My stomach woke me later. The pole was gone. I was tied to a chair this time, and a lantern hung on a bracket in front of me.

I had no idea how long I'd been out, but I'd dozed off sometime after Zäna left. When I called out for Alana this time, there was no answer.

There was a set of footsteps behind me. Finn walked into the light carrying a small girl who couldn't be older than four years old. She had olive skin and brown eyes, but her lavender hair was twisted into space buns.

"Joan, this is what happens to bad daughters," Finn said. "Theresa has been naughty, and Mommy wants to punish her."

"Where's Mommy?" The little girl asked.

Finn's smile was wolfish. "She's coming, and Daddy has sweet bread for you. Let's leave your sister to her fun here."

Finn walked away, and the little girl Joan waved goodbye. Apparently, when everyone talked about my mother and Finn, they failed to mention they had a child together. I had a little sister.

That news sunk in me like a stone. Ellenora had another daughter. I wasn't the only daughter of the crazy princess. It was strange and heavy but not unwelcome. Just odd.

My family was pretty big and tight-knit. Dad and Elise had worked hard to integrate and blend our family. Sure, they realized that Jilly had a second family with her dad, and I didn't have two parents, but they never treated the four of us with any degree of difference. Elise and Dad even had an amicable relationship with Jilly's father, Matty.

My best friends were my stepsister and my cousin. Since most of my family members worked for my uncle's company, Oakmore, we saw a lot of my Aunt Suzie and her partner, Aunt Bex, flying in and out. Then, we all spent a lot of time on the ranch together.

Having another sister wasn't a big deal. My mother, on the other hand, was a problem. There was no way that Finn and Ellenora should be raising a child.

I was curious if Victor knew he had another niece. After all, Ellenora hadn't been in court in a long time. The little girl was another threat to the throne and a bigger threat than I was since she was a full-blooded giant.

If Tytan knew about his eldest daughter's second child, likely the only reason Joan was alive was she was a girl. There had to be a way to get her away from them.

I knew what Finn was trying to do. By parading about my sister, he was trying to get under my skin. I couldn't let him get to me.

The zip ties securing me to the chair were tight. I wasn't getting out of here easily. I had to hope maybe Alana was having better luck or we could send some kind of signal to the rest of the halfants.

I shook against my binds when the next set of footsteps approached. Ellenora Nikone was alone. But this time, she was dressed in golden battle armor and carried a thick staff.

"Hello, Theresa," she purred. "Now I have a very simple question for you."

She swung the club in her hand and leaned in close to set her hand on my cheek. I winced as she drew her nail down the skin.

"Tell me," her breath was hot. "Where is your brother?"

The question caught me off guard. Why did she need to know that? Nath and Geoff were Elise's kids.

"With my dad," I said. "What's it to you?"

Ellenora frowned and bopped me on the nose. "No, no, no. Not Chuck's brats. Where is your brother, Theresa?"

My eyes went wide. My head was still trying to adjust to the idea that my mother and Finn Hassan'son had a child together. Now, I was sitting before my mother, and she was demanding to know about my brother?

A brother that definitely didn't exist.

I thought back to what Dylan had said about Ellenora swearing I was a boy and, when that was disproved, trying to sell the idea that I was a twin.

They'd both openly scoffed at the idea. According to everyone, I was the only baby of Ellenora Nikone and Chuck Oakeley. That was the official story.

Ellenora stared at me expectantly. "I'll kill your stupid little guard if you don't tell me."

"I don't have a brother," I said. "Aunt Doc delivered one baby."

"Lies!" Ellenora pushed me, and I fell backward, attached to my chair, and hit the floor with a clatter. "Is it a crime to want to have my children?"

I looked up at her. She swung her club against the tunnel wall with a thud. There was a mad gleam in her eye.

I didn't know who she was trying to fool. Perhaps she'd told the same lies for so long she was believing her own tales. This, though, seemed like real rage and not an act like earlier.

"I! WANT! MY! SON!" She hit the wall with her club to accentuate each word.

"I'm sorry," I said silently, praying she wouldn't start swinging that club at me. "I don't know anything."

That apparently was the wrong thing to say. She dropped the club to the ground with a clatter and pulled my chair upright again to stick her head in my face.

My breath quivered as she hovered above me. Her face went saccharine, and she gave me a charming smile.

"But baby, I'm your mother," her voice was sugar-sweet. "And I'm doing what's best for our family. You'll help me, won't you?"

"I would if I could," I said. "I promise there's no secret brother. I'm an only child, princess. I don't know anything about a brother or a twin."

