The Lost Heir

by Allison Whitmore

  The television played a favorite holiday classic. The cherubic girl on screen said, "Look, Daddy, teacher says that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

  Soon, the clock struck seven, and a soft knock sounded on her door. Isabella missed the perfect-looking self she'd been in the Underground, but she liked how she looked tonight without the magic. She felt grown up in a silver white dress with lace embroidery, her hair half-pinned up with long spiral curls falling over her shoulders and her makeup done beautifully. She wore a sequined, black-lace mask over her eyes. Though she usually felt awkward, at that moment she felt beautiful. She wondered where the others were.

  Another knock rapped on the door. Theophilus was there in his usual get-up, cape and all. He bowed to her and offered his gloved hand.

  "Like a gothic fairy in the Forest of Violet, you look enchanting. May I have the honor of escorting you to the ball, my queen? And happy birthday."

  Isabella smiled as she placed her black-gloved hand into his purple one. They walked together down the hotel hallway to the elevator.

  The hotel’s main lobby and the hallway to the Lily Field ballroom were full of guests in glittery gowns and stunning masks. Theophilus took Isabella to the entrance where they watched limousine after limousine deliver more stunning-looking guests. She started to feel excited about the rest of the night, but the feeling faded when Theophilus stepped outside, extended his hand, and bowed farewell.

  "What...?"

  Just then, Catherine arrived dressed in a black velvet dress; she had a stone-faced expression.

  "We have some matters to attend to," Theophilus said solemnly. “Your grandmother and I promise to be back before midnight.”

  "You are leaving me?" Isabella asked them both.

  A small smile played across Theophilus’ lips. "Tonight is your night, young diadem.”

  “I trust you to greet all of the guests and make sure everyone is happy, of course,” said Catherine. “But I want you to enjoy yourself.”

  "Where are you going?"

  "IZZY!"

  Xander rushed toward her with Cleo and Micah. When she looked to her Nano for an answer, she and Theophilus were gone.

  "Happy birthday, Izzy!" Xander said breathlessly as he arrived at her side.

  "Your Nano told us you like to celebrate on the first, so we're saving your gifts for then," said Cleo.

  "Any excuse to sneak out and go shopping tomorrow, right?" Isabella quipped, feeling deflated by Theophilus and Catherine’s sudden departure.

  Cleo shrugged. "Who needs an excuse?"

  Seth was walking up behind them dressed in a navy-blue suit and white mask. She knew it was him, but his demeanor made him look sharper, more... something.

  "ISABELLA!"

  She turned and saw her best friend had arrived. Breaking into a big smile, she exclaimed, "LANA!" and moved through the crowd toward her friend with her arms open.

  “I’ve been down here waiting for you for a while, but I guess you slipped past me,” Lana said.

  They hugged tightly. Isabella turned once the others caught up to her, introducing Micah to her good friend. Lana had known Cleo and Xander for years, but they had never been close. As they exchanged polite hellos, Isabella looked for Seth. Her stomach coiled as she saw him intercepted by Johnna Johnson. She couldn’t help but remember that lipstick on Seth's collar the other day.

  "I want to introduce you to some of my friends," she heard Johnna say, pulling Seth toward the ballroom before the rest of them had time to blink.

  At the entrance to the Lily Field ballroom was a spot designated for Isabella to stand and greet guests. Music played on as she welcomed the many glamorous strangers into her great-grandparents’ favorite ballroom. Her senses were heightened. Something was making her uneasy, and she did not know why. Everyone around her seemed happy: laughing and dancing and enjoying themselves. But a sudden panic gripped her heart. There was nothing wrong. It had to be all in her mind, right? The Fire was restored; she was protected.

  Her friends had dispersed into the crowd. Though there was no reason to be concerned at the moment, Isabella was bothered that she had not yet gotten to speak to Seth. He was currently performing on stage with his family. Soon it would be their turn to perform together. At least that might be fun, she thought, though she was growing more and more apprehensive about performing tonight. Theophilus was not there to do his part, which angered her. He and Catherine had not answered her texts.

