by Sarra Cannon
As the crowd around me finally began to thin, I felt a warm hand caress my back.
"May I have this dance?" a familiar voice whispered in my ear.
The warmth of his breath on my bare neck sent shivers of pleasure from my head to my toes. I turned and the sight of him took my breath away.
Jackson bowed, then offered his hand to me. I curtsied and slipped my hand into his.
"I have never in my life seen anything so beautiful," he said as the music began.
I reached up to touch the delicate crown. "Isn't it gorgeous?"
His lips curled into a sexy half-smile and he raised one eyebrow. "I wasn't talking about the crown."
My face and neck grew warm, and I ducked my head to hide my red cheeks.
"I've missed you," he said, pulling me closer. The orchestra played a waltz, and Jackson twirled me around the dimly lit dance floor. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to stay away from you this long? All I've wanted to do was get you in my arms."
I smiled and pressed my cheek against his shoulder. "This is the only place I've wanted to be."
"The people of this city adore you," he said. "They believe in you."
"I hope I can live up to what they want me to be," I said.
"You already are everything they want you to be, Harper. Don't you see that?"
I pulled away enough to be able to look into his eyes. "We have to get serious about a plan to get home to Peachville," I said. "As much as I love it here, I can't help but feel like we're running out of time. I keep waiting for the Order to make their next move."
His eyes grew serious. "I know what you mean," he said. "But tonight I just want to feel your body close to mine. Tomorrow we can worry about a plan."
I closed my eyes and lost myself in the music and the feel of his strong arms around me.
A commotion near the throne pulled me from my dream state, but we were lost in the crowd. I couldn't see what was going on. Jackson and I continued to dance for a moment, but when a scream echoed through the hall, a knowing chill ran across my back.
I clasped Jackson's hand and ran toward the throne. A large group had clustered together around the steps, and Jackson and I had to force our way through. The orchestra stopped mid-song and was replaced by a chorus of gasps and screams and excited chatter.
"Please," I said. "I need to get through."
Panic crawled through my veins. Something terrible had happened. I could feel it in the air of the room.
Finally, we pushed through to the front. A bloodied figure knelt at my father's feet. The king looked straight at me with terrible fear written across his features. My eyes darted from him to the injured man as I stumbled up the steps, nearly tripping over my dress.
"I'm so sorry," the man said. "I did everything I could. I don't know how they figured it out, but they know."
The bloodied man nearly collapsed and the king crouched down to help hold him up. I rushed forward and propped him up on the other side.
That's when I saw his face more clearly.
Coach King.
I gasped. What was he doing here in the shadow world? This didn't make any sense. My mind reeled from shock. How was this possible? What had happened to him?
Coach King doubled over, crying out as a wave of pain seized his body.
"Hold on," the king said. "You've got to be strong now. Tell me, Roan, where have they taken her?"
"I don't know," Coach King said through clenched teeth. "I'm so sorry, my king. I have failed you. I tried to fight, but Priestess Winter, she was too strong. I tried, but I couldn't save her. They've taken her, my king."
I shook my head and tried to make sense of the scene unraveling before me. "I don't understand. Who have they taken?"
"My wife," he said. The coach struggled with those final words, then his body went limp. He was still breathing, but blood flowed freely from a wound in his side.
"Mrs. King?" I asked, not wanting to believe it. Was she still alive? What was going on? I felt sick.
My father placed a hand on my arm. "Yes," he said. "My oldest daughter."
I clutched my chest, my breath coming in rapid gulps. "What? What are you saying?"
"Harper." He paused. The expression in his silver eyes chilled me to the bone. "The Order's taken your sister."
My Sister
The truth of what he'd said took a moment to sink in.
I stood, speechless, unable to put the pieces together. Shock consumed me, my body frozen.
"Angela King is my daughter," the king said. "I'll explain everything later, I promise. For now, we need to get this man to one of the healing rooms upstairs."
Several guards materialized and placed Coach King's limp body on a black board that floated in the air. They shifted into white smoke, floating him across the room with great speed.
I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Jackson took my hand as I lowered myself onto the steps, not caring that the hem of my irreplaceable dress was now soaked in blood.
"Harper, are you alright?" he asked. He placed a hand on my face and forced my eyes to his. "It's going to be okay, do you hear me? We're going to get her back."
A viscous fear snaked up my spine as the realization of what just happened finally cracked through my shell of shock.
Mrs. King was my half-sister. She was the black-haired little girl my mother talked about in her journal. The daughter of my father and his wife in the human world. She was only a little girl when my mother met the King of the South and fell in love.
She was my sister.
Somehow the Order must have figured out who she was, and now they'd taken her. But where? And what were they planning to do to her?
"We have to find her," I said, my tongue finally working again. "We have to get to her before they do something awful to her."
My father shook his head. "We have to take this one step at a time," he said. He motioned to a group of guards who had gathered to wait for his commands. "Clear the castle. Let the council know I'm calling a meeting for tomorrow morning. Hopefully Roan will be well enough by morning to tell us the details of what happened."
