<h4>Chapter 314: Chapter 314</h4>


    ~Diana~


    Mom left without saying goodbye.


    I woke up and she was just gone. Devon was still sleeping in the bed next to mine but I couldn’t go back to sleep because Mom was gone and everywhere felt so empty.


    Gamma Cora was sitting outside our door in a chair. I could hear her breathing. She was supposed to be watching us but she sounded like she was sleeping too. Adults were bad at staying awake.


    I got up really quiet. Tiptoed to Devon’s bed. Poked him in the arm.


    "Devon. Wake up right now."


    "Go away." He pulled his nket over his head.


    "Mom’s gone."


    That made him sit up fast. "What?"


    "I can feel it. She’s not in the manor anymore."


    "How do you know?"


    "I just know. I can always tell where Mom is. And she’s not here." I sat on his bed. "She probably left to go find the relics with L."


    "Dad too?"


    "Yeah. And Uncle Killian probably." I pulled my knees up to my chest. "They left us behind again."


    "They’re trying to keep us safe."


    "I know. But I don’t like it." My eyes felt hot. Not crying. Not yet. But close. "What if something bad happens and we’re not there to help?"


    "We’re seven. We can’t help with everything."


    "We helped before. We purified the shadow wolves. We made the wands. We can do stuff." I wiped my eyes before tears coulde out. "I hate being left behind."


    Devon was quiet for a minute. Then he voiced out, "You wanna follow them?"


    "We’d get in so much trouble."


    "Yeah. But we’d know they’re okay. We could watch from far away. Make sure nothing bad happens."


    "Gamma’s outside. She will stop us."


    "Gamma’s sleeping. I heard her snoring when you woke me up." Devon threw his nket off. "If we’re really quiet, we can sneak past."


    "Mom’s gonna be so mad."


    "Only if she finds out." Devon was already putting his shoes on. "Come on. Before I change my mind."


    I put my shoes on too. We grabbed our jackets from the hooks by the door. Devon put his purification whistle around his neck. I did the same.


    "Ready?" Devon whispered.


    "No. But let’s go anyway."


    We opened the door super slow. It creaked a tiny bit. We both froze.


    Gamma didn’t move. His head was tilted back against the wall. His mouth was open. Definitely sleeping.


    We tiptoed past him. Down the hall. Down the stairs. The manor was really quiet. Everyone was still sleeping probably.


    We made it to the front door. Devon tried the handle. Locked.


    "There’s a window in the kitchen that doesn’t lock right." I remembered seeing the maidsin about it. "This way."


    We went to the kitchen. Found the window. Devon climbed on the counter and pushed it open.


    "You first." He helped me climb up. "I’ll catch you on the other side."


    I squeezed through the window. Dropped down outside. Landed hard on my hands and knees. Ow.


    Devon came through right after. He was bigger so he had more trouble fitting. But he made it.


    "Now what?" He brushed dirt off his pants. "We can’t track Mom. She’s too far away."


    "Purple can." I looked around. "Where is he?"


    We found Purple sleeping in his dog house near the training grounds. He opened one eye when we got close. Wagged his tail but didn’t get up.


    "Purple, we need your help." I crouched down. "We gotta find Mom. Can you smell her?"


    Purple yawned. Showed all his teeth.


    "Please? It’s really important."


    Purple stood up. Stretched. Then put his nose to the ground and started sniffing.


    He walked in circles for a bit. Then stopped. Looked at the forest. Looked back at us.


    "He’s got the scent!" Devon grabbed my hand. "Come on!"


    We followed Purple into the forest. He walked fast. We had to run to keep up.


    I tripped over a root and scraped my knee but didn’t stop.


    "How far did they go?" I was breathing hard.


    "Pretty far I think." Devon was breathing hard too. "Purple keeps going so they must be way ahead."


    We walked for a really long time. My legs hurt. My stomach was making hungry noises. But we couldn’t stop because what if we lost the scent?


    Purple stopped suddenly. His ears went t. He made a low sound in his throat. Not quite a growl. More like a warning.


    "What’s wrong?" Devon whispered.


    Purple’s nose pointed at some bushes ahead. Something was on the other side. I could hear voices.


