Diamond Hearts: A Diamond Castle Fanfiction

7 Reunited

My legs throbbed, every step reminding me I should've stayed at the mansion overnight. At least they gave me something to focus on other than the lack of Alexa's company.

I stepped into a clearing with a circle of tall boulders in the center. It looked eerie in the light of the full moon, but this had to be the right place.

"The Seven Stones! We're here! Just down there is the misty glade and the Diamond Castle," said Melody. She locked eyes with me and her expression saddened. "I wish Alexa was here with us."

I tensed. "Yes, well, she made her choice."

"Liana, I know you miss her."

"Miss her? Why would I miss her?" I threw up my free hand. "We've only been together for as long as I can remember. She's been with me through the best and worst times of my life. She knows me better than anyone else in the entire universe!"
Melody's eyes widened as she looked behind me.

Before I could say anything, I was snatched into the air, held in place with reptilian claws. Slyder.

"Put me down!" I yelled, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

"Mistress Lydia will be glad to see you."

He carried me to one of the nearby mountains, which looked more like a volcano with green lava up close. Once dropped on the stone floor, I stood and made to escape, but green mist twirled around my arms and midriff. It pushed me against a wooden stake and solidified into a rope, tying me in place.

"Welcome, darling," came Lydia's voice from the top of a staircase to my right.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Aw, that must be because you're lonely." She turned and beckoned behind me. "Alexa, won't you join us?"

I struggled to turn, desperate to see what horrible things the sorceress had done to her.

She slowly walked past me and stopped next to Lydia, her body stiff and her eyes glowing a brighter green than their usual shade. Lily followed after her, whining.

"Alexa!" I called. "Please, Alexa, how have to snap out of it! Please!"

She didn't move.

Lydia smiled and approached my basket. "She told me where to find you. Friends are highly overrated, don't you think?" She grabbed Melody. "And here it is. Ha! So much trouble for such a little apprentice. Melody, I know you can hear me."

The mirror remained blank.

"Ugh, stubborn girl." She flicked her wrist at Alexa and pointed the mirror in her direction. "Walk, Alexa, walk."

"Alexa, no! Stop, stop!" The ropes cut into my arms, but I didn't care. I couldn't lose her, not again.

Lydia tsked. "She only listens to me. And I'll only stop her if Melody asks me to." She waved the mirror. "Anything to say, Melly-Belly?"

As Alexa approached the cliff's edge, Lily tugged at her skirts, but to no avail. My basket lay in her path, and she kicked it into the lava, her feet now inches from the edge.

"Stop her, Lydia!" said Melody at last.

"Girl, wait."

Thankfully, Alexa stopped.

Lydia turned Melody to face her. "I want the key to the Diamond Castle. I know you have it."

"Let my friends go."

"Ah, ah, ah. The key first. Show me where the castle is, then I'll release them."

Melody sighed. "Okay. But we come right back to let them go."

"There's a good girl. Meet me outside, Slyder. When you're ready." She nodded, then strode towards the cave's mouth, Melody in hand.

Slyder cut the ropes tying me to the stake, and I ran to Alexa, pulling her from the edge of the cliff.

"Alexa? Alexa, please wake up. It's me, Liana."

She stared as blankly as ever.

"On behalf of my mistress, the one and only Muse," said Slyder, and he smacked us with his tail, pushing us off the edge.

I held fast to Alexa's hand as we fell, desperately reaching for branches. I grabbed one just in time, but I didn't know for how much longer I could hold on.

. . .

Ian and Jeremy arrived at the Seven Stones, waiting for the girls.

"No sign of them," said Jeremy.

"Must have gone without us."

"Disappointing."

"To say the least. Oh, hang on, do you hear that?"

Faint barking came from their right, and the twins turned to see Sparkles bounding towards them.

"Okay, okay, what's the rush? Where's Liana?" asked Jeremy.

Sparkles barked in response, turning her head in the direction she came from.

"Why do I have a bad feeling?" Jeremy turned to Ian.

"Where are they, girl?"

The dog ran towards the mountains nearby, and the twins followed on horseback.

. . .

Thankfully, there was a bigger ledge beneath the branch I grabbed, so I was able to drop us down to it. I sat with Alexa's head in my lap, stroking her hair and trying to think of an escape plan.

"I'm sorry, Alexa. Why did I ever leave?" I held back tears as I watched her blank face and glowing eyes stare ever onward, unresponsive. "You just wanted a better life for us. I'm
sorry I didn't listen."

A bark came from above. I looked up to see Lily peering over the cliff with something shiny in her mouth.

"Alexa's necklace?" I gasped. We were both wearing the necklaces when Lydia couldn't mesmerize us. "Lily, drop! It's okay!"

Lily obeyed, and I caught the necklace. Retying it around Alexa's neck, a sliver of doubt cut through me.

"No, this has to work." I held her hand, cold and stiff against mine. "Best friends today, tomorrow, and always," I whispered.

Her necklace glowed, and Alexa blinked, her eyes back to their beautiful, mossy green.

"Liana?" she said weakly.

My tears brimmed over and I laughed. Impulsively--stupidly!--I flung my arms around her neck and kissed her. Oh no, what if I've ruined everything, what if she doesn't--

Then she kissed me back.

Relief and joy flooded through me, and for a beautiful moment, everything was right with the world. The kiss turned desperate, as if we were both filling it with everything unsaid from the last twelve years we'd known each other.

We parted for a breath, and I pressed my forehead against hers. "I thought
I lost you," I whispered against her lips.

She smiled. "You'll have to try harder than that to lose me." Gently, she
leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine once more. This kiss was softer, sweeter, more intimate.

All too soon, she pulled away and drew attention to our dire situation.
"Where are we, by the way?"

"In trouble, but then, what else is new?"

Alexa furrowed her brow. "What happened?"

I told her everything that happened after I left the mansion. The more I
explained, the wider her eyes became.

"How do we stop them?"

I gestured to the cliff's edge above us. "We're going to climb up. Together."