Once Upon an Eclipse

~29~

Tara gasped as she jackknifed. This time, instead of being in warm sunlight, she was met with dimly lit torches flickering on the walls. She looked around, saw she was in some kind of cell. She'd been sitting on a stone floor with stone walls caving her in. She scrambled to her feet and gazed around. There was one lone door and she hastily pushed it open, where it led to a long winding hallway.

Tara immediately set down the hallway, intent on finding Trevor, Savannah, Lupe and her family. She prayed her message from the dream reached Belle, that Belle and Jonathan would come and help out. They needed all the backup they could get.

She heard a noise up ahead and she stilled, straining her eyes and ears to detect what that noise was. The torches didn't provide enough light and ever since she had cast that first spell on Adam to make him forget her eyesight hadn't been the best.

She relaxed just a fraction when she heard Lupe's voice, though she still hesitated. It could be a trick.

Lupe appeared down the hallway, her hair, clothes and skin caked in dirt and blood. Her eyes widened with relief when she saw Tara and she rushed over. Tara relaxed a little bit more but she frowned. Other than the dirt and blood on her, something was off about her appearance.

"Tara thank God!" Lupe cried and threw her arms around Tara.

Tara tentatively hugged back. She tensed as she felt the warning bells go off in her head. Something was definitely not right. While she didn't know Lupe all too well, they still had a friendship and she could tell something was off.

Tara gently grabbed Lupe's shoulders and set her back so she could look into her face.

"Are you okay?"

"No, they almost beat me to death. You need to help me, Tara, I--"

"Tara!"

Tara released Lupe's shoulders and spun around to see Aria Blake and. . . Lupe running down the hallway towards them, other shapeshifters and were creatures right behind them.

Tara turned back to the imposter Lupe and snarled. "You're a trick!"

The fake Lupe's face suddenly melted like wax near a flame, leaving bones and melted flesh behind, similar to what happened to the imposter Savannah just mere days before. Still, it didn't lessen the horror as she watched the imposter's whole body melt before her.

"Holy shit!" she heard one of the shapeshifters yell out.

Holy shit was right.

Lupe rushed to her side. Tara read her aura and knew this was the real Lupe.

"Another one of Caius's tricks," Lupe sat, staring down at the puddle of flesh and bones.

"Another?"

"He already tricked me. We have to be careful. I have no idea what he's planning, all that I know is he's going to mess with us mentally, going to try to make us menatlly snap, but we can't do that. We have to keep a clear, calm head."

"Have you seen Trevor, Savannah or any of my family?"

"No, but we'll find them."

"I sent a dreamscape to Belle when I was unconscious. I told her and Jonathan to come here and help."

"Good. We need all the back up we can get."