Chapter twenty one

Kendra smiles as she reaches down and opens the chest. But as soon as she raises the lid and peaks inside her smile quickly disappears. She stares down into the empty chest shocked. She was sure that this was the reason she was brought here. To retrieve the contents of the chest and let Julie and Sara finally understand what was happening to them. All the charts and spells, even the letters and magical items she had taken and hid from her daughters were gone. Everything she had taken from them seemed to have disappeared. She sighs as she closes the lid.

"Looking for something?"

She hears a frighteningly familiar voice behind her, her whole body tensing up as she slowly begins to turn around.

"Jerry what are you doing here?" Her voice is filled with a mixture of hatred and fear.

Inside she can feel herself shaking with fear, ready to run away from Jerry at any moment. But for some reason she couldn't do anything more then just speak.

"I have come to tell you that Griffin has Julie," Jerry lets her see the sadness in his eyes as he looks at her. "I never wanted to harm either one of them Kendra. You have to believe me." He is close enough for her to reach out and touch him now. "Everything that has happened has been because of Griffin. Ever since I took that book away from Sara he has been controlling me."

"Stay away from me Jerry!" Kendra cries out, struggling to move. "I don't know who you are anymore." She stares up into his eyes and for just a brief moment, she sees fear flash across his face.

"Please you need to trust me I'm trying to make up for everything that's happened. I have been fighting Griffin's hold on me," his face begins to twist up in what looks like agony.

"Please just let me leave!" Kendra screams out as she tries to move again.

Her whole body feels frozen in place.

"He can't he's not the one keeping you trapped here right now."

Kendra tries to turn her head around enough to see who was standing behind her. Even though she couldn't see the man standing behind her it was a voice she had heard before.

"Griffin what are you doing here?" Jerry's voice is full of hatred as he stares at Griffin.

"I am surprised at you Jerry. You are getting better and better at resisting me but you still won't be able to stop me."

He laughs and holds his hand out. After a few seconds Jerry drops to the ground in pain. His whole body feels like it is being torn in half from the pain. Griffin just laughs as he continues tormenting Jerry.

"Such a shame."

"Please stop!" Kendra cries out suddenly.

Even though she doesn't trust Jerry she still can't stand to see him in pain.

"This is quite a surprise you still care about him. Even after everything he's done, you can't stand to see him suffering."

Griffin smiles wickedly and lowers his hand. The pain slowly begins to subside from Jerry's body. As Jerry looks up at Kendra he sees tears running down her cheeks.

"What do you want griffin?" She cries out as he starts to walk around her so that she could finally look at him. He just smiles at her before raising his hand back up.

"I want you to come with me. Your daughter Julie is waiting," he reaches his other hand out towards her. "Don't make me tell you twice."

She looks from Griffin to Jerry, sighing slightly as she begins to reach her hand out.

"Fine I will go with you just don't hurt him again," she gives in, taking Griffin's hand hesitantly.

"Nooo..." Jerry begins to cry out but Kendra stops him.

She just looks into his eyes for a moment, giving him a warm smile. "I'll be alright Jerry."

Griffin tightens his grip around her hand and they begin to disappear, dissolving into the darkness around them.

"I'm sorry for everything Kendra," Jerry whispers to himself as he stares at the empty spot where Kendra was just standing. "I have to save my family." He thinks as he closes his eyes.

He lets the darkness close in around him, pulling him back into the shadow realm. He knew he needed help and there was only one person that could help him now.

~

"What are you doing here?" Aylana cries out as Jerry steps through the wall into her hidden room. Sara looks at her father with pure hatred, feeling the fear slowly beginning to creep up her body. "You will not harm Sara here."

Aylana steps in front of Sara, her voice ringing with power.

"I have not come here to harm Sara I never wanted any of this to happen. It was all Griffin's doing," Jerry replies, looking at Aylana as she pulls Lexi and Amber behind her. "Griffin was controlling me I had no other choice but to do what he said."

