Chapter thirty two

Rebecca what took you so long?" Griffin smiles as he sees his sister walking towards him. His smile only widens as he sees her carrying Sara in her arms.

"Sorry it took longer then I thought it would," Rebecca tells him, laying Sara down by Julie. "Don't worry though everyone else is trapped so there is no one to stop you from completing the ritual now."

"Excellent but we still have a lot to prepare before we can begin the ceremony," he clasps his hands together as he smiles at Rebecca. "Move Sara and Julie over by the swing sets and tie them up. They should be waking up soon."

"Fine brother as you wish."

Rebecca smiles innocently at him as she walks over and picks Sara back up. As she walks towards the swing sets Sara begins to move slightly. Rebecca freezes as she looks down at Sara. She doesn't wake up however, she just shifts her body slightly and continues to sleep peacefully in Rebecca's arms. She lays Sara down on the ground and ties her hands loosely together.

"Sara," Julie mumbles as she begins to wake up. Rebecca rushes back over to where Julie is laying.

"Don't worry Julie please try to remain calm," Rebecca whispers as she bends down and sits beside of Julie. She glances nervously at Griffin but he has his back to them.

"Who are you, what's going on?" Julie asks, looking around the park nervously. "How did I end up here the last thing I remember was Griffin forcing me to sleep..." Her voice trails off as her eyes lock on Griffin.

She looks back at Rebecca and shivers, looking up at her terrified.

"Listen to me Julie I need you to pretend to be asleep. I'm not going to let Griffin harm you," Rebecca promises as she smiles warmly at Julie.

"Just let me go, I need to find my sister," Julie whispers as she looks at Rebecca. "Please just let me go," she pleads, giving Rebecca her best pouty face.

"I can't just let you go, if I do he will know I helped you." Rebecca looks back at Griffin nervously before turning back to Julie. "As for your sister, she is right over there by the swing sets."

"Is everything okay sis?" Rebecca hears her brother ask, his voice coming from right behind her.

She hadn't heard him move.

She looks up at Griffin as she feels his hand on her shoulder.

"Everything is fine Griffin I was just making sure Julie was still asleep before I tried moving her," Rebecca tells him, chancing a quick glance towards Julie, glad to see that Julie is pretending to be asleep.

"Well what are you waiting for take Julie over to her sister so I can begin the ritual," Griffin commands Rebecca.

Rebecca doesn't say anything else as she slips her hands under Julie's body and lifts her off the ground as she stands up. Once she takes Julie across the park she looks down at her.

"Please trust me Julie I won't let my brother harm you or your sister," she tells Julie as she lays her back down on the grass beside her sister.

"Rebecca hurry up," Griffin yells at her.

Before Julie could say anything Rebecca stands back up and walks back over to Griffin. As she makes her way back across the park she looks up towards the sky.

"There's still plenty of time," Rebecca thinks as she sees that the moon is still his behind the dark storm clouds.

Her attention is drawn away from the sky as she hears a loud thud on the ground behind her.

"Ah Arthur there you are. I trust that you got the spell book from Aylana like I asked you to," Griffin says, turning his attention to Arthur.

"I'm sorry, I went to the mausoleum like you said but the book wasn't there," Arthur's voice shakes slightly as he speaks. Griffin looks at him disappointed.

"Is this what you want?" Griffin hears a boys voice and turns around to see a boy around sixteen holding the magic book in his hands.

"How did you get that book?" Griffin asks curiously as he slowly walks towards the boy.

"I found the book and brought it here I want to trade it for Sara and Julie's safety," the boy says, looking over towards Sara and Julie.

"Give me that book!" Griffin yells, reaching his hand out towards the boy. The boy keeps the book held tightly against his chest as he begins to back up. "Arthur kindly retrieve the book for me."

"Alright kid just hand me the book and there won't be any problems," Arthur calls out as he begins to walk across the park towards the boy. "Chris is that you?" He pauses as he recognizes the boy.

"Yes it is me Mr. Creepsly and the only way you are getting this book is if you pry it from my cold, dead hands," Chris replies, watching as Arthur starts to walk towards him again.

"I wish you hadn't have said that Chris," Chris jumps and turns around to see Anubis standing behind him. "I send you to do one simple thing for me and you try to betray me."

"I didn't know the amulet was cursed you just used me to get to Sara," Chris cries out but before he can do anything else he feels a pair of hands grab a hold of his shoulders tightly, preventing him from moving.

"Bring him to me Arthur," Griffin calls out from behind Chris.

He feels himself starting to be dragged backwards, back towards Griffin.

