Post by Michelle Mackenzie (Admin) on May 20, 2011 12:56:27 GMT 1
CHAPTER 1
Marissa stared bitterly at the closed steel door. She tried to remember her garden lined with yellow, pink and white roses. It had almost been over a year since she last tended to her garden.
She sighed, listening to several men shouting, demanding to be released.
Finally having enough, she stood up from the concrete slab, only having a thin blue matress layed out beneath her. She had grown accustomed to the concrete confining cell.
"Will you be quiet? They're not going to release you whilst you're acting like animals!" she shrieked.
"This is a prison, not a zoo!"
Her cell door swung open and was greeted by police officers.
"Right, you're free to go. Don't forget to turn up to your probabation officer ever week."
Marissa grunted, "If you say so."
The police lead her through the hall and out of the main exit at the end.
The bright sun shone down on her. She smiled, it had been a long year, but now she was free.
"I need a drink," she muttered. Silently, she wondered where the nearest bar was located.
Smiling cooley, she decided that it didn't matter, she would find a bar soon enough. She walked towards the next town, they'd have a tavern for sure.
The Pendant of Circle Secuity was passed down through the family.
Henry Pike didn't think much of it, other than it had been in his family for generations.
It didn't look like much. Simply a bronze circle with a shape of a key in the middle.
It was kept on a thick chain, hung around the neck of his father.
Henry only got a quick glimpse of the pendant now and again.
Each time, he had asked his father what the pendant was for- and why he was always wearing it.
He was never told, even as he grew to be a mostly- honest young adult. His father simply gave him the same reply he had been hearing all his life.
"I'll tell you about it when you're older," and that would be the end of it, before his father turned and disappeared into his room.
He tried asking his mother, hoping to be enlightened. She didn't offer him much knowledge either.
"It's a special pendant. That's all you need to know."
Henry would sigh, feeling as though all he needed to know, was just not enough.
The years passed him by, and he found himself his own appartment.
His father, who still wore the pendant and chain, would begin to ask him questions. He found them odd. "How do you keep rooms seperate and private to other strangers?"
Henry always frowned, finding this question insulting.
"You close and lock the door behind you," he answered. That simple answer alone brought a smile to his father's face, so he tolerated his strange behaviour.
This day, five years later, began no differently...
His father entered henry's lounge, looking grim.
"Do you know what this is yet?"
Henry sighed, it was obvious that he didn't.
"It's a pendant with a key on it," he replied curtly.
"What does the key mean?" the father demanded.
Henry shrugged, "It's a key. Keys open things."
Jason nodded, it wasn't hard to answer.
"Yes, but can you guess what it opens?"
Henry looked at him for a long moment. Why couldn't he just tell him- instead of having to question everything. Henry looked closer at the key, noticing the small lettering around the outter circle.
"The place where you keep disappearing to?" he asked, sarcastically.
Jason nodded, running his hands over his balding head. "How'd you know?"
Henry, whose head was full of blonde, but thin hair, shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't. I was being sarcastic. What does The Keeper of the Circle mean?"
Jason blinked again, his face paleing.
"Where did you hear that?"
Henry sighed, "Father, I am 21. I can read, remember. It's right there written on the pendant."
Jason chuckled nervously. "Ah. I see. I had forgotten that was there."
Jason Pike looked at his son firmly in the eyes.
"Now you are of age, you are able to take over as the keeper of the circle."
Henry blinked, not sure if he was understanding his father correctly.
"What is the keeper of the circle? What do I do?"
Jason stood up; his bones creaked with age.
"Come to work with me today, and I will show you what to do- and the ropes of the bar."
Henry almost laughed. "A bar? That's where you've been hiding? In a bar?"
He was horrified, stepping back from his father in disbelief.
Jason shook his head, "It's not just a bar. That bar is the gateway to every universe on this side of the galaxy."
Henry frowned, his brow stitched together.
"A gateway to other universes?"
Henry sighed, suspecting that his father had been drinking- or inhaling strange fumes."
Jason waved his hand dismissfully. "Come to work with me today- you'll soon see how it's done."
Henry nodded, though feeling somewhat reluctant to spend his time in an bar.
"All right," he said, surrendering himself. "When do we get there?"
Jason looked at his son grimly, tears stung his eyes. "We leave in an hour."
Henry stood, watching his father walk away from him.
