"The Sacrifice:;The Sacrifice Trilogy"[Book 1.]

7.Captured

Agonizing pain shoots up and down my body like I was trampled by a bus. I can barely move my head, let alone do the usually simple task of sitting up. What the hell happened last night? I asked myself. I'm surrounded by white walls, a peculiar looking door with horizontal patterns I've never seen before. They actually look like little green circles with swords slashing through them, which admittedly, looks kind of cool. There are two chairs in the center of the room; one black and one blue. Jake's sitting in the blue one, and the only reason I know that is because I can feel tingles traveling down my back and spine. "I've been asking your mom that for the past hour. However, I haven't gotten a straight response yet," his face showed how dismayed he was even though he tried to hide it. As if on cue, the woman in question waltzes in wearing a beautiful, laced-down crimson dress with blue heels that looked like they were made especially for her feet. God, is everyone always so extravagantly fashionable here? Seriously, I feel like I just walked into a fashion weekly magazine! "It's a good thing you're up," she says with false cheerfulness, indicating that something's very wrong. "I have information on your sister, but you may want to come with me," she advised before walking away.

My confusion was evident when I ask, "How do you know anything about Hayden?" That inquire made her turn and stare at me like I have three heads. "Duh, because she's my daughter and your twin sister," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Wait, what? She's my twin?! This simple fact had me jumping off the pink bed I was laying on to follow her, but this time, my heart was pounding in fear...

* * *

We are all gathered side by side in my mom's living room: Jake, Noah, Braiden, and I. Mom is now sitting in her favorite brown chair and is also facing us directly with a look of dismay on her usually- composed face. "I've called you all here because some disturbing information has just come to light. Alexander has captured my daughter, Hayden, and is planning to kill her if we don't give him what he wants," she says with a controlled demeanor that's on the verge of breaking. Strangely enough, Braiden is the one to ask: "And how do you know this?" Her response, however, was as mocking as ever. "I'm a witch and psychic, sweetheart. It doesn't take a freaking miracle for me to figure things out," she also added a sardonic smile for emphasis. I smile alongside her at seeing Braiden pout, but then my mind wanders to Hayden and my smile drops. "What do you want us to do about Hayden? I mean, it's not like we can just pop over to the human plane and save her life," Noah says, speaking for the first time since we got here.

"And you will not have to," she contradicts irritably, while standing up to face us. "What I would like for you to do is go down to the garage- you know, the one where The Border is- and get that asshole away from my daughter. Now, before you all object, I know one person in this room that can cross The Border without dying," she looks pointedly at me. Needless to say, my reaction was priceless. "Me? I don't even know what The Border is," I protested, and she sighed- either in fatigue or anger- I couldn't tell. "The Border is a force field between worlds: a way out of this hellhole, if you will. For reasons I'm not ready to tell you, only you and Alexander can cross the Border without dying," she says, putting her hands up in defense of imminent backlash. I looked her over, just to make sure she wasn't screwing with me, and then my rage grew. "Excuse me? Do you really think I'll just crawl on my hands and knees like a damn dog and follow your orders without all the information? Oh, hell no!" I practically spit in her face, and let me tell you something, her scowl could make a grown man sob in shame. "Remember who you're talking to, young lady. I'm still your mother and you will show me some respect," her scowl turned into an icy glare and it was enough to make me square my shoulders, look down, and shutter at the weight of it. "You're right. I'm sorry, but I just hate not knowing the whole truth," I apologize grudgingly, as her hard-ass demeanor cracks in shambles. "I know, baby, but you will get the answers you're so desperately seeking. All in good time," she promises.