Читать книгу The Falling of the Stars - Lina Fischer - Страница 11

The First Encounter

A high, familiar scream pierced the air. I searched for a familiar face in the crowd as the guests jostled to get out of the ballroom.

I spotted Eden in a corner, talking heatedly with my Dad, and I knew that something bad must’ve happened. I searched for Mom in the crowd, which seemed to get less crowded with every second that passed.

“Where’s Mom?” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and the two of them quickly schooled their expressions.

“Astoria, everything is fine, Mom is safe, don’t worry,” Dad said, but I knew better. I saw the look on Eden’s face, and there’s nothing that could’ve convinced me they were telling the truth.

“Don’t lie to me on my own birthday, I know damn well that nothing is fine! Where is Mom? Where is she?” My eyes began to burn, and I felt tears falling down my cheeks. I knew that Dad wouldn’t tell me the truth, so I turned to Eden and asked once again where Mom was.

“Astoria, it’s too late, there’s nothing we can do for her. The only thing you can do to help is to come with me right now,” he demanded.

“What do you mean it’s too late, too late for what, Eden?” More tears flooded down my face, and my vision started to go blurry. What is happening? Why won’t they tell me the truth?

“Eden, please answer me!” I said quietly. I saw that it hurt him to stay quiet; his eyes were set firmly away from mine.

I noticed that the room was empty and there was no one else but us inside. The only thing I heard was my own heartbeat, racing faster every second.

“Tell me where she is right now!” I yelled at them.

“Astoria come with us, it is too dangerous for you to be out here!” Dad demanded.

“I won’t come with you if you don’t tell me where she is right now!” I raised my voice so it echoed in the grand ballroom, and when I didn’t get a response I ran.

I ran as fast as I could, and soon I was too far gone to hear whatever Eden screamed. I ran and searched for anything that could help me find her. My gown was too long to run in, so I tore it apart, barely covering my knees now. I ran until I couldn’t breathe, so confused, trying to process what was happening.

In that moment I heard the loud scream again. This time it sounded even more pained, and I knew why the voice sounded so familiar. It was Mom.

I tried to find the direction it came from and fixed my hair as I started to run towards the throne room. Passing a mirror, I saw that my mascara was all over my face, my hair was a mess, and the once beautiful gown was destroyed.

I ran and heard more and more screams and pushed the door open to find something that would haunt me to the end of my days. My eyes searched the familiar room that I had spent so many days in crying from laughter.

I spotted Mom in the middle of the room, struggling against someone I had never seen before. “Mom!” I screamed, and I felt the tension ease as I saw that she was still alive.

From the unknown figure came a voice as dark as night. “What a delight, seeing the guest of honour after all this time!”

“Leave her alone, you monster!” Mom yelled, and I immediately knew that this wouldn’t end well.

“Who are you?” I asked the figure, and as he turned, I saw his face for the first time.

“Oh dear, don’t tell me you haven’t heard of me. I am the most powerful of them all!”

“Why are you here, what do you want?” I asked angrily.

“I want you, and the power that you hold.”

“What are you talking about? What power?”

He seemed to enjoy this far more than he should. “Amaris, don’t tell me that you’ve kept that secret from your little girl all this time?” he said, amused.

“It is too dangerous for her to know what she’s capable of…” Mom said, so quietly that I could barely understand her.

“Mom, what are you talking about, what kind of power?”

“Yes, Amaris, tell her,” the figure said sarcastically.

“I can’t, I’m sorry sweetie, I am so sorry for everything,” she said, her eyes glistening.

“Well then, let’s see if you live up to expectations, my child.”

With that, my mother flew across the room and collided with the cold wall with a sickening thud.

“Mom!” I cried, and rushed to her side. “What did you do to her, you monster?” I screamed, but before I could say anything else I was hit with a foreboding orb that crept up my body and stopped right before it reached my heart.

“My dear, show me what you got, I don’t waste my time at boring balls.” He waved his hand through the room, and I felt a breeze against my soft skin. “Show me now, or your mother won’t live another second,” he said calmly.

I couldn’t speak, fighting the urge to run up to him and attack him.

“As you please, my child,” and he shot another ball at her. Anger burned in my chest as I saw her chest go still.

He started to approach her, and I was driven with more fury with every step he took. I felt a strange power surrounding me, but I didn’t have time to think about it.

I almost flew at him. “Leave her alone, you sick monster!” I screamed, so loud I thought the windows would shatter.

“Don’t be so hasty girl, I just want to make sure I got her,” he said, grinning.

“You,” I said, as I took a step towards him, “you killed my mother!”

The power was almost consuming me. I had never felt as powerful as I did in that moment. “Go to hell!” was the only thing I was able to yell before the power unleashed and consumed the whole room.

He was hurt, but not as badly as I hoped, and the only thing he said before vanishing into the dark was:

“Do not worry my child, I will be back.”