Opposites: The Staff of Light [Book One]

39. My Bedtime Stories Need More 'Annabeth'

Alice

We spent the afternoon trying to open the backdoor of the building. Whatever happened, we wanted to get inside and bust the head mistress' sister out.

Tyler kicked the door one last time. It never opened. The guard from inside kicked us out of the courtroom hours ago. "It's no use," he announced angrily, sitting on the ground. "How are we supposed to do this?" He eyed me. "Alice... Adelaide is in there. We can't just... abandon her." I sat beside him, placing my forehead on my palm.

"I know," I agreed. "There has to be another way."

"She'll be killed tomorrow if we don't do something. I mean, if she dies under medieval law, what's going to happen to her daughter? What's to happen to Jezebel?"

I widened my eyes to realization. "Tyler," I gasped, standing up. I pulled him to his feet and began running.

"What's with the rush?" he asked.

"Jezebel's all alone." With those words, we picked up speed, weaving through the large crowd even at a sunset. Finally, we reached Adelaide's home hidden somewhere in the far edge of the town where we saw a crying Jezebel on the porch. "Jessie!" I called out. The sobbing young girl immediately ran towards me and I welcomed her with an embrace. She couldn't stop. My senses told me she knew what had happened. She might have seen the evidences of the wrecked living room. For a young girl, I found it impressive for her to identify what kind of situation her family was in. But I couldn't feel anything else but pity when I felt her wheezing at the thought of her missing mom. "Shh," I tried to comfort her as I kneeled on one. "Please stop crying, dear..."

"My mother's gone," she bawled. "My mother's gone."

* * *

"Annabeth," I called out, "I-I need you out here." I clenched my right fist and began banging on her door. "Are you even in there?" I waited three full seconds for a reply from my twin sister.

Annabeth grunted. "Ugh, go away, Alice." I heard a book being set down irritably on a table. "I'm busy doing something."

"Can't you spare a little time to play? I brought—"

"No," she snarled. I heard the lock of her door clicking. She locked me out. "I don't need you or anything else right now, Alice. I'm fine with reading, preferably alone."

"I wouldn't feel fine when I'm alone," I replied in a small voice.

There came another click emanating from the doorknob inside. The door finally opened, and I caught view of my sister, Annabeth, frowning at me. "Gods, you don't give up, do you?" she snapped at me. "Get—the—heck—out—of—my—life. I don't have time to deal with a nuisance like you." Annabeth pressed a finger against the center of my chest, pushing me. I stepped back. "Why can't you just go off and play all by yourself?" She eyed my snow cat who dutifully mewed. "Don't you have to clean that filthy thing up?"

"First of all, I can never get out of your life. I am your sister. And I care about you." I stepped forward. "I want to spend time with you. I want to play with you. I need to do all sorts of things with you. I have to show you love—because I love you. Second of all, Felis is not filthy."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "For a seven-year-old, you're really annoying." With those words, she slammed the door right in my face and never forgot to lock it.

I grew speechless, standing in the hallway. A tear rolled down my cheek. Felis, my kitten, mewed at me, and I stroked its head with a gentle finger. "No, Felis," I said sadly. "We won't be playing today." I set her down to the floor. She rubbed her face against my ankles before running off back into my room. I placed my hand on Annabeth's door, whispering, "Please play with me."

* * *

"But she was mean to you," Jezebel said in a weak voice. The poor young girl laid herself in her room surrounded by her dolls. I tucked her into her blanket about half an hour ago as she asked me for a bedtime story. "I wouldn't treat her as a sister if she kept acting that way to me."

I brushed her hair from her face behind her ear. "Well, I'll ask you this—why are you still trying to be friends with those bullies of yours?"

"Well," she knit her eyebrows together before answering, "that's funny." She giggled. It was nice to know at least a little sign of happiness in Jezebel even what happened to their home. "I never learned to hate them. I still believe that they have a little touch of goodness in them even if they don't show it."

"I thought that, too. That's why I never left my sister. And now I'm still looking for her." I kissed her forehead and got up.

"Where's Felis?"

The name enlightened my heart. "Oh, my little kitten's been adventuring by now. If I find Annabeth, I'll go and start a search for my Felis." I head for the door. "Good night, Jezebel."

"Alice, wait!" she stopped me before I could leave. We locked eyes. "We'll find my mother in the morning, right? She'll be safe when we're together. I don't ever want to leave her side again. Please promise me we'll find her, just the way you'll see your sister, and your kitten."

I forced a smile. "Of course, sweetheart. Sleep well." I closed the door, letting out a big sigh as I pushed my back against the wall, making my way to sit on the floor. I didn't know how to openly explain it all to such a young girl whose mind I didn't want to ruin. I didn't like the thought of destroying her sanity.

"Hey," a new voice spoke. "You okay?" A warm hand broke my thoughts. I looked up to see Tyler as he sat down right beside me. I straightened to lock eyes with him. "Wanna tell me what's wrong?"

"Everything!" I cried out. "Everything's wrong. I-I... I don't know what to do. I feel awful over what happened to Adelaide." I cupped my forehead in my palm. "Adelaide... she risked the chances of getting caught. Tyler, w-we... we couldn't save her..." I began sobbing in hopelessness, too. Tyler took me into his arms and I hugged back. I calmed as I felt the slow beats of his heart.

"Everything bad you speak of will be alright in the morning," he said, placing his chin on my head. "I want you to stop crying. I love you, okay? I love you." He sighed. "I really want this entire nightmare to be over with. I miss our old life. We'll get through this, though. I know it. You get some rest. I'll stand guard."

"Thanks, Tyler," I yawned, closing my eyes. "And by the way, I love you, too."

"Wait, I-I didn't mean here in the corridor—"

Too late, I thought foolishly to myself, smiling. I then fell asleep, still tucked in Tyler's arms. I had no intention to ever let go of him.