RACHEL

*

"Rachel? Rachel? Rachel!" She turns her back against the window to face Alyssa's piercing black eyes staring down at her. She had been lost in the crickets chirps and ruffling of the trees, hoping Carry had reached her destination safely. Alyssa brings her back to reality. "Rachel, what happened? Where is Caroline?"

Rachel nervously looks around, somber and groggy faces staring at her around a black table painted with strokes of blue, red, green, and grey. The walls are coated with silver and gold. An ivory chandelier above illuminating the whole room. "I...I don't know." Rachel shakily tells her lie.

The fairy throws up her hands in frustration, Ingozi gesturing her to calm down. Flumen steps forwards and says, "Your Majesty, the whole Palace is in disarray. Our guards are searching every nook and corner of this place. And most importantly, Lady Caroline, your sister, is nowhere to be found. You surely must understand the gravity of our situation?"

Rachel nods. "I know but I just don't remember."

Sephone sighs. "Perhaps I could concoct something that will help you refresh your memory? It will take me only an hou-"

"No!" Rachel immediately stops her. "I told Alyssa what I saw. I was hanging out with Caroline and then I saw a purple light outside the window. That's it."

Alyssa pushes Ingozi aside. "That is it? You are forgetting one thing. Caroline!"

Rachel stays silent. Alyssa shakes her head. "Ingozi, alert your spies everywhere, especially near Castle Draconis. Madame Sephone, I believe we should continue our work with the spirits. This time involving the Earth Queen. No one outside the Palace should know about this."

Flumen, Sephone, and Samuel glance at each other. "I didn't know that a fairy was suddenly the head of the Council," Samuel states, placing a slight smile on his face. Rachel didn't like him at all. She had tried to be nice to him but he is always so dismissive of all the sisters.

"I am head of the army and the Air Queen's personal guard," Alyssa says proudly.

"I do not recall that being a position in the Elemental Council. The reason you are even given such significant information is because of Queen Alaena's discretion. But giving orders makes me rethink that." He strikes back.

Alyssa grips her wand tightly with black mist appearing on her hand. One more step and Samuel would be done. Her eyes were enough for scaring into someone running miles away.

Ingozi immediately holds her hand, loosening her grip. "Calm down, Samuel, will you? As the head of assassins, I agree with Alys' advice. And I am sure so does Mistress Sephone. Queen Alaena left Manelysse in our hands thinking that we would protect it at any cost. Not for petty squabbles."

Rachel musters up the courage to speak up. "Ingozi is right. And about that discretion thing, Alyssa was there when none of you were. She will always be involved by my discretion. Madame Sephone, I want to meet the spirits. My sisters are gone and someone needs to go out and do something. So, can we go now?" Ferrine nods and lets her out of the room closing the door behind.

Rachel has managed to get out of answering their questions. For now.

-----------

My throat feels like a hot desert under the baking sun. I don't know if the sky is actually red or if the heat just messing up with my brain. I am unable to get up and forced to lie on the burning grass.

I instantly put the two ice cubes still left in my right hand in my mouth. There is a resurgence of relief that washes over me. I still feel the heat but it is now bearable. I manage to stand up and notice Coco licking my leg where the deep wound is still healing.

I caress my hand over the gash and try to release some water on it. However, only tiny droplets appear on it and my palm starts to instantly hurt. I make sure my daggers are still in my sheath and pull one out to tear off a part of my cloak. Like Rachel with Alyssa, I tie it around my leg and drag it forward.

I look around and only see rows of black caves around me under the red sky. Not knowing where to go, I limp with Coco next to me. Every step sends a shiver of pain inside me and I prevent myself from screaming as hard as possible.

After a while, I observe a hooded scarlet figure walking towards me. Unable to decipher who it is, I stop myself and change my direction. But the figure speedily moves accordingly. After avoiding it two more times, I just stop and hold a tight grip on my dagger.

"Can you point me to a place? I am new here." I say as the figure heads towards me. Her grey skin and crimson eyes with only a few black strands of hair falling on her face, looking like a ruby not yet mined from an ore.

"Follow me," her cracked voice orders.

"I haven't even told you-"

"The Mistress of Magic requires your presence, Lady Caroline. Now, follow me," she orders again with a sterner tone.

I gulp and nod as she turns around. I take out the dagger and hide it behind my back, limping behind the spirit. "Are we going to Castle Draconis?" I shakily ask.

"You will soon find out," she simply responds.

