"Any chance one of you is just really hungry and that was your stomach?" Carolyn asked, backing up from the door.

"Here," the old woman started, grabbing a large, maroon book and flipping through its browning pages. She turned it to allow the twins to read the fading text scribbled onto the parchment. "I hope you two have some magic in you...because it'll be the only way you'll make it back to where you're staying alive."

The bookkeeper pointed a trembling finger to a specific passage that was outlined in metallic gold paint.

The twins shared a wide-eyed glance to one another before slowly reading the fading text.

"Per murospeculo," they said with slight uncertainty.

Aura huffed in frustration before nearly dropping the spell book when she couldn't see her or her sister's forearms. In fact, she couldn't see her sister at all.

"Trippy," Carolyn mumbled as she attempted to wave her hand in her face, yet only getting the slight breeze that came with it.

The spell was gone as quick as it came, the sisters becoming visible once again.

"Hey what gives?" Aura said as she read over the text below the spell.

The power of invisibility is as coveted as a pile of gold. An important aspect to note is one must not dwell on their invisibility in order for the spell to continue to be effective. Just as the caster begins to question or focus on whether they can or cannot be seen, their fear becomes their reality.

"Great..." the twins grumbled as another growl slightly shook the palace.

"Again?" Aura suggested. Carolyn nodded before taking a deep breath to calm her rattling heart.

They muttered the incantation once more and disappeared from view, this time somehow cloaking the book as well.

"Both of you hurry before even more beasts come out to play," the bookkeeper rushed as she hobbled to the library door once more. "And remember what the book says."

The twins whispered their thanks before slipping out into the wall-less corridor that shone a dim red from the sea glass lantern hung from the vaulted ceiling.

As quietly as they could manage, Aura and Carolyn navigated their way through the twisting hallways of the castle, holding their breath any time they heard even an inkling of movement besides their own.

They successfully made it out of the castle and had begun their trek through Atlantis's city center when a horrific obstacle crossed their path.

An eel-like creature with almost metal spikes protruding all down its back slithered across the weathered stone of the street, coiling in and out of itself. It could easily fill one of their high school classrooms with just half of its size and length. Sharp fangs that looked like they could easily rip the twins in half stuck out of the creature's mouth in every direction. A low, menacing growl escaped the creature as its blood red, glowing eyes surveyed its surroundings.

Carolyn moved her hand around until she eventually found her sister's. She gave it a small squeeze before tugging Aura forward and towards the edge of the road.

It can't see you, it can't see you repeated in Carolyn's head and she drew closer and closer to the monster.

The beast began sniffing the air until it looked directly where the twins stood.

Aura squeezed Carolyn's hand as tight as she could to stop herself from screaming as the beast slithered closer and closer to them.

The twins took minuscule steps away from the hideous creature, stepping as lightly as they could so that their boots wouldn't clobber onto the stone.

Aura's heartbeat accelerated when she could faintly make out the outline of her hand that was quickly becoming more and more opaque. She shut her eyes as she tried to block the onslaught of doubting thoughts that berated her mind.

The twins continued to move away from the monster as it slid its way down the street in the opposite direction.

They eventually found their way back to their hut with the spell finally wearing off as they entered the front room.

Bailey quickly met them at the door, wrapping them in the tightest hug of their lives. "Where the bloody hell were you?! We've been worried sick."

Aura and Carolyn held up the large spellbook before recounting their not-so-enjoyable walk through the city and visit to the library.

"Well, I'm glad that you made it back safely," Robin stated, taking a deep breath, his greens fixated on Carolyn.

"Oh please," was all that Carolyn uttered before retreating to her room for the night.

As Aura followed her sister into their room, she was taken aback by the beauty that sat outside their window. Although a thick pane of sea glass separated them from the outdoors, it could not block out the bright bioluminescence of the flora. The algae in the water made the waterfalls glowed a vivid teal as the moss that took refuge in the cracks of the rocks radiated vibrant shades of green and pink. Small lotus flowers floating on the pond surrounding the hut shone a multitude of colors, each of their petals glowing a different hue of the rainbow.

The twins spent the next few hours paging through the spellbook they had received, quietly practicing simple spells. They made their book float and created food out of thin air until they eventually grew tired. The four friends slept lightly that night, waking at each growl and snarl outside of their hut.

The four quickly got ready when the sun rose the next morning, bathing in their hut's tubs and changing into the fresh attire that had been provided for them by the warriors.

"One thing that Fabula could really use? Running water," Carolyn lamented as they walked to meet up with Thoda. It didn't take long to find him inside of the palace, the twins returning their grimoires along the way.

Thoda and his men greeted them with smiles, pleased to see the four friends had made it through the night unharmed. In his calloused hand, he held out a silk pouch that was tied closed with string.

Bailey smiled when she saw a deep azure-colored Atlantean crystal attached to a platinum chain sitting against the soft fabric.

The warriors led the quartet back across the bridge and through the tunnel until they reached the bottom of the whirlpool.

Thoda pounded his fist against his chest before bowing to the twins. "Thank you."

"'Thank you' for what? We only came here to grab the necklace," Carolyn said.

A small smile spread across Thoda's lips. "For giving us hope. It has been a long time since we've had it."

The twins gave the warriors small waves before sprinkling a pinch of pixie dust over their heads. They slowly rose through the whirlpool from which they had entered the lost city, their ears deafened by the surge of water around them. The four flew in between the walls of water shakily, scared that one false move might send the ocean crashing down on them. Aura and Carolyn breathed a sigh of relief when they were no longer confined, basking in the sunlight that had been separated from them for so long.

