The Throne • Book Two

Chapter 22- The Disappearance

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.

Saber's POV

"She's gone." Angel's words run through my mind over and over and over like a broken record. I don't hear anything else except the torturous words rolling through my mind. I have lost Nia so many times, and fought to get her back. Why does fate keep taking her from me?

"Saber." A voice says softly in a sad voice, sounding so much like Nia it shakes me out of my daze. I realize that it was Ivy who spoke when I focus, and the hope building within me plummets.

"Angel, what do you mean she's gone?" I shakily ask, fighting back tears of frustration and despair.

"We went to her room and when we we entered, nobody was in there, and I felt the presence of Amaro in the room." I roar loudly

"I'm going to tear him limb from limb!" I declare, trying to barge past everyone to leave and start my hunt for Amaro. But, I am not successful. They all stop me from leaving, causing me to growl.

"Saber, you need to try and stay a bit calm in this situation, and think rationally. Storming around the castle looking for Amaro is going to do nothing but waste time, time that you could be spending looking for Nia." Inferno states. My eyes slightly widen in realization, and I smirk. Amaro won't even see me coming.

I'll be able to find Nia with the connection, and get her back easily and quickly. If Amaro hurts her, he's going to suffer for it.

Angel's POV

"I can't believe this has happened. Why would Amaro want to capture Nia?" Inferno questions as he paces in her office. We're in here trying to find any clues to answer that question, or maybe any type of hidden holding cells somewhere in the castle that we don't know about.

I can tell Nia is still in the castle, but her exact location is expertly hidden from me by Amaro.

"I don't know, Inferno. I wish I knew the inner workings of Amaro's mind, maybe then we could try to understand why he does the things he does. But, we don't have that option. We'll have to try to figure it out on our own." I sigh and state, briefly looking through all of the papers on and in Nia's desk. There's nothing in here. "If only we could get into Amaro's room or office."

"Well, maybe we can." Inferno tells me with an evil smirk "You can sense Amaro's Darkness, and we can see where it's strongest in the castle. That would probably be his hiding spot, where he might put papers for plans for anything we could use."

"That might work, hopefully it will. Maybe we'll even be able to find Nia this way." I suggest, getting in a better mood now that we have a plan.

"Maybe. Let's give it a shot." Inferno responds encouragingly, and we rush out of her office.

I search for Amaro's Darkness and find a big source of it coming from the hallway of the guest bedrooms where we are staying. My eyes widen in fear and I rush through the castle halls, Inferno following me and calling for me to stop, to explain to him what's going on.

"Angel, please! Tell me why we're running!" He calls to me, but I can't respond. I have to concentrate on the way through the castle, which isn't easy to do with my mind whirring like crazy. So many thoughts and theories and worries seem to be flooding my mind.

We are nearly to the location where I feel a strong surge of Amaro's Darkness, when suddenly a loud sob echoes through the air. It stops my running for a moment, the pain of loss striking me in the heart. Ivy.

Ivy's POV

"Maybe your parents can help find her, how about we ask them." Wolf suggests, lightly smiling at me. It doesn't meet his eyes.

"Sure, but I don't know how they could help." I shrug, wallowing in the sadness that's surrounding me and filling me.

"Cats have strong noses. They might be able to help in the scent search for Nia." Wolf states, trying to stay optimistic. I'll give him points for that, staying optimistic in a time like this is most definitely very difficult. I just feel like screaming and punching something, or curling up into a ball and sobbing. "Come on."

Wolf holds my hand and starts to gently pull me towards the hallway where Nia put all of our guest bedrooms, so we'd be together in case something happens. I don't protest and walk stoically alongside Wolf, staying silent the whole time. Comfortingly, he runs his finger up and down the back of my hand. It soothes my nerves and makes me feel calmer and in more control of my emotions, which definitely is a good thing right now.

When we get to the hallway, we walk down the hall to go to my parents' guest bedroom, and see a note taped onto the door. I read over it 3 times before it fully registers in my mind, and it causes me to break down. I can't deal with this anguish.

Our parents left us when we need them most.

The note was written by my father, announcing that they have to go back to Gato Reino, and regret not being able to stay here for longer or being able to say goodbye in person. I can't believe they'd do this, to Nia, to me. I start uncontrollably sobbing and Wolf brings me into his arms, letting me cry into his chest.

"What's wrong?" I hear Angel ask, her voice filled with worry. I stick the note out, silently telling her to take it. I feel it being plucked from my outstretched hand, and I immediately move my arm back to its position around Wolf's torso.

"There is a lot of Darkness coming from that room. It's strong as well. It's making my body feel all tingly." Inferno tells us. I look up to see him slightly twitch.

"That is definitely Amaro's Darkness." Angel confirms

"Well, where is it coming from?" I snap at them. I'm too volatile and emotional right now, but they understand and don't snap back or anything.

"In there." They say simultaneously, pointing to the door of my parents' room. My eyes widen and I slowly shake my head in denial. I detach myself from Wolf and burst into their room, crying out for my parents

"Mom, dad!" I gasp and put my hand over my mouth as soon as I step into the room. It's very dark, but you can still see what's in the room. Skeletal looking corpses, pale and skin only showing bone underneath.

"They were drained of their energy." Angel murmurs, standing beside me in shock. She moves forward to check for pulses, but stops right before the bodies. She bends down and takes something from off of my father's chest, and walks back over, handing it to me. I look down and see another note. From Amaro. It's the same handwriting as the one on the door, meaning he wrote that one as well.

I thought it was from my father because that's what it was signed, I have never seen his hand writing before. I read the note. It says

Dear Ivy,
So glad you found my presents. But don't worry, your dearest twin sister isn't going to end up like this. In your eyes, the way she ends up will probably be worse! It's all a matter of opinion, I think she'll be improved greatly once I am done working on her. Maybe it'll be you next, who I'm working on to make better.
Until then, Amaro

I stare at the horrid note in my hands, and my hands start to shake, causing me to drop the note onto the floor. I scream and drop to the floor on my knees, putting my head in my hands.

What is he going to do to Nia?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Note:
Hey kittens. This chapter was hard to write, my gosh. I briefly cried 3 times when trying to write this. I also want to apologize for if it has brought up any sad memories or feelings, it wasn't my intention. Also, sad to say but this was planned, and in my opinion, needed to be done. Amaro needs to be seen as extremely evil and insane, and Ivy needs to become the queen of Gato Reino.

Question:
What do you think is going to happen next?

I know briefly how the story line is from this point up until the finish, basically just missing the fine details of the story, but I am curious for what you guys would like to see happen or think is going to happen, since those things might not be the same event.

~Cat Queen