I slowly nodded. "Andrew told me that we were the strongest civilisation… and yet we fell at the hands of the Urenphians."
"That doesn't mean you were weak,” Walter replied. "In fact, you may have lost the war, but the Urenphians couldn't hold the kingdom for long on their own. When they took over, the people were not happy. They were loyal to you. Many of them left in secret to join other civilisations, until it came to a point where the Starlight Kingdom collapsed completely. The Urenphians had no choice but to leave and seek out new lands as the world continued to develop. And the country of Ersarence eventually became part of Europe, though nobody knew of the Starlight Civilisation that had originally inherited it. By that time, there was no evidence left indicating that they'd even been here. Eventually, the remaining Urenphians came back, only to discover that Lorelei had been founded by the British settlers."
"Where did they go?” I asked, genuinely curious. I couldn't help but wonder: if I had centuries of time to kill, what would I do with it?
"The Urenphians followed Jason. Some of the scholars of the Starlight Kingdom—those important enough to learn the basics of magic, that is—went on to form new civilisations, including that of the Mayans. Mind you, nobody fully understood how magic worked. It was a closely guarded secret by the royals, and the creation of the Starlight Barrier baffled everyone as a result. Those scholars knew it had something to do with you and your impending reincarnation. They tried to escape with the knowledge and predict your return."
"I'm guessing they didn't succeed,” I said, judging from what I'd learned so far.
"They did not… and furthermore, their knowledge of the stars was recognised by many other civilisations. Unfortunately, due to the inherent lack of understanding about magic, their theory was slightly warped, and everyone else just went with it. That's how the misconception of lanterns being stars began—and where the word star actually originated from, because of the Starlight Kingdom."
Walter let out a weary sigh.
"I suppose we could have stepped in and corrected them, but we angels were being hunted, so we were too busy staying hidden from the Urenphians back then. Not to mention that the less people knew about you, the safer you'd be upon your return. I think Jason knew this too; it's why he didn't try to correct those scholars when he went to find them."
My newfound knowledge both fascinated and thrilled me. It was incredible to think of how much forgotten and hidden history was in this country.
I looked around again. After learning what I had, I decided I did want to explore a little after all, so I proceeded towards the staircase. Every step was cautious, watching for signs of unstable footing, but what remained of the palace seemed quite sturdy. As I climbed the staircase, I couldn't help but wonder just how big this place had been. If this was only what remained…
The stairs led down a wide hallway, along with the shells of the many rooms that had once been here. I had no idea where the hallway led—the end was just another crumbling wall, with broken glass glinting in the window. Before heading into a dark room, I edged past a hole in the floor, noticing how the stone walls were blackened with centuries of mould and water staining. Apart from a few cracks and holes near the ceiling, the room was intact, and it was strangely surreal to be in there. My memories floated to the surface of my mind, and I was able to recall small details of what the palace had been like before… and what this room could have been.
On my right would have been shelving and storage… and on the left, tables and tables of fabric. Yes… this had been where our seamstresses had made our clothes. Slowly, I recalled the white walls, the gold curtains, the polished floors… now replaced by deterioration and withered leaves that crunched under my feet.
My phone buzzed, making me jump. I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I'd almost forgotten where I was. Fishing out my phone, I found a message from an unknown number.
With everything happening, checking my phone had been the last thing on my mind. Plus, I'd known my mum would be calling me, and I wasn't ready to deal with that. I had no idea what I was going to tell her; I doubted she'd believe the truth.
I opened the message, and what I saw made my heart plummet.
Tick tock, the message read. Cinderella lost her shoe at midnight. Starlight Princesses lose their feet.
I gritted my teeth, and that helpless feeling intensified. It annoyed me—of course it did. And every vein in my body thrummed to go and save her. But Walter's insistence to keep me here somehow stopped me from snapping. I deleted the message, anger simmering under my skin.
Then another one popped up.
Oh, and by the way, we have your family.