  Isabella felt tight in her throat and heaviness in her chest as the people in front of her danced the night away. The more she spoke to people she did not know, the more alone she felt.

  By the time nine o'clock arrived, the small rock band, Green Ivy, was entertaining everyone between the Logan family’s sets. Isabella and the boys had not prepared their final performance like they had wanted to. She asked Elyse and Rolf to have the DJ play longer at the end of the night before she did the countdown. She and the boys could sing Auld Lang Syne instead. It wasn’t exactly what her grandmother had envisioned, but it would keep things simple. After greeting most of the guests, she decided to try and join her friends for a while. Lana was somewhere, she knew, but Isabella could not spot her in the crowd.

  A pang stung her heart as she watched Cleo and Xander, animated and jovial in their family reunion with their parents. She was happy for them, of course, and did not want to invade their moment, but her chest ached. They made her think about her parents and wonder why she felt so uneasy and unloved as the clock ticked on. It was almost as if a spell had been cast upon her, even though it wasn’t unusual for her to feel lonely.

  But she'd saved the world, or at least her corner of it, and it was her birthday! Mask long discarded, Isabella scanned the crowd. Lana was chatting with Micah, and she thought about joining them, but when they took to the dance floor together, she turned away.

  Isabella's head hurt. The lights stung her eyes. Who was she trying to fool? She wanted to see Seth. He was the only one who could make her feel better. She realized it was approaching ten-thirty, and she hadn't seen him since he’d been on stage and hadn’t spoken to him at all that night. She decided to go through the back of the ballroom to check the terrace.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  The Waltz

  Relieved to be in the fresh air, Isabella took a moment to fan herself and then wound her way down the terrace steps into the hotel's wide garden. She suddenly felt dizzy, like she was losing control of her senses, and decided to find a place to sit and rest for a while.

  A quiet, cool breeze blew as she continued down the path that overlooked Los Angeles. She gulped in air to steady herself and then honed in on a couple who were hiding underneath the mezzanine. She figured they had wanted to get away, and so she wanted to just pass by them and ignore. Then her heart stopped, and her entire body froze solid as ice. Her eyes had to be lying.

  Seth stood in the shadows, locked in a passionate embrace with Johnna Johnson. Her ears started to ring. Gravity took hold of her muscles as every ounce of oxygen escaped. A heavy ache pressed onto her chest. Not since the fire that killed her parents had such a deep feeling of loneliness enveloped her. Maybe Jack was right: Family and friends meant nothing.

  Her feet stumbled backward, but she managed to turn around and run. Her vision grew hazy, and her shoulder accidentally bumped into a tall, dark shadow. She felt her body turn to ice, ignoring the danger as her senses shut down.

  Isabella ran farther away from the ballroom, down the stone steps toward the kitchen’s staff entrance and into the service elevator that went to her apartment. Once inside, she leaned back against the wall. Solitude did not ease her pain, for it overwhelmed the darkness that was with her now.

  What had happened between them? Why did Seth initiate something if he was still into Johnna? Isabella had to perform soon, and she could not stand him, or anyone else, at this point. There was no way she could go out there now and see Seth’s face, no matter how much Nano needed
her help. Couldn't Theophilus have at least stayed? What did he and Nano have to do on her birthday that was so important? Hurt and resentment lashed at her heart, filling her insides with despair. She made her way toward her room, looking at herself in the living room mirror she passed. Her makeup had smeared under her eyes; her face looked a bit swollen. She still felt like Cinderella in her dress, though, so she didn't want to take it off, but doffed off her painful shoes and slid on sneakers. She chose not to bother washing away her makeup.

