Chapter 16
And mom is still the same...
Why am I not surprised?
Because you're an idiot.
I like her.

[Oliver]

It was the day we were going to the ball and we had forgotten all about it.

Correction: I had forgotten all about it, because I was the only one what didn't want to go. And the one we were going for, because I was the only one going back to Earth.

Supposedly.

We woke up late in the afternoon, only to realise that the girls hadn't woken up yet either.

Now, us boys can be quick, but most girls need their time and Celine and Echo were in the majority.

We woke them up and laughed at their reactions when they realised they didn't have much time.

There was a lot of cursing and swearing in reply.

In the evening Felix and I were ready, wearing our formal clothes and stuff. The girls, on the other hand, weren't. They told us we should go without them and that they would catch up to us later.

I think they only did that to make an entrance. Which they did.

We waited for them at the lobby and, both Felix and I, found our jaws dropped when Celine and Echo came downstairs.

I wasn't looking at Echo, even though I was a little surprised with her choice of clothes. She was my sister after all, ew.

I was looking at Celine. Her blue hair matched perfectly with her dress, and... Damn. I was doomed. How was I supposed to leave Imyrth now? What kind of dark magic was this?

«Guys, don't forget to pick your jaws up from the floor before you follow.» Celine laughed, as she and my sister walked towards the exit.

«Wow.» Felix muttered as we followed them.

The palace was a five minute walk from where we were, so we arrived there pretty quick.

It was very crowded and I could feel my sister taking deep breaths from the moment we stepped inside.

A guard approached us and asked for our names. When we told him, he said the Queen was expecting us and that she would meet us after everyone left. He explained that she never appears publicly, so 95% of the people in the room didn't know who she was and what she looked like.

Celine suddenly gasped.

«Dammit, I almost forgot!» she said.

«What's wrong?» I asked her worriedly.

«Its nothing, really. I just forgot to give you this...» she fiddled in her purse and took out a chain bracelet with a small dagger on it.

«You- you didn't have to, really...» I stuttered.

«Just shut up and take it.» my sister laughed.

«Uh...thanks. I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything... I don't know--»

«You weren't supposed to.»

«Celine, thanks for reminding me, but I have a gift for Echo, too.» Felix joined in the conversation.

«Wait, what?!» Echo asked confused.

«When did you even get it, I was with you the entire time!» I asked him surprised.

«I didn't buy it, I made it.» he replied. Echo's eyes grew big when she saw the necklace he had made for her.

It was wooden and had the phrase "The bitter end" carved onto it.

«I love it!» my sister exclaimed and hugged, a very surprised, Felix tightly. I could see him smile goofily.

«Now that we're done with the gift exchange, uh, would you like to dance?» I asked Celine. To my surprise she smiled.

«I'd love to.» she replied.

As we walked away, I looked behind and saw that my sister and Felix were walking towards the dancing floor themselves. I don't know how she had done it, but my sister had fit her camera in her purse and was now running all around with Felix making fun of the guests.

Celine and I danced for a long time. We met with the others again after hours.

As we were joking and laughing around, while my sister kept recording everything, we heard a familiar voice on the speakers.

«Well, well, well. Would you all look that that?»

«Amon.» Celine whispered.

«Let me introduce myself; my name is Amon Brandon and I would advise you to leave the castle immediately, unless your name is Celine Blink, Felix Taylor and Echo or Oliver Waters. The guards are instructed to lead you all out safely, while we take care of these dangerous people. If you know who they are, make sure they don't leave the castle.» he said.

«I told you it was a trap!» I told the others.

«No, it wasn't.» Queen Deidre was approaching us quickly. She was wearing a long, dark gray dress with no patterns. Just a plain, gray dress. «Amon was locked in the dungeons, he somehow escaped.» she said.

«Why should we believe you?» I asked her.

«Because I'm your only way out.» she replied. Just then, I noticed the compass hanging over her neck. The others did too.

There was no time for arguing, though. Everyone was running out in panic, believing that the others might give them away as one of us.

«Do you know how to fight?» Deidre asked us.

«Most of us do.» Felix replied.

«Good. Take your daggers off of the purses, this is going to get nasty.» she ordered.

We still don't know how she knew about the daggers.

She stepped hard on the floor and caused an earthquake, making every last person in the room get out faster.

«She's an earth elementalist...» Celine whispered in awe.

Soon we were surrounded by Amon's soldiers.

«Amon, stop this madness!» the Queen yelled.

«This isn't madness! The only madness that ever took place here was your becoming Queen! I was supposed to have that title, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have to kill this bunch of teenagers, as you called them, and throw you in prison!»

«Yeah, we're no bugs you can easily get rid of. You're not gonna take us down so easily.» Echo told him. I could see she was ready to burn the place to the ground.

«Be careful, try to not lose control.» I whispered to her and she nodded.

