Chapter Twenty-One

[P.O.V. Adriana Braxton]

Listening to Shiloh, tell me about how he and Zyston met. I got to say it makes me feel a little closer to my Mate. Takes some of the heartaches of missing him away.

"At first, I thought he did it because he knew who I was. Then I asked and found out he was passing town. The reason he even helped was for his hate for the Witch Hunter's." Shiloh says a little amusingly. I didn't know what to say just really enjoyed listening to him. "Anyway, it's way past your bedtime. You need to get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Alright.. thanks for the story." Getting up from the campfire, I lay down and try to get some rest.

The next day ahead of us was long. We searched and searched and still found nothing in that tomb. 'Maybe the sword we found is the one?' All of us giving up, we sit down to take a break.

"How much longer are we going to search? I mean, it's not like it buried underneath him." Gilo complains. Listening to the words he had to say it clicked with me.

"That's it!" I said excitedly. Getting up quickly, I go to the Fallen King coffin.

"What's it?" He asks, all confused. They all follow me over to the coffin.

"We have searched this place over and over. Except for the one place, we haven't. Please hit right here." Pointing to the side of the coffin. They all gave me this look like I was crazy.

"You do know that disrespectful, right?" Gilo asks, "Not to mention it, solid rock."

"Just trust me." Rolling my eyes at him.

"Alright, if he comes back to haunt me, I'm blaming you." Kicking hard as he could, the rock broke into pieces. Making a big enough small hole to look inside. Shiloh looks inside the hole and looks at me with some weird look.

"There something underneath here," Shiloh says.

He takes off his shirt and wraps it around his hand, and starts punching the stone. Until he made it a big enough hole to reach into. Reaching in the hole, he grabs whatever underneath there. Pulling it out, it was something long that was wrapped in an old cloth and tied with rope. Untying it and uncovering it, a beautiful sword was hidden. The whole sword hummed with power.

A beautiful carved wooden handle was on the sword. It had a carving of a wolf with a crown on its head. Around the carving, gold outlined around it. There were even small pieces of moonstone in the handle. Underneath where the wolf stood, there was a bigger piece of moonstone. Looking at the moonstone, it looked like two crest shaped jewels were missing around it.

Everyone was amazed by it; they were all telling me how right I was. About the other sword not being the actual King's sword. Touching where the jewels were missing. The rest of them continue their babbling about it. Shiloh hands me an old black leather sheath. Putting the sword in it, he takes the sword.

"We have to find the jewels that are missing on it." Telling him.

"What else did Tanasha tell you?" He asks

"She said I would find the crowns here in the Fallen Kingdom. That the crowns jewels are what gives the sword its power." The only thing she didn't say is where the crowns were.

"Don't you remember that memory we had of the Queen buried the crowns?" Raina asks.

"Yes, but that could be any tree around here. We don't have time to look under each tree." Saying a little disappointingly.

"Think Adri. It's been a few hundred years since it happened. What would that tree look like now?" Thinking hard about it, then it hit me.

"I know where the crowns are; the only part I need help is. Which tree out of all this whole forest is the oldest?" Asking everyone.

"It depends on which direction we're heading?" Milo asks. Remembering the memory I had.

"That depends where was the battlefield?" Asking back.

"Come on." He heads out of the tomb. Following him out of the tomb, it was almost sunset. He was showing me where the battle once stood. Milo really is the geek out of the three.

We all walk underneath the trees that stood tall on a once-empty battlefield. With me leading the way to the crowns. Well trying to lead with what I could remember. All I really could do was walk us all in circles.

"We are never going to find them!" Getting frustrated and upset. Sitting on a log dramatically while throwing my hands up in the air.

Jolene sits next to me and hugs me. She didn't say a word, just hugged me, which wasn't unusual for her ever since Joseph's death. She has gone completely mute, the only sound she does make. Is when she sneezes, coughs, or even cries quietly. The small thing is the only time you ever hear her anymore.

Jolene continues to hug me while nobody said anything. Jolene jolts up real fast and starts looking around like she heard something.

"What wrong, Joel?" Asking her all concern. She just stood there looking around. Until she stops to look at once place, right behind me. Before I could even look behind me, she pushes me off the log. Holding me down onto the ground. Looking up, there was a bullet hole in one of the trees.

"We've been followed," Shiloh says angrily while examining the tree. Then another gunshot was fired; this time, I could hear it. Shiloh puts up his shield and blocks it.

"What do you mean we're being followed?" I asked while sitting up a little.

"Jolene, get Adriana to safety right now!" Shiloh commands. Before we got off the ground, one of the Dark Army Outcasts. Jumps of the log towards Shiloh and attacks him. Holding the Outcast back, Gilo rips the Outcast off Shiloh. Tossing him to the ground using the Outcast's own blade. Gilo stabs the Outcast right in the heart. Shiloh helps us both off the ground and gives me the sword.

"Run." Is all he had to say. Then more showed up. Shiloh, Gilo, and Milo start fighting them off.

"Run!" Shiloh yells. Not even getting a chance to argue with him. Jolene grabs my hand, and we run. 'How did the Dark Army find us anyway?'

Running farther away, a few of the Outcasts were following us. Some were riding on the Rogues back. Some stop ahead of us; we stop running. Some of the Rogues start barring their teeth and growling. At the same time, the other Outcasts walked closer with their weapons.

Jolene grabs a big knife from her right boot. We both look at each other and nod at each other. Taking a fighting stance, we wait a couple of minutes. Then we attack them as they attacked us. Jolene fought with her blade while I used my Queen magical abilities.

Using a magical grip, I break two outcast necks. A Rogue jumps on top of me when out of nowhere, knocking me flat on my back. Holding its head back while it's snaps and snarls at me. Then it was ripped off of me; Jolene was fighting with it in her wolf form.

"Run, Adri!" Jolene yells through mind-link. I was shocked even to hear her speak to me.

Few more rogues surrounded her as they tear and ripped her apart. I couldn't let them kill her. Standing up quickly and letting off a powerful wave of magic come off me. Knocking the rogues off her by sending them flying. Using my abilities to kill every last one of the Dark Army Soldiers that surrounded us.

Calming down and glancing around, there were bodies and blood everywhere. The one body that caught my attention was Jolene's. Approaching her placing her head on my lap, playing with her hair. Her wounds were so great I couldn't stop crying from worrying about her.

"You're going to be okay." Trying to comfort her and me.

Footsteps catching my attention, thinking it was more of the Dark Army. Raina and I were preparing to fight again. When I looked up, I realized it wasn't the Dark Army. It was only the Triplets looking at us with concern. Well, at least Shiloh and Milo were. Gilo attention was fully on Jolene. He looked like a lovesick puppy that lost his best friend.

He walks closer to Jolene and never takes his eyes off her. He kneels and hugs her tightly with his head in between her neck.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I'm sorry for all the mean things I have said to you... I didn't mean what I said; I really do care." Gilo mumbles to her. "I accept you, and I need you... I was just scared of having a Mate."