Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (no david read aloud .TXT) 📖

Room floor of the System Agency, anxiously waiting for Mark Grey to finish his tests.
"We never should've brought him here." Luna complained.
"We didn't. Shannon did with a Traveling Spell, remember?" Derrick replied with a sigh. "Come on, Lu. Please calm down."
"Alright." Luna replied, slumping next to him on the bench. "I'm sure he'll be done anytime, and we can go on with the mission." She looked to him. "Right?"
"Right, Luna." Derrick replied with a small smile.
Her thoughts returned to her dear twin. "Why do I have a feeling we may already be too late?"
Derrick placed an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Don't say that, Lu. Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see."
Luna, who was usually the calm and cool one in tense situations, broke down and cried into Derrick's chest. "I hope so, for her sake. I don't want to lose her."
Derrick held her close, thinking almost the same thing.

IV

In the Dark Tower, Ariana was busy finishing her chores for her new (gulp) boyfriend. She had absolutely no feelings for Damian at all, but was too afraid for her life to stand up to herself. The only reason she was listening to him was because of her very life in both worlds. She didn't want to die before seeing her love of Derrick, twin Aluna, best friend Aaron, or her daughter Kelina Erin.
A lot of people are counting on me, Ariana thought to herself. I have to get myself out of here and back home to them.
After only an hour of freedom, Damian shoved her back to her cell. She sat lonely, depressed, and hungry. Ariana tried to think of something to appear in front of her, but found using her powers meant pain.
Ariana sighed, noticing a faint shadow coming toward her, and was helpless as to sense who it was. She was frightened and backed away until she could faintly see the figure of a cat in the dim light.
"Katherine!" Ariana whispered, excited. "Am I glad to see you?"
Katherine put a finger to her lips and whispered. "My cousins must not know I have found you."
"Have you come to rescue me?"
"Only Damian has the key to this dungeon." Katherine purred sadly. "I have come only to bring you some edible food from the Garden." She handed a bowl to Ariana, who began to eat hungrily. "They also must not know I have brought you this. It must be kept a secret, understand?"
Ariana nodded, grateful to have such a noble friend in Katherine.
Katherine left, hurrying back to the door but it was too late.
In the dungeon doorway stood Orthos, and he was sneering. Orthos grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. "Well, well, what do we have here? An accomplice to crime, I presume?"
Orthos' eyes glowed red and Ariana gasped in horror for her Balinese pal. "Don't you dare hurt her, Orthos!" Ariana screamed.
"What will you do about it?" Orthos replied sarcastically, releasing Katherine. Katherine stayed, just to watch. "My crafty son has you locked in a cage, unable to use any of your power to escape."
Katherine ran away then, afraid for her life.
Orthos' attention was to Ariana. "You are as helpless as a newborn babe." He faced her.
She tried to move away from him, but was frozen by his icy stare.
Orthos moved closer, and whispered in her ear. "Admit it, Young Guardian. I have won." He cackled, leaving her alone again.
Being unfrozen, Ariana slumped in her spot, defeated. What was going to do without her new powers to escape?


Chapter Twenty-Two:
A Cry for Help

Luna Sister, Mark Grey, and Derrick Reading headed back to the Parker Mansion, only to find Ariana's body missing from her bed.
"Where could she be?" Luna asked Mark.
"I don't know, Luna." He sighed. "I hope we're not too late."
"Can you Sense her?" Derrick asked Luna.
Sadly, Luna shook her head. "Sorry, but I haven't been able too since we separated."
"Where could she be?" Mark asked under his breath, repeating Luna's query.
"Looking for me?" A snide voice remarked from the bedroom door.
They turned to see Ariana's body, and saw the red eyes immediately. For them all, it meant only one thing:
"Sabrina!" They cried.
"That's right, dearies. It is I, the Dominionite Maiden, in the Outer Realm." Sabrina ran a hand through her hair. "Like it? I call it a 'winning do.'"
"You haven't won, yet, Sabrina!" Mark replied.
"Touché, my dear Mark." Sabrina sauntered over to him while Derrick and Luna stood aside, watching in silence. She kissed him on the lips. "You are too late."
This was his chance. Not caring what the others would think, Mark closed his eyes when Sabrina kissed him. He called for Psycho, the playful clown with a voice that squeaked.
"Welcome back, sweetheart!" Psycho cried, giving her a playful 'raspberry' kiss.
Sabrina was shocked, almost as much as Derrick and Luna. "How dare you, you juvenile!" She pushed away from him. Psycho stood, smiling at her. She stared at him. "Get away from me, you little pest!"
"I know you are, but what am I?" Psycho taunted playfully. "I know you are, but what am I?"
It didn't take long for Sabrina to tire of his nonsense. "If he will not go, I will!" She cried. "But I will be back for you all!"
With that, Sabrina left, and Ariana's body went limp, her black hair returning to a lovely shade of reddish-blond.
Luna gasped.
Psycho left, with Mark returning in time for him and Derrick to catch Ariana. They set her on the bed.
"We have to figure what we're going to do about Sabrina." Luna replied, sitting next to her sister's body. "We can't let her get away with this."
"I'm sure we'll think of something, Luna." Derrick put an arm around her shoulders.

II

Meanwhile, back in the Dominion, Ariana herself cried, thinking of her friends and the family she'd known. If only there were some way of getting home...if only for a minute...
She closed her eyes, and thought of home.
I hope this works...she thought to herself.

III

Ariana's eyes fluttered open, and she returned for the moment. She saw Derrick, Luna, and Mark gathered around her, eyes closed in sorrow.
"Don't worry guys." Ariana's voice was just above a whisper, but they heard it loud and clear. She was still weak, unable to move. "I'll be okay soon."
Derrick was so excited; he kissed her gently on the lips. "My love, you've returned!"
"Not for long, I'm afraid." Ariana whispered sadly. "Sabrina and her brother Damian have me locked in a cage in the Dominion's Dark Tower dungeons. I'm unable to use any of my powers."
"How awful!" Luna gasped. "How we can help you escape?"
"I-I don't know," Ariana's voice was beginning to fade, and she seemed to be going back, weaker and weaker. "All I know is that you must hurry, before terror strikes twice..."
Mark watched with watery eyes as Ariana began to fall back. "Please, don't go Ariana! We need you!"
"I'm sorry. I can't...hold...on..." She cried a single tear before closing her eyes and leaving for the last time. "Remember, I love you all."
With those final words, she was gone, and her body was limp once more.
Luna cried into Derrick's comforting embrace. Mark looked at his lap and took