The Twins • Book One • Wattys2017

Chapter 17- The Castle

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.

Ivy's POV

I see a grey bird staring at me, until it whistles and flies off. I've been super jumpy ever since Nia got captured.

"Hey, Ivy are you alright?" Star asks, falling in step with me to my left.

"Yeah, you seemed a bit frightened." Amy adds, walking on my right. It's hard to believe they aren't actually sisters sometimes, even though Amy looks totally different from Star with her tan skin, pitch black hair and brown eyes to Star's pale skin, platinum blonde hair and dark brown eyes. Still, they are so twin-like and copies of each other it's creepy.

"I'm fine, just thought I saw something in the forest watching me." I sigh, "It was just a grey bird, nothing to worry about." I don't know if I was saying that to convince them, or myself.

I don't know why but I can't get that bird out of my head, like I should know who it is or something equally crazy like that. I must be going insane.

I participate in nice chit chat with Amy and Star while we walk to the forest, trying to get that strange bird out of my head. By the time I get to the forest, it's at the back of my mind, and the strange feeling I have whenever I think about it is pushed to the side.

That is until I see it again.

Saber's POV

"Alaric? Is that you?" I ask, running up to the leopard that burst through the trees. Even through all of the other people's scents around me, I can slightly smell Alaric's scent.

"Saber? Hey, Saber! We weren't expecting to see you around here for a long time! I smelled a lot of leopards and thought maybe my brother came for a visit with his royal guards." Alaric explains. I hear growling behind me and turn back to look at the others. "I....is that a dragon?" Alaric stutters, looking at Sophia worriedly. I chuckle and turn into a human, looking at the others.

"Sophia, you don't have to be in that form anymore, it's okay this is Nia's uncle."

"Oh." Everyone says, not confused anymore. Ivy shakily steps forward, still in leopard form, and looks up at Alaric, who also shifted into human form.

"I have an uncle?" Ivy asks softly once she turns into a human, tears brimming in her eyes. Alaric's eyes soften immediately and he pulls Ivy into a tight hug that she immediately returns, letting her sobs flow freely as her happiness.

"I'm guessing you're Nia's twin sister. I am so glad to finally meet you little one. I am Alaric, your father's brother." Alaric pulls back and looks at Ivy with a massive grin across his face. "Now that I really look at you, you look a lot like him. We also have the same eye color." Ivy smiles, wiping away her tears.

"It's nice to meet you Uncle, and yes we do have the same eyes. I'm Ivory, but I prefer Ivy."

"Speaking of which, where's Nia? I can't smell her, but all of the new scents could just be messing up my nose." Alaric looks around in the forest around us and at everyone's faces. I look around and see everyone now looks sad or angry, or a combination of both, like in my case.

"I think we should explain it back at the cabin." I suggest. Alaric nods, pushing down the worry that shows through his body language. Alaric and I lead the way to the cabin silently with the others quickly following.

Once we get there, we introduce everyone to Meredith and Alaric, and Ivy starts to cry again, squeezing Meredith. If I started to get the family that I had always wanted throughout my whole life, I'd react in the same way.