Next Up

Track 25

Ever since Zoe could remember, she had this thought... It felt like she was an alien inhabiting the shell of a human. There was no real observable evidence for this theory, but it was a persistent thought in her head.

"You're really going to kill them?" Zoe looked at Marcello, who sat across from her on the couch.

"You can clutch your pearls all you like, Zoe," Marcello said, not looking up from the book in his hand. "You, too, have killed, so don't act like you're some innocent flower."

"I did that because you were going to die."

"I wasn't..." Marcello stopped, then spoke quickly as if he was going to run out of time for something. He said, "Okay, well, thank you for saving me, but it's not like it's a big deal."

Zoe turned, hearing Alder call them all into the kitchen. She turned back to where he was sitting, but he was already walking toward Alder.

"Alright, Everyone," Alder started once everyone had gathered. "At the end of the week, the Stygian Tower will open. I'm telling you all this, so we're on the same page." Alder walked over and crouched next to his daughter, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I'll need your help, alright? You know the item daddy's been talking about for a long time? You're gonna win it."

"Why are you talking like I'm eight?" Ayla asked. "Maybe, though. Can I hang out with Ethan?"

"No. Stop asking." He stood, about to address everyone once more. "We won't be there long, as I only want one thing: The Angel's Ring. Ayla, dear, you wanted something, correct?"

Zoe blinked, 'What did he just say?'

Ayla grinned, "The fifteen-inch Egyptian sarcophagus."

Zoe felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest. "The Angel's Ring...the one that can heal anything?"

"You're familiar?" Alder looked at her with confusion.

"Somewhat," Zoe nodded, her eyes to the ground; her mind racing. "How'd they get it?"

"Uh," Alder scratched his chin, a bit taken aback by the random question. "From what I've heard, the guy who runs the event paid some archeologists to come take it from some tribe on some island. I think they didn't want to cough it up, so they had to take it."

"Some island!" Zoe's fists clenched, "You mean Cassius on California Island." Her voice was sharp.

"Maybe," Alder shrugged, genuinely unsure. He and everyone else watched as Zoe stormed out of the room. Her face was beet-red. "Anyways, Ayla is going to get the item for me, and after we will get her creepy kid-coffin, and we're outta there. She's just gonna buy the raffle ticket, and we've won it."

"Why does Ayla need to get it for you?" Bulwark asked.

Alder smiled, walking over and putting his hand on her shoulder, "That's 'cause she's my lucky little girl."

Ayla quickly walked to her room, closing the door, and locking it. She reached into her pocket, took out her phone, and answered the Facetime call. "Hey, Ethan," she said.

"Yo, what're you doing?" He asked. He was skinny with medium-length brown hair.

"I'm hangin.'"

"Meet me at the mall in two hours."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"They're trippin' over some news story. They think I could get kidnapped."