"What is he talking about?" Travis whispered from under the net. He was holding his daemon close to his chest so they couldn't rip her from his grasp.
"I don't know! I swear I don't know what they are talking about!" I told them. Why didn't they get me? Why them and not me?
"Look at him, he's too proud to admit that he set them up." one of the gobblers laughed.
"We trusted you. We trusted you and you set us up. My mother was right, I shouldn't have trusted a royal." Riley hissed. Rafender lashed his tail angrily. I couldn't see a sign of fear in Riley's face, only anger.
"Molly, Brandon. You have to believe me, you must! I didn't do what they said I did." I shook my head slowly, trying to make sense out of it. I ran over to the net, and tried to free my friends.
"Stay away from us! I would rather go with the gobblers than be here with you!" Brandon hissed, kicking me roughly. I fell backwards, holding my stomach in pain.
"Stay back." one of the men in black hissed, pinning my to the ground. I could feel his big hands crushing my shoulders.
"Riley, you've known me all your life. You have to believe me when I tell you I didn't do this." I pleaded.
"I can't." Riley whispered. I felt like someone had torn my daemon away. I looked at Alianora for confirmation that she was still there. She was in her cougar form, growling at the men who were picking up the net. All I could do was watch as they carried my friends away.
"You need to learn to control your emotions. They deserve what they're getting, why do you care anyways? I'm looking forward to working with you in the future. You'll be a fine ruler. You make this job almost too easy. Thanks Lord Gavin." he said, releasing me. I sat there, crying. I watched him become a speck in the distance. I should have done something. I shouldn't have let them take Riley and the others away.
"Dustan." Alianora said, trying to get me to my feet.
"I let them get taken away." I whispered, more to myself than to her.
"Dustan they held you back." Alianora scoffed.
"Not at first they didn't. I could have gotten them away before they got to me." I snapped. I watched her flinch.
"I'm sorry Ali. I just don't know what to do." I sobbed into my hands.
"Dustan, that man. He called you Gavin." Alianora whispered.
"He must have thought you were Luka. Ali, he said I would be a nice ruler and that he looked forward to working with me in the future. Do you know what that means?" I asked.
"Gavin is running the gobblers." Alianora shuddered.
"I'm going to talk to him. There has to be some mistake." I said, getting to my feet.
"I hope you're right." Alianora sighed. She padded beside me until we reached our house. Slowly, I opened the front door. I could see Gavin, standing in the kitchen. He had his back to me. Swiftly I walked over to him and shoved him hard. He didn't expect it and he fell to the floor.
"What the hell are you doing, Dustan?" Gavin hissed, climbing to his feet.
"I could ask you the same thing, brother." I spat the word brother in disgust.
"Tell me Dustan, what is troubling you?" My brother asked.
"You are troubling me, Gavin. I ran in to your men today. How could you set up Riley and the others? They trusted us, they are our friends." I hissed.
"No Dustan, they are your friends. They mean nothing to me. They are servants, gyptians and poor children. What does it matter what happens to them anyways?" Gavin scoffed.
"Brother you are a heartless monster!" I spat before running upstairs. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
"What are we going to do, Dustan?" Alianora asked.
"I don't know Ali." I sighed.
"We aren't just going to leave them, are we?" she scoffed.
"No! Of course not." I exclaimed. I need to prove to them that I am their friend, not their enemy. It wasn't me that set them up, Gavin did.
"Why don't we go to the gyptians? They would help us! They would do anything to get Riley back, same as us!" Alianora suggested.
"Ali! That's perfect! Let's go now, we could possibly catch up to those gobblers!" I smiled, getting to my feet.
"Dustan, they wouldn't let us walk out the front door." Alianora said.
"We'll go out the window then." I decided.
"Fine by me." Alianora shrugged.
"Wait, I'm not going to leave the book here." I said, picking it up off the shelf. I tucked it under my arm and walked to the end of the hallway. I swung on leg out the window, followed by the other one.
"Dustan! You'll hurt yourself if you jump out with that book. Let me carry it." Alianora suggested, turning into a pelican. I nodded, placing the book in her beak. I leaped, landing on my feet.
"Come on Ali! We need to hurry!" I called. Alianora swooped down, changing into a weasel beside me. The book was at her paws. I smiled, picking up the book delicately.
"Let's go Dustan, we must rescue Riley, Brandon, Molly and Travis!" Alianora insisted. I nodded. I began running down through the market, towards the docks.
"Please! We need your help!" I called to the gyptians who were walking around.
"What do you need?" asked one of them. She was the only gyptian who didn't ignore me.
"I am looking for the parents of Riley Costa." I told her.
"I am Riley's father." said a man. The woman walked away, leaving me and Riley's father to talk.
"Mr. Costa." I said.
"Please, call me Billy." he smiled.