Her face turned red and contorted in sorrow. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she set my chair back on its legs.

Her lip started to quiver as she backed away. "H-He couldn't have killed his grandson. H-He wouldn't have. I just want my baby. Please. Please, Terri. Please."

It was the first time she'd called me by my nickname. Of all of Ellenora's personas, this one tugged at my heartstrings. After all, Tytan had stolen his daughter's baby and given it away.

Maybe once she'd had good intentions. Perhaps once, none of this had been an act. She'd lost a child, and it had driven her over the edge.

Then she threw back her head and screamed. "WHERE IS MY HEIR?"

Tears streaked her face. At that moment, I knew nothing was real. Ellenora was not a mother. She just wanted another piece to put on her gambit board in her speed race with her dad for the throne. I was nothing to her in the end but a piece in her puzzle tied to a chair.

Running footsteps approached our position. There were shouts and what sounded like a scuffle in the distance.

Finn appeared carrying Joan, followed by Lysander and Zäna. They were all armed, and Finn grabbed Ellenora by the arm.

"We've gotta go, my love," Finn said.

"She won't tell the truth," Ellenora buried her wet face in Finn's shoulder. "She won't tell the truth."

"Hush," Finn passed Joan to Lysander and patted her head. "Zäna, get us out of here."

The ruby-haired giant woman nodded and took Finn and Ellenora by the arm. Then she sped off like the Flash, carrying them with her.

I gaped. No wonder Ellenora had never been captured. Zäna had a magic gift of speed somehow. I hadn't gotten a good enough look at her eyes in the darkness.

She was barely gone for a minute before she appeared again and grabbed Lysander and Joan.

"See you around, kid," Zäna smirked before they all disappeared the same way she'd taken the princess and her lover.

I heard voices getting closer. There were shouts along the tunnel. My heart raced, and I hoped there weren't more angry giants coming my way.

Then, a familiar face appeared in my line of vision. His dark hair was swept up, and he wore a dark helmet.

"Moreno," I said.

He smiled and looked over my bonds. Immediately, he pulled his knife and started carefully cutting at the zip ties.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Mostly," I rubbed my freed wrists. "Starving and dehydrated. How long were we down here?"

"Almost two days," Moreno said. "There were a lot of tunnels to comb through."

He helped me to my feet and brushed my hair out of my face. I leaned against him, and he passed me a water packet from his belt.

I drank slowly, but I made sure to drain the packet. He looked over the room and assessed there was nothing but the chair in the tunnel.

"Did you find Alana?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Kaleb is nursing her. Doc called in a joint team to retrieve you. A giant we trusted, Redwood's best doctor, Milo, and me."

"You brought Milo?" I asked.

"He made his way to Half Circle to report your kidnapping," Moreno said. "Then he led the team down here using the signs. Kid might be a pain, but he does care about his sister."

Alana had been so sure her brother would be no use. I'd thought we'd have to escape to get help. It was Milo who surprised us.

Moreno let me lean against him for support as we walked down the tunnel. I coughed as we passed through a haze of smoke. Moreno tied a cloth from his waistpack around my mouth.

Alana was lying on the ground further down the tunnel. A guy with a floppy dark hair cut and light brown skin leaned over her.

"She'll be fine," he said as Moreno approached. "She's just beaten up. The giants have scattered."

"That's good," Milo leaned against a wall with his green cap and a bandana over his mouth. "I'd hate to need another legal guardian."

Behind him stood a giant. He had dark blue hair streaked with white and a tan that looked natural. He was dressed in halfant armor, but he was clearly too big to be only half-giant.

"You found her," the giant was soft spoken. "Excellent work, young Moreno."

"Thanks," Moreno said. "Terri, this is Daleron Sims-Abram'son. He was your late great aunt Alastra's husband."

"A pleasure," Daleron dipped his head. "I have some experience with these tunnels and those who use them. I brought young Kaleb here to help."

The guy looking over Alana, Kaleb, wasn't any older than I was. He had four studs running through his eyebrow and another in his chin. Despite his darker skin, his eyes were a startling lime green.

"Kaleb, can we move her?" Moreno asked.

"Of course, we can move her," Kaleb said. "But they shot her up with our blue bullets. She won't have full body mobility for at least a few more hours."

"I'll carry her," Daleron said.

Moreno nodded and helped the giant scoop his best friend into his arms. It was only a few turns, and Milo led us straight up a ladder to the surface.

Hey Friends!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This won't be the last we see of Ellenora and her friends. What do you think is going to happen to Terri now? Until next time!!