The Valley of Mysteries | Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 27 - IT WILL END WITH YOU

"Natalie Brown... look how things work out! It all started with you... and it will end with you!!" Vincent said.
"Wuh?" Natalie mumbled.
"Scared, are we?" he said.
"Uh, oh!" Edward said loudly. He knew Natalie won't back down. It was her trigger.
"Scared? SCARED? ME?" she laughed.
"Huh?" Vincent looked at her in amusement.
"I think we all can see who is scared! You're the one hiding! Not me!" she scoffed. Aaron kicked her foot. "Ow!" she yelled.
"You wanna see me? I'm sorry, you can't!" Vincent turned away and signalled his goons to take Natalie and others away.

They were all dragged into the dungeons of the courtroom. They were dimly lit by fire torches.
"Nat? Is that you?" Caitlyn asked.
"Mom? Where are you? Are you okay?" Natalie asked. Voices came from other prisoners.
"QUIET!!" Aaron yelled. "I'm Aaron! Who else is here? Please, wait for your turn to say!" he said.
"Sean!!"
"Alyssia!"
"Garrett!"
"Robert... err Bob!"
"Dominic!"
"Bertha..." everyone announced their presence.
"Edward... he's not here!!" Alyssia said. At the same moment, a loud banging sound echoed and something fell with a thud. The sound echoed in the entire dungeon.
"Urgh! Those bastards!" Edward groaned.
"Harrington!!" Natalie cried.
"Nat! I'm good... I mean my legs are kinda broken but... I'll live." he half-laughed.
"Broken?"
"Yeah, those Vampires were dragging me towards the palace but Vincent... I mean Malum ordered them to dump me here."
"And you broke your legs, how?"
"I may have tried to take them down... I sure as hell bit one... but they were too many. So they did this. No worry, I'll heal." he half-chuckled and then sighed.

The following morning, Natalie and her friends were dragged into the throne chamber. Caitlyn was brought in next to them. The chamber was decorated, as if for a royal meeting. Vincent strutted his way into the room and offered Natalie his hand. She looked between his hand and his face in confusion.
"Good, lord! These kids! Taught her nothing, Catie?" he crooked his face. Caitlyn moved into her place, uncomfortably.
"Leave her out of this!" she said.
"Oh? She's in the middle of it, Catie!"
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!" Caitlyn yelled.
"Why? Don't like remembering the old times?"
"Shut up!"
"Shut up? Oh, I see. Does she not know?" he smirked.
"I said... SHUT UP!!" Caitlyn yelled.
"Shush! Calm down, sweetheart." with one movement of his hands, he pushed Caitlyn away and she slammed against the far wall. "That's better." he turned back towards Natalie and offered his hand again. She didn't take it. He angrily pulled her towards the throne. "Sit!" he said. She didn't budge. "I SAID... SIT!" he yelled.
"I'm not your little pet!" she said moodily.
"I'm asking nicely, now."
"You hurt my mother!"
"She killed your boyfriend, didn't she?"
"Yeah, the shape-shifter, sent by you!"
"I see Jonathan filled you in!"
"Yes."
"What will you take to listen to me?" he asked. Without any warning or waiting for her answer, he slapped her square in the face. She staggered and fell on the floor. He pulled her up and made her sit on the throne. Natalie's head started spinning in circles. Everything around her faded away and she heard a voice...
"Take my hand, Natalie!! Quick!"

After a moment, she shook her head to clear her head. Vincent was scratching his chin in confusion.
"Why didn't it work?" he said to himself. He was holding an Orb-like object.
"Wuh?" Natalie couldn't talk. It felt like all her energy was suddenly drained.
"Hold this!" he gave the Orb to Natalie. It turned into dust.
"Huh?" Natalie watched it vanish.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Vincent screeched.
"I didn't..." but before Natalie could say anything, he used his magic to pluck her out of the throne and threw her across the room. She fell next to Caitlyn.
"Devoco!" Caitlyn murmured. Her sword materialized in her hands. She slid it towards Natalie. "Ask Edward... to put it in the sheath. Stuart's sheath!" she passed out. Natalie took the sword and waited for Aaron to look in her direction. After waiting for the right moment...
"NOW!" she yelled. Aaron lunged towards two Vampires and knocked them off their feet. Edward punched his way out. Alyssia broke free by jabbing one of the goons. Sean kicked his way out. The four of them ran towards Natalie and teleported.