The next few minutes were so fast paced, Britta had trouble keeping up with it all. While Diana hurried Mable away, Britta pulled out her dagger and turned around. For a few seconds, everything carried on as it had before, save for a few glances after Mable. Then, the same group of men Britta had noticed before, formed a line, and chaos broke loose as they drew their weapons, giving up secrecy.

Britta stepped backwards as they surged forwards, making for the stairs where Mable had gone. Several were stopped by the guards, but Britta was ready for the few that got through. Hitching her shirts up, she stood in a battle stance, bracing herself.

A blade came crashing down, and she deflected it, using the gap to turn and face another of the men, who she darted towards and disarmed. They were not prepared for someone such as herself-or who she appeared to be-to fight back. After a few minutes of holding them off, she realised Micah had snuck past her. Cursing, she slid away from the fight as reinforcements from all over the castle entered the crowd.

Racing up the stair case, Britta called to Diana.

Diana, where are you? Micah's not down there, watch out! Britta could feel the adrenaline running through her sisters body, as well as her own.

Up the stairs, to the left, most of the guards have left to go to the ball room.

Got it.

Britta was slowed by her dress, but got to her sister as Micah did.

He narrowed his eyes at her, taunting her with a few sneering words. For once, Britta ignored him, throwing her spare dagger, which hit him on the arm. Micah swore, and whipped out his sword. Britta knew his technique well, but he didn't know that. Smirking, not allowing her confident façade to slip, she told Diana to run, and blocked the way from Micah.

He looked puzzled for a brief moment, before matching her stance. His blade cut towards her, and Britta caught it at the hilt. At the training camp, it would never have worked, but he was not expecting her strength, and Britta liked to think she was getting stronger. She managed to push it up towards him before he recovered, and she had to roll out of the way. Her dress slowed her again, and she lunged at his feet, giving her enough time to get up. She moved to the defence, slower then she would have liked. Britta heard foot steps running up the stairs, and saw more men. Her distraction, gave Micah time to trip her up so she was on the ground.

"Some woman with a kitchen knife." He spat, hiding the wound in his arm.

Di, their coming. Britta warned her, as they came past. A boot hit her side, but otherwise she was left alone, realising that Micah had probably just saved her life.

Air hissing through her teeth as she got up, Britta held her side. She leaned against the wall for a moment, before reminding herself this was not a time to rest. As she got up, she felt another jolt of pain and panic shoot through her, this time not her own.

Diana.

They have her. They have Mable. Came her strangled reply.

By the time Britta had gotten to her sister, they were long gone.

"Well that went well." Britta muttered sarcastically.

Diana shot her a look. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"Fine, you?" Britta said.

Diana tried to stand up, but her left leg buckled underneath her and she sunk back to the ground, gritting her teeth. "I think it's my ankle." She groaned.

"We have to get out of here, can you walk if you lean on me?" Britta asked, pulling out the map Mable had given her. Diana nodded, and Britta led them through the nearest set of passageways to the forest.

While Diana rested, Britta set Quicksilver to following where Mable went, and called the horses to them. She bound Diana's ankle in a piece of fabric cut from the dress and soaked in cool water and a herb poultice. Both of them changed back into their normal clothes, and stashed the dresses away. After a dinner of leftovers from the saddle bags, the twins, sheltered by their horses, fell to sleep.

Faithful prodded Britta awake and greeted her with a sarcastic remark which Britta was too sore to really notice. She helped Diana on to her horse, and followed Quicksilvers report to where Micah was.

He's in the hole-in-the-ground again. She had told her.

Replacing the shrouds, and looking like boys once again, they set off, Thunder grumbling about his tack.

I'm sorry, but we need the saddle bags and you're the only one strong enough to carry them. Thunder seemed to appreciate the complement. Beside him, Fawn rolled her eyes.

"Stallions." She said to her rider, swishing her tail. Thunder whinnied and picked up the pace.

They stopped abruptly as they came to the place Quicksilver had mentioned. It was a cave, reasonably well hidden and almost impossible to find unless you knew where to look. Britta finally unsaddled Thunder, and watched affectionately as he rolled in the grass. She hid the tack up a tree and helped Diana with hers.

Hopefully they recognize us, then we can find our way around without being caught.

Don't count on it. Britta told her sister warily. Together, Britta and Diana limped inside the cave.

They were met with a barricade of sharp blades and no one they recognized.