"Roan?" I asked, leaning against Jackson so that I could stand.
"You know him as Coach King in your world," my father said. "He is one of my most faithful guards. I sent him to the human world years ago to watch after your sister. It's a long story, but there will be time for explanations tomorrow. For now, I need to get up to the healing room and give him my full attention."
I nodded, letting what little explanation he'd given soak in. "Please come get me if he starts talking," I said. "I want to know the details too."
"Harper-"
"Don't shut me out," I said, my tone harsh. "She's my sister, and I deserve to be a part of this."
"If there's time, I'll send for you," he said.
My father disappeared, his trail of white smoke following the same path as the guards who had taken Roan up to the healing rooms.
Jackson held me tight. "I should go too," he said. "His injuries were really bad. Maybe I can help in some way. Will you be alright? Or do you want me to stay?"
I pulled away, still numb. "Promise me you'll come find me when you're done," I said. "I want to know everything."
He kissed my cheek, then followed the others up the staircase.
I sat down on the cold stone steps and pulled my knees toward my chest. The Order had taken my sister. All this time, she'd been right there in front of me, and we'd never even realized we were related.
Or had she known all along?
I thought back over the time I'd spent in Peachville. The way her eyes widened when she saw the necklace I wore that first day at Peachville High. Her warnings about the demon tattoo and how the Order might be watching me. The way she fainted at the ceremony when Priestess Winter tried to take my life.
She must have known who I was this whole time. But why wouldn't she have told me?
I laid my head in my hands as tears began to fall. My
worst fears had been realized. Now that I finally knew who my sister was, she might be lost to me forever.
Every Second You Waste
I sat alone in the empty throne room, the festive party atmosphere replaced with worry and fear and heartbreak. Why hadn't anyone come to tell me what was going on? Why weren't we already on our way to rescue her?
The longer I sat there, the angrier I became.
I paced back and forth in front of the throne, my ballgown swishing at my feet. Had Coach King survived? Had he been able to tell them anything?
Questions swirled around in my head.
Why had the Order taken her anyway? What was it Coach King had said when I first walked up?
I don't know how they figured it out, but they know.
The Order knew Mrs. King was my sister. They'd taken her because of me.
Hadn't my father told me this would happen? He'd said I cared too much and the Order would eventually use that against me. But I never imagined it would happen like this.
I pressed my palms to the side of my head and closed my eyes tight.
I had to save her.
This was all my fault. I was the one who had taken the sapphire ring. I was the one who had caused the blue demon gates to become inactive. Even if Priestess Winter had been willing to walk away from Peachville and leave things as they were for a while, there was no way she was going to overlook the fact that her blue portals were out of business.
Especially since her home gate was the first sapphire demon gate ever opened. According to the diary, it was the first of any stone to be opened, more than two hundred years ago.
I knew she'd stop at nothing to try to get the ring back from me.
But how had she found out about my sister? Had Gregory told her? My father had said Gregory knew a lot of his secrets. Maybe this was one of them. But if that was true, why didn't my father get her and bring her here where she would be safe?
My breaths grew thin and shallow.
I couldn't just stand here waiting for answers. Coach King might not be ready to talk, but I knew there was someone else here in the castle who had answers.
Priestess Winter's faithful servant.
The tiger witch. She was bound to know something. It couldn't be coincidence that she had come here to attack me only a week ago and now, after her failed attempt, my sister had been kidnapped. The two events had to be connected. And I was going to find out how.
My mind made up, I shifted into white smoke and flew down the staircase. I raced past the guard's quarters on the first sub-level and the training rooms on the second. Finally, three floors below the main level of the castle, I arrived at the dungeons.
Two guards stood watch just beyond the stairway. They straightened at my approach.
"Princess, is everything alright?" The guard on the right stepped forward. His eyes darted nervously to my bloodied skirt. "Do you need help?"
I lifted my chin. "I'm fine. I've come down to speak with the prisoner."
His eyebrows drew together. "Which prisoner?"
I paused. I hadn't thought about the fact that there might be other prisoners down here. When I'd been here before, during the attack on the dome, the cells had been empty.
"The witch who attacked me outside of the city the other day," I said. "The one with the short red hair. I have to talk to her. It's urgent."
He looked to the second guard, then back at me. "I'm sorry, Princess." He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet nervously. "The king has told us not to let anyone in to see her. Not even you."
I bit the inside of my lip, holding back a curse. "I don't care what my father told you," I said. "It's extremely important that I talk to her. It's a matter of life and death."
The second guard stepped forward. "Princess, my name is Arian," he said. He spoke deliberately, holding one hand toward me as if I were a wild dog he was trying to calm. "I can tell you're very upset. You aren't thinking clearly. Why don't you go upstairs? I can send for your handmaiden and have her make you some tea. You can speak with the king in the morning about the prisoner."
I wanted to scream. "I don't want any stupid tea," I said, louder than I intended. "What I want is to talk to the witch."
