Gray POV

"We're ready for this, right?" Egrick questioned me.

I nodded as I took a deep breath, readying myself. I stared at the door in front of me. On the other side lead to another room, but I would use this door to open a gate to my father's castle.

Even though I had opened gates for years, the concept that I could open them at will and go anywhere was still a mind blowing to me. It was also frustrating that this was something that Else must have known but hid from me.

The plan I made was haphazard at best. Honestly, this whole thing felt rushed, but Egrick insisted that this was the best time to strike. Even though I voiced concern, he pushed for an attack.

With the team of his best standing behind me, he promised that this would be a simple mission. We just needed to slip in, find my father, and kill him before any of his guards came. As simple as it sounded, I knew it wouldn't be that easy. I went into the castle; I knew my father. There would be traps for us.

The team behind me cheered, ready to get the mission going. They buzzed with excitement that I didn't have. They didn't know how my father was. If they did, they wouldn't be like this. I wasn't sure what Egrick told them, but it set them alive. Whatever Egrick told them were lies.

The uneasiness made me sick to my stomach as I moved my hands in a circular motion, then snapped my fingers. The door in front of me lit up and hummed, signaling that my gate worked.

"Let's get this wrapped up!" someone shouted behind me. "This should be quick."

I nodded as I opened the door. It was time to get things started. But I wasn't sure I wanted to.

On the other side of the door stood marble floors with purple flags hanging from the ceiling. I wasn't exactly sure where this was in the castle, but before I had time to evaluate it, Egrick walked in with his best following on his heals.

I wanted to protest, but I followed them into the castle, shutting the gate behind me.

Egrick made eye contact with me, then pointed down the hall in silence.

I nodded as the team ran down the hall, leaving Egrick and I alone. This was a part of the plan that Egrick threw in. He insisted it would be best to split off, but as we were left alone, I questioned if that was the smartest move.

We had the upper hand, the element of surprise. Maybe it was best to stay together.

"Let's get searching. This way," Egrick said as he started walking the opposite direction. "The throne room should be this way."

His comment made me stop in mid walk. Egrick wanted me to plan because I was the only one that went into the castle. So how would he know about the throne room? "How do you know where it is?"

Egrick frowned as he turned to me. "Read up on some specks before you came with a plan."

"Ah..." I hummed as I heard a roar in the distance.

"Looks like he released the Darklings," Egrick muttered.

"So much for having the upper hand."

He nodded, then looked at the nearest door. "Open a gate to the outside. I'll make sure the coast is clear and report back."

"But that wasn't part of the plan."

"The thing about plans is that they often change. Just do as I am saying," he commanded with a sigh.

His tone told me that I shouldn't question him any longer. Even though this did not sound like a smart idea, I quickly decided that I would follow his commands. With a sharp nod, I opened a gate to the door he pointed to. The door opened to reveal green grass and woods right beside the castle.

"There," I spat out.

Egrick placed his hand on my shoulder, then without saying another word, walked through the gate.

Quickly I shut the door behind him, then looked down the hall. I was all alone and with no backup. How would I stop my father? As minutes passed, I realized how foolish we had been to come to this place.

"Ah, there you are," a voice rang out.

I turned my attention to the direction of the call and frowned. It was the same woman Else and I battled in the alleyway. This time, she wore a scar across her neck. I wondered if Else gave that to her before they got to her.

If this was the last woman that I saw Else with, maybe she would know where Else was. Even though the priority was my father, I couldn't help but switch my priorities. Else should be number one on the list. She was family as much as I disagreed with her.

"Where is Else?" I demanded, as if she would tell me.

She chuckled, then shook her head. "I thought you would ask about your father."

"Not until I get Else."

"So, this isn't a mission to kill your father? It's just a simple mission to recover, Else?"

For now, yes. That was what I wanted. For the moment, my father could wait. I would stand by this. This was the best decision I had made in the last 24 hours.

She smiled. "First you have to get through me."

I knew it would come to this. She wouldn't tell me. She just wanted to tease. Quickly I put my hands up, ready to fight, but she did not prepare herself at all.

"You know, I have a better idea. I think it would be more interesting to pair you off with Else."

From the shadows of a side hall, Else walked into view. Her normal business clothing was replaced with a gray loose outfit. She looked thinner than when I saw her last. There was a lot about her that had changed. I could tell that she went through so much in the last week. But today I would get her out. I would free her.

The woman waved her hands as her medallion glowed. "You have fun with her," she said as she vanished.

"Else, are you ok?" I asked as I stared at her.

Else waved the staff in the air and frowned at me. There was something in her actions that told me to prepare for a fight. But her eye showed fear.

"You need to run, Gray," she warned. "I can't stop this."

She was being controlled. The Forest Witch must have cast a spell. There had to be a way to break it. I could run from her, and I wouldn't leave without her. I would break the spell and take her back home.

"I'm not leaving."

"Gray, please, I'm begging," she pleaded as she walked closer to me.

I held up my fists, ready to fight, but right before I struck her, she cast a spell, knocking me off my feet.

Quickly, I got up from the ground and pulled the staff from her. But as I held it in my hands, it turned into a large snake. I dropped the beast just before it bit me. It hissed at me before slithering away.