He was doing what his father wanted, he knew. So, why did he look so sad?
An hour passed slowly, as he waited for his father to arrive.
He wasn't sure what he was suppose to be expecting.
"This way," Jason said, still looking grim.
Henry followed his father outside. Opposite the street was a row of houses.
He knew the street well enough.
He watched as his father turned the corner, and began to head down an alley.
"What are we doing this way?" Henry asked.
Jason continued, not answering.
As they exited at the other end, Henry could see a road full of houses in disrepair.
Right at the end, was a corner. A large building sat on the pavement- looking worse than all the buildings there. It was near to falling down.
"This place needs some rebuilding," Henry muttered.
Jason smiled, walking into the desolate building.
"Get out of there- it's dangerous!" Henry called out, horrified.
There was a moment when the world around him stood still.
Nervously, Henry began to approach the rubbled building and stepped inside.
He gasped, his heart jumped in expectation.
"I don't get it," Henry gasped.
The large fallen building was the bar.
The walls were painted dark red.
The tables were made of empty barrels merely tipped up-side-down.
The chairs were nicely polished stalls, seemingly made of solid oak.
"This place..." he trailed off, still amazed. "It looks brand new."
Jason nodded, smiling. "That's the best part of being the keeper. The bar inside is always new- and in very good condition. Though, the outside is falling apart. Its the centre of the universes, so it remains unaffected."
Henry nodded, staring at the building in awe.
"The building outside still needs some work though," he stated.
His father shrugged, "Yeah, I suppose it does."
Jason continued to point to the exits, naming them each.
All of them were different names of the universes.
"Ashtin- what?" Henry stuttered, struggling to repeat each name.
"Ash-tin-lie" Jason repeated, breaking the word down.
Henry nodded, finally understanding. It wasn't easy.
"At the beginning of each month, set the security alarm to reset itself. This will stop the bar from being invaded- but you or someone you trust must never leave. This place must never be unoccupied- it's too easy to start a war."
Henry sighed, Jason had been repeating the same line over ten times now.
"Yes, Dad. I get it. I will never be able to leave without having someone sit in."
Jason nodded, feeling grim. He was condoning his son to a life time of loneiness.
"After three months, you will have to spring clean and make the bar neat and clean enough to look brand new."
Henry nodded, that sounded simple enough.
As the clock chimed twelve times, Jason sighed and took a step back.
"Do you remember and understand everything?"
Henry frowned, organising his thoughts.
"For the moment."
Jason nodded, his shift was over.
"Right. Let's see how you handle the night shift on your own. I will see you in the morning."
Henry blinked, suprised to be left alone so soon.
"Can I sleep?" Henry asked.
Jason laughed, "Of course you can. There's a bed in the back, plus a kettle and everything you need."
Henry's shoulders sagged under the weight of responsibilty.
He stepped through the back door, and saw a small room. It was big enough to take two beds- and include a set of drawers. Though, there was room for little else.
Yawning, he pulled off his shoes and laid down on the bed. It was bumpy and old, much like his own matress at home. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.
---
Hours passed by beefore Henry was woken with a loud bang.
The door entrance screeched open before slamming shut.
A woman stepped through into the bar room, looking around in disgust.
"I want a Tonic- leave out the gin." the woman demanded.
Henry stared at her, horrified. "Who are you?" he asked, suprised that his first customer would be so rude. She looked at him, staring down her nose as if looking down at a peasant.
"My name is Queen Marissa Rose. I am the Queen of Castover!" she exclaimed.
Henry sighed, he had thought royalty would have learnt to be polite.
"Well, Queen Marissa Rose," he retorted. "In this bar, we have a magic word called politeness. Maybe you should give it a try." It was not a suggestiion, but a simple demand.
The woman grit her teeth, glaring at Henry who inspected her carefully.
She was wearing a long yellow dress, seemingly made of very good quality silk.
"Please, may I have a tonic?" she asked, her hands tightly clenched into white knuckled fists.
Henry smiled, "Yes, your magesty. You may have a tonic."
The woman stepped closer to the bar, carefully trying to avoid touching the surface.
"Who are you- talking to me like I am a commoner?!"
Henry sighed, now that she had what she wanted, she hadn't paused to return with her unruly manner. Henry eyed her with some annoyance. "I am Henry Pike. I am the new owner of the bar. And if you shall demand drinks without any attempt at being polite, I can assure you that you shall be waiting longer for your drink to arrive."
