With only one week left and no progress to show for it, Lyla was growing anxious. What if she ran out of time and could not find what Damien was after? He would kill Lilly and most likely her grandfather as well, if he hadn’t already.
She had communicated with Lilly telepathically, but it was very brief. All she found out was Lilly was in Damien’s castle, and before she’d found out anything, Damien had taken her necklace.
Lyla went into the woods and sat by a nearby stream to clear her mind. She needed time away from the house and everyone in it. No one was saying anything to her about not finding what they were looking for, but she knew they were growing impatient. All the weight and pressure had been placed on her shoulders. She had no idea why her dreams were not leading her in the right direction, or changing at all, as she found herself dreaming the same old dream she’d had for the last twenty-two years, or at least as far as she could remember. Was it because she was so far away from Armoria? She couldn’t go back to find out. They had already wasted enough time, and she was also ordered not to return by Monroe. Morgan most likely had something to do with it.
The thought of Morgan made her angry. It wasn’t just because of her obsession with Thomas. She was no better than the Demorites, taking and controlling everything. Lyla threw a rock as far as she could and punched the ground, immediately regretting it. She shook out her hand and rested it on her leg waiting for the pain to subside.
“Are you all right?” She turned and saw Giselle walking up behind her, gazing at her throbbing hand.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled. Giselle sat next her and dipped her hand into the water, feeling it graze her fingertips as it slowly flowed by.
“You don’t seem okay to me and you have no reason to be, really. Your sister and grandfather are gone, and you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately.”
“I said, I’m fine,” Lyla snapped. Giselle rose from where she was sitting and started to walk away.
“Giselle, wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…I know you mean well. Like you said, I am under a lot of pressure, and I’m just worried that I won’t be able to save them.”
Giselle returned to where she’d been sitting, and placed a hand on Lyla’s shoulder. “You know I’m here for you, right? We all are. I know I’m not Lilly, and I’m only your half-sister, but I want you to feel like you can come to me for anything.”
Lyla smiled at her.
“You know I didn’t like you the first time we met. You deflected my blade, which I can’t even do, and you just seemed so perfect. I guess I was sort of jealous.”
“I didn’t like you either. You tried to kill me after all.” They both broke into a laugh. “I’m glad you’re my sister,” Lyla said. “I’m glad too,” Giselle said. “I can teach you how to deflect a knife by the way. With your skill level, I’m sure you will get it on the first try…maybe the second,” she chuckled.
“I’d like that,” Lyla said.
The sun had gone down as they both walked back to the cottage. William had made dinner with what was left in the cupboards and a few vegetables from the garden. They all sat around the table, and for the first time in weeks, they all seemed happy, as if they had forgotten about all the pressures of the world. She knew she would get a good night’s sleep…or so she thought.
Lyla stands in the kitchen of her grandparents’ house. The house is silent, until the door opens. Her mother comes through with a letter in hand. Her eyes are red and she looks more tired than Lyla has ever seen her. She sits at the table and throws the letter to the side. She rubs her eyes before putting her hands down and looks across the table. She reaches for a shirt that is folded nicely and begins to cry into it.
Lyla comes to the conclusion that it is her father’s shirt and she must have made him leave just recently. That’s why she has been crying.
She continues to weep into the shirt until she finally puts it down and wipes her eyes. She reaches for the letter and opens it. Lyla notices her address on it, but it is addressed from an unknown source.
Lyla can’t tell what it says or who it is from, but she sees her mother’s expression change from sadness to worry and horror.
Her mother finds a piece of paper and begins writing. A few short sentences later, she folds the paper and runs into her bedroom. She comes out with a small box, the piece of paper, and a piece of twine. After writing a message on the blank sheet, she places the paper on top of the box and wraps the twine around them so they will remain together.
She makes her way to the nursery and Lyla follows. The babies are sleeping in their cribs and Lyla can see the sun disappearing through the window. It is getting late in the evening. She turns her attention back to her mother who has pulled the dresser away from the wall. Lyla watches closely as she pulls up a piece of floorboard and places the box inside. She replaces the floorboard and moves the dresser back against the wall.
That’s it! That must be what I am supposed to find.
Her mother makes her way back into the kitchen and grabs the letter before continuing to the attic. When she returns she is empty-handed. She goes to her room and pulls out an empty bag from under the bed. She begins stuffing it with clothes and the same picture that Lyla has always kept beside her bed.
She is leaving.
A loud banging noise comes at the door. Lyla’s mother walks to the kitchen and a dark figure has knocked the door down.
Damien.
Her back is pressing against the kitchen counter as he approaches her.
“Where is it?” he asks.
“I do not have what you seek,” she says.
“I know you have it,” he yells. “Give it to me or you and your children will die.”