"Stop Arthur my brother is trying to trick you. He will break any promise he has made to you. He had me locked away in this place just because I wouldn't help him get rid of his own kids. He wanted to do the same thing to his own daughters that he is going to do to Sara and Julie." Rebecca cries out, stepping between Arthur and Griffin.

"What does it matter if I help him or not I'm already dead," Arthur replies staring at Rebecca curiously.

Rebecca looks down at Sara and Julie, smiling as she looks at them. They reminded her of her own nieces. She had to protect them.

"Let Chris go now," Rebecca says softly, turning back towards Arthur. Her eyes begin to glow as she looks into Arthur's eyes.

"What are you doing to me?" Arthur's voice becomes full of fear as he looks down and sees that he is becoming transparent.

Chris slips free from Arthur's grip and falls to the ground. He looks towards Rebecca, grateful for whatever she was doing to free him. She starts to glow, making Chris close his eyes and looks away from her. He hears Arthur screaming out in pain then nothing but silence. He opens his eyes slowly, not sure what to expect. Rebecca had stopped glowing and he begins to feel safer. He looks around but there was no sign of Arthur anywhere, just a burnt spot on the ground.

"Chris run, go now while you can," Rebecca yells as she waves her hand, pushing him across the park out of harms way.

"You are out numbered I'm not going anywhere." Chris calls back, standing up quickly. He tries to walk back across the park but an invisible barrier was preventing him from taking a step forward.

"Just stay with Sara and Julie. I can handle these two."

"So sister you really want to fight me?" Griffin smirks, laughing as he starts walking towards her. "I've grown a lot stronger since the last time we fought."

He raises his hand slightly, sparks of blue electricity flowing around his hand. He flicks his hand towards Rebecca, sending a wave of bright blue electricity towards her. She steps to the side just as the bright electric wave reaches her. It barely misses her and flies across the park, slamming into a tree and exploding. The tree erupts into flames, illuminating the park.

"Is that the best you can do brother?" Rebecca calls out, laughing as she holds her hands up, a brightly glowing orb forming between them.

She shoves her hand outwards, hurling the orb towards Griffin. The orb slams into Griffins chest and explodes, sending him flying to the ground. Griffin stands back up slowly, never taking his eyes off of Rebecca.

"You've grown weak sis."

Griffin laughs as he sends another wave of electricity towards her. She isn't so lucky this time. She tries to move out of the way but the wave is moving to fast. The wave slams into her shoulder, sending a painful electric shock throughout her body.

I have to find a way to help her. Chris thinks as he watches the battle from across the park.

Something moves behind him suddenly. He turns his head and looks but there is nothing behind him.

"Chris is that you?" Chris hears Julie's voice and looks over to see her sitting up slightly. "Can you please untie me?" She asks as she tries to sit on up.

"Sure hold on a second."

Chris stands up and makes his way over to where Sara and Julie are laying. He quickly unties the ropes binding Julie's wrists together, helping her stand up.

"Thank you Chris," Julie smiles warmly at him before turning to look down at her sister.

"You're welcome Julie," he hadn't meant to give Sara the amulet back at Griffin's house. He wasn't even sure how it had been taken out of his pocket and given to Sara. "She's not going to be very happy with me when she wakes up."

"I'm sure she knows that it wasn't your fault," Julie says, trying to make him stop worrying. He tries to smile back at Julie but he can't.

"That's just it I'm sure it was my fault. I don't know how Sara got the amulet and I don't know how I ended up with the book. All I know is that as soon as I picked up the book I began to shadow travel," Chris explains to Julie. "I just hope that when Sara finally does wake up she won't be to mad at me."

"Chris I could tell the first time I met you, when you first came into the shadow realm with Sara, that she really cared about you," Julie tells him, smiling at him as she sees the grin across his face. "I am certain she will forgive you."

"Thanks Julie," Chris smiles affectionately at Julie. His smile quickly fades as he hears Rebecca scream. He turns his attention back towards her only to find Anubis standing over her with his hand held out over her. "We have to save her." Chris cries out as he watches Rebecca writhing on the ground in pain.

"Where's the spell book Chris?" Julie asks as she looks around her and Chris for the book.

"I must have dropped it when Rebecca made me fly across the park out of harms way," Chris looks back towards Rebecca and sees the book laying on the ground by Anubis's feet. "I found the book."

"Great so where is it?" Julie asks, looking up at Chris. He doesn't say anything he just takes and points towards Rebecca and Anubis. Julie follows his finger and sees the book laying on the ground. "Great now how are we gonna get the book?"

"I don't know Julie, there has to be a way to get to it though," Chris starts walking across the park, but Julie grabs his arm causing him to stop.

