I went back home and started to walk up the driveway.

Something wasn't right.

The door was wide open, the windows were smashed.

I gingerly stepped inside, listening for the attackers. I couldn't hear anything.

The house was a wreckage. Everything either tipped over or broken.

My thoughts flickered to Sally and John, my adoptive parents.

And I sprinted upstairs to my bedroom. It was worse than the rest of the house.

"No. No. No." I said to myself, stepping over the wreckage to my dresser. It was smashed.

The only picture of all 4 of us.

Smashed to smithereens. I carefully opened the frame. Hoping that the actual picture was okay. It was!

I took it out, folded it carefully and put it inside my locket.

The only jewellery I would ever wear. It was in the shape of a dark silver, rotting heart. It has a blade going through it, which is actually sharp. Useful.

In the middle of the heart, there is a keyhole. The only key is kept in a hidden compartment in my left shoe. I had one installed in every pair of shoes I owned.

Other than the picture I just put in it, the other items in there are a little scrap of metal from the crash that killed my adoptive parents and a small piece of gold from the cave in the side of the river in the forest.

I heard a car pull up outside. I peeked out of my smashed window, it wasn't a vehicle I recognized.

Crap. Whoever trashed my house must be back. Maybe for me. I looked around my room and spotted my old wardrobe.

I scrambled across my room and hid inside.

I heard a male was curse and say

"She's here. We have to go now. I'll find her, you keep watch outside"

I recognised that voice but I was too confused to identify it.

I heard the person run up the stairs and check all the rooms. When he came into my room I swear my heart skipped a beat. I could hear the blood flowing in my head.

When the footsteps were outside the wardrobe I held my breath. He stood there, probably surveying the room, then walked out.

As soon as I thought he had left the room I heavily exhaled, partly from relief and partly from lack of oxygen.

Shit! He heard me! I heard him quickly return and stop outside the wardrobe, I shut my eyes. A futile attempt to stop this from happening.

The door creaked open and I heard a sigh of relief.

"Hey princess, did you miss me?"

I opened my eyes and found my best friend looking at me.

Thank god!

"Dylan! I thought you were the one who broke in!"

"No. But whoever it was, they didn't find what they were looking for."

I must have looked confused because he said he'd tell me later.

I crawled out of the wardrobe and followed Dylan out of the house.

"Wait. That's not your car.."

Dylan had a beat up old land rover. Not a freaking Porsche!

"No. It's Ash's" He chuckled.

I could see him now, behind the wheel. His silver hair easily spotted through the darkened top of the windscreen.

"Damn!" I exclaimed.

Wait.. This wasn't right. Dylan and Ash were meant to leave with that girl today..

"Why are you here?" I asked Dylan

"What?"

"You and Ash. Aren't you meant to be leaving with the girl today?"

Realisation dawned on his face.

"Emba you idiot. You are that girl!"

"No." I backed away putting my hands up,

"I can't leave. My brother. He's coming back tonight."

"He thinks we're going on a road trip"

"No. I'm not coming with you. I have to stay here!"

"Why? So you can get bullied by Jade everyday? There's nothing for you here!"

I look round him at Ash. He's staring at me.

"I can't just pick up and leave with you Dylan. What about-"

He cut me off

"What about what Emba. Give me one good reason why you should stay here."

...

I have nothing

...

"I... I... I can't."

He scoffed.

"Emba. You are coming with us. That is final."

"No I'm not. Your turn. Give me 1 good reason why I should come with you.?"

He smiled slightly.

"Okay. One: You're the lost princess of our world. Two: Whoever trashed your house are coming back for you. Three: Ash and I are all you've got left."

He's wrong.

"No. That last one. It's wrong. My brother is coming back tonight."

I saw his expression soften. What has he not told me?

"Emba, your brother isn't coming back.."

I felt my stomach drop.

"What do you mean Dylan."

"He met a girl on his business trip. They fell for each other and he's staying there with her."

"How long Dylan."

He hesitated before saying

"For the length of our road trip...?"

"And how long is that going to be?"

I felt anger rising up in me.

"6 months...?"

I lost it at that.

"YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT WE'RE GOING AWAY FOR 6 MONTHS?!"

"...Yes..."

I felt something in me snap. All the anger from the past couple of days caught up to me.

I attacked him.

All my martial art training, from when I was 5 up until now. 10 years. All concentrated on my best friend.

He tried to block but nothing worked.

Some part of me flinched at every blow I landed on him. But I was in a state that some call the Killing Calm. Nothing affected me. I heard Ash rush to get out of the car.

"Emba stop!"

Something about his voice pulled me out of this state, right before I was about to tornado kicked Dylan's head in.

When Ash saw me freeze he ran in front to check if Dylan was okay.

He was on the floor, probably concussed. He would have one hell of a bruising tomorrow.

I took a few steps back suddenly repulsed by myself.

"I.. I can't... I'm sorry.."

I turned to leave, but Ash quickly came to stand in front of me. I was suddenly tired. I could tell it was Ash's fae magic but I let it take me. Last thing I remember was Ash catching me before I hit the floor.