The Key ( #1 Anna Kippling Series) YA Paranormal Romance / Epic Fantasy

by A. D. Duling

  “Yes there is!” Anna perked up. She pulled the pendant out from under her shirt. She rubbed the stone and said the words: “Conceal me.” and disappeared.

  “Good job Anna!” Hayden whispered, “Tap on the door if it’s clear,” he spoke to the air where she had once stood and heard an. “Ok,” In response. Hayden stepped away from the door and watched as it quietly opened and shut again. A few minutes later they heard a light tap come from the other side of it and Hayden opened the door.

  “It leads into another room and its empty,” Anna whispered to him as soon as he opened it, “There are two adjacent corridors from there,” she whispered and Hayden nodded. “Reveal me,” came Anna’s voice and then she appeared in front of him.

  “Welcome back,” said Hayden and Anna smiled.

  “Which way do you think we should go?” Anna asked them when they reached the other room.

  “Should we split up?” Val suggested.

  “No we should stay together,” Hayden stressed.

  “No, we should split up!” Val insisted, “Hayden you go left and Anna and I will take the right,” She instructed him.

  Hayden and Anna exchanged looks.

  “I don’t feel right about that. I think we should stay together,” He argued.

  “Fine, but I think we should go this way first!” Val whispered back.

  Hayden stared at his friend for a moment, realizing only then how tired and frail she looked. His heart dropped and he hated himself for not have noticing before. He looked over to Anna and she nodded her approval.

  “Ok Val, if you think so,” He agreed.

  Val stared back at him and nodded her head; her eyes dark pools reflecting the shadow of the person she once was. Even though Hayden could not read minds, he knew somehow, his friend knew that he was on to her. Her eyes held his a moment longer, before Val finally turned and led the way.

  They followed her along as she slowly walked down the corridor that led to another room and their trap. Behind the statue in the middle were two doors, where one of them slammed open and a group of guards stormed in; their swords already drawn and pointed towards them. Neither Hayden nor Anna drew their swords in response, but looked to their friend who now cried.

  “I’m so sorry…”She pleaded to Anna; “I had no choice…” Val’s voice broke.

  “It’s ok Val,” Hayden consoled her as she looked between them both; their eyes forgiving. Val nodded and stepped back in defeat as a familiar face walked into the room.

  “Hello again Anna...” The General spoke to her, as he stepped inside.

  “Hello, General,” said Anna, snidely.

  “You mean Chancellor,” He corrected her and then looked over to Val, “You did well girl and are free to go,” He addressed her coldly.

  “Why do I not feel any better?” Val asked him, “You said if I brought her to you, you would remove the curse!” she reminded him and he laughed.

  “Yes… you’re right, I did,” He agreed with her, “But I lied,” His words cut the air.

  Chapter Thirty One

  “But I will die!” Val cried out.

  “Well then…I suggest you go and enjoy the rest of your life, while you can!” he snapped back coldly, turning his eyes back on Anna, no longer interested in her.

  Val turned and looked to them, “I deserve this for betraying you both, please forgive me,” She cried to them. Anna remembered the beads and walked over to her friend, ignoring the guards who shifted about at her movement and hugged her.

  “Eat one; I think it will help you,” Anna whispered into her ear as she discreetly stuffed the satchel of beads given to her from the trees into the front pocket of Val’s jacket.

  “How touching!” The Chancellor responded sarcastically to their display and clapped his hands to antagonize them. Anna sneered at him and stepped away from Val.

  “Escort this young lady off of our premises and take the young man to his awaiting quarters,” He ordered the two nearest guards. Anna watched helplessly as one guard grabbed Val roughly by the arm and quickly pushed her out of the room, while the other guard shackled Hayden’s arms behind him. His eyes remained on Anna’s, until he turned the corner.

  “The rest of you leave the room, I want to talk to Ms. Kippling alone,” The Chancellor ordered his men as he walked over to her. Each man gave a salute and quickly left the room, leaving the man and the teenager alone. “What was it that you give to your little friend?” He asked Anna, trying to intimidate her.

  “I gave her a gift of hope,” Anna answered him.

  “And what could you have possibly given to her, that could help her present situation?” he asked her unimpressed, but Anna didn’t answer him, “It’s been foreseen that you are the chosen one,” said the Chancellor, eyeing her up and down, “But, I don’t see anything so special standing in front of me,” He snarled.

  “So you came here to rescue the Empress didn’t you?” He asked her, “Not working out exactly how you planned it is it?” his words belittled her. Anna remained silent standing before him. “Answer me!” he yelled to her and slapped her hard across the cheek, not liking this.

  The blow surprised her and knocked Anna off balance. She stumbled back and cupped her throbbing cheek, which burned like fire, but didn’t hold it long. Anna let her hand drop back down to her side, not but wanting to give him the satisfaction.