For all I know, Angelica has given her an order to lure me into a trap and murder me. How will I help Phoebe and Alaena when I am dead somewhere in a ditch?

"Why does Mistress Angelica require my presence?" I inquire her.

"That is for her to tell." The spirit answers.

"How did she know I was here?"

"She knows everything. Do not question her power." I shudder at her voice, so broken yet so piercing.

"I am sorry. It's just kinda random, you know." I tell her, hoping to get another response. Instead, she turns around, causing my cat to hide under my dress, and takes out a transparent vial and a needle.

"Do not worry, all your questions will soon be answered." She dips the rusty needle in the vial and that is when I slash my dagger, breaking the vial and tearing off her hood.

She holds onto her cheek where the hood has been replaced with a blue mark. She screams in agony and pounces on me, revealing long and twisted black nails. They scratch my arm, oozing the midnight blue blood. I try to block her when I hear a sharp screech from the sky.

Both of us look up and I stare in awe at the most magnificent sight I have possibly seen.

A large black dragon with amber eyes gazes upon the ground next to the ivory pegasus with grey stormy eyes. An intertwining of the blazing fire and the thunderous air is embodied before me.

Both of them land on the grass and the dragon puts down the black bow and arrows on the ground. Phoebe gets off the beast and picks her weapons up. She readies an arrow and points it towards us. Alaena walks beside her as I stare at them. This gives the spirit a chance to scratch my stomach.

I shout in pain and place my hand to stop the bleeding. "Phoebe!" I barely manage to yell.

"What the hell are you?" My sister asks with her dragon beside her.

The spirit attempts to run away but with a simple swipe of her staff, Alaena makes her fall. "Phoebe, go to Caroline," she tells her who instantly gets closer to me, lowering her bow.

"What is this Caroline? Why are you here? Why are you bleeding? Why is your blood blue?" She questions in bafflement.

"I would love to answer those questions once I am in a better condition," I reply while groaning.

She shakes her head and covers the wound. "Ow! Why are your hands so hot?" I cry.

"I was riding a dragon, idiot!" She scolds me.

I notice Alaena heading in our direction, dragging the spirit along with her. She picks up the dagger that had fallen from my hand and presses it to my stomach. The pain becomes more bearable and I can speak properly again. "Thank you so much. I'll do it now. " I continue pressing the amethyst to my skin.

Alaena points her staff to the spirit, staring down at her. "Where were you going to take her?"

"You are a disgrace to this land, impostor!" The spirit spits on the ground.

Alaena ignores the insult. "What did Angelica want to do with her?"

"I do not answer to flying crones, you tyrant!"

Alaena looks around and finds the spirit's needle on the ground. She takes a sniff and then lightly presses it to her arm, silencing her obscene comments. She then faces me and gestures for me to start speaking.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask her.

"Everyone in the Land of Lights knows you are here. Your transportation method was not very subtle. You alerted the whole province of your arrival. Now, why did you come?" I have never seen Alaena look so annoyed and frustrated. Her serene aura is replaced with a knowing frown.

"I had to. I saw something in my dreams." I half-lie. This time it wasn't a dream, it was a visit.

"One day, I will shoot you in the eye with this if I hear about your dreams again." She states, tightly holding her arrow. She straps her bow back on and puts the arrow back in her quill.

"We have little time. Caroline, I will help you get on Nebesia. Phoebe, climb back on your dragon." Alaena moves her staff causing the scarlet spirit to float in the air and land on the dragon's back behind my sister. Phoebe shakes in disgust as Alaena holds my hand, helping me climb on the pegasus and sit behind her.

I put the dagger back in my sheath and hold Coco in my hand. My stomach wound is in a much better condition. Both the creatures take off the ground instantly. "Follow me!" Alaena shouts at Phoebe.

I look behind and see Phoebe trying to control the giant beast whose amber scales glow bright like coal embers. But she still manages to stay on Alaena's trail.

Fifteen minutes later, we land near the giant castle. I glare in amazement at the masterpiece before me. The stone dragons blowing purple fire are identical to the one behind me. So detailed that I would not be surprised if they turn and burn me to a crisp.

Alaena stomps in the castle without a warning, letting the scarlet figure float behind her. The two hooded figures at the entrance don't attempt to stop us. Phoebe and I try to quickly catch up but my limp prevents me from moving any faster than a sloth. My sister notices that and holds my arm, dragging me with her.