  The dizziness had stopped. She lay back on her bed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. She felt she couldn't stay inside. She wanted to scream so badly, but she wouldn't give in. It was her birthday, after all. She could worry later on about Nano’s understanding of why she did not show up and perform, but could she really do that to her? To the hotel? She still had time to be away from everyone before going back. It was still her birthday, and she had the right to do something just for herself. But what? Her eyes fell on her copy of Night at Holiday Hall, and she thought of the theater downstairs. She could go and watch at least part of the movie in there. It was no Johnna Johnson ballroom party, but she didn’t want to be Johnna or anyone like her.

  Isabella headed back to the lobby and, ensuring no one saw her, made her way down to the theater. A sense of loneliness she’d never quite felt in the confines of the space caused her spine to tingle. Then she heard a chilling sound: haunting but enticing. A dark impulse drew her toward the barely audible sound.

  She moved up the stairs to the projector room and slid in the DVD. She returned to the red, plush theater chairs and sat a few rows back from the front in an odd sort of peace, enveloped by darkness and silence.

  She was alone, completely alone.

  As images of her Aunt Beatrice and her leading man, Leonard Heel, filled the screen, her throat tightened as she pictured Seth with Johnna. Pain ate at her core, and soon her thoughts shifted to the memory of her parents. Isabella envisioned them in their coffins, tossing and turning as the burning fire still feasted on their souls in her mind. She rubbed at her eyes in frustration as the cold air began to sting her more as each second passed. Cold air? Then she felt the thing she was ignoring all night: A danger that made her blood turn to ice. Someone was there.

  She watched a frosted fog exhale from her mouth; the hairs on the back of her neck rose as the temperature dropped. She felt a presence around her. Her great-aunt’s voice quavered on the screen as Isabella froze in fear.

  Suddenly, the room turned dark.

  "Behold your legacy, Foxworthy girl!"

  Isabella's heart stopped as she saw on the screen dark eyes staring right back at her. Jack? The film paused, and the screen jittered. Just as she got up and was about to run out, she discovered a dark shadow standing behind her. Isabella turned reluctantly as a tall, startling figure descended over her, giving her no chance to scream.

  ***

  Moments later, Isabella heard voices. Was she asleep? Yes—it felt like she was home in bed… She shivered and reached to pull her covers around her, but they weren't there.

  Pythian's voice whispered in her ear. She swatted him away.

  "You need to wake up, now."

  Isabella slowly woke up and realized that the place she was in was unfamiliar. She started to tremble on an icy-cold floor and then attempted to stand. All she was wearing was her damp ball gown and old sneakers. She looked around and shuddered. It seemed like she was in a dark, open field. Her legs wobbled, but after some struggle, she managed to get up. She started to remember where she had been before blacking out: the theater, with that feeling of a lingering presence behind her. She turned around in the field and saw Robert.

  "Uncle Robert?" she asked in disbelief.

  "Quiet down, child," he said calmly. "Where are my pesky little nephews?" The old man smiled warmly as he stepped toward her.

  "Wait—where have you been all this time? My Nano and my friends' parents went missing. Theophilus got arrested, and then your brother tried to kill us!" She paused to breathe. "They said you were in the hospital."

  "Relax, dear. I'm here to help you. What has Jack done? I'm sure he wouldn't hurt you." Isabella raised an eyebrow.

  "Uncle Robert, I heard you and Theophilus talking about him. You said he was dark."

  "He has never tried to hurt you. He was only trying to help you. Just like I've always done."

  "You're freaking me out, Uncle Robert. What's going on? Where are we?" She looked around frantically. Suddenly, a misty presence engulfed the old man, and his years washed away right before her eyes.

  She looked and gasped at the sight of a suave, handsome man who wore dark clothing, a violet lick in his hair, and an evil smile that was both attractive and dangerous at the same time. Jack. She couldn't breathe. He could change forms.

  "I've been watching you, Isabella. My stupid brother could never have done it for himself." Had he been Robert this whole time? That couldn't be right. Her Nano would have known.

  "Which brother? Theophilus or Robert?" she spat in a feeble attempt to sound brave. She was petrified.

  "Clever girl. Well, both are of my blood, but you are right—only one is rightfully my brother."

