Chapter 21 Trust Him

Mother and daughter held on to each other sobbing, both were happy to be reconnected but Celestine felt as if the other end of the tunnel had just flooded with light. She had waited for seventeen years, hoping Alice was taking good care of her daughter and waiting for the day that it would all fall into place. Celestine held on tight, she did not want to let go of her daughter. She was the only reminder of the love of her life, seeing her alive and well, all grown and beautiful beyond words, she knew that the death of Liam was not in vain. At first, she had been angry, thinking that Liam killed her mother and had it not been for Athena, she would have spent her life loathing him. Now that she knew who the real killer was, she felt lonely, and the ache in her heart still present up to this day, years after his death, looking at to this day, years after his death.

Angela she could see his features on her face, she even had his walking style; a few hours was not enough time to feast on her. She wanted to indulge in her selfishness a bit longer, but what had earlier happened started happening again. She started fading once again, this time her whole body felt on fire.

She felt dizzy, nauseous, and feverish, she wanted to tell Angela something but her voice had gone. Angela took her and held on to her tightly, it seemed to help because the dizziness disappeared and the fever subsided. Her voice came back; she spoke in a whisper, trying to make Angela understand what was happening.

"Someone is trying to recall me from the dreamscape using dark magic, only you and one other person have the aptitude of recalling one other person have the aptitude of recalling someone from the dreamscape and since you are here, it leaves only your grandma Carita" she said in a tired voice, leaning on Angela's shoulders for support.

"Is Camilla recalling you?" Angela asked.

"No, that is not Carita Bennett, the stench of evil is so thick in the magic they are using that it makes me feel violated," Celestine replied.

"Who could that be,"

"There is only one person whose magic stinks, the imposter impersonating my father!"

Angela did not know what to say but she was listening keenly, to understand who this person really wanted but instead Celestine asked her to go back to the waking world.

"You need to go back, there is no time. If he continues to use the dark magic to recall me to the waking world, I might end up dead or comatose for life. Go look for Zander: let him know what we have just talked about concerning my father. Also, do not attempt to go alone to the eastern part of the palace, go with him. He knows all the routes, even the secret passages. Trust him, he is an ally" There was urgency in her voice.

"How do I recall you into the waking world?

"Angela asked, she had no idea how she was supposed to carry out the task set before her.

"You will know what to do when the right time comes, secure my body first and the rest will follow."

"I don't know how to go back," Angela said feeling a little bit embarrassed to be admitting that she did not know how to go back.

"Just close your eyes and think of your chambers, you will..."

Celestine never got to finish the sentence, Angela had immediately closed her eyes following her mother's prompt and suddenly she was in her room and on her bed with a very worried Greta sitting by her bedside, holding her hand and Zander standing at the foot of her bed.

"Is this going to be a habit?" Angela couldn't help but ask.

"I'd ask the same of you except by now I know that it would be too much to expect a decent answer," Zander replied.

"You two should learn to get along, I feel like am in a war zone whenever you two are in the same room together'" Greta complained but they both looked at her and then looked the other way not ready or willing to listen to her.

As Angela was turning her head, she smelt a minty spring scent that was so intoxicating that she started to sniff around.

"What are you doing?" Zander and Greta both asked at the same time.

"Where is that smell coming from?"

"What smell child?"

"It is a minty spring kind of scent, it smells so nice," she sniffed twice in Zanders direction.

Greta's eyes widened in understanding while Zander looked at Angela in a way that suggested he thought she had gone crazy. Angela was oblivious to the looks she was getting, intent on finding where the scent was coming from. Greta brought her back to the present when she asked her a question.

"Did you talk to your mother child?" she asked Angela expectant of a positive answer.

At the mention of her mother, Angela left the bed she was lying on and took both Greta’s hands.

"I have to find her, she is in danger because someone is using dark magic to recall her back to the waking world," she said with a lot of urgency in her voice.

