The Unexpected

Chapter 17: Symbol of Wisdom

Ally's POV

I am in finishing up cleaning my room when all of a sudden there is a knock on my door, I sigh before stopping what I am in the middle of in order to open the door to reveal someone that I have never met before. "Can I help you?" I ask the young woman with blond hair and two different colored eyes, "I am looking for the daughter of Alice." This raises a red flag for me because anyone form Auradon knows exactly who I am which can only mean two things. One she is a refugee from the Isle or two she means to do me harm and doesn't know who I am.

 "Why are you looking for her?" I ask trying not to completely give away my identity but is not in my nature to lie. "Ben told me to find her, I am new here and he said that she was best with trying to fit in around here." I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder as I open the door all the way, "That would be me, and by the way the name is Ally." The young nods her head before blasting me back with magic, "I guess you are not as wise as everyone thinks you are." The young woman sneers at me as she walks into the room and closes the door behind her, "Who are you?" I ask as I struggle to my feet,

"I have had many names thought history but in this moment it is Hartley." She laughs a spin chilling laugh while looking around the room. "What do you want?" I ask trying to figure out a way out of here but right now it seems like there is no way out without a confrontation. "You have something that I need." I look at her wondering what I could have that this complete stranger would want, "Whatever it is you can have it, I just don't want any trouble." Hartley rolls her eyes in annoyance,

"That is my biggest problem with Auradon people, none you know how to have fun or can handle conflict." I sigh as I back up against my dresser and grip the scissors behind my back. "You should just take what you want and leave because there is no telling when someone else will show up." Hartley nods her head but doesn't seem to concerned, "The thing I want is currently hanging around your neck." Hartley growls as she uses her magic to grip the necklace that is around my neck, "This necklace belonged to my mother, it is the most important thing I have." I panic gripping the necklace tightly in my hand,

"Why would you want something that has nothing to do with you?" I ask feeling the necklace pull towards Hartley even with my grip still holding it. "That little trinket is part of my plan, now either hand it over or I will take it from my force." I shake my head because I would never forgive myself if something happen to the only thing I have which belongs to my mom. "My way it is." Hartley pulls her hand towards herself bringing the necklace and me to her as she grips the necklace and an evil smile comes to her lips. "We both know that the daughter of Alice would never resort to violence, even when her life depended on it." I swallow a large lump in my throat while Hartley stares deep into my eyes.

"I was raised by the saying of violence solves nothing." I choke out getting Hartley to laugh. She pulls hard enough on the necklace that the chain breaks sending me to the floor and the necklace into the hands of Hartley. "Now that is what I call easy shopping." I jump to my feet before gabbing the scissors into her hand making scream so loud in pain that I think the gods heard her but she also her drop the necklace. "Guess I learned a little something from my isle friends." I smile at her before kicking her in the stomach which sends her into the bookcase.

I grab the necklace off the floor and run to the door but just when I fling the door open the door closes just as fast. "We are not done here." I turn around to see Hartley pull the scissors out of her hand before throwing them and the scissors get caught in the key hole of the door. "You are not who you say you are." I say looking down at the scissors then back to Hartley. "What are you talking about?" I take a deep breath as something I read in the library start coming back to me. "I remember reading something about human spirit vessels, and everything that has happened in this room all points to the conclusion that you are just a traveler inside Hartley's body." The woman grips by my throat and if I didn't know any better it would look like I stuck a nerve.

"I read that the vessels will adapt powers that the spirit had in their former life, which means all these abilities don't belong to Hartley but they once belonged to you. If that is true and you are just a traveler it means that the power you use the weaker you become because you have no physical body of your own." The traveler drops me to the ground as I gasp for air, "You certainly are the brightest person in Auradon Prep, but now that you know the truth I am sure that you are aware that I can't have blabbing to people." The traveler turns her soulless black eyes to me before using her magic and pulls the scissors of the key hole and points them at me, 

"Looks like someone should have kept her mouth shut." The traveler releases the scissors but suddenly someone front flips over me and deflects the scissors with the blade of a sword before they reach me. "Why is it that men always need to come to rescue of some girl." The traveler comments in an angry tone one of voice the young man stands up in front of me before grabbing my hand and rushing out of the room closing the door behind him. "You alright Ally?" I heard a familiar voice say and when I look up I see that it was Jamie who saved me, 

"You have no idea who happy I am to see you Jamie." I say with tears in my eyes as I give him the biggest hug I can give someone. "We need to inform Ben and the others about what happened." Jamie comments as he hugs me back. We pull out of the hug as I nod my head and the two of us head off to Ben's office to not only tell him about my encounter but also tell him about what I read about. 

Hartley's POV

I let out a huge scream that shakes the room as Ally and her protector manage to escape the room, "I will have my revenge, and all of Auradon will bow down to the original queen of the world." I growl as I slowly kneel down and a giant smile appears on my face, "Looks like my visit here was not a complete failure." I say while slowly picking up the necklace that I came for, "Two items down and only two more to go." I start laughing as I disappear into a cloud of pitch-black smoke and head back to my hide out to regain my strength and start looking for the next piece of my puzzle.