Chapter 26
I shove Theo away from Riley because I can see it in their eyes. They want to rip each other's throats out. It's been literally only 10 seconds and they're ready to fight each other to the death. If we lived in a different time, a time where the Coliseum still housed bloodshed and victory these two would put up a good fight. Theo jumps on Riley and has his throat grasped firmly in his hands. I try to wrap my arms around Theo, but it's no use he's much larger than I am. Riley's father storms into the room banging the heavy wooden door loudly against the wall, rattling the family photographs and the swords on the walls.
“What is this ruckus in my palace?” his deep voice bellows. Everything stops. If it were possible to freeze time then it would have been at this very moment it happened. People stand as still as statues with drinks pressed against their lips, patiently observing the madness around us. The king storms up to us. He takes Riley by one ear and Theo by the other, making them look like puny insects compared to his tall frame.
“You two will follow me and that is an order.” he commands as he throws them both to the ground. The two boys follow behind the king and they leave the room as it was before.
The music continues and the party proceeds as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. I'm left standing next to Blair. This is a bit awkward, even for me. I don't know what to say so I wave the drink boy over, and he hands me another glass of sparkling champagne. It tastes bitter but I'd rather be drinking this then having to talk to Blair.
“I'm sorry. Princess Alison, I didn't know that you had feelings for Theo.” She says looking into my eyes. I sense that she really means it, but how do you forgive someone that you hated from the minute you met them? I wish I could, but I can't so instead I turn away and find somewhere else to go. I turn around to see Blair red-faced and angry, hatred filling her eyes. They dart in my direction cutting me in half it seems. I spot Riley's sister across the room so I head over towards her.
“Helena.”, I say and she turns around towards me. “Congratulations. Are you excited about your big day?”
“Yes. I am so happy to be getting married. You haven't met the groom yet have you?” Helena asks, “Well he should be here soon. At least, last time we talked he said he would be here around 6 pm.”
She looks down at her watch. Strange. People wear watches in a land full of magic. Why would they need to keep track of time in a place like this, a place where time doesn't seem quite so relevant?
“Because time is still relevant to us.”, Theo answers from behind me. “We still have schedules and we still need order in our world.”
I turn around to see Theo. He looks better than before; now, that I can actually get a good look at him. He seems to have changed but for the better. His face shows some wear, revealing a few stubble’s of hair. He takes me in his arms.
“Alison. I missed you.” he breathes into my ear. My heart stops. This is it; this is where I was meant to be. I couldn't possibly be happy anywhere else. I close my eyes and I take in his scent. I bury my head deep into his shirt.
A loud crash interrupts my moment of peace. Theo picks me up in his arms and we're gone. We're running fast. It feels like I'm flying because we're running so fast. People are screaming; I don't want to open my eyes but I do. I open them just for a moment. Blood. Everywhere. It's as if it's dripping from the walls. I scream as I spot Helena on the floor next to Alice both of them lifeless. They're eyes staring into a world that I cannot see. I scream for what seems like hours, and I won't stop. All I can see now is the scene replaying over and over in my head. Is anyone alive? Am I alive or is this hell? Theo wraps me protectively in his arms and we wade through water as it gets deeper and deeper the temperature gets colder. I want it to go away. I want the pain to subside.
“Swim. Ali. Just swim! I can't control it. Get away from me!” Theo shouts from somewhere to my right. I can't see him anymore.
If I go under would he save me? I let go, I stop swimming and I start to sink. I didn't think this would be the way things ended though. I thought I'd live a little longer. Things are floating around me. Just visions and memories of my life like movies playing for me. There I am at three spinning around in my father's arms, and there my brother is sitting on my mother's lap. We're happy. If I'm going to die then I want something happy to remember. Something cold grabs my wrist. I try to shake it off, but it sticks to me like a leech. No. I want the warmth that this place offers me. The darkness sets in and I fall away from here, but I'm moving upwards quickly.
Air. I can breathe. We aren't in the water anymore now we're on something solid, but I don't know what it is. I close my eyes and I put my hands down trying to feel what it is we are on. It feels smooth and hot as fire. It's red as the flames of a burning ember, but I do not know where we are. I can hear voices around me now.
“Is she okay? Was anyone with her?” they ask a million questions. I can't speak; they must not realize I'm dead. “The castle has been attacked.”
My eyelids fly open.
“Riley.”, I whisper. “Where are Riley and Theo?”
Water rushes out of my mouth. I feel sick to my stomach but I sit up.
“Princess.”, the two people gasp. “We thought you were killed in the attack.”
I stare at them.
“They want to eliminate you because you're the one to save us all, to make things the way they once were.” the small girl with fire-engine red hair squeaks. “You're the prophecy.”
“The prophecy?” I ask. “Why would anyone want to kill me?”
“It has been foretold that there would be a girl to save us all and to reunite the two worlds of Newhollow and Elacia once more. This girl would be referred to as The Lost Princess with Amethyst eyes. She is our only hope against the evils that are to come.”, The boy with the sea-green eyes and blue hair answers.
“What are you?” I ask.
“We are water-nymphs from the lost city of the sea. We live near Elacia because they offer us protection against the evil island of Suamar. Suamar is where all prisoners from our worlds go.” The boy says. “My name is Yetoro and this is my sister Fira. We can take you to the sands of the island but that is where we must part ways I'm afraid.”
“Thank you.” I say.
“Alison.”, the figure that I hadn't notices splutters water out. He reaches his hand upwards. I crawl towards him and take his hand in mine.
“Riley?” I ask.
“Don't be so happy to see me.” he struggles to say. I put my finger to his mouth to quiet him. I hug him tightly and he smiles up at me, pushing my hair out of my face.
