The Empire Of The Rose

Dark Arts [I]

There were several thoughts that went through my head as I stood there shocked among the rest, for starters there was Brittany, who moments ago I believed to be dead now stood in front of me looking more alive than ever, in my opinion she looked all too good that now I truly realized where Olivia had gotten her fairness, the resemblance was quite noticeable, my mum and did look alike, so did Brittany and Olivia, there was the features that made us Falcon woman unique yet there was something off about Brittany, there was something different about her yet I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"How are you here? How is that even possible" I asked breaking for once the awkward silence.

"The same way you have your mother standing next to you now." Brittany told me; her voice sounded rich but sure enough I was still convinced that there was something off.

I looked at her completely confused.

"But how is it possible if I didn't bring you back?" I was quite sure that I had left Brittany among the dead, I had most certainly not brought her back.

"You think so high of yourself Alice it's foolish, you are not the only source of power." Brittany said as she looked down at me, she resembled William in every aspect so much.

She was truly her daughter.

"Then who brought you back?" My mum questioned Brittany as she studied her carefully.

I guess my mum also knew there was something off about her.

As Brittany chuckled, I looked at Olivia who stared at me back.

"What, do you honestly think I brought her back Alice?" Olivia asked me shocked, I could tell by her tone that she was offended by the slightest thought of it.

"You know that's not what I meant by that look Jo, I just, I thought you said there was no possible way of bringing her back besides that one." I told Olivia, that was the only reason why days ago I was so sure that this was the end for all of this.

Brittany cleared her throat gaining our attention once again.

"I truly didn't believe my gather when he said that you were so naïve when it came to the supernatural world, especially the vampire one but I see it to myself now. You Alice are a complete stranger to the world; you know nothing much less I expect you to understand the slightest meaning of dark arts." Brittany said and I was fully aware that she was currently mocking me.

But what Brittany didn't know was that I knew what the dark arts were, William had literally forced me to learn and practice the dark arts, in some way they were what Alik had previously taught me except that instead of being one's true energy it came from spirits, rituals and all, I hadn't become a master about it yet I knew enough for him, I knew they weren't something you messed with.

I looked at Olivia who quickly nodded and I silently gestured the rest to proceed as Brittany rambled on mocking me about how stupid I was.

"Let's go." I told Mason before I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards me as the first bomb went off catching Brittany off guard.

The entire group broke off as the attack started, Mason and I ran by ourselves, our plan had been carefully elaborated to the point that any outcome was more likely to be predicted or at least we had thought so until we had found out about Brittany. But that was nowhere near stopping us, nothing was.

We ran nonstop for what seemed long minutes before I slowed down nearly coming to a stop as I tried to remember in which part of the castle we were exactly, I had been here several times before yet I had always been either isolated in a certain area of the castle or in a haze, and Olivia's childhood memories from this castle were quite vague; needless to say all of it wasn't enough to use it as a good base for a map, this being the primary problematic task of all and then of course we had the question of time which was quickly running out and the fact that in no time we would find ourselves constantly fighting off William's army.