The Final Downfall WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors: Book 2]

3

Amneris Topanga woke up, just like any other morning.

She stretched, feeling the spot next to her, and frowning when it was cold. She rolled onto her side, running her hands through the messed sheets to be sure. Apparently, Colt had left some time ago.

With a grunt, she sat up, running a hand through her long, curled auburn-gold hair. Once again, she frowned, tugging at the strands. For some reason, Amneris though she'd cut it. Or perhaps that had been a dream. Who knew in this crazy world? She tied it into a loose bun, pulled clothes on, and made her way downstairs to where food was no doubt waiting in the kitchen.

It was strangely quiet. The thing with living with nine other people was that there was always some sort of noise – Nikki's cooking, Jay's commentary, Colt and Dan's chess matches. But there was no noise. Only silence. It bothered her more than she cared to admit.

Grabbing a chocolate pastry, Amneris wandered outside and stood in the morning sunlight. She felt her power wake as soon as it entered the light, stretching itself like a cat. She gobbled down the pastry and stretched herself before lulling her power back into rest. There was no need for it now.

Her arms fell to her sides. "I am so bored!" she yelled at the sky.

Nothing happened anymore. Well, nothing interesting.

There had been no fights since the War ended. Amneris was bored out of her mind with nothing to do and the rest of her Court was . . . Well, she had no idea where they were. There were no notes, no meetings, no summonings, no missed calls or unread messages. Perhaps they'd taken the day off. They deserved it.

Amneris went back into her house. She was about to head back upstairs but stopped, backtracked, and looked at one of the midnight blue doors on the first level. She stared at it as though something would jump out and eat her. It wouldn't have been surprising. Who knew what were in some of the rooms in this gods forsaken house?

She reached slowly, cautiously, for the doorknob. The door was swung open. Amneris stepped inside, sneezing suddenly at the smell of dust. A layer of it covered everything. She brushed a finger over a set of drawers, marvelling at just how much dust came off.

She walked over to the curtains, opened them, and screamed, all but jumping to the other side of the room as a large spider dropped down from the web-covered window.

"Spiders," Amneris muttered. "Why can't it ever be kittens or puppies?"

She used a strand over her power to open the window it push the large arachnid out, clearing it and all its spidery friends from the room. A second strand of power cleared the room of dust.

Amneris turned back, hands on her hips, and surveyed her old room.

With all the dust removed it was exactly how she left it so long ago. It was an almost exact replica of her old room in the Kemetic Palace. This room had been abandoned shortly after that one, five thousand years ago. Too many memories she wasn't at the time ready to deal with. Or stable enough to deal with. Or willing to deal with. Dealing was a big no-no.

Out of the corner of her eye, Amneris saw an old photo frame. Unable to stop herself, she picked it up, brushing a finger over the faces in it. Her old friends. The few humans she actually liked at the time. Plus one. There was one face in particular she was drawn to. Not her own, but the other like it. She stared. Couldn't stop staring. Needed to stop staring.

Amneris put the picture down and left the room.

* * * * * * * *

Arms snaked around her waist as she woke on the lounge hours later, a book still open on her lap. A kiss was pressed behind her ear. Amneris leaned back against Colt who moved the book on her lap to the table. He pulled the blanked which had fallen to her knees around them.