Chapter 50
Our connection drives me back to their dorm. I burst in the door, not bothering with the key. They are sitting tied up on the bed, coming back into consciousness. I can feel the fear rolling off of them.
I shoot a small orb at their magical constraints, freeing them.
“No time to explain, we have to go now!” I yell. They grab their bags with one swift motion and lead the way.
We move with the swiftness and speed of a cat on the prowl. The forest is eerily quiet. There’s not an animal in sight. I get the feeling that we’re being watched.
Hurry! I’m trying to keep it together, but I can feel my emotions taking over. The tears are welling up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I stumble over a tree branch, and Zeke catches me.
We break through the edge of the forest to the beach. I can see the boat waiting about 500 feet away. It’s an eternity away. Hope begins to flare through me; we’re almost there.
My heartbeat speeds up; sweat is furrowing on my brow. The moon lights the way. The waves are crashing against the beach. If I weren’t running for my life, I would have enjoyed a moonlit walk on the beach.
One of the shadows ahead begins to move. Out pours a row of armored soldiers, and my heart sinks. I know them from the vision. Queen Nema is already here. I feel the tension coming from both Damien and Zeke; I have forgotten to put my wall back up.
“That’s far enough. You won’t make it out of here alive.” That eerie voice could be coming from none other than the Queen.
She steps out of the shadows, dressed exactly as she was in my vision. Her blood red lips show off stark white teeth when she unleashes a creepy smile.
Damien and Zeke stop. We are surrounded. I know we’re going to have to fight, but there are far too many of them. Both of the boys relax. I can tell they’re going into fight mode; their brains are whirling with possibilities. I have seen it too many times in Combat.
“You could make this easy and come with us, child.” I know that she’s speaking to me. I would rather die in battle than to die at her hands.
“Never,” I spit out, disgusted.
“That is your choice.” The second the words rolled off her tongue, chaos breaks out. Damien and Zeke sandwich me between them.
The soldiers are attacking from all around; Damien has the side closest to the boat, and Zeke holds our backs. I am wedged in the middle trying to help, but mostly hindering them.
There are kicks and blows being doled out all over. I pull on my power, determined to help. I begin shooting orbs, knocking out small groups of soldiers.
They just keep coming. It reminds me of what I read about the Revolutionary War in class on Earth. When one line would fall, the people behind would step up and take their place.
I look around, hoping to spot a way out. The edge by the water is our best bet.
Can we edge our way along the water and move toward the boat? We need to formulate a plan, and this is the best I can come up with.
Damien and Zeke are too caught up in protecting me to lose focus. I push against Damien’s back and pull on Zeke. I am successful in moving them a few steps toward our destination.
We are starting to get overwhelmed again. My hopes are dropping like the stock market. How can we get out of this alive? I keep shooting orbs and use my newly acquired combat skills if anyone slips past the orbs.
I fling my head around trying to think of something, anything that we can do.
I catch a glimpse of arms wrapping around Zeke’s shoulders. With a hard tug, they break up the group. Zeke gets pushed further and further away.
I can feel his rage build. Damien is still unaware of the change as I brace myself to take Zeke’s place.
Three of them come at me at the same time. I block the first blow, leaving me open to the other two. My ribs take the majority of it, as I throw a punch at victim number one.
It’s hard enough to knock him back a few paces. I turn to deal with the other two when a pair of arms wrap around my midsection.
I am yanked away, kicking and screaming. I catch Zeke and Damien’s attention. Their eyes flare with rage. They try fighting their way back to me, but there are too many soldiers. They are equipped with armor, so each blow to them only does a fraction of the damage that they are doing to us.
The tears fall; I can’t hold them back anymore. The soldier drags me away from the fight to the edge of the woods. Queen Nema approaches with a vindictive smile.
“I think it’s time we have a little tête--à--tête. Don’t you?” she asks.
I spit in her face. She is the last person I want to talk to seeing as she has tried to have me killed.
“Now, your mother is going to be appalled at your lack of manners, darling,” she says.
“What do you know of my mother?” I wiggle in the arms of the soldier, hoping to break lose.
“Your mother sent me. She thinks it’s time that the two of you meet,” she says. Disbelief washes over me, but her words are enough to make me stop.
“I don’t believe you,” I spit out through clenched teeth. She can’t be telling the truth. I don’t believe that my mother would work with such an evil spirit.
“She has your eyes, you know, as well as your feistiness.” She runs a bone--chilling finger down my cheek, wiping away a tear.
“What do you want from me?” I scream, bucking with all of my might, trying to get back to Damien and Zeke.
“Not me, darling, your mother. I told you that she wants to meet you. If you agree to come with me, I will make sure that your playthings are left unharmed,” the evil queen says.
I look at both Damien and Zeke; they’re knee deep in trouble. Zeke is being held down and beaten, and Damien is pushing them back, but barely moving. They can’t keep this up much longer.
I have to do something. I would rather kill Queen Nema than go with her, but I don’t want harm to come to Damien and Zeke.
Is it possible that she really knows my mother? I’m looking for the Pendant so that I can find her. Is it possible that Nema knows that and is playing to my weaknesses?
“How can I know if you are telling the truth and that you will let them go?”
A smirk crosses her face.
“You will have to trust me. As soon as you agree to come with me, I will order the guards to retreat.”
I look at them again.
They are in trouble, and the only way out was being given to me by the evil queen. I know that in order to save them, I have to take her up on her offer. It’s not going to make them happy, but I can’t let them get hurt, and I want to meet my mother desperately.
“Okay, I will go with you. Just leave them alone.” The decision is barely out of my lips.
“Guards, retreat!” Queen Nema shouts. The soldiers instantly obey, running for the forest.
Damien and Zeke look around, confused, before their eyes land on me. They know that a deal has been struck to save them.
What did you do? It was Damien’s voice first.
I had to; I couldn’t let her harm you, and she has my mother. I have to find her. I plead, hoping that they will understand.
We will come for you. Zeke promises.
I hear the snap of her fingers, and the world fades away.
Author’s Note
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Laura Tree
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