Ally screamed for me to come back but I couldnt. The shadows seemed to mimick Alexander and Dinahs movements. The big burly one tugged on the smaller ones wrist, urging it through the alley way.
"Lauren?"
Ariana came out from her house. I silently cursed myself and turned around. Faking a smile I turned around. Ariana smiled at me.
"Where ya going? Party at my house remember?"
"I... Umm..." I stutter over my words.
Thats when I hear Dinahs voice. "Lauren..." Her words are a whisper but I can smell her. Honey suckle and smoke. Alexanders cruel laugh bounces off the alley walls. When I turn back I see the shadows rounding a corner.
"I have to go-"
I dont even bother finishing before taking off again. Dinah and Alexanders shadows disappear into a cave. I reach other and touch the shimmering wall. It blinks out and dies. Revealing a set of stone stairs going downward. Catiously, I step down.
Then Im crashing down the stairs. But when I reach the bottom Dinah sits there. Perfectly unharmed. The stairs a clear exit and she leaves it there. She stares out toward the window which had a painted hill and blue sky.
"Dinah?"
She turns around. Her big brown eyes are clouded.
"What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" I scoff. "What about you? Common we have to go!"
Alexanders claps as he enters. Pure evil villian trade mark right there. "Thank you Starrs Child, but Im afriad Dinah doesnt want to leave."
"And why would that be?" Ally steps out of the shadows. And she has a girl with her. This girl has the same magnificent green eyes I have. With deep brown hair and tan skin. She looks worried, frightened, but strong.
"Cassandra." Alexander smiles. "Good we have the whole family here." He turns to Ally. "But you shouldnt be here."
Theres a single scream in the air. Ally falls to the floor. Blood pooling around her. I hear a hiss of delight and see Camilas shadow dancing across the room. A fine trail of white misty smoke following the black figure.
"Avenged."
Camilas words hang in the air. Allys skin is pale and I look down at the woman who loved me and cared for me. The girl who died as if she didnt matter. I would scream or cry but I dont have the strength. Everything is a numbing hurt.
Then Camilas figure and Allys body are wrapped in fog and disappear.
Alexander brushes off the blood from his blade like its no big deal and moves on. "Now this is the whole family. My beautiful wife. My green eyed princess. And Dinah Starr."
His words echo in the cave.
Dinah Starr.
Cassandra lunges forward and smacks him. "You son of a-"
But her body falls to the ground. Alexander picks her up and places her on the bed behind him.
"What have you done?" I whisper.
"Well Cassandra Im afriad needs a little time to adjust to the home."
"She may be my mom. But your no father to me." I hiss.
"True." He says nodding. "But Im her father."
Dinah refuses to look me in the eye. And it all clicks into place. When Ally said why Cassandra hid me. Why she ran from Alexander. The daughter he had that he turned into a dark evil monster that slayed without a second glance. Camilas death.
"Dinah?"
"Its true." She whispered.
"So your my-"
"Sister." She says. The word leaves a deadly silence in the air.
And then all hell breaks lose.
Alexander is thrown to the side and I watch him cough up blood. I see Camila. Shes alive. Shes in the flesh. And she has a knife in her hand. I look at Dinah and I see a concealed knife. I see the one she threw at Ally.
Three days to bargin.
Alexanders daughter.
A trade.
Dinah knew all this time. She never told me. She knew she was that lost child. He was the one who had abused her. Dinah killed Ally. She won me over. Camila told her about the trade. Dinah had to kill Ally so their places could be switched.
A life for a life.
And now Camila could take Alexanders.
"It was so hard." Dinah whispers.
"Killing Ally?"
She nods. "I knew how much she meant to you. And Camila said this was her trade. She could come back and kill Alexander by surprise. But she had a score that needed settling. And Ally was the price."
"Too high." I say in a choked voice.
Dinah moves to take me in her arms and I let her. She did this for me. But it a way she did it for herself. She needed him gone. And I did too. Alexander was dead and Camila had vanished. We were alone.
And alone is the worst thing ever. You cant escape when your alone. I csnt escape Allys dead body, Alexanders death, I cant escape the fact that I fell in love with my sister. She really was a monster. Dinah Jane.
She is my sister.
