Heritage (21 page)

I heard him argue as the wind wrapped itself around me and brought me to the comfort of the roots and wings dining hall.

“Please God take him away. I can’t stand his snivelling wretched talk any longer!” Josh yelled from across the room, shooting devil looks in the direction of Cedric who was standing on a pile of books.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“He pulled his tail” Alex replied trying but failing to hide her amusement at the situation.

“Dirty Hound. Shouldn’t be allowed in the house, Should be outside with the rest of the wild animals.” Cedric hissed.

“I’m a shape shifter you fucking prick!” Josh growled. His hands turning black, which meant he was trying hard not to turn into a panther. That was his usual form when he was stressed. Josh could only control what he turned into if he wasn’t in an emotional state.

“Whoa cool the jets guys.” I shouted just as Cedric threw a large book in Josh’s direction. Changing form, Josh pounced on the elf with teeth bared. His paws pinned Cedric to the floor.

“JOSH!” Screaming I froze Josh with one palm and moved him with the other, to the other side of the room. The giant animal whimpered in the corner of the room as it changed back into his human form.

“He was asking for it!” He yelled.

“I don’t care. Bloody hell control yourself!” It was like talking to a child. Pushing past me, Josh left the room slamming the double doors behind him.

“Pip squeak.” Alex mumbled following her brother.

“Wild animal!” Cedric mumbled climbing onto the arm chair in which he sat the night before. Ok, I think the word awkward was very appropriate for this situation right now.

“He’s not a wild animal Cedric. He’s a shape shifter which is a normal thing in our realm”

“Normal? So you all have one as a personal pet then.” Cedric snickered.

“You are so rude! Because elves are normal right?”

“How dare you talk to me like that? I shall be taking this matter right to your father.” Jumping from the chair he left the room through the smaller door in the big doors. They always looked like cat flaps to me, but that would be offensive to say out loud.

“Hello everybody.” My voice echoed in the abandoned room. Shaking my head I made my way to the opened books on the desk.

“Gate way to hell, Binds of sacrifice?”

All of these books sound very comforting. If only there was someone around to tell me what they had found out.  Turning towards the exit, a dark red book caught my eye. The page it was opened on was blank. What’s the point in having an empty book? Flicking through the blank pages the book began to glow. It filled the room with a red tinted light as the pages began to come alive. Words began to form on the pages as if they were being written by an invisible pen. Flickering from page to page it stopped in the centre.

Dark and light begin to form

Before the day becomes the dawn

Take the chance to change the future

Good and evil find a suitor

To open the gate for Satan’s rise

Burn the sea and pollute the skies

The words disappeared as I read them. It seemed like it was only for my eyes to read. Before I could forget what the words were, I wrote them down on the back of a scrap piece of paper. Folding it and placing it my pocket, I left the room.

Cool air froze my face as I walk down the dark corridor. The only ray of light was from a split in the wood of a boarded up window. My red converse smacked against the stone flooring,echoing down the never ending staircase I was heading down.  Every time I walked around the dark side of the castle, I felt like I was in a horror movie. At every turn,  there could be a freaky killer clown or doll. I can battle vampires and demons but show me a killer child’s toy, and I’m heading for the hills.

“Elle!” Alex shouted as she appeared in front of me.

“Oh My Days!” Jumping and falling off the last step of the stairs, I scowled at Alex.

“Scared you!” She chuckled clutching her stomach as she laughed. Holding my own chest and trying to regain my usual heartbeat, I carried on down the hall.

“Thanks, you douche bag! Here read this.” Pulling the note from my jeans, I handed it to Alex. 

“Where did you find this?” She asked giving it back to me.

“The red book on the table in the roots dining room”

“What? The one that was full of blank pages?” She asked confused.

“Yeah it sort of lit up and started writing itself.”

Halfway down another staircase Alex stopped suddenly, as if she had walked into invisible glass.

“Did you hear that?” She whispered so quietly I only just heard her.

“What? Dude do you have supersonic hearing or something?”

