"What are you doing here?"

Everywhere around the hotel room was quiet. If anyone walked in at that moment, the only awkward thing they would have seen was me and the cage in the middle of the carpet. All of the police left after taking Syllia, I looked at Maylin, her frail body in the cage. I opened the door, hands trembling as I slowly lifted Maylin out of it.

I looked at her, and tears fell out of my eyes, landing on Maylin's feathers. "Could we take her to the vet?"

"Leslie. She's gone." My dad helped me get up. I cradled Maylin in my arms as we took the elevator down, down, down. Finally, in the taxi, I pulled her close. She couldn't be dead, I thought. She just couldn't.

I paced around the waiting room of the animal hospital. My dad had taken Maylin from me and rushed inside. I wasn't sure whether he'd done it to save me from the sight or to save Maylin. The door to the operating room opened and one of the veterinarian's came out.

My dad and I rushed to them, "How is she?" I asked.

"She's alive, but seriously traumatized. One lung has collapsed and there is bleeding on her brain."

"Can't she come home with me?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Carter, your Sunlark is not going to survive."

I nodded, and let out a shaky breath. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath the whole time.I sat down on a nearby bench. Tears streamed down my face, while my dad wrapped his arm around me. "There's nothing more you could have done."

I nodded, unable to speak up. Ding! I heard my dad's phone buzz. He took it out of his pocket and checked it. It was from mom.

He looked at me and hugged me. "I told your mother and Matia to come over. You can tell them what happened, or I could for you."

I kept quiet. Mom and Matia rushed over to me as soon as they saw my eyes were puffy from all the crying.

They both hugged me.

"What happened, and why are you here?" My mom asked.

I shook. "M-Maylin, Syllia . . ."

"Leslie went to meet Syllia. I'm not really sure what happened, I called the police as soon as I heard Leslie cry," my dad said. "We found Maylin barely alive."

My mom hugged me even tighter than before.

"How is Maylin now?" Matia asked.

"She's going to die," my dad said. "There's nothing the doctors can do for her."

"Are you going to stay here and wait for her to come out?" Matia asked.

"I'm not sure." I answered.

Mom led me to the door of the vet, "I think you should wait at home for a while, you need some rest."

I tried arguing, but before I could, I was led outside and headed home.

By the time we got home, the sun was rising, and right in front of our house door were Nathan and Emily Farrel with Syllia standing beside them.

"Here comes the Carters," Emily said.

I looked at my parents and Matia, they were all shocked that the Farrels were all together.

"Emily, it has been so long since I have seen you, the last time I saw you, you were telling everyone Syllia had died." My mother stared at the woman.

'It was you who told me to do that. You broke our family apart, then put our daughter in jail."

I glared at them. "We never did anything like that."

They all ignored me, focusing on my parents. "Now, your precious daughter won't be with you anymore. She will be spending her time in jail for framing Syllia."

"Also, your friend over there won't get off the hook easily," Syllia said, pointing at Matia.

"She didn't do anything."

"Do you think we care?" Nathan led his wife and daughter away from us.

Syllia looked back at me and smirked, then she turned and walked away.

I glared at her and clenched my fists, they were going to pay for everything they had done to my family and me.

I started to think of a plan. Ding! The doorbell rang, and my dad went to open it. It was a stranger, "Is this Leslie Carter's house?"

The moment he said that, my mom grabbed my hand and led me to a room, but I stopped before she could pull me inside.

"Yes, what are you here for?" My father asked.

"Do you know the Farrels?"

"Yes,"

"I am a detective, we understand that the Farrels have been in contact with you."

I walked forward, so the detective could see me. "They killed my Sunlark and threatened to put me in jail."

"What are you doing?" My dad whispered to me.

"It's fine, I am not here to arrest you, I need your help capturing the Farrels."