  “So, you’re here to defeat me,” he went on smugly, pleased with her reaction, “So tell me now, how do you plan on doing that Anna Kippling?” He challenged her. Anna’s eyes looked up into his, but she didn’t answer him.

  Another hard slap followed her silence, which sent Anna this time, tumbling to the floor. Blood trickled down from her nose and onto her lips as a result of the hard blow and Anna wiped it away with her sleeve. Her nose hurt and throbbed badly. The flesh on her face, where the rest of his hand had hit, stung and did not lessen even as the cooling tears fell down over cheeks. Anna ignored them and only wiped at her bleeding nose again before she stood up. Her eyes went back on his as she returned to her place in front of him.

  “Don’t you dare challenge me girl!” he screamed and slapped her again; sending her right back down and crying out this time. His blow had been to the other check and again to her nose, blood trickled out now and Anna wondered if it was broken. She sat up and brought her sleeve to her nose to stop it, but the Chancellor’s grabbing hands roughly took her by the hair and hers went up to the patch he pulled on. He tilted Anna’s head up and made her look at him.

  “I’m going to kill you Anna Kippling and I’m going to do it VERY SLOWLY!” He hissed at her as he jerked her head back more. Anna cried out and more tears fell down her face, mixing with the blood from her still bleeding nose. He laughed and let go of her.

  “A child is what you are!” The Chancellor spat down at her, “The chosen one to bring me down, is nothing but a little crying child!” he yelled out into the air, mocking her.

  “You’re right,” Anna agreed with him and he looked back down at her, “I am just a child,” she said and the Chancellor smiled in self-satisfaction, “but a child with a knife!” Anna screamed and plunged her grandmother’s dagger into the top of his thigh.

  His scream was a shrill one as he reeled back and grabbed at it. Anna quickly jumped up and ran out through the door in the direction where the guard had taken Hayden.

  “Guards..!” Anna heard him scream after her, like a psychopath as she barreled down the long corridor. Anna hid herself behind a large statue sitting inside a nook and pulled out her book. “Tell me how to get to Hayden?” Anna almost screamed at it and waited impatiently as it wrote its answer.

  Go to the last door on the left and take the stairs down. You will enter another corridor. At the end of that one; you will follow the stairs down to a door leading to the dungeon. It instructed her.

  Anna quickly put away her book and grabbed her grandmother’s pendant. “Conceal me!” She said. Anna rubbed the stone and then disappear
ed.

  Following the books directions, Anna went to the last door on her left and pressed her ear to it. Suddenly the door handle turned and she quickly moved aside and pressed herself against the wall beside it. Anna watched as the lone guard stepped through and before the door closed behind him, she quickly slipped through and was raced down the steps for the other corridor.

  If she was visible, only a flash of Anna would have been seen as the teen raced towards the stairway leading down to the dungeon and to Hayden. At the top, Anna stopped and slowly made her way down the steps. She approached the closed door with caution, in case another came darting from this one.

  The stairway was narrow and hiding would be hard for her this time, Anna was sure someone would feel her in passing, being too tight to fit two. The viewer on the dungeon door was closed, but it gave Anna an idea. Anna pressed her ear against the door and listened, on the other side she heard two voices and hoped there were only two guards inside. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but could hear the approaching footsteps of someone coming towards the door and she quickly pressed herself tight up against the wall.

  The door opened and one guard walked out. The door was opened wide enough for Anna to see inside, where she saw only one guard seated at a small table across from Hayden sitting in a cell. The guard exiting was thankfully thin and Anna leaving plenty of room between them. Anna waited until his steps of the stairs ended before she knocked on the door. A second later, the other guard opened the little viewer and looked out. Her being invisible, he did not see her standing there and only saw an empty other side. The door viewer closed and then Anna heard the door knob turn and she stepped aside as he opened it.

  The guard stood cautiously on the other side of the threshold and looked around. He then he stepped out and walked up a couple of steps to look above, giving Anna plenty of room and time to slip inside. Anna moved quickly over to the wall far from his path and watched as the guard shut the door and walked back over to the table. He gave Hayden a sneer before he sat back down and returned to his cards.

  Above him, hung a set of keys, which Anna assumed went to the jail cells. She wanted to laugh on how primitive this scene seemed, but knew she still had a challenge. Anna would have to knock out the guard to get to them, she knew this, but was afraid she wouldn’t hit him hard enough and then would have bigger problems. The thought of killing him crept in against her will after that, but Anna couldn’t bring herself to kill a man.

  The door bursting open, thankfully saved her from that possibility and Anna watched as the guards exchanged words and then both ran out of the room; leaving the door open and the keys still hanging on the wall.

