mikrokosmos

57: UNTIL THE KEY

Jade and Kieran arrived in a part of the Old Forest where the trees around them were damp with water. Reverie, Justin, Gus, Jinx, Atieno, and her parents were all waiting for them.

She angrily got down from Kieran's hold, annoyed that she had to retreat from the battle when Astra was already out in the open. She was so close to killing her if Theodore didn't butt in.

"What happened there?" Justin asked Kieran.

"The Prince intervened."

Prince Theodore. She stomped her foot. Instantly, the ground under her foot made a crack. The people around her stepped backwards in caution, except for Reverie and her parents.

"Jade, calm down, please." Reverie begged, desperate to bring her best friend back to her senses. "Theodore isn't the one who killed Agy. It's Astra. You have to trust the Prince."

"I trust him! I just hated his timing. He could be manipulated for all I care but if he just... arrived a little late then-"

"He's either being manipulated or possessed by the djinn." Kieran interrupted. "We have to find the djinn before the Prince and, well, before Jade here, damages more of the Kingdom."

"I got eyes on the djinn! Kieran, bring Leila's daughter..." Atieno commanded, then headed off.

Kieran swiftly placed an arm around Jade's waist. "Transform in your other form and follow us," he told Reverie before following his brother.

"We'll continue washing the trees from above with Gus' power," Justin said. "Jinx, stay with Jade's parents while finding where Light is." Jinx nodded.

In an instant, the group finally saw a man, who Jade thinks is in his 40s, smirking at them while he leaned against a tree. A tree familiar to Jade, and Reverie.

The tree house.

"Looking for someone, puny vampires?" The djinn said, then noticed the new faces. He smirked. "And you brought an audience."

"Oh, she is the main act." Kieran pointed at Jade.

"Not really," Jenevieve's entered the scene with Lilith, all worn-out and wounded even with them wearing protective armors. "I brought Lilith with me."

"What happened to you?" Jade came rushing towards them in concern, automatically holding Lilith's arm to keep her up.

Jenevieve panted. "Fought our way here. Empyrean army.... They are here."

"Where are the boys?"

"They bought time for us. Jeremiah thought you would try going here," Lilith answered. "Haze brought Theo back to the Castle. We found him unconscious on our way here."

Above them, dragons roared and fought. They didn't know why it was happening but Jade thought it would be because of Light and his mother, who was still protecting him. Fighting for power, perhaps?

Kieran and Oleander fought the djinn but they couldn't even hit the man even with the three of them were quick beyond human norms.

"Djinns have the ability to perceive visions of future events," Jenevieve said, watching the fight. "It doesn not matter if they fight two on one. That man knows their next moves."

"That's why they did not bother themselves fighting him," Lilith added. "But we know how to handle him. Haze told us something about djinns' weaknesses." She looked at Reverie. "We'll need the dire wolf to help us."

Jade looked down at Reverie. "Be careful, okay, Rev?" The dire wolf nodded. "I'll back you up from here."

"No," Jenevieve immediately said. "You cannot be here. The djinn is Astra's trusty accomplice. He wants power and he knows you are after Astra. He needs Astra to maintain his status so that man would not hesitate to kill you once he has got a hold of you."