There are no guards that stop us from heading to what I am assuming is Angelica's seat. We enter through a black gate and I hold my breath at the sight. Two black and white wolves showing off their sharp fangs. Purple flames surrounding the scarlet room. Figures in violet, orange, black and red standing all around with deathly stares. But they are irrelevant to her.

They are irrelevant to the grinning Mistress of Magic.

Alaena jerks her staff, making the spirit fall. The white wolf starts barking while its black counterpart growls in Coco's direction. My cat jumps out of my hands and hides under my dress.

Angelica pets both the animals, whispering, "Shhh...Not now, Lupo and Louve." She stands up from her seat and bends down, grazing her hand over the spirit. "How dare you mistreat my subject?" She feigns quiet anger in her voice.

"Your 'subject' attacked the Water Queen of Manelysse. She was simply given the very potion she tried to inject my fellow lady with." Alaena's harsh tone rivals her former friend's.

Angelica takes out a green vial from her cloak and pours it in the spirit's mouth. One orange spirit then picks her up carrying her out of the chamber. "She was trying to guide your fellow lady to my castle because I knew that she would be in a bad condition after her little trick with the elements."

"It's crazy that all of your subjects turn out to be borderline killers." Phoebe comments.

Angelica sits back, curling her lips. She immediately faces me. "I believe we haven't had a formal introduction, Lady Caroline."

I stare right in her purple irises. "Yes, we have. You just don't remember."

Her wheatish face tightens just for a moment. "I believe I don't. So, now that most of your companions are here, Queen Alaena, shall we continue?"

"I thought you didn't want an audience," Alaena says.

"I changed my mind. My supporters should know what is being done with their lives. They will hear everything I hear." She responds.

"Very well, you wanted peace, there is only one way. Revoke your title as the Empress and come to Palais de Beauté for a trial in front of the Elemental Rulers and the Council. Meanwhile, your supporters will work with other Dukes and Duchesses to take care of the harm done through your orders. Then, their trials will be conducted." I gawk at Alaena's words. No way in hell would Angelica ever accept that. There must be something else going on.

Angelica confusingly blinks her eyes as her subjects snicker quietly. "Queen Alaena, do you understand what a negotiation is?"

"I thought I just participated in it." Alaena simply states.

Angelica turns her head to me. "Have you been consulted about the Air Queen's offer, Lady Caroline?"

I resist the pain in my stomach and respond, "why would I be here if I didn't agree with the Air Queen?"

Alaena gives a slight smile while Angelica focuses her gaze on my ring. "There is something deep behind those clever remarks. Something you do not like to show anybody, not even your own blood," she glances at Phoebe. "But I feel it within those layers of ice. Let me shatter them. Let me free you. Because after all, was it really your fault?"

Her words wrap themselves around my brain, imprinting, no, recalling the memory I have tried so hard to forget. Burn marks under purple mist with sirens and screams echoing against my head.

My tattooed hand starts twitching. Then, I feel skin as hot as coal embers touch it. I push it away, releasing streams of blue. I open my eyes to find my sister on the ground, staring at me with disappointment. "I am sorry...I am so sorry, Phoebe." She picks herself up, turning away. I face the Mistress of Magic. "Why did you shoot Adamm Storm?"

Everybody, including Angelica, is blindsided by the question. Alaena gapes at my words. Nobody says anything which allows me to continue speaking, "Maybe he knew something you didn't want him to know. Was it vengeance or a secret you are trying to hide from everybody? Did you even care about Jacob Storm's death? Maybe he knew something about the mir-"

"Those deaths are none of your concern!" Angelica's burning eyes look into mine. Her purple mist tries to force its way into my mind again, forming another painful scene. But this time, I've had enough.

I let the waves out of my veins. They feel like a thousand needles poking me but there is no time to stop it. A torrent of indigo releases itself out of my hand, growing into a giant monstrosity. I want to hurt her. I want her to remember the worst moment of her pathetic life. I want to destroy her. 

 Angelica's wall of purple mist and flame block the wave from engulfing the whole room. Purple and blue clash with each other, belittling those beneath it. Just some angry critters burdened by the dance of the violet wave.

*

Words have resulted in the first clash between flaming magic and roaring seas. How will Alaena deal with Caroline's interaction with Angelica? Will Rachel be able to dodge the Council's questions for long while helping the spirits? And what were the sirens and screams that released Caroline's wrath upon Castle Draconis? Find out in the next chapter.

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