A high pitched siren blares out. It woke me up moments before
from a nightmare filled with children trapped in whirring machines, and red robed adults with no faces.

The same way Salmon are hard wired to return to the place they were spawned, I'm compelled to follow the noise. So, are the other apprentices, side by side we walk together in our pajamas.

The noise is coming from the dining hall, the doors are wide open. One by one we pour into the room to see that the adults are already there.

I push my way through a sea of controllers and teachers. They take no notice of me as they stand rigid, waiting for orders from the Elders.

The Elders stand in front of their dinner table with their backs to the rest of the us.

A woman in a dirty white dress and messy black hair sits in Elder Wyatt's place at the head of the table. There's a sort mesmerizing insanity in her dark brown eyes

"Summoning all the troops because one person breaks in is a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" The woman asks Elder Wyatt, twisting a lock of her dark hair around her finger.

The siren is still blaring out, but as far as I can tell everyone is here. Every man, woman, and child in the castle are crammed into this room waiting for orders, and wanting to know who this deranged looking woman is.

"What are you doing here?" Elder Anna hisses with fury and disgust.

My palms are sweaty, my mouth is dry, and I know that all it will take is one person to use their gift and everyone will start using theirs too. In a room this size and with this many people it would be a catastrophe.

"I came to see Wyatt, but I'm quite happy and more than ready to fight anyone in this room," the woman says in false sweet tone. "But last time that happened, I walked away without a scratch. So, be very sure you can win before you give them the order to attack".

Elder Wyatt raises his hand, the noise of the siren stops.

"Everyone but Raven return to bed," Elder Wyatt orders firmly but softly. "We have everything under control".

I feel their stares of jealousy of being singled out to stay. I don't want to stay. I would much rather return to my room and go back to bed, even if it means returning to my nightmares.

When the last sound of footsteps fades away, I suddenly miss how cramped the room was with everyone being squeezed in.

"Now, we are all on an equal footing. Neither side can't damage the other without putting Raven at risk," Elder Wyatt states without emotion.

I can feel her crazed eyes looking me over, searching for something in my face.

"Jessie, told me you'd see me soon, but I didn't expect you to break into the castle. You must have more guile than I thought Elizabeth,"

The realization that this my mother hits me like a ton of bricks.

How could this dirt covered, half wild looking woman be the one I grew up hearing all those terrible stories about?

The woman who broke all those laws, caused all that chaos, and ran off, leaving me to live with the consequences of all that she'd done.

"I have a gift for you, Wyatt!" Elizabeth teases in a singsong voice.

I go to reach for my locket only to remember that I put it under my pillow before I went to sleep.

"Whatever, it is he doesn't want!" Elder Grace snarls.

"You don't speak for him," Elizabeth bites back, leaning forward in her seat. There's a dangerous glint her eyes and for a moment I think that she's going to attack Elder Grace but then she looks at me and smiles. "Don't worry, I would never do anything that would put you in harm's way, you know that right?"

Do I know that? No. But still, I smile politely and answer with "Yes".

"She's right, you don't speak for me," Elder Wyatt says.

My mother launches herself over the table with such speed that it makes me jump out of my skin.

She slinks slowly towards me until she's right in front me. My mother pulls me close and whispers in my ear "Everything I have done is for you. I love you".

I want to say the words back but I can't. I don't whether I love her or not, because I don't know her. All I have are stories, none of them good about her. However, I believe she's telling the truth about loving me.

She lets me go. She walks over over to Elder Wyatt and grabs his hand.

Their eyelids flicker. The ground shakes as a cloud of blue energy flows from her to him. I can feel the power in this room and its overwhelming. The engery is life force, but from hundreds of people instead of one.

My mother and Elder Wyatt are emerged in Life Force. I can no longer see either one, the other Elders look panicked.

A loud whoosh sound and the life force is gone. They are no longer holding hands, but instead my mother's lips are pressed against Elder Wyatt's. The other Elders look infuriated at their closeness.
It takes mere seconds for them to separate yet it feels like an eternity.

She winks at me then clicks her fingers, then she's gone.

Thank you so much for reading and all the support you have given this story. If you have enjoyed this chapter then please comment and vote.

Questions of the chapter

• What did you think of Elizabeth?

• Why do you think she Elizabeth gave Elder Wyatt Life Force?

Next update: Sunday