Keepers of The Lost Cities

Chapter 8

Nala nodded. "I also lived here for a while too, in England. We had a luxury guest house we'd rent out for vacations." Nala frowned for a moment but it was quickly replaced with a smile. "We bought it right after you guys left! Isn't that cool?"

"Ooh! The one in Cornwall?" Linh asked.

"That's the one."

Sophie paused. "You've seen it before?"

Nala clapped her hands. "Less talking, more moving!"

Everyone held onto each other as Nala raised her crystal, picturing the house and two words in her head.

Cornwall, England.

◈▣◈

They had teleported to Cornwall, a place Nala would like to call the loveliest spot in England. Nala, Anita and their parents used to rent a guest house just to visit from time to time. They loved to visit the forbidden cities as a family. It might've had more problems than the Elvin world, but it was still beautiful in its own way. Nala's parents had officially bought the house three years ago, not too long after Nala had first met Tam and Linh. Nala read the sign as they approached the few steps leading to the door.

Property of the Crystals

Nala had always loved her surname. It reminded her of her family. She wished they could be together again and visit the forbidden cities together, but those times were over. Her parents were gone and Anita was always busy at the HQ. How did everything go so wrong?

It was when they sat in the living room that everyone decided to voice their worries.

Sophie pulled a second eyelash off. "Grady and Edaline are going to be so worried!"

Fitz nodded to Biana. "And our parents are probably going to flip."

"I don't want to think about how my parents will react." Dex shuddered.

Tam snorted. "Our parents never really cared about where we are anyway."

Keefe shook his head. "Sorry, the role of 'major family issues' is already filled by me."

Nala shrugged. "At least you guys have parents around, right?"

Tam and Linh's faces saddened while the rest looked oblivious.

"Where are your parents usually then?" Dex asked.

Biana hit him. "Dex!"

"It's fine." Nala held her hands together so they wouldn't form into fists. "My parents are dead, Dex. I think Dimitar squeezed the life out of them just about 785 days ago, but I wouldn't be too sure, the number escapes me sometimes.

"Nala!" Linh's eyes shined with tears. "We knew they died...but not like that."

Linh wrapped her in a tight hug, and Tam waited until she was done before he hugged her too.

Nala gave a soft laugh. "It's been a while since I had a real Tam hug."

"If you'd told me, I'd go back to Ravagog with you every time, you know that."

"I know. That's why I didn't."

For a minute the memories came flooding back. The everblaze, the screams, being thrown away from her parents and Anita scrambling to help her up, promising it was all going to be okay. She was twelve, she was so confused, she just didn't understand what he wanted with them. Why weren't they next to her, here for the meeting that had been called? Why were they struggling in King Dimitar's large hands? Hell broke loose, ogres and elves were running around everywhere, and she quickly lost Anita in the crowd. She was scared. She'd just lost her parents, she couldn't lose Anita too. Why had the ogre King done this? What did her parents do to him? How dare he even call himself a King, the power hungry tyrant. In Nala's eyes he could never be King.