The woman glared at him, raising a open hand to strike him across the face.
The door screeched open, giving Henry enough time to step back from his attacker.
The woman looked around towards the entrance, glaring harder at the new customer.
"You!" she growled, hissing at a tall man with black hair.
"Marissa," he greeted cooley.
Henry sighed, somewhat relieved. "Good evening," he greeted. "What drink would you like?"
The man smiled at Henry, leaning against the bar as he thought.
"Hmm... I would like a beer please," the man asked.
Henry nodded, pulling out a glass bottle. "Here," he cheered.
It didn't take long for the woman to recover.
"Theo, I assume that there is a valid reason why you are here."
Theo nodded, rolling up his sleeve releaving a tatoo of a red full moon.
"You're right- but that would be none of your business," he retorted.
Marissa glared at him, turning her attention to his clothes.
The man was wearing a pinned striped suit and a red tie.
"you scrubbed up well considering your... condition." she sneered.
Theo stared back at the woman with a coole glare, "My condition, as you call it, doesn't stop me from having a life and do what needs to be done. I still have to work."
Marissa looked at him, somewhat suprised. "You call that work? Try being Queen. You are simply enjoying a hobby. Work is not fun- it is a serious matter!"
Theo shook his head, "That's why you are such a bitter woman. You never have fun."
Henry looked at the pair of them, watching them argue like a couple of teenagers.
"That's enough!" Henry burst, massaging his temples.
He looked at Marissa firmly, matching her glare. "I think it would be best if you leave."
Marissa grunted, but nodded with some reluctance.
"Fine," she grumbled. She picked up her leather hand bag and looked around for a moment. "I shall use the bathroom before I leave," she told them.
Henry shrugged, having said enough all ready. Marissa disappeared through the thick pine door, and reappeared minutes later. "Right, guess I am leaving then," she announced. Henry nodded, watching as the woman grabbed her coat and then opened the door with her free hand. Theo sighed, knowing that Marissa had struggled to be nice to people after being exile from her home for having no gifts. Being human without magic was forbidden in her land, and was forced to vacate to an Island. It wasn't long before others joined her, and she named the Island Castover- reminding the civilians that they were not welcome among their home lands. Her desired effect worked, and the residents soon became hostile about their friends who had abandoned them.
The door screeched open, drawing Theo out from his thoughts.
A small man entered the bar and sat on a stall, his hood covering most of his face.
Henry smiled, getting a brief glimpse of the man's elf-like pointed ears.
"Which drink would you like?" Henry asked, greeting the man with a smile.
The man shrugged, looking around nervously. "I'll just have a bitter please," he replied.
Henry nodded, smiling still. "You don't need to hide your appearance in here, mate. Everyone is from different places here. You're well protected."
The man looked around, pausing for a moment before slowly lowering his hood.
His ginger hair came into view, a long with the man's hazel brown eyes.
"You won't tell no one I am here?" he asked, wanting to be sure.
Theo stood beside the short man, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Not to worry. This place is safe- and we won't tell a soul."
The man nodded, finally smiling a little easier.
"My name is Victor Dyson."
Theo frowned, voicing his concern. "Why are you hiding, Victor?"
Victor sighed, taking a large mouthful of his cold drink.
"It's because I am a half blood. I am half human and half elf- it is not acceptable in my home land."
Theo laughed lightly, "Is that all? I thought you'd done something sinister. If you're unwelcome in your own land for your blood line- maybe you can come to my world instead? People's bloodline don't matter there. Though, you may need a change of clothes," he suggested lightly.
Victor thought for a moment, responding slowly.
"I will think about it."
In the distance, thunder began to roar and rain began to fall hard to the ground.
Theo gazed out of the window, preoccupied by his thoughts. He smiled, thinking back to when he was at home during a storm. Thinking back, knowing with each night a secret is being told; he too wanted to share a secret in the night. He blinked, forcing himself back into the present. "It'll be our secret," Theo promised proudly.
CHAPTER 2
A few hours passed, before Marissa slipped back through the door.
"Sorry," she mumbled meekly, "I left my hand bag in the bathroom."
Henry nodded, allowing her to obtain her bag. Theo grunted, his eyes narrowed.
"You think she done that on purpose?" Henry asked, frowning.
Theo nodded, "I am sure of it. I'm not sure why though. But what I do know,"
he stated grimly, "she has been named as the dark queen."
