Escape Vo'Arum

Chapter Eleven

The air around Mila felt thick, crackling with electricity. She stood in the bedroom doorway and opened her mouth in a high pitched wail as her plait of hair lifted into the air, her nightshirt undulating around her knees.

Papa grabbed Mama, Nanny grabbed the bags. The three of them raced from the kitchen. Papa twisted to fling something back that resounded with a piercing shriek and CRACK of energy.

Mila dropped to a crouch, hands in fists to her ears. 'NO NO NO!' she cried out in fear.

'Come, Lea,' Papa said, letting Mama go ahead into the bedroom. He bent to scoop Mila up.

Whatever Papa did made the thickness to the air vanish, but it didn't stop those at the door. Arms clinging tight to Papa as he lifted her, Mila watched as their front door exploded. Splinters of wood hurtled toward them, Mila buried her head against Papa's neck, arms squeezing tight.

Small thuds of wood against wood made her peek.

The thousands of splintered pieces of door lay scattered in the corridor before the bedroom. Mila turned her head, seeing Mama standing behind them with her eyes closed and arms loose at her sides. The hum of Mama's shield left Mila's mind as Mama pulled it back, opening her eyes to stare at Papa.

A sound at the entrance made everyone turn.

Uncle Vidna, the other DeNaga uncle and another still stepped through the broken doorjamb. The three men glowed. Mila gasped, hugging her papa tighter.

'It's young Mila!' Uncle Vidna said jovially. 'How lovely. Thank you for gathering together so conveniently.'

'Vidna!' Mama said it loud and pleading. 'Why are you doing this?'

She pushed past Papa, placing herself in front of them all. Out the corner of her mouth she whispered to Papa, so quiet even Mila could barely hear her. 'Didn't find the key. I'll stall, you need to open trapdoor!'

'We have decided to terminate our great family's relationship with the Mestarns. No longer will Vo'Arum be held back by dissention.'

Mama interrupting Uncle Vidna's echoing speech, making his eyes narrow. Mila shivered.

'What dissention, Vidna? What dissention has there ever been?'

Papa backed into the bedroom, bending to the ground to let Mila down and turned to the door.

'Vo'Arum will be ruled by DeNagas! We will not suffer the humiliation of bowing to another's demands on authority. We ARE the authority!' Uncle Vidna shouted the words.

Papa stared at the open trapdoor in astonishment, he turned to Nanny. 'You found the key?'

'No!' Nanny whispered, staring down at the door. 'We couldn't find it anywhere!'

'You mean you seek supreme power over this realm,' Mama didn't shout, she spoke in an even voice with rising strength. 'You want to answer to no one for any crimes you may commit. How many have died at your hands, Vidna? What monsters have you created against our joint creed? How long have you been a traitor to this beautiful realm you long to possess?'

'It IS my realm!' The shout pitched into a furious scream.

Mila gaped at the angry energy pulsating around Uncle Vidna. Mama's calm expression didn't change instead she relaxed her arms at her sides and closed her eyes.

'Mama!' Mila shrieked, when Uncle Vidna threw his arms wide releasing a crackling cloud of dark energy. The cloud contorted and jerked, stretching the width of the room, pouring out the doorway into the corridor weaving toward them. Flashes of lightning snapped out, hitting the door jamb around Mama. One snapped a jagged line directly for her.