  “What about the prisoner?” she heard one ask the other as they ran up.

  “Never mind him,” the other answered him, “He wants the girl!”

  Anna grinned to herself and snatched the keys from their place off of the wall. Hayden jumped to his feet as soon as he saw them lift up and grinned, “Anna!” he spoke her name, knowing it was her.

  “Reveal me!” Anna blurted out and appeared in front of his cell door. Hayden rushed over and Anna started trying the keys; the third one unlocked it.

  “Do you know where Val is?” she asked him.

  As if in answer Val rushed into the room with her sword drawn.

  “She’s right there,” said Hayden, grinning broadly.

  Realizing there was no threat; Val grinned and ran over to them and gave Anna a big hug.

  “How are you feeling?” Anna asked her as she hugged her back.

  “Never better…” Her friend replied.

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Val handed Anna the bag of beads. “I thank you for these Anna; you saved my life,” She said.

  “I’m glad they worked,” Anna smiled back at her as she took it.

  “I only had to take one and instantly felt better!” Val exclaimed, “Where ever did you get these from?” she asked her.

  “She’ll have to tell us about that later Val; right now we need to get to the Empress and get out of here,” Hayden interrupted her.

  Val nodded and Anna stuffed the beads into her jacket pocket, pulling her book out at the same time, “How do we get to the Empress?” Anna asked it as soon she opened it.

  In the Chancellor’s office, go back where you started and go through the other door, it’s up the stairs. Her book answered her.

  “Where is the Chancellor?” Anna asked it next.

  He is in his office, waiting for you.

  “Are we heading into a trap?”

  Yes.

  “Is there no avoiding it?”

  No, to save the Empress this must play out…

  “How many are waiting for us in the room?” Anna asked it.

  There are five.

  “Can we take them?”

  You must let them capture you.

  “What will happen to us, if we don’t?” she asked, but Hayden reached over and shut the book on her. Anna looked up at him. “Why’d you do that?” she asked him.

  “Sometimes knowing too much can hurt you more than it can help.” Hayden told her and used his handkerchief to dab at her nose. Anna had forgotten about her nose and wondered how bad she looked.

  “It’s not broken and you’re just a little messy,” Val informed her, reading her thoughts.

  Anna smiled. “I see you’re feeling better, gonna start a new habit?” she asked her friend and Val smiled devilishly.

  “I’m going to kill him for doing this too you…” Hayden spoke bitterly.

  “You should see what I did to him!” Anna told him and he laughed.

  “I’m sure it’s worse than this right?” he asked her and Anna nodded.

  “So what’s the plan? Walk ourselves into a possible death trap?” Anna asked him, but he shook his head.

  “Not entirely,” said Hayden, “we need to go in it being observant. Things may be planned that way Anna, but it doesn’t mean it has to play out that way,” he said. Anna didn’t like his answer.

  “Maybe you can do that, but I can’t Hayden,” She declared and opened her book again; Hayden’s hands came back over and gently guided it shut.

  “You can question this so many times Anna and get so many answers, but there is no way you can be fully prepared. The book may say you have to let things play out, but it’s you who really decides how the game is played,” his words were wise.

  “But the more we know the better chance we have in stopping what happens!” Anna exclaimed, her voice raised, tears forming in her eyes.

  “What do you think is going to happen, Anna?” Hayden asked her, gently wiping at them with his handkerchief.

  Anna couldn’t tell him, she knew he believed in changing one’s fate and that nothing was written in stone; but what if it was? What if some things could not be changed, only differently played out. The book said Hayden would die, unless Anna saved him. What if she didn’t, what if Anna didn’t do everything right and failed. Anna didn’t want to die, but also didn’t want Hayden to die either. If asking as many questions as she could would ensure his survival, then Anna needed to do just that.

  His eyes looked into hers as he patiently waited for her to answer him. Anna knew he could see her inner turmoil, but knew he would refuse her still from opening the book again. Anna nodded and put her book away, “Fine,” She gave in. Hayden nodded and Anna wanted to kiss him; she did so, taking him by surprise. Anna would make sure she wouldn’t mess up and needed to kiss him, because it would be their last one.

  “What was that for?” Hayden asked her, grinning.

  “It was for good luck!” Anna told him and then darted towards the stairs, drawing her sword out.

  Hayden looked over to Val; “I love it when she’s angry!” he teased and ran after her. Val laughed and followed after him.

  The room where Anna had just battled with the Chancellor resided two guards. A pool of blood sat in the middle of the floor, evidence of their encounter. “Anna, what did
you do to him?” Hayden whispered to her, looking impressed.

  Anna grinned, “I stabbed him in the thigh,” She proudly shared and he grinned.

  “Good girl!” he whispered in cheer.

  “Ready?” Val asked them on the other side of her and they nodded.