave at dusk,” Lyla said.

They all got up from the table and went to their rooms to gather their belongings while they thought of a plan, but it wasn’t easy. What were they going to do? Walk into the city past Damien’s army without a second glance? No, they would be seen, and the Demorites would try to kill them. They had to be clever and devious. Somehow, they would have to sneak into the city, past the guards, and find out where they were hiding Lilly and Grandpa Joe, wherever that was. How were they going to complete such a task without giving Damien exactly what he wanted? It felt almost impossible, but they wouldn’t give up without a fight.

Thomas followed Lyla to her room without saying a word. He bent down to pick up his clothes that were spread out on the floor and stuffed them into his bag. He looked at Lyla who was lying on her bed, face first in her pillow. Thomas knew she was stressed and upset. The past few weeks were disastrous for her. At least when he lost his parents he was an infant so he didn’t really remember them. He couldn’t imagine being so close to someone, like Lilly and Lyla, only to lose them. Then he thought if he lost Lyla he would feel the same way. At least they had a chance at getting Lilly back.

He sat next to Lyla and placed his hand on her back. He felt her stiffen and finally relax as she rolled over and sat up next to him. She leaned her head against him and let out a loud sigh.

“What are we going to do? I have no plan to save them. We can’t just walk in there without anyone noticing. My only option is to give Damien what he wants, but if I do that, we will all perish. It seems like we have no way of winning this. What if I fail? What if I can’t do this? The fate of earth and everyone that resides in it is counting on me, on us.”

“We will think of something. Actually, I have been thinking about it for some time now. I knew we wouldn’t be able to stroll in without anyone seeing, so I came up with an idea that may just work.”

Lyla pulled away and looked at him in curiosity and excitement. “You do? Well, what is it? What do you have in mind?”

“Well, there’s only one way to fit in with a group of Demorites. We have to look like them. I think if we find a small group of them on the edge of the city limits and take their cloaks we might just be able to sneak past them. That should make it easier to get through, but I’m sure we will run into something unexpected. At that point in time we will have to improvise as we go.”

“Thomas, you’re a genius.”

“Of course I am,” he replied confidently. “That’s why you keep me around.”

“That’s not the only reason.” She smiled back at him as she walked out of the room.

Lyla ran into the other bedrooms and told William and Giselle of Thomas’s plan. It wasn’t as detailed as she had hoped, and she didn’t think it would be that simple, but it was a start. Many things could go wrong, but it was the only plan they had.

Dusk had arrived as they set off north toward the city. Lyla and Lilly had never made it into the city on their explorations. She had only heard stories that her grandparents used to tell her when she was young. The crowded streets, the chill in the air from the lake, and the skyscraper buildings that glistened when the sun hit the glass windows. She imagined it as best as she could, but she knew her imagination didn’t compare to the reality of what it once was. Now the city looked like every other place on the planet. Overgrown, lifeless, and abandoned.

It would be a four-day gallop to the city. If they maintained a steady pace they could reach it just as the sun was going down. The night sky would give them the advantage so they would not be seen. They didn’t want to go into the city during the day anyway. That would put them a few days ahead of the deadline Damien had set for them.

The first day of riding everyone was on high alert. They were ready to storm into the city, save Lilly, and kill as many Demorites as they could. By the fourth day, everyone grew tired, and Lyla was becoming concerned. They had only taken a few breaks of rest their entire trip. If they wanted to reach the city before sunset they would have to keep riding, but she knew that wasn’t an option. They had to rest and even though they had not been riding the horses to their full potential they needed to rest as well.

They came to a clearing and decided to rest for the day. This would set them back another day, but they had plenty of time, and they had until midnight of the last day before Damien… It wasn’t something Lyla wanted to think about. The city wasn’t much farther, but they couldn’t fight Demorites being as exhausted as they were. William found a shaded area and rested on the blanket he had spread on the ground. He fell asleep in a few short minutes as did Giselle.

The sun was still up and Lyla didn’t think she could sleep just yet. She wandered into the woods and stumbled across a pond. To her surprise, it was mostly clear, so she saw this as a great opportunity to clean herself up. She looked around to make sure no one was around and pulled her clothes off. She sat them on a large rock and slowly walked in.

The water was cool, but it was refreshing with the hot sun beating down around her. The water had never felt better. She closed her eyes and felt the water surround her.

“Going for a swim, are we?”

She turned and saw Thomas standing with a large grin on his face.

“I wasn’t expecting company,” she said nervously. She saw his gaze fall to her clothes on the rock next to him. He looked back, brows raised. Her face turned bright red. “I was just trying to clean up.”

“I can go if you…”

“No!” she interrupted. “Um, could you just turn around for a second? So, I can get dressed.” Without question, he turned around. He heard her getting closer as the water splashed against her legs. She twisted her hair to get all the water out and started putting on her clothes.

“Don’t peek,” she said. He could hear her smile in her voice.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he said. “Although you have no idea how much I want to.” His voice was sweet yet sinister.

Once Lyla was fully dressed, she spun Thomas around and smiled at him.

“Your turn,” Lyla said.

“Only if you join me?”

“I don’t think I will,” she said, laughing. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him back toward their camping area.

When they arrived, William and Giselle were still sleeping. The sun was barely visible now, so Lyla and Thomas prepared a place to rest and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Lyla stands in a large room that has concrete floors and stone walls with very few windows. A long roll of red carpet leads from the double doors behind her to the opposite side of the room and up a set of steps. It continues until it reaches a large black chair with black skulls lining the frame, a throne.

The doors behind her opens, and all the muscles in her body tense as she turns as sees Damien enter the room. He closes the door behind him and walks toward her with the biggest grin. She wants to slap the grin right off his face, and then pummel him to death for taking her grandfather, and now her sister. She hates this man with a passion. He has taken everything away from her. How could he have become such an evil monster?

She begins to run toward him with the intentions of hurting him when she stops, unable to move. She tries to move every muscle in her body, but she can’t. He has taken control over her once again.

“Don’t be so hasty,” he says calmly. He begins walking in circles around her as he speaks. “You and I have important matters to discuss.” She tries to speak, but her throat muscles tighten. “I am still waiting for the items I have asked of you. I know you have acquired them and I expect them soon. Your time is running out and my patience is wearing thin, and I know I said one month, but I am moving the deadline to tomorrow night. If I do not have what I ask by midnight tomorrow I will be forced to kill your beloved sister.”

Lyla feels as if someone is choking her. The room is spinning and she can hardly breathe. She feels a sudden release and she can breathe again, gasping for air. She is able to speak, but she can still not move her body. She has so many questions that she does not understand.

“I see your mind trying to comprehend all of this, so let me explain,” Damien says.

His voice remains calm. He has stopped circling her and is standing directly in front of her, narrowing his dark eyes. Even though she can speak, all she can get out is a squeak. Lyla feels uncomfortable because of how close he is standing to her. This must amuse him because he lets out a low chuckle.

“I’m sure you want to know how I have become so powerful? Well, I have this necklace you see.” He points at a necklace that is dangling from his neck. It has a large ruby that is wrapped in a bronze metal to hold it in place. “This stone absorbs power, which I have found up in the mountainous region of Dresden. It was such a great find. This stone alone gives me the power to control you, as you have noticed, because of the bite on your arm. It ties us together in a way.”

Lyla hadn’t thought that was possible. Arthur made her a potion to rid her of any venom or poisons from the bite. Maybe it had not worked after all. Clearly it had rid her of enough toxins to where she had not turned into one of them, but maybe not enough to prevent Damien from controlling her. It is the only explanation she can think of.

“As for your sister…”

“Where is she?” Lyla yells. “If you hurt her…”

“She is quite all right. For now,” he snarls. “In fact, I have a surprise for you.” He claps his hands twice and the doors in front of her open. A Demorite enters the room. He is quite large and he is followed by a young woman. Lyla takes in a deep breath. Lilly.

Lyla is surprised to see her in the condition she is in. She is in a long flowing dress and she is beautiful. She looks clean and well taken care of. Lyla tries to run to her, but she is still motionless. Tears are stinging the backs of her eyes.

Damien nods, and Lilly walks over to her sister. She is hardly showing any emotion at all, as she doesn’t seem happy or relieved to see her sister. Lyla is finally allowed to move forward so she runs to her and hugs her tightly.

“Lil, I’m so sorry about what happened in the woods.”

“No, I’m sorry for overreacting. I never should have run off like that. I’m glad you are here. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Lil. Are you all right? Have they hurt you?” Lilly shakes her head.

“No, it’s actually quite nice here. I like it very much.”

Lyla steps back from her sister. “You can’t mean that.”

“I do,” says Lilly. “I have my own chambers, and I’m free to go as I please.” She turns and smiles at Damien. “And Damien is quite the charmer.”

“This isn’t you. You wouldn’t say that after all that he has done to us.” Lyla is in disbelief; she can’t comprehend what she is hearing. Damien, charming? There is nothing charming about him. He’s nothing but a slithering snake in a pit.

“What about Papa? What about Nana and our mother? He killed them!”

Lilly is now standing in front of her. The mention of her mother and grandmother does nothing. She doesn’t flinch, smile, frown. She doesn’t even blink.

“Like I said, she is quite all right,” Damien interrupts. “You have had more than enough time to get reacquainted.” He snaps his fingers. “Guard, take her away.”

“Goodbye, Lyla. I’m sure I will see you again soon.”

Lilly curtsies and follows the guard out of the room. Lyla stands in bewilderment. This is not what she expected from her sister. Something’s wrong with her.

“What did you do to her?”

Damien gives her an evil grin. Lyla runs toward him with the intentions of plowing him to the ground, but with a single touch, a tremendous electrifying pain shoot up her back. She falls on all fours, clenching her fists, trying to fight through the pain.

Lyla woke up, relieved that she was no longer in pain. The sun was still shining bright in the sky. She lay motionless, thinking about the way her sister had acted. Was it all a trick that Damien had incorporated into her dream, or had he really brainwashed her? She was frustrated that she couldn’t even get close to Damien without him inflicting pain on her. Hopefully, it would be different when she saw him for the first time in person.

She pondered on the thought, until she heard someone yelling in the distance and instantly sat up. She couldn’t make out any words, but she was listening to see what direction it was coming from. She got up and shook everyone awake, yelling at them to get up. She heard Giselle groan as she opened her eyes. She didn’t give anyone an explanation or time to think and ran toward the screams, picking up her weapons belt on the way. They looked around at each other as she ran into the woods, not sure what the reason was for her sudden outburst. Had they been found? Were they under attack? Finally, they heard the screams and ran after her.

Lyla ran past many trees, through tall grass and thorn bushes. She ignored all the bleeding scratches that were now all over her body. She kept a steady pace, and the yelling became louder as she got closer.

She came to an open field of tall grass surrounded by trees and stopped. The yelling was coming from a boy. He was grabbing his arm and he was limping when he walked. She looked around to assess the situation. The boy was far away, but she could see blood all over his body. Was this a trap? Was he being used as bait by the Demorites to draw in other humans?

William, Thomas, and Giselle had finally caught up to her. Lyla was crouched down to the ground and held a hand out to them to stay quiet. They did not argue. They were breathing heavily from chasing after her and needed a moment to catch their breaths. They listened to what the boy was yelling about.

“Someone, please, help me. Anyone! They are after me, please.” He was repeating the same line over and over. Two Demorites came storming out of the forest after him. The boy’s pace quickened.

“Are we going to do something or just stand here?” Giselle asked.

“No, I thought we would just wait around and watch him be slaughtered,” Lyla said in a sarcastic tone.

Giselle glared at her through prying eyes.

Lyla got up and ran toward the Demorites with everyone right behind her. The Demorites saw them running toward them at full speed and redirected their attention to them.

As they neared, Lyla threw a knife at each of them. One was hit in the heart and crumpled to the ground, but the other managed to deflect it. Thomas ran forward and drove his sword through the Demorite’s chest.

The Demorites didn’t seem to be very good fighters in Lyla’s opinion, which struck her as odd. How did Damien win the war over earth if his army didn’t put up much of a fight?

Lyla was startled when a voice came up behind her. “I had it all under control.”

“Yeah, we could see that,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know running away and yelling for help meant you had it all under control.” The boy shot him a sharp look.

Now that he was closer, Lyla could get a better look at him. He had black hair, dark brown eyes, and tan skin. He looked about her age. He had a large cut on his leg, which was where most of the blood was coming from. He also had a cut at the corner of his forehead that left blood trailing down his cheek. It looked like he was hit with a large rock, or maybe the hilt of the Demorite’s sword.

Lyla introduced herself to him. His eyes widened as she said her name. “Lyla?” he repeated. “Yes,” she said. “You make it sound like I have an odd name.”

“No, it’s just…I have only ever met one person with that name before.” He looked at her from top to bottom. Thomas seemed to notice and tightened his fists. “Do you know who I am?”

“No?” she said, confused. Thomas was looking from the boy to Lyla. He was as confused as everyone else. Lyla thought maybe, just maybe. No, it couldn’t be…or was it?

“It’s me, Ryan. Ryan Tolemo.”

Chapter 22

Lyla stared at Ryan, unable to say anything. Under the dry blood that covered his tan skin, she was beginning to recognize his familiar features. This looked like him, but how could it be? She was sure he was dead. It had been years since the last time she’d seen him.

“How did you…where were…I thought you were dead,” she said, finally forming a full sentence.

“Ta-da,” he said. “I guess I’m back from the dead.”

“What happened to you?”

“You mean why I’m covered in blood, or why I disappeared all those years ago?” He no longer seemed like the scared boy running from a pair of Demorites. Now he was acting like they had not just witnessed him running for his life and had to save him. His tone was firm and confident. His stance has strong, despite the gash in his leg.

“Well, an explanation for both scenarios would be nice.”

“I suppose we will start with the latter. My home was invaded. The Demorites had somehow found us. My parents, my younger sister, and I. We were captured and taken to the city. Damien’s castle had not been fully built yet, and that’s where we came in.” Just hearing Damien’s name made Lyla shudder. “We had been around them long enough to discover what the retched beasts called themselves before we escaped. Demorites,” he spat out the name in disgust. “Don’t you see? The Demorites are not roaming this far out of the city for nothing. They are looking for people in hiding, people they can add to their little collection of worker bees.”

“You mean they are turning these humans into slaves for their own bidding?” William asked. Everyone had been so quiet behind her that she almost forgot they were there.

“Yes, they used us to build his castle, and now he is using them to expand his kingdom. I say them because some of us escaped. My parents and I, as well as a few other people. We have formed an Alliance against the Demorites. Our numbers have grown over the years, however. We have enough people for a small army. We plan to invade his kingdom, save as many people as we can, and take back what is rightfully ours.”

“We plan to do the same, except we did not know about all of the people we are going to have to save,” Thomas said. “Not only do we have to worry about our safety, but theirs as well. Damien can use that to his advantage by threatening the lives of all those people.”

“Unless we get them to join the Alliance once we enter his domain,” Lyla said. “Surely they would join us to earn their freedom.”

“The only issue is Damien only keeps his workers strong enough to work through the day,” Ryan said. “They receive little food and water, so many of them have a hard time making it through the day at all. The only reason they keep going is because they fear the consequences.”

“Why would he do such a thing? It seems hardly beneficial to him.” It was the first thing Giselle had said since they began the conversation. Lyla noticed Ryan take an extra moment to look at her. She knew he was observing her beauty, her flawless perfection. She found herself annoyed, but didn’t know why.

“Because he doesn’t want them to retaliate against him. He thinks if they are weak enough they will not bother or be capable of doing so, but I know they will. I think you should all come to my camp.”

Ryan had them follow him to his base camp, and in the meantime, Lyla introduced the rest of the company.

“Ryan, this is my father, William.”

“I thought your father was dead,” he mumbled.

“Ta-da. I guess I’m back from the dead,” William said, mimicking him. Lyla had to hold a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Ryan raised an eyebrow not seeming to be amused by her father’s humor.

“This is my sister, Giselle.”

“I thought Lilly was your only sister.”

“So did I,” Lyla carelessly replied. Giselle held out her hand for a handshake, but instead he kissed the top of her hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” If it were not for Giselle’s infatuation with Joseph she might have been flattered, but she wasn’t. She wiped the back of her hand on her pants and continued walking. Ryan didn’t seem to notice or he didn’t care.

“And this is my boyfriend, Thomas.” Lyla smiled as she made her last introduction. It was a strange, yet wonderful feeling. It was the first time she had ever called him her boyfriend aloud and the first time she had introduced him as such.

“Your boyfriend?” Ryan asked in curiosity.

“Is there a problem?” said Thomas. Lyla noticed the tension between the two and slipped her hand into his.

“Not at all. It’s nice to meet you.”

Lyla explained her grandfather’s kidnapping, how her father had been alive all this time, and all she could about Armoria. She wasn’t sure if it was a great idea to tell him of Armoria, but it was the only way he would understand where the Demorites came from and why they were there. He seemed dumbfounded and at a loss for words. It made all too much sense, but an alternate universe was hard to believe.

