Into The Light

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Alice looked down. "Ready?" she asked Lylia. Lylia smiled and blinked, her eyes somehow completely back to normal.

"Yes, my queen. These contact lenses work very well," Lylia replied levelly. Alice bent down to tie her up and beamed at her handiwork. With the bonds and the regular eyes, Lylia seemed powerless. Just then, Faramis and Leomord burst in. The duo bowed to their queen and set the unconscious Nana and helpless Harith on the ground next to Lylia, before Alice's throne.

"Lylia!" Harith cried as he saw her. "What...I thought you were bad!"

Lylia's eyes widened convincingly. "No, that evil witch took me off the potion and tied me up. Now I'm normal...but we can't escape." She looked around, craning her neck. "Where's Harley? Shouldn't he be with you?" Behind their back, Alice smiled triumphantly, proud of her performance.

Harith shrugged and recounted their tale to Lylia. She nodded slowly as she took the story in. "This is good," she thought, cheering inwardly. "Harley probably has no idea he's walking into-"

"Alice, let them go!" For the third time that day, the doors to the throne room swung wide open, and Harley and Barats barrelled in to rescue their friends. Harley gaped as he took in the bound Lylia, Harith and Nana on the ground below the throne. Alice curled a lock of hair around her pinky finger and smirked.

"I knew you'd find us here, Mage Genius," she said smoothly. "As a reward, I'll give you this." Right on cue, Rahal tramped out from behind the throne and Barats dashed forward to meet his dinosaur.

"Rahal, you're here!" he exclaimed. Then he looked around, eyebrows drawn together. "Where's Balmond?" Alice chuckled, smiling lightly.

"Well done, well done," she commented. "You've figured it all out, Mage Genius and Dino Rider. I applaud your effort, but..." She clapped twice, and the doors banged shut behind them. Laughing victoriously, the Abyssal Queen continued, "But now you can never leave!"

Barats scoffed, "Dramatic much, Alice?" Harley held back laughter as Alice's face turned red.

"Mind your manners if you want your friends back," she warned, hissing. Harley's attention was promptly redirected back to Lylia.

"Lyls, are you okay? Didn't she hypnotise you with that potion?" he asked, concerned. Lylia frantically shook her head and looked like she was about to say something, but Alice deftly swooped down to bind her mouth.

"Good girl, Lylia dear," Alice whispered as she stood back up. Lylia seemed to smile behind the cloth tying her mouth shut, and in that instant, Harley thought he saw a flash of red pass behind her placid grey eyes. Immediately, he knew something was up, but he kept his mouth shut about it, instead turning to Harith.

"Harith, what happened to you? Is Nana okay? How did they get you?" he fired at the Leonin. At the sound of Nana's name, Lylia bristled slightly. Harley noticed and frowned.

Just as Harith was about to tell him everything, Alice announced, "Chat time's over! Leomord, Faramis, please." Harith's eyes widened tellingly as they emerged from the back of the throne.

Harley caught his drift and before Leomord even had time to take out his lasso, a ring of fire appeared around him, wrapping him in flickering orange flames. Barats quickly mounted his dinosaur too and tapped his side lightly. Rahal spewed out oil from his mouth onto Faramis.

"Disgusting, foul, dinosaur!" he cursed.

Barats snickered, "Not unlike yourself."

Poker cards and missiles flew in the throne room left and right. Barats and Harley fought back-to-back, fiercely as lions. Eventually, Leomord and Faramis were thoroughly driven back. Alice, who had flown up to avoid the fray, was seething.

"Stop!" she hollered. Barats and Harley looked up, panting with exhilaration from battle, and sniggered. As one, they asked,

"Why would we?"