  "Where's the real Robert?" She tried to summon some type of power but found herself unable to feel anything but fear. She tried to focus on that, then, to push Jack back with her mind, but it did not work.

  "He's in the hospital, remember?" he sneered.

  "Some of the times when Robert came to visit you, it wasn't him at all. Others, it was. I like to keep things interesting. Didn't you ever wonder how a man so often on the road and engaged in business had enough time to visit you and your pathetic grandmother?"

  "Don't talk about my grandmother that way," she said fiercely.

  Jack stalked toward her with a wide grin. When he extended his hand to her, she stiffened. He patiently waited for her to comply. When she didn't move, he came closer. "I don't want to hurt you, Isabella. Come with me. Let me show you what you're not seeing correctly." His voice was calm but powerful.

  Her hands went up defensively, but he took one of them and placed it in his before taking her other hand and positioning it on his shoulder. She wasn't sure what to do at that moment, but the urge to understand what he'd meant burned fiercely within her. She'd once believed in Jack. Perhaps, there was a small reason why she had. No, she shook her head. He was confusing her. His dark eyes danced with violet and drew her into his web.

  Isabella worked to calm her fear as Jack took her waist with his other hand. Slowly, he stepped away, and she was compelled to follow. A distant, haunting tune played in the air. She was sure she'd heard it before but couldn't pinpoint where she knew it from. She moved along with her dancing partner, only to be drawn into a haunting waltz with him.

  "This piece belonged to Beatrice, once upon a time," he told her, eyes hollowing as if looking at both her and a memory. "I wrote it for her, you know. Music courses through my veins like it did with the great Hugo Varelli's, like it did with my mother's. But they let her die, and your grandmother, her truest friend, betrayed her by shunning me, never letting me near her precious daughter. But Beatrice was mine."

  "What...?"

  Jack cut her off. "Tonight is your birthday..."

  Tears stung her eyes. "Please. Where are we?"

  "Happy birthday, Isabella. It's almost midnight, and your special day will end with your newest friend. You see, Diadem child, the fire will no longer protect you on any birthday you have hereafter."

  He continued to move her in the waltz. Her fear returned, clutching at her heart and begging to be free. Was it true? Did the fire not protect her because it was her birthday? But why? Was that why she’d become so weak as her birthday had drawn near? She felt deserted and alone with a killer who had no intention of releasing her, she assumed. She looked around to get an idea of where they were and noticed that they were somewhere she did not recognize; the only thing that looked familiar were the flowe
rs that dotted the grass. She recalled seeing them along the path to Wish Valley.

  "And what’s more? You and I share this special day,” he said with a smooth laugh. “Did you know that?"

  She mustered up as much strength as she could. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked, knowing full well that it was because she was vulnerable now and he wanted her for all the reasons Colin and Theophilus had explained to her before. And yet she had a feeling there was more to it somehow.

  "You brought yourself here."

  "You’re full of it."

  "I know you have questions for me. I'd be happy to answer them for you."

  "Tell me what you want with me. I have a right to know."

  Jack locked his eyes on her as they continued to waltz. She shut her eyes against the intensity of his gaze. A tremendous, dark power emanated from him. When she looked again, his changing eyes appeared to be the deepest and blackest she'd ever seen on a person.

  "I just want to spend some time with the last diadem before the portal closes," he explained in a slimy manner. "Don't you remember? The portal to the Underground closes on the first of the year."

  "Wait, we're in the Underground?" she asked fearfully. She couldn't be there with Jack alone. How long did they have until midnight? She looked up at him. He was trying to trap her there. He wanted to keep her for himself.

  "You can't do this. You can't keep me here."

  He smiled with wicked enjoyment as the music died down, and he stepped away from her. "I'm about to get everything I've ever wanted, and you're here to help me."

  His evil laugh infuriated Isabella. She wanted to strangle him. But her powers were stifled, frozen. He'd obviously done something to neutralize them.