Astray, book 2

Part Two: Chapter 13

*Anne's pov*

"Mum," I said between tears, "help me please."

"It's okay, baby. We're coming." I hear her say from behind me.

Random sounds of magic being casted back and forth with the occasional grunt of someone almost getting hit. I had one foot stuck and dangling over the edge. One more order from Isadora and I go over the edge.

"Uh uh! You can't go near her," Isadora said as I heard my dad yell as he's thrown away from me.

"Give me my daughter!" I heard my mum yell before everything went black.

_______

My eyes snapped open and I struggled to catch my breath for a moment. I sat up in bed and my hair poured down in front of me.

Why was my hair so long?

There was a small box at my feet wrapped in a big yellow bow. I looked at the little note attached to the side.

Happy birthday, Annie.
If you're reading this it means you woke up!
Rest up, we're going to need you.
-El

Still confused I peeked in the box and saw Mum's Niffler Badger.

The fuck did that all this mean?

"Willa! Come eat please," Aunt Poppy yelled from another part of where ever the fuck I was.

"I'm fine, everything Sara said kinda weirds me out so I'm gonna check out," a voice said back as it got closer to the room.

"I... I don't know what most of that meant." Poppy said, defeated.

Before I could lay down and pretend to be asleep the door swung open and in the doorway stood a girl about my age. She had long raven hair that was tied up. And she had the most beautiful blue eyes I'd ever seen. We were both at a loss for words as we stared at each other. One of us would open our mouths just to be at a loss for words as we looked at each other.

"An.. Anne Poppy Sallow." The girl mumbled. He cheeks turning red.

"Oh.. you know my whole name," I said a tiny bit worried now.

"Oh,'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm Willa Hart. I've been learning about you and your family for so long. I'm just really shocked I get to talk to you." She had to practically force her mouth shut.

"Oh... um... what happened?"

"Oh shit! Let me get Sara!" She ran out of the room quickly. Shortly after that I heard a stampede of footsteps and a handful of people rushed into the room.

Sara was first and jumped on the bed hugging me tightly. I noticed Willa stayed back by the door with her hands together in front of her while everyone hugged me and asked if I was okay.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" I asked. Everyone except Sara looked away. "Where's El?"

"Anne..." uncle Andre started to say before getting quiet. "Maybe we should call for Marc."

"Like a phone?" Willa asked confused.

"Well, no an Owl.. but you know phones exist right? They were invented in the 70's." Sebastian asked.

"Pssh... of course I knew that."

"Who is Willa?" I asked Sara softly.

"She's from the future. I think 2023. It's been six months I don't remember."

"Six month!" I said a lot louder. "Where is my family! Where are the Twins?"

"Twins are fine. They are safe and hidden with some friends of mine," poppy assured me. She squeezed my hand firmly. "As for the rest of your family.."

"Anne..no one has seen your parents since the night the school collapsed," Sara said guiltily. "El has been looking for them... I think. He also takes out a lot of the camps Isadora's followers have been making."

My brain was reeling. "The school collapsed?"

"What was the last thing you remembered?" Little Ominis asked.

"I couldn't see because Isadora had me looking in one direction. But Mum and Dad were fighting her... and then everything went black."

Everyone took the information in silence. "We need to get El,"  Sara finally said.

"He's just going to guilt us into going to our own world, again." Sebastian mumbled to her.

"You guys should go back," Sara sighed.

Sebastian started to say something but Poppy talked over him. "Let's let Anne wake up. We gave her a lot of information."

Everyone started to file out but Sara and Willa stayed back. "Sara?" I asked.

"Isadora reached out to me," Sara looked almost nauseous. "I have to find ancient magic to give her because the magic she stole is leaving her somehow. She said if I don't she'll start killing you all. And If I don't bring her your mother.. she'll kill Sebastian." There was definitely a war going on inside her.

"What will you do?" I asked in almost a whisper.

Sara was looking at her feet guilty as if she knew, "I don't know yet... no one can find your Mum anyway." She let out a long sigh before leaving me with Willa.

We looked at each other in silence.

I saw my clothes folded nicely next to me in a chair. "I should get dressed. I said out loud. But Willa didn't get the hint till she looked at me and the clothes.

"Oh! Fuck. Yeah, sorry." She covered her eyes and walked outside as I got dressed.

_______

Sara's pov

"Why do you want me to go home so badly?" Sebastian asked me as we walked down Hogsmead.

"Why don't you? I want to go home. But I can't leave without finishing something I started."

Sebastian threw his arms up. "So you're just going to give her ancient magic?"

"No! But she'll kill our friends if I don't. And I don't want her to kill you!"

Sebastian covered my mouth as I got to loud and looked around before moving us in a tight alley way and trapping me between him and the wall of the house.

"What are you going to do then, Sara?" He asked making sure he held eye contact.

"I can't let her kill you..." was all I could say.

Sebastian's shoulders drooped slightly. "Sara..." he sighed.

"If... I... if I do this.. you'll be safe. Ominis and Antonio would be safe. El and Anne; safe!"

"This is not something you would do!" He said in hushed tone.

"But I'll do it if I have too!"

Sebastian thought to himself for a moment before moving away from me. "I... I cant... not right now," he started heading towards the three broomsticks again leaving me alone.

"Sebastian!" I tried yelling for him but he just ignored me.

"You two fight?" Little Cerus said behind me suddenly making me jump. I looked at him and he was covered in mud.

"Another dead end?" He'd also been looking for Ava, his mentor.

"I'll find her."

I looked back at Sebastian to see he was still walking away from me. I felt anger. And pain. I turned again and looked at Cerus.

"I'll help you." I smiled.