Before she could answer me, she jumped down five stairs and landed gracefully on the ground floor.

“Get your hands off him” I cried.  Before we could stop them, two hooded figures grabbed hold of Cedric and jumped from the window.  Chasing after them, we jumped out of the window and landed onto the soft grass. Picking up speed we raced after the hooded figures as they took to the skies. I love flying demons, it makes it so much more difficult to chase them.

“Now what?” Ask wheezed.

“PEGGY!” Before I could finish her name Peggy came racing towards us. With one leap,  we both mounted her and flew off into the clear sky.

“I don’t see them,” Alex sighed searching the open sky. Glancing to my left, I saw them like two blackbirds flying far out in front of us.

“Straight ahead Pegs” I shouted. The wind was icy cold the higher we rose.

Peggy stretched her wings as far as she could as we reached the two hooded figures. One of them hit out sending Peggy back a couple of meters. I flicked my hand at them making one of them lose grip of Cedric. He yelped as the demon regained his grip. Glaring at us with his black eyes, his razor smile twisted my stomach.

“Fine.” I yelled. Letting go of my grip on Peggy’s neck. I raised my hands in the air.

  “
I call upon the Air I breathe, To help me out because I’m in need. Take this Evil from my sight.  Save the Elf from his….. Fright?”

Pushing out my palms, a ray of light surrounded us all and incinerated the two demons, and Cedric plummeted to the ground.

“Didn’t think that through.” I cried as Peggy flew at high speed to catch the free falling elf. Opening her arms Alex caught him just before he hit the ground.

“What kind of spell was that?” Alex mocked when we landed safely onto the ground. So it wasn’t my best spell ever, but it worked didn’t it. The rhyming was a bit off though I must say.

“I was under a lot of pressure ok.” Jumping from Peggy’s back and kissing her muzzle. I sent her back to the stables.

“Cedric are you ok?” Alex asked brushing off his shoulder.

“Ok? O.K? I’ve just been dragged out of a window and dropped from forty feet in the air. Ok is quite the opposite of what I am right now.” He yelled. His face turned a peculiar purple colour. I’m sure steam was coming from his ears as he ran towards the open gates of the castle.

“Oh you’re so very welcome.” Ungrateful little mite, next time I might just let them take him. Let them deal with his rudeness for a while.

“Oh by the way, I was on my way to give you this.” She stopped and pulled out a folded up letter from her bra. “It came for you today.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t store my post in your bra. I’m pretty sure it can’t contain anything but your enormous bosoms.” I mocked unfolding the brown envelope.

“Not all of us can have your large bosoms. You wait I’m going to have a growth spurt, and then you will be laughing on the other side of your face.” She sighed running towards the castle gates.

“You wish!” I yelled after her. She turned towards me and stuck out her middle finger.

Charming I thought. Opening the sealed envelope I read my name on the front of the letter.  Pulling out the letter something fell onto the ground. It glistened in the moonlight.  Bending down the wind picked up and knocked me to the ground. My face became inches from the grass, and the wind pushed me further into the dirt.

“Wind you are starting to grind my gears!” I yelled as it released its pressure and I was able to sit up right. Searching the patch of grass for the thing that had dropped from the envelope, my fingers found it before my eyes did.

The diamond shaped piece of plastic expanded at my touch and turned into a metal diamond block. It glistened in the sun light and set a ray of rainbow sparkles onto the gloomy grass. On closer inspection,  I could see that it was engraved. The writing was only just big enough to read if I squinted.

This offering I give to you

One body with the mind of two

Break the seal to reveal

The darkness that is within

Flipping it over in my hands more writing appeared as my finger stroked the edges. I t was as if it was responding to my touch.

Take away the ultimate power

Breathe in life to what once was

Break the cage and free the soul

Release the demon from its hole

“Release the demon from its hole…. Releasing demons from holes, never a good thing, ever.” I sighed shoving it into the pocket of my jeans.

“Your Highness, What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be with the Bales?” Leo asked appearing from behind me, making me jump further out of my skin.

