Shadow Girl

Chapter 18

Dad gave me a painful stare from where he was standing. I knew he wouldn't like my plan, but I had to do what was right. After all, he was a better person than me.

"Well then, if that's your choice," Eris yelled from above me, "Then let the battle begin!"

Murdoch gave me a smug look before surrounding dad with black mist, and all of a sudden I was face to face with him.

"Ciara I know what you're thinking, but you have to survive! Please Ciara, you can't expect me to kill my own daughter!" Dad pleaded, but I'd already made up my mind.

Suddenly I heard Eris shout, and before I could utter another word the exits sealed up, and a canon went off in the corner of the room / arena. The battle had begun. Dad immediately shot out of sight into the shadows, so I did the same. I was determined to follow him until the bitter end. My bitter end.

"Oh, and by the way," said Murdoch through the cheers, "If one of you isn't dead by midnight, then I will single handedly kill everyone you know and love."

Dad please! Just get this over with! I screamed inside my head, but to no avail.

We were in that arena for hours.

XXX

Most of the croud had gone silent with boredom, and the only reason they hadn't left was because Murdoch had forced them there in the first place. Dad and I were still in the shadows, unaware of where each other were. I was starting to worry about how much time we had left. How could dad be so selfish? It's either me or loads of innocent people, and he's choosing to save the murderer.

"Enough of this already!" Screeched Eris, "If you aren't going to fight then I'll come down and kill you both!"

She leaped down from her throne and sprinted towards me. I kept forgetting that she could see shadow walkers even when they were hidden in the faded light. All of a sudden dad darted out from the wall and before I knew it they were fighting.

"Dad no!" I cried, then I ran out from the shadows myself to defend him. Eris' eyes locked with mine, and in an instant she'd pushed dad out of the way with great force and had me pinned against the ground.

"I've always wanted to kill you, Ciara" she hissed into my ear, "And I will do just that slowly and painfully."

"Over my dead body!" I heard from behind me. "Eris you may be my sister but no one lays a hand on my Ciara!" It was Calina.

The two of them fought while I crawled across to where my dad was lying. "Dad wake up!" I whispered desperately, "Please!"

He opened his eyes then tried to move, but he winced in agony as he did so.

"Dad, are you hurt?!"

"No.. no I'm... fine" he mumbled, but he then opened his eyes fully in a shocked expression "CIARA LOOK OUT!"

I jolted my head around to see both Eris and Calina standing still, face to face. The calm before the storm. Black smoke erupted from around their whole bodies and sped around the arena at an impeccable speed. I saw through the fog that they'd both collapsed to the floor, limp and lifeless.

"No!" I sobbed. I hated Eris with a passion, but Calina... well she always defended me. She was like the sister I never had.

The whole arena was pitch black with fog, and it didn't look like it was going to fade away any time soon. "Dad... what's going on?" I whispered, but he didn't reply. Everyone except from me (and possibly Murdoch) had been killed.

"Why me!" I screamed, "Why am I always the one to survive, why!" and with that I fell to the ground in a heap of tears.

XXX

"Hey Ciara, wanna see what I got you?"

"Yeah!"

"You see this, it's a moon stone. It will protect you from the mist, even Murdoch! But you have to be careful, it only works once, and only when you need it most"

"How do I make it work?"

"You don't, the magic does. You see it already knows when it's going to be used. It knows your future."

"It's so pretty! Thank you Calina!"

"Haha! You're welcome sweetie."

XXX

"Ciara I told you that's only for emergencies!"

"But I need it!"

"No you don't Ciara. You do realize if Murdoch or my sister find out I gave that to you then they'll kill me?"

"B..but"

"Oh, don't cry sweetie! Look I'm sorry for getting mad. But honey, I think it's better if you don't remember you have this... not until after you use it. That way, Murdoch and Eris won't find out about it"

"..."

"Please, Ciara?"

"...Okay..."

XXX

I woke up on the cold floor of the Shadow Castle's hall room. No one seemed to be around, no one at all. Standing up, I noticed that the whole room was empty, even the thrones were gone. Normally I would've questioned what was going on, but after what'd just happened, I felt numb inside. The shadow kingdom looked bare too - not a soul in sight.

This time I truly was alone.