Series: Children of the Red King/ Charlie Bone Series

Author: Jenny Nimmo

Pairings: mainly TancredEmma but a bit of CharlieOlivia and BillyOC

Disclaimer: If I owned COTRK, Charlie probably wouldn't exist and Tancred and Emma would be together already. I also wouldn't have a fanfiction account and wouldn't have wasted hours and hours of day-dreaming the rest of this story. So don't take down my story, 'kay? :)

Chapter 10 – Promise Against Punishment

Emma had somehow managed to avoid the fangirls for most of the day, but the end of the homework period was approaching and Emma was becoming more nervous by the second. She kept glancing at the clock and her pen twirled nervously in her fingers.

'Focus on your work, Tolly! No one is leaving until I dismiss you!' barked Manfred, being the old grump again.

Emma nodded meekly and turned back to her work, but her mind was elsewhere.

Finally the two hours of homework ended and Emma caught up with Dannielle.

'So?' the dark-haired child asked.

'He wanted me to promise him something instead. He made me promise before I could protest,' mumbled Emma, recalling the events of the morning.

Dannielle grinned, somewhat tiredly.

'Oh I'm sure,' she replied sarcastically, 'I think you just didn't want to hurt his feelings, right?'

Emma was silent, before adding a 'Maybe'.

The two arrived at their dormitory and Dannielle yawned.

'Have a quick nap before dinner Dannielle. You'll have almost half an hour,' said Emma, being the 'older sister' like she was.

Dannielle, eyes already drooping, nodded before falling onto the bed and almost immediately falling asleep.

Emma smiled, watching the girl who had become like a sister to her.

'Wipe the grin off your face, freak.'

Emma froze; eyes wide. The fangirls were REALLY angry, and she knew it.

Emma turned slowly, eyes wide with fear.

Alannah stood, obviously not satisfied, with ten or more fangirls.

'Why do you still have his scarf?'

Emma, trembling slightly, bit her lip and thought about her answer before replying

'He – He said he didn't want it back. He told me to keep it,' Emma was still trembling.

'LIAR!' screamed Alannah. She raised her hand to strike Emma, but Kate held her back.

'Kate, let go,' muttered Alannah darkly. Kate shook her head before replying.

'Let's take this outside,' she nodded towards Dannielle, 'then no one will know.'

Alannah hesitated before nodding. The group of fangirls 'led' Emma to the garden and towards the ruins, away from all the students.

Dannielle rolled over and opened her eyes slightly, gazing at the clock.

She suddenly jumped up. Dinner had started almost half an hour ago! Why hadn't Emma woken her up?

Dannielle jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs and down the corridor. Just outside the music cafeteria, she stopped. Had she hear right? She could have sworn she heard –

BANG!

Dannielle stepped back, holding her forehead.

'Ah! Sorry! I didn't realize you were there!'

Dannielle looked up. A red-eyed, white haired boy stood staring at her from behind the large wooden door of the Music Cafeteria that had just made it's mark on her forehead.

It took her a second to remember him.

'You-You're Billy Raven…right?'

Billy nodded meekly. 'Dannielle Moren. You're in most of my classes. The top of the class too'

Dannielle nodded, before freezing. She had heard it again. She turned towards the garden.

'Dannielle?' Billy's voice trailed around her thoughts but failed to bring her back.

After gazing at the ruins for a while, Dannielle turned back to Billy.

'Can you do me a favour?'

'Uh…sure,' replied Billy, surprised that the raven-haired child had spoken to him.

'Get Tancred and Lysander and go towards the ruins. I'll call you from there,' she replied before taking off towards the ruins.

'The…ruins?' murmured Billy, blinking.

Billy ran towards the Art Cafeteria. Opening the door, he was met by hundreds of stares. Shuffling quickly he searched for Tancred and Lysander.

Following the gust of wind he found Tancred and Lysander, tucking into a hearty dinner.

He tapped them on the shoulder, and they both turned (Tancred with a piece of chicken in his mouth might I add).

'Billy?'

'Dannielle told me to get you and take you towards the ruins,' he replied quickly.

'What? Now?' asked Tancred, wanting to eat his dinner.

'Yes, now,'

'Oh yeah, have you seen Em?' asked Lysander

Billy's eyes widened as he realized.

'That's it!'

'What?'

'Dannielle sounded really worried. I have a feeling it has something to do with Em!' replied Billy.

This time, the two boys didn't need any more convincing, they were up and gone within seconds. Billy followed them.

Dannielle ran towards the ruins. It's not like she had a sixth sense or anything, but she did have a gut which kept having feelings (A/N: get it?), and this time her gut was telling her that Em was in danger.

As she turned a corner, she saw the danger.

