Legacy Rangers (Book Two of the Chosen Universe)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

DORA

She had seen enough. Dora had been living with Zell, Deker, Mora, and her father, Ares, for over a week now and she knew they were all bad guys. Mora might be younger than her, but they were using the kid to create monsters, and Dora could feel the evil at her very core. Zell was absolutely terrifying, which was only enhanced by how kind and soft-spoken he appeared to be. Dora had never felt something quite as pure evil as he was.

Her father wasn't so bad. Although clearly a fierce warrior for evil, Ares Grant had a purity in his heart that seemed to stir around his daughter. Dora realized he was very nearly normal around her, and she spent as much time with him as Zell allowed. That wasn't much, unfortunately. Dora knew she was being used as a tool to keep her father under control and she was sick of it.

"Deki-kins," Mora called, snapping Dora back to the present. "I want to play!"

"Play with Dora," Deker snapped. "And I told you not to call me that!"

"But Deker... I'm so lonely."

"Dora is more than capable of playing with your dolls, and your names rhyme. Have fun."

"But Zell says I can't get Dora all bloody, and this game gets people all bloody!"

Deker finally joined them. Dora watched in horror as Mora came out of the shadows covered in blood. "What the hell did you do?" He demanded.

"Abraham was naughty," she said. Abraham was the teenager Zell had bewitched into taking care of the property, cooking, and watching Mora when no one else was home. "He had to be punished."

Dora covered her mouth in horror. If Abraham had been a day over fifteen, she'd have been shocked.

"Damnit, Mora! That's the third house boy you've killed since we've been here!" Deker snapped.

"You just can't find good help these days!" The psychotic girl replied with an innocent giggle. "May I play with Dora now?"

"No, you may not! Go to your room and stay there until I say you can come out!"

Mora pouted, then picked up her doll and skipped away. Deker set to work cleaning up her mess, mumbling to himself. "This is not what I came back for..." He said.

"Deker..." Dora began. She hesitated. Deker was terrifying in his own way, but he'd shown her kindness more than once. He was more than he appeared to be, and Dora needed to trust someone. She knelt beside him and began helping him clean up, trying not to stare at the remains of poor Abraham. Her hands were trembling as she accidentally brushed her hand against some internal organ she couldn't identify.

She felt Deker gently put his hand on top of hers. "You don't have to help," he told her softly.

"Deker... I have to get out of here. Whatever Zell's up to, he's using me... And I could run, but I can't get my dad out."

"I can't help you, Dora," Deker said sadly. "I've done as much as I can."

She sighed. "Okay."

"Go get cleaned up. Once I've cleaned this up, I will go out and get us all some food since we don't have anyone to cook at the moment."

She nodded and headed back to the room they'd given her. To her horror, Zell was waiting for her inside. He blocked her from exiting. "Dora, your magic is extraordinary..." He said. "I wish for us to join forces."

He got too close too quickly and Dora realized what he meant. "If you touch me, I swear to God I'll kill you," she said.

"You can try," he said with a laugh. "We can work well together, my dear." He grabbed her and Dora knew she was in trouble.