"Evie." Leila's voice echoes through the palace. 

She never wants to see me. She hates me. What could have happened that would make her want—possibly even need—to see me.

"EVIE!" she screeches.

I sprint down the hall, holding my skirts up. Usually when Leila has a problem, she'll ask Mom, so why didn't she this time? Why couldn't she ask Mom?

"Leila? What's wrong?" I ask worriedly as I enter the room the sound had been coming from. 

Her own bedroom. The first thing I notice is the canopy of her bed stained with blood, then the walls, spots on the floor, but the main attractions sit front and center. Leila: hands covered in blood, shaking, crying, blood on her dress.

But I haven't even mentioned the worst part. Leila may look horrific, but the actual horror lies in front of her.

Mom.

Dead.

Axe to the head.

"Hey, sis." Leila slowly lifts up the axe towards me.

I put my hands in front of me, creating a little shield. Mom must not have been prepared, but how could she have died? For someone like Mom and I to die, you'd have to do a powerful spell requiring many people (all of which I know and would be unwilling), or to die of old age. When Dad died years ago...he's not like Mom and I...he doesn't have to same powers. Leila doesn't either. And still nobody knows why.

"Leila...how?" I'm in shock and in tears.

"Simple," I notice her toying with a heart shaped locket around her neck, "I told a Peterson, a Rickman, a Blackwell, a Sparks, a Calla, a Zaniki, and a Lentini to infuse some of their..."power" into this blade. They had no idea what they were doing, so they went through with it. And now..." Leila leans in close to me, "I get to finish the job."