*Isla*
Aunt Mary glides toward me, her hair and dress billowing around her. She looks like some sort of a spirit or a witch or something. Perhaps that’s because she is one. People from her island of KiloKilo are said to have magical powers. I guess I’m seeing that firsthand now.
An ominous feeling bubbles up inside of me. Is she coming at me to harm me or just because she is happy to see me?
Behind me, I hear another wave of howls throughout the forest. Thunder echoes through the trees as well. Whatever is going on back there, it can’t be good. I hope that Maddox is all right.
Aunt Mary stops before me. “Hello, Princess Tropicana.”
Taking a deep breath, I put a brave face on. Now is not the time to back down from this quest I’ve embarked on. “Hello, Aunt Mary.”
Her arms fly out, and suddenly she is upon me, squeezing me tightly—in a warm embrace. Laughing a rich chuckle, she rocks me back and forth. “I’m so glad you’re finally here to help me break the curse. And just in time as well.”
She’s hugging me so tightly, I can hardly speak. Thankfully, Poppy is never unable to say what she’s thinking. “Just in time. Don’t we have until the Blood Moon?”
“Yes, to break the curse and release the treasure. But the witch from the woods is upon us now.” She let me go then, spinning me around so that I can see what’s going on behind me. Pulses of blue light like we followed to Aunt Mary light up the jungle. “She’s found some new invaders to pursue.”
“Invaders?” I repeat. “Is that….”
“Your mate? Yes. She’s battling against him right now, trying to expel him and his army from the island. Any large group that lands here she instantly annihilates.”
“Mate?” I repeat the word, not sure why she’s chosen that word to describe Maddox. “He’s the Alpha King, not my mate.”
Aunt Mary smiles and runs her hand across my cheek. “Oh, honey. You’re not old enough to know just yet, but that’s okay. He is your mate. You are his second chance mate. He already knows this information. He’s just in denial because he’s afraid.”
“Afraid?” She nods. “Of what?”
Aunt Mary pats me lovingly on the head. “Of killing you. Now, let’s go lend a hand, shall we? I believe, if the two of us work together, we can kill her once and for all.”
She takes my hand and begins to float off again, but my feet drag the ground. “Wait!” I try to pull away from her, but I only manage to send her flying back toward me like a boomerang. “I can’t help you defeat her. I don’t have that kind of magic. The only thing I can do is bring people back to life.”
My aunt’s eyebrows furrow. “What makes you think that? You can do lots of things, Princess Tropicana.”
Shaking my head, I try to comprehend what she’s saying. “But I’m not from KiloKilo.”
“No, you were born here on Maatua, that’s true. But you have ancestors from KiloKilo, and the water from the spring that brought us both back to life flows from an underground current that originates in KiloKilo. That’s where the magic comes from. It flows beneath the ground, through the sea, and up through a fissure beneath the mountains that creates the waterfall and the pool of water from which we gained new life. All of the magical powers contained therein flow through your body—and mine.”
I can’t believe anything she’s saying is true. “I’ve never been able to do anything magical before.”
“Have you tried?” She cocks her head to the side and studies my face.
She has a point. “Well, no. But….”
Aunt Mary lets go of me and holds out her hand. A blue light glows in her palm. “See? You can do it, too. All you must do is imagine it in your hand, and you will have the power.”
I raise an eyebrow. I’ve heard that she’s a bit crazy. I’m beginning to believe it.
The howling in the distance tells me that the witch of the woods—who lives in a jungle—is beginning to cut through Maddox’s warriors. I have no idea how many he’s brought with him, but none of them deserve to die.
With a deep breath, I hold my hand out and imagine what it would look like with a bright ball of light glowing in it.
Nothing happens.
“Concentrate!” Antony shouts at me.
“I am concentrating!” I continue to stare at my palm, hoping that the light will show up, but still, nothing happens. Across the jungle, the howls turn to what sounds like yips of pain.
“Come on, Isla! Concentrate!” Antony yells. He probably knows some of those people and doesn’t want them to get hurt.
“I am!” I close my eyes, trying to picture it more clearly, but when I open them again, all I see is my empty hand.
“Damnit, Isla!” Antony screams. “Why did you even come here if you can’t do the simplest of magic tricks?”
I lift my eyes and glare at him. “Shut up, Antony!” I scream. “You are the most annoying person I’ve ever met!”