"I'm afraid that's not possible," the first guard said. "The king-"
"The king is my father. That makes me a princess," I said, stepping closer to him. "I am your superior, and I demand entrance to these cells."
Arian put his arm in front of his friend, pushing him back a few steps. "We cannot let you through."
I clenched my hands tight. Anger raced through my veins and before I even knew what I was doing, my fists were on fire. "Every second you waste could mean my sister's life," I said, my voice a low growl. "Let me through."
The first guard's forehead broke out in a sweat as he stared at my fiery hands. He nodded and stepped aside. "You'll find the witch in the last cell on the right," he said.
I raced past the two guards, turning right as I ran through the dungeon. I passed at least a dozen occupied cells before reaching the last. I slowed, gasping for air. My heart raced as I approached.
There, on a pallet of straw and dirty rags at the far side of her cell lay the tiger witch.
A Cold Stone Where Her Heart Should Be
The witch's eyes were open, but her stare was blank and lifeless. My hand trembled as I reached out to touch the iron bars that held her captive.
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry.
A deep growl rumbled from her like thunder on a stormy day.
"What do you want?" she asked. Her body was curled into a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her face had become a tense snarl.
"I want answers," I said.
She laughed and sat up, pressing her back hard against the moist stone wall behind her. "Answers only lead to questions," she said. She rocked her head back and forth, thumping it against the stones. "Or haven't you learned that yet?"
"I want you to tell me how much Priestess Winter knows about me and my family," I said. "I want to know how she found out about my sister. Was it Gregory who told her?"
The tiger stopped banging her head and paused, her eyes growing wide and wild. "Gregory?" Then she smiled, her lips curling up so high I could see the pink of her gums. "You mean the handsome guard? Poor Gregory."
I gripped the bars tighter.
"Was it you who took him from the hunters?" I asked, my stomach sick. "Is he dead?"
She left her spot on the straw and got up on her hands and knees. Her head dipped low, but her eyes were still glued to my face. She crawled toward me very slowly, as if she had transformed to her tiger form. Only she hadn't. She couldn't.
Her magic was of no use here inside the dome.
"Poor Gregory the guard," she said, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "So loyal and sweet. He screamed and cried and swore he'd never tell. Of course, that's what they all say. At first."
I closed my eyes. My chest grew tight, my breath ragged.
I didn't want to imagine the horrible things they must have done to him. "Why?" I asked.
The witch lifted her imagined paw and licked it. She ran her wrist across her auburn hair, then licked it again. "I'd been tracking you for days when Gregory found you," she said. "After that little stunt you pulled with the hunters, I finally understood how such a young girl like you could have such power."
"Wait. You were tracking me?" I asked. "How?"
She laughed. "Did you forget you had one of the Order's tattoos on your back?"
I shook my head. "It doesn't work here," I said, reaching back to touch the spot on my lower back where Brooke had put the tattoo. "I would have felt it."
The witch clucked her tongue. "People are always underestimating the Order," she said. "Priestess Winter is very resourceful. She found a way to track the tattoo. It wasn't that hard, really."
I closed my eyes. It was me who had brought them here. No wonder the hunters had always found me so easily. I would have to find a way to d
eal with the tattoo, but for now I wanted answers about Gregory.
"You were there when I fought the hunters and Gregory came for me?"
"I saw you take the ring, but before I could even try to get it back, Gregory and his men appeared to bring you here. I wanted to know why he trusted you so quickly. A prima futura in the domed city? Unheard of. Priestess Winter was pleased with my catch. A dear friend of the king. A wealth of knowledge waiting to be unlocked."
"So she knows about me?" I asked. "About my father?"
She sat back against her legs. Her eyes traveled up and down my body. "A demon girl who wears a silver crown," she said. "She knew you were special, but she always thought it was the twins who made you strong."
Her eyes went glassy and she stared straight ahead, not seeing.
"Twins?" At first, I was confused. I thought she was talking about her own sister, but then I realized what she meant. Jackson and Aerden. Their presence in Peachville made the entire coven stronger. Maybe it even made all the blue demon gates stronger. That was why Priestess Winter didn't want to kill the town. She didn't care about me. She wanted the twins' power.
The tiger witch shut her eyes tight. A teardrop rolled down her cheek. "Twins have a rare bond," she said. "So much more powerful when they are together."
She was talking about herself now, but I felt none of the guilt that had plagued me before. She and her sister were evil. My father was right. They alone chose their fate.
"Imagine how angry she would have been if you had died," she said, her tears turning to hysterical laughter. "If she had lost a precious rarity like you. Half prima, half demon princess. She'll never stop until she rules you. Even if she has to force her way into your mind or rip your very soul from your body."
I shuddered.
"That's what she did to Gregory, in the end," the witch said, crawling closer to where I stood. "He loved his king so much, he refused to give up what he knew. Priestess Winter has magic at her disposal that would turn your insides. By the time she was done with him, his mind was jelly and his secrets were hers."