“So, you’re telling me they invaded our planet for two crystals and a golden ring, and that he created his kingdom just so he could destroy it? It seems very unlikely.”

“I don’t believe he wants to destroy earth, but I think he wants to have the power to,” said Lyla. “If he had that type of power, he could rule the entire world. Right now, there are still people out there who may also be planning attacks on the Demorites, people like us. That is what Damien fears, because he cannot be in all countries at one time. No one would question him knowing he had the ability to destroy everything.”

“Okay, that makes more sense.”

According to Ryan, the camp was not much farther, but it wasn’t easy to get to. They traveled through harsh terrain full of thorn bushes and thorn trees. The underbrush was so compact that there was no easy passageway through.

“Do you not have an easier way to get to it?” Giselle asked.

“No,” said Ryan. “Trails will only lead the Demorites right to us, and then all of our hard work would be for nothing. We have to be smarter than that if we want to survive out here. We stay off the grid, unseen and invisible until we attack.” Ryan heard a lot of grumbling from behind him. He agreed that it was a constant battle going in and out of their camp, but it was a necessary precaution, being as close as they were to the city.

Once in a short while, Lyla could hear extra rustling in the trees and underbrush around them. She wasn’t sure if it was the wind, which was hardly blowing at all, or if the sounds they were making were echoing back to them. Soon after she picked up on a new scent in the air that smelled of dirt and sweat. She stopped to listen, holding up Thomas, William, and Giselle along the path they were creating.

“What on earth?” said Giselle, who was leaning over to peer past William and Thomas in front of her. Ryan had turned around to see what the holdup was. “Lyla, why are you stopping? Is something wrong?”

“I think we’re being…”

Before she could finish, three men appeared from behind the bushes, surrounding them. They were pointing guns at them, and had vicious smirks on their faces.

“…followed,” Lyla continued.

One of the men with black spikey hair took a step forward. Lyla identified him as their leader.

“Remove your weapons belts and throw them here,” said the leader.

“Luke, what are you doing?” Lyla was startled to know that the voice had come from Ryan. He stood with his arms crossed as if he was annoyed at the very sight of them.

“Friends of yours?” said Lyla.

“Well if it isn’t Ryan Tolemo. Look who it is boys.” The other two men stood laughing, still pointing their guns at William and Thomas. “I didn’t notice you with the blood and dirt covering you, and I wouldn’t exactly call us friends,” he said answering Lyla’s question. “I suppose in a way we used to be, but Ryan ruined everything”

“It wasn’t me. It was you and your ignorance.”

“Do not insult me,” yelled the man. His gun had turned on Ryan and Lyla was surprised Ryan wasn’t shot. The man’s anger flared, with his free hand clenched into a tight fist and his eye twitching, but then his anger subsided. “Let me tell you all a little bit about our history with Ryan, since you clearly do not know. We were a part of the Alliance you see and we had grand ideas that Ryan wouldn’t even consider, so we left to form our own group, which in my opinion has turned out quite nicely.”

“Grand ideas?” said Ryan. He was speaking quickly, and his voice grew louder and louder with every word. “Your idea was to storm into the city unprepared and outnumbered. You would have us all killed and the Alliance would have been lost.”

“Enough of the chatter,” said Luke. “Weapons belts, now.”

“We had better give him what he wants,” said Ryan. “He is crazy enough to kill us all.”

Luke ignored his comment, and Giselle, William, Thomas, and Ryan threw their belts down. One of the men behind him stepped forward to pick them up, and threw them over his shoulder.

“Now you,” the man said to Lyla as he aimed the gun at her head.

“I have problems that are way bigger than you,” said Lyla. “So why don’t you take your worthless guns and go terrorize someone else.”

The man pointed his gun at the ground just in front of Lyla’s feet and pulled the trigger. She looked up from the ground where the shot had entered the earth and back to him, unwavering, as if he had just blown a bubble at her.

“Lyla, just give him the belt,” said Thomas. He knew how stubborn she was and that she wouldn’t give her belt up for anything. He didn’t want her to gamble with her life over something that could be so easily replaced.

“Matthew, take the belt from her,” said Luke.

Matthew appeared from behind his leader, taking long strides with his long, gangly legs. “Hands up,” Luke said to her as Matthew approached. “Or this one dies.” He pointed his gun at William, who had said nothing the entire time, but looked at her with pleading eyes. She did as he asked, but she was very annoyed. She didn’t want to give up her weapons, which would save her life countless times in the future, but they were not worth risking the safety of those she loved.

Matthew loosened the belt from her waist, getting uncomfortably close to her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Thomas’s disapproval, but there was nothing he could do about it. Lyla spotted Mathew’s gun that was now holstered at his side. She thought about reaching for it, but it was too risky.

“You will all die by the end of this,” Lyla said.

The three men laughed, and Matthew stepped back with a smirk on his face. He handed the belt to his leader, who examined her weapons with great pleasure. Her weapons were new and custom-made for her.

“Thank you, young lady. I’m sure this will come in handy.” He turned to his men who had resumed the position of pointing their guns at the people in front of them. “Bind them. They are coming with us.”

Lyla was thrown into a dusty old room with her hands still bound behind her back. She had been separated from the others and had no idea where she would find them.

Plain white walls surrounded her. There were no windows, just pipes running from one room to another along the ceiling, and a wooden chair that sat in the corner. She wasn’t sure what this place was. They had traveled two to three miles before they arrived, and by the looked of it, it seemed to be an old electric company or chemical plant.

Lyla had no time to sit around and wait for something to happen. She had to take action. She had to get out of this place, because time was running out.

She placed her feet firmly on the ground and pressed her back against the wall so she could raise herself up just enough to slide her arms underneath her legs. She reached for the knife that was tightly hidden in her boot. She thanked God that she had always placed one in her boot just in case she was in a situation just like this one. She pulled out the knife with a bit of a struggle, but finally pulled it free. Lifting herself in the same position, she pulled her hands behind her back once more. She began to slowly cut at the rope, trying her best not to cut herself as the strands were unraveling one by one.

The door creaked open and she stopped cutting at her binds. Matthew entered the room and shut the door behind him. His gun was still attached to his hip and he had Thomas’s weapons belt around his waist. She hoped everyone was unharmed and safe, even though she knew they were in as much danger as she was. He spun the wooden chair around closer to where she was sitting and straddled it.

“Why did you bring us here?” Lyla asked.

“I follow Luke and do as he asks and so does Gabriel.”

Lyla quickly assumed that Gabriel was one of the other men who had brought them here. She was slowly cutting at the rope, engaging in conversation, hoping he wouldn’t notice until her hands were free.

“How many of you are there?”

“Just the three of us. We tried to seek out more people after we left the Alliance, but there were few to be found, and the ones we did find resisted.”

“So now you have come to the conclusion that taking people captive is the best solution? Why did you leave the Alliance with Luke? Why do you do everything he asks of you?”

“Luke has done more for me than you could ever imagine. I owe him my life.”

Lyla could feel that she had almost cut through the rope. Just a few more strands left then she would be free.

“We should be fighting together against Damien, not each other,” said Lyla. “Do you not realize what is at stake here? If Damien wins, we are all good as dead.”

Before Matthew could respond someone with a black bag over their head was dragged in by the third man she had seen before in the woods, who she now understood to be Gabriel. Matthew rose from the chair and Gabriel sat the figure down before pulling the bag off his head. Ryan.

He had fresh blood running down his face over the old crusted blood that still remained from before. Lyla was horrified by the brutal sight.

“What did you do to him?”

“We just showed him a little bit of our appreciation from before we left the Alliance,” said Gabriel. “All those times he disagreed with our ideas when all we wanted to do was contribute to the cause. He got what was coming to him.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” said Ryan. Lyla wasn’t sure if he was trying not to appear weak or if it really did look worse than it was.

“Shut up,” Gabriel yelled as he drove his fist into the side of Ryan’s head.

“Stop it!” yelled Lyla. “You’re hurting him.”

“Oh, you don’t like this, huh? Well, that is why we brought him here, you see. Luke sensed a fire in you that cannot be tamed, and we wanted to bring him as a reminder that this will happen to you should you rebel against us.”

Lyla had finally cut the rope free that tied her hands together and smiled.

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” she said.

“And why wouldn’t you?” said the man with an unpleasant tone.

“Like I said before, I will kill you all in the end. You have wasted a great deal of my time that I cannot afford and I’m not taking it lightly.”

Both men laughed in retaliation. “Good luck.”

Lyla gave a half smile. “I don’t need luck.”

At that moment, she forced herself to stand and lunged toward Gabriel catching him by surprise. She drew her knife to his throat and sliced it open. She was about to reach for the weapons around his waist when Matthew came up behind her and threw her against the wall. She remained standing, but he came at her fast and tried to pry the knife from her hand. She rammed her head against his and he drew back in pain, but she regretted it, realizing it did as much damage to her as it did him. She grabbed her head, but continued forward and knocked Matthew to the ground with a swift kick to the back of his knees.

Lyla leaned close, ready to drive her sword into his heart, when he rolled her over. He was now on top of her, and he was grabbing for a weapon from the belt he had on. She was struggling beneath him, so he drove his fist into the side of her head. Her vision went blurry for a few seconds and she was forcing herself to stay conscious or she wouldn’t be able to stop him from killing her. Just as he was about to force the knife down on her, she caught his arm and stuck her knife into his side. She pushed him off her and struggled to get to her feet.

Lyla turned to Ryan, who was still sitting in the chair, and cut the rope that bound his hands behind his back.

“You have some pretty good skills,” Ryan said.

“I’ve learned a lot since we were kids.”

Lyla grabbed the weapons belts off the bodies and walked over to the door, which, to their surprise, was unlocked. They had expected it to be locked from the outside, but it was most likely left unlocked when Ryan was brought in. They cracked the door open to see if anyone was lurking on the other side, but the hallway was completely empty. They searched multiple hallways and doors, looking for the others, but so far, they’d had no luck.

They came to a dark hallway, and Lyla couldn’t resist but to search it. If she were going to hide something or someone, that’s where she would hide them. The first door had nothing but old boxes. Behind the second door was a table with their weapons belts. Ryan was relieved as he pulled his from the table and wrapped it around his waist. All the weapons belts were retrieved except for Lyla’s. After she found everyone she would find Luke and get it back. Lyla opened the last door of the hall, and someone must have been waiting, because when she opened the door, a knife was quickly pressed to her throat. Lyla forced the same action on her opponent until she realized who it was. Giselle.

“Lyla?” said Giselle. She lowered her weapon and embraced her. “We were all so worried. We had no idea where they had taken you.” Lyla looked past Giselle, and behind her stood Thomas and William. A smile appeared on her face as she embraced all of them. It was such a relief to know they were all safe and unharmed.

“What happened to you?” William said, gently touching her face where a bruise was forming.

“I’m fine,” she said as she winced and pulled away.

“I think it’s time to get out of this place,” said William.

“There’s something I have to do first,” said Lyla.

William didn’t want Lyla wasting her time on finding her weapons belt when they could get her new weapons. Except, she couldn’t. Where else would she find an Armorian blade but in Armoria?

They snuck up and down numerous hallways, even though, according to Matthew, it was just the three of them, so they shouldn’t come in contact with any added surprises. They found Luke in a room full of heavy machinery.

“Hey,” Lyla shouted. Luke turned around with a frown. “I want my weapons belt back.”

“How did you get out? Those two idiots can’t do one simple task. I’m going to kill them.”

“You won’t have to,” Lyla said. “I already did.” Luke looked dumbfounded and then noticed the blood that stained Lyla’s clothing. “If you give me my weapons belt without force, I will let you live. If not, I will be forced to kill you.”

Luke let out a laugh. “You cannot kill me. You have no idea what I am capable of.”

Lyla pulled out her bow and arrow and made a perfect shot toward him, but he moved so fast the arrow didn’t come close to hitting him. She looked at everyone in awe and they looked back in astonishment. She reached for her knife and threw it straight for him, but he dodged it once more. They had no idea how he could move so fast. Maybe he was right. Maybe they couldn’t kill him.

“Like I said, you can’t kill me.”

“How is that possible?” William asked.

“I have a very powerful source that makes me stronger and better at everything.”

“You’re working with Damien,” Lyla concluded.

“That is correct, which is why I am keeping you all here. He will be so pleased to hear that I have found you.” He stared at Lyla and felt so proud of himself.

“If you were working with him, then you would know he is already expecting me.”

“Of course he is, but he would be so pleased if I brought you in myself.”

“I’ve had enough of this,” said Thomas. He drew his sword and walked toward Luke who in turn pulled out Lyla’s sword.

“Thomas, no!” Lyla cried.

Thomas didn’t turn back or acknowledge anyone. He was done playing games and was determined to defeat Luke so they could move on. Thomas swung his sword at Luke, but he was not close enough so the blade barely reach him. Luke pulled his sword up in defense, but Thomas’s sword went right through his blade and cut his arm.

Luke was caught off guard as blood trickled down his arm. Knowing that the sword wouldn’t protect him, he threw down the sword and Lyla’s weapons belt and took off running. “This isn’t over,” he shouted back.

Giselle, Ryan, Lyla and Thomas stood in utter confusion. What had just happened? It was like Lyla’s sword had turned transparent. William stepped toward Lyla with a large grin on his face.

“I guess I forgot to mention that the sword will defend you and you alone.”

“How is that possible?” Lyla asked.

“The first person to pick it up from the box it was encased in would forever be the person it adhered to,” said William.

“There were rumors that they were trying to make this possible, but no one has ever confirmed it,” said Giselle.

“I myself had doubts,” said William. “But it seems to have worked just as it was designed to.”

Lyla walked over to where her weapons belt lay on the floor and tightened it around her waist before picking up her sword firmly in her grip and admiring every inch of it. This sword was so beautiful, and would protect her and her alone. Her eyes rested upon the angel wings that were near the hilt of her sword. The angel wings were the perfect emblem. This sword, in a way, was her guardian angel.

“I think it’s time we made it to the camp,” said Ryan. Because of what happened, they had wasted so many hours, and Ryan would have to ready the Alliance as soon as they arrived.

They arrived at the area where the Alliance was being formed. It was in a secure location where the Demorites would not find them, but also close enough to the city where they could keep an eye on the Demorite’s activities. They were all amazed when Ryan reached down into a large bush and opened a hatch that led to an underground bunker. This was not what they had expected. They had expected tents lined up in rows with open fire pits surrounding them, but this had to be the reason why they had been so close and without having been discovered after all these years.

One by one they entered through the hatch and down a metal ladder. Ryan was last, and looked around before he closed the hatch to make sure they had not been followed. He then led them down a narrow hallway and down a winding staircase. At the bottom of the stairs it opened into a massive room. Weapons were everywhere. Guns, bows, swords, and knives. People were training in different sections of the room. It reminded Lyla of the training arena in Armoria, except the bunker had a blacksmith room attached, allowing them to make their own weapons.

That’s genius.

“What is this place?” William asked. Ryan turned and noticed they were all in awe, with dropped jaws and curious eyes wandering all around the room. A slight smile creeped up at the corner of his mouth.

“I believe it was some sort of a military bunker back in the day. We made some changes of course.” He looked forward and yelled for a woman that was sitting at one of the tables. She left her table and stood in front of him with the most perfect posture.

Lyla guessed she was in her forties. She had jet-black hair with tiny gray strands, barely noticeable, appearing from the top of her scalp. Wrinkles were starting to form around her eyes, but she was still beautiful.

“Yes?”

“Assemble the members of the Alliance and make sure they are equipped with weapons. We leave for the castle tonight.”

She stared at him and placed her hands on her hips. Ryan dropped his shoulders and let out an annoyed sound that a child would make when they were throwing a tantrum. Lyla’s eyes met Thomas’s and she shrugged her shoulders.

“Assemble the members of the Alliance and make sure they are equipped with weapons, please.”

“Thank you, that’s much better.” Her gaze fell to the four people standing behind him. “And who are our new arrivals?” she asked. She had the most kind and gentle voice that Lyla had ever heard.

She went down the line and shook the hand of William, Giselle, Thomas, and finally Lyla’s. She began to feel uncomfortable as her gaze lingered on her.

“You’re Ms. Lyla Langston. I’m not sure if you remember me, but I am Ryan’s mother, Kita.”

“Mrs. Tolemo,” Lyla said in surprise. “It has been many years. It’s nice to see you again.” Lyla could barely remember Ryan’s mother, it had been so long ago, but she remembered how kind she was to both her and her sister. What she couldn’t understand was her calm reaction when she saw her son. He still had blood and grime all over him. Did he always return this way?

“Please, call me Kita. I remember when you kids used to play around in the yard. You always had the most incredible imaginations. How are your grandparents?”

