Unknown Darkness (Dominions Book 2)

Chapter 6: Elle

Elle felt proud of herself as the other realms exited the room. Asher and she had officially made some movement in the case of finding Selena. Even if they didn't get a definite yes, they were no longer being told no. That in and of itself was positive for Elle. 

"Well, that went well!" Asher mused 

Elle smiled at Judah and Jayden and then panned her face over to Elora. Her face was bright red in anger. Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. She took a haughty breath in stormed past, Elle, in a hurry. 

"You have no idea what you have done!" Elora yelled. "You've ruined this! We are doomed and it will be your fault! Everyone will perish because of it!" 

Elle was surprised. She had seen Elora stern, but never as angry as she was standing before them right now. Jayden and Judah stood awkwardly behind them. The tension was so tangible you could have cut it with a knife. 

"What is your problem?" asked Elle. 

She couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed by it all. She's watched as Elora has sat in meeting after meeting as the other realms loudly bashed Glorianna and them. Day after day as the weeks went on with no sign of Selena anywhere. They finally make some headway and this is how she responds? 

"Excuse me?" Elora retorted. She slammed the door shut. The loud echo of the wooden door hitting the frame sounded throughout the golden room. "I think all of you need to be aware of something. I am your Queen. You do not get to speak against me in public-"

"Then you should act like you're our Queen!" Elle interrupted. "What we were good enough to lay our lives down for you, but you can't help save arguably one of the most important people in this war right now?"

Elora walked over to Elle, her hand lit up with a soft white glow. Elle felt her knees grow weary and suddenly she was on the ground, staring up at Elora while she sat on her knees. When she turned around she saw Judah, Jayden, and Asher in a similar position. Elle tried to open her mouth to speak, but her jaw was closed tight.

"You will mind your tongue," Elora said. "You are in my kingdom. This is my war. I have so much more to lose than just one person." 

Elle didn't know when things changed between Elora and the guardians. She had always come across so sweet and caring, but since the Plague of Dread had infiltrated Glorianna her whole persona had shifted. Elle tried to open her mouth to respond, but the magic Elora cast onto them was too strong. 

Elle began to feel for isolated parts of her body. She didn't like feeling trapped by someone else's magic. Elle's parents might suck, but if her father being the mayor had taught her anything, it was that the boundaries that you fail to set will always be pushed further and further. Any part of Elle's head was immovable. She tried to move her arms, but nothing would budge. She began to feel frustrated as tears began to brim in the corners of her eyes. 

No. Elle thought. She might be the queen, but you're the one who saved her. You're the one who has done everything possible to hold the group together. You will not allow her to become your mother.

Elle closed her eyes and envisioned the link between Judah, Jayden, Asher, and Selena's power. She willed her power to pull from the bond, and suddenly Elle felt a tiny movement in her finger. It was light, and with the magic, Elora had cast upon them, it felt like she had to lift the weight of the world with each flick of her finger. 

As she practiced lifting her finger over and over, eventually it became easy. Finally, Elle directed her eyes to the ground and motioned with her finger for a vine to come up from the earth. The beautifully constructed floor made a tiny split and a vine traveled up from the ground and wrapped around Elora's leg.