A/N I found out that Book four is going to be called Return of Lorien. (By goodreads) Seriously? Does that mean it is the last book in the series? Or does that mean that all of the Garde will meet up or something? I don't get it...

Yes I realize Ella is going to make generalizations. As a disclaimer, I do not believe in what she says (and don't assume that just because I write a character believing in something that I believe in it too)

Seven

Five waves her hand, for us to follow, slinking behind the trees. I pause every few seconds and look back at Six who is thoroughly enjoying making Five's fluid walking into her version of trying to get around guards: awkward and jaunty, stopping to dive and roll.

"Quietly!" Five hisses, silencing our giggles for mere seconds.

We smother our laughter with our hands. Sam glares at us and Six mouths sorry at him, he forces out a smile.

We pass by a lamp, skin briefly illuminated, breath catching.

"What are you doing out here?" I hear a rough voice. I turn around, briefly feeling the crisp yellow light hitting against my eyes.

"N-nothing," Sarah stammers.

"It's passed curfew," he says, pressing his fingers against Sarah's arm. Shock roots in me from head to toe, immobilizing me.

It's a cop, police. Police, government. I hold my breath, praying to a god that never listened to release her, something that I can't do.

"I-I'll be going home now," slight hiccup exposing little.

"Hey weren'tcha at the prison?" the cop asks. At that moment, I feel the warmth of Six's body next to me leave and at the next second the cop is on the ground unconcious.

"You okay?" Six asks to Sarah and I rush up to her and press my fingers against

"Fine," her lips tighten to a white line, squeezed in an attempt to block the pain.

I release my fingers and the icy tingling fades away.

"What did I say about not being in light?" Five sighs looking at Sarah. My cheeks grow red, her icy stare leaving Sarah's face and slipping onto mine, staring straight into my eyes, sending shivers to my core.

"Sorry," Sarah gasps quietly.

"Hey, lay off of her," Six defends, glad she could do it before I could find my voice.

"She's had a hard enough several hours," I continue, staring at Five before realizing exactly what I said.

Think, Seven.

"Thanks," Sarah says sarcastically, and I'm left with a gnawing feeling at my stomach, her disdainful eyes at me. Sam looks down. I stare at Six, but immediately look away from that expression. Five stares at me, amused.

Little comfort do the trees give me, when I bend them to block the light, and do everything that Five told us to do.

Ella

Everything comes rushing back to me the moment I get tossed into the cell, roughly, no Seven to touch her soft fingers to the bruises travelling along my body.

Papa is gone. Seven is gone. Six is gone. Eight is somewhere not near me. Why couldn't I do more? Why didn't I get out of the car when I had the chance?

The prison cell echoes with the sound of me lying down.

I'm only eleven years old, this should not be my life. Why does it have to be? Why does Papa have to be gone now? I'm still hoping he will come back, he will I know he will, he always did.

I start making a mental list of everything relevant to now. Papa isn't coming back now.

The Charm is broken.

They will kill us.

Why haven't they already?

The rest probably are not here.

They want the rest to come after us.

They could be, what if they are, how can I warn them?

I try again to contact them through telekinesis, but the disappointment of failure, complete failure, washes over me and stops more of an effort.

I can't do that. My only Legacy, the only useful thing about me I can't use.

I want to get out. How?

I want to get the others out too. At least not be a total waste of space.

When I open my eyes, I catch a tiny little space, blacker than the rest of the cell.

I stand up, shaky at first but planting my feet to gain firmness, carrying my closer to that part. I strain my eyes, barely making out the tiny hole.

It's a vent.

I squeal in delight, then reprimand myself to stay silent, anyone can come by. And I don't know how much time I have.

My hand moves along the borders, where there is a tiny difference, seeing how big it is.

Then I open it up, prying the little bolts of it off with fingernails, quietly extracting the metal off, and laying it down on the floor, double sure that it won't clack.

I stick my head inside, sudden fresh air tingling my nose.

Wait I shouldn't go in yet. I don't know if it's okay down there.

I sit down on top of the thing that was covering it and wait for the piece of round bread, hard as a puck to appear in my cell along with the food I don't eat.

Seven

Night falls soon enough, and we reach Sam's house, Five perfectly content with separating us for complicated loops at points, sending me into the town to buy coffee for her, something I don't dare protest.

