The Secret

Chapter 21

Ryder's P.O.V.

I watched as Aura ran around our little apartment stuffing things inside her bag. I asked her to join Veronica and I but she rudely declined. I could tell that she was getting tried of us and that's the only reason I kept inviting her to things. I loved messing with her. 

"I'll see you later, I'm going to Daniel's," she said and gave me a hug from my position on the couch.

"I thought you weren't talking to him anymore?"

"Well, I wasn't but I guess things change," she shrugged. "Bye!" she called and left the apartment. I still didn't forgive Daniel for throwing me on the couch but it's not like I'm going  to stop Aura from talking to him. And speaking of not talking to people, I haven't seen or spoken to Ian since he ran from the apartment after Daniel came. It was like he ran off of the face of the earth. 

"Are you ready?" Veronica said from behind me and I jumped. I usually felt the cold air when they appeared but I most of been too distracted. I turned to face her with a smiled but it soon turned to horror when I saw her third eye in the center of her forehead. She was staring at me with an evil grin and I took a step away from her. 

"Veronica?"

"In the flesh baby," she laughed but it didn't sound as sweet as it use to. In fact, everything about her seemed off. 

"You're coming with us." I bumped into someone and turned around to see a grinning Lance.

Aura's P.O.V.

Daniel picked me up from my house and drove me toward his. I stayed quiet as I looked out the window. The weather changed rapidly but I thought nothing of it. I felt like it was just sunny a minute ago but now it seems that clouds attacked the sun and now the sky was having a battle. When we arrived at his house, he opened the door for me and we stepped inside. It was the same as I remembered when I was here last. Except for all the missing people. 

Maira was sitting at the table drinking coffee. When she saw us she smiled and gave me a hug. "Aura, it's so good to see you!" she said and smiled at me. 

"You too," I said pulling away from her. Hugs still weren't my thing. 

"What are you doing here?"

"I invited her. We're just going to relax," Daniel said and smiled at me. "Like normal people."

"Where's Lance?" I asked Maira. I wanted to thank him for talking to Daniel for me even though I didn't want him to anymore. Well at least a couple hours ago I didn't want him to. 

"He's not here," Maira frowned. "I actually don't know where he is." 

"That's fine," I said. "I'll just thank him later."

"Thank him for what?" Daniel asked with a confused expression. 

"For talking to you," I answered and smiled sheepishly. "I asked him to when you wouldn't talk to me."

"That's so adorable,"Maira gushed. "I made lunch, are you guys hungry?" she asked and we nodded.

We sat down at the table and all talked like normal people. It felt nice and I was quickly forgetting that these people weren't as normal as they were making it seem. I started to feel silly for the little weapons I put in my bag just in case something bad happened. It was rare for something bad to happen since we still had a week left but it was never bad to be prepared. Maira made rice and chicken which was delicious. 

I thought everything was perfect until I felt the house shake. I held on to the table as I stared wide eyed at Daniel and his mother who was giving me the same expression. "What the hell is going on?!"

"I don't know!" Maira exclaimed as she held onto the table. I saw her pale as she looked at Daniel with horror. "Do you feel that?"

"That power," Daniel whispered. "It's happening!"

"What happening?" I shouted over the noise the house was making. I felt like an earthquake was about to tear the house apart. It was like I couldn't have a normal day without something happening. It was like it was fated. 

"Hira was wrong!" Maira shouted. "It's happening now!"

I froze as I thought about this. Sabrina said she needed a sacrifice so who was it? The room started to grow cold and Artemis and a few others appeared. It wasn't as much as it was the first or even second time but it was still a lot. 

"It's starting. We must go," Artemis said and disappeared. Maira nodded her head and disappeared also. 

"Stay here," Daniel ordered and attempted to disappear but I grabbed onto him and he took me with him. There was no way I was staying here when people needed me. I might not be able to do much but I was able to do something. I didn't bring these things for a reason. 

We appeared in a familiar place. I could see the bus stop where I use to wait for the bus but that was impossible since everything around me was empty. The trees that surrounded my building were gone. But that's not what scared me the most. The building where I just left Ryder an hour ago was gone. 

"Ryder!" I screamed and pushed past Daniel. "Ryder where are you!"

In replace of the building was a circle of people. They were chanting something in a foreign language as the wind blew around them fiercely. Protecting the circle was a group of supernatural people. I spotted Jada and her boyfriend in the group as they snarled at us. 

"Jada how could you!" I screamed at her and her head snapped in my direction.

"You're on the wrong side Aura," Jada simply said and looked away from me. 

I squinted my eyes and looked past the supernatural and at the actual circle of people. They floated in a circle surrounding a familiar body. Ryder. Ryder was the sacrifice. He was unconscious on the rubble that was our building. He couldn't be the sacrifice. He just couldn't.

"Ryder! No!" I screamed and when I tried to run toward them Daniel grabbed me. 

"Aura stop! We'll handle this," he said as they all ran forward to the group. Everything seemed to disappear as I stared at the large circle of Nemesis. I watched as their faces appeared and when I saw a familiar face, anger took control of my body and I ran forward.

Grace Harvey. My best friend.