    "Get down!" Devon pulled me behind a big tree.


    We peeked around the side. There was a small clearing past the bushes. And in the clearing was L.


    She was talking to someone. A man. I’d never seen him before. He was wearing all ck and had a scar on his face that went from his eye to his chin.


    "Did you bring it?" The man’s voice was rough. Mean-sounding.


    "I brought proof I have it." L pulled out her pendant. The wolf one from her shirt. "But I’m not handing it over until I see her."


    "She’s alive. That’s all you need to know."


    "That’s not good enough. I need to see her with my own eyes. Need to know she’s okay."


    "She’s as okay as someone can be after eight years in ck Moon’s care." The manughed but it wasn’t a happyugh. "She doesn’t even remember you. We made sure of that."


    "You erased her memory?" L’s voice went really high. Really angry. "She was ten years old!"


    "She was a liability. Children with memories are hard to control. Children without memories do exactly what they’re told." The man crossed his arms. "Now stop wasting time. The relic for your sister. That’s the deal."


    "How do I know you’ll actually give her back?"


    "You don’t. But it’s the only chance you’ve got." The man held out his hand. "Tick tock, L. My patience is running out."


    "I need more time. Three days.."


    "Why would I wait that long?"


    "Because I’m not an idiot. " L put the pendant back under her shirt.


    "Or we just kill you and take the relic off your corpse."


    "Try it. I’ve survived worse than you." L’s hand moved to her belt where her knives were. "Three days. Then we trade. My sister for the relic. That’s the deal."


    The man stared at her for a long time. Then nodded. "Three days. But if you try anything clever, your sister dies. Slowly. Painfully. While you watch."


    "Understood."


    The man turned and walked away. Disappeared into the trees on the other side of the clearing.


    L stood there for a minute. Then punched a tree. Hard. Her knuckles came away bloody.


    "L’s working with ck Moon!" Devon whispered. "She’s gonna give them the relic!"


    "We gotta tell Mom and Dad!" I started to stand up but Devon pulled me back down.


    "Not yet. Wait till she’s gone. If she sees us, she might hand us over to them."


    Purple barked.


    Loud. Right next to us.


    L’s head snapped toward our hiding spot. "Who’s there?!"


    "Run!" Devon grabbed my hand.


    We ran. Purple ran with us. Behind us I could hear L crashing through the bushes.


    "STOP!" Her voice echoed through the trees. "Whoever you are, STOP RIGHT NOW!"


    We didn’t stop. We ran faster.


    My heart was pounding so hard it hurt. My legs were burning. A branch hit me in the face and made my eye water but I kept running.


    "This way!" Devon pulled me left. We jumped over a log. Ducked under some low branches.


    Purple was ahead of us now. Leading us somewhere. I hoped somewhere safe.


    Behind us, L was stilling. I could hear her getting closer.


    "We can’t outrun her!" I was crying now. Scared crying. "She’s too fast!"


    "Just keep going!"


    We ran and ran and ran until my lungs felt like they were on fire and my legs were shaking and I couldn’t run anymore.


    "Devon, I can’t keep going. I am almost out of breath." I tripped. Fell hard. My hands hit rocks and dirt.


    Devon tried to pull me up. "Come on! Get up!"


    "I can’t!" My ankle hurt really bad. "I think I twisted it!"


    Purple ran back to us. Stood between us and where L wasing from. His fur was standing up. His teeth were showing.


    L burst through the trees. Saw us. Stopped.


    "Diana? Devon?" She looked shocked. "What are you doing out here?!"


    "Stay away from us!" Devon stood in front of me. "We know what you’re doing! We heard you talking to that man!"


    "You heard what?!" L’s face went white. "How much did you hear?"


    "All of it! You’re gonna give ck Moon the relic! You’re working for them!" Devon’s voice was shaking but he didn’t move. "You’re a traitor!"


    "It’s not like that."


    "Then what’s it like?!" I yelled from the ground. "You said you’d trade the relic! You said you’d help us but you’re lying!"


    "I’m not lying! I am going to help you! But after that I have to save my sister!" L took a step forward. "You don’t understand."


    Purple lunged at her,  showing its teeth.