Everything went numb. I could no longer feel the breeze blowing.
This one had a picture attached. My mum, dad, and Kyra were all locked in a double caged cell. In the other cell was a ghastly creature with black skin and blue veins and claws. And it was bashing against the cell wall, trying to break into the other one.
Jason's words echoed through my head.
The angel I spoke of? He's still alive—they keep him locked beneath Chrissy's manor.
Everything felt like lead and ice inside of me. Valarie was one thing, but my entire family? That was another. They never asked to be involved in this! They didn't have the kind of knowledge or power that could even keep them alive! I couldn't just leave them there! I just couldn't!
Desperation clawed at my heart like a starving animal craving prey. I whirled around, looking for something—anything—I could use to get out of here. Finally, I relented in favour of heading back towards the broken window in the hall. Something caught my eye, and I scooped up a smooth rock from the ground and hurled it at the jagged glass fragments. It shattered into even tinier pieces and sprinkled to the ground. I carefully grabbed the biggest piece to use as a weapon. Then, using the rock, I smashed out the remaining glass so I could slip through unharmed.
It was a bit of a drop out the window, but not too high. I carefully swung myself over with my good hand and elbow, then propelled myself down, landing with a thud that sent sharp pins through my feet. Once the pain subsided, I edged around the ruins, making sure to stay low and out of sight. Walter said I'd never get there on foot, but if that was how I had to do it, then so be it.
All around me were desolate, grassy hills. I didn’t know which way would take me back to town, but I could hear running water nearby, and figured that was a good place to start. I headed away from the ruins and into the trees, following the sound of the water. A few minutes later, I finally came across it, hidden in among the trees. The Vinzenhan River ran along the outskirts of Lorelei, so if this was the same river, and I followed it, it should lead me back.
I walked along the riverbank for what seemed like ages. Part of me worried that Walter would figure out I'd escaped and come after me. But a bigger part of me worried I'd get lost and no one would find me. Every time I heard something crunch, I'd look over my shoulder and expect to see him, face full of anger. But there was never anybody. Just me and whatever animals lived in these parts.
I walked for a good hour before I started to get really tired. I was quite a fit person, so stamina wasn't an issue. It was just that I'd been walking for so long with no water, no breaks, and no idea whether I was even heading the right way. I ended up stopping and leaning against a tree. The ever-constant trickle of the water was alluring to my parched, dry throat. But the idea of kneeling down in the moss and drinking like an animal wasn't quite as appealing—my mum had raised me to be a bit of a germaphobe. I'd never seen it to be such an issue until now. When considering my future at Cambridge University, I hadn't exactly thrown ‘surviving in the woods’ on my list. Or fighting fallen angels, for that matter.
I was about to set off again when I heard another crunch. I whirled around once more, scanning the dense forestry. I couldn't see anything.
A feeling of paranoia crept up on me, and I decided to speed up a little. I turned, and—
A hand clamped down over my mouth, stifling my scream. Panic shot through me, and I tried to pry the hand away. Then I remembered the glass, which I'd slipped in my pocket. I lunged for it, but another arm wrapped around and pinned my hands to my sides. The arm crushed my broken wrist and it throbbed in protest, bringing tears to my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth.
"You should have stayed in the palace ruins, little princess,” came a familiar voice. My heart rate spiked. It couldn't be…
I struggled and managed to catch a glimpse of my captor.
No…
"Valarie?” I muffled out. It was her, in the flesh. Her tanned skin, her brown hair. I wanted to sag in relief, but why was she attacking me?
Her green eyes glittered dangerously as she dragged me through the trees, away from the river. I kicked and squirmed, but she was stronger somehow. This wasn't natural.
"Valarie, stop!” I cried, as she used two hands to drag me. If she was here… and the others were there…
I tripped about a dozen times as she hauled me across tree roots and sharp rocks, until finally we emerged from the woods and reached a car.
