I head back down to the Gallows because I can\u2019t go back home. Not after what happened. My father is a hypocrite. I head back to my uncle’s hideout. Several of the gang are still there, including Renna, her boyfriend Minpireth, and Valindra, who might be with my uncle, but I\u2019m not quite sure what their relationship is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zaos, Olaurae, Larongar, and Haerzis are also there with my uncle. They\u2019re all around a table discussing plans of some sort. As soon as they see me, my uncle steps up and walks away from the table over to me. \u201cKid, what are you doing here? You\u2019re supposed to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI got into a fight with my father. He lied to me. He\u2019s a hypocrite on top of that. He tells me not to hang out with you and that what we do here is wrong, but he was your partner. He abandoned you,\u201d I say, barely able to hold back tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, Lura. That is far from the truth. There\u2019s a lot you don\u2019t know. I can\u2019t tell you everything. It\u2019s not my place. That\u2019s your father\u2019s place, but him leaving wasn\u2019t his fault. Things happened between us, and it cost us both a great deal. Your father especially. He was never the same after. He left and went on to live a more noble life. You can\u2019t fault him for that, nor can you fault him for wanting a better life for you. This isn\u2019t a life for you. You deserve much better,\u201d he says. I know he\u2019s right, but it doesn\u2019t make me feel any better about it. \u201cNow, I promise you this, if I ever see Phraan again, I\u2019ll make sure he dies if he touches you a second time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The door slams open and shut as footsteps rush down the stairs. Delmuth and Saevel rush down. \u201cThe Order, they sent guards down to the Gallows. Phraan is with them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My uncle puts his hands on my shoulders. \u201cYou need to get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The door crashes down the stairs with smoke following. Lots of footsteps rush down the stairs as the room fills with smoke. My head hurts. I reach in my pocket for something to wipe my face with when I grab the vial. Before I realize it, I have it uncapped and on my lips. I drop it after emptying the tangy liquid down my throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s as if the room becomes all shadows. I can see everyone inside it, but I can barely hear them. It\u2019s like an echo of a whisper. There\u2019s a fight, but it\u2019s not much of one, as a spell caster binds my uncle and the gang with magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe girl is down here, I know it. I saw her walking. She\u2019s mine,\u201d Phraan says. What is he doing with the guard? They haul my uncle up. I run to him and no one stops me. But as I reach him, my hand goes right through him. What in the gods is happening?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phraan stops the guard with my uncle. \u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My uncle spits in his face. \u201cI hope you end up in the ninth level of hell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phraan backhands him across the face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPhraan! You\u2019re not allowed to touch the prisoners,\u201d a man with rather lopsided ears and a familiar look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBrother, we made a deal,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe made no such deal,\u201d the elf says. I can\u2019t tell what he looks like because it\u2019s like he\u2019s cloaked in shadow. Everything is cloaked in shadow. What is this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What did I drink? The soldiers bring my uncle and his gang up the stairwell. No! This can\u2019t be happening. They can\u2019t take my uncle away or his gang. What am I going to do? Tears fall from my eyes as I try to grasp my uncle. I can\u2019t even touch him. My hands just go right through him as if he were pure smoke. No! They can\u2019t take my uncle. No! I watch helplessly as they haul him and his friends away in chains. The tears fall down my eyes and hit the ground in a puff of smoke. I follow them all the way out to Tent City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What can I do? This feels like it\u2019s my fault. Phraan turned on my uncle because of me. If I would\u2019ve listened to my father and stayed away, this would\u2019ve never happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I go to the only place I can go, home. As I get home, I find my mother sobbing and my father trying to comfort her. \u201cWe\u2019ll find her. I promise. We\u2019ll get her back. Somehow. Don\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m right here!\u201d I yell, but my words do not reach them. A scream escapes my lips. \u201cI\u2019m right here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neither of them look up at me. My father writes a letter and puts it in an envelope, leaving it on my bed. \u201cJust in case she comes home and we\u2019re not here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow let\u2019s go find our daughter before she gets hurt,\u201d my father says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t leave. I\u2019m right here,\u201d I say as I try to stop them, but they walk right through me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs this the tent?\u201d A man asks outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My father hobbles to the entrance to have a look. I can barely make out several of the Council\u2019s justices standing outside. My heart goes still as I hear the voice of Phraan. \u201cThis is her tent. Remember our deal. I have a lot more information on other gangs, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I rush outside, walking straight through the guards gathered. Several other elves have come out of their tents to watch as several guards pull my father and mother out. \u201cWe have a warrant for the arrest of the girl named Lura who has been seen stealing and is a known associate of Lethvelion and his outlaw gang.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe is not here,\u201d my father says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCheck the tent,\u201d the main guard says. Two of the guards push past my mother as she walks out of our tent. I can hear them tossing things aside before they come out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not in here,\u201d one of them says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elven man giving the orders looks at my parents. \u201cI hereby place you both under arrest for harboring a fugitive. Arrest them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave them alone!\u201d I scream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I desperately try to stop them from taking my parents. No matter how hard I try, I can\u2019t touch them. I watch helplessly as my parents are dragged away. No! What have I done? I fall to my knees and cry. The tears won\u2019t stop. I ruined everything. I\u2019m so sorry, father. I\u2019m so sorry. It\u2019s all my fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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