Time's Tragedies- The Books Of Beginning [2]

26. Robert's Monsters

"Mom! Aunt Emma's calling!"

It was three days after Lili and Eternity's impromptu trip to Cambridge Falls. Lili and her best friend had been in the kitchen, putting away the dishes together when the phone had rang. As soon as Lili saw who it was she ran for her mother. Kate always wanted to be the one to talk to Emma first in case she had any news to deliver.

Kate took the phone from Lili and brought it up to her ear with a whispered, "thank you" to her eldest.

"Emma?" Kate asked, "what's up?"

"I need your help," Emma said urgently, "I got a tip that Robert was hiding in one of the Dire Magnus's old strongholds, a supposedly long abandoned and crumbling one in Albania."

"Of course," Kate muttered, "he wants to be powerful, threatening. The new Dire Magnus, in a way. Except he's not the Dire Magnus."

"Right. Well I went to investigate, and he's here, Kate, with all sorts of magical wards set up. He's found a stronger source of magical power than we ever expected. And he's got monsters, so many monsters. All the followers of the Dire Magnus who disappeared after the war - they're supporting him," Emma explained in a panic.

Kate bit her lip to keep from swearing, "that's worse then we thought. Ok, where are you now?"

"In a holding cell, cut off from my magic."

"WHAT?"

"They're fetching Robert right now. I need you to come get me out with your magic, since I can't use my own. I'm just lucky these idiots don't know anything about technology and I still have my phone," Emma said in a rush.

Kate's heart was beating. All of a sudden things were happening and happening very fast, "ok, where's Gabriel? He was with you, right?"

"Coming right now to give you directions," Emma replied, "he told me not to come without more information, but I didn't listen- and my recklessness got me in trouble again and- please hurry, Kate."

"Hold on for a minute. I'm coming," Kate promised. Then she hung up the phone and ran for Rafe. This was impromptu and dangerous but she couldn't let her sister fall into Robert's clutches. Too many bad things could happen if Emma became a prisoner. She could be tortured, executed, or used as a hostage. It was a variable they weren't prepared for, one they couldn't afford.

What Kate didn't know, even as she and her husband created the portal needed to follow a ghost and save Emma, was that four sets of little ears had been eavesdropping, curious about what had been causing Kate so much panic. Two sets of hazel eyes, one set of brown, and one pair of emerald were filled with concern and shock.

This was it. This was the moment when the illusion of normal life faded and everything came crashing down. Danger had caught up with the Wibberlys at last.

"What if Robert arrives while they're breaking Emma out? I get that speed is their goal, but it's three people and a ghost against an army," Jake exclaimed.

Abby nodded, biting her lip. She had hoped a day of crisis would never come. But that kind of thinking wasn't feasible, not with Robert Lloyd out to get them all.

"They'll be ok," Lili said, doing her duty as the eldest sibling, "they're professionals by now."

"But what if they need help? I'm gonna go poke my head through the portal and keep watch, just in case," Jake decided.

Fear ignited like candle fire in Lili's heart. Her brother was incredibly clever for his age and very courageous too. He never thought twice about being brave, especially when his family needed him. But he had a weakness like everyone else. His was pride. He was overconfident in his abilities, forgetting how young and inexperienced he really was.