Chapter 18 – Allegra’s Betrayal

It took some time before they managed to track down Nehru. Aurora got to see a bit more of her surroundings, and from what she could tell, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary. The only thing that piqued her interest in the slightest was how happy every Immortalia seemed.

“I found the group of people who found you,” Nehru said. “Luckily, they know the area well as they like to play games there.”

“Games?” Aurora frowned.

“Just something to pass the time really… You know, for fun?”

Aurora faintly remembered how humans liked to be entertained at all times. Sometimes it was in the form of visual representation on a screen. Other times, it was in the form of socializing.

“Can they lead us to the place?” Sari asked.

Everyone loved the Queen—Aurora could see it in Nehru’s eyes and in the way that everyone acted around her. Sari might not have been the rightful heir, but the people loved her nevertheless.

“Jona,” Nehru called. “Come here.”

A young boy stepped forth, his hands behind his back. He bowed his head, and Aurora thought she recognized a small shimmer of fear. There were so many things that she didn’t understand. But she didn’t have the time to stop and ponder now.

It’d been excruciating to wait for Sari to track down Nehru. Apparently, none of them knew the place that Aurora appeared, and it was crucial to know the exact position. Sari had explained that if they got it wrong, she might end up in a entirely different place.

“The earth is held together by a magnetic pull from the two poles,” Sari said. “In order for us to make use of the portals, we need to find a specific line of magnetism. If we don’t find the correct one, you might end up on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.”

“It’s not called that anymore,” Aurora muttered. “The last president renamed everything in his favor.”

“My knowledge of the human world all comes from a book.” Sari frowned.

“It doesn’t matter.” Aurora glanced to Jona. His posture was tense as he led them through a patch of tall grass.

“So what exactly are you accusing Allegra of doing?” Sari asked.

“I believe she’s the one who opened the portal and closed it after she tempted me to go through.”

“Why would she do that?”

Aurora shrugged lightly. “I haven’t figured that part out yet. But I will get answers soon.”

“This is the place,” Jona said and pointed to a small bush.

The grass had ended, and now her surroundings seemed desolate. There was no life here. No colors to give hope. The sight made her shiver. “This is so sad,” she said.

“How so?” Sari asked before she turned around, taking something from a small satchel she’d brought along.

“It’s so… lifeless.”

Sari didn’t answer. Instead, she reached out her left hand and her blood red fingertips scratched at the air. She hummed lightly and nodded her head. “I can feel it.” Standing up, she turned to Aurora. “I think I can do this.”

In her right hand, she held a little vial of a clear liquid. She popped the lid and flung the content at a small spot inside the bush.

Aurora could hear a low mumbling, but even though she tried, she couldn’t make out the words. She watched as the familiar blue light came back, and she stared right into it just as she had before. A part of her could even hear the roar of the waterfall from the other side.

“And I just have to go in?” she asked.

“I’ll go with you.” Sari put the vial back into her bag.

“You really don’t need to—“

“Nonsense. If Allegra has betrayed her people, I’ll be there to see it for myself.” Sari’s voice was filled with determination, and Aurora had a feeling she wouldn’t get far with opposing.

“Suit yourself then,” Aurora said and faced the light. She took a deep breath and then jumped inside.

The sensation was different this time. Aurora felt as if she was falling while at the same time, it felt as if her own body resisted the journey. It was a suffocating feeling, and she heaved for air when she finally arrived on the other side. The sprays from the water landed on her skin, and she clutched her throat, savoring every mouthful of air.

A bump could be heard beside her, and she tilted her head slightly to see Sari on her knees. “You alright?” Aurora asked.

Sari nodded. “Yeah, I’m just…” Her eyes widened as she stared past Aurora.

Confused, Aurora turned her head only to find Allegra standing behind a group of female warriors. “What?” Aurora muttered.

“I’m surprised it took you so long to get back,” Allegra said. “I knew Sari couldn’t resist you, though.”

“Allegra, you—“

Sari was cut off by a warrior’s low hiss. A spear was placed near Sari’s throat, and Aurora looked between all of them, trying to make a sense of what was happening. She looked directly at Allegra and asked, “Where’s Aaron?”

Allegra started to laugh. “This just further proves my point. All you care about is that stupid boy—that’s all you’ve ever cared about.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Aurora scrambled to get on her legs. The slippery stones were hard to stand on, but finally she managed to get up. “What’s all this?”