Marissa stared bitterly at the closed steel door. She tried to remember her garden lined with yellow, pink and white roses. It had almost been over a year since she last tended to her garden.
She sighed, listening to several men shouting, demanding to be released.
Finally having enough, she stood up from the concrete slab, only having a thin blue matress layed out beneath her. She had grown accustomed to the concrete confining cell.
"Will you be quiet? They're not going to release you whilst you're acting like animals!" she shrieked.
"This is a prison, not a zoo!"
Her cell door swung open and was greeted by police officers.
"Right, you're free to go. Don't forget to turn up to your probabation officer ever week."
Marissa grunted, "If you say so."
The police lead her through the hall and out of the main exit at the end.
The bright sun shone down on her. She smiled, it had been a long year, but now she was free.
"I need a drink," she muttered. Silently, she wondered where the nearest bar was located.
Smiling cooley, she decided that it didn't matter, she would find a bar soon enough. She walked towards the next town, they'd have a tavern for sure.
The Pendant of Circle Secuity was passed down through the family.
Henry Pike didn't think much of it, other than it had been in his family for generations.
It didn't look like much. Simply a bronze circle with a shape of a key in the middle.
It was kept on a thick chain, hung around the neck of his father.
Henry only got a quick glimpse of the pendant now and again.
Each time, he had asked his father what the pendant was for- and why he was always wearing it.
He was never told, even as he grew to be a mostly- honest young adult. His father simply gave him the same reply he had been hearing all his life.
"I'll tell you about it when you're older," and that would be the end of it, before his father turned and disappeared into his room.
He tried asking his mother, hoping to be enlightened. She didn't offer him much knowledge either.
"It's a special pendant. That's all you need to know."
Henry would sigh, feeling as though all he needed to know, was just not enough.
The years passed him by, and he found himself his own appartment.
His father, who still wore the pendant and chain, would begin to ask him questions. He found them odd. "How do you keep rooms seperate and private to other strangers?"
Henry always frowned, finding this question insulting.
"You close and lock the door behind you," he answered. That simple answer alone brought a smile to his father's face, so he tolerated his strange behaviour.
This day, five years later, began no differently...
His father entered henry's lounge, looking grim.
"Do you know what this is yet?"
Henry sighed, it was obvious that he didn't.
"It's a pendant with a key on it," he replied curtly.
"What does the key mean?" the father demanded.
Henry shrugged, "It's a key. Keys open things."
Jason nodded, it wasn't hard to answer.
"Yes, but can you guess what it opens?"
Henry looked at him for a long moment. Why couldn't he just tell him- instead of having to question everything. Henry looked closer at the key, noticing the small lettering around the outter circle.
"The place where you keep disappearing to?" he asked, sarcastically.
Jason nodded, running his hands over his balding head. "How'd you know?"
Henry, whose head was full of blonde, but thin hair, shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't. I was being sarcastic. What does The Keeper of the Circle mean?"
Jason blinked again, his face paleing.
"Where did you hear that?"
Henry sighed, "Father, I am 21. I can read, remember. It's right there written on the pendant."
Jason chuckled nervously. "Ah. I see. I had forgotten that was there."
Jason Pike looked at his son firmly in the eyes.
"Now you are of age, you are able to take over as the keeper of the circle."
Henry blinked, not sure if he was understanding his father correctly.
"What is the keeper of the circle? What do I do?"
Jason stood up; his bones creaked with age.
"Come to work with me today, and I will show you what to do- and the ropes of the bar."
Henry almost laughed. "A bar? That's where you've been hiding? In a bar?"
He was horrified, stepping back from his father in disbelief.
Jason shook his head, "It's not just a bar. That bar is the gateway to every universe on this side of the galaxy."
Henry frowned, his brow stitched together.
"A gateway to other universes?"
Henry sighed, suspecting that his father had been drinking- or inhaling strange fumes."
Jason waved his hand dismissfully. "Come to work with me today- you'll soon see how it's done."
Henry nodded, though feeling somewhat reluctant to spend his time in an bar.
"All right," he said, surrendering himself. "When do we get there?"
Jason looked at his son grimly, tears stung his eyes. "We leave in an hour."
Henry stood, watching his father walk away from him.
He was doing what his father wanted, he knew. So, why did he look so sad?