"Everyone has a choice Jerry! You shouldn't be here!" Lexi cries out as she stares at her stepfather. "You only used my mom and me to get to Sara! When you finally found Sara you killed my mom!" She yells at the man she had once called her daddy.

Sara reaches out and takes Lexi's hand. Lexi turns her head to see Sara smiling at her.

"That wasn't me it was all Griffin. I had no control then, he completely took over my body!" Jerry cries out in defense as he looks at the two girls. "I never wanted to harm your mother Lexi. I never even wanted to harm my own daughters." He looks down at the ground as he speaks.

"Stop lying Jerry you knew exactly what you were doing!" Aylana screams, her hands beginning to glow a bright white.

She can feel her powers beginning to surge through her body now, itching to be released. She points her hands towards Jerry. He closes his eyes and throws his hands up defensively.

"Mom wait! He's telling the truth I can feel it," Amber cries out, grabbing her moms arm gently.

Aylana looks into her daughters eyes as the glow begins to diminish. She sighs and pulls her daughter into a hug.

"Are you certain he isn't lying to us?" She raises a brow, looking into Amber's eyes.

"Yes mom everything he has said so far has been truthful. You know I can tell when someone is lying to me."

An unspoken message passes between them and Aylana sighs, looking back at Jerry.

"If you didn't come here to harm Sara then why are you here?" Aylana looks at him curiously.

"I came here to seek your help Aylana. Griffin has Julie and now he has Kendra to," Jerry pauses as he looks at his daughter.

"After everything you've done you expect us to help you!" Sara shouts at him angrily.

Lexi squeezes Sara's hand, forcing Sara to turn and look at her.

"Sara please I need Aylana's help."

Sara turns again, looking into her fathers eyes with caution. Everything inside of her was telling her not to trust him.

"I'm sorry but I just don't believe you!" Sara cries out, turning her back on her father.

"Sara..." Jerry starts, unsure of what to really say to her. Before he can say anything else he begins to feel a familiar darkness closing in around him. "Help me..."

Sara turns her head back around slightly in time to see her father disappearing within the darkness.

"Do you think Griffin really does have my mom?" Sara asks, looking up at Aylana with sad, tear filled eyes.

Aylana looks at her for a moment before shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"I don't know but I guess we will find out when we go to rescue your sister." Aylana tells Sara, smiling slightly as she looks at the three girls standing around her. "Come on its time I paid Griffin a little visit."

She holds her hand out for the girls to take.

"I will see you soon Julie," Sara whispers to herself as she takes Aylana's hand. I just hope we aren't too late. She thinks as she feels Lexi's and Amber's hands on top of hers.

She feels herself starting to spin as the darkness begins enveloping them.

~

Julie wakes up and feels her forehead throbbing slightly. She rubs her temple slightly as she raises up on the bed. She didn't even remember falling asleep. Her mind was racing with questions as she tries hard to remember everything that happened. There was no window in the room she was in so she has no idea if it was night or day out. It was way to dark in her room. But even in the pitch blackness of the room she could sense that she wasn't alone.

"Julie are you finally awake?"

Julie freezes, turning towards the source of the voice. She smiles as she recognizes the voice.

"Mom is that you?" She sits up fully on the bed now.

She looks towards the sound of her mothers voice but she can't see her.

"Yes sweetie I'm right here."

Julie hears her moms voice, seeming a little closer to her now. Julie starts to slide off the bed and slowly begin to make her way across the room when a bright light suddenly blinds her.

"Mom!" She cries out, throwing her left arm over her eyes as the light blinds her. "You could have warned me you were gonna flip the lights on." She tells her mom slowly removing her arm and looking at Kendra.

She can't help but to smile as she looks at her mom.

"It's good to see you again Julie."

Kendra walks over slowly and sits beside her daughter on the bed. Julie starts to hug her mom but stops quickly, remembering why Sara was so mad and everything her sister had told her.

"Mom why did you keep me asleep, why didn't you want me to wake up?" Julie asks, looking at her mom curiously.