Lyla’s chin fell to her chest. “My grandmother was killed by a Demorite only a month ago. They took my grandfather and left her for dead. They have my sister as well.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that.” She placed her hand on Lyla’s shoulder, trying to sympathize with her. “We will get them back. I hate to rush away, but I must be going. If you need anything, any of you, please let me know.” She wore a faint smile, and turned to Ryan before she left. “I’ll let your father know you have arrived. You had all better get cleaned up and find a place to rest before we leave tonight.” With a nod of affirmation, Ryan led them through the bunker.

As they walked together through the room, people were smiling at them, holding up their fists in delight. They must have been happy to see new faces join their cause. They walked through a door and down another set of stairs. This space opened into a kitchen. Smells of garlic and tomatoes filled the air. Lyla took in a deep breath. Whatever they were cooking, it smelled delicious. Ryan explained to them that all food was to be rationed, and they would only be fed once a day, as food was running scarce, but it was enough to keep them healthy.

He led them down to a third level where the sleeping quarters were. They passed many different doors that were all labeled. A-1 through A-10 then starting again at B-1. How many rooms did they have down here? Did it go all the way to Z-10? That would be a lot of rooms for a bunker so it didn’t seem likely, but still possible. They didn’t get the chance to find out because they stopped in front of a door that was labeled Sector B-2. This would be the room they stayed in. There were two sets of bunk beds, so they could all sleep in the same room.

“This is where I leave you. If you want to leave at dusk as planned, I suggest you get some rest, followed by a meal for extra strength. There are also facilities down the hall if you wish to tidy up. We have a limited resource of water so don’t spend too much time in the shower or you will run out.” He turned away and they all piled into the room.

Lyla excused herself because she wanted to make a trip to the blacksmith. No one asked why, and she headed back up the stairs.

When she made it all the way back up the stairs she found the blacksmith hammering on a fiery material. He had dark hair with gray slivers, exposing his age, and broad shoulders. It looked like he was making a sword. She stood back and watched until he noticed her standing in the doorway.

“Can I help you with something?” he said.

“Um, yeah I was just wanting to look at some of your work if you don’t mind.”

He glared at her, not really sure what her intentions were. By the looked of it she already had a weapons belt fully equipped with a sword and plenty of knives.

“I suppose I can show you around. The name is Clay by the way.”

“I’m Lyla.”

“Nice to meet you, Lyla. Follow me.”

She stepped forward and followed him around the large room that was full of equipment. Magnificent swords were hanging on the walls as well as axes and arrowheads. She even came across a few items that she had not the slightest clue as to what they were. It reminded her of her grandfather. He had always had strange objects lying around his office.

“Your weapons are beautiful.”

“They are sturdy, and I guarantee they won’t break.”

She was slowly walking past all the metal and iron pieces on his workbench, dragging her fingers along all the pieces.

“How long have you been doing this for?”

“Many years. Since I was very young.”

She watched as he looked around at everything he had created. He had joined the Alliance ten years prior and was hired on as the blacksmith. He was the only one capable of the job, and instead of hunting down weapons from various store fronts, they found it safer and much more efficient for him to make them. It was his pride and joy.

“Will you make something for me?”

“Depends what it is.”

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear so no one would hear.

“I have never made anything like it, but I suppose it would be fairly easy.”

“How soon can you get it to me?”

“I can have it ready in a few hours.”

She nodded and headed for the doorway. Before she exited she turned back for one last proposition.

“Any way you can keep it between us?”

He looked at her in surprise, thinking she had already gone.

“Without a doubt.”

“Thank you.”

Lyla realized she’d been gone for an hour by the time she returned to their sector. Everyone was asleep when she arrived, and she didn’t realize how exhausted she was until she fell back onto her bed. She closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly.

Lyla woke up feeling refreshed and ready to fight. She had not had a night terror. Surprisingly, Damien had not invaded her dream and tormented her. Instead, she dreamed of nothing, just darkness and peacefulness.

She rose to her feet and looked at the beds around her. Everyone was still sleeping. Thomas was lying on his back with one arm dangling off the bed while the other was pulled above his head. Despite his awkward position, she thought he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. He was so handsome and peaceful, yet he still gave off a sense of a warrior filled with courage and bravery. He would rise and fight with her to the death. He would die for her and she would die for him. She just hoped death would come later rather than sooner. She ran her fingers lightly through her hair and felt how dirty it was from blood and dirt. She walked down the hall to take a shower. Even though the water did not reach a very warm temperature, she was relieved to get all the blood off her body from her sticky clothes. Feeling clean and refreshed, she headed to the kitchen.

The same smell filled the air. She wasn’t hungry, but as soon as the smell hit her, she felt like she had not had anything to eat in weeks, and was instantly starving. She hoped the food was as good as it smelled. Either way, she would enjoy it. She walked over to a woman who was serving the food. She was older, and Lyla thought she looked miserable, but she smiled all the same as she approached. Without saying a word, the lady picked up a ladle and scooped soup into a bowl. Lyla said thank you, and to her surprise, the lady replied, in a warm, kind voice, “You’re welcome.”

She sat at a table and took a few bites of her soup. It was tomato soup, and she savored every bite as the flavor glided past her taste buds. After she finished, she got up to place her bowl in a dish area, then noticed Ryan sitting at one of the tables with his back to her. He did not have any food in front of him like she had expected. Instead, he was rummaging through a stack of papers.

“What are you doing?” Lyla asked as she sat next to him.

“I’m busy if you can’t tell,” he snarled. This was not the response she had expected. She thought he would be happy that they were together again, but he didn’t seem to care if she was there or not, even though they used to be friends.

“Anything I can help with?” she said, trying not to sound disappointed. He rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh.

“These papers contain names of the people that are still trapped in Damien’s hellhole. My parents and I started the list when we were trapped there. This will give me an idea of how many people we will have joining the Alliance.”

Lyla looked at the papers and skimmed through the names as they conversed. There had to be hundreds of people in there. She asked him why he was running away from the Demorites earlier that day. He explained that it was one of their strategies. They would go to the city limits covered in blood from various sources and act injured to draw the Demorites away from the city. When they were far enough away, they turned on them and killed them.

She pointed out the wound on his leg. Almost embarrassed, he told her he had snagged it on one of the metal beams when exiting the city. After he left her group in Sector B-2, he immediately went to the medical crew to prevent infection.

“How did you kill the Demorites with your weapons? They can only die from an Armorian blade.”

“We may not be able to kill them with a pierce through the heart, but we can dismember them.”

“That’ll teach them.”

They sat in silence for a moment before they both burst out laughing. She had no idea why they were laughing, but she didn’t care. It was like they were old friends again, laughing when one of them had fallen in a race to the other end of a field, or fallen off the lowest branch of a tree. At the time, they were concerned, but could also not stop from laughing.

Her eye landed on a familiar name as she looked through the papers and her smile faded away. “Tolemo, Akina.” She stared at the name to make sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her. She felt like a terrible person. She didn’t even think to ask what had become of his sister.

“Your sister is still there?”

“Yes, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Because I failed her, okay.” He was instantly upset, and his voice had grown into a yell. Lyla flinched back. Never had he yelled at her like that. This was not the Ryan she remembered. He used to care for her and Lilly like they were all family. “I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t get her out.” His voice calmed just a sliver before he continued. “There used to be minimal guards, and I thought I had it all planned out, but when I turned into the hall where my sister was being held there were three guards. I don’t know why they were there, but my parents pulled me away. They said if we got caught we couldn’t help her and we would go back for her. She was only five years old at the time. She must have been so scared. She must think I abandoned her after all this time.”

Five years old would have been about right. They were all seven when Ryan and his family disappeared. Lyla sat in silence, not sure what she could say to comfort him, but she knew how he felt because Lilly was in there too. At least she had not been there for fifteen years though.

“After they realized some of us had escaped, Damien tripled the guard coverage in the working areas, so I couldn’t get too close. Many of the people who have joined the Alliance are people who were in hiding that we found before the Demorites. We haven’t tried going in at night yet. We did not have enough people at the time, but now we are ready.”

“My sister is in there too. I won’t give up until she is safe and I know you won’t until your sister is safe. We can do this. Not just because we want to, but because we have to. For them.”

He stood up and nodded in her direction.

“Okay, then. Let’s get our forces ready.”

As soon as they stood up from the table, they noticed a man standing behind them, which startled Lyla.

“Sir, I have some news.”

He stared from Lyla back to Ryan. She knew he wanted her to leave, but she did not want to. She felt like she deserved to hear if something was wrong.

“It’s okay, she can stay,” Ryan said.

Lyla was glad he did not push her away. Being present while he received important information meant that he trusted her and they were in it together. They would see it through to the end. The man hesitated before continuing.

“I don’t want to alarm you, but we have a code black.”

Ryan tensed and nodded his head, sending the man away.

“What is a code black exactly?”

“It means Demorites are nearby.”

Chapter 23

“Come with me,” Ryan said, pulling her arm as he ran.

They ran to the downstairs bunker past Sector B-2. Lyla tried to look through the small circular window on the door to see if anyone was awake in the room, but Ryan was running too fast, and she struggled to keep up with him. They made it all the way past Sector G, and then nothing. They were passing through a long corridor, and at the end was a single door with the letter R engraved in the center.

Lyla was finally able to catch her breath as they stopped and Ryan let go of her arm. He pressed in a code on a keypad and the door opened to an elevator.

“What is this?” Lyla asked.

“It’s an elevator,” Ryan smiled.

“But why are we here?”

“If you get in I will show you. You do trust me, don’t you?”

Lyla wasn’t sure if she did trust him. He wasn’t the same kid she used to spend time with as a child. After all this time, she hardly knew him at all, but he was leading the Alliance against Damien and the Demorites so how could she not.

“Yes.”

He smiled and pressed the palm of his hand against the lower part of her back so she would move forward. His touch made her feel a little uneasy.

“How is it you still have electricity and running water?” Lyla asked.

“When the city was invaded, the Demorites never cut the power out so it still remains, but just like our water, we don’t know how long it will last, so we use it as little as possible.”

“But you have an elevator? Doesn’t that use a lot of power?”

“I made an exception for myself. You’ll see why I thought it was necessary.”

When they stepped out of the elevator they came to a large bedroom. It was just like any ordinary room, but what really caught her attention was the large set of windows that circled the entire room. She peered out, and she could see everything. She could see the ground below them and the trees that stretched out for miles and the highway with abandoned cars lined up on the road. The city buildings were just beyond hundreds of abandoned and overgrown houses and storefronts on the opposite side.

“This is my room. I use it as a lookout, and I thought you might like the view.”

“It’s incredible, but wouldn’t someone see all these windows from out there?”

“You didn’t, did you?” Come to think of it she hadn’t noticed them at all when they were approaching the bunker. “We use a special glass that allows us to see out, but doesn’t allow anyone to see in. In a way, it’s like a two-way mirror, except from the other side it’s as if it’s completely invisible or transparent. As for the tall tower, we used trees to camouflage it.

“Well it looks like the Demorites you were warned about are turning back toward the city.”

“Good! That is what I wanted to see.” He stood beside her and stared out toward the city. “Sometimes I look out this window for hours, wondering what Akina is doing, or if she is even still alive.”

“We can’t afford to think like that. All we can do is get in there and save them, and we will.”

“I failed her as a brother, and Damien will pay for what he has done.”

Lyla said nothing, and instead stared out at the view. Tonight, they would be out there. They would enter the city and end it all.

Lyla had gone back to Sector B-2 to wake the others, but when she got there, they were already awake and fully dressed in fighting gear. Giselle looked like she had just awoken and wanted to go back to sleep. She was sitting on her bed with her back against the wall with weary eyes. Lyla could tell she was fighting to keep herself awake. William was sliding a jacket over his shoulders, and she wondered if he thought he would get cold. Thomas was adjusting his weapons belt, and looked up at her as she walked in, but did not say a word.

William and Thomas stood out in the hall while Lyla changed into her gear. She pulled on a pair of black pants with a burgundy shirt. With the season change into fall, she followed William’s lead and pulled on a black leather jacket, followed by a pair of combat boots, and her weapons belt, which was fully equipped. She pulled her hair up, so it would not obstruct her view in any way during their soon-to-be battle.

By the time she was finished, Giselle had fallen asleep, and she had to wake her up again. She understood that she was exhausted from the long journey from the cottage, but they were about to be in a major battle. Lyla’s adrenalin was beginning to rise just at the thought of the battle, which kept her alert and well aware of her surroundings. She hoped Giselle would be ready when the time came, but of course she would. Giselle was a great fighter and would not allow a bit of exhaustion to overcome her.

She pulled Giselle out the door and the boys followed suit as they made their way upstairs into the kitchen. She suggested that they grab something to go for energy, and made Giselle a coffee, which helped tremendously. By the first five sips she was awake and fully prepared. Lyla felt a rush of relief flow through her body. She wanted everyone to be focused.

Rows upon rows of people, young and old, lined up in the weapons area, baring arms, ready to fight. Lyla had to remind herself that these people were no longer ordinary citizens. After years of being frightened and vulnerable to the Demorites, these people were ready to make a stand and fight for what they love. They were all ready to win their homeland back. Before leaving the bunker, Lyla returned to the blacksmith. He handed her a small cloth that was folded around the item she had asked for. She shoved it in her back pocket and left.

All the members of the Alliance relocated above ground, remaining in the same formation, fully prepared to march into the city. There was a cool breeze, which made Lyla grateful that she’d put on a jacket. She joined Ryan in the front of the group, along with William, Thomas, and Giselle. They were going to lead the Alliance together. Ryan was standing tall and strong; his confidence could be seen from a mile away. His voice was strong and unwavering.

“Let this be a night of remembrance,” Ryan said. “Let this be a night of victory.” The members of the Alliance began to cheer. When the cheers subsided, he began again. “This is what we have been preparing for all these years. All our training and hard work will show tonight as we march into the city and fight for what is rightfully ours. Our homes, our people, our freedom. Let God be your guide tonight. We shall look to Him for strength if we become weak, hope should it become dwindled, and light in the darkest of places. Through Him we will not be moved. Through Him we will become victorious.”

Lyla was very delighted with his speech. It was one of the best she had ever heard. It was very powerful and motivating. She noticed Thomas was less enthused. Did he not believe in God, or did he just despise Ryan? She had never asked about his beliefs, nor had he asked about hers. Her grandma had always read Bible stories to her and Lilly, so it just seemed natural to her.

Ryan turned away from them and began marching toward the city with everyone in full pursuit.

It took thirty minutes to reach the city limits through the tough terrain. They had a plan and with any luck it would work. They would take Thomas’s suggestion and look for Demorites that they could ambush and steal their cloaks. Not all of them would be able to do this, so Ryan, Lyla, William, Thomas, and Giselle went forward, leaving the members of the Alliance standing by. Once they had safely infiltrated the castle walls, they would signal for reinforcements.

Entering the city, they passed all the abandoned buildings. Lyla thought it was sad knowing people once lived in these houses. Now the windows were cracked and some of the doors were busted open from burglars seeking supplies. She would have loved to have seen the city before it became a barren wasteland.

She found herself imagining her grandparents taking her and Lilly to the city to stay with them at their nice home. They would go shopping and eat at nice restaurants, and then they would go back home to their mom and tell her all about it, but Damien ruined everything. They would never go home to their mother because he had killed her. They would never visit the home in the city that their grandparents had once resided in because they now lived in the cottage to care for them. To make things worse, they would never come home to the smile of their grandmother and the warm hugs she would give them on a regular basis.

Damien and his army had ruined her life, and they would pay for it with their own.

“Lyla, are you okay?” Thomas whispered.

She had been staring at the ground thinking to herself as they walked.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

She wanted to tell Thomas that she wasn’t fine, but she couldn’t. Instead, she added a slight smile and looked away.

A group of Demorites were patrolling the grounds farther in toward the castle. There were just enough for each of them to attack and steal a cloak from.

Thomas volunteered to be the first one to take down a Demorite. He was sneaking forward, ready to take one down with calm, steady breaths. As he got closer, he crouched low and waited behind a large piece of a concrete slab next to a large building for the Demorite to turn his back. Once he did, Thomas ran forward, ready to pounce, but the Demorite turned toward him. Before the Demorite could yell anything to raise any alarms, Thomas put his arms around him, snapped his neck, and stabbed him in the heart to make sure he was dead.. He dragged his body closer to where everyone was waiting so it would not be found, and pulled the cloak off. It fit him perfectly, and with the hood up, it made Lyla’s body tense up. She stepped back as he neared her.

“What’s wrong?” he laughed.

“Nothing,” she murmured. “You just look like them is all.”

“Isn’t that the point?”

“Yes, I suppose it is.” She paused for a moment, biting her lip. She noticed him watching her and his smile had faded. She did not want him to be disappointed or think she was not capable of accomplishing what they had set out to do, so she changed her mood. She turned to him with a smile. “It was a great idea. I guess I’m just a little nervous.” He didn’t seem too convinced and wrapped his arms around her.

“You are one of the best fighters I know. You will do great and I will be by your side every step of the way, so I can keep you safe.”