"Valarie—” My protests were useless. She shoved me in the back seat, where someone else clamped onto my arm. I spun around and recognized Chrissy's other associate—Devian, I think his name was. Valarie strode to the driver's seat and climbed in.
My anxiety rocketed. Valarie couldn't drive! Not after…
To my horror, Valarie pummelled us out of there, and I found myself scrambling for a seatbelt, to which Devian snorted. I shot him a glare, but didn't dare make any sudden moves. I didn't even have the courage to ask what was going on—not with those dark, sinister eyes watching my every move. They looked like obscure jewels, the light flickering through them and creating shades of emerald and amber and onyx. A reflection of the mad power within.
My heart was in my throat, and I gripped the seat to try and stay calm.
Valarie drove with strange precision, every turn perfectly calculated and her speed never changing. For someone who'd been traumatised to drive, she was damn good at it.
The only thing that made sense was that she was under Skye's control again. Or still, perhaps—maybe they hadn't let her go since the incident at the farm.
I wasn't sure whether to feel foolish or not for leaving Walter, but at the same time, I'd found Valarie. Still, I worried about the others, and about what kind of information they'd been following.
I then realized I had Jason's number. I could text him and warn him before they landed in trouble—that was, if they hadn't already. And that way, they'd know that I was in trouble too.
But with Devian watching me, how was I going to do that?
When we reached the town, Valarie's speed adjusted to the limitations. No one would have suspected her. My heart was racing as I tried to take note of where we were going. We weren't moving so fast now, and I considered jumping out to get away, but I didn't want to lose Valarie. And my throbbing wrist was enough to instill a degree of caution in me.
Sure enough, we pulled up outside Chrissy's manor. My heart thumped—my family was so close. If I could somehow get both them and Valarie out of here alive…
Devian reached over and undid my seatbelt before pulling me out of the car, his touch ice-cold. Valarie gave pursuit. I was too rigid to resist, or even demand they let me go. My thoughts were wildly searching for a way out of this situation. It was all I could focus on as they led me up the forbidding front steps and started unlocking the wooden door. It even had a gargoyle knocker—talk about creepy.
Jason had once said we'd never be able to get in by ourselves, and now I saw why; the door had at least ten different locks on it. Once we got inside, I noticed the windows had bars wrapping around the drawn curtains too, giving the illusion from the outside that the house was seemingly normal. If I really paid attention, I had no doubt I'd find a camera system somewhere, but I was being pushed along too fast to look properly.
All that aside, the house was nothing like I'd expected. It was strangely… normal. Gleaming from top to bottom, it displayed beautiful paintings that hung on the walls and expensive leather furniture. The floors were made of rich red wood and gleaming timber panelling. Devian and Valarie let me past a staircase, towards a door underneath it. When it opened, another staircase was revealed—this one leading down into a dark unknown.
I could hear rustling and shallow breathing down there, and I gulped. This was most likely where the fallen angel resided. Would I find my family safe down here? Or was I too late?
Devian didn't give me time to ponder. With a hard shove, I stumbled forward and almost fell down the whole flight. My arm reached out and grabbed the railing before that happened, and I quickly descended a few steps to make sure he wasn't tempted again. I threw him another glare as I continued, but he didn't seem fazed in the slightest. The two of them marched me down, and a dark chamber came into view.
It was very fitting for a 'gothic manor': dimly lit by flickering candles, and made almost entirely of cold, grey stone. I recognized the cells in the far corner, and the people who were, to my utter relief, still alive. Kyra let out a scream of shock when she saw me.
"Lucy!” she said, and my parents also cried out to me. I forgot everything—the angel, my captors—and rushed to them, tears welling in my eyes. After everything I'd been through, it was overwhelming to have a small shred of normality, even if it came to me locked in a cage.
"Mum!” I cried, my fingers clutching the cage as I looked all over them for wounds. They didn't seem harmed—just shaken up. Mum was bawling, her sobs resounding off the chamber walls. Even Dad seemed to be on the verge of tears, while Kyra was glaring at Valarie and Devian behind me.