"Who goes there?" Asked a voice.

"It's Bren and Duane, we were on one of the missions, and got captured." Britta said.

The twins were grabbed from behind, and their wrists tied tightly together with string.

"What are the latest plans of the Night Falcon?" Asked the same voice.

"We were captured, we've been separated from everyone, how should we know?" Hissed Britta.

The man flicked his wrist idly, "We don't need them." He said. "The Night Falcon has so many followers already, even if these are telling the truth." He opened his hand, and someone handed him a luminous golden object. Britta tensed when she realised it was the Aurea. He smirked and held it out. "Dispose of them."

Like in the room where Britta had gotten it from, she could see small tendrils reaching out to her, wrapping around her. The binding on her wrists was cut. Her hand snapped open and a knife was placed inside. Slowly, she raised it to her throat, the tendrils controlling her every move. Yet her mind was still awake, and as the knife cut in to the base of her neck, she resisted. She didn't want to die. Gritting her teeth, she concentrated on the Aurea and its grip on her and her mind. She envisioned them falling off her, and her hand dropping to her side. She pushed against it, straining her arm to move away from her. To drop the knife. It was hard; the blood was trickling down from the knife now. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and the people around her were laughing. Amused, bullying her like all the times back at home. Angry at them, she felt the fire burn through her veins. She stopped for just a second, and felt a burning pain in her neck, but she didn't care. She suddenly pushed forwards, with her mind and body alike. The knife was flung across the room.

Darting over to Diana, Britta wrenched the knife out of her grip and flung it wildly at the Aurea holder. She wasn't used to the shape of the knife, nor was she focused, but the blade glanced off his cheek and clattered onto the floor.

For a moment there was a stunned silence, and then Britta felt the Aurea's magic reach out to the again. She glared at the man, wishing looks could kill, and felt him step back slightly.

"Leave us." It was Diana who spoke, her voice echoing in a strange powerful way.

The nearest of the men turned to walk away but the Aurea holder shouted an order to bind and gag them, which was soon done. The vile liquid the gag had been soaked in penetrated all of Britta's senses and she felt herself sink to the floor.

***

Her mother bounced her on one knee, and Britta was able to look over at her father. He had bright blue eyes, and so she reached out for them, thinking perhaps they were a part of the sky. Her mother placed her in his arms, and picked up Diana, tickling her stomach and laughing with her. Britta heard their laughter, joining in. She was tired though, and it quickly faded. She opened her mouth in a yawn and shut her eyes, opening them again in a hurry. Her father was setting her down, but she wanted to stay where she was. About to cry, she was distracted by a deep green ring on his finger.

He let her play with it, and she promptly put it in her mouth, sucking it like a pacifier until she fell to sleep.

***

The warm memory quickly faded, when she woke. She and Diana were in a small cave, with bars fitted over the entrance. She looked around the rough stone walls, meeting Diana's eyes when she was done.

"How long have you been awake?" She croaked.

"Not long."

Britta nodded, flexing her fingers. The cord had cut in to her wrists, and when she tried to stand she felt dizzy.

What happened with the Aurea, why didn't it work on us?

I-I don't know, it doesn't make sense. Said Diana.

It was like I was pushing against something, those little tendrils that snaked out from it when they used it.

What?

Didn't you see them? Britta asked, surprised.

I felt like something was there, but I never saw them. Diana said, rubbing her head. I have a headache, like the one I get sometimes when we use the Voice.

Do you think it's connected?

The Voice and the Aurea?

As in, The Voice comes from the Aurea.

It would make sense I guess.

Well it would explain why I'm so tired. Britta yawned.

Will they keep us here to figure out why we can resist it?

Maybe, and then when Micah comes, he will recognize us.

Just a few days then, maybe we can ask Fawn and Thunder to keep an eye out.

Okay.

Before Diana could answer, the bars were unlocked and they were pulled outside. Britta caught a brief glance of Mables hair before they were both turned facing away from her.

"If you don't give us the information, you will watch these people you claim to know, be tortured, since you don't seem to have any reaction to it yourself."

"It was a little difficult to talk while you were pouring water down my throat." She said mildly.

"You have one last chance to tell us what you've read in those books."

"I'll use this chance to tell you no once again." She said, and Britta could have clapped for her, except at that moment, a vice grip closed on her hand.