“Um, hello,” Ryan said annoyed. “We have work to do.”

Lyla pulled away from Thomas embarrassed. Her cheeks became red. They needed to stay focused on the task at hand. William and Giselle had already taken out two guards and retrieved their cloaks.

Ryan walked two buildings down before coming to a stop. The last two Demorites had disappeared, but they couldn’t have gone very far.

He slid into an alleyway and they lost sight of him. It had been several minutes when they saw one of the Demorites come out from around a building to the north.

Lyla saw a flash of movement, and the next moment the Demorite was down on the ground. Ryan must have been waiting for him. He came out and hit him on the head. The Demorite was struggling to get up on his feet. She tried to remember if she had told him about Armorian blades and that no other weapons could kill them.

They were not invincible, however. It was all a matter of knowing where and how to strike. According to Ryan, pulling them limb from limb seemed to do the trick. It was something Lyla and Lilly had never tried because it seemed to be such a ruthless way to kill.

Ryan picked up a concrete slab that was light enough for him to lift and rammed it into the back of the Demorites head several times. The Demorite fell and did not get up again. It was a brutal kill, but it got the job done. His body was dragged back, and Ryan wore the biggest grin on his face, as if no one could have made a better kill.

Lyla was the last of the group to retrieve a cloak. She clenched her fists and let out a deep breath. This was just like killing them in the woods she told herself. It would be simple. She made her way closer to the buildings as quietly as she could. Glass was crunching under her feet, which made it hard to accomplish. She found a Demorite turning the corner from a building and ducked behind a bench. This was her chance, all she had to do was wait for him to get a little bit closer and then…

A loud sound emerged out from the distance. It sounded like a horn and it was coming from the direction of the castle. Did the Demorites know they were there? Had they been noticed?

She covered her ears to defend them from the obnoxious sound and watched as the Demorite casually walked in the direction of the castle. She made her way back to everyone, who all looked concerned.

“What’s going on?” Giselle asked.

“I don’t know,” Lyla said.

“They must know we are here,” said William.

“No,” said Lyla shaking her head. “I don’t think they know we are here. The Demorite I saw didn’t seem like he was being warned of any potential dangers. Maybe they are expecting something at the castle? Maybe…” her voice trailed off.

“What is it, Lyla?” Thomas asked.

“Tonight, is the deadline. I’m supposed to give Damien my crystal and ring. He must be planning something big, whether I meet his requests or I fail. We need to get in there now.”

“But you don’t have a cloak,” said Giselle.

Giselle was right, because of the horn she’d been unable to acquire one.

“With all the Demorites heading to the castle we might just have a clear passage through,” said Lyla.

“If they are expecting you already, I’m sure Damien will keep some of the Demorites behind to keep watch, whether they are seen or not,” said Ryan. “I don’t think we need to take the risk of getting ourselves caught. We will find another way.”

“There is no other way,” Thomas growled.

“How would you know, wizard?” Ryan spat. “You are not from here.” He said the word like it was poison. Lyla was not used to thinking of Thomas as a wizard. He was a wizard, but just like anyone else in Armoria, he did not have special powers.

Thomas had tightened all the muscles in his body. He lunged forward, but stopped when Lyla spoke.

“Wait, that’s it.” Completely ignoring Thomas and Ryan’s altercation. “People used to get around the city in many different ways, right?” She was asking no one in particular, but continued before anyone could speak anyway. “And one of them was through the subway. My grandma told me all about it. They won’t know we are coming if we sneak up from underground.”

“That might actually not be a bad idea. I say we go for it,” William said.

“The only problem is I have no idea how or where to get into the subway,” Lyla said shyly. She knew this could work, but she had never been into the city to know anything about it. She had only gone to the city limits with Lilly.

“Come on. I’ll lead the way,” said Ryan. Everyone was happy to follow him, except Thomas. He knew this was a great plan, but Ryan thought he knew everything. He didn’t want Lyla getting any ideas about him or thinking Ryan was better than him. She wouldn’t think that, would she? He knew they’d been friends when they were young and Lyla wanted to mend their friendship, but Thomas saw the way Ryan looked at her when he thought no one was looking, and he hated him for it. He thought Ryan’s tough-guy act was all for show, and he would somehow expose it.

Lyla looked all around her as they walked to the nearest subway. Although all the buildings were overgrown with plant life, she was amazed at how tall they were. Every street had buildings that were back to back. They came in all different shapes and sizes. Big and tall, skinny and wide.

They stopped in an area of ruin and destruction. The pavement was torn to pieces and concrete and glass covered the ground. They could not see ahead of them because of how dark it was.

“What happened here?” Giselle asked.

“Most of it is from the invasion, but the rest is the result of our people being forced to work,” said Ryan. “Damien made them do this.”

Giselle began to walk forward into the darkness.

“Giselle, I don’t think that is such a great idea,” said Lyla. “Not being able to see ahead of you could be dangerous. You could…”

Before Lyla could get another word out, the earth caved out from under Giselle’s feet and she fell into darkness.

Chapter 24

Lyla realized she was holding her breath. Ryan was closest to where Giselle had fallen, yet he did nothing to help her. He had pressed his back against a building, both eyes wide and terrified.

William and Thomas were stunned and had not moved a muscle. They were shocked, leaving Lyla to assess the situation, because clearly no one else would.

She carefully walked into the darkness in the direction where Giselle had been swallowed up by the earth. She swallowed hard. Her mouth was dry and her forehead was sweating. If she was going to die, at least it would be for someone she cared about. With that in mind, she pressed forward.

Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness, and saw the ledge where Giselle had fallen, and peered over. Below she saw rushing water and her heart sank. Had she fallen in? If she had, there was no way she could survive it. Was she dead? She couldn’t even bear the thought.

She looked closer, her eyes were still adjusting. Hanging onto a piece of metal that was emerging from the earth was a small silhouette, Giselle. It must have been a part of the bridge, which was extensively damaged. She looked terrified as she had both hands holding on for dear life. Lyla yelled her name, and Giselle looked up at her and squeaked her name back. She was too far down for Lyla to reach her, so she would have to find something that she could pull her up with.

Lyla snapped William and Thomas out of their shocked state so they could help her. She had yelled for Ryan to help, but he didn’t move a muscle.

They searched and searched, but found nothing.

“Hey, guys. Over here!” William said. He was standing beside an enormous building. “What about that?” He pointed up to the vines that were weaving themselves along the building’s exterior.

“That’s brilliant,” Lyla replied. Without another word, she climbed the ledges of the building until she thought they would have enough to reach Giselle. Giselle was at least six feet away, so if she cut the vine at eight or nine feet they would have plenty. She yelled for Thomas to throw her an ax. He pulled his ax from his weapons belt and threw it up to her. She caught it perfectly and began chopping at the vines. As soon as it fell to the ground, she jumped down and ran to the ledge. She tied the end of the vine so Giselle could slip it over her body.

Giselle was still dangling from the metal piece. Lyla was surprised she had held on that long, but she was also glad she had.

When Giselle felt the rope––or vine, she observed––hit her, she hesitated. She had been hanging for so long her arms were growing numb, and she was afraid if she let go she would fall to her death.

She took in a deep breath and tried to forget the numbness in her hands and the rushing water beneath her.

She let one hand go and slipped it into the circle of the vine before returning it back to the bar. Her heart was racing and sweat was dripping down her forehead. She released her other hand and copied the same familiar motion. The vine was now circled around her waist. She yelled for Lyla to pull her up.

She felt the vine tighten around her waist and she released her hands from the metal bar and placed them firmly on the vine to hold herself up.

She felt relieved when she reached the top. She had never been more scared in her entire life, never so close to death. Lyla had firmly grabbed her arm and pulled her up the rest of the way. Afterwards, she pulled her close and squeezed her tightly.

“I’m so glad you are safe,” Lyla said.

“All thanks to you,” Giselle said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better sister.”

“William and Thomas helped me.”

“But Ryan was no help at all,” yelled Thomas. His frustration began to rise in the pit of his stomach. He got up and rushed toward Ryan who was no longer pressed against the building in horror. He was walking in the direction from which they’d come.

“What is wrong with you? You could have helped her and you did nothing. She could have died.” Thomas had reached him by the time he finished yelling.

“I-I’m sorry. I should have helped her.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Ryan took a long moment before answering. He ran his hand through his hair and rested it on the back of his neck. “I’m afraid of heights,” he mumbled. “And I can’t swim.”

“You knew about the water and said nothing?” Before he could answer Thomas pulled his hand back into a fist ready to drive it into his face, but Lyla had interfered. She stepped in between them and shot Thomas a hard look. He lowered his fist, looking insanely annoyed.

“We are on the same team here. We are supposed to be fighting them, not each other. I suggest you boys put aside your differences, at least until this is all over. After that you can kill each other all you want, but until then, you need to focus. Hundreds of lives are on the line including my sister’s and grandfather’s and I will not have you jeopardize that. Understood?”

The boys both nodded. “Coward,” Thomas whispered as he passed Ryan.

They all walked down a narrow path along the riverside until they reached a bridge that could actually lead them across. This one was fully intact and had metal beams forming triangular shapes with crisscross patterns down the length of the entire bridge. Pavement was along the bottom where they walked, though it was cracking in most places. Lyla wondered if all the bridges were this beautiful back in the day.

The entrance to the subway wasn’t far from the other side of the bridge. They followed one another down a set of stairs. On their way down, they noticed graffiti that covered the walls with different names and words. Lyla’s eyes caught on one that had bright red lettering with a black outline.

Turn back! Death Ahead!!!

This put Lyla on edge, but they had no choice but to continue forward. She knew they only had a few hours left until midnight, and they had no other plan, and no other way to infiltrate the castle. Any other way would only waste time. She slipped her hand into Thomas’s and tried to forget the creepy message.

They made their way to the platform, and Ryan led them in the direction of the castle. He knew which direction it was in, but he had no idea how far they would have to go before they reached it.

They had only been walking for fifteen minutes, but to Lyla it felt like hours. It was completely dark, and her nerves were getting the best of her. She wasn’t afraid of the dark; she was afraid of the unknown.

Ryan held up a hand in order for them to stop, so they all froze. Whatever he was seeing they did not, but they did not want to attract any unwanted attention.

Noises began to surround them. Shuffling and scurrying, then multiple footsteps all around them. Were they Demorites? Had they been discovered? Whatever it was, it was coming closer and closer and…

“It’s a dog,” Giselle whispered.

“Not just a dog, but a whole pack of them. And they don’t look happy that we are here,” Thomas said.

He was right. The pack of dogs had surrounded them. Lyla had always wanted a dog. Another companion for her and Lilly, but her grandmother wouldn’t allow it. She knew the reason was because they were hardly capable of feeding themselves, let alone a dog. These dogs made her question ever wanting one in the first place. They were growling and barking at them, showing their teeth. Although they had short hair, they had dirt all over them and they smelled terrible. What really terrified them was how muscular these dogs were. These dogs looked capable of tearing their meal into bits in seconds, and right now they were their meal.

“Back, get back, you mongrels,” said an old man coming out of the shadows. “Can’t you tell the difference between a guest and an enemy?” The man had gray hair and tattered clothing. For as old as he looked, he moved around as if he were twenty years old. The dogs were no longer barking and growling as they broke the circle that surrounded them. Some had gone down the tracks and disappeared into the darkness, while the others remained where they were to protect their master. “I’m sorry about that,” he continued. “They are quite harmless.”

“Harmless? They were about to rip our faces off and eat them for dinner,” Ryan said.

“I don’t think your choice of attire helped the matter.” He gestured toward the cloaks they were wearing. “I thought you were those creatures as well until I saw her.” He was pointing at Lyla, who was the only one without one of the Demorite’s cloaks on. “These are my pets, my family, and they only live to protect me, and in return, I love them unconditionally. Pit bulls, if you didn’t realize.”

“They are said to be ravenous creatures,” Ryan said.

“They are a misunderstood breed,” the man said with prying eyes. “Did you know they were bred to be nanny dogs? It was their job to watch over children. They are the most loving dogs you will ever encounter. They will protect their master at any cost, especially against the ones that reside above.”

“You mean the Demorites?” Lyla asked.

“If that is what people are calling them these days, then yes. Please, come into my home. I have a fresh pot of tea brewing.”

The old man had already turned and started walking into the shadows before they could refuse his offer. They followed him down a tunnel that veered off from the tracks. They came to what almost seemed like a tent. Sheets were draped all along an open area and light was illuminating from inside. They stepped into the man’s so called house and noticed it was much larger than they had first thought. A fire was built in the center, which was where the light was coming from, and a boiling pot of water was just above it. He had an area with a large bin set up, which they could only assume was for bathing, and another area with blankets that resided on the floor.

The man finished the tea and passed various cups around to everyone as they all sat around the fire.

“What is your name, if you don’t mind me asking?” said Lyla.

“The name is Bill. Pleased to meet you all. I don’t get visitors down here apart from the demotodes…demtoroes…”

“Demorites,” Giselle politely corrected.

“Yes,” he continued. “They are the only ones that come down here, but when they do, they get more than what they bargained for with my pets running around. I have only encountered about a dozen in the Aftermath.”

One of the dogs came up to Lyla and was sniffing her boot, then her leg. She held out her hand to pet it, and it started licking her fingers. It was a beautiful dog, and had eyes that could melt the heart of anyone that laid eyes upon them.

“Her name is Kona,” said Bill. “I gave her a bath only yesterday, but unfortunately they run the railway and always come home dirty. She seems to be taking a liking to you. You can keep her if you would like, as long as you take good care of her.”

“Oh, I couldn’t. We are on our way to invade the castle to free the people of their captivity. That is why we are here. I couldn’t possibly take her with me.”

“An uprising you say? Why didn’t you say so? It is about time someone stood against them. I can take you there if you like. I know this place upside down and backwards.”

“We would be very grateful,” Lyla said with a smile. We are in a bit of a hurry and do not know the way.”

Ryan scowled.

They all finished their tea and Bill led them further down the railway with a few of his pets following them, including Kona. At least Ryan was taking them in the right direction before they ran into Bill.

“You have no other family?” Lyla said.

“No, just me and my pets. They keep me good company.”

“How did you find them all?”

“I rescued most of them in the Aftermath. Others made their way down here on their own. I also have a few mixed breeds running around here somewhere.”

“They are very lucky to have you.”

“Yes, but I am more fortunate to have them at my side when I need them most.” He smiled. “Well, here we are.”

It was only a five-minute walk to the manhole that was closest to the castle. Thomas was the first to go up the ladder and see if anyone was around. He shoved the metal cover to the side and climbed out, followed by William, Giselle, and then Ryan. The man pulled Lyla to the side before she climbed out.

“My offer still stands with Kona. I know a good owner when I see one and she is already very attached to you. I’m afraid I’m getting old and won’t be around forever.” Lyla looked down at Kona who was sitting at her side. She felt a smile creep up at the corner of her mouth.

“I’ll make you a deal. If I survive this, I will come back for her.” The man smiled and nodded in agreement. “Let’s hope you do.” Before Lyla climbed up the ladder she bent down to pet Kona on the head. In return she got a warm wet kiss on her chin.

Everyone was waiting for Lyla when she reached the top of the ladder and climbed out onto the street. It was very dark. Clouds were rolling in, covering the moon, which was their main light source, and the wind had picked up tremendously.

A storm must be coming.

As she looked around, she noticed they were right next to the castle. They couldn’t have come any closer, and it was a lot bigger than she had imagined. It was nothing like the castles she had pictured in her story books. This one was dark and eerie. Broken pieces of concrete were all around. She couldn’t tell if it was from damage during the invasion or from the work Damien was forcing everyone to do.

When they walked around the corner to the front of the castle they noticed the doors were wide open. A gate was drawn down, but there was no deadly trench residing underneath. Slowly they walked inside, seeing no one in sight.

“Something is wrong,” said Giselle. “This is too easy.”

“I do agree that it is weird that no one is around, but Damien was expecting me to be here tonight. Maybe he thought I would be more willing to give him what he wants if I wasn’t worrying about being dragged in by his guards.”

“Or we could be walking into a trap,” William suggested.

They considered it a possibility, so they remained cautious as they moved forward. They couldn’t turn back now after coming so far. Lyla had a plan in mind, but she knew no one would like it, or at least Thomas wouldn’t like it.

“Ryan, I want you to take everyone to wherever it is they are keeping the prisoners and break them out.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going to meet Damien.”

“No, you can’t do that,” Thomas protested.

“I have to. I can buy you guys some time to call in our reinforcements and get as many people out as you can. Once you have done this, I need you to do what we came here for.”

“You’re going to want to go to the throne room. That is where Damien will be,” Ryan said. Thomas shot him an angered look. Of course he didn’t care she was sacrificing herself.

“How do I get there?”

“Go down this hall and take a left. You will come to a set of stairs. Go up the stairs and take a right…or is it left?”

“You don’t know how to get there?” Thomas yelled in anger through clenched teeth.

