Salient Secret 2

41

Vada

"It can't be," she says through her shivering teeth. 

"Mom everything is going to be okay, I'm going to get you out of here," I say looking at her shivering to death. 

"I wouldn't lie to her if I were you," Heska evilly says.

"Do you know what happens to humans in realms?" Tasia asks while walking toward me, "They either die from the climate or they die from whatever that realm is housing, either way they die. If you don't do exactly what tell you to, well, I don't have to spell it out for you," her face is resting on my shoulder now and she is staring right at mom. "I'd be quick too, or else hypothermia will grab hold of mommy dearest."

"What do you want me to do?" I reluctantly ask knowing I'll do anything to save that woman. 

"Avery sweetie, don't do anything for them, I'll be okay," mom begs clearly not understanding how ruthless these people actually are. 

"Again with the lies," Yvonne responds.

"Don't worry Avery, I won't ask you to destroy the face of the Earth," Tasia starts, "All I need you to do is teleport me to Aurelia Peregrina's grave," she continues as if that's a perfectly normal request. 

"Why do you need me to do that?" I ask. 

"Because I can't get to it," she answers.

"Why not?" 

"Little miss Peregrina was a little too prepared for my takeover, her grave here on earth is fake, it's just an empty coffin," she explains and my confusion grows. "And unfortunately I killed the only person who knew where it was," she says looking directly at Yvonne and that's when it hits me. 

"These aren't your children," I start. "Their pictures are up in the Electus archives..."

"Drive it home, you've almost got it," Tasia comments. 

"The seven pillars of Electus- but that doesn't explain why their names make up yours," I say trying to put the pieces together. 

"You're a smart girl, you can figure this out," she says grinning. "I'll give you a hint, it has something to do with my never ending hate for Aurelia."

They spell out her name, their pictures are up in the Electus archive, the only thing that fuels hate this long is betrayal, oh my gosh, "You created the seven pillars, which means you had something to do with the creation of imperium, which makes you an Electus founder," I say. 

"Oh hunny, I didn't have something to do with imperium, I am the one who made it which makes me thee founder of Electus," she says. 

"Why did you kill Aurelia then?" I ask to solve the betrayal part missing from my almost complete puzzle. 

"She was my closest friend, I thought she'd stand by me no matter what, but I was wrong. When she heard of my plans with imperium she disagreed and tried to talk me out of it. She then created a version of imperium that gave people the ability to teleport so that she could hide the one thing I needed. The first teleporters were Martha and Leon James-"

"James? As in-"

"Dane James yes. I've been killing off their family line for years now. The funnest one to kill was definitely Craig, Dane's dad, I didn't mean to kill the wife too but oh well, happy accident, I remember their screams when I rammed their car off the road, the irony is, he was running away from me. Dane's foster dad figured it out, so I killed him too, I went easy on him-"

"Slitting someones wrists is going easy on them?" I say with tears daring to spill out of my eyes. 

"Oh you'll see what the alternative is when I kill you," she whispers. "But not now, first I need you to take me to Aurelia's real grave."

"What makes you think I know where it is?" 

"You don't need to, all you have to do is picture Aurelia and teleport to her," she explains and every bone in my body starts screaming at me not to do this. 

"Mom!" I say rushing towards her after she falls to the ground, but Heska stops me. She's freezing to death. "I'll do whatever you want, she doesn't have to be here!" I shout back at Tasia. 

"Oh she does, this is the only realm your friend Tanith won't be able to find, as far as everyone is concerned, it doesn't exist. If you don't want her to die, I suggest you move fast," she says. 

"Fine, let's go," I say forcing myself out of Heska's hold and focusing on Aurelia's face with my eyes closed, I feel Tasia's hand on my shoulder and we teleport away. 

When I open my eyes, I look around and see green grass everywhere, bright and colourful flowers in the garden, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, there's kids running around, they seem so happy. 

"Where are we?" I ask in awe of what I'm seeing, this place is enchanting. 

"Of course she'd come here," she says with her eyes following a passing butterfly. 

"Tasia where are we?" I ask knowing it's too perfect to be Earth and any of the other realms. 

"It's the one place the devil wouldn't dare to look... we're in heaven."