Chapter 31

The smashing of glass exploded above me, but I was unable to move to see it. All I could see was Cally staring in disbelief in front of me and stained glass raining down on us. In the red and gold shards, I caught sight of a familiar pink gem. Catching it, a surge of power pulsed through my veins and a scarlet red shield circled around both Jamie and I. The black magic smudged against the ruby sheen and slowly died out. Amazed by my miraculous luck, I looked up to see two familiar faces, flying down to our rescue.

“ABI?” Chloe cried, running to her side.

She was wearing a short jade green dress and proud grin on her face.

“I told you not to come here!” Chloe lectured, grabbing hold of her small wrist and pulling her out the way. “You never listen to me.”

“It’s a good job as well!” she argued. “I don’t know whether you’ve got the concept of this magic stuff, Blondie, but that black thing wasn’t good.”

It took a while for me to get rid of the red shield and when I did, I took my time studying the stone in my hand.

“Her magic is back,” Juliet whispered, forgetting that Lupita was held hostage for a second.

“The star is growing stronger,” Abi confirmed, only to get her mouth covered by Chloe.

Everyone looked at Cally and the bad guys.

“So?” he said, stepping forward towards us.

Jamie came from behind me, his gun aimed at his head as a warning not to try anything.

“New riddle then. Which witch is which?”

I turned to Chloe and took a couple of steps back.

“I think you’ll find Riley has a long scar on her right hand palm,” Jig announced.

Trying not to blush or panic, I tried to hide my palms in my golden dress's satin. Chloe did the same and gave me an unsure look, showing that she was nervous. Cally chuckled and leant on Jig who stood a little back, arms crossed.

“I’m sure you all know Eric here.”

“Don’t you even dare speak his name!” Leona spat.

Although she was shaken to see his face again, she convinced herself that this was no longer Eric. It was Jig.

“Ah, Leona. All the way from the west? I’ve heard quite a bit about you”

“As I have you.”

“Your determination has been brilliant up to now, but I wonder if your strength could hold to the final moment.”

Leona gave him a dirty look as if to say she wasn’t scared of him. “Looks like there’s only one way to find out”

There was a slight silence until Cally clicked his fingers and Jig moved forward.

“Let’s make a deal then” he said and gave Melody a sneaky look. “If you kill Jig, I’ll let you go.”

Leona looked back at us for permission and slowly slipped both swords out from her pockets. Jig approached confidently and bowed down to mock her.

She glared at him. “You killed Eric and had the nerve to use his body?”

“Yeah,” he grinned, his eyes somehow different to how Eric’s were.

She growled, taking the first swipe which he had to dodge. Soon a full fight was occurring between them. The whole thing was full of dodges, jumps and rapid movements of blades.

“How can she concentrate like that?” Abi whispered in admiration.

“Riley, you have to stop this!” David cried, rushing to me and shaking me.

I wanted to answer him, I wanted to stop this but all I could do was watch in fear, knowing that one wrong move from Leona could be her last. Finally, I edged forward and grasped the medallion with two hands.

“Don’t- try- anything-” Leona ordered in her heavy gasps.

It was so strange watching two of my best friends fighting like that to the death. Then it hit me- death. Was I really prepared to watch one of them die in front of me? Suddenly, my day dreams where broken by Leona crashing to her knees as she lost her balance. Jig hovered over her, his sword about to jab her from above. In panic, I reached for my sword and leaned to lock swords with him.

“Don’t do it!” David warned, holding me back.

Luckily, she rolled out the way and blocked his next blow. Whilst he was leant over her, she kicked him back with her foot and did a backwards roly poly onto her feet.

As he went for her again, he felt an explosive tightly pressured pain in his stomach and then a wave of coldness. Leona was stood face to face in front of him. Her sword had disappeared in his flesh. Juliet had screamed in shock and Link lost grip of Lupita. A few gargled croaks came from Jig’s throat as Eric’s body faded away, leaving Jig’s original greenish grey flesh. Staggering back, Leona threw both her swords on the blood stained floors, breathing heavily. Everyone had frozen in their last positions, me being held back by David.

“Impressive!” Cally called, clapping loudly as Jig took his last breath and dropped dead on the floor.

Tom came beside her and gave her a good pat on the back, proud he’d taught her so well.

“Well you did it,” Cally grinned, stopping his clapping. “This must be the happiest day of your life… finally achieving all you’ve set out to do.”

“Actually, it’s the worst day of my life” she muttered, pushing her black hair out of her face.

“What a coincidence!” he exclaimed “Because it’s also your last.”

And before anyone had chance to stop him, he pointed his wand at her weak body and shot. The same black cloud shot through the air and hit her hard in the stomach.

“LEONA!” Loriei screamed but it was too late.

