Different Worlds

Planning The Attack

SIENNA'S POV

I was finding it hard to open my eyes. It felt like there was something taped open my eyes, preventing me from opening them. I kept trying again and again, and each time I tried, the easier it seemed to get. I finally managed to pry them open, but it took a few more minutes before everything swam into focus for me. I finally found myself staring into Devon's concerned eyes, and I felt a smile spread across my lips with incredible ease.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

With his help, I managed to pull myself up into a sitting position. "A little tired," I admitted. "I thought I was a goner for sure."

Before I realized what was happening, Devon pulled me into a tight embrace, burying his face in my hair. "I've never been so scared in my life," he admitted. "I thought I was going to lose you." He pulled back and stared at me imploringly. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"I'm sorry," I apologized, but I didn't say anything about not doing it again. We both knew that I'd have to go up against Netiri again in the very near future, and it wasn't a verypleasant thought.

Devon pulled me close to him again and gently pressed his lips against mine in an extremely sweet kiss. It was so sweet and I felt like I was drowning in it. I wanted to. We only pulled back when we heard a very unsubtle ahem! in the background, and we both looked up to see Jacek and Daniel standing there watching us, Daniel with a smile, Jacek with a smirk.

"Did you want something?"Devon asked with annoyance.

"How are you feeling, Sienna?" Jacek asked, ignoring his annoyed grandson.

"Better now," I answered with a cheeky glance at Devon. Then I noticed the grave expression on Daniel's face. "What's going on?"

Jacek and Daniel exchanged a quick glance before Jacek answered.

"Daniel's planning on sneaking into the castle tonight to try and see Neeros tonight."

My eyebrows shot up with surprise and I looked at Devon as he shot to his feet.

"Are you crazy?" He asked a little-too-loudly, and it got the attention of a few other people nearby. "That's suicide!"

"I need to talk to Neeros," Daniel said quietly. "If I can get to him and just get him to listen - "

"That's stupid," Devon said bluntly. "You already know that he's not going to listen while he's under Netiri's spell. We have to break it first."

I had been looking from one to the next as they were speaking before my gaze settled on Daniel. "How do you break the spell?"

"The only way to break the spell is for Neeros to see Netiri for what she truly is - an ugly witch with a heart of pure evil."

I felt my face fall into a frown. "And how do we do that?"

"It's only a spell that keeps Netiri looking the way she is," Daniel explained. "Without magic to cloud her appearance, everyone would be able to see her in her true form. It's seeing her in her true form that will break the spell over Neeros." Daniel looked me straight in the eye. "However, to break that spell is going to take an incredible amount of power."

"And that's where I come in," I said quietly, almost to myself. Then my head snapped up as I realized what he had said before, and I quickly got to my feet. "Wait a second. Did you say that you were going to sneak into the castle to speak to Neeros tonight?"

Daniel nodded seriously, and I could feel my head spinning as panic began to rise within me.

"Are you trying to tell me that I need to try and break this spell tonight?" I stared back and forth between Jacek and Daniel, dreading the answer.

"Of course not!" Devon stepped in, glaring at his grandfather and Daniel. "That's not what they meant."

"Actually," Jacek said, ignoring the furiously penetrating glare from his grandson. "Yes. We need you to try and break the spell tonight."

I felt the blood drain from my face at his words. I could barely feel my legs.

"You don't have to do anything until you're ready," Devon said firmly to me as he put his arms around me protectively. He shot another glare at Jacek and Daniel, daring them to object.

"I'm sorry," Jacek said softly. "But Netiri's attack shows us just how little time we have left. You know that, Devon."He stared at his grandson apologetically, but it was not enough to smooth out the anger on Devon's face. "We have no choice. If we wait much longer, our chances of winning are going to plummet dramatically."

There was a long moment of silence as they watched me. I was still trying to take in everything they had just told me. I could vividly remember just how much magic Netiri had when I had gone up against her. It had been overpowering, and it was only thanks to Jarvis already weakening Netiri that I had managed to survive. I slowly glanced around at everyone around me, at all of the people counting on me to 'save them.' I had promised them that I would do my best to help them, and I was the only one that had a remote chance of succeeding in this impossible mission. I slowly began nodding my head, ignoring Devon as he shook his.

"Okay," I said with a ring of finality in my voice. "I'll try my best."

By this stage, Devon's head was shaking back and forth furiously. "No," he stated simply. "I'm not going to let you go through with this when you're not ready."

"We don't have a choice," Jacek tried to comfort Devon. "Knowing Netiri, she'd show up here tomorrow ready to slaughter us all. It's only because of Jarvis and Sienna that we're all still alive.

Devon frowned thunderously at his grandfather, but I could see that he knew that what they were saying was true. The frown deepened as he turned to me. "Then I'm going with you," he said, leaving no room for argument. "I'm not going to let you go there without being there to help you all I can."

"And I'll be going too," a new voice intruded, and we all turned around to see Jarvis standing behind us. "I know I'm no match for Netiri, but hopefully I can guide you when the moment comes. Hopefully you'll be able to reach the deep magic you've been trying to connect with."

I nodded, trying not to let them see the fear in my eyes, but I knew that Devon could. He pulled me even tighter to me. "I'll be there for you," he whispered quietly into my ear, and I felt comforted to know that he was going to be with me the entire time."I won't let anything happen to you."

I closed my eyes as I let Devon's words embrace me. No matter what happened, I would make sure that nothing happened to him.