Magic in the Air

Chapter Thirty-Five: Roses

I stare up at the castle, poking out above the treetops. I can hear the guards preparing for our arrival in the distance. My dad has known we're coming. He's known since before we made it to Balthazar's castle.
The Merlains from home reached us about an hour ago, and we just finished telling them the plan. Gabe and Alexis have been talking a lot since they got here. Mental note: bug her about it later.
Ryan slips his hand in mine, and I don't pull away. I need him there.
We sneak up and once we're in view of the gates and the soldiers, Asher's archers, Chrissy, and I fire, killing several guards within the first couple seconds of us being here.
I see a line of thorny bushes surrounding the castle walls. My father planted roses.
I grab the heart from Chrissy's backpack and hold it close, knowing it's my only hope of saving my friends and my people. I'm a princess of this kingdom, and my people are being mistreated by their own king.
My heart races as Asher's army distracts Nolan's and my family sneaks into the maze. A bolt of lightning signals the start of my storm. Mia climbs on top of the walls and starts directing us from above. I hear the whistle of an arrow and a groan of pain from Mia. "Hit my ear." She groans. Jen puts an invisibility spell over her so the archers can't see her.
We reach the small room that surrounds the entrance to the tower and Bella and Chrissy drop into the tunnel and soon the tunnel clears up enough for your average air breathing human to pass through. "Don't forget to pull the levers." I say and kiss Sean's cheek. Him and Gabe go through the lava barrier and I can hear their feet on the stone steps.
"DID YOU REALLY THINK THIS PLAN WOULD WORK?" A humored, loud voice that I know to belong to my father booms. "And you choose those two idiots to pull it off! I thought an evil ruler's daughter would be smarter than that." His face was projected on the wall closest the the barrier.
"You may be my father biologically." I start, my voice oozing steal and hatred. "But you will never be my dad, and I will never be your daughter."
He laughs and a different image flashes on the wall. Sean and Gabe are crumpled on the floor of Nolan's draining cage, groaning in agonizing pain. The image disappears and I pull on my leather jacket.
"I'm going up." I say and face the barrier, half wanting someone to disagree with me."
"Are you freaking insane?!" Chrissy yells and turns me towards her. "That's exactly what he wants!"
"Not to mention, that lava might kill you." Bella points out.
"Do you expect me to let them die?" I snap. "You haven't sen what that cage does. It slowly sucks the power out of whoever's in there. First their magic, then their life. Each second in there gets more and more excruciating. Then they die. I can't let someone I love go through that."
I jump through the lava and land safely (though very hot and sweaty) on the other side. "I'm okay," I yell across. I bolt up the stairs and past a guard waiting at the top. I go to where I know my father will be. "Let them go you heartless monster!" I yell and pin him against the wall with both hands around his neck.
He escapes from my grip and has chains of fire grab my wrists. He comes towards me and gives a fake regretful face. "You've always had su-" His words are interrupted by a hard kick to the stomach.
I bend the fire cuffs and hold them in my hand. "Never fight with a girl with more power than you." I turn the fire into water and freeze his ankles and wrists. "Let. Them. GO!" I shout and kick him again.
"Alright fine." he says and makes a swirling motion with his hands. "But that poor Aqualette girl. What was her name? Chrystal? She'll take their place." He breaks the ice cuffs and walks ominously towards me. "She's got a lot of power. Maybe I should speed up the process. Get that power, just a little bit faster."
I hear Chrissy scream from a tower in the distance. "That," I start. "Was a huge mistake." I create a small orb from my lips and send it straight at him. He deflects it with a wall of fire and my hands burst into flames of fury.
"YOU! DO! NOT! HURT! MY! FAMILY!" I yell, with each word, a different attack. I only stop when he's on the ground. "I gave you a chance." I hiss and glare down at him. I grab the heart from the bag and for once see true fear in my father's eyes.
I squeeze my eyes shut as I crush the beating heart in my hand. For once, nothing is going through my head. Nothing. I open my eyes to see the person who has caused me so much pain lifeless on the floor.