Guardian

ix. unfolding

"You guys always end up in the medical unit," Zay sighs, walking through the door where Austin and Ally sat, looking at the little girl rest. Zay comes to where they are looks at the younger girl, frowning. "Who's this?"

"We don't know." "My sister's daughter."

Zay raises an eyebrow at Ally, who's in quite a daze. "Marie? We haven't seen her since I was ten. She's returned?"

"Would you guys give it up?!" Austin exclaims, throwing his head in his hands. "I mean, a kid is injured in a hospital bed and you guys are making jokes!"

Zay rolls his eyes, narrowing his eyes. "We're not kidding! She really has a twin sister! She's immortal!"

"With purple hair?"

Ally makes a gesture to her hair with a slight smile. "I don't know the trigger, but my hair turns red. All Miracle Warlocks have this," she explains, looking to the little girl. "Her white is fading out of her hair."

Austin and Zay look to the girl, whose hair was, in fact, fading out of it's white state. Austin's eyes widen slightly, gaping. "So... there's three Miracle Warlocks awake at once? Has this ever happened? Wait, shouldn't she being sleeping?!"

Zay chuckles, staring at Ally. "Looks like you were the only one who served your time."

Ally sighs and stands from her spot, going over to pet her hair. "We must confront Kim soon," Ally speaks while running her hands through the small girl's hands. "What could she have wanted with this little girl?"

"Kim?" Zay questions, looking at the both of them. "Kim is behind all of this with the girl?"

"Ally read their minds. Kim sent a group of villagers to capture her. The girl came from either the other side or the middle of the woods," Austin explains, sighing. "Ally stomped her foot and the little girl popped out of nowhere. I think she was invisible."

"Wow. I knew the girl wasn't okay in the brain, but this is extreme."

"Yeah," Austin nods, agreeing. "Everytime I go around the village to help others, she always seems to get worse. I mean, did you know she knows that thieves come to the outer part of the village yet doesn't send any guards back there? And she just lets them struggle; Kim won't allow them to have businesses back there nor will she give them supplies."

"In my knowledge, you can't have a princess without a King or Queen," Ally states, looking at the both of them. "Where's her parents?"

"We're not allowed to speak of it since it's so traumatizing, but I think you wouldn't let me get executed, so her parents are dead; they got caught in a bear trap while going through the woods a few years back before you awoken," Austin starts to explain, rolling his eyes. "They found the bodies after searching for a week. Kim can't be a Queen until she gets married off to someone because her parents didn't get her the blessing to continue on the path of royalty as Queen if they didn't return."

"It's in the royal constitution," Zay chuckles, shaking head. "The cycle can't continue until she marries, so that's why everyone treats you like royalty a bit more and looks up to you. No one is going to marry her anytime soon."

Austin sighs, shaking his head. "She's been abusing her power ever since her parents died. Forcing me on dates, not allowing certain villagers to have business, not giving shelter for those who need it... she's not a ruler."

They turn their attention to the little girl stirring in bed. She eyes open and they're cold blue until she blinks a few times. Her eyes change from blue to a warm hazel brown, staring at the people of the room. Looking at Ally, she frowns, "Mom, why is your hair brown?"