Mai heard Reve's heartbroken scream from somewhere below then everything was drowned out as light exploded through the door and hurtled into the sky.
The next moment, Mai slammed to the ground, the door crashing down beside her, narrowly missing her legs.
She looked around, eyes wide, hair wild in the roaring wind.
They were back in the Dream Court, the main layer, the intact palace shining like a beacon across the lake and Mai looked up towards the sky.
Her brow creased in confusion as she stared.
Colour whirled through the sky.
The Northern Lights?
Why were they in the Dream World?
She looked back across the lake and spied Reve.
He was running, terror in every scrambling movement as he ran for the palace.
A reel of blue shot down from the light display in the sky and collided with Reve, knocking him down as the light roared passed.
Reve tumbled over, his hands up as he shoved away, watching as the light recoiled and rebounded across the palace, the building beginning to shatter under the force.
"Easy! Lore, Easy!" Reve cried.
The sky cracked.
Like a bolt of lightning shot across it or it was made of glass, the sky began to splinter.
Angelique appeared; running from the palace as glittering rubble narrowly avoided crushing her.
She stared across at Mai, eyes wide as she saw the splinted door behind her before another chunk of wall came down beside her and she scrambled away towards the edge of the lake.
Reve stumbled to his feet, making to run after her but a second stream of light, this one golden, separated itself from the display above and went after him, slamming into his back and crushing him against the ground.
He stared back at the golden light, horror in his eyes.
"You're alive?" he gasped, "How? But I... who are you?"
If he expected a reply, Mai didn't hear anything.
The golden light shot back into the air, whirling around the towers as they screamed and creaked, struggling to stay standing.
Then it was as if the golden light spotted her and it flew across the lake, Mai throwing up her hands, afraid she would be struck down, but instead it stopped just short.
"Where are they?"
The voice was soft, distant, echoing – not quite of the world Mai was part of.
Her eyes widened.
She'd heard that voice.
So long ago, when she had woken in the darkness to hear two voices telling her to open the door.
This was the female voice she heard.
Her mouth opened as she stared. Was there something in the golden light? A bright pair of wide, sharp eyes? Rolling waves of hair?
"B... Below the palace," Mai breathed and the light whirled away, heading back across the lake and vanishing into the crumbling palace.
Mai blinked, then jumped, jolting away.
Reve was suddenly beside her.
But he didn't notice her.
Or he didn't care.
YOU ARE READING
Dancing on Strings
Fantasy"A Princess to your kingdom before A Principal to your stage." Mai, Princess Royal and first of twelve daughters has only two priorities. Her family and her dance - and sadly her dance can never come before her family. Because of this, despite her...