“We were being held captive. It’s not like we could wander the castle halls, and come and go as we pleased. I mapped it out as best as I could.” He returned his gaze back to Lyla. “There will be a large set of doors, unlike any other, that lead into the throne room. Find the doors and you find the throne room.”

“Lyla, I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Thomas said. His tone had softened. Lyla knew he was worried about her. “How am I supposed to protect you if I’m not there?”

Lyla stared into his eyes. She understood why he didn’t want her to go, but she had no other choice. This was how it had to be. She had to do this alone, because that was what Damien was expecting. She tried to think of some way he would let her go, but she didn’t have to. William spoke up for her.

“Thomas, you have to let her go.” Thomas turned to him and stared in amazement. He couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. “She is strong and smart and skilled beyond all belief, just like her mother.” His eyes landed on Lyla and he smiled. Lyla felt honored to be compared to her mother. “It is as hard for me as it is for you to let her go, but she will be all right as long as we do our part. She will need us, and we can’t fail her.”

Thomas turned to Lyla. His mind, his heart, every part of his being did not want to let her go, but he knew William was right. If they did not gather as many people to fight back as they could they would all die and this would be for nothing. He grabbed her hands and stared at her mother’s wedding ring that was on her finger. He hoped this was not the last time he would see her. He hoped this would all be over soon and they could continue to build their relationship.

He pulled her close and embraced her tightly as she whispered in his ear. “I will see you again.” He then leaned in and kissed her lips, holding it for as long as he could. He wanted to memorize the curves of her lips, the taste of her mouth, and her sweet, sweet scent. She pulled away from him with her eyes still closed.

“I love you, Thomas.”

“And I love you, Lyla. For all eternity.”

She felt like they were saying their final goodbyes, but she hoped it wouldn’t end in such a way.

Lyla looked at the others and could tell they were getting anxious but did not want to say anything to ruin their moment. Lyla smiled at them, and then turned away in search of the throne room.

Chapter 25

Lyla followed the directions Ryan had given her. She made her way up the stairs, and looked both ways, not sure which way to go. She went with Ryan’s first guess and took a left. Torches lit up the hallways, casting shadows as she walked.

She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She had no plan other than to stall Damien as long as she could while trying not to give him what he wanted. She took off her mother’s ring and shoved it in her back pocket and tucked her necklace in the pocket of her jacket. She knew Damien already had Lilly’s necklace. He had taken it from her while they were communicating with each other.

So many negative thoughts were running through her brain, but she tried to tell herself that they could do this. Too many years had they suffered because of the Demorite. Too many years had they longed for a better life. If it weren’t for them, her mother and grandmother would still be alive. They wouldn’t have had to portion their meals growing up, or live in fear that the Demorites would come for them. This was it. They could defeat them once and for all. After tonight, this would all be over.

As Lyla thought this to herself, her courage began to grow, and the fire inside of her started to burn in full force. She was ready to do this; she was ready to show Damien what she was really made of.

Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.

Up ahead she saw the large doors to her left. She knew this was the room, because they were the same doors that were in her dream. She cringed at the thought of her dream. She stood in front of the doors and waited. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. She took a deep breath and lifted her hands to the metal rings of the door. She grabbed hold of them and pulled them with force, opening the doors to the throne room.

Ryan led everyone through the castle. He was going down so many different hallways, turning left and right, that no one knew where they were going or how they would get back to where they came from without him. They came to a stairway that led down to another hallway, and then went down another set of stairs. They finally made it to a hall that was lined with cell doors.

Ryan explained that it was one large room full of cells in and around it. It would be like going through a maze, and by the look of it, this was the only exit. They all looked down and noticed he was right. The ground had to be a mile below them. There were cells underneath cells.

“How are we going to have enough time to free all these people and make it back to Lyla on time?” William asked.

“The more people we let out, the more people that can help. These cells unlock from the outside just by removing a metal bar, so no key is required. The bars at the top of the door are too close together for anyone to reach through, so they didn’t think a key was necessary. If we split up it will be quicker. William and I will go this way. The two of you can go the other way.”

“Someone is going to have to signal the Alliance,” Giselle said.

“Make someone do it for you. Preferably the first person you release that looks strong enough to complete the task.”

Everyone agreed to the plan Ryan made. Thomas was surprised to agree with everything he said. If they wanted to make this quick, they would have to split up. Hopefully, they would not run into any Demorites, but they would deal with it when the time came.

Thomas and Giselle took off to the right, letting out everyone that they could.

“Thank you so much,” said a younger man as they let him out of his cell.

“Listen,” said Thomas. “I need you to get to the roof to signal the Alliance. When you get there, shoot this into the air and then get back down here and help us.” Thomas handed the man a flare gun. He took it without question and left. Thomas assumed the man knew how to use it, or he would have said something, at least he hoped.

They found themselves following a large group of people that they had let out. They were all letting people out of their cells in excitement and yelling, “We are the Alliance.” It was going a lot quicker than they had thought. With all the people contributing, they were already on the lower levels of the enormous room. They had hundreds of people ready to fight with them against the Demorites.

Thomas and Giselle opened the next cell as the rest continued on. Inside were two boys. One had dark hair and brown eyes with a slightly bigger build. The other had blond hair and blue eyes with a slim build. Their clothes were dirty and sweaty. They had scrapes and bruises all over them. Giselle’s eyes grew wide.

“Joseph?” She ran to him and threw her arms around him, ignoring the sweat and grime that covered him.

“Charles?” said Thomas. The boy beamed and looked relieved to see them.

“Thomas, I can’t believe you are here. What are you doing? Where is Lilly?”

“Lilly?”

“Yeah, Lilly. Lyla’s sister. Where is she?”

“You mean you don’t know?” Charles’s smile faded and his expression grew dim.

“Know what? Has something happened to her?” Apparently, Thomas didn’t answer quickly enough, because Charles grabbed the collar of his shirt and backed him up against the wall. “What happened?” His voice was low yet angry. If this was anyone else doing this, under different circumstances, Thomas would not have hesitated to end that person’s life.

“She was taken by the Demorites almost four weeks ago.” Charles loosened his grip.

“Is she…”

“No, I don’t believe so. We are here to find her and get her out.”

“Let’s go then.”

Without hesitation, Charles marched out of the cell and began opening cell doors to find her, though he wasn’t even sure if she was being kept in a cell. Along the way, Joseph explained why they were there.

“We went looking for you guys. We left maybe…” He took a moment to contemplate his answer. “…two weeks ago and headed to the city, thinking we would find you, but instead we were ambushed by Demorites.” Giselle gasped and held her hand over her heart. “Normally, Charles and I would have been able to kill them all, but there were at least twenty of them. Enough for a small army. On top of that…” He began to mumble quietly so Charles couldn’t hear him. “…Charles isn’t the best fighter if you haven’t noticed. I mean he’s good, but he needs to spend more time in the training arena, if you know what I mean. Anyway, they knocked us out and we woke up here, in that dirty old cell.”

“You poor thing,” said Giselle. “I’m glad you are okay. The best part is you are both here now and can help us fight back by joining the Alliance.”

“Yes, how exactly did this come about?”

“No time to explain,” said Thomas. “Our main concern right now is to find Lilly and get back to Lyla. Their pace quickened as they tried to catch up with Charles, who was already far ahead of them.

Ryan and William continued forward, letting out everyone they could, but for the most part everyone they had let out was ahead of them, doing the work for them. They came to one cell that Ryan recognized immediately. This was the cell his sister had been in the night he escaped many years ago. He did not expect her to be in the same cell, but maybe she was. Ryan opened the cell and a small figure was hiding in the corner.

“Akina?” Ryan said.

The girl was so frightened she was trembling and stuttering through her words. She looked like the same person he knew so many years ago, but she was all grown up.

“W-who are y-you?”

“It’s me. It’s your brother, Ryan.”

“Ryan. Is it really you?” She got up and slowly walked toward him.

“It’s me. I came back for you.”

She reached her arms around him and embraced him without saying another word. William didn’t say anything. He couldn’t tell Ryan they had to keep moving. This was his sister, and he hadn’t seen her in years. He knew how important this was to the both of them.

“Sis,” Ryan said, pulling away from her. “I’m sorry, but we have work to do. I need you to come with us.”

Lilly sat in her cell trying to keep warm, but the cold floor and walls that surrounded her wouldn’t allow it. They had been brought in early from work that day, two hours before the sun went down to be exact. She thought this was suspicious, but she didn’t complain. Her entire body ached from weeks of working twelve hour days with hardly any relief. The small amount of food and water only made matters worse.

Her grandfather was even in the cell beside her. Some days they did not bring him back, which made her worry, but so far, he was always returned to his cell. She hated that she wanted him to be in his cell, but at least then she knew he was alive and not helping the Demorites with their evil schemes.

He had grown less bitter since her arrival. She did not think he was completely over her grandmother’s death, and he probably wouldn’t ever be, but at least now he talked to her more than he had. He even talked to Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, who were still being kept across from her cell.

They had asked so many questions about their son. What he looked like, what his personality was. Everything. They wanted to know every detail about him. She wished Lyla was there to explain, because she would do a way better job. She would probably tell them more than they wanted to know, though, like how dreamy his eyes were and how handsome she thought he was.

This made her think of Charles. She pulled the coin that he had given her before she left Armoria from her pocket and turned it between her fingers. She remembered the first time they met and how he was such a jerk. Then she spent the day with him, and even though she showed no interest in him, he was persistent. He wanted her more than life itself. She realized how nice he was as the day went on, and he had saved her from those wicked men in the forest. She enjoyed being around him during the tournament and their venture to Dresden. She realized she was smiling as she went through their memories together, and it felt like butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. The whole feeling was new to her, but she liked it very much. Why did she feel this way?

Noises were growing louder down the hall. Were they coming back for one of them? How could they at this hour?

She listened closer and realized it wasn’t just footsteps, but loud voices. Cheering? Screaming? As they came closer she made out one of the words they were saying.

Alliance?

She went to her cell door and yelled over to her grandfather.

“Papa, are you hearing this?”

“Yes,” he answered. “But I have no idea what is going on.”

“It sounds like they are saying Alliance.” Her excitement grew as she thought of Lyla. Had she done it? Had she saved them all?

The footsteps and noises grew louder and louder until they were at her door. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She couldn’t believe who it was.

“Charles?” She backed away from the door and stared. She felt like she was going to faint. Had she finally gone mad and delusional?

This is a dream. He can’t possibly be here.

Charles opened the door in time to catch her in his arms as she fell. She looked at him, still fully conscious, and hugged him, mainly so she wouldn’t fall down.

“It is you,” she said dazed and confused. “I wasn’t sure if you were really here.”

“It’s me. I’m here and you are safe now.”

He embraced her, but not too tightly. He noticed how small and frail she was. She felt like he would break her if he squeezed too tightly. Lilly looked up at the people around her. Thomas. Giselle. Joseph. But where were the others?

Before she could ask, her grandfather and the Tuckers entered her cell. She hugged her grandfather and then turned to Thomas.

“Thomas, I want you to meet someone.” She pulled him in front of a man and a woman. The man was tall, the woman just a few inches shorter. “Thomas, these are your parents.” She stepped back, expecting them all to embrace one another, but Thomas stood as still as a stone.

“My parents are dead. These people can’t be…”

“We are your parents,” Daniel said.

“You look just as you did when you were a baby, just all grown up,” said Anita with tears in her eyes. “You have your father’s smile.”

“And your mother’s eyes,” said Daniel.

“How did you survive the fire?” he said, not sure what else to say.

“It wasn’t our fault, son. We both loved you.”

“Then why did you abandon me? Why did you leave me there to die?” His voice grew hard and angry, and he tightened his firsts so tight that he was drawing blood from his nails digging into his skin.

“The Demorites attacked our home. They took us and set fire to the house. We thought you had died. We had no idea you were still alive.”

They closed in on him and hugged him. Thomas was still trying to process all of this, but he wrapped his arms around them as the reality of it all set in. His parents were here. His parents were alive. They had been attacked, and it was not their fault.

Ryan and William had caught up with them. Lilly saw Akina standing next to a boy that resembled her. She turned her attention to William, who ran to her and hugged her. He felt the spine of her back and pulled away. He then ran his hands along her sides and her stomach.

“My God,” he said, absolutely horrified. “You’re nothing but skin and bones.”

“I’m all right,” she said. She was embarrassed that she had lost so much weight, even if it wasn’t her fault. “It’s just a bit of malnutrition, that’s all. Look around you. None of us were fed very well.”

She was right. Everyone around them was not in the best shape. They were all smaller than they should have been.

“How will you all fight with us when you are so weak?” he said.

“If we can haul rocks all day long, we are strong enough to fight back.”

“Good to know. Can we move along here? We have other places to be.”

Lilly glared at the man who had spoken. The light flickered across his black hair and tan skin.

“Who is this wingnut?” Lilly said. He looked baffled.

“Excuse me?” he said in anger. “This wingnut is the leader of the Alliance. The one that came to save you and the same boy you played with as a child.”

“Ryan?” She stared at him, but then disregareded who he was. “Actually, my sister is the one that came to save me, but I do appreciate you coming to save everyone else.”

Thomas couldn’t help but let out a loud chuckle. Ryan’s face grew red from huffing and puffing.

Lilly looked around at all the familiar faces. Giselle. Joseph. Thomas. William. Charles.

“Where is Lyla?” she asked. They all looked around at each other. Her head grew hot, and she began to yell. “Where is she?” Charles thought she was acting just as he had when they didn’t answer him fast enough about her and was almost amused by how similar they responded. Although, when it is someone you love and care about, wouldn’t anyone that was going through it do the same thing?

“She went to find Damien,” Thomas finally said.

“Alone? Are you people crazy? Have you lost your minds?”

“Well, no one would listen to me,” he said, gazing at William and Giselle.

“Dad? Giselle? You let her go alone?” Her heart rate was rising and she was becoming angry and frustrated. She feared for her sister. She couldn’t go against that monster alone. Not without her, not without anyone, but she did, and who knew what was happening to her right now. He could be hurting her.

“Look,” William said. “We came down here to set all these people free, because without them we could not defeat Damien and his army. Now that we have done what we set out to do, it is time to rally our forces and help her as soon as possible, so let’s move. Anyone who is weak, elderly, or too young to carry a weapon can make their way out of the castle and to the city limits.”

Lilly took a moment to steady her breathing and calm her anger. It was time to fight back. “We need to make a stop first.”

“We don’t have time for…”

“We need weapons, don’t we?” she interrupted. She saw everyone exchange glances. They knew she was right. None of the people that were held in captivity had weapons, and unless they brought a wagon full of weapons, which she highly doubted, they needed them. “I know where the armory is. Follow me.”

Chapter 26

Demorites filled the throne room in full formation. Every inch was covered, except for the red carpet that led to Damien’s black throne, which is where he was sitting. Lyla slowly walked forward toward the throne. She was trying not to show everyone how she was feeling at the moment. Frightened. Overwhelmed. Weak.

Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.

She said the words in her head over and over again. She looked all around her. This had to be Damien’s entire army as many as there were. That would explain why the Demorites were called to the castle, and why they had not seen any of them wandering the halls.

This gave her a bit of hope. If the Demorites were all here, then they would not be guarding the cells, giving the rest of them safe and easy passage.

She noticed a grin creep up on Damien’s face. She adjusted her posture, walking tall and firm. She knew Damien wanted to see her falter and crumble under the pressure, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Just the thought of him made her sick.

Lyla stopped at the bottom of the steps that led up to the throne and wouldn’t go a step further. She remained unafraid, and Damien’s smile dwindled as he noticed it.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Damien said.

“What is?”

“In a way, we have met several times, but this is the first time we’ve met in person since you were an infant. I find that rather interesting.”

“Can’t say I’m too thrilled about it,” said Lyla.

“I see you have met the deadline I have given you,” he said ignoring her response. “Have you come with what I asked of you?” He was still sitting in his chair with his legs propped up on the arm rest.

“Shouldn’t you know the answer to that? You seem to know everything else about me?”

Damien laughed in his seat. “Stupid girl! I am not psychic. I only made you think I knew what you were doing at every moment.”

Lyla tightened her hands into fists and shoved them behind her back so Damien couldn’t see. She was angry that he made her think that, but she was also relieved. She now knew that he had no idea what was happening in the cells or that an army was marching toward him at that very moment. She released her hands and folded her arms together.

“How did you know my every move then?”

His feet hit the red carpet and he was now standing before her.

“Where else would you go other than that pathetic cottage to find what it is I wanted from you. As you know, that is where it all began. Your dreams have reminded you of it for the last…well for as long as you can remember.” He let out a laugh.

“I’m glad you are so amused by this,” she said.

“Oh, yes! I very much am.” Lyla was very annoyed. She hated him so much. “Do you have what I asked of you?”

“Why do you want them anyway?” She knew the answer, but she was trying to stall as much as possible until the Alliance arrived.