Em was propped up by two fangirls, while Alannah slapped her and was yelling at her. Dannielle could see a couple of drops of blood falling from Em's mouth.

'E-' but before Dannielle could help Emma, someone else did.

A black coloured arrow fell millimetres from Alannah's foot. All three fangirls (the others had gone to dinner) and Dannielle turned towards the archer.

Someone stood on top a wall of the ruins, dressed in all black with a black hooded cloak surrounding her. Her bow, a golden shade of yellow, lay gracefully in her left hand. Wisps of silver hair could be seen coming from the hood, but the most of her face was covered in shadow. Pale skin would be seen while pale red lips frowned at the sight before her.

'Bullying,' the archer said, her voice coming out like a melody, 'how pitiful,'

Alannah gasped, shocked.

'Leave her alone, otherwise I'll make you,' ordered the hooded girl.

'You'll make me? And how do you propose to do that?' mocked Alannah, trying not to show her fear.

'Like this' muttered the archer. She drew an arrow from her quiver with her right hand and nocked (A/N: is that right? I had to ask my brother. Basically she put the arrow on the bow string xD) her arrow within a few seconds.

She drew her bowstring back quite far back, and aimed it at Alannah.

'Leave her alone,' repeated the hooded girl, her hand shaking slightly from the mount of energy needed to keep the bow drawn.

Alannah stiffened before stepping back. The archer released the bowstring slowly, lowering the bow at the same time.

'I'll get you back, bitch,' threatened Alannah, eyes narrowed. She turned to the other fangirls and with a small gesture of her hand, they dropped Emma onto the grass and followed Alannah to dinner. (A/N: I don't know how the can still eat after doing that)

Dannielle stepped out from behind one of the walls of the ruins (she had hid from Alannah) and glanced between Emma and the hooded archer.

Checking that Emma was still okay, the older girl watched Dannielle.

Suddenly Dannielle turned to the cloaked archer.

'Who – Who are you?'

There was a silence between the girls. Then the archer smiled slightly, one full of sorrow and regret.

'They call me the Dark Archer. I roam around at night, and I never sleep,' responded the silver-haired girl. Dannielle opened her mouth to say more but another voice spoke first.

'Emma! Danni!'

Tancred, Lysander and Billy had arrived.

Dannielle turned back to the Dark Archer, who had stiffened and gripped her bow tightly.

'Are they dangerous too?' she asked, her hand twitching, wanting to reach for the arrows sitting in her quiver.

'No, they're our… our friends,' Dannielle said, hesitating slightly.

'You don't seem to be sure,' murmured the Dark Archer.

Dannielle thought about it for a minute; meanwhile Tancred had checked on Emma and mistook the Dark Archer to be the one who had injured Emma.

'How dare you! You hurt Em and now she's - ' began Tancred, running up towards Dannielle and the Dark Archer.

'No!' cried Dannielle, stopping Tancred, 'she's the one who saved Emma! I saw it!'

Tancred lowered his fist but kept glaring. Suddenly he gasped and Dannielle whirled around to see the archer gone.

'Where'd she go?' asked Tancred, but Dannielle ignored him, for the voice of the archer resonated into her head.

'Don't look for me,' the voice said, but Dannielle couldn't see her, 'I'm far away from you by now. Make sure that girl is safe and look after yourself. That spiky haired boy is quite fiery, make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Be careful of those girls, and if they ask you about me, say nothing. Don't worry, I'll be okay. Maybe- ' the Dark Archer sounded really sad when she said this last sentence, 'maybe you'll remember me next time. Dannielle.'

Dannielle instinctively looked towards the moon as the voice stopped speaking. Dannielle? How did the Dark Archer know her name? Why did everything about the Dark Archer seem vaguely familiar?

EXTRA:

The Forgotten Cursed Doll

They call me emotionless. Like a doll. Nothing affects me. I have no emotions. I don't get angry, I'm never happy or sad or surprised. But lately, I'm changing.

I wonder, maybe it's because of her. Maybe because she doesn't think I'm strange, and her friends… they don't call me weird. I tried to see if they were lying, but their minds…they were just as confused as mine.

My power is to read minds. Some call it a gift, others call it a blessing. I call it a curse. To know how people really feel about you, what they really think you are. To know when they're lying, and when they secretly call you inferior.

The pressure of other's thoughts used to crush me, bit by bit, but now, I'm not only one carrying the burden, someone is helping. I wonder, will she always be here? Or is she secretly trying to destroy me too?

No, I can't think like that. She…won't abandon me, right?

Wait. When did-When did I become so distrusting?

I can't remember. I can't remember anything. What's wrong with me? Why can't I even remember my own birthday? Why can't I remember?