The Stone of Life: Book Two: The Desperate

Chapter Six:

"Excuse me?" I stuttered.  "Guards, stop her.  She is unleashing a dangerous young woman."

Herman stepped forward to take the woman's hands off Pearl's bound hands.  Suddenly a red light shot forward and Herman stepped backward, a red scrape across his face.  He reached up and put his hand to it just to pull it down quickly from the sting it made.

"If you dare to challenge my authority," the woman spoke.  "You will be answering to dark magic."

She held her hand out, pointing it straight at me.  "Let's take this to the castle, shall we?"

"Of course," I replied, a bit shaken.  "Take Pearl," I ordered Herman.

"She is not going out of my sight," the woman screeched.  "We go together.  Shall we go to the Conference room?  I believe that is the best place to settle this."

"Of course," I replied, still shocked at the magic produced from this petite woman standing in front of me.  She reminded me of Anna in a lot of ways: Her hair color and skin where almost the same shade, and her voice was exactly the same.

As we approached the Conference room I realized that I was bringing a person into my castle that knows dark magic and could use it against us.  I turned to the woman.

"What did you say your name was?"

"I will discuss this when we get to the Conference room," she answered politely.  "If you don't mind," she added quickly.

"Here we are," I answered just as quickly, putting my hand out to show her the way.  She turned and smiled.

"You first.  I will follow last, to make sure this isn't a trap."

"You are the one that suggested it," I raised an eyebrow and waved her in.

"Fine," she grimaced.

She proceeded to go into the room, her eyes bright with excitement.  I made my way to the head of the room and sat in my chair.  She decided to sit two seats from me.

"I want this to be between you and I alone.  Please excuse the guard and Pearl.  But I'm warning you, if anything happens to Pearl while they're out there, you die first."

"Is that a threat?" I asked in disbelief.  This girl was challenging my authority?  Although, I don't really want to mess with her... since she knows black magic and all.  "Alright," I finally replied.

She smiled knowingly and with a swoop of her hand Herman and Pearl were walking from our sight.  The woman stood up slowly and went to the window.

"This is where Laura stood when she told you she was me."

"I don't... understand," I replied slowly.  "What are you saying?  You don't make sense."

"Laura... the one you call Anna.  She's my cousin."

I raised an eyebrow and wanted to deny it.  Anna is the real Anna.  She is!  I jumped from my seat and slammed my fist down.  But then I remembered what Anna had said before she died.  'I'm not the real Anna'.  And I sat down again.

Putting my head in my hands I muttered, "I'm in a mess right now.  I don't know what to believe anymore."

"I sent Laura to cover as me because I was... I was scared of what you would do to me.  Once I saw how you treated Laura, I realized that I could have been in her spot.  Filled with jealousy I left my home and came to the castle.  I saw a cooking lady in the kitchen as I was climbing up the stairs to Laura's room.  We made eye contact and she agreed to let me into the castle.  Once in I asked for her name.  She told me and allowed me to stay in her servant chamber for the night.  In the morning I killed her and transformed myself to look like her."

At this point Anna was crying.  "I... I posed as Eva."

"You... what?" I jumped up harder this time and my chair crashed to the ground.  "How could you kill your own cousin?"

"Please wait for me to finish."

Still steaming from anger, I picked my chair up again and put it upright.

"Seeing what I did to you and how devastated you were from her death, I decided that I would set out for the stone that night, but you put me into the dungeon before I could this.  I won't even mention the hours of torture that went into my time down there."

"Why didn't you tell me," I hissed out.

"I was scared," she screamed, throwing her hands into the air.  "I didn't know what you would do!  So I faked Pearl as the murderer to get us outside the castle walls.  As you were about to behead her I transferred myself to the crowd and transformed to my original self.  That's when I told you to stop."

Anna turned to face me.

"Please don't tell anyone," she pleaded, coming forward as fast as she could and dropping herself to her knees.  "I was blinded by jealousy!  I need you to forgive me so that I can feel worthy to get you the stone!"

I raised an eyebrow and frowned down at her.  She was willing to get the stone to help Anna, I mean... Laura, but could I trust that she was telling the truth?  She has already killed two people, and who knows how many more...

"I will allow you to show me to the stone, only," I added, "if I can come with you.  And you cannot use magic unless we are in danger."

"I promise," Anna sobbed.  She grabbed my hand and put it to her face.  "Please forgive me for what I have put you through," she whispered.  "I will be careful not to do it again."