As I was distracted with the large snake, Else punched me in the nose.

A stream of blood ran down nose as I tried to fight back. But with every move I threw at her, she countered it with a harder punch or a block.

Her fighting was viscous. I had never seen someone fight as quick and as deadly before. Else had always fought alongside me. I had never had the chance to see how she actually fought in a battle.

"Else, please. Stop," I begged as she pushed me against the wall. Her hands wrapped around my throat, blocking off the air.

"I can't," she whispered as her fingers clenched my throat tighter.

With a struggling breath, I managed to push her off of me.

A darkling roared in the distance and, for a second, she was distracted. She looked towards the sound, looking for the beast. Finding this as a window of opportunity, I knocked her off her feet.

She fell to the ground and pulled out a knife from her boot.

Quickly, I pulled out a dagger from my pants and pointed it to her. I didn't want to use it. But if she was pulling out a knife, I should do the same. "Else, please stop this. I need to bring you back home."

Else stood up and adjusted her grip on her knife. "Gray, I'm sorry," she muttered.

I saw the fear in her eyes. Whatever spell held her compelled her to finish me off. She would kill me, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. I tried to come up with another option, but as she plunged the knife into my shoulder, I couldn't think of anything but the pain.

A scream escaped my lips as she pushed me to the wall again. She placed the knife against my neck and stared into my eyes.

"Grayson, you have to do something," she begged as she pressed against the knife harder, breaking my skin.

As my eyes looked around, trying to find something I could use to free myself, I met the eyes of Egrick, who was down the hall from us. He met my eyes, but before I could call his name; he turned his back on me and walked down the hall without a word.

I didn't have time to think about Egrick and what he had just done. That was something that I would think about later. Instead, I looked at the knife in my hands still.

"Grayson, stop thinking. Just do it," Else said as she continued to press the knife to my neck.

I struggled to push her off, but with my shoulder burning in pain, I couldn't get her off. I didn't want to use the knife, but she left me with no choice. The way she was positioned, I could get her side and that would be enough to free me.

With all my strength, I plunged the knife into her side.

She gasped as she stumbled back, freeing me.

I sucked in a deep breath and rubbed my neck as Else dropped to the ground. Blood seeped from the dagger which was logged into her chest. The sight caused panic to flood through me.

I rushed to her side. I didn't intend for the dagger to go there. It was supposed to be on her side. I thought I got her side. Quickly, I placed my hands over her wound as she gasped for air.

"Else, I-i d-didn't... mean," I babbled as I felt blood ooze through my fingers.

Her eyes started to roll to the back of her skull, which made me panic even more.

"Else! Stay with me!" I shouted, not caring who heard me. Franticly I looked around, trying to find anyone that could help. I wasn't an expert at field dressing, but I wished I was. There had to be something I could do. I couldn't lose her. She was all I had.

Her eyes flew open and met mine. "Gray..." she whispered as she held my hand.

Tears ran down my face as I nodded at her. "We'll get you back to the school."

"Gray..." she whispered again.

"I can't lose you, Else. You are my family."

As Else gasped for air, she looked down the hall where Egrick left to. "Stella is here."

My heart stopped. As if this couldn't get any worse. Instantly, my mind went to the worst-case scenario for Stella. "W-what?" I choked out.

"He has her here," she breathed. She lifted her bloody hand and pointed down the hall. "There."

"I'll get to her. But first, I need to open a gate and get you back to school," I said as I lifted my hands from her wound.

I ran to the nearest door and opened it, so it led to the infirmary. "Birch! Someone! Help!" I screamed.

From behind some curtains, Birch came running to the gate. Her eyes were alert as she saw Else on the ground.

"I need help," I sobbed.

Birch nodded as some other infirmary people came to her aide. Quickly, they ran and grabbed Else, then placed her on a bed in the infirmary.

"We will take care of her," Birch murmured softly before turning her attention to Else.

I nodded as I wiped a tear from my eye as I heard a clatter from down the hallway. My eyes met a Darkling as it roared and charged for me. I didn't have time to say anything more to Else or Birch. As I gave one last look at them, I closed the gate, then picked up Else's knife, ready to attack the Darkling.

As the Darkling lunged for me, I jabbed the knife underneath its jaw. It cried out as it tried to get the knife from its jaw. Quickly, I pulled the knife out and stabbed its chest. The beast gave one final roar before clasping onto the ground.

"Gray! We need to get out of here!" one of the team members called out to me as he ran closer. "Graywick is not here and the Darklings are starting to come. We already have two in rough shape. We got to regroup and replan."

I nodded as I looked towards where Else pointed. Stella was here. I needed to find her and get her from this place. It wasn't safe for her here.

Quickly I opened a gate to the school. "Can you bring the injured specialists here?" I asked.

He nodded as he pulled on his bloodied sleeve. "We can bring them here."

"Good. Once you are throughout the gate, close it. I need to do one more thing before I make it back to school."

"Do you need backup?"

I shook my head. "No. I'll be fine," I stated, then ran down the hall, not wanting to wait any longer. There wasn't any time to waste. I had to find Stella.