Winter's Cold (KingdomCraft Story: Book 2)

Chapter Sixteen- Attack of the Beasts

---------------- Desert Kingdom ~ Sandshire Castle ----------------

(3 days later, 12am)

Shelby sits in the living room, watching the 3 little girls play with Cady and Harlow. Scott and Callum had come by to see how things were going. "What are you going to do?" Callum questions.

Shelby pauses for a few moments, "I'm not sure, all I know is that I need to watch over them. Gracie's fire powers acted up this morning, so I need to be wary of that happening" she says.

Scott nods, "Did they sleep okay?" he questions.

Shelby nods, "Yeah, they slept okay, as far as I know, at least" she says. She looks at the girls again. She still was so confused on how they were able to tell her about the fact that they were coming to her.

Now she knew how she felt connected to them, she is their mother's alternate. "It makes me wonder... how are me and their mother alternates if we're not the same age? You would think we would be the same age, but we're 10 years apart" Shelby points out.

Callum shrugs, "I guess you don't have to be" he figures.

Shelby and Scott nod. "I never thought I'd be taking care of my alternate's daughters though" she laughs.

Scott and Callum chuckle. "It won't be for too long" Scott says, leaning back against the couch. Shelby nods and starts to play with her magic in her hands. A couple flowers appear on her palms, glowing, sparkling.

The Grace's look over and gasp. "We didn't know you had powers too!" Gracelyn says as she skips over to examine the flowers with a smile. Shelby smiles, "Yeah. Me, Scott and Callum have powers" she says, "Mine is Nature".

"Mine is Air" Scott says, floating off of the couch a little, still in a sitting position.

"And I can teleport" Callum smiles, teleporting himself off of the couch.

"That's so cool!" Grace shouts as her and Gracie come over to see the flowers too. Cady and Harlow follow after, probably feeling kind of left out since they are the only ones in the room without powers, aside from the guard standing beside the door, of course.

Shelby starts playing with her flower powers, letting all 5 of the little girls watch.

"Scott, who is watching over Gemini?" Callum questions. Shelby looks over.

"Gemini went to see her mum and brother for the day, she should be back at the castle by the time I get back too" Scott says, "I had a guard stay with her, just in case".

Callum nods, "Okay".

Shelby wandered off in her thoughts, but her body was still moving like she wasn't. She wasn't prepared to have to take care of 3 little girls. She didn't want to seem mean, but she hoped that it was only going to be for a couple months at the most.

Starry Snowfall (Alvaria's other name for Christmas) is next month, so she wanted to be a mother to them, make sure they know they are loved, even though they aren't from this world.

The first few days haven't been too bad so far.

"King Scott!" a voice calls as they rush into the room. Shelby snaps out of her thoughts, her powers disabling for now. The 3 primary rulers turn to the door to see a Mesa Guard and a Desert Guard rushing in.

"King Scott, there's been an attack on the Mesa! The Kingdom needs you back immediately" the Mesa guard says.

Scott gasps and rushes out of the room, heading to the waystone which Shelby had moved downstairs for now since she has been clearing out her closet in the past couple days.