“I had to save you, my princess.” he whispers and then he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.
“He really cares deeply for you, princess. You shouldn't take advantage of his kindness. One of the souls is playing games. When you reach the island, you must find a man named Tovla. He will guide you to the place that you need to go.” says Fira.
We stop in front of the island and they drop us off in water knee deep so that I can carry Riley to land.
“We have gifts to give to you from our ruler.” says Yetoro.
He hands me two backpacks and then they turn the creature we were using as a boat around. They delve down into the ocean with one large splash. I carry Riley and the supplies but by the time we get into shallow water, I have to lay Riley on his back and push his body to the sand because he is too heavy for me to carry by myself. I sit on the hot sand and stare up at the sky. It's a different color then what I'm used to. The blue and white clouds are a glimmering violet and enchanting grey color. They shimmer around us in a swirling motion. I open up the backpacks in hopes that I might find food or water, but I find nothing but two small silver boxes. I angrily toss one of them to the side, but it bounces back, glimmering and changing colors. Black, red, green, yellow and purple it fades in and out as if it were breathing.
“Unlock me.”, it whispers. I pick it up a
nd turn it over in my hands. I search for a code or a message but it just keeps flashing to different colors. I exasperatedly set it aside. It bounces over nudging me in the leg.
“The key is nearby. Open your eyes.” it whispers. I look around and dig through the backpack again. I turn the bag upside down but still there is nothing inside. I sit with the color changing box in my hands contemplating where a key could be.
“Alison?” Riley asks. The silver box turns off and becomes transparent again.
“I'm here.” I answer. He sits up and reaches for my hand.
“Where are we?” he asks.
“Well according to a couple of sea-nymphs were on the island of Suamar where all the supernatural criminals are.” I answer.
“No!”, he cries out. “Why would we be here?”
“I don't know. I have to find a man named Tovla because he has the answers that will guide us.” I say.
“Oh no.”, Riley says and he's gone. He fades away from this world and enters a different one, a world that I will never be able to enter in my lifetime. He folds his head in his hands, clearly looking like he's in agonizing pain.
“They're dead. They're all dead!” he screams. I hold him tightly. I'm not sure what else to do, but I guess he has seen what I have seen. The blood and the chaos and the screaming; the things I wanted to believe were a dream could be nothing but reality.
“It was Theo.” I say.
“What?” he asks. “What was Theo?”
“Theo. He murdered all of those people and he was supposed to kill me but the water-nymphs or you saved me. Someone saved me but I was supposed to die.” I cry, I bury my face into him. He's cold and we're both shivering, alone and helpless. We're trapped on an island full of criminals.
“My mom, my sisters and my dad” he whispers, “everyone I knew and loved is gone. They were ripped away from me.”
I've never seen a boy cry, but I've also never really talked to boys. Before this world, I was just a girl that everyone stayed away from. I was weird and strange, and boys didn't want anything to do with a girl like me. I hold Riley so close to me that it feels like our bodies might become one. His heart rate slows and speeds up. We sit like this for a long time.
“My brother is hurt. We have to save him. He's alive!” Riley jumps up sprinting towards the water. He puts two fingers to his mouth and whistles three times. A flash of white breaks through the purple and grey barrier and comes barreling towards us at unimaginable speeds.
“Felix. Away and I need you to fly faster than you have in your life.” Riley yells running for his horse and jumping up to him gracefully. He holds out his hand to me and I pack the two silver boxes into their bags and jump onto the horse with him. “Close your eyes Alison. You're in for one hell of a ride.”
I listen and Riley was right. The wind nips at my face and I feel like if I open my eyes they might explode from the pressure. I've never been a girl who likes heights so this suits me fine. My cheeks feel like they are flapping from the force of the wind and I try to hide my face behind Riley. We stop so fast that it sends me flying over Riley and into the grass, but luckily, I land in a bush so there won't be any scratches. I brush myself off and I grab onto Riley as we race for the castle. I'm breathless by the time we reach it but we make it in record time.
“He's in the cupboard”, says one of the servants and she points to the kitchen. Riley races off in that direction, leaving me alone in the devastating room. Bodies lie scattered everywhere. I walk to the throne to find the queen's pale arm outstretched towards her husband. I sit down next to her, and hold her hand in mine. My tears fall, creating a stream of water around me. I cry, heaving and sobbing so badly that it makes my head pound. I lay my head down on the floor, and realize how this is all my fault. I created this mess. I killed all the people that Riley loved. He should hate me, but he doesn't. He saved me, even though this was entirely my fault.
“Princess?” someone asks weakly. A hand moves in mine and I let go of it, astonished. “My queen?” I ask. “You are alive.”
“Save them.” she says. “You're ability. We can save them just give me more power.”
I hold onto her hand firmer then before and I will all of my power to connect with hers. I squeeze her hand so tightly in mine that I feel like it might break but she stands up. Nothing but ferocity in her eyes and she begins to heal people. She heals the room in minutes and I watch in amazement as every person that was once lifeless, jumps up full of energy and power, sparks in their eyes and revenge on their minds. Riley races into the room with Lucas in his arms. Lucas whimpers at every movement and Riley puts him down in front of me.
“Ali. Help him please.” he begs. I wrap my arms around him and I will for every scrape and bruise to heal. I will for Lucas to be healthy and happy. It happens. He stands up, punching a fist in the air.
The king steps up next to his throne. The room falls silent.
“I am the king. This is my kingdom and I will not condone violence unless it is absolutely necessary. The war has begun I am afraid. The things that we were scared of have been created and we must stop them. We will endure and our kingdom will live on peacefully, but only through war.”, he bellows. The crowd cheers and erupts in applause.
The Unlocking of the Mysterious Silver Boxes