“You very well know the answer to that question, and you are testing my patience.” He began grinding his teeth together. “Give them to me.” He reached out his hand to her, waiting for her to drop them in his hand.

“And if I don’t?” His arm fell to his side.

“Then I will have your sister and grandfather executed in front of you, but before I do, you can explain to them why they are being executed. You can tell them it is your fault that they are going to die because you did not do as I asked. What do you say to that?”

“I say that is not going to happen.” It was a new joy not being afraid of the man that had haunted her dreams for so long. She could see that her lack of concern was getting the best of him. He was not used to people not cringing in fear whenever he was near.

He nodded to the guards that were standing in formation closest to her. They grabbed her arms and pulled them back, forcing her to her knees. She struggled within their grasps, but she could not break free.

“Did you forget where you are?” said Damien, stepping down from his throne to stand in front of her. “You are in my domain surrounded by my people, my army. Did you really think you could defeat me?”

“Yes, actually, I did.” She grinned. “And I will.”

Any moment now they would come through those doors. Any moment this room would be flooded with people ready to fight and seek revenge.

Damien could no longer hide the rage coming from within him. He returned up the stairs and grabbed a box that was sitting next to his throne. He slowly walked down the steps, and opened it, revealing Lilly’s necklace in a box with velvet material covering the inside.

“Put the crystal and the ring in the box, so that I may spare your miserable life.” His stare could have burned holes right through her. “This is your last chance.” Lyla paused for a moment not knowing if she should agree, but if she didn’t he would kill her.

“Fine,” she said. “Have your men release me.”

It took a few moments for him to comply. “Release her.” He waved his hand, and the men stood back in formation until they were needed again.

Damien held out the box, waiting for Lyla to put the other items inside. She couldn’t wait any longer. If she didn’t give him what he wanted now, then he would kill her and take them anyway.

She pulled the ring out of her back pocket, and her necklace, identical to Lilly’s, out of her jacket. Damien tried to hide his smile, but was unsuccessful. Lyla stood as he walked up the steps to his throne and sat the box on the small stand that it had previously resided on.

“This is what we have been waiting for,” he said, yelling to his unmoving army. “This is what will bring us to the next level of power, so we can rule in this realm as well as our own.”

He grabbed all three items in his hand and mumbled a few words that Lyla could not make out. He paused and said the words again.

“Why isn’t this working?” he grumbled.

“Having issues?” Lyla laughed.

“You,” he pointed in anger. “What did you do?”

When she didn’t answer, he shot an electric pulse through her body. She fell to the floor in the fetal position, trying not to cry out, but then felt a wave of relief. He was standing in front of her with the three items in hand.

“Don’t you get it?” she said. “Only Lilly, my mother, and I have the power to bind the three objects. Unless one of us turns evil, there is no chance of them falling into the wrong hands like the poem suggests.” She looked at the items in his hand. “Well, in this case they can, but you have no power over them. You lose.”

“How did you know?”

“I didn’t know for sure until now.”

Lyla was still lying on the floor looking up at him. Damien threw the crystals and ring in front of her. Then he pulled out a knife and raised it above his head ready to end her life, but before he could complete the task, a swarm of people entered the throne room. They all had weapons, and even though they were not all meant to be soldiers, they were there to fight. Damien’s army turned in retaliation.

The two sides clashed with one another. Black and red blood was being spilled. More black than red she hoped. She knew not everyone from the Alliance would survive, but she hoped most of them would.

Damien disappeared to the back of the throne room behind the shadows. Lilly and Thomas ran to Lyla. Lilly almost tackled her back to the ground. They were so happy to see each other again, and Lyla was relieved to know that Damien had not brainwashed her. It had felt like a lifetime since they were last together. Lyla grabbed the crystals and ring from the ground. She placed one of the crystals around Lilly’s neck, but shoved the other two items in her pocket.

“Lilly, I’m sorry for what happened the last time I saw you.”

“No, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have run off like that. I love you, Ly.”

“I love you too, Lil, and I’m glad you are not brainwashed. It would have killed me.”

“What?” said Lilly.

“Um, nothing. I’ll explain later.”

“All right ladies, time to kill some Demorites,” said Thomas.

He winked at Lyla before running off into the crowd. Lyla and Lilly did what they do best and fought alongside each other. She lost track of how many they had killed; the Demorites were falling fast. The numbers of the Alliance outnumbered the Demorites by more than half by the time their reinforcements arrived. It took them longer to kill a single Demorite because they did not have the proper blades, but they were all experienced fighters, and still managed to kill them in a timely fashion.

This was the moment they had all been waiting for. They were finally doing it after all these years.

Thomas was fighting a group of Demorites. He thought he had it under control, but more and more were surrounding him. He fought as hard and fast as he could, turning, and twisting, and stabbing. His sword had gone into two Demorites at one time. He was proud of himself until he caught a glint of a blade in the corner of his eye coming down on him.

Before the Demorite’s blade came close enough to slice through his body, it was stopped by another’s blade. It was then forced into the body of the Demorite. Thomas looked up to see who it was that had just saved his life.

“Ryan?” Thomas was not expecting it to be him. Maybe another member of the Alliance, but not him.

“Don’t act so surprised.”

“I guess you’re not so bad after all.”

“Don’t mention it. I mean really, or next time I won’t be so generous.” Thomas could sense a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Thomas said.

“Let’s kill some more Demorites shall we?” Ryan said.

“Ladies first.”

Lyla stuck her sword through a Demorite’s heart and threw one of her knives, killing another. One by one the Demorites were dropping to the floor. It was a good feeling having a blade that could actually kill the Demorites. She had never felt so alive. Here she was, fighting with her sister, and for such a great cause. This wasn’t a practice run, like they had gone through so many times in training. This was the real deal, and she was loving every moment of it, until she started to feel dizzy.

She felt pressure forming in her forehead, which then turned into excruciating pain. She grabbed her head and squeezed her eyes shut willing it to diminish, but it only grew stronger. It was creeping down her neck and into her entire body. Lilly crouched down beside her as she fell.

Lyla was now lying on the ground. She looked around at everyone fighting around her. It was as if everything had turned into slow motion. Giselle was fiercely fighting next to Joseph. Together, they were unbeatable. William was a better fighter than Lyla could have ever imagined. His moves were swift and sharp as he took down every Demorite he came in contact with. Charles seemed to have a newfound energy. Being reunited with Lilly must have given him a boost of confidence. He was fighting alongside a couple that she recognized from the underground bunker. Thomas and Ryan were fighting next to each other. Since when had they become such good friends?

She could see Lilly’s lips moving, but she could only hear loud ringing in her ears. She turned her head and saw that Thomas had redirected his attention to her. He was trying to push through the crowd, but there were too many people between them.

The pain began to dwindle as she felt her body move, but she didn’t know how. She was no longer in control of her body. She stood up and faced Lilly with her sword in hand. Lilly started to back up sensing something was wrong. Lyla’s sword swung toward Lilly out of her control.

“Lyla, what are you doing?”

“I’m going to end you and all of your pathetic friends.” This wasn’t right. The words were coming out of her mouth, and it was her voice, but this was not her talking. Something, someone, was controlling her.

Damien.

Lyla tried to yell out to her sister, but she couldn’t. In her mind, she was shouting out, but her lips would not move. She could hear her own thoughts, but she could not will her body to do what she wanted it to do, and at the moment that was to not kill Lilly. She tried to tense up her muscles to make them stop, but they were no longer under her command.

Lyla and Lilly were going back and forth, swinging their swords at one another. Lyla could tell that Lilly was holding back, but she wished she wouldn’t. If it came down to it, she wanted Lilly to stop her, and if killing her was the only way to do it, then that is what she wanted. Lyla wouldn’t be able to live with herself knowing she killed her own sister.

Thomas had finally broken through the crowd and tried to intervene, but Lyla swung at him and cut his arm.

No!

He stumbled back, grabbing his arm, blood was dripping down from the wound. He noticed Lyla’s face was firm and unchanging; a darkness was lingering inside of her. This wasn’t her and he knew it. Lyla would never hurt him or her sister. He spotted Damien peeking from behind his throne and knew he was the one responsible for doing this to her. He directed Ryan to the right side of the throne and he veered left, so they could attack from two different sides.

Thomas made his way through the crowd. Most of the Demorites were dead, but the fight between them and the Alliance still remained. Thomas walked up the steps to the throne, but Damien disappeared. Ryan appeared on the other side and shrugged his shoulders.

Lyla and Lilly were still swinging at each other. Lilly was trying to get through to her sister.

“Lyla, I know this isn’t you. You have to fight it. You can beat this.”

I know, Lil. I’m trying.

“Please, I can’t go on much longer.” Fatigue was overtaking her entire body and her muscle strength was weakening. Lyla could see how weak her sister was from the fight, even with the power of her crystal. Lilly was already weak to begin with because of the improper amount of nourishment Damien had given her over the past month.

As much as Lyla wanted to, she could not stop herself. Lilly swung her sword to the left leaving her right side exposed. Lyla knew what was going to happen. Lyla had told Lilly time after time to work on guarding her right side. She remembered it like it was yesterday. Lilly had promised to work on it during her spare time, but with everything that had happened since then, she had not found the time. Lyla knew Damien would use this as an opportunity to strike and she could not let that happen. Her muscles would not listen to her so she had to try reaching into her mind to take it back.

Lyla willed herself to clear her mind to break free. Instead, swarms of memories came flooding in. She saw herself and her sister attempting to ride their horses for the first time. Lyla had almost fallen off, but Lilly was right next to her to catch her and steady her balance. The next memory was when she had received her scar, sacrificing herself for Lilly. They had both been so frightened, but Lilly was there for her every step of the way, just as she had always been. Then came another memory. It was when she woke her sister in the middle of the night because of one of her nightmares. She got into Lilly’s bed and Lilly held her while she cried until she fell back asleep. They were so young then.

Lyla was pulled back into reality, and she was still under Damien’s control. She had…stuck her sword into Lilly’s side.

Lyla was standing with her sword at her side, which was now covered in blood. Lilly’s blood. Lilly’s eyes were wide and her mouth was gaped open. Her weapon was on the ground, and her hands were now covering the wound in her side. She stumbled back and fell to the floor. It was the same familiar look she had seen from her mother in her dreams, over and over again. She was too late. She had failed.

Everyone had stopped fighting and now circled around her and her sister. The people that did not know her well probably thought she had purposely done this, but they had no idea. They did not know what had really happened. They had no idea the power Damien possessed over her. How could they? She heard everyone whispering, but she tried to ignore them.

She felt her body turn toward Thomas. He would be her next victim, but she couldn’t let that happen. A burst of energy coursed through her body and everyone was knocked to the ground. Her strength had drained immensely and she was about to pass out, but she forced herself to remain conscious. She had no idea what had just happened, but it allowed her to break free of Damien’s control. She had done this once before in the arena when she was fighting Morgan, but she had no recollection of it. She now knew that this wasn’t Damien. This was her power growing inside of her, and it had helped her break free of Damien’s control. People were regaining their balance and standing to their feet. She hoped she had not harmed anyone; that was not her intention. She just wanted to break free of Damien’s hold on her before she hurt anyone else or worse, killed someone.

She crouched down to her sister, tears were already clouding her vision. She sat on the floor and pulled her sister close. Lyla cradled Lilly’s head in her left arm and placed her right hand over her sister’s hand that was covering her wound. Lyla saw that she was still alive, but barely. Lilly stared into her sister’s eyes.

“There you are,” Lilly said. Her voice was low and her breaths were short, but she forced a smile. “I knew you were in there somewhere.” Lyla wanted to break down, but she tried to stay as strong as she could for her sister, even though she knew tears were coming down like a waterfall.

“Lil, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I tried not to, but I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Lyla, it’s not your fault. I know who is at fault here and it is not you.” Lilly coughed and a drop of blood was streaming down her chin. Lyla was horrified.

“No more talking, you need to save your strength.”

“Lyla, I’m dying.” Lyla shook her head.

“No… No, you will be okay. We can beat this together. You can…”

“Listen to me,” Lilly interrupted. Her voice was soft and sweet. Her eyes were bright. She had already accepted her fate and was welcoming it with open arms. “You have to go on for the both of us. You have to be stronger than ever, like I know you can be. You were meant to do great things in this world. You were meant to be a leader and a world changer.”

“No, we were meant to be world changers, you and I. You are my other half. How could I possibly be whole if I lose you? I can’t go on without you.”

“I will always be with you, in here.” She pressed her hand against Lyla’s heart. Lyla grabbed her hand and held it in her own.

“I love you, Lil.”

“I love you too, Ly.

Lilly took her last breath as she stared into her sister’s eyes. Lyla felt her sister’s grip loosen, and she could no longer feel a pulse. She closed her sister’s eyes and wept over her lifeless body.

Chapter 27

The crowd around Lyla dispersed. William, Giselle, Joseph, Thomas, Charles, and Ryan were the only ones standing around her now, and they didn’t dare try to move her. She felt selfish for not letting anyone else say goodbye, but she didn’t care. Lilly was her life, her everything, and now she was gone.

Although Damien escaped, the Demorites had all been killed. It was a victorious night for everyone, except Lyla. She was still hovering over her sister’s dead body. Her sister couldn’t be dead; she wouldn’t allow it. There had to be something she could do. Some way to bring her back.

She thought of every possibility, and came up with nothing. Nothing would work. Her sister was gone forever, and it was all her fault.

Her eyes fell to the crystal that was hanging around her sister’s neck. She reached in her pocket and held hers in her hand, staring at its beauty. These crystals bound them together––maybe she could somehow give her a part of her energy, her life.

What was it that Arthur had said about the crystals? It took her a moment to think of the conversation they had in his house. It had only been a little over a month since their first encounter with Arthur, but now it seemed like it had been ages ago.

“Your crystals will look to one another for power. They are bound in ways I cannot explain. I’m afraid that if one of you die and you are both wearing your crystals, the other may die as well.”

This gave Lyla the craziest and most insane idea she could imagine. She was going to put her crystal around her neck. If she did this, there was a possibility she would die, but there was also the chance that it would give Lilly life. Either way, she didn’t care, it was a risk she was willing to take. There was no way she could live without Lilly, so if she died in the process of trying to save her, at least she could be with her in the afterlife. She would make the ultimate sacrifice.

The group of her family and friends were no longer surrounding her. They were still close, but they had moved away to give her some space. They wanted to comfort Lyla knowing how much Lilly meant to her, but they were all grieving in their own way. William had lost a daughter, Giselle had lost a sister, and Charles had lost someone he really cared about and maybe even loved.

William turned to Lyla and noticed her raise her necklace up, holding the chain between her fingers, ready to put it around her neck. He knew what she was doing. He knew the possible outcome of what she was about to do, because he had been there when they discussed the power of their symbols with Arthur. He yelled as he ran toward her, but by the time he reached her, she had already placed it around her neck.

The crystals lit up, bright and beautiful, grabbing the attention of everyone that still remained in the room. The light diminished as quickly as it came and took Lyla’s life with it. She had no idea how much pain this would cause her if it did kill her. She felt nothing at first as she placed the crystal around her neck, but then she felt a small pinch, and that was the end.

All Lyla could see was a blinding light, but she felt the air around her change. It was calm and cool. When she could see clearly, she could see a massive gate made of pearl, and a golden pathway behind it.

Heaven.

She saw Lilly standing in front of the gate with two women. She looked happy and refreshed. She no longer had blood caked on her stomach or dirt all over her body. Lyla ran through the clouds at her feet and hugged her as if she had not seen her in decades. Lilly’s returned embrace was warm and comforting.

“Lyla, there are a few people I’m sure you will want to see.”

Lyla pulled away from her sister and looked at the two women that stood before them. One was an older woman with white hair that matched her white clothing.

“Grandma Norma?” she said smiling. She hugged her as tight as she could. “I can’t believe it. I missed you so much.” Her grandmother laughed.

“Where else would I have gone, my child?” Lyla didn’t want to think of the alternative.

Her eyes met the other woman’s, who was smiling back at her. She had brown hair and her face was lightly covered in freckles. She had blue eyes just like hers.

“Mom?”

“Yes, my dear. It is unfortunate that we have to meet under these circumstances. This is a beautiful place and all, but I hoped you would both be much older.”

“I can’t believe I am finally meeting you,” Lyla said. “I have seen you in my dreams so many times, but to meet you in person…or spirit I should say, is beyond my comprehension.”

“You have both grown up so beautifully. A day hasn’t passed that I have not been watching over you.”

“Were you by chance communicating with me through my dreams?”

“I’m sorry, but it was merely a trick. We have the ability to watch over you and guard you, but we are not able to communicate directly.”

“I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. We are all here and we can be a family again,” Lyla said. She was so happy, and had forgotten all about her life on earth for a brief moment.

“I’m afraid not.” Lyla turned to her grandmother then back to her mother. She was very disappointed.

“What do you mean?”