It works, though, not one of the many cops we have seen actually looks at us.

So far no Mogs.

"That's the entrance," Sam points to the well.

"How are we supposed to get in?" Sarah whispers half-frantically. I look at Six.

"Distract them," she points to the trees.

I make out the shapes of Mogs.

Oh God, they are here too.

My night-vision makes out more and more of them, all hiding in the shadows at the opposite end of what is called the backyard. Sam muffles a shriek. I catch Five's glare at him.

"My mom is in there," he whispers, mouth moving, but barely any sound coming out.

"She will be fine," Five says with an authority no one can challenge. The words come Sam and me.

She stares at it for a while, motioning for Six to not move.

"We aren't all going together," she turns back to look at us.

Five

I stare into the mirror of water, moonlight breaking with tiny ripples caressing the surface, seeing both self-imposed images. Black-dyed purple-streaked hair, finally the startle wore off, brown eyes looking black in the pale moonlight, and a face that would not be characterized as anything. And underneath that, a cleverness and canniness too slippery to be human reflected in soulless black holes, but too in between good and evil to not be.

This war is a well-written narrative of good and evil, with lines drawn completely, with the fluke that one of the supposed good guys ended up not like the others of her kind.

I value that part of me, which in a sense is all of me. No one with the intentions of honor and truth can win wars in real life.

I turn around to face them, eager to see the looks on their faces at my next announcement.

"We need to find out why the government is allied with the Mogs," I say. Everyone looks at me shocked, I press my back against the bush, seeing red berries dangling from a tree. "I'm not going into Malcolm's place with you."

No, don't eat the poisonous berries!

Shut up, Philik!

But he is eating the poisonous berries!

I don't care, let him die!

But... but!

Shut up.

And later...

No, Artyom, don't eat the poisonous berries!

How did you find us?

I followed the 'no, don't eat the poisonous berries.'

So not hiding with them anymore.

I rip myself from the memory, regretting leaving the cherished moments of smiling desperation from playing hide and seek, the coy smile playing on my lips.

"We are not separating," Six says adamantly. "You caused us to separate in the first place, don't do it anymore."

"Actually technically, we were all separated because of the charm, and then the plan was originally Nine's and then Sam pushed for it to happen sooner, and then you backed him up then I backed both of you. So it's-"

"We get the point," Six interrupts, and I consider continuing to prove her wrong but think better of it. Not enough time.

"I'm curious to know why the US government allied itself with the Mogs, I know why the Mogs would with them, but I doubt naivete is the reason on the other side of the equation. So I either go alone, or one of you comes with me. Then me or we will come

"We need to do this and then get back to them as soon as possible!" Sam;s voice rises a little and I shush him.

"What we need to do is find out what your father knows, and find out why the USA is allied with the Mogs," I repeat, slowly, and annoyed.

"That will take extra time!" Six complains. "In that time, they could get killed!"

Meh.

"It's more important to get Eight and the other Garde," Seven agrees, eyes blazing with fire. If this were one of my manipulative schemes, I would be proud, but since it is not I am annoyed.

"Look," I say. "We aren't going to win this if we fight blindly." I don't care if they have no idea what I mean. "We are finding out why the US allied with the Mogs and there is no discussion about that. I can go alone or someone can come with me."

"We are more powerful together," Six reluctantly volunteers.

Oh well, Seven and Six don't want to be separated, but it's cruel to have Sarah and Sam leave their home.

And I am so not going alone. Just not.

"Six or Seven?" I ask.

"Can I go?" Sarah volunteers, voice squeaking. I cock my eyebrows up, situation suddenly amusing, pictures of Sarah and improvised combat clashing running through my mind.

"Sure," I say. "Meanwhile, you three," my finger drags between Six and Sam and Seven, "if you don't do the obvious option, during daylight of course, I am going to murder one of you."

"What obvious option?" Sam asks, terrified.

Six slaps her head, and I smile, pressing my back even straighter. I can't believe she did not get this. Is she really that stupid? "Invisibility.

A/N- Sorry I haven't updated in a while. And if this was reaaally boring. I've sort of been writing the ending. Well, Five's ending, not so much the rest of the characters. I'll admit it, I like writing Five's character and her storyline way more than any of the other characters. Especially the ending.

I want to get to the other parts of the story, like the Loric cave, and that will be next.