“This way, child,” the woman says, flashing me a small smile as she jumps into the water, and the fins on her body light up. She’s kind of pretty, and if she didn’t scare the crap out of me with her pet and mild threats against my guys, I would tell her so. I swim after her, trying to keep the water out of my eyes as she swims fast towards a dark corner of the cave. She stops beside an entrance, which is a long tunnel half under water and I can see stairs at the end. I look back at her as she watches me, and I notice that even little strands of her hair light up. When she suddenly narrows her eyes at me, I know it’s time for me to stop staring, and get the hell out of here.

“Thank you,” I say, swimming through, but she stops me, catching my arm, her grip hard enough to hurt me.

“Did you come from Ariziadia? You smell of my home,” she almost hisses, leaning closer, and I swear she’s sniffing me.

“No, I’m from Earth, but I’ve been to Ariziadia recently, when I opened a portal,” I tell her, trying to pull my arm away, but it’s useless as she holds on so tight that I can feel her nails digging into my skin.

“Thank you for the information, Earth child of mine,” she lets go of me suddenly, watching me with calculating eyes. “You should leave now, but we will see each other again soon.”

“Sure,” I fake a smile at the creepy ass woman and swim through the entrance towards the stairs. I will have to ask Daniels if he knows anything about the creepy girl later. That is, if I get a later. When I look back over my shoulder, the entrance is gone and in its place is a cave wall. What the hell? I shake my head in an attempt to forget what just happened. I focus on making it to the steps at the end of this cave and what lies at the top of them. I pull myself out the water, lying back on the stone steps for a second to catch my breath before standing up and looking around. The stone steps lead up towards an old, stone door. I try not to worry about the others when I think about what I’m going to do. I could make a portal to them, but they might be back at the house, and we won’t get another chance to kill Alaric like the one we have right now.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper into the darkness. I know they can’t hear me, but I feel like I need to say it anyway, even if the silence of the cave is my only answer. I swallow the fear building up in my throat and call my air mark, drying my hair and my clothes. I remove the tube from my pocket and hold it at my side, knowing it’s the only weapon, other than my marks, that I have right now. My father has so many followers, and I have to fight any I encounter all on my own. If I can be sneaky and just find my father, maybe he will fight me alone. Well, that’s the plan for now. I run up the steps, searching the old stone door for a handle or something, but it’s smooth everywhere. Shit.

A mark on the back of my leg starts feeling warm as I press my hand on the stone. I close my eyes, calling on a mark I haven’t even seen yet. When I open my eyes, there’s a translucent space in the door, and I can see through to the other side. I put my hand through it and feel the cold wash of the magic holding the space open.

“Damn, that’s cool. A walk-through walls mark, awesome,” I whisper, pulling my hand out and peering into what looks like a store cupboard on the other side of the wall. It looks safe enough. I step through the door, closing my eyes at the feel of the cold magic spreading all over me like glue, and then suddenly it’s gone. I find myself standing in the store cupboard surrounded by brooms, cleaning products on shelves, and a few cloaks hung up on the wall. I grab a cloak and clip it over me, pulling the hood up. I need to remain unrecognised as long as I can. Walking over to the small wooden door, I painstakingly twist the handle and peek my head out to see an empty corridor. I realise I’m in the hall where the head teachers’ offices are located. I know this place well, I visited often enough in my first week. I watch carefully for a few moments, waiting to see if anyone comes out. When no one does, I step out and quietly shut the door behind me.

I edge past the rooms, making sure to use my air mark to ensure my footsteps are silent as I get to the hall door. There is glass near the top, so I call my air mark and float up, slowing myself down near the glass so I can see what awaits me on the other side. The sight of my mother gives me pause. She’s standing in the middle of the room, arguing with my father, but I can’t hear what they’re saying.

There are three guards at the door, watching the argument. My mother’s hands are in cuffs, which Alaric undoes as I assume he tries to reason with her. The bruises and cuts on her face suggest she hasn’t been cooperating. That’s my mum. My mother spits in his face, slapping him the moment she is freed, and he throws her into the wall with a blast of air. That’s it, he is not taking my mother from me, too. I float back down and slam the door open with my hands. I throw a wave of water at the guards before they can even react, sending them flying through the door behind them. Closing the doors with my air mark, I throw up a barrier in front of it, so they can’t get back in. Damn, I’m so much more powerful than before. Looking back at my father, he has a tight grip on my mother and a knife held to her throat.

“Hello, Mackenzie. I have to admit, you have surprised me,” Alaric says with a cruel chuckle. I begin to walk to the middle of the room, and his laugh stops suddenly. “Not another step or I will kill her,” he warns me, and I stop, frozen on the spot as my mother’s worried eyes meet mine. I force myself to keep my focus on Alaric and not her. This is between me and him, and he knows it.

“Did you really think I would be so easy to get rid of? That you could just throw me into another world and be done with me?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “In fact, I should probably thank you for that. Ariziadia proved to be very useful.”

“Did it now? The water proved itself useful to me as well,” he boasts.

“Then fight me. Put my mother down, man up, and fight me alone! Everyone says you are a coward, hiding behind others and having them do your dirty work. Prove that you are not,” I shout at him, and he chuckles, keeping his expression neutral. He kisses my mother’s cheek, as she wriggles to get free.

“When this disappointment of a child is gone, much like the first child, we can have others that will be more powerful. Do not hate me for this my love,” he whispers lovingly, and it makes me feel sick. He is really that twisted he doesn’t realise just how much she despises him, or maybe he knows but just doesn’t care.

“Go and fuck yourself. I will kill you for Ryan! I will kill you for every vile thing you’ve done, you evil bastard!” My mother screams, and Alaric whacks her on the back of the head with the knife, letting her body fall to the floor with a loud thud.

“Does all of this truly mean more to you than anything? Did killing Ryan, your own son, not even bother you?” I ask, wanting to see if he has any remorse for what he did.

“No. My mission–”

“Will have been pointless when I kill you. You will be remembered as the crazy fool who tried to take over and failed. You will have nothing, and you will be nothing!” I say, pushing my intent into the tube, and the spear shoots out.

“Nothing is pointless when it comes to making a better world. Ryan will always be remembered as the brave man who sacrificed his life to open the portal,” he says, stepping over my mother, and sliding another knife out of his cloak. He watches me intently for any sign of movement.

“He didn’t die for you, the portal, or even for me. He died for love, something you clearly never understood. That’s the thing though, Ryan will be remembered by those who love him, and will live on in that manner. You will be remembered and missed by no one, because no one loves you,” I tell him, making his eyes blaze with anger. Perfect, I’m finally getting to him.

“Enough talking. I’m sick of listening to you prattle on. It’s time to end this, and I will never have to hear about my pathetic excuse of daughter, Mackenzie Crowe, ever again!” he growls out, and I laugh.

“Bring it on, old man,” I say, waving a hand and knowing that one way or another, Alaric will die tonight. Even if it kills me in the process.