"Chris wait we can't just go running across the park. We need to figure out a way to get across the park without Anubis or Griffin seeing us," Julie whispers as she looks around. "We need a distraction."

"Maybe one of us could sneak around them and grab the book while the other one makes sure Anubis and Griffin are watching them," Chris suggests, looking at the book.

"Julie!" Sara calls out from the ground. Julie and Chris turn around quickly to see Sara trying to sit up.

"I'm right here sis," Julie runs over and kneels down beside her sister. Julie reaches down and begins untying her sisters hands. "Hold still sis." She says as Sara squirms around on the ground.

"Where are we Julie?" Sara asks once her hands are free.

Sara looks around but she doesn't really know where she is. Her eyes land on Chris and she begins to panic.

"Calm down Sara," Julie whispers calmly, helping Sara sit up. "Chris is here to help us." She whispers as Sara wraps an arm around Julie.

"Chris can't be trusted. He gave me a cursed amulet that made me go off on everyone. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here right now. I would be on my way to save you from Griffin's manor. But instead we are both here."

Sara pauses as Chris begins to walk towards her.

"Sara please I would never intentionally hurt you. I don't know how the amulet passed from my pocket to you but it wasn't me that gave it to you."

Chris tries to keep his voice calm as he kneels down beside Sara.

"Chris please I really want to believe you..." Sara starts, pausing as Chris reaches out and takes her hand in his.

"Sara..." Chris begins as he looks into her eyes. "I really don't know what happened but I would never intentionally harm you. I love you Sara."

"Really Chris?"

Sara's eyes light up suddenly as she smiles brightly at Chris. Before she can say anything else she hears Rebecca scream out in pain.

"Yes now can we discuss this later because right now we need to save Rebecca," Chris says, helping Sara to her feet.

Sara and Julie raise their arms and begins whispering a chant as tiny flames begin dancing along their fingertips. They point their hands towards Griffin and quickly realize that there is some kind of barrier between them and Griffin.

"Sara we have to hurry," Julie cries out.

The girls begin chanting louder, the barrier between them and Rebecca begins to glow brightly. The barrier flickers for a moment before disappearing.

"Did it work?" Chris asks as Sara and Julie lower their arms. "Is the barrier gone?"

"I think so but there's only one way to find out. Come on let's see if we can help Rebecca."

Sara starts walking towards Rebecca. She takes a few steps and pauses, wondering if the barrier was really gone. She reaches her hands out hoping that the barrier was gone. She sighs as she feels her hand touch against an invisible wall.

"It didn't work?" Julie asks as she walks up to her sister. Sara shakes her head as she turns to look at Julie.

"No we aren't strong enough to break through the barrier," Sara replies, turning back around and watching helplessly as Anubis continues to torture Rebecca. "We need more magic, if only Amber and Olivia were here to help us." Sara places her hands against the barrier and tries one more time to break through it. "Where can they be?" She whispers to herself as Julie puts an arm around her.

~

"What's on your mind sis?" Amber asks as she walks over to stand by her sister. Olivia turns and looks at her sister with saddened eyes.

"I'm worried about what's going to happen to us sis," Olivia sighs as she turns to stare out the window. "What happens to us after we help free Sara and Julie and their friends?"

"Everything will be fine. Once we help them defeat our father we will be free from the shadow realm."

Amber tries to sound reassuring as she puts an arm around her sisters shoulders.

"Are you sure we are going to be free from the shadow realm?"

A few tears roll down Olivia's cheeks as she speaks.

"Yes we are going to be free sis," Amber promises as she pulls Olivia to her, hugging her tightly as she begins to cry. They hear a slight creak above them and look up at the ceiling. As they look up they begin hearing several footsteps walking around. "It seems like the boundary spell is almost gone."

She shivers, slightly afraid as she hears the footsteps above them.

"Let's just hope that we are able to leave this place as soon as the boundary spell is gone. I'd hate to see what happens when all the sorcerers are freed."

"I don't want to stick around to find out. Come on sis lets get back to the others and try to get out of here before we are in trouble."

Amber takes her sisters arm and leads her out of the bedroom they were in.

"Everyone I think it's about time we get out of here," Olivia looks around at the small group of Sara's friends standing around as her and Amber enter the living room.

"We have to time this perfectly." Amber says, staring at the walls like she was looking for some kind of sign that the boundary spell trapping them was finally gone.

Just as she begins to look back at the group she sees a small flicker of bright light flash quickly across the walls before it disappears.

"Okay everyone take a deep breath."

She quickly closes her eyes and begins picturing them standing next to Sara and Julie. At first nothing seems to happen. She sighs and begins to open her eyes when she feels herself start to float off the ground.