“I know I came back to see what was going on here, only to find Josh fighting with Cedric and then Demons trying to Kidnap Cedric. The usual stuff that goes on here.” I smiled.

“Yes, I was aware of some conflict between the two of them and as for the Kidnapping it has been happening all day. The person that wants Cedric is hiring a number of people to take him.”

Clicking his fingers a poster of Cedric appeared floating in the air. 

“A wanted poster? Why is he so important? We have all the stones surely they should be looking for them instead of him?” I asked myself more than Leo. He stood looking confused until I finally spoke again.

“Does my father know about this?”

“Yes Your Highness. He wanted you to be aware of it.” He stood up straight. My father’s soldiers usually stood this way when talking about him, freaked me out a little I have no idea why.

“Ok Thanks Leo. Tell my father I have this one covered and if he starts his speech about me being unaware of the dangers involved blah blah. Please remind him of the Minotaur of two thousand and eight thanks.”

Bowing, Leo disappeared into thin air and taking a deep breath so did I.

                                           Chapter Twelve

“Is this really necessary?” I panted, clutching my chest with one hand and leaning against the wall with the other. Leo had the insane idea that we all needed to learn some new martial arts moves, to protect ourselves from an attack.  A month had passed since we had found all the element stones, and we had all been attacked at least twice in that month. Thankfully, none of the attacks on me had been done when I was around my mortal friends. Keeping them safe, whilst keeping the stone and myself safe, would have been difficult.

“Yes, your highness, it is,” He bellowed removing me from the wall, in which was the only thing keeping me from falling into a pile on the floor. Throwing a punch my way, I ducked and kicked him in the ribs.  He grasped my foot in his hands and twisted it, pushing me onto the cool panel flooring.

“Come on Elle. It’s not that hard,” Josh chuckled as he continued the routine we had just learnt, without breaking a sweat.

“That’s easy for you to say. We are not used to full on training,” Alex mumbled, barely holding herself up, as her legs began to buckle.

Jumping up from the floor, I threw more blows his way. He blocked all of them and continued to floor me.

“Get up,” he yelled.

Dragging my sorry ass off the floor, his authority tone angered me.  Fly kicking him in his gut, I turned it into a hook kick. He stumbled, taking my chance I pushed him against the wall and held him above the floor by his throat.

“Better?” I asked.

“Much,” He whimpered. Releasing my grip, he fell to the ground.  Pushing my sweaty fringe off my face, I stumbled back to the wall, practically crawling towards my water bottle. My body cried out in pain at every muscle flex or body movement I made. After a gigantic amount of water, I sat on the floor, leaning against the coolness of the wall.

“Ok fine. Maybe you don’t need any more training, but it does help to keep practicing,” He croaked as he stroked his throat.

“Did I hurt you?” I asked sympathetically, slightly panting.

“A little bit. Man you’re strong.”

“Good,” I smiled “I don’t really like this thing called authority,” I smiled.

“Well, how about you try against my star pupil, Josh?” Leo called as he took a seat next to Alex on the floor. Josh sure, I could handle Josh, I think, maybe.

“Only if he stays in his human form,” I proposed.

“Ok.” He agreed “I can kick your butt either way but no powers from you either.”

“Fine.”

I would seriously be kidding myself if I wasn’t a little scared. I can do this, Leo is twice the size of Josh, and I beat him.

Taking my place in front of Josh, I shuddered, that wouldn’t make him aware that I was a little imitated by his tall muscle frame.

“3...2...1...GO!” Leo yelled.

As soon as the word left Leo’s mouth, Josh lunged towards me. Stepping out of the way, I threw a hook kick his way. He moved faster than I thought and I ended up just kicking the air.

“Is that all you got?” He taunted.

Throwing a punch at my stomach, I caught his fist inches from my body. Squeezing it in my hand, he cried out in pain.

“Is that all you have got?” I mocked releasing his fist.

Ducking from my fly kick, he grabbed my leg and pushed me towards the wall. Dropping my leg, he tried to grab my throat. Taking a cheap shot I kicked him in the groin, and he crumbled to the floor in pain.

