book #3 DARK KNIGHT ***COMPLETE***

#2 start of a journey

breakfast was finally over. The news sinking in and breaking through the shock. Everyone was in planning mode trying to make plans for the journey to ithica. to say the least no one seemed to be in agreement of what should be done. Zara slammed her fist on the desk. "NO! I am going and Scarlett and Liam you are to stay here. I will bring her here until it is her time to rule in ithica but this journey does not include you. I will take four warriors. Rwo wolves and Two dragon shifters. make sure they know ithica and has been there. that is all. I am not discussing it any further. This is my destiny not yours. I know in my heart you are not meant to go this time. Scarlett," Zara turned to her sister in law. she reached out to grab her hands up understanding her need to meet her sister. " I understand more than anyone the need to find your twin. however, you need to stay here. this is your kingdom to rule and putting you in unnecessary danger is ridiculous. I will bring her back. I promise you this. I feel your place is here with your child and your husband. please both of you understand why." Zara was exhausted from the arguing and their demands. she threw her hands up and walked out of the room to let them ponder what she had said. Zara knew it wasn't their journey. She knew they needed to stay whether they liked it or not. she wasn't afraid to ask for help but help wasn't going to come from the future king and Queen of the ice shifters this time. she was meant to find the ice princess in ithica and they would only slow her down.

Zara had made her way back to her room to start packing her things for her journey. she knew she would need to pack as light as possible. the warriors would carry some provisions and a change of clothes and so would she. after looking over the map of ithica she decided to focus her journey on the ice mountains of ithica where the ice shifters used to live. there had been rumors of a small tribe living there with little to do with any other beings in the realm. they lived in complete isolation. Zara still couldn't understand how no one had looked there before. she knew it would be a long journey with many dangers along the way but she felt the pull and she felt this was the right path. she heard a small knock at her door. she could sense right away it was her brother. even raised apart from each other they shared a bond that was special. "Come in Liam."

she watched as her door slowly opened and Liam walked in. he sat at the edge of her bed watching her finish getting ready. " I'm just worried about my twin out there in a realm she knows very little about. I'm sorry. I just got you back and now you are leaving me for another world. you won't even be on Earth!" Zara watched as sadness filled his face.

"Liam, I won't be gone for forever but I know this is the right decision. you two have a kingdom you are taking over here. you have responsibilities that need you. I have trained as a warrior my entire life. I am battle ready and I have studied enough about Ithica to get me through. I'm not saying this will be easy but this is what I need to do. you need to step aside and let me do this."

"I know." he wrapped his sister in a hug. "now what do I tell mom and dad?" she smiled at her twin her eyes sparkling in mischief.

"that it is my destiny. or that you finally got every siblings wish and vanished me off the planet. They won't like it. Especially mom but they won't stand in the way." she smiled patting Liam on the shoulder. "I will be as safe as I can be."

"why when you say that, it makes me fill like this is a bad idea?"

" because you are a macho man shifter who believes I need protection. I just need your understanding and support. " he smiled again pulling her in for one last hug before she left.

" you always have my support and understanding. I know you are more than capable. you will however, always be my sister and I will always want to keep you safe. go fulfill your destiny and come home safely. I love you sister."

"I love you too Liam. now come on I need to get going. the doorway to ithica is a long ways away and I want to get there before night fall. will you and Scarlett be escorting the warriors and myself there?" Liam shook his head.

"as far as you will let us go."

"to the door way and that is it. come on let's get this in the car." they made their way to the SUV's placing their stuff in the back of each. the warriors pooled into one vehicle and Liam, Scarlett and Zara jumped into the second one and then they were off making their way towards the door of ithica. "Scarlett?"

Scarlett looked up at Zara. she had been quiet not saying a word since their planning meeting went wrong so fast. Zara was worried this was too much for her to take in. Scarlett looked like she had fresh tears waiting to spill across her cheeks. she held a hand up. "I will be fine. it's just a lot to take in. I always felt different. like something was missing. now I know what you and Liam have always felt. I just wish my parents hadn't kept it from me, but I will be ok. just make it back safely. bring her home. I just want to meet her and Liam and I both need you back. you are my family." Zara just nodded her head knowing Scarlett needed time to process everything that has happened. if Zara were being honest with herself she was still trying to process everything that was happening as well. it was all very overwhelming. Zara wasn't sure what her future would hold at this time but she did know she would fight with everything she had to bring Scarletts sister back to her. "as soon as you find her. ask her what her name is. I don't know her name." silence fell on the car at this revelation. Zara knew first hand what that felt like. she was blessed enough that Liam was old enough to remember his name given to him at birth but Scarletts sister was taken at birth and they had no clue what name she had been given and raised with. worse yet, they weren't even sure what kind of life she had been given. was it hard? had she been treated right? she was a princess and would be Queen of Ithica the realm of supernaturals. did she even know her future was coming for her? would she care? there were so many unknowns but it was now Zaras job to bring the lost princess home. worse was the fact that the fire dragons were the gaurdians of the doorway to ithica so once she was even found she would have to be smuggled somehow through the realm doorway so that the dragon shifters did not know about her leaving the realm. Zara had her work cut out for her. she was grateful the warriors were there to help her. it was assumed the fire shifters were the ones who stole her away. something wasn't sitting right with Zara though. if it were the fire shifters what purpose would they have? what did they gain from taking her? power wouldn't be given to them it would still be given to the ice shifters. so then why? thoughts were pouring through her head. there had to be something they were all missing. who benefits from her kidnapping? was this about a way to control her thus controlling her rule?

"guys maybe we are missing something here. who benefits the most with her disappearance? I'm not entirely sure it was the fire shifters who took her. something doesn't feel right about it." Zara was more talking to herself out loud. it was nagging at her and deep in the recesses of her mind she could feel the answer, but, she could not quite access it. she needed to find out answers. she knew she would need to trust no one in ithica until she had the answers. the SUV came to a slow stop. Zara looked around. to the human eye you couldn't tell there was a supernatural world just beyond the Earth world. The redwoods stood tall and majestic. they got out of the SUV and grabbed their bags. the needles blanketed the forest floor. it was like a dream. the ocean could be heard crashing on the rocks not far behind them.

a warrior came walking up to them bowing his head. "princess Zara, we must hike into the forest a ways before we come to the gate." she nodded acknowledging the warrior.

"what is your name?" she could sense his wolf. this was one of the two wolf warriors.

"Leif your majesty."

"well Leif you will be my first in command. please call me Zara. just Zara." he nodded and rounded up the rest of the warriors. Zara took one more glance around before they headed out on their walk to the gates to ithica.