Poppy gasps, and Antony begins to laugh. I’m not sure what’s going on until Aunt Mary says, “See, I knew you could do it.”
Turning my head, I see a bright blue glowing ball in my palm.
“Oh, my Goddess!”
Aunt Mary lets out a squeal of glee and claps her hands. “Now, throw it over that way, and I’ll guide it in!”
I’m not sure I can trust her to make sure my powers hit the witch and not the wolves from my new pack, but I have to put my faith in her. I throw the ball with all my might, and Aunt Mary joins it with her own ball of light. It shoots through the sky, darting through the trees, and a second later, we hear a shout and the thunder stops.
“Come on, let’s go!” Aunt Mary grabs my hand, and my feet come off the ground this time. We are flying through the jungle, speeding between the trees, raising toward the place where the battle has been raging.
When we come to a stop, the jungle is quiet around us. I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like Aunt Mary and I have come to a deserted part of the jungle where no one else is around.
My feet touch the ground, and she releases my hand. No wolves howl, no thunder shakes the sky, and no blue lights are visible.
“What’s happening?” I ask, my feet touching the ground. Aunt Mary releases my hand. Looking behind me, I can’t see her home or the people we left behind.
“She’s here,” Aunt Mary whispers. Her long hair looks wild from the wind. Who knows what I look like? Probably a mess…. Do I look like a wild witch of the woods as well?
“Where?” I ask, looking around. “I don’t see her.”
“She’s hiding.” Aunt Mary spins around in a slow circle. “Come out and face us!” she shouts. “You think you’re the strongest witch in all the world, well we are here to teach you otherwise!”
Before Aunt Mary gets the entire sentence out, a bolt of light comes shooting out from the trees, hitting her hard in the shoulder and knocking her backward several yards. She screams, her eyes wide, and suddenly, the reality of what I’ve gotten myself into settles upon me.
What the hell am I doing here?
Aunt Mary’s head hits a tree. A trickle of blood comes pouring down the side, and then, a woman who makes Aunt Mary look like a kindergarten teacher steps out of the shadows. Her dress is long, dark green or brown, I can’t tell in the darkness, her red hair tangled and messy, and her eyes darting around, unable to focus.
“There you are!” A wide smile splits her pale face. “I knew she’d bring you to me. And once I defeat you, I will no longer have to worry about anyone else claiming my island from me!”
“Stay back!” With Aunt Mary on the ground, Maddox Goddess knows where, and even Antony miles behind where I’ve come from, I am truly thinking this was a bad idea.
This crazy witch is going to kill me and my baby.
“Of course!” She cackles, sounding like the crazy woman she is. “I can kill you from here.”
“No!” I put my hand out, but I’m not thinking of throwing fire. “I’m pregnant. Please! Don’t hurt my baby. I just came here to get the Diamond of Faith!”
“Why would I let you have that?” she asks. “That belongs to me now. It’s part of my treasure.”
“It came from my kingdom, the place where I live now. I’m just trying to return it to its rightful home.”
Her maniacal expression shifts so that her nose is wrinkled and her eyes are narrowed. “No! You will never take it from me!”
She lifts her hand again, and I instinctively do the same. This time, when the blue light comes out of her hand, I do whatever I can to stop it.
A beam of blue shoots out of my hand, colliding with the one she’s shooting at me. Sparks fly all around us, illuminating the area, and keeping her from sending me flying across the jungle like she did Aunt Mary.
“No!” she screams. “That’s not possible! You can’t be as strong as me!” She raises her other hand as well, strengthening the blue light.
I do the same, and somehow, I manage to block the increased blow, but she is driving me backward, across the jungle, slowly.
Digging in my feet, I try to keep myself planted to fight against her, but she’s so powerful, and I can’t compete with her power when I’ve just learned how to do this.
Suddenly, the jungle around us is alive with the sounds of howling. I don’t know if she’s called in her minions or if someone is coming to try to help me, but I can’t let her hurt anyone I care about. More than anything, I need Aunt Mary to wake up and help me defeat her.
But my new powers are beginning to flicker and fade. If Aunt Mary doesn’t get up and help me soon, I’m going to die.
And so is my baby.
“Aunt Mary!” I scream. “Help!”
My aunt doesn’t move, and the witch across from me begins to laugh even louder.