Kendra looks back at her, her face expressionless as she looks into her daughters tear filled eyes. "Julie there is a lot you have to understand," Kendra takes a deep breath and places her hand on Julie's shoulder. "I had to keep you asleep to protect you."

"Couldn't you have protected me even if I was awake?" Julie cries out, shoving her mothers hand off of her. "Why didn't you ever tell Sara the truth about everything?"

"Sweetie," Kendra pauses as she looks at Julie trying to think of how to start. "I wanted every day to wake you up and to tell Sara everything but when I found out Jerry was still alive I couldn't. I though it was safer for you and Sara to stay split up away from each other. If Sara knew the truth I was afraid she wouldn't believe me or hate me for not telling her."

"Why did you keep me asleep for though?" Julie wonders as she looks at her mom. "It's not like it made much of a difference our father still managed to try to kill me in my dreams."

She raises her shirt to expose the stitched up knife wound on her stomach.

"I know but as long as you remained asleep everything would have been fine. Your powers wouldn't be trying to awaken like they are now."

"Mom what's really going on?" Julie looks at her mom cautiously.

As Kendra looks at her daughter, Julie sees the hint of fear in her eyes. "Julie there are certain things you have to understand. Everything that I have done has been to protect you and Sara."

Julie looks up at Kendra, feeling more confused then ever as she looks at her mom. "Mom just tell me everything..."

Before Julie can say anything else the door to the room opens and Griffin walks into the room, an evil grin spreads across his face.

"Well good morning Julie I trust you slept well," Griffin smiles as he walks towards her slowly.

"Griffin you promised you wouldn't hurt her or Sara,"

Kendra becomes defensive, jumping up from the bed suddenly. Griffin pauses and turns towards her.

"I know and I intend on keeping that little promise just don't forget the deal we made Kendra," Griffin laughs as he looks back at Julie. "Don't worry Sara will be here shortly."

He turns around and walks out of the room, pausing just outside the door to wait on Kendra to follow him. Kendra looks back at Julie with sad eyes before starting to follow Griffin.

"Mom how could you..." Julie's voice trails off as she stares after her mom.

~

Kendra turns to look at Julie one last time before the door slams shut. She could still see the hurt and betrayal in her daughters eyes as she follows Griffin down the hall. Griffin pauses in front of his study wondering why the door was standing wide open. He was sure he had closed the door when he went to retrieve Kendra. As they walk into the room he notices that his chair is turned around backwards. As he approaches the chair he sees that somebody is sitting in it.

"Who are you, tell me what you are doing in here," Griffin's voice comes out a little harsh as he walks towards the chair. As he begins to reach for the back of the chair it begins to spin around slowly.

"Hello Griffin," the figure in the chair says as she smiles at him. Griffin stares down at the girl sitting in the chair, a slight uneasy feeling washing over him. "It's so good to see you again brother." The girl says, smiling mischievously at Griffin.

"How is this possible?" Griffin mumbles, the girl just giggles slightly as he continues to stare at her confused. "You're supposed to be imprisoned."

"Well so are you it seems we've both found a way to escape our fates," the girl says standing up slowly.

"The only way you could have escaped your imprisonment is by using the awakening spell to gain enough power to, but that spell is safely locked away."

Griffin stares at his sister confused.

"You may want to check again Griffin someone has used the awakening spell. As soon as I was strong enough I managed to break free," the girl smiles, walking around the desk and stopping in front of Griffin.

"That's impossible the spell is right here in this drawer," Griffin starts as he walks around the desk and unlocks the top drawer. But as soon as he opens it, he is shocked to find it empty. "Where is it?" He mumbles as he stares at the empty drawer in shock.

"Is there no one you can think of that would want that spell brother?"

The girl smirks as she looks at Griffin. Kendra just leans against the door confused. Griffin takes one last look at the drawer and slams it shut.

"There is only one person I can think of, my wife Aylana. And if you are free then that must mean she somehow gotten a hold of the spell and read it," Griffin looks at his sister and smiles. "Come with me Rebecca you may be very useful to me."