Leona was knocked back into Tom who caught her and laid her across his knee. The moment her neck went limp and her lifeless eyes met mine, I knew she was dead. I slapped my hand over my mouth to stop from screaming. Some people did scream.

“The deal was to let her go!” Lebandee yelled, running to her side and holding her lifeless hand.

“I said she could leave, I never said where,” Cally pointed out.

“We have to go!” Chloe cried in panic to Ant and tried tugging open the locked doors.

Lending a helping hand, I pushed my hands out which opened the heavy doors across the room. Before Link had chance to grab her again, Lupita and Juliet rushed out the ballroom whilst Jamie kept his gun aimed at Cally. Lebandee lifted Leona out the room and down the long hallway with the others. Finally getting his heroic senses, Felix blew a fire ring around Cally, Udanin and Anaxitt. Swooping down low, he picked Jess up and carried her down the hallway. He turned back and dropped her off before flying back to Lyla and Ray, trapped on the balcony by the flames.

“Tom! We have to hurry!” I called as he got to his feet and raced up the stairs to the balcony. “What are you doing?”

Jamie gently started pulling me towards the door

“No, I’m not leaving without him” I said, looking past the intense flames to try and find him.

Suddenly, a door burst open at the end of the balcony and Tom came rushing down again with someone wearing red on his shoulders.

“Who’s that?” Jamie asked, turning sharply to me.

Counting all the good guys in my head and trying to remember their dress colours, I desperately tried to remember the unknown girl. It was only when her hand dropped over his shoulder, I recognised the birth mark. There wasn’t time to look for answers or ask questions. We had to get out of this place. Run or end up like Leona. Running at full speed, we caught up with the others easily.

“We’re going to get caught” Jen cried, looking back every five seconds.

Tapestries came and went as the hallways stretched for an eternity. No one needed to say it. We were completely lost. Even Jess had no idea where we were.

“We’re never going to make it out of here!” Lupita called from the front.

Sharp pains were exploding in my chest now and my legs pumped scorching hot blood. Suddenly, a door burst open in front of us and yet another familiar face jumped in front of us.

“Codii!” Abi cried, stopping in front of him and trying to look good.

“Follow me,” he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her into the dark chamber which was lit only by a couple of candles. Everyone followed him to the back of the room and watched him push open the small window. A small gust of air swept into the room, making the small veils on everyone’s dresses float back.

“A travel orb is waiting for you down the hill,” he told us, grabbing Abi by the waist and lifting her up onto the window sill.

After she squeezed through the small gap and tumbled on the floor, Codii uninvitingly picked up Lupita and hoisted her onto the window sill.

“Travel orb to Earth?” Loriei asked, “We can’t just leave this mess here. The Lorica Star is growing stronger-”

Codii turned to her and passed a ball of creased yellow paper and carried on lifting people on the window sill.

“Find a way back to Ylddion. If I don’t meet you there, find this address.”

“Old Lester…” Lyla gasped, reading the note from behind her.

Ant and David began to climb onto the window sill and squeeze under the stained glass.

“He’s expecting you” he said and lifted Loriei up.

“You’re not coming with us?” she asked, climbing out the window feet first whilst Lyla gazed unsure out the window.

“I’ll cover for you. Leave Leona’s body here, I‘ll make sure they don’t use her.”

Tom gently placed sleeping Tory on the window and indicated for me to help her down.

“Tory?” Chloe cried, covering her open mouth.

“Get her back to Earth. Keep her there.” Tom ordered, lifting me up whilst Codii lifted Chloe.

“Please don’t stay here” Chloe begged, looking down on both of them from the window.

“We’ll be fine. Meet us at the Council of the White realm in four days,” Tom ordered and pushed us off the window pane.

We both looked up to see the window above us slam and the fire flies dance above us. Chloe’s terrified blue eyes met mine in the dim light.

“What did we do to deserve this?” she asked, pulling herself up and picking up Tory’s top half. “Help me carry her.”

Struggling in the frosty chill, we met Ant and Jamie at the glowing green orb.

“Tory?” they both gasped at the same time.

“Come on!” I urged, dropping her feet and pushing Jamie in the orb with me.

Chloe followed shortly after with Ant clutching Tory.

There wasn’t any time to think although at the time I was still trying to understand why Tom and Codii wouldn’t just follow us. They could have made it.

Bitter cold whipped our skin and nipped at our noses and ears. Extreme pressure filled our veins and was quickly replaced by that same feeling I got last year; the feeling of losing all your emotions and just floating in the deathly cold air. Jamie’s hand faded out of mine as I rode this nightmare rollercoaster again and again, on my own. This time I didn’t black out. I saw it all. The electric green lightening surrounding me. The red spots flashing in front of my eyes. I saw it all until the last moment when the world slowly crept in around me and I crashed into the dark waves below…

The End.

(Story Continues On Ellie Mae IV - The Family Curse)