She felt her arm being twisted backwards, but refused to make a noise. Just as she felt as if it couldn't go any further, they stopped before it broke.

"We need them in one piece for the experiments." Someone muttered.

She breathed out when her arm was released, and twisted enough to shoot a glare at the person who did it, managing at the same time to wave at Mable. Britta then felt Diana's worry as the same thing happened to her, supported against the wall because of her ankle.

Well figure something out. She said to her. Just don't show any pain, we have to make sure Mable doesn't tell them what they want to know.

For a moment, Diana's whole mind screamed in pain, as they did something else to her, then she mustered up enough energy to tell Britta they would be fine.

There was so much pain that day, and Britta found herself retreating inside her mind each time they did something else to her. She was playing memories in front of her eyes, blocking out what was happening, breathing steadily.

She watched the abbey, flying over it, with its long, rambling paths and trees bearing young fruit. She missed the apples which grew on them, and she could taste their crisp flavour in her mouth. She missed the people there; Fee and Bella and little Cece. Britta had been gone over a year and she wondered what they thought of her. She'd love to go back and see them.

Whenever her thoughts of the abbey faltered and her body screamed for them to stop – for Mable to make them stop – Diana gave her strength as Britta did for her. She found that memories of the training camp worked just as well as the slightly foggy, nostalgic memories of her childhood.

Then Mable snapped. She shot the deadliest glare Britta had ever seen from those blue eyes, and grabbed hold of the guard next to her.

"Fine." She said.

From her spot nearby, Britta called out, "Give them the information then, it's not like any of these idiots will know what to do with it." She was whacked on the back of the head, but ignored the sting. She was not angry at Mable – they had been hurting her just as much and the princess was not used to the pain.

"It is unknown how it came to be but this book states a theory created and believed by some experts." Mable started, in a dull monotone voice. "It is thought to be made with silk essentially but to contain something defining from each basic group of animals. Its powers cannot be logically explained. What is in the Aurea allows that animal group to be controlled. If the bloodline of each animal the substance came from could be found then they could not be controlled. There is the possibility that they have the ability to manipulate the Aurea from a distance." Mable recited.

"We want to know if the Aurea has any weaknesses." Came a commanding voice Britta had not heard before.

"The society knows of none. Judging by how much we know about the Aurea many weaknesses are possible."

The newcomer nodded. "Now I want to know about the emperors first wife."

Mable glared at him, Britta wondered if it was a sore spot for her. "She was assumed dead at the age 29 on the raid of a town north of here. She escaped when the building they were living in at the time was partially exploded taking her two, year old children with her. They were staying at the dwelling for time alone while her children grew to a year old. The names were not yet known to the public and father refused to tell anyone after their deaths. She was originally assumed to be taken by the raiders but it is also possible that she drowned or was burnt. Father lived because reinforcement arrived in time to save him."

"Were there any identifying traits from the children?"

"They were said not to be identical, one looking more like father then like mother. Both with the darker skin of the tribe."

"I see." Said the voice knowingly.

"Can you see past that huge nose of yours?" Britta asked scathingly. There was a way the man held himself that made her hate him, and an expression in his eyes that made her uneasy. She wanted to take his attention off the princess.

"Put them back in the holding cell."

They were dragged away and thrown back into the cell.

"Perhaps you shouldn't aggravate them?" Diana suggested.

Britta snorted, "They need someone to make their lives interesting."

Diana rolled her eyes, and turned her attention to her sore ankle. The fabric was still there, and Britta carefully unwound it from around her sisters leg. Diana winced. Britta cupped her hands around it, holding a cold stone to try and stop the swelling.

When what she assumed was night came, and dinner didn't she leaned through the bars and yelled out, "You're guest service is appalling."

She heard a laugh, and realised Mable must be nearby.

"Hey Mable."

"Hi Bren." She answered.

"How are you?"

"Feeling Lucky." Mable emphasis on the word called Britta's attention.

"I see." She said, not wanting to give anything away to the listening guards.

The next few days were horrible, even by Brittas standards. They tested them all the time, with the Aurea, and Britta would never have bothered resisting if the tasks they were forced to do didn't involve death. With all the practice, she got better and stopping herself from being killed, and began to look around for a way to escape. There was a big underground river running off one corner of the cave. Though it scared her, she wanted to get a closer look.

Letting her self walk towards one session, she stopped and looked over the edge. She stopped a ledge about three and a half meters down.