“HA! That was a good Shot,” Alex laughed.

“I feel the need for popcorn,” Leo chuckled a deep laugh making me turn behind me, towards him. Josh tackled me from behind and tried to push me on the ground. Pulling on his arm that was wrapped around my neck, I flipped him over my head, and he landed on his back, in between Leo and Alex.

Slowly walking over to them, I bent down at Josh’s head.

“I think I win,” I smiled.

“Fine,” he grunted as Leo helped him up.

“Alright!” Alex cheered, throwing me a high five.

“So that’s two guys, Training Pah! I don’t need no training,” I gloated.                                   

“How about two guys at one time?” Josh suggested as him and Leo marched towards me, before they reached me a huge ogre entered the gym.

“Adabelle, your father wants a word with all of you.” He breathed, fumigating us all with his horrid breath.

“Sure Toddy, we will be there after we freshen up.” I replied, trying not to breathe in. As he left, we all let out a gasp of breath. Ogres disgustingly un hygienic creatures.

“Hit the showers guys and be in the Kings office in half an hour,” Leo ordered as we all left the gym.

“Yes boss,” We called.

                                                      ***

“How does it feel being beat up by a girl?” Alex asked Josh as we stood outside my father’s office, waiting for Leo.

“I could have taken you if I could shape shift,” He replied.

“Yeah right, my powers trump yours a hundred times over,” I laughed as Leo appeared next to us. Knocking on the door, we waited for my father to call us in. We all shared the same sharp intake of breath in anticipation of the next twenty minutes. 

“Come in,” My father called from behind the door. We all entered and dotted ourselves around the big office. It seemed darker than usual, as if the cherry walls had changed shades since my last visit. I sat in my usual seat in front of his desk, with Alex sitting next to me, whilst Josh and Leo stood next to the open fire.

I was just about to ask why we had been brought into his office when Ethan ran into the room, without knocking, not a good idea.

“Ethan late as usual…”

“Dad,” I interrupted.

“Fine… I want an update on the situation about the element stones. Leo Shoot!” He ordered.

“Shoot?” He asked with a puzzled expression etched into his face

“He means explain,” Alex explained giving him a reassuring smile.

“Oh sorry, Thanks Alex,” clearing his throat he began to continue. ”Ok…”

“Is there a problem Leo?” My father interrupted, shaking his head and taking the seat behind his desk.

“No, Sir, The element stones we acquired are known for their rarity, rather than their power. It seems that they are needed to be collected in order to open a door, which we think, may be a Devils gate…”

“A Devils gate?”

“Yes Sir, Myself and Alex have been in the library searching for the reasons in which someone would want to open the Devils gate...”

“And?”

“And that’s where we draw a blank,” He finished.

I personally, would be annoyed by all the interruptions, but Leo being a good soldier, wasn’t annoyed at all and if he was, he didn’t show it.

“There is a lot of thinking going on Leo. I need hard facts and if you are struggling with this task, I can find someone else to do it for you.” Staring intently at Leo, my father continued to degrade Leo’s hard work without breaking his eye contact.

“It’s not enough reading about these things. You have to also do the foot work, when was the last time you visited Icarus? Have you done interviews? Oh and what about that elf Cedric, he has been here for over a month now and yet we have no information from him.” Taking his glance back to the rest of us, I could feel the unease that Leo was feeling.

“We went to Icarus yesterday, and we are narrowing the area in which the gate should be. So we should find it in the next couple of days.” Josh announced from behind me. I was pretty sure he had made that whole thing up, as far as I was aware we hadn’t found anything in that area. Apart from a big pile of nothing, literally, it was just a big field of daffodils.

“Think? Should? Not many positive words going on in these sentences.”

“Dad we are working on it ok…”

“We assure you that we will have it all figured out by the end of the week,” responded Leo. I’m sorry, did he just say the end of the week. That’s seven days, seven days to find out where the Devils gate is and why the demons are looking for it.