“For fuck’s sake, you’re slow.” Allegra crossed her arms. Gulping, she looked away, and when she spoke again, her voice was choking on the words. “Shani was so stupid to think you could handle the task.”

“Shani?”

When Allegra turned her eyes on Aurora again, Aurora could see unshed tears lingering. Her mouth coiled up into a sneer, and she whispered something to the warrior at her side. The warrior said some foreign words, and the two females at the front grabbed Aurora.

“Tie their arms at the back,” Allegra said.

“What’s happening?” Sari asked as she too was hauled to a standing position. Aurora could feel a drenched rope being tied around her wrists. The strong smell of gasoline filled her nostrils, and she realized why when she saw the warrior tie Sari with the same rope.

“I have no idea,” Aurora whispered. “But as soon as I get the chance, I’m going to find out.”

A hard knot had settled at the center of Aurora’s stomach. As unsettling as her feelings were, she found herself trying to breathe calmly. If she didn’t get her feelings under control, she wouldn’t be able to fight later on.

With her eyes firmly fixated on Allegra’s back, she walked with the warriors away from the water. In her minds, she tried to find a way to escape, but first she needed to know what happened to her team.

This time no one stopped to appreciate the beauty of the place, and as they were led back to the camp, Aurora hoped that Heratrix might be able to help. Her hopes were quickly scattered when she saw Allegra whispering things to the priestess.

Filled with a newfound hatred, Aurora asked, “What did she promise you in return for this?”

Heratrix didn’t acknowledge the question, nor did her eyes seem to register that Aurora was standing in front of her. She simply yelled out a command in her own language, before she rose from the chair and walked away.

“Allegra,” Sari said. “Why are you doing this?”

“I knew you couldn’t resist going with her.” Allegra gestured to Aurora. “You can smell Shani on her too, right? You probably thought part of her lived on…”

Sari didn’t reply.

Allegra started pacing. “I was going mad, you know?” She gave a humorless chuckle. “I kept telling Shani that she was going to kill herself. That she couldn’t let them perform all those experiments, but she insisted that it was her destiny.”

“Allegra, I—“

“Shut up!” Allegra screamed, cutting off Sari’s words. “Be quiet for just once in your life. Shani should never have left the land—she shouldn’t have attempted to become a hero.” Allegra sat down on the throne, waving at the warriors to step away.

Aurora saw them walk to the side—not too far, but far enough to give an illusion of privacy. She glanced at Allegra who was hiding her face in her palms now. For a moment, there was silence, and Aurora used that silence trying to untie the knot that bound her hands. When she didn’t succeed, she realized that she would have to use her powers to get free.

Allegra promptly sat up straight. Her eyes were red as she looked at Aurora. “Your world took away my best friend and”—she looked to Sari—“your world allowed her to leave.” She rose from the throne. “And for what? Those petty humans who fool around with things they don’t understand.”

“Where are the others?” Aurora asked.

Allegra snorted. “You do love your human males, don’t you?” She rolled her eyes. “I never understood what Shani saw in Aaron. He was weak and so beneath her.”

Aurora had to bite her tongue to snap back at Allegra. Obviously, Shani hadn’t decided to let Allegra in on Aaron’s secret, which would mean that his true nature wasn’t accounted for. Maybe that would be the only thing to save them.

“How much did Aaron tell you about me?” Aurora asked. She took deep breaths, focusing on her right arm. All it would take was one little spark to burn through the rope. She’d have to be careful, though as she might injure Sari if she didn’t act fast enough.

“I know everything about you…” Allegra waved her hand dismissively.

“Everything?” Aurora asked, tilting her head slightly as she focused on her left arm, preparing herself to blast the queen with frost if she needed to.

“Yes, I know about the fire.” Allegra sighed. “How could I not? It’s what killed Shani.”

Aurora couldn’t help but to smirk when she realized that Allegra didn’t know everything. If she did, she wouldn’t have tied them so tightly together.

“Oh, you’re smiling now—I bet you’re so thrilled to know you’re so freaking special. But well. Here’s some news for you: It’s going to kill you too. The Immortalia body isn’t—“

Allegra’s rant was promptly cut off as Aurora got a hold of her powers. She sparked the rope so vaguely and then she froze the rope right after. With a jerk of her arms, she was free. Grinning, she jumped towards Allegra, grabbing her with her right hand. On her left hand, she’d formed spikes of ice as an extension of her nails. She held them towards Allegra’s throat, applying slight pressure.

The warriors stepped up and grabbed Sari.