“We already explained everything to Lilly. You must return to earth. He still has much work for you to do, and you still have so much life still left to live.”

“He as in…?”

Her mother nodded.

“So, I have to return alone?”

“Of course not,” her grandmother said. “Lilly will be accompanying you.”

Lyla’s face lit up with joy. She wasn’t able to stay, but at least she could take Lilly back with her. That was her plan to begin with anyway.

“You must go soon or you will not be able to return with Lilly. After a certain amount of time, she will not be able to return to her body,” said her mother.

Lyla hugged her mother for the first time. She wanted to hold on and never let go, but knowing she would someday see her again made it worth the wait.

“Lyla,” her grandmother said. “Tell Papa Joe that I love him and that I will be here when it is his time.” Lyla smiled and nodded.

“And tell your father…” her mother hesitated “…tell your father that I’m sorry, and I never stopped loving him.”

“He never stopped loving you either,” Lilly said.

“I know,” she smiled. “Look after him for me, will you?”

“We will,” the girls replied at the same time. This made them all laugh.

“I…we will always be with you,” her mother said as she took Norma’s hand.

Lilly turned to Lyla asking if she was ready. She nodded, and they grabbed hands and walked toward the bright light.

Thomas was kneeling over Lyla’s body; tears were running down his face. How could they lose both of them? This was supposed to be a day of victory and happiness, not sorrow and grief.

“What do we do now?” Ryan asked.

“We have to give them a proper burial,” said William. Everyone knew he was holding himself together, but just by a thread. Inside was a train wreck that had just shattered his heart into a million pieces. “We will cover the bodies and take them both to the cottage. I want them buried next to their mother and grandmother.” He gazed over at Joe, who was utterly distraught. William wasn’t sure how he would respond at the mention of his wife, but he only nodded in appreciation.

William leaned down and rested his hand on Thomas’s shoulder.

“It’s time.”

Thomas thought Lyla was so beautiful. He remembered the first time he saw her. He thought she was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and had not been able to stop ever since. He had even thought of their future together, and he wanted to give her everything she wanted out of life. He thought of a nice house and possibly children. She would forever be on his mind. She was so full of life then. It hardly seemed like she was gone, it was like she was sleeping. He wanted to kiss her one last time. She was the love of his life and no one could replace her.

Thomas leaned down and kissed Lyla. He didn’t care what everyone thought or if they thought he was crazy. He pulled away, hoping life would return to her, but she remained lifeless. He held her hand one last time, and as he pulled his hand away he felt her finger move. Was this part of his imagination? Maybe he really was going mad.

“Did anyone see that?”

“See what?” Giselle asked.

“I felt her move.” They all looked at him like he was crazy. Her pulse was checked multiple times. She was gone.

“Thomas, just give it a rest,” William said. “They are not coming back. We have to accept that.”

Only a few seconds had passed when Lyla and Lilly woke up, both gasping for air. They couldn’t catch their breaths. Everyone stared wide-eyed, but they all gathered around. Thomas was holding Lyla and Charles was sitting next to Lilly. After five long gasps, their breathing finally slowed to the normal pace, as air fully filled their lungs.

“That was a lot more painful than I had imagined,” Lyla said.

“You’re telling me,” said Lilly with a slight chuckle.

“Did I miss something?” Giselle asked. “I hardly think this is funny when the both of you were just lying there dead.”

“You-you’re alive,” said Thomas. He was still holding Lyla in his arms. “But how?”

Lyla and Lilly were both as strong as ever. Lilly’s wounds had fully healed under her bloody shirt and she was even back to a healthy weight.

Lilly told them they had seen their mother and grandmother in heaven, and that they were the ones to send them back. William was quite thrilled to receive his message, as was their grandfather.

“She really said that?” said William. “She still loves me?”

“She does very much,” Lyla said. “She always has and never stopped, even after she made you leave. It was the hardest thing she had ever done.”

Everyone was laughing and talking, as if Lyla and Lilly had not just been corpses lying on the ground before them. Thomas pulled Lyla away from the others for a private conversation.

“You left me,” he said sadly.

“I’m sorry, but it was the only possibility of getting Lilly back.”

“I understand. I know how much you mean to each other, and she would have done the same for you.” Lyla glanced at Lilly, who was standing next to Charles and the others, laughing and smiling. It was a sight she never thought she would see again. She knew Thomas was right. Lilly would have done the same for her. “Just promise me you won’t do it again.” He looked at her with pleading eyes. “I don’t want to go through that again. It will kill me.”

“I can’t promise anything, but I will do my best.” He hesitated for a moment then nodded.

“I’ll take that.”

She took his hand and smiled.

“Let’s rejoin the others, shall we?”

“We shall.”

Thomas and Lyla rejoined everyone, all smiling and laughing in a circle. As soon as she was getting interested in the conversation her grandfather pulled her away.

“There’s something I have to show you.”

Joe led her to a nearby hallway, and into a large room. There were random objects lying on the floor everywhere, but what really caught Lyla’s attention was a tall, massive object in the center.

“What is that?” Lyla asked.

“It is an invention Damien had me build. People step in, and the door closes, and then a serum that Damien came up with comes out as a fog into the air. When the person steps out, they look the same, but they are so very different. Whatever Damien puts in there is making them stronger and faster. It’s unnatural.”

Lyla immediately thought of Luke. This had to be why she couldn’t hit him with any of her weapons. If Damien had an army of people just like Luke, he would be unbeatable.

“We need to show the others.”

Joe repeated everything to the others that he had told Lyla when they returned to the room.

“Can we reverse the effect of the serum somehow?” Lilly asked.

“If I had the serum to test, then yes,” said Joe. “Without it, I will not be able to.”

“Once we know Damien’s exact location, we can think of a plan,” said Lyla. “Until then, we can’t do anything. We need to get back to Armoria. It will be safer there.”

Lyla returned to the underground subway and collected Kona as she had promised. The man was delighted to hear that all the Demorites had been defeated. Even though it was now safe to go out in the open, he still remained underground. It had been his home for so long that he didn’t want to leave it. Lyla wished him well and gladly took Kona with her.

Kona would be a great companion, and Lyla knew she would love Armoria as much as she did. She would be able to run on the beautiful green grass and sleep with her at night.

She caught up with everyone just outside the city limits. The sun was shining brightly above them and the rainclouds had diminished, though there were water puddles everywhere. Lyla was glad that the previous night was behind her.

As soon as Lilly saw Kona, she ran to her. Kona was trying to lick Lilly as she rubbed her tummy. Lyla was glad Lilly was taking a liking to her as much as she had.

Lyla walked toward Ryan and Thomas, who were discussing future plans.

“I never thought I would see the two of you playing together so nicely,” Lyla said, laughing. “Did I hear you say something about future plans?”

“As a matter of fact, you did,” said Ryan. “Unfortunately, the battle is won, but the war is not yet over. Damien is still out there and although we have rid the Demorites of our city, there are still thousands all over the world.”

“Don’t remind me,” Lyla said annoyed. It was a headache waiting to happen. “So, what is your plan?”

“We are going to move our forces northeast toward New York City. We hope to add to the Alliance along the way, hopefully tripling in size, and killing any Demorites we might come across. I’m sure there are people out there just like us that would join our cause. We would also like to spread the word of the Alliance, so people will start fighting back on their own. Our primary goal is to clear the United States, and then press on to other countries if we must, but hopefully by then people will have done the job themselves.”

“It’s a good plan, but it is going to be a long process,” said Thomas. “We need to find Damien. If we take out their leader, maybe the Demorites will retreat on their own.” He turned and directed his attention toward Lyla. “We will go back to Armoria and search there first. It is most likely that he would have fled to Dresden, since he has no one to guard him at the moment, and he is unfamiliar with the surrounding territory. The Demorites do all of his dirty work for him, so he probably doesn’t know what’s out here.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t come back,” Lyla said. “So, keep an eye out for him.” Her attention was directed toward Ryan.

“Before I go, I was curious about one thing,” said Ryan.

“And what’s that?” said Lyla.

“Damien could not make the crystals and ring work for his power. I thought it would work for anyone.”

“Well, I told him that it would only work for Lilly, my mother, and myself, but the truth is he didn’t have the proper ring.” Thomas and Ryan stared in confusion. “When we first arrived at Sector B-2, I went to the blacksmith, and he was kind enough to duplicate the ring. That is the ring I gave to Damien. It looked the same, but it has no real connection to my mother, and that is why it did not work.”

“Smart,” he said. He was fully satisfied with her answer, and was ready to head back to the bunker. “Maybe one day we will fight alongside each other once more. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Lyla, and nice meeting you, Thomas, even though we had our rough patches. Safe travels to you and your companions.”

“And you as well,” said Thomas.

Ryan turned away and walked in the direction of the underground bunker, which was where the Alliance had retreated to for the night. They were celebrating all night long after defeating the Demorites.

“That was a clever idea,” said Thomas.

“As soon as I saw the blacksmith area, I had the idea. Fortunately, it worked.”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t get his hands on the real ring.”

Thomas and Lyla met up with the others, who were saddled on horses and ready to move on. They followed their example, and mounted Lyla’s horse. With Joseph, Charles, Thomas’s parents, and Papa Joe now with them, they did not have enough horses. Papa Joe was alone on Thomas’s horse, Charles paired up with Lilly, and Joseph with Giselle. They had one extra horse for Thomas’s parents.

Their plan was to ride back to the cottage, where they would leave Papa Joe. They insisted on him going with them to Armoria, but he wanted to reside in the cottage with his inventions and old memories. Lyla didn’t care that she was technically banished, she was going back. After what they had just accomplished, how could they force her to leave?

“Actually, we might want to get back to Armoria as soon as possible,” said Joseph. Everyone shot him a concerned look.

“Why would we need to do that exactly?” asked William.

Charles and Joseph exchanged glances. “Well, Morgan has been somewhat of a problem. That’s one of the reasons we came to find you in the first place.”

“Morgan?” said William.

“Yeah, well, Monroe had to go to Starlight City for a while, and left Morgan in charge as head council,” said Joseph.

“What has she done?” Lyla asked with an annoyed tone.

“Oh, nothing out of the ordinary, except she has gone bat crazy and taken over all of Armoria,” said Charles.

“She was always bat crazy,” said Lyla.

“That is so true,” said Lilly, who was laughing to herself.

Lyla grumbled. They had all been through so much, and now they had to deal with this. Someone should have taken care of the issue long ago, like William suggested.

“Sorry, Papa, but we have no time to waste. You are coming to Armoria with us.”

Chapter 28

In three days, they had made it to the Armorian gate. Papa Joe was amazed, and wanted to take more time to observe the enchanted gateway, but he had no time. Lyla knew he was trying to think of every possibility of how someone could have invented something so amazing.

“Wait,” said Lilly. “I thought you had to be an Armorian descendant to enter the gateway.” She looked over to her grandfather, who was paying no attention at all.

“No,” said William. “Anyone who is not an Armorian descendant can’t open the gateway, but once opened, they can go through as long as they are accompanied by Armorians. There is a limited amount of time though before it would have to be reopened.”

Lilly was excited that her grandfather was joining them. She had discussed with Lyla how she had wanted her grandfather to live with them in Armoria. She didn’t expect him to stay, because she knew he would want to return to the cottage, but at least he would be able to see what it was like, and how beautiful it was. He might come to like it and want to stay after all, if they would even allow it. She was not sure what the rules were with non-Armorians living in Armoria. Hopefully, it wouldn’t have to be approved by the head council, because she knew Morgan would not allow it, if only to anger Lyla, but then again, Morgan may no longer be head council if she had gone as crazy as they say.

One by one, they passed to the other side, and William was the last to pass through the gate. Armoria looked exactly how it did when they left it. As far as he could see, Morgan had not caused any damage to the town square itself. The only issue was that no one was around to ask about it. Where had everyone gone? Were they all ordered to stay in their homes to be away from the square? Why would Morgan order them to do such a senseless act?

“I think our best bet is to go into town hall,” said Lyla. “Morgan will most likely be residing there in her father’s office.”

They left Papa Joe to watch over the horses and Kona. This was not his problem, so Lyla and Lilly did not want to involve him, if at all possible.

Lyla cringed as she walked up the steps to the Town Hall. The last time she had been up the steps was the night of the celebration. It was the worst and best night of her life. It was terrible, because it was the night she had been bitten by one of Damien’s creatures, but it was also a great night, because Thomas had finally told her how he felt about her.

The lights in the hall were dim as they made their way into the ballroom, and what they saw next was very unexpected. Cages were lined up in columns throughout the room, and in them were the people of Armoria. It seemed like everyone in town had been thrown in there, but why?

“You weren’t kidding,” Lilly mumbled. “She really has gone bat crazy.”

Morgan seemed to be absent from the room, so they tried releasing people from the iron cages, but they were all locked, and they did not have a key or anything to pry them open with. Of course Morgan would not make it easy for them. Would she even expect them to return? Probably not Lyla, since she had been banished, but surely, she expected everyone else to return, and then what? They would not be easily manipulated.

“What is going on?” William asked an older gentleman.

“Morgan shoved us in these cages when we refused to listen to her every command. She wants to be ruler of Armoria; someone has to stop her.

“That is what we intend to do,” said Lyla.

The man redirected his attention to Morgan as she entered the room through a set of doors on the opposite side of the hall, followed by Tyler Dellford. She was wearing a ball gown and had a crown placed on top of her head. She smirked when she saw Lyla and the others. “Well, if it isn’t Lyla Langston. What a pleasure.”

“I wish I could say the same,” said Lyla. She was standing with her hands on her hips and an unwelcome expression.

“If I remember correctly, you were banished from Armoria, were you not?”

“I don’t always do as I’m told, but it is a good thing that I did come back, seeing what you have done to all of these people. Just because you are the temporary head council doesn’t mean you can lock the Armorian citizens in cages.”

Morgan’s anger began to flare, but it settled quickly. “I intend to make some changes before my father returns. You do realize that by breaking Armorian Law, you will be punished by death.”

“And who is going to execute me? If you haven’t noticed, everyone in town has turned against you.”

“I will deal with you personally, and the rest will be punished accordingly.”

“Do you not remember what happened the last time you quarreled with her?” said Thomas. His eyes glanced down at her arm that was still hanging in a sling. “Your arm is still healing, I see.”

“Thomas,” she said, delightfully ignoring his previous question. “I’m so happy you have returned. Once I rid the world of that wretched demon, you and I can be together again.”

“The only demon here is you. I would follow Lyla through Dresden before standing by your side.” He stood by Lyla and placed his arm around her waist. Lyla could see the jealousy in Morgan’s eyes, but she still remained calm.

“I will deal with you later. If it were not for my unending love for you, I would have you executed as well.”

“You can’t just go around executing people,” Lyla said. “You can’t go around doing whatever you want anymore. Enough is enough.” Lyla turned away from Morgan, and to the Armorians that were still behind bars. “People of Armoria, it is time to change some of the Armorian Laws. We must rid Armoria of the head council and designate someone, not to rule, but to be a true leader of Armoria. Someone that will protect and take care of us. Someone who is selfless and courageous.”

“And I suppose you think you should be the one to be leader of Armoria?” said Morgan. Her laughter filled the room. “You could not possibly be a leader of anything.”

Lilly walked to her sister’s side. “My sister would be a great leader. My sister is full of wisdom and knowledge. She also has the courage of a lion and the biggest heart of anyone I know.” She took her sister’s hand and smiled. “But it is also not for her to decide. Our new leader will be chosen by the people of Armoria, not by people who have to buy their way into leadership.” Everyone in the cages beganto cheer. They were relieved to know that they would have a new leader, and would take part in that decision.

“I say we vote now,” yelled a man shaking his fist through the iron bars.

“Yes, let us make our decision,” yelled a woman.

“Fine,” yelled Morgan stomping her feet. “Who do you wish to be the new leader of Armoria?”

“I vote, Lyla Langston,” yelled a young woman.

“Me too,” yelled an older man.

“I vote, Lyla and Lilly Langston,” said an elderly man. “Why can we not have two leaders?”

“I agree,” yelled another woman. “Let them both be our leaders.”

“Lyla and Lilly,” said a young child.

Throughout the room, everyone was chanting their names. Lyla felt empowered. These people believed in her and her sister. Together they would be great leaders and take care of the people of Armoria. Surrounding them were people applauding and smiling. Everyone was happy, and William looked like he couldn’t be more proud. Lyla could hear Morgan trying to shout over all the cheers and laughter. She lifted her hands up for the crowd to silence.

“You, Morgan Feeble,” said Lyla. “Are an unfit leader and will no longer have any part in Armoria’s future. In order to be fair, we will allow you to stay in your current home. No one will take it from you. If you are unhappy with the people’s decision, you are welcome to find residence elsewhere.”

Morgan could no longer control her anger. She was supposed to be leader, not these two ignorant fools. She pulled out a knife that she had hidden in her sling and ran for Lyla, prepared to drive it in her heart. Before she reached her, Giselle stepped forward and drove her fist into her nose, dropping her to the floor.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” said Giselle. She was shaking out her hand. “No one messes with my sisters.”