I gripped the iron cage, longing to reach in and take them back home where they belonged. Rage filled my bones at the thought of Chrissy—of anyone—putting them through such grief.
"Oh, my baby girl,” Mum sobbed, reaching for me. "I was so worried!"
A wave of guilt shot through me, and before I knew it, hot tears were falling from my eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Mum,” I wept, my fingers brushing hers. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"
From behind me, Devian made an amused sound. "Don't count on it,” he told us, as if crushing our hopes would ease the pain of my predicted failure. I whirled around to face him.
"You!” I seethed, my anger fuelling my actions. No longer was the icy terror controlling me. Seeing my family had strengthened my resolve. I rose to my feet and clenched my fists. "Let them go. You have me; now let them go.”
I prayed bargaining would count for something. Even if they had to wipe their memories so they wouldn’t tell anyone where I was, I didn't care. I just wanted them to be safe.
But Devian threw a lazy glance at Valarie, as if he were bored. "No one leaves until Chrissy gets back. So unless you want to join them in that cage, stay there and behave."
I narrowed my eyes, taking a bold step forward. "You will let them go now."
A screech sounded from my left, making me jump out of my skin. I spun and faced the fallen angel in his cage, who was bashing against the cell walls trying to break free. The very sight of it, let alone the corpse-like stench wafting from it, was enough to drain me of all my courage. It's claw-like hands seemed sharper than in the photo, and it's eyes… only real life could capture the pure horror of them. They were like inky black wells, swirling into an endless sea of darkness and staring straight into my very soul. My mouth grew dry and my knees threatened to give out.
Devian let out another snort at the sight of me shrinking away from such a creature, and I felt my cheeks turn red as blood coursed through them.
What kind of saviour was I? Clearly, I couldn't negotiate if my life depended on it, and never mind fighting anybody—the only thing I could do was throw up a stupid shield. I gritted my teeth and sank to the ground. I'd never felt so useless. Andrew had been right—there were to
o many of them, and they were too strong. They had me right where they wanted me, and now it was just a waiting game until they tore the Starlight Barrier to bits. And all because I'd been a head-driven idiot.
I watched Valarie guarding the stairs, her eyes glued on me. Unlike Devian, who's every action was idle and lazy, she was stiff as a steel pole. Almost like a trained soldier.
"What did they do to you?” I asked her softly. But she didn't reply.
"Lucy?” Mum pleaded softly from behind me, and the sound broke my heart. I turned to her, my expression sincere with regret. I'd never heard my mum beg for me to help her, and it was the most awful thing I'd ever heard. Because as much as I wanted to, there was nothing I could do.
She held my gaze, firm and full of courage. Even in the face of a terrifying monster, she was the strongest woman I'd ever known.
"Is what they're saying true?” she whispered. "Are you… some kind of princess?"
I was surprised. I'd never expected for my family to have been offered an explanation. Or for them to believe it—especially when it came from somebody else. Perhaps I should have had a little more faith in my family. Regret seeped through my bones, and I nodded.
Her eyes grew wide.
"But I don't understand… how is that even possible?” she asked, shaking her head. "I raised you! You're my daughter!”
My heart ached at how distraught she looked. I would never forgive Chrissy for involving my family in this mess.
"It's hard to explain…” I said slowly. "But I'm reincarnated, and it's like a part of my soul was missing the entire time. Now, with my memories back intact, it's like a puzzle piece has clicked in place. One I didn't even know was missing."
I thought hard about it. Up until now, there had been so much going on that I hadn't really had a chance to stop and think about it. But I'd become more than myself... I'd become two people combined in one body and heart and soul. Annaliese's memories were mixed with mine. Her characteristics and powers and strength… more of her emerged from within me with every passing hour. To try and explain that to my mum would be too difficult.
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