She reaches for a glass vase sitting on the counter behind her and smashes it over his head. She runs past Lyla and into the nursery, closing the door behind her. Lyla knows perfectly well what happens next. She stands out of the way and waits for him to follow her mother to the nursery, but instead he grabs her throat, squeezing tightly, and presses her against the wall.
Lyla grabs at his hands, trying to get him to release her, but she can’t get him off.
“You know where it is,” he says. “Bring the pieces to me or she dies.”
“Lilly,” she whimpers, trying to catch her breath. Damien squeezes tighter around her throat, stealing her breath, and blurring her vision.
Lyla woke gasping for air. Thomas was over her, and William and Giselle had appeared behind him.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re safe,” Thomas said.
He held her in his arms when she’d calmed down and caught her breath. She told them about her dream, and how her mother had been crying over her father. William seemed happy that she had missed him, but it also brought back sad memories as well. She told them of the letter, and what Damien had said and done to her.
Giselle pointed out that she had claw marks on her neck. Lyla’s hand touched her throat. She must have clawed herself in her sleep when she was trying to get Damien to release her.
“Do you know where the item is?” William asked. “Whatever it is, they are after.”
Lyla looked at all of them, from one face to another. She quickly got out of bed and walked into the nursery. The dresser was no longer knocked over from the invasion. When they were searching through the house over the past three weeks they had restored it to its former glory. The house was neat and clean with no broken pieces of furniture or shattered glass on the floor. Lyla grabbed the edges of the dresser and pulled it away from the wall. William, Giselle, and Thomas stood behind her and watched as she pulled up the floor board. It was still there. She reached down and pulled out the same paper and box that were tied together in her dream.
“This is it,” Lyla said. “I think this is what he wants.”
Lyla sat with her back against the wall as she untied the string and opened the paper. It had aged and turned yellow, but it was still legible. She read it through once on her own as everyone stare
d in curiosity.
One heart turning into three,
Oh, how special you will be
Crystal and gold will surely meet,
And find destruction at its feet
So, pray it falls in the right hands,
Before earth meets its final stand
“It’s a poem?” Lyla said. “I don’t understand.” She shook her head and read it aloud for everyone to hear.
William told her to open the box and perhaps it would make more sense.
She did as he said and opened the box. Inside lay a ring. It was a diamond ring with a gold band with two leaves on it, on each side of the diamond. One was a light green and the other was a soft orange. Lyla thought it was very delicate and beautiful. She couldn’t stop staring at it.
“Lyla, do you know what that is?” William asked.
“It’s a ring, but what could it mean?” she replied.
“That is your mother’s wedding ring,”
Lyla stayed silent as she pondered why Damien would want this. How could her mother’s wedding ring mean anything to him?
“Isn’t it obvious?” Giselle said. They all stared at her. It wasn’t obvious to them, but apparently to her it was clear as day.
“Why don’t you enlighten us instead of keeping us all on edge,” Thomas said with an irritated tone.
She glared back at him, and went through each line, explaining what she thought it meant.
“One heart turning into three, oh how special you will be,” she repeated. “Your mom had the two of you.” She gestured to Lyla. “Three people, three hearts. When she gave birth to you her one heart turned into three for you and Lilly. Also, you are the first twins in the history of Armoria. That makes you pretty special if you ask me.”
So far everything she had said made sense so they let her continue without interruption.
“Crystal and gold will surely meet, and find destruction at its feet. Crystal meaning your symbols. The crystals you have hanging around your neck, or at least you should have around your neck.”
She noticed Lyla did not have hers on. She had taken it off when she went to bed, and it was on her nightstand.
“And gold meaning your mother’s wedding ring. According to the poem, if all three are put together something bad will happen. So, pray it falls in the right hands, before earth meets its final stand. The reason Damien wants these three pieces is most likely because he wants to destroy the world. If they fall into his hands that is most likely what will happen, which is also what the poem means when it refers to falling into the right hands.”
“What I don’t understand is how my mother knew all of this. She knew Damien was coming after it, but she wasn’t Armorian so how would she know?” She thought to herself for a moment and then remembered the letter. “Dad did you send her that letter? In my dream that letter seemed to be the reason she hid her ring in the first place.”
“No,” he said. “At the time, I had just told her I was Armorian, and the Demorites hadn’t yet invaded earth when I left. I had no idea what your symbols were at the time either. Not until you opened the box in my office.”
Lyla rose to her feet and went to the attic door. She had never been up there and had never wanted to, but now she had no choice. She had let everyone else search the attic while she searched her grandfather’s office. She had been in there many times to take him dinner when he was in the middle of an invention and would not leave the room until he finished, so it did not bother her. Except, it made her miss her grandfather even more seeing all of his inventions. Some finished and some unfinished.