Soon she had burned down half the soldiers surrounding us, Amon had fled and Celine had sliced multiple throats.

We weren't just a bunch of teenagers, we were bloodthirsty teenagers that had killed more than 30 people.

One of the soldiers cut Deidre. She was heavily injured in the stomach, but she kept fighting.

That girl could really backflip.

In a few minutes they were all gone. I noticed that the Queen hadn't killed anyone, but I didn't look too much into it.

«We have to help her.» I said when I saw the wound.

«No, I'll be okay. Just take the necklace and go.» the Queen replied.

«Shut up. I know who you are.» Echo told her. Deidre looked at her surprised. «I'm right, aren't I? You're Ariadne Drane.»

«How--» Ariadne started.

«Damon couldn't shut up about you when we showed him the necklace.» Echo replied.

«It doesn't matter, I can't leave. The kingdom--»

«The army turned against you. You helped us kill some of them. You're not safe here anymore.» Celine told her.

«You're coming with us back to earth.» Echo said.

«I thought--» I tried to say.

«Things just got interesting. I'm coming home, but we are definitely coming back.» she said and glanced at Felix.

«Whatever you're doing, you have to do it now, she's bleeding out.» he said.

«I'm going to go get a doctor.» Celine said and rushed away. «Try to keep her alive.»

«I can't go home.» Ariadne kept muttering.

«Yes, you do. You may think that they will hate you back there, but they actually miss you. They are worried and want to know what happened to you. Every single member of the staff.» I told her.

«Shelby kept going on and on about how much you loved her cookies, Damon is still single and everyone wants to see you again. I'm sure of it.» Echo added. «Besides we might need your help with killing a shapeshifter once we get back.»

«How the hell did you get a shapeshifter in the house?» Ariadne asked.

«It just sort of came for the necklace when we found it.»

«Dammit, things are bloody worse than I thought...» She coughed.

Soon Celine was back with a doctor. He patched Ariadne up and we headed back to the hotel with her.

The next morning we went back to the market we first ended up. We had all our stuff packed up and Ariadne had packed her stuff too.

«So... I guess this is goodbye?» Celine asked me.

«Nope. Trust that we will be back soon. Echo gets bored easily.» I laughed. «Besides, we have to take care of Amon.» I added.

«Yeah...» She bit her lip and reluctantly pecked my cheek. «When you come, you'll find us back at the barn.» she smiled.

My sister and Felix's goodbyes were fore straightforward.

«Are you coming back?» he asked her.

«Well, duh! I didn't even want to leave in the first place!» she replied.

«And why could that be, beautiful?» Felix smirked at her.

«Maybe, because I found someone here, handsome.» she winked.

«Are we going or what?» Ariadne asked.

«Yeah, we are! Just a minute!» Echo said and ran to hug Celine. I said my goodbyes to Felix and then Echo and I both went on either side of Ariadne, who was wearing the necklace, and held each of her hands.

«Bye! We'll see you soon!» we all yelled at the others as Ariadne bit the necklace (she didn't have any hands left to press it with her thumb) and we left Imyrth after a month of staying there.

I blinked and we were in the attic, back at home. We all ran downstairs.

«Mom, we're back!» Echo and I yelled, running to the lobby.

Our mom came and hugged me, and only glanced at Echo.

«Oh, thank God you're okay! Where have you been? Echo, what are these scratches and bruises on you?» out mom rushed.

«It's a long story... We found someone though.» I told her.

«Who?» she asked us confused.

«Our cousin, Ariadne.» Echo said from her corner.

«What? How do you know Ariadne? How did you find her?» mom asked.

«She was at the same place we were.» Echo continued.

«Which was..?» mom inquired, glaring at my sister.

«You wouldn't believe me if I told you.» Echo replied and left the room.

Things were kind of back to normal. Mom only let Ari stay if she worked in the house, which she did with no hesitation. She had found Damon again and they were inseparable.

They worked some stuff out, as to where she had been and what had happened the last 5 years that they were apart. The conversation ended with the two of them making out on the couch.

Echo and I went back to bickering about the tiniest things, she stopped crying at night and we hang out a lot with Ari and Damon. Life at the mansion had gotten more interesting with Ariadne in it.

But that happiness didn't last for long. Soon we had to go back to Imyrth, but it wasn't because we had a choice. Things were never going to be the same again.

END OF BOOK ONE

A/N: Hey, peeps! Guess who finally finished the book! YAY!!!

Thanks for reading this, even though it was awful, and thanks for sticking with me until the end of the book. The second book will be out... I don't know when. Sorry. I said this would be out in two months, but look how long it took!

Anyway, that's all for now. I'm going to start working on part two now, and after that you are getting the Loser Squad sequel, entitled "Beauty Sleep". New Characters, more death etc. You know the drill.

Until the next time!!!

-Choco<3