Greta was shocked to hear what Angela had just said, she looked at Zander to see his reaction but he was already on high alert and leaving Angela's chambers as fast as his legs would carry him, When Angela tried to follow, he lifted his hand to stop her from following him.

“Princess, I understand that you are anxious concerning your mother's safety but I cannot let you come with me because I would be exposing you to danger," he tried to reason with her.

"I can take care of myself, you cannot prevent me from making sure that no harm befall my mother," she stubbornly declared.

Greta was more level-headed and was looking at Zander, worry etched deeply on her face, "They are getting desperate and will stop at nothing to bring her back even if it kills her" she sobbed.

"That's why I do not want her anywhere near that old devil; she is a danger to herself and her mother if she comes. Keep her safe while I distract them to buy us enough time to plan a rescue," Zander pleaded with Greta.

Angela was about to protest hut Greta took hold of her elbow and led her back into her chambers. She explained to her that it was impossible for the three of them to try and sneak past Casper and his guards, he also never went anywhere without ensuring he had back up in case anyone decided to attack him. He had wolves and vampires guarding him, some were in the shadows and could see an enemy from two miles away while others surrounded him. It only took a word from him for them to kill on sight; this was the reason why many made sure to avoid any confrontation with him.

She slumped back on the bed, defeated but feeling she had done right to trust Zander's instincts. Her mother had after all asked her to trust him and she was going to do exactly that even though he still irAliceted her. With him gone, the minty spring scent disappeared making Angela feel disappointed that it was no longer there, she felt comforted when it was present.

She was about to complain to Greta about it but she spoke first asking her how her mother was and what she had learnt from her.

"I met my mother Greta, she is so beautiful,

"Angela sobbed as she told Greta how it felt to meet her mother for the first time in seventeen years. She then looked at Greta intently and said, "I remember the times you would put me on your back so that I could piggy ride"

Greta gasped and started sobbing, "Yes child, you remember. I missed you every day and longed for the day that you would eventually come back to us."

"How could I forget you?" Angela sadly asked not expecting an answer.

'It is not your fault; everyone had to do what needed to be done so that we could spare your life and that of your mother. We had to make some difficult decisions, others had to sacrifice their lives to make sure that you were given that opportunity to escape and grow up far from this madness."

"Could nobody fight back?" she asked not understanding how and why they would just sit back and allow a murderer to sit on the throne.

"Only your mother, Zander, Carita Bennet, her mate and her coven, and I know what and who sits on Grundolf throne. The rest just think that their emperor changed because of grief and sympathize with him for losing Luna Samara, your grandmother," Greta recounted to Angela.

"Cant he be overthrown or something? You could tell it to the council and he would be dethroned and punished for his crimes," insisted Angela.

"Child, nobody except I and Zander walk free on Grundolf, those he suspects of knowing his secret are either killed or thrown in the dungeons and left to rot. He cloaks the location of the dungeons so that nobody will ever find where he locked them away"

Angela did not reply or say anything, she was thinking of what her mother said to her but try as she might to remember some details she could not. That is when she realized that her mother had not told her the whole story of what really happened. She had started to fade in and out of consciousness, Greta brought her out of her thoughts; she offered her a glass of warm milk to drink so that she could sleep. Just as she was about to take it from her, a loud bang was heard on the eastern side of the palace. Angela was about to jump from the bed when Greta put a restraining hand on her shoulder and said.

That is Zander, he is creating a distraction"

"What is he doing?"

"He is flushing them out of hiding and giving them something to focus on while he sneaks into your mother's chambers to check on her"

Angela's heart skipped a beat, even though she was worried for her mother, she felt scared of thinking that something might happen to Zander. She started rubbing her palms together, something she did only when she was too worried or nervous. Greta noticed it and said to her, "He will be alright, trust him"

"Why does everyone keep telling me to trust him, “she asked frustrated.

"Who else did that?" Greta wanted to know.

"My mother!" she simply said.

"She knows too," Greta smiled knowingly.