There. She told Diana, pushing the image towards her. If we jump down, we can escape from there, and get help for Mable.

It's too far to jump.

No, we can do it.

Now?

They are trying to make us fall off it. Britta pointed out,

Yes but-

It's our best hope.

What about when Micah comes?

He works with them, we can't guarantee anything.

Fine.

Together, they walked right up to the edge, Britta ignoring the shouts of delight that it was working. Diana wouldn't have jumped, but Britta pulled her forwards and together they fell, lending in a heap on the ledge. The Aureas control lifted off them, and they both scrambled into a small cave at the back of the ledge which would make it impossible for them to be spotted from above.

They couldn't hear anything over the roar of the river, but Britta knew that above them, someone was leaning over the edge, and reporting back that the two 'boys' had clearly died. Though the river made her nervous, she felt safe from everyone, and she and Diana, huddled together and fell to sleep.

When they woke up, everything was damp from the spray which had drifted up from the river. Britta's back ached, but there wasn't quite enough room in the cave for her to stand up and stretch out. She sat for a while instead, looking out onto the river. The story Mable had told, about the Emperors first wife played on her mind.

She ran a finger across the scar along one side of her face, wondering again where it came from. It curved in a crescent shape around one eye, and she realised it was the shape of a particular blade. The Fox had shown them it, and said it was a specific type of short sword, used by those over the mountains. The sword used by the raiders. Raiders had made the scar. Britta sat up straight, almost knocking her head on the wall above. Her excitement woke up Diana.

I think we came from the same village the Emperor got attacked in. My scar, the blades, the river.

Somehow Diana made sense of her explanation.

Remember the box? Britta thought of it, hidden in the bottom of Thunders saddle bag. Our parents must have had a lot of money, the things inside looked valuable.

Which means they came from somewhere important.

Britta, what did the letter say?

Britta remembered each word perfectly. She said she couldn't tell us who our father was.

Exactly. He's too important.

It makes sense... Said Britta, shivering slightly. A scar from the mountain men, found by a river at the right time, where else could be have gotten our dark skin from? And the Strange Man – Diana shivered at the mention of him – was looking for princesses when he took us. Mistress Core tried to stop him, does that mean she knew? But if we're the missing children then our father is...

"The Emperor." Diana breathed aloud. Britta had been saying what both of them had been thinking.

That means we're Mables half siblings.

Could we talk to her, using The Voice?

Let me try. Britta said, shutting her eyes.

She reached out, feeling Diana's presence, and then, finally, another.

Mable? She asked.

Britta? Are you talking to me from the spirit world, or am I going crazy?

You're already crazy, crazy. No, me and Diana figured something out. We've never told anyone this, but we can talk using our minds. And we came across a number of things on the way here-a letter from our mother among them-and we worked out she was the Emperors wife.

Oh. And that means we're sisters.

Yes.

Her name was Celestial. Father never told me more than that, but I always thought he called her Les for short, he used to whisper it in his sleep.

Do you know.... what she looked like?

Father destroyed all portraits of her.

Why destroy memories? Britta asked.

I think he was trying to destroy sadness. He lost everything that night.

Why did he remarry then?

It was diplomatic. I think he hated my mother at first. When things settled down they were like friends.

So your mother is now....?

She got sick.

Oh.

But I've always had Father, even if he's not always all there.

Would he recognize us?

Perhaps. Can I talk to Diana now?

Sure. I'll ask her to, maybe she could teach you how to find us.

Okay, this is fun. I bet everyone here thinks I've gone crazy

Don't worry, I'm sure their opinion of you hasn't changed a bit.

Britta set Diana on to talking with Mable, and called for Faithful.

Before you ask, no, I'm not going in there.

I was going to say that you needed to bring someone to discover this place.

Not all humans are smart enough to talk to us cats.

Steal something off someone, and lead them here, they can bring reinforcements and get Mable.

What about you?

We're hiding on a ledge by the river, we were worried that with all their experiments they might actually manage to fine something out.

Do you know what they were trying to discover?

No.

As I've said before, humans are usually very stupid.

Do you know what they were trying to discover?

I'm going to go and lead someone here now. Faithful said, avoiding her question.

"Ha," Britta whispered, not wanting to annoy him. "Mr. 'Gift for the Gods' doesn't know everything."

The next few minutes would remind her that she didn't either.

***

Well that was an ominous ending