Lyla and Lilly laughed and walked over to where Morgan was lying. Her nose had blood dripping down it, and she was coming back into consciousness. “Morgan Feeble,” said Lilly. “You are now banished from Armoria for life. Your sentence will start immediately.”

Tyler helped Morgan to her feet. She was in pain, and her nose was bleeding.

“You are forgetting one tiny little detail,” Morgan said.

“And what would that be?” said Lilly.

“I have the only key that will release everyone.”

Lyla stepped forward and held out her hand. “Give it here.”

Morgan looked from Lyla’s hand to her face and chuckled. “Do you really think I’m just going to hand it over?”

“I will take it by force if I must.”

Everyone could tell Morgan was weighing her odds. Her arm was still injured, so she would not be able to sword fight, and there were so many people against her that she would not be successful anyway. She pulled the key out of her dress pocket and handed it to Lyla.

“You will all pay for this,” Morgan said in a stern voice. “You will all be sorry in the end, every last one of you. Especially you, Lyla Langston. You will get what’s coming to you.”

Everyone ignored her as she was escorted out the doors that were slammed behind her. Tyler said nothing as he followed her in full pursuit.

“What are we going to do when Monroe returns?” Lilly asked.

“Tell him how it is,” said William. “If he doesn’t like it, he can join his daughter.”

Lyla smiled just knowing that she wouldn’t have to deal with Morgan again.

Everyone was released from their lock and bars, and a proper ceremony would be held in the ball room the following evening to make Lyla and Lilly official leaders of Armoria. A group of people had volunteered to remove the cages and make it suitable for the ceremony.

The people of Armoria were not required to attend, but everyone did. Giselle had announced that they should all wear formal attire, though Lyla would have been satisfied in just a casual shirt and a nice pair of pants, but Giselle insisted.

William suggested they go to the dress shop on the square to buy new dresses. Lyla did not think any of this was necessary, but neither Lilly or Giselle argued. They went home and cleaned up before dress shopping. They had not had a chance to shower since the battle, so dirt and blood were still clinging to their clothing and bodies. Lyla would have soaked in her tub all night had time allowed it.

Lyla had passed Thomas in the hallway on her way down to meet Lilly and Giselle. He had been spending time with his parents since the meeting, so she had not seen him. It was only half a day, but for the past month they had been inseparable, so it was strange to be away from him.

“You look refreshed,” said Thomas, looking at her from head to toe. Her hair was still wet, and she was carrying a pair of heels.

“So do you,” she said softly with a slight smile. She had no idea why, but she felt nervous around him, like she had when she first arrived in Armoria. She was back to the shy girl, who would see Thomas pass her door but was too afraid to say anything.

“Well, I will see you tonight,” he said.

“Um, yeah, I will see you then.”

Thomas turned away and went to his room.

Lyla was not sure what had just happened. She was biting the inside of her cheek on her way down the stairs, trying to figure out why it had seemed so awkward and out of place. She was pulled away from her thoughts when she saw Lilly and Giselle impatiently waiting at the bottom of the steps.

They all rode on their separate horses. They would not be returning to the house after purchasing their dresses, so they planned on riding back in the carriage with William and Thomas.

They had arrived at the dress shop and were rummaging through the many racks of dresses.

“This is ridiculous,” said Lyla. “A leader belongs in combat gear, not a dress.”

“Oh, come on, Ly,” said Lilly. “Have fun with it. After the ceremony, you can dance with Thomas, without Morgan interrupting your perfect night, and you can watch him as he drools over how beautiful you look.”

“He does that anyway,” Giselle said with a short laugh. She had already picked out three different dresses to try on. “He is a very lucky man, and he knows it.”

“I think I am the lucky one,” said Lyla. “I couldn’t have found anyone more perfect for me.”

They had all found a dress by the end of the hour. Giselle had completely outdone herself as usual and had picked out an extravagant ball gown. Lyla had settled with a black full-length gown that hugged her body. She didn’t want a large poufy gown, because she didn’t want to feel like she was being crowned at a coronation. She no longer cared that her scar was visible. She had accepted it for what it was: a reminder that she would give her life for Lilly at any time. Lilly chose a beaded black gown that ran over her shoulder and flowed down to her toes. It was similar to Lyla’s other than a few minor details. Instead of changing inside the town hall, they all wore their dresses out of the store. They had one hour until the ceremony, and people were already starting to arrive.

There was a podium set up in the ballroom, where Lyla and Lilly would stand as they were announced official leaders of Armoria. William had volunteered to be the one to do it, and there was no dispute. He had always taken part in any decisions involving Armoria, even though he was not a council member, and people knew that. With the respect he had from the people, Lyla wasn’t sure why they hadn’t chosen him to be their leader instead of them. It gave her great confidence and assurance knowing William would be there every step of the way to guide them.

When the ceremony started, Lyla looked out at hundreds of people who were all standing in the large room. They didn’t think it wise to set up chairs for a short ceremony when people were going to dance afterwards anyway.

William had come up with a few lines to make it sound as professional as possible. He had gone over what he would say with the girls before it started, and they thought he had it well put together considering the short amount of time he had.

Everyone they knew was there. Thomas was standing next to his parents, and their grandfather was nearby, looking quite charming in his tux. Giselle found Joseph, and was standing next to him with her arm around his. Charles was with his family, including his sister.

“We gather today to declare Lyla and Lilly Langston the new leaders of Armoria,” said William. The crowd clapped and cheered. “Please repeat after me. I, Lyla Langston, vow to accept the important duty of being a leader to the Armorian people.” Lyla repeated word for word without hesitation. “I promise to protect and serve to the best of my ability. I will be a courageous and strong leader until my position is appointed to another.” Lyla repeated once more, and then William turned to Lilly.

“I, Lilly Langston, vow to accept the important duty of being a leader to the Armorian people. I promise to protect and serve to the best of my ability. I will be a courageous and strong leader until my position is appointed to another.” Lilly repeated every word perfectly.

“I now pronounce you both the first leaders of Armoria.” He leaned in close and whispered in their ears. “Congratulations, my beautiful daughters. I couldn’t be more proud of you. I’m glad you have come to love Armoria just as much as I have. I know you will be great leaders.”

When everyone finally stopped applauding, they flooded through the room and began celebrating. Music filled the room and everyone was either dancing or discussing how wonderful they thought their new leaders were. It would change Armoria in a positive way.

“I am so proud of you both,” said Papa Joe as he walked up to Lyla and Lilly. He embraced them tightly and stepped back. His hands remained on their shoulders. “You know, I really do like this place. I may stay a while after all. William showed me where I will be staying, and I have the extra space to work on new inventions.”

“I’m so glad you decided to stay, Papa,” said Lilly. “It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

“Yes, and we can still visit the cottage every once in a while,” said Lyla. “It can be our perfect getaway.”

“I like that idea,” he said. “It is time for this old man to retire for the evening. It has been a while since I got a good night’s rest. Go now, enjoy yourselves. I’m sure a lot of people are going to want to speak with you.” He walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

He was right. People were lined up to congratulate them and assure them what great leaders they would be. They stood talking to people for a few hours before they were finally able to catch a break.

Thomas came behind Lyla and tapped her on the shoulder. As she turned right, he moved to the left to avoid being seen. He stood laughing and she shoved him back.

“Someone told me I needed to ask you to dance,” he said, still smiling. He gestured toward a couple in the crowd. Giselle and Joseph.

“Remind me to thank her later, even though I hope you would have asked yourself, even without her suggestion.”

“Of course I would have.”

Thomas pulled her to the dance floor as they played a slow song. Lilly had been pulled away by Charles and had disappeared somewhere in the crowd. She was unaware if Lilly had accumulated any feelings for him yet, but she thought there was a chance. Lyla hated that she could not see Lilly, but she knew Charles would take care of her. She knew Lilly would be okay, but losing her like she had made Lyla overprotective.

Lyla held her head against Thomas’s chest as they danced.

“Something is troubling you,” he said as he pulled her chin up to him. He was right, although she didn’t know how he knew.

“It’s just…” She hesitated. “…what if Damien still has the ability to control me? How can I be a leader of these people if he can use me as a weapon against them? If I hurt any of these people…”

Thomas stopped her before she could continue. “You broke free of his control. You did that. Evil cannot hold power over you unless you allow it to. Damien no longer has control over you, and if he did, you are strong enough to break that connection. You will be a great leader, you and your sister, I have no doubt about it.”

She said nothing, and let his words sink into her mind. She knew he was right, but she still had to wonder about the possibilities. She placed her head on his chest once more, breathing in the smell of his cologne, and feeling his heart beat. This was the perfect night.

“Lyla,” Thomas said.

“Yeah.” She didn’t move, and her eyes remained closed.

“Would you like to spend the day in the cave tomorrow?”

“I would love to.”

Chapter 29

It was the first night Lyla had not have a night terror in ages. She had finally had a normal dream. She woke up early in order to prepare for her and Thomas’s day in the cavern. She took a bath and pulled on a pair of jeans and a cardigan. She was ready to run up to Thomas’s room when she found a note posted on the inside of her door. She wondered how she did not hear him come in.

Lyla,

Meet me on the shore when you are ready. I have a special surprise for you.

Love, Thomas

Lyla’s heart jolted after reading the letter. He had a surprise for her? What could it be? She was a bit disappointed she didn’t get to walk with Thomas, but she remembered how to get there, so she didn’t mind.

She walked by Lilly’s room and saw that the door was open, so she stepped in just a few feet, finding her sound asleep in her bed. She was happy to have Lilly here with her once more. She couldn’t imagine walking past her empty room, knowing that she would never return. It would have slowly killed her inside.

She stepped out of the room and quietly walked down the stairs and out the door before anyone noticed her, although it was so early that she didn’t think anyone would be awake anyway.

The air was cool and the slight wind gave her a chill. She climbed down the rocky side of the cliff the same exact way Thomas had shown her before. She was trying to be extra careful, because dawn had not yet approached, and she did not want to fall. The only light was the brightness that cascaded from the full moon. She did as well as she could to maneuver her way down and avoid the jagged edges of the steep cliff. She felt relieved when her feet met with the sand at the bottom and she found Thomas waiting on the shoreline in front of the entrance to their secret spot, just like he said he would. He had his hands behind his back and was pacing back and forth. Surely, he wasn’t nervous to see her after all the time they had spent together.

“Is something wrong?” Lyla asked. She must have startled him, because she saw his muscles tense as he quickly turned toward her.

“No,” he said. “I was just waiting for you.” He smiled and reached his hand out to her. She grabbed his hand and followed him into the cave.

“I was very happy when you asked me to spend the day with you,” said Lyla. “Especially, in this place, because it has been so long since we’ve been able to relax and be alone. I know it’s been…”

She stopped talking when they reached their spot in the cave. It was the same beautiful place with the starry ceiling and blue water, but a blanket was spread out on a flat rock with a woven basket placed just at the edge of it. A trail of flower petals led from the doorway of the cave and surrounded the blanket.

“What is this?” Lyla said. She couldn’t keep herself from smiling. This is why Thomas came here early. He had set up all of this for her.

“Is it too much? I just thought we would have a romantic day together.”

“No, it’s absolutely breathtaking.”

“Good! I just wanted to do something special for you. I thought you deserved it after everything you have been through.”

“It’s perfect.”

She kissed him and sat on the blanket. Thomas followed her lead and began rummaging through the basket. In the basket was strawberries and a bundle of green grapes as well as a bottle of red wine.

They spent hours talking and laughing with one another. They made silly jokes and reminisced about the good times of their past before and after they got to know each other.

The strawberries were gone as well as half of the wine bottle. Lyla wasn’t sure how the day could get any better. It really was a major relief after everything they had been through, and this was more than perfect. Thomas had definitely impressed her, and she could not have imagined anything better.

Lyla got up to stretch her legs out, since they had been sitting for so long. She stood by the water and stared at the starry illusion above them. She would never understand its mysterious beauty.

Thomas came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. He kissed her neck and then slowly turned her around so that she was facing him. Together they danced to the silent sound of nothingness that filled the cave. He pulled away from her and stared into her bright blue eyes. He had never seen anything more beautiful.

“Lyla, the reason I brought you here is because I…well I…”

His hands were slightly shaking and sweaty. He could feel his heart beating faster as it beat over and over again. He licked his dry lips and took a deep breath. “Lyla, I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I do know that I love you. I know that every time I see you I smile, and if I don’t on the outside, I want you to know my heart is, on the inside. You are the only thing I think about, night and day. I know that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I know you are the only one for me. You’re the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar golden ring with a tiny diamond. Lyla was almost in tears by the beautiful words he had spoken to her. She gasped and pulled her hand to her mouth.

“This is my mother’s ring.”

“Yes,” said Thomas. “I wanted to give this to you as a promise that I will always love you and be here for you.”

“And I promise to love you and be here for you also.”

He smiled as he took the ring and placed it on her finger, hoping that one day he would replace it with a wedding ring. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He pulled her up and carried her over to the blanket. He gently placed her on her back, still kissing her lips. She slid her hands under his shirt, around to his back, all the way up to his spine, and then from his chest down to his abs. Although she wanted more and more, it took every ounce of her self-control to restrain herself from going too far, but she soon realized that she didn’t have to.

Thomas slowly pulled her shirt up, gently caressing her skin, drawing a line with his finger from her stomach to her chest. His gentle touch sent tingles through every nerve of her body. She pulled his shirt off and continued to kiss his lips. Had it not been for that, she would have not been able to take her eyes off him. His body was so perfectly defined and absolutely flawless, except for the scar on his chest, but she didn’t care. In a way, it only made him more beautiful.

Piece by piece, clothing was stripped off, until there was nothing but skin tangled in skin. With the excitement and the adrenaline rushing through their veins, they could not stop themselves. Lyla could feel every muscle in his body, and he could feel every curve of hers.

They spent the rest of the day in the cave like they had planned. They had no worries or a care in the world. It was just them and their eternal love intertwined.

For now, Lyla did not have to worry about Damien or the other Demorites that still remained on earth. She was caught in a sweet moment that she never wanted to end, but unfortunately it would have to sooner or later.

Her next move was to find Damien, and stop him before he caused more destruction. Ryan was right when he said “The battle is won, but the war is not yet over.” When the time came, she would be ready. The next time she had the chance, she would kill Damien for sure.

Damien sat in his throne room back in the Dresden castle. It was very similar to the castle back on earth, but with a few minor differences. He was slouched over, and had one leg hanging over the arm rest.

“What am I going to do?” he said talking to himself. “Those snotty brats think they are smarter than me? Well, guess again. There is much more at work here than they realize.”

There were two Demorites by the large doors ahead of him. They each pulled one side of the door open and a Demorite walked in. Once he reached the throne, he bowed.

“Your Majesty,” said the Demorite. “He is here.”

“Well, send him in! What are you waiting for?”

“Right away, Your Majesty.” The Demorite bowed once more and left the room, sending another man in. The man walked to the throne and bowed, just as the Demorite before him had.

“You have disappointed me,” Damien said.

“I’m sorry! I did everything I could, Your Majesty.”

Damien rose from his throne and stood in front of the quivering man before him.

“I asked you to do one simple task for me,” Damien yelled. “One simple task. All I asked of you was watch the girl. How hard could that possibly be for a man in your position?”

“I was watching her, but she noticed me lurking from behind the trees both times.”

“Did she recognize who you were?” said Damien.

“No, but...”

“Then I don’t want to hear your excuses. You must learn to be more discreet. If you were not so valuable to me, I would have you executed, but I won’t, because I still need you.”

“What would you have me do, Your Majesty?”

“Something a little more…hands on.” Damien smiled.

Damien told the man of his master plan, and about the new role the man would play in it. The man didn’t seem confident in what he was asked to do, but he would not defy Damien or question his motives.

“I will send word when I need you to do as I have asked, but there is something I need to do before we set our plan into motion,” said Damien. “Return to Armoria, and keep a close eye on the Langston twins.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The man bowed before him, turned, and left the throne room without another word. He was replaced by the same Demorite that had entered before.

“Ready our forces,” said Damien. “At dawn, we leave for Erilyn.”

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Whitney, my twin sister, who inspired me to write this novel and helped me every step of the way. When you read the rough draft of Aftermath, you were not afraid to tell me what worked and what did not. Now, here we are with the finished product. I could not have done it without you.

To my family who has been nothing but supportive through this entire venture: thank you for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams and fight for the things I want most in life.

To my love, Kody, who endures me every day through the best and worst parts of me: life isn’t a fairy tale, but you will always be my prince.

I love you all.

Thank you to all the people behind the scenes that made this novel possible: the editors, design artists, and everyone else involved. Nicole Banes, you have been very helpful throughout the entire process of making this novel come together.

To any reader who picks up this book: thank you for giving it a chance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Most importantly, I thank God for His never-ending love, His guidance, and all His blessings