Part 28

Chapter 27

I jumped up from my seat to hug him but Izzy immediately began to cry so I smiled apologetically as I swayed her from side to side and my little pinkie in her mouth which seemed to pacify her. I then slowly walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "How have you been Riles?"

"You know same old" He raised his arm to hug me but winced. Izzy must have extra sense or something because she held out her hand to Riley. I looked at Nate who was smiling. I wonder if he can read anyone else's mind apart from mine cos I hate being the only radio station he can get.

"Not really same old, I heard you got injured and I think she wants you to hold her." I said looking down at Izzy who was getting frustrated that she couldn't get closer to Riley.

"Umm OK. But don't go far I don't know how long I'll be able to hold her." I gently placed her in his arms and Izzy being the little miracle baby that she is placed her marked palm on his cheek. I felt the tingle of magic in the air around me and smiled.

"How's your arm feeling Riles?" I asked with a knowing smile. He looked up at me his brows furrowed.

"It feels...that's weird it feels perfectly fine." He said cautiously rolling his shoulder.

"Good girl Izzy." I said with a smile and everyone but Blake, Holly and Nate looked at me like I was insane.

"Hmm I guess I better get on to the explaining." I gestured for Riley to sit and I went into the centre of the room. "You know that TV program Escape From Antoria?" I waited for them to all nod. "Well it's real, all of it, the magic, the place even the King was real. There's a new king now, well there will be in a few days when Nate is crowned." I said looking at Nate with adoring eyes.

"Sweetie I think we need to get you checked out by a doctor." My mum said as she raised her arms in an attempt to keep me calm.

"Mum I'm not lying."I closed my eyes and placed my palms together. I then thought of fire and immediately felt the heat that although hot didn't harm my skin. I opened my palm at the same time I opened my eyes to show everyone in the room the fire I held within. "Nate your turn." I said and I watched as he used his hand and contorted the fire pulling it away from my palms so that it contorted into different shapes in the air. I then thought of water to cool the flames and the fire hissed before the flames disappeared. I'll never get used to that but it was a pretty awesome party trick.

I looked back at my family who were looking at me wide eyed, even Maddox. Way to introduce myself.

"Nate, Holly, Izzy, Blake and I are all part of an ancient magical line of mystics. We all have different abilities like our Holly here can control the weather." I looked at my parents to check that they were following my words. They nodded looking a bit dazed. "We were all marked with in some way to signify our gift so to speak. For each of us it's different except Nate and Holly who have the same as me, well only the originals are the same." I walked over to Nate. "Nate and I have different markings because we're soul mates so to speak and the markings are the physical sign of that." I reached up and traced his face and watched as it glowed the brilliant red and he simultaneously traced the pattern on my skin so that my face glowed. As soon as he dropped his hand I felt the tingles slowly recede as I faced my parents once more. They were both wide eyed.

"Ok so whose baby is that?" My dad asked looking at Izzy curiously. "You haven't been gone long enough to have a baby."

"I don't know how to explain it but I can tell you I gave birth to her and it hurt like hell." I cringed just thinking about the pain. "Seriously they should warn you about that in a manual or something. Blake you know about all this stuff better you're like the prophet or whatever so you know."

Blake smiled. "I am the reincarnation of the ancient oracle. And to begin the pregnancy took about 3-4 days through Immaculate Conception, think Virgin Mary. Izzy was a gift from our deity Rosmardin who knew that Izzy would be essential in the battle and the future of the kingdom and Rosmardin was right. Izzy is the one that cured Holly and she was the one that brought back Nate and Ari from the eternal darkness that had they stayed there for a few hours longer would have been trapped there forever, well maybe not forever but until their bodies died." I gulped that was a piece of information I wish he hadn't shared.

"Now more closely to home. You your daughters and Maddox are part of an ancient Antorian bloodline that disappeared about 500 years ago. This was because the oracle warned them that their bloodline would be threatened by a great evil. Which if they had remained in Antoria Ari would no longer exist as she would have been killed in the purge by my Nate's deceased father. You are the La Chantrell's and are a noble family. Your family estates are still in working order. Ari of course along with Izzy will be living in the palace with Nate when we return as she'll be Queen. Hmm don't think there's anything else apart from the fact that we would like you all to come to Antoria with us, where you belong. The invitation is also extended to you Riley because I suspect..." Blake got up off of the floor and pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a marking on his chest. "...you are one of the ancients." Ok. Too many people, too much magic!

"Whoa. He's one of us. This is just insane. " I said as I looked closely at his mark. "Nate pass me the bag."

Nate chucked the bag at his feet at me and I caught it and began rummaging. I found the little book at the bottom of the bag. "The old man, still can't remember his name but he gave me the book on the ancients. Let me see your mark again." Blake pulled down Riley's collar.

I flicked through the book at speed until the correct page. I looked at it then frowned. "Maya? Have you by chance got a mark?" I said as I scanned the page. I wasn't definite but I just sensed that the page was talking about her.

"Umm do you mean this?" She swept her hair up and there emblazoned on her neck was the symbol that matched the book. Interesting. I nodded.

"Congratulations you two, think of your selves as Ying and Yang, you are opposites but how do I put this Riles, she completes you!" I said with a smirk. "I showed them both the page that had the symbol on the page. They started off separate but became joined at the end fitting together perfectly. "You both will have some kind of ability but the true extent of it will only come to pass if you two become joined as soul mates like Nate and I did."

"Right now that's out of the way and everything has been explained I'm gonna go pack because we've got a coronation to get to and we have to have a public wedding even though technically Nate and I are married." I rolled my eyes as I took Izzy from Nate's arms and pushed past the stunned people in the room and up the stairs to my room. Something makes me think this is going to be a long day.

