The Sacred Pendant

Chapter 12

Celine turned restlessly on the bed. She couldn't sleep, and she didn't know why. She had went home to take her bath and wash her uniform, or rather, Chi had helped her wash her uniform because Celine didn't know how to hand wash.
"I have a lot to teach you, rich girl, " Chi had teased Celine when she was washing the uniforms.
     Chi's father came later in the evening and they had dinner together. Celine found Chi's father to be an interesting man. After dinner, they all said goodnight and went to bed (because Chi's parents wanted Chi to have her 'beauty sleep', as they put it). And now Chi was nicely asleep while Celine was widely awake, tossing and turning.
     Celine sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes were tired but she still couldn't fall asleep.
"Sleep, where are you? I'm already exhausted, " Celine groaned. Suddenly, she heard a loud bang.
     Celine's ears stood alert.
"What was that?" Celine asked, "Chi, did you hear that?" But Chi was deeply asleep. The loud noise could have woken up the entire block but it seemed to be only Celine that heard it.
     Curiosity got the better hold of Celine. She got down from the bed and walked quietly out of the room to the direction of the noise. Celine went to the sitting room, where she was sure she heard the sound came from, and peered into the darkness. She could not see anything. There was no one there, or so she thought.
"I cannot believe that the most powerful possession in the whole universe is being protected by a mere child, " A sinister voice said. Celine gasped terrified and backed away.
"Who's there?" Celine asked shakily.
"How about I help you turn on the light, " The voice said again and the light turned on immediately.
     On the couch was a woman, a sinister looking woman. She was slender, dark-skinned and had deep eerie sockets. She was wearing a long black gown that flowed to the floor and hid her feet. She had an evil smile on her scarified face that made Celine's blood shiver.
"Hi there, Celine, " She said grinning sinisterly.
"W-w-who are you? A-a-and how do you know my name?" Celine stuttered, her body shaking with fear.
"I'm Vanzella, and I don't just know your name, Celine. I know more about you than you could ever know yourself. I know the power you posses; I know what it is capable of doing and I'm here to take it, " She said.
"You know about?"
"Yes, Celine. I know you hold the power of the sacred pendant. Ever since Margaret died, I've been in search of the sacred pendant that holds the power of the Great Phoenix but to no avail. I've searched everywhere possible but that sneaky Margaret is good at being sneaky. But when you incidentally blasted that wall in your school, this, " Vanzella said and held up an orb that was glowing red, " felt it and led me to you. I guess Margaret wasn't that clever after all. She must have been stupid to choose you as the new protector of the power of the Great Phoenix."
Margaret? Does she mean my mother?
"You know my mother?" Celine asked.
"Yes, let's say we were old friends, " Vanzella said.
"Protector? I don't understand, " Celine said almost in a whisper, thinking about her mother.
"Didn't your mother tell you anything about the sacred pendant before she died?" The woman asked, surprised.
     Celine shook her head slowly.
"Good, " Vanzella said, standing up with a mischievous smile, " Then you won't mind me taking it."
     Celine teetered backwards.
"I'm not giving you anything!" Celine snapped.
"You got it wrong, baby girl. I did not say you should give it to me, I said I'm taking it!" Vanzella said, walking towards Celine.
"You are not!" Celine shouted. She wasn't sure what to do or how to defend herself but she stood her ground.
My mum chose me and I'm not letting her down, Celine thought boldly.
"We will see about that. You don't even know your powers, so how are you going to stop me from doing this!" Vanzella said and threw the red orb up. It stayed on mid air and Vanzella started saying so strange words that Celine didn't understand, like an incantation.
"What are you doing?" Celine asked, terrified. Her mind was racing, she didn't know what to do. She tried bringing out her powers but nothing came. Celine began to panic.
"Stop!" Celine shouted, helplessly, "Whatever it is you are doing, just stop!"
     Vanzella stopped. The orb fell and she caught it.
"Why isn't it working?" Vanzella asked, confused.
"W-w-why isn't what working?" Celine asked, breathing heavily.
"I was chanting a seizure spell. Meaning by now I suppose to have seized the Great Phoenix power, that's in you, from you and into my orb, " Vanzella said, " Why isn't it working, Celine. What did you do?"
"I don't know it does not matter to me, as long as you can't take my powers, " Celine said, getting bold.
"OK then, I guess you will have to give me, " Vanzella said.
"Not even in your dreams, Vanilla!" Celine said.
"It's Vanzella, you varmint!" Vanzella bellowed and charged angrily towards Celine. Celine screamed and looked away, covering her face.
     Nothing happened. Celine didn't feel any pain, as she expected. All she could hear was Vanzella shouting and groaning frustratingly.
     Celine opened her eyes. She looked at Vanzella. She was casting out dark magic but none of them touched her. The black lights came towards Celine but ricocheted to the wall when they was close to her.
     Celine looked around, confused. Then she finally understood. A green force field had formed around her, protecting her from Vanzella's spells.
"You varmint!" Vanzella bellowed angrily, " I thought you said you knew nothing about the Great Phoenix power! So how come you know how to make a force field to block out my spells???"
     Vanzella breathed heavily, glaring at Celine sinisterly.
"Give up, witch!" Celine said. She was no longer scared. She was safe. There was no way Vanzella could hurt her.
Vanzella took a deep breath and sighed. "I may not be able to hurt you but I can hurt someone else."
"What do you mean?" Celine asked, alarmed.
"You'll see, " Vanzella said and vanished into black smoke.
     Celine looked around. Vanzella was gone.
Chi!
     Celine ran back to the room and just as she had thought, Chi was no longer on the bed.
"You know what to do if you want your pretty friend back, " Vanzella said.
     Celine looked around. Vanzella was nowhere in sight and her voice seemed to come out from the walls.
"Think wisely, Celine. Don't be as foolish as your mother was."
"Chi!" Celine screamed.
"You know where to find me."
"Vanzella!" Celine called but she was already gone.
"Chi, " Celine said softly. She fell to her knees and sobbed quietly.
     Celine raised her head. Her eyes were all red and swollen. She wiped her tears with the back of her palm and sniffled.
"I can't just stay here, helpless and crying. I need to do something. I need to find Chi, " Celine said and she got up.
But how? Celine thought, I need help. Chi's parents? No, they will freak out when they wake up and find out that their only daughter has gone missing.
     Celine paced to and fro the room, thinking hard with her hands on her head. She suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
Don!