The World of The Ranger (continued)

Chapter Nineteen

"Where is she, Laylanie?!" Shouted Will.

"You shouldn't shout at a Lady, Ranger Will." Laylanie replied coolly.

Will resisted the urge to hit her and gritted his teeth instead.

"It would be in your best interest to tell the Rangers, if you wish to keep your life for as long as you wanted to." Said the assassin from the cell next door.

Laylanie was about to say something when the door down the hall opened.

They all heard light and graceful footsteps and looked to see Lady Pauline and Lady Alyss.

The three Rangers moved aside and the two Couriers stood across from Lady Laylanie before Lady Pauline signaled for the Rangers to leave. "We'll handle this." Pauline said simply, and the Rangers left.

the assassin shook his head. "You should have answered them." He said to Laylanie.

The Rangers shut the door behind them and waited for the two Couriers to be done with Laylanie.

"What do you think they'll do to her?" Will asked.

"According to my experience with Couriers...I don't want to think about that." Halt answered. "Who knows what they're doing to her. If they dismissed us, then it has to be pretty bad."

"Especially since the assassin said that she should have answered us." Will put in.

Halt nodded and the girls came out. Smiling.

Will and Halt stood and approached the two Couriers. 

"She's ordered for Jillian to be transported to the Mountains of Rain and Night." Pauline said.

Will gritted his teeth again. "Why there?" He asked as calm as he could.

"Apparently a woman named Felicity told her to put her there if Jillian got involved in anything." Alyss said. 

"Who is Felicity? Her name pops up everywhere and I was unable to find her. Anytime I ask someone, they laugh."

"Strange. I wonder if Jillian knows about her." Pauline said.

Will nodded and looked to Halt. "Let's go find my apprentice." He said.

Halt nodded and the three Rangers left after saying goodbye to the girls.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jillian felt her head throbbing as she attempted to open her eyes.

She heard a giggling from somewhere near her and her eyes flickered open on their own accord. "Where am I?" She asked herself. Apparently her voice was loud enough for the woman who giggled to hear her.

The woman turned around and Jillian instantly recognized Felicity. "Looks like you've fared better than I thought." Felicity said.

"You're trying to kill me?" Jillian asked. 

Felicity nodded. "Just to test how much you really know about the Ranger world." She said.

"I know a lot more than you think, Felicity." Jillian retorted.

"Yes, I see that now. But I stole you back to give you a choice." 

"What is it?" Jillian asked annoyingly.

"Go home and be with your mother, like it was before. Or stay here with the Rangers." Felicity said.

Jillian stayed silent for a few moments as she thought about what she was going to say to Felicity. "If I stay here, do I have full and 24/7 access to see my mother?" She asked.

"No, but I can make it that way if you wish. Same thing if you choose to stay with your mother." Felicity answered.

Jillian thought for a few moments as she weighed her options, but Will kept popping up in her head. I want to be with my mom, but I also want to be with Will. She thought. 

"Tick-Tock, Jillian." Felicity said in a sing-song voice.

Jillian looked up at her, then back down. I don't know what to do. She thought again. If I choose Will, I'll have full and 24/7 access to my mom, but I don't know if she's lying or not. If I choose my mom, then I'd have 24/7 access to the Ranger Corps, but I also don't know if she's lying or not.

Just then, Felicity snapped her fingers and two bulky men dragged in Jillian's mom. "Jillian!" Mrs. Hoversund cried.

"Mom!" Jillian responded. She turned to Felicity. "You're trying to make me choose my mom!" She shouted.

Felicity smiled and Jillian gritted her teeth. "You bitch!" Jillian cried.

Felicity made a tut-tut sound while she shook her index finger. "Language, Jillian." She said.

"I'll say whatever the hell I want, Felicity." Jillian retorted.

"Shame, then." Felicity said as she grabbed a knife from the table. "You wouldn't want your mother to--"

"Put the damn knife down!" Jillian cried.

Felicity ignored her and continued to raise the knife up to Mrs. Hoversund's neck.

Just then, the door burst open.