“Command them to release her,” Aurora whispered. When Allegra didn’t respond, Aurora applied more pressure, causing the skin to penetrate, and a trickle of blood fell out. “Don’t test me, Allegra.”

Allegra gulped. “Leave her,” she yelled. Hesitantly, the warriors stepped away from Sari.

“There’s a good girl.” Aurora wrapped her right arm closer around Allegra’s stomach. “One wrong move and I’ll torch your body. Now, command them to untie your Queen’s hands.”

Again, Allegra resisted slightly, but as Aurora focused on her right arm, a slight smoke started to evade from Allegra’s clothes. “Untie her,” Allegra commanded.

A warrior used her spear to slice up the bonds. Sari rubbed her wrists, and Aurora saw a faint red. “Sorry about that,” she said.

Sari shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.” She pointed to Aurora’s arm. “How are you doing that?”

“It’s a long story.” Aurora forced Allegra to step forward. “Watch my back, Sari.”

The petite Queen took a spear and held it in front of her body. “Got it.”

“Now,” Aurora whispered to Allegra. “You’re going to tell me where you placed my friends.”

Allegra’s smile was vicious. “They’re somewhere you’ll never find them.”

Aurora forced another trickle of blood from Allegra’s neck. “You sure about that?”

“They’re in the hole.”

“And you call humans weak…” Aurora forced Allegra in front of her, never taking away her hand. They walked calmly back to the lake, one step at a time.

Once they reached the hole, Aurora called out. “Aaron?”

A muffled cry came from beneath her, and she glanced at Sari. “Do you think you can hold her?” she asked.

Sari looked doubtful but nodded at least. Wrapping her arms around Allegra, she held her firmly. Aurora looked at her frail arms, before meeting Allegra’s eyes. For show, she made a ball of frost and fire in each hand and smiled. “There’s a plant at Haw Tech who can testify that flaming snowballs hurt a lot. Don’t try to escape.”

Allegra didn’t respond, so Aurora turned away and looked down the hole. “I’m going to make a ladder of ice, but I don’t know how much it can hold so one at a time. When you see the ice, step back, so I don’t injure one of you.”

She couldn’t hear any confirmation from them, but she hoped they understood. Slowly, she concentrated on her left arm, envisioning a ladder inside her head. As it descended into the hole, she forced herself to hold back so they’d be able to move.

The wait was agonizingly slow. But she kept her hand firmly planted on the ladder, ensuring that the heat of the jungle didn’t cause any problems. When something tugged at her hand, she looked back to Sari. “They’re on their way up,” she said.

Finally, Milada’s red hair appeared at the top. Struggling, she managed to get up on her own.

“Next one,” Aurora called.

Milada’s body was bloody, but healed. From the way her eyes filled with menace as she saw Allegra, it was easy to guess why.

“Help Sari to hold Allegra,” Aurora commanded. A thin layer of sweat formed on her forehead from the strain on her powers. The dull migraine from before resurfaced, and Aurora gritted her teeth. This was exhausting her faster than she’d counted on. “You’re allowed to go a little faster.” The muscles in her left arm flexed.

Zachary’s head was next. Aurora hadn’t thought of him for a while, but she managed a small smile once she saw him.

“Darling, I swear. I take back any mean thing I’ve ever said about you,” Zachary said before he plopped down on the ground, panting. “You’re a lifesaver.”

Valeria was next. At this point, Aurora could hear Allegra’s menacing laughter in the background. She heard a dull thud; someone probably hit Allegra because the laughter stopped.

“That’s for throwing me down a hole,” Valeria said. “And you have the audacity to laugh. You little piece—“

“You can feel it now, don’t you?” Allegra interrupted. A slap rang out immediately after.

Aurora tried to ignore her. She knew what Allegra was trying to accomplish.

“Aurora, are you sure you’re okay?” Milada asked.

“I’m fine,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “Where’s Aaron?”

“He’s on his way,” Valeria said.

Aurora closed her eyes, focusing only on her left arm, which was now shaking almost violently. When she opened her eyes again, she looked into Aaron’s dark eyes. Her mouth turned upwards in a small smile, and she called for her group. “Help him up.”

Milada reached out to grab Aaron’s hands, and Aurora released her grip on the ladder. It crashed right away, and Aaron fell, dangling from Milada’s hands. Aurora took his arm, and together they pulled him up to the shore. Her hand didn’t let go of Aaron’s, and she fell to the ground beside him. Her entire body ached.

“We need to get to the castle,” she muttered. Then everything went black.

A/N: Please vote.