She walked up the narrow stairs and everyone followed. It was dark and everything was covered in dust. Most of the items were her mother’s old things, which was the reason she never wanted to go in the attic. It would only make her miss her mother that much more. The room was not very big, but she hoped her mother didn’t hide the letter in a secret compartment or they would never find it. Everyone spread out in different directions and searched for the letter.
Since the attic had already been searched, they had a good idea of where to start. They had seen many letters and papers before, but they did not pay much attention to them. They had no idea a letter could be of such importance.
Lyla headed toward an old desk while everyone else searched through different boxes. It had stacks of papers piled on it that looked ages old. She looked through them, but she didn’t find the letter. No one else had found anything either. She felt defeated, but then she noticed the desk drawers that were hidden by a stack of boxes. She opened the top drawer and found nothing. She looked through the second drawer and found nothing but old newspapers. She was about to give up when she reached the bottom and saw an envelope. She was hoping this would be the one. It had her address on it with an unknown sender and it was the same envelope she’d seen in her dream. This had to be it. She felt a sigh of relief wash over her.
They all gathered in the kitchen and sat around the table as Lyla read the letter.
Dear Mrs. Langston,
We have never met, but I am from Armoria. I’m sure your husband has told you all about it by now. I have known him since he was a boy, and he has come to be a very fine young man. It is my greatest displeasure to tell you that you and your children are in grave danger. A darkness is headed your way that cannot and will not be stopped. In my younger days, I came across an old document that mentioned a prophecy. In this prophecy, a set of Armorian twins are born and grow up to be great leaders that defeat grave evil. I did not think anything of it, because no one had ever had twins of Armorian descendants until now. Your children are the first twins in the history of Armoria to be born and they are destined to do great things. This man that is coming for you will kill them if given the chance. You must save them, for the future of humanity depends on it. Below is a poem that comes with the prophecy.
One heart turning into three,
Oh, how special you will be
Crystal and gold will surely meet,
And find destruction at its feet
So, pray it falls in the right hands,
Before earth meets it final stand
This poem is about your family, my dear. You have two children, and with your own, it makes three hearts. Every Armorian has a symbol, and according to the poem, your children will have crystal symbols. If your golden ring comes together with their crystals and falls into the hands of the dark ones all will be lost and earth will exist no more. Hide your ring where no one will ever find it. Many lives depend on your bravery.
Sincerely,
A.S
“I guess I was pretty dead on about the poem,” Giselle said proudly. Although it would have been easier to find the letter first.” Everyone ignored her and she frowned.
“A.S,” Thomas said. “Who is A.S?”
Lyla stared at the letter and the initials signed at the bottom. The letter began to shake in her hand. William shot a concerned look in her direction.
“I know who it is,” Lyla said. “I noticed a book in his house initialed in the same handwriting. We’ve encountered him several times since I arrived at Armoria.”
No one took a guess at who she was talking about so she rolled her eyes in frustration.
“Arthur Storington.”
Chapter 21
Everyone gasped when Lyla told them the name of the man who had secretly written to her mother. Lyla could hardly believe it herself, but who else could it be?
“He never spoke a word of this to me,” William said. “He is a family friend. Why would he hide this? How did he know they were coming for her? For you?” His gaze landed on Lyla.
“It’s like the letter said,” Giselle chimed in. “He knew of the prophecy, and they fit it perfectly.”
“He should have said something. He should have told me.” William was getting upset, and his voice grew louder with every word. How could a man he knew for so long keep such a secret from him? His mind was going in a thousand different directions try
ing to wrap his head around the situation.
“There was nothing you could have done,” Lyla said. “Even if you knew, you would not have made it to us. You couldn’t have, there was no possible way. Arthur knew that, and that is probably why he didn’t tell you. It would have torn you apart knowing that we were in danger and you could do nothing about it.”
“I need to see him. I need to hear it from him,” William said. “I feel like he betrayed me.”
“We can’t go back to Armoria. We don’t have the time. Lilly and my grandfather have been taken, and I will not waste a moment until I know they are safe. You can do nothing about what happened in the past, but you can help me. Right now, Lilly needs us.”
William sighed and tried to force his anger to diminish. “You’re right! They are our number-one priority.”
“With that being said, we need to think of our next move. We need a plan on how we are going to break them out. Everyone take some time and think of suggestions. We leave at dusk,” Lyla said.
They all got up from the table and went to their rooms to gather their belongings while they thought of a plan, but it wasn’t easy. What were they going to do? Walk into the city past Damien’s army without a second glance? No, they would be seen, and the Demorites would try to kill them. They had to be clever and devious. Somehow, they would have to sneak into the city, past the guards, and find out where they were hiding Lilly and Grandpa Joe, wherever that was. How were they going to complete such a task without giving Damien exactly what he wanted? It felt almost impossible, but they wouldn’t give up without a fight.
Aftermath_The Armorian Chronicles Page 20
