-21
AURORA’S POV
I gasped for air as the clenching sensation in my lungs magnified. I tried to kick and thrash but my body remained suspended in the air.
My head hurt so much that it was difficult to form even a single coherent thought. My body felt drained of power and my lips were chapped due to dehydration.
In my haze, I sensed a few drops of liquid drip on my lips. I ran my tongue around my lips and gulped the saliva that formed in my dry mouth greedily.
I don’t know what the liquid was but my mind cleared instantly. Cracking open my eyes, I saw Logan standing in front of me. I tried to smile but it was like all the muscles of my face were locked in place.
His eyes darted across the room warily. Once he was sure we were alone, he moved closer and whispered into my ears, “The only way to escape this place is to find which object represents you.”
I was trying to process what he said when I heard his scream. He was suspended in the air like me. In a few seconds, he puked blood and fell to the ground.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I saw the lively boy turn into a heap on the floor.
“He needed to be punished. Don’t worry, he is alive.” Celeste said with an evil smile as she walked towards me.
She snapped her fingers in front of me and the words that were in my head tumbled out of my mouth, “Why are you doing this?”
“Ummm… should I tell you the whole story or not… considering that you will die tonight I might as well satisfy your curiosity.”
My heart skipped a beat when I heard her statement. Did she mean what she said? What could she possibly gain from my death?
“Tonight I will perform the resurrection ritual and bring back ‘The Dark Queen.’
A hundred years ago, The King of Dragons killed her but today this little girl in your womb will bring her back.”
My heart pounded against my ribs as panic seized me. She wanted to kill my baby.
I could do nothing to stop her in my present state. My only hope was that someone would come and save me miraculously.
I tried to get her to talk in a bid to delay her. “Their rivalry seems intense.”
Her eyes glazed over as she said, “It wasn’t always like that. The dark Queen loved the Dragon King very much. That’s why she didn’t see the betrayal coming.”
“Were they lovers?”
“Fie! How dare you say that? The Dragon King was her son.”
I was too stunned to respond. Wasn’t it too painful to be killed by your own child?
“She must have been the epitome of evil. Why else would her own son kill her?” I blurted out without thinking.
Celeste snapped her fingers and I found myself tongue-tied again.
“I shouldn’t have let you speak in the first place.” She growled and started lighting candles all around me.
Why the hell did I escape ‘The Pearl Palace’? Tyson was a D*** but he didn’t want to trade my life for some Dark Vodoo Queen. Aslan treated me like his sister and Caleb… My heart ached whenever I thought of him.
I returned his concern with betrayal. That must be the reason I was suffering…
ASLAN’S POV
“Thank you for coming, Zarina. It would have been impossible to convince that dog without your help.”
“Don’t be delusional, Aslan… I did this for ‘The Heart of Magic.’ When the opportunity presents itself before me, I will grab the stone for myself.”
“Why do you want the stone though?”
“I will complete the mission mother had started. She wanted the witches to rule the world. She would have succeeded if our pig-headed brother hadn’t killed her.”
Frustration and anger started building within me. Tyson had gone too far to establish Dragon’s rule. He had to answer for this.
I had rushed to meet him to confront him. But, as soon as I neared him, my feelings were replaced with concern.
“Damn! This bond.” I muttered under my breath. No wonder Zarina had chosen to be just the binding agent. She didn’t want her feelings to be manipulated.
“Perfect timing, brother. Caleb has located Aurora. Come and join us.” Tyson said with a smile.
Pulling a chair to sit down, I said, “What are we doing here then? Shouldn’t we be going to find her?”
“Ummm… there is a problem. The place Aurora is kept is not real. It is created using magic.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Unfortunately yes… I have a way to go in but…”
“But, what?”
“I don’t know how we would return…”
“Holy C***! Why does this sound like a suicide mission?”
Caleb lowered his eyes and said, “Because, it is…”
He looked at Tyson in the eye and said, “This locket will take me inside. I will try to locate her and then try to find a way to return. I can take one more person with me. Who is coming?”
“I will go…” I offered without a second thought. Aurora was in this mess because of me. The least I could do was try to save her.
“No Aslan, you stay here. I will go…” Tyson commanded getting up.
I wondered what he was up to this time. He never risked his life… ever… I didn’t protest. It was a win-win situation for me. If he managed to return with Aurora, I had a chance to get the stone. If he got lost in the magical realm, I would never have to see the face of the man who murdered my mother.
Caleb held Tyson’s hand and they both closed their eyes. Caleb’s lips moved as he chanted some spells. My body got covered with goosebumps. My vision blurred and soon I couldn’t see both of them.
It was then I realized, my vision hadn’t blurred; they had faded out of this room.
“Where are Caleb and Tyson? I heard that they figured out Aurora’s location.” Zarina said trotting in.
“Hmm…. They have gone to find her…”
“Why did you not go with them?”
“Caleb could take only one person with him…”
“So, you let Tyson go like a fool! Can you be any more stupid brother!” She screamed and stormed out of the room.
I stood there dumbfounded. No matter how much I racked my brains, I couldn’t figure out why Zarina was upset…
.