A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Sorry for the slight wait, I was kind of stuck on the other story. It would be great if we could get some reviews! Thanks for reading! I don't own HOA.


Ivan's POV

"Vera von Devenish, Emma," muttered Cassie, correcting Emma's horrid use of names.

"She's the most powerful person in Venice," mumbled Ivan quietly.

"Though nobody knows that," Ivy said, crumpling up the note. "So, does anyone know where she lives?"

"I heard she lives off the main street, in one of the older houses," Emma offered, sitting down next to Cassie on Ivy's bed.

"No, it's not," corrected Oli, folding his arms over his chest. "It's nowhere I can explain, I have to show you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"It's tabooed by some old lady working for Vera. "She wanted to make sure she was never found."

"Couldn't you write it down?" asked Cassie, trying to logic her way out of it.

"No, how stupid do you think this witch was. If she had done anything against what Vera wanted, she would have died along with all of her family and friends," explained Oli.

"I heard there's a way out of every spell," Emma muttered. "I think I read it in one of those older books, the ones in Mum's (Mara's) collection."

"Mum must have every book in the world," Cassie thought.

"Guys! We're getting off topic! We need to find Vera's home as fast as possible to free Mother and Father," cried Ivory, nearly pulling her hair out.

"Fine, follow me," Oli ordered, motioning for us to follow him out the door of the room.


Jerome's POV

"Honestly Jerome," Mara muttered. "Never doubt a smart girl."

"What? Are you going to make friction with your hands to make fire and burn the chairs?" I mocked because I heard the noise of sawing ropes.

"No," she grunted.

"You do realize that you're hitting me in the back with every move you make?" I asked, wincing in pain.

"Sorry dear," she muttered. "Ah. Good. That feels better." She moved around behind me.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'll get to you in just a second dear," she whispered. "Keep it down, you don't want the guards to learn that we're escaping do you?"

I nearly laughed, but I held myself back. "No ropes or bars can keep Mara Clarke tied up," I smirked.

"Thank you honey," she muttered sarcastically, bending over to start on her feet.

"You're very welcome, love," I answered, smiling to myself.

"And I'm done," she declared after a few minutes of sawing at the ropes at her feet. "Oh it feels good to stand again."

She got up and came around to face me.

"Will you please untie me dear?" I asked, giving her my best smile.

"Of course!" she grinned, placing a kiss on my lips before sawing at the ropes at my hands.


Nina's POV

When the boy came back in, bringing tea with him, Vera turned to me.

"Why have you come to visit me, my dear?" she asked, sipping gently at her tea. I set my tea cup down on my lap before responding.

"I want to…" I stopped. I couldn't exactly tell her I wanted to die. She would just have the boy cut my throat then and there. "I want you to stop hunting me and my family," I rephrased, hoping that she would listen.

"Let me think darling," she responded, sipping again at the tea. "No."

"Why ever not?" asked the boy. Vera turned to the boy, almost too quickly to seem human and shouted, "What have I told you boy! You do not speak unless spoken too!"

"Yes, ma'am," answered the boy, glaring daggers at Vera. I tilted my head sympathetically at him, my heart pounding in my ears at Vera's outburst.

"Why won't you?" I asked, returning my gaze to Vera.

"Because, darling, I need the blond of the Night's Cloak's family," she answered.

"Why?" I demanded, barely keeping myself from rising from my chair.

"Because, I need the money and it's only good if I hand over the Night's Cloak, once and for all," she sneered, putting her tea cup on the table next to her. "Alvaro! Bring me that snooping man outside the door!"

I frowned, wondering who she could mean. I watched the boy, apparently named Alvaro, walk over to the door and pull it open. Revealing Fabian.

What the hell was he doing here.


Amber's POV

Honestly, how long are they going to keep me here? It had been a few minutes since the boy had left and I was bored yet again.

That boy was cute.

I wonder if I seduce him, he will let me go?

Probably not.

All that's left is waiting for Ivory and the other children to save me and the others. Boy is that going to go over well with the town.

I just wish someone would get me out of here.

Now.


Piper's POV

"Just over the hill!" called Mick.

We were on our final leg of our journey to safety. This was it. We were going to be safe.

"I'll beat you!" smiled Patricia, running ahead, over the familiar hill that we had traveled so many times over the years.

When I broke the crest of the hill, I saw the old log house we had often stayed at whenever we were in a spot of trouble in the city and we needed to get out for a few days.

Where Trudy was staying now. I smiled, seeing Patricia running to the door and flinging it open, disappearing into the darkness of the house.

I sprinted down the hill and ran inside, turning the too-familiar corner to the common room where Trudy was standing in the sunlight, hugging Patricia.

"TRUDY!" I cried, joining my double in hugging Trudy.

"Dears!" she smiled, hugging us back. "I thought I wasn't going to see you for a long time! But here you are! I'll just go put the kettle on!" She bustled out of the room towards the kitchen, and Patricia and I followed her. "Are Joy and Mick coming?" she asked, pulling out a shiny kettle out of the cupboard.

"Yes, and Jackie and Pete," I answered, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear and sitting down. "How have you been?"

"Oh you know, missing you lot, taking care of the fugitives," she smiled, brushing Patricia's hair down her back lightly. "I missed you."

"We did too!" cried Patricia. "We haven't seen you in six years!"

"It was for the best," sighed Trudy, turning back to the kettle that was now whistling. "If Vera had found out I was with you, then we all would have been in trouble!"

"Why don't we just tell her we aren't her relatives?" I asked, fiddling with the table cloth.

Trudy gave me the, please shut up now dear, look as she hugged Joy, Jackie, Mick, and Pete as they came into the kitchen.

"Granna!" cried Jackie, hugging Trudy's waist. Trudy smiled, happy to see her adopted grandchildren back in her arms.

At least some good was coming out of this horridness.


Alvaro's POV

As I dragged the man into the room, I saw Nina's eyes go large, as if she hadn't known he was following her. I watched then, the cruel woman who called herself my master. Her eyes remained the same as if she had been expecting it.

I dumped the man as quickly as I could next to Nina and then retreated to the shadows.

The shadows was where I lived now. Where I loved to live actually. It saved me from the wrath of Vera Devenish and her tempers.

"Fabian!" screamed the woman, Nina. I turned back to face what was going on in the center of the room.

Vera was standing, prodding the man's limp form towards the burning fire. The woman screamed again.

I paled.

"We have no use of him," sneered Vera, poking the man again. A fire started on the man's jacket, making the woman scream even louder.

"Don't you need three generations!" she screamed, trying to throw herself at the man to save him. "With the parents!"

Her voice was hard to understand through her screaming, but I understood well enough. She was trying to save him.

But you did need three generations.

Vera stopped, contemplating what Nina had said.

"Well Ms. Martin…" she began, moving her stick forward towards the man on the floor.


A/N: There. Sorry about the cliffy. Please review. Thank you.