When The Stars Align

chapter twenty three | fighting f̶i̶r̶e̶ magic with f̶i̶r̶e̶ magic

I REALISE RIGHT then that Atticus was no longer in the room. Neither was Lysander or Jazlyn. It was only me and the older woman in the room, and I was so wrapped up in my argument with her that I didn't even notice we were the only two left in the room.

How I know Ansen wasn't responsible for them disappearing - I know Ansen Gray, and if he had the opportunity to get my attention by hurting someone I cared about, he'd do exactly that. He did it before. He wasn't afraid of putting others in danger to get what he wanted.

I could hear Alaina step backwards slowly. Now she should know that we had a common enemy. Now she should know who I'm fighting against. Because the white amulet was somewhere between these walls, and if I can't find it, he will.

"Funny, because I never thought to check the mother's family," Ansen stated, walking around the room. His hand grazed against the walls, knocking over statues and photos and whatever was on the walls. He was searching.

And then he remembered that I wasn't the only person in the room.

A knife in his hand, he pressed the blade against Alaina Scott's neck. "Tell me where the white amulet is, and give it to me or else," he growled. He threatened to press the blade in deeper. It seemed to be his go-to threat.

"And if you kill me off, you'll never find it," Alaina sneered in response. It was a clever response fro the situation she was in. Others would probably be on the verge of a breakdown, agreeing to do whatever Ansen said. But Alaina has probably seen a handful of things like this.

Ansen turned to me, his golden eyes staring me down. "Now, do you want to make yourself useful and go find me that amulet and rejoin our side?" he asked me, not forced. His tone was snarky, but genuinely asking wasn't an Ansen type thing.

I crossed my arms. "I thought the whole point was to get rid of me, Ansen. You set me up. You told the cops exactly where I was going to be because you told me to go there. You watched as I fell five stories and cracked more than enough bones because you bailed on the plan. Because you wanted me done for."

Alaina tried to loosen Ansen's grip on her, wriggling out of her position. Ansen growled. He had no respect for anyone older than him. It didn't matter that probably every bone in her body was ready to snap like a twig. He turned to face her.

That's when I decided to run out of the house.

I didn't look back at Ansen as I dashed out. Part of me felt guilty about leaving Alaina in there, helpless and alone to face Ansen, but if there's one thing I learned from Ansen and his crew, it's that you might be in a team, but it's always everyone for themselves in the heat of battle.

It was dark outside: that was the first note I made. It was cold outside: that was the second note. I had no idea where my brother, Atticus and Jazlyn took off to. I had no idea where the car was. There was no one to help me. I didn't know anywhere to hide. I might as well be in a desert.

I panicked. Ansen might as well walk out of that door and find me again and drag me back to his headquarters in Noatra and he'll probably lock me up like he did before and after I thought I was free from him finally I'd just end up right back where I started and-

A hand grabbed my shoulder. I yelped, and then a hand covered my mouth. "Shh," Atticus hushed into my ear. "We saw Ansen enter the house. I'm sorry we left you in there but I figured out where it was. Lysander and Jazlyn followed me."

I moved his hand from my face. "You figured out where it is?" I hissed. "Where?"

"The castle, or the ruins of them, at least. Where else? The amulet still had to do its job, and the amulet stayed in the castle originally. If moving it caused an imbalance, it was moved from where it was. Maybe seventeen years ago, the change was noticeable, but now it isn't." He pulled his other hand from out of his pocket, revealing the while jewel.