The stakes are higher than ever.
It's been months since the four managed to temporarily defeat and escape Laurel, Amber, Kali and the others but the four's problems are far from over. Forced to live with their guilt and still plagued by nightmares o...
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Huntalia-Rosalia's POV:
"A-Asica? How are you still alive?" The words tear at me to say but I can't argue that she's standing there in chains when she should be dead according to what I read up on the kamikaze phoenix spell she used during the round she helped out me and Leila to get to the cabin.
But how did she end up with Amber and the others was my question since she's always kept a low profile so I didn't think that she would have been found as fast as she was. And I wasn't the only one who was confused since I can see Hunter, Ash and Leila all giving the same confused looks as me. All were equally stunned to see her alive, but with a hint of pain in their expressions as well since she was a good friend to both Hunter and Ash but she managed to touch Leila also during their brief time together.
"Why the sullen face sister? I thought you wanted her alive? That you'd do anything to trade places with the pathetic bitch when you realised she was dead?" Amber's voice breaks the spell and I see a dangerous look enter Leila's eyes seconds before Ash gives a dismissive laugh.
"You don't scare us anymore Amber, so I suggest you fuck off before we give you a reason to do so." His tone is calm but it's the same angry calm I saw when he'd been acting to keep me safe when we met before I knew the truth. The one that means you'll never know how he's feeling besides the anger that's all too clear to see since it blocks all other emotions from being seen in his expression.
But Amber refuses to respond to his baiting, instead just giving us all a look that suggests she's happy to wait and bide her time before she decides how and when to kill us. Assuming we manage to outlive the prophecy hanging over our heads that is. And that worries me since every time I see her she seems to be ten steps ahead and that makes her a dangerous enemy to have.
"I know I can't, but I can keep you playing. Keep the game going and I know that terrifies the four of you more now than anything I could do to any one of you in person," Amber's smile is all venom and it makes me feel like she's trying to pull the world out from under my feet. To make me stumble the way she's trying with the others. Because no matter how much we wanted to avoid talking about her - to make her seem like she's disappeared - she's a bigger threat than ever and that terrifies me since it's not us that's to pay the price if we fail. No, that baton's been passed to our kids. People we swore we'd keep safe above all else.
"Stay away from them Amber, this isn't their fight," I try to appeal to her but she seems deaf to reason and that makes me uncomfortable and afraid. Terrified for the people we'd be leaving behind to clean up our mess if what she claimed was to happen occurred. If we were knocked off the board and our kids had to take up the roles we'd been filling for longer than some of us were aware or care to remember. Because we know the stakes better than the others but we'd also had a look into Amber's head before so we knew she wasn't one to back down. Not ever. "Just leave them be and take up your battle with us. After all, we're the ones you have the grudge against. That makes it fair."