Aura smiled back at the sinkhole in the sea as they flew back towards Fabula's mainland. "Well, that was easy enough."

"You spoke too soon," Robin stated, pointing to Parthenia's distant coast. They could see the faint billows of smoke reaching out into the sea and could barely make out the shape of a small militia waiting on the shore.

As they drew closer, Bailey began to theorize, looking to her map for an exit strategy. After a few moments, she gave up, pushing her compass back into her satchel. "Robin, you need to fly back to Sherwood," the brunette decided before gesturing between herself and the twins. "We'll make a portal to Earth as soon as we reach the shore."

Robin's face twisted in disbelief; his jade-green eyes wide with confusion. "Bailey you'll never have enough time—that's a death wish. You have to let me help you at least."

"I'm sorry," she replied, pouring out a small pile of pixie dust onto her palm and tossing Robin her bag. "But you don't have a choice. If you stay to help us, you'll die." Before he could protest, she blew the golden powder onto him, and with the quiet murmur of a spell, Bailey blasted her friend back towards Sherwood Forest with the items they had gathered.

They had never seen the strong man so fearful as he was pushed away from them with a burst of magic. Carolyn swore she could see his eyes well up with distraught tears as his face faded from view.

Bailey tore her eyes away from Robin's figure as it flew farther northwest. "If we fly a little farther, we'll be able to land and make a portal back home," she explained, ready to pour out more pixie dust.

Carolyn's eyebrows furrowed as she studied the shore. "Screw that. I'm tired of running." She dove towards the beach, picking up speed as she flew closer to the danger awaiting her.

"Cora!" Aura shouted, flying after her. She could more clearly make out the people standing in the sand. The small fleet of soldiers was led by a familiar redhead. Her green eyes were a rich shade, like vines of ivy threatening to reach out and strangle its victims. Her auburn locks were flowing down her back in a stick-straight style, a perfect contrast to her alabaster complexion.

"She's from Orrinshire..." Aura murmured as Bailey caught up to her.

"Her name is Hunter—and trust me, she lives up to the name. She's Onyx's right-hand woman and is notorious for capturing the enemies of Her Grace," Bailey stated as they landed on the beach next to Carolyn.

Hunter approached the three girls first, sunshine reflecting off the two knives she held. The guards stood behind her, waiting for instruction.

"This worked out nicely." The redhead's raspy voice was even sharper than they had expected and sent a chill down the twins' spines. "Did you come to play?" She held up one knife, admiring its shimmer as the light bounced off of the metal.

Carolyn's hands were in fists as Hunter stepped closer. "Don't come any closer."

The woman froze in place, smiling brightly at her opponents. "You're making threats now?" she asked, her face growing cold once more. "Awfully foolish of you when I'm the one with an army."

Aura quickly shot her arms out in front of her as Hunter posed to swing her dagger. Pure white magic flowed from her palms, creating a barrier. Carolyn followed her sister's actions, strengthening the forcefield's power. She grimaced as a prickling pain began to bubble throughout her nerves.

"Bailey! The portal!" Aura shrieked as soldiers attempted to hack away at the translucent barrier with their swords.

With each soldier's blow, a stinging started to rise throughout the twins' bodies, causing them to shake.

The brunette reached into her pocket, pulling out the vial of violet fluid she had nabbed from her satchel before she had sent it back to Sherwood with Robin.

Hunter pushed the soldiers back, taking off the gloves on her hands and pressing her palms against the magic barricade. A black mist flowed from her fingertips, spreading across the surface of the forcefield like snakes slithering in all directions. The shield began to crack like glass under immense pressure.

Bailey poured out a couple drops of the purple potion as the dark smoke surrounded the barrier, blocking out the sun's rays and suffocating the light magic.

A fist flew through the weakened forcefield. Aura jumped back, momentarily stopping the magic from her palms.

Hunter used the opportunity to widen the hole sending a red blast in Carolyn's direction. She quickly ducked, narrowly missing the blast.

"Guys come on!" Bailey shouted to the twins who were struggling to hold up the shield.

Aura turned to run, but the hood of her cloak caught on something, or rather someone caught her. She thrashed as hard as she could but the person holding on had an iron grasp.

"AURA DUCK!" her sister yelled.

Aura ducked her head, feeling a momentary heat on the back of her neck before the grip on her cloak loosened and she was able to flee to the portal.

"You'll regret this!" they heard Hunter scream in a bitter agony as they jumped into the whirlpool of colors in the sand.

They were still panting as they fell back through the attic's golden mirror, landing on their stomachs. Another metal-clad figure emerged from the portal before it could close, his sword raised in the air.

A scream left Aura's mouth as the soldier swung at her, ready to take off her head in one swipe. The cold, silver metal was within an inch of Aura's ivory neck when the guard was sent back through the whirlpool in a blast of red magic.

The three girls snapped their heads around when the portal closed to see the Fairy Godmother standing a few feet behind them. Her arm was outstretched, her wand pointing to where the warrior had been standing just moments before.

Silvia stood in front of them fearlessly, her face stern.

Carolyn looked at her in disbelief as the women steadied their breathing. "Gran...that was totally badass."

Hello lovelies!
God damn that was close...twice! Carolyn was right, Silvia is a total badass, and the twins aren't too shabby themselves.

Thanks so much for reading!
Until next chapter,
♡ Melody & Rebekah ♡