"We should head over there, and Arabella, don't be nervous. Just be yourself. That is more than enough. You are enough." My uncle helps me up from my chair, and we move toward the royal part of the Palace.?My head feels so much better than it did yesterday, and the cuts are still on my face but are not as deep. The salve appears to be working.
The palace looks even more breathtaking in the light of day. There are rooms upon rooms full of antiquities. As we pass one of the many rooms, I see a bright light coming from one of the objects. I turn to get a better look, but the light has disappeared. When there’s more time to explore the palace, I want to start with that room first. Looking up at the top of the doorway, I see a dreamcatcher in the shape of my sun hanging between the ceiling and the top of the door. No other room is marked. That must be a clue to something.
As we reach the door to the King's study, my uncle places his hand on my shoulder. "Ella, you’ll hear and see things today that I wish you didn't have to, but it's necessary. You need to know how horrific each one of these individuals are."I nod up at him, and then he opens the door for us to head inside. This entire thing is going to be hard on everyone but especially hard when the conversation turns to Mayra. It won't be easy for my uncles either because Aunt Georgia warned me before bed that they would be talking about the slaughter of our family on that dreadful night. I’ll be strong for our people. We’ll be at war soon, and whatever that means will be more challenging than this. Taking a deep breath, I focus on not tripping, somethingmundane to help ease the tension radiating throughout my body.
I look around the room nervously and my heart skips a beat when my gaze locks on not only Ethan but Sebastian as well. They are leaning up against the wall. I nod my head at them, and Ethan smiles at me while Sebastian wears a smirk. Ethan looks adorable, while Sebastian looks like sex with a side of danger.
Sebastian whispers in my mind. ?You look good enough to eat.?
I glare over at him.?Stop looking inside my head.?
He shrugs.I could teach you to block me out, but what’s the fun in that?
He chuckles when I growl back at him.Asshole.
Forget about him, and focus, Arabella. I turn my attention back toward the middle of the room. A small circular conference table has been set up in the center, and all the chairs are full, minus two. I follow Uncle Jo to the two empty chairs, and we sit down.?
As I look in front of me, my breath catches. The man who has to be my uncle is sitting directly in front of me. He has the same wavy red hair and bright blue eyes. Not to mention our same god-awful nose, which is crazy. Uncle Radix is smiling at me, then grimaces as he looks at my face. He stands and bows. "My dear Arabella, we will catch the individuals responsible for this. Death will not come swiftly enough for them."
My body shudders as I think about the men. “It's not as bad as it looks," I reply with a nervous smile.
"Arabella, as I'm sure you've guessed, I’m your Uncle Radix. You look so much like our Isabella. I didn’t expect sucha striking resemblance.” His eyes fill with tears, but he quickly regains his composure.
I give him a sad smile. "We both do, Uncle Radix. I didn't expect that either."
Chapter 11
Villains
The villains in my story will pay penance for what they’ve done.
-Arabella
King Aramayus begins making introductions to the people sitting at the table. "The woman to my left is the Lieutenant General for the Lux United Armed Forces, Kamila Kelli." She has jet-black hair and bright red lipstick. She nods at me then turns her attention back to the King. She appears to be no fluff and all business. I can respect that.?
King Aramayus moves on to the next "The man next to Kamilia is Greyson Kelli, her husband." He also has jet-black hair and a full beard. He is the Armed Forces Major General. The two men sitting to the right of my uncle Jo are both Captains in the Armed Forces under Kamila. The blonde one is Ryder Sing, and the older man next to him is Luke Smith.
The King pushes a small button on the side of the table, and a plasma screen TV comes down from the ceiling. Fancy. "Arabella, everyone is up to speed on what you told me of the vicious attack yesterday. Kamila, you may start the presentation."
Kamila walks to the front of the table with strategic precision, reminding me of a panther, beautiful yet deadly. "Thank you, my King. The message we are about to play for you is what we received from Queen Adalia after the prison escape from Inferno. It’s been broadcast all over the Underground Guardian Network and viewed worldwide. The word is out, and we will find the perpetrators. The world is searching high and low." She slaps her hand on the desk as she continues. "War is imminent, but we will not make it easy for them, Arabella. We will aid you in any way you see fit. King Aramayus has so graciously agreed to give you reign over his armies once the Trials are over. Although, we’ll be at your command even now."
I nod at her, hoping I look impartial, like most adults I know do. So, I'm basically in command of a whole army now? That is either the coolest thing ever or a disaster waiting to happen. A dry, humorless laugh tries to bubble up my throat. I bite my lip to keep from screaming.
The lights darken as the TV turns on. An Asian man with a bright, red-colored Mohawk appears on the television screen, dressed from head to toe in black leather. He looks fierce. "Calling all people of the three great societies. By way of Dragoncrest City, Queen of the great Pyralis, Adalia St. James, has a most urgent message."
Queen Adalia is definitely on the top ten list of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Her gorgeous, ebony skin shines bright on the screen. She has soulful golden-brown eyes and appears in her early thirties. Something in her demeanor contradicts that assumption, the way she holds herself gives the impression she is wise beyond her years. She has long, silky black hair with red highlights, and a gold ruby-filled crown sits upon her head. Power and strength radiate from her.
She wastes no time, "King Aramayus, King Diodyous, and people of the great societies around the world, it is with much sorrow that I must inform you of a most unfortunate occurrence. At approximately 5:45 this morning, Mayra Narissa Blackwater, the "Terror Twins" Keaton and Cohen Wiley, the giant Pollux, and Blaine Ramsey escaped Prison Inferno. In the two hundred years of the prison's existence, no one has ever accomplished what these five have done today. They are ruthless terrorists who have killed men, women, and even children. Due to the items the criminals left behind, we have reason to believe they are coming after our Chosen, Arabella Grace St. James. We have since learned that Mayra has offered them a ten-million-dollar payday to capture her. We are calling on all Guardians to assist in the arrest of these dangerous individuals and for the protection of our niece. My husband and sons are in hot pursuit of the prisoners. My dear friend, Aramayus, I urge you please, allow Arabella to come back home. The trials must start earlier than any of us anticipated. This was an act of war, and they will not stop until they’ve taken her. We must prepare her and our people. For The Chosen."
The TV goes dark, and the letters UGN light up on the screen. This must be the Underground Guardian Network that Kamila talked about. I guess it's like their news station. It makes sense that we would have our own news channel. Having more family is weird. Uncle Radix seems pretty cool, but what kind of personality will my Aunt Adalia have? Will she be all business, like Kamila, or warm and loving like Aunt Georgia?
Looking over at my uncle Radix, I give him a shy smile because he’s staring back at me. He gives me a warm grin in response, he has an easy way about him that makes me feel calm. Being away from Uncle Jo and Aunt Georgia will be torture, and I’ll need that extra piece of comfort.
Kamila makes her way back up to the front of the conference table. She nods her head at someone in the back of the room. A man soon appears, carrying a bundle of manila folders and begins handing one to each person at the table. The folders are filled to the brim with papers and written in the middle of the folder in a big, bold script is the word CLASSIFIED.
When the man passes out the folders, he takes a remote out of his jacket pocket and hands it over to Kamila. "Arabella, although I gave everyone a copy, this was essentially put together for you. Within this folder, you will find every interview we did with these individuals. We've also given you a copy of the transcript for their trials, and we've included multiple pictures of them. A report also tells you about different habits we observed during the years they were at Inferno. You must study this. Even the tiniest detail could save your life."
Taking the remote, she changes the channel on the TV, and a mugshot of the Wiley twins appears on the screen, making my skin crawl. The one with the beard smirks in his picture, and I want to knock it off his face.