I spent about half an hour packing before Riley came up and joined me. "Hey Ari."

I spun round and gave him a huge smile. "Hey Riles." I gave him a huge hug. "Sorry if we overwhelmed you with information but we're in a bit of a rush, a lot has happened in the last few weeks. I mean I look like someone has been doodling on me."I chuckled as I finished the sentence.

"So how far do the doodles go? It's just on your face and hands right?" He asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"Umm no they're every where. Nate and I kind of match, it started off with just one on the shoulder remember I told you that I woke up after 18th with a tattoo well that was my mark and then when Nate and I kissed, well this really strange thing happened and then when we broke apart we had stuff on our faces. Then we got injured and some weird stuff happened and now we are married in the eyes of Rosmardin but we have to have a big flashy ceremony for the people of Antoria which will make mum happy as I'll have to wear a dress." I grimaced at the thought. "The only that sucks is there isn't any TV in Antoria or electricity. It's run on magic not that the people notice. SO are you gonna come to Antoria? You just see what it's like and if you hate it I'm sure Blake will give you a way back."

"I'll come. Just so I can see you in a dress. I can't believe I got away for a few months and you go all mushy with the soul mate thing. Where's the girl that used to kick my butt when we played kiss chase in Primary school?" He said nudging me.

"Oh I'm still here but now I don't have to use fists to kick your butt." I said with a chuckle giving his a playful smirk. Izzy chose that moment to make some noises. "Hey little angel, you decided to wake up finally?" I picked her up and cradled her to my chest. I looked down at her little chubby cheeks and couldn't help but think how cute she is. "Come on let's get you a bottle shall we?" I looked up at Riley who was watching me intently.

"She really is yours?" He asked.

"Yup and do you know what sucks I didn't even get to do the fun part in making her I just had to do the painful job, seriously I'm not having any kids for a few years to come, I've already got an instant family cos now that Nate, Holly and I totally got his dad sucked into the demon realm well let's just say those kids down there are now our responsibility. I am so glad most of them are old enough to take care of themselves." I looked from the baby in my arms to the bag on the bed with all of my favourite things.

"umm do you think you could carry that bag down?" I asked batting my lashes at him.

"Yeah no problem. Just to warn you Ari that Blake dude is getting all antsy, seriously who got his knickers in a twist?" Riley said as he grabbed the bag which I knew was really heavy, as if it was merely a bag of sugar.

I waited for Riley to open the bedroom door and walk out before I followed. I took one last look before I shut the door on my old life. Although it has been my home for 18 years the house just doesn't fell like home anymore and a bit cramped, I think the palace and sleeping outdoors for a couple of weeks will do that to you. I walked into the living room to see everyone gathered around the TV watching none other than Escape From Antoria. There in the middle of the screen was Nate and I just before our first kiss because we didn't have the facial markings and I had just finished reading the book for the first time.

Oh here it comes, it was weird I was watching it on the screen at the same time I watching the moment over again in my head. I watched as I stumbled into his arms, Nate asking if I was OK; the two of us looking intently into each other's eyes before I grabbed his chin and I slammed his lips on to mine. All of the girls in the room went aww. I rolled my eyes but watched in fascination as Nate and I began to get a strange glow the instant our lips touched and then the fire that burst from my skin to encompass the two of us crating gasps from everyone in the room. I watched as the markings slowly etched themselves on to our skin simultaneously, to say it was incredible would be an understatement. I turned looked at the Antorians but their faces were glued to the screen as they watched in awe and confusion. Maybe we can get a TV in Antoria if I beg Blake enough.

The titles on the show began when Nate and I on screen pulled apart in a bit of a daze and began tracing the markings. "Do you know we have a preview of tomorrows season finale." Holly said as she flicked through all of the things stored in Sky plus. "Here we go." She pressed play and I watched in awe. It was the final battle. You could see the concentration on all of our faces and then there was the screams of protest as he got sucked into the ground, the lightning and then finally the aftershock when Nate and I slammed into the wall but as Holly went hurtling towards the wall Blake jumped in the way and caught her getting knocked onto his butt.

I looked at Blake with nothing but gratitude. "Thank you for keeping her safe." He just nodded and snatched the remote off of Holly and turned the TV off.

"Right as much as I like to watch TV I think we should get going we still have to do the cleansing to capture all that escaped. So come on kiddies you need to decide if you're coming or going." Blake said getting up.

My mum and dad got up. "We're coming there's no way we're missing this. Not like we're leaving anything behind." My mum said holding my dad's hand.

I looked at Maddox who was frozen on the couch. "What about you? Do you want to come? I'd really like the chance to get to know you."

"Yeah I'm soo coming." He whispered and when I caught his eye I saw the excitement in them.

"Ok looks like a family outing." Holly said with a smirk.

"Maddox take the car seat out we'll need the extra space so I'll just on to Izzy. The rest of you pack a bag with anything you want to take with you." I bossed.

Not even 20 minutes later we were all piled back into the cars and we drove back to the beach front. As we passed my old school I couldn't help but think that Bay House was just a whole other world to me now which is surprisingly accurate.

We once again trailed along the path back to devils drop. The mud had been recently turned over indicating some kids had been there recently but Blake didn't think anything of it. Instead he drew on the ground with a stick and chanted causing then lines he was drawing to glow bright blue before the portal re opened in front of him. Every one walked through the portal in groups. My parents looked at me anxiously before stepping through. Nate and I were the last to walk through but just at the last moment I saw a kid staring at us disappearing through the portal with wide eyes. I don't think he's ever going to forget seeing that. I chuckled as I once again felt the tugging and the soft hum at my ears.

© Katherine Pocock 2010