“End of the week?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Ok, End of the week. Leo I want to see results.”

“Yes Sir,” He replied with a bow. Even from this distance I could see the glisten of sweat around his neck.

“Ok you are all dismissed. Apart from you two, Elle and Ethan, I’d like a word.”              

Oh no, the last four words filled me with dread as Ethan took the seat next to me. The others left silently, leaving the awkward silence between us and my father.

“I am under the impression that you two are failing to do your jobs...”

“Excuse me?” I interrupted.

“I know you are in charge of the others, but that doesn’t mean you can let them do all the work…”

“Are you serious?” I interrupted again. What does he think we do, sit around all day drinking tea while others work around us.

“We work are asses off! How dare you sit there and say we do nothing.” Ethan yelled leaping from his seat, making it fall to the floor.

“What did you just say!” The room shock as my father stood up. Crossing his desk, he stood right in front of Ethan, inches from him.

“Whoa Guys!” I piped up. They continued to stare at each other intently, ignoring me. Fine I’ll just sit here and watch this earth quake happen then.

“You heard me! I have been attacked on several occasions this past month, protecting these stones and so has Adabelle. Even though you have the security system, that could guard them a hell of a lot better than we can. You know what. You choose to ignore that fact because you would rather see us get hurt…”

“How dare you…”

“To teach us a lesson right dad?” Ethan finished. I’m pretty sure that they could feel the warmth of each other’s breath, they were standing close. I for one could feel the coolness of the tension between them.

“You ungrateful little sod!” My father roared pushing Ethan with his powers, so he didn’t have to touch him.

“That’s it Dad, teach me a lesson. Why don’t you be a real man and hit me!” Ethan yelled, pushing him back further and further towards the desk.

“That’s enough.” I shrieked, sending a gust of wind to blow them both apart. So much testosterone. Why couldn’t I have a sister, some female help would be awesome. No, I get to have two men who hate each other for my family, Awesome.

“What has gotten into you guys?” I asked. I must have missed something, because Ethan would never dare speak to my father like that on a normal day. I would never dare do it. He was far too powerful and assertive to have a full blown argument with.

“Ask him!” They both yelled in unison, which was freaky.

“Ok then, since you’re the father, Dad. I’m going to ask you. What did you do or didn’t do, or you know what I don’t know, so tell me,” I ordered. I’m pretty sure that made a lot less sense than it did in my head. I am not used to these two being at each other’s throats, this was a very rare occasion and not one I welcomed.

The silence between the two of them was almost deafening. So no one was going to clue me in to what was going on.

“Anyone?” I asked, mostly to the air as they seemed to be taking no notice of me.

“Alrighty then!” I sighed taking me seat again. This was going to take a while, too much stubbornness in my family, at least I know where I get mine from.

“He told me I couldn’t visit my mother’s grave on the anniversary of her death,” Ethan shouted pointing at my father as if he wished his finger was a dagger.

“What? Why? Why wouldn’t you let him go?”

“With the recent attacks it would have been the first place they would look for him. It's basic logic and even though you have said that I only do things to test you and to get you hurt, you are wrong! You are both my children and keeping you safe is my top priority…”

“Right” Ethan huffed rolling his eyes.

“Right, Young man! You are my children. Nothing means more to me than you two. Ethan I am sorry about you not visiting your mother and I promise you that after all this is over, we can go visit her together”

“Whatever,” mumbling he left the office slamming the door shut behind him.

This time of year was always tough for him. Even though, he was young when his mother died, he was very close to her.  I wasn’t myself for some reason I didn’t take to her. Emerald would try and create bonding moments for us, but apparently I was having none of it and would always run away.  According to Emerald the only person I ever wanted when I was a child was my father, daddy’s little girl that’s me.

“I could have handled that better.” Taking his place back behind his desk he poured himself a glass of scotch.

“Really? You think?” I replied sarcastically, that is the understatement of the century.

“Dad I know you, better than most people. What was the real reason for you not letting Ethan go?”