An hour passed slowly, as he waited for his father to arrive.
He wasn't sure what he was suppose to be expecting.
"This way," Jason said, still looking grim.
Henry followed his father outside. Opposite the street was a row of houses.
He knew the street well enough.
He watched as his father turned the corner, and began to head down an alley.
"What are we doing this way?" Henry asked.
Jason continued, not answering.
As they exited at the other end, Henry could see a road full of houses in disrepair.
Right at the end, was a corner. A large building sat on the pavement- looking worse than all the buildings there. It was near to falling down.
"This place needs some rebuilding," Henry muttered.
Jason smiled, walking into the desolate building.
"Get out of there- it's dangerous!" Henry called out, horrified.
There was a moment when the world around him stood still.
Nervously, Henry began to approach the rubbled building and stepped inside.
He gasped, his heart jumped in expectation.
"I don't get it," Henry gasped.
The large fallen building was the bar.
The walls were painted dark red.
The tables were made of empty barrels merely tipped up-side-down.
The chairs were nicely polished stalls, seemingly made of solid oak.
"This place..." he trailed off, still amazed. "It looks brand new."
Jason nodded, smiling. "That's the best part of being the keeper. The bar inside is always new- and in very good condition. Though, the outside is falling apart. Its the centre of the universes, so it remains unaffected."
Henry nodded, staring at the building in awe.
"The building outside still needs some work though," he stated.
His father shrugged, "Yeah, I suppose it does."
Jason continued to point to the exits, naming them each.
All of them were different names of the universes.
"Ashtin- what?" Henry stuttered, struggling to repeat each name.
"Ash-tin-lie" Jason repeated, breaking the word down.
Henry nodded, finally understanding. It wasn't easy.
"At the beginning of each month, set the security alarm to reset itself. This will stop the bar from being invaded- but you or someone you trust must never leave. This place must never be unoccupied- it's too easy to start a war."
Henry sighed, Jason had been repeating the same line over ten times now.
"Yes, Dad. I get it. I will never be able to leave without having someone sit in."
Jason nodded, feeling grim. He was condoning his son to a life time of loneiness.
"After three months, you will have to spring clean and make the bar neat and clean enough to look brand new."
Henry nodded, that sounded simple enough.
As the clock chimed twelve times, Jason sighed and took a step back.
"Do you remember and understand everything?"
Henry frowned, organising his thoughts.
"For the moment."
Jason nodded, his shift was over.
"Right. Let's see how you handle the night shift on your own. I will see you in the morning."
Henry blinked, suprised to be left alone so soon.
"Can I sleep?" Henry asked.
Jason laughed, "Of course you can. There's a bed in the back, plus a kettle and everything you need."
Henry's shoulders sagged under the weight of responsibilty.
He stepped through the back door, and saw a small room. It was big enough to take two beds- and include a set of drawers. Though, there was room for little else.
Yawning, he pulled off his shoes and laid down on the bed. It was bumpy and old, much like his own matress at home. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.
---
Hours passed by beefore Henry was woken with a loud bang.
The door entrance screeched open before slamming shut.
A woman stepped through into the bar room, looking around in disgust.
"I want a Tonic- leave out the gin." the woman demanded.
Henry stared at her, horrified. "Who are you?" he asked, suprised that his first customer would be so rude. She looked at him, staring down her nose as if looking down at a peasant.
"My name is Queen Marissa Rose. I am the Queen of Castover!" she exclaimed.
Henry sighed, he had thought royalty would have learnt to be polite.
"Well, Queen Marissa Rose," he retorted. "In this bar, we have a magic word called politeness. Maybe you should give it a try." It was not a suggestiion, but a simple demand.
The woman grit her teeth, glaring at Henry who inspected her carefully.
She was wearing a long yellow dress, seemingly made of very good quality silk.
"Please, may I have a tonic?" she asked, her hands tightly clenched into white knuckled fists.
Henry smiled, "Yes, your magesty. You may have a tonic."
The woman stepped closer to the bar, carefully trying to avoid touching the surface.
"Who are you- talking to me like I am a commoner?!"
Henry sighed, now that she had what she wanted, she hadn't paused to return with her unruly manner. Henry eyed her with some annoyance. "I am Henry Pike. I am the new owner of the bar. And if you shall demand drinks without any attempt at being polite, I can assure you that you shall be waiting longer for your drink to arrive."
The woman glared at him, raising a open hand to strike him across the face.
The door screeched open, giving Henry enough time to step back from his attacker.
The woman looked around towards the entrance, glaring harder at the new customer.
"You!" she growled, hissing at a tall man with black hair.
"Marissa," he greeted cooley.
Henry sighed, somewhat relieved. "Good evening," he greeted. "What drink would you like?"
The man smiled at Henry, leaning against the bar as he thought.
"Hmm... I would like a beer please," the man asked.
Henry nodded, pulling out a glass bottle. "Here," he cheered.
It didn't take long for the woman to recover.
"Theo, I assume that there is a valid reason why you are here."
Theo nodded, rolling up his sleeve releaving a tatoo of a red full moon.
"You're right- but that would be none of your business," he retorted.
Marissa glared at him, turning her attention to his clothes.
The man was wearing a pinned striped suit and a red tie.
"you scrubbed up well considering your... condition." she sneered.
Theo stared back at the woman with a coole glare, "My condition, as you call it, doesn't stop me from having a life and do what needs to be done. I still have to work."
Marissa looked at him, somewhat suprised. "You call that work? Try being Queen. You are simply enjoying a hobby. Work is not fun- it is a serious matter!"
Theo shook his head, "That's why you are such a bitter woman. You never have fun."
Henry looked at the pair of them, watching them argue like a couple of teenagers.
"That's enough!" Henry burst, massaging his temples.
He looked at Marissa firmly, matching her glare. "I think it would be best if you leave."
Marissa grunted, but nodded with some reluctance.
"Fine," she grumbled. She picked up her leather hand bag and looked around for a moment. "I shall use the bathroom before I leave," she told them.
Henry shrugged, having said enough all ready. Marissa disappeared through the thick pine door, and reappeared minutes later. "Right, guess I am leaving then," she announced. Henry nodded, watching as the woman grabbed her coat and then opened the door with her free hand. Theo sighed, knowing that Marissa had struggled to be nice to people after being exile from her home for having no gifts. Being human without magic was forbidden in her land, and was forced to vacate to an Island. It wasn't long before others joined her, and she named the Island Castover- reminding the civilians that they were not welcome among their home lands. Her desired effect worked, and the residents soon became hostile about their friends who had abandoned them.
The door screeched open, drawing Theo out from his thoughts.
A small man entered the bar and sat on a stall, his hood covering most of his face.
Henry smiled, getting a brief glimpse of the man's elf-like pointed ears.
"Which drink would you like?" Henry asked, greeting the man with a smile.
The man shrugged, looking around nervously. "I'll just have a bitter please," he replied.
Henry nodded, smiling still. "You don't need to hide your appearance in here, mate. Everyone is from different places here. You're well protected."
The man looked around, pausing for a moment before slowly lowering his hood.
His ginger hair came into view, a long with the man's hazel brown eyes.
"You won't tell no one I am here?" he asked, wanting to be sure.
Theo stood beside the short man, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Not to worry. This place is safe- and we won't tell a soul."
The man nodded, finally smiling a little easier.
"My name is Victor Dyson."
Theo frowned, voicing his concern. "Why are you hiding, Victor?"
Victor sighed, taking a large mouthful of his cold drink.
"It's because I am a half blood. I am half human and half elf- it is not acceptable in my home land."
Theo laughed lightly, "Is that all? I thought you'd done something sinister. If you're unwelcome in your own land for your blood line- maybe you can come to my world instead? People's bloodline don't matter there. Though, you may need a change of clothes," he suggested lightly.
Victor thought for a moment, responding slowly.
"I will think about it."
In the distance, thunder began to roar and rain began to fall hard to the ground.
Theo gazed out of the window, preoccupied by his thoughts. He smiled, thinking back to when he was at home during a storm. Thinking back, knowing with each night a secret is being told; he too wanted to share a secret in the night. He blinked, forcing himself back into the present. "It'll be our secret," Theo promised proudly.
CHAPTER 2
A few hours passed, before Marissa slipped back through the door.
"Sorry," she mumbled meekly, "I left my hand bag in the bathroom."
Henry nodded, allowing her to obtain her bag. Theo grunted, his eyes narrowed.
"You think she done that on purpose?" Henry asked, frowning.
Theo nodded, "I am sure of it. I'm not sure why though. But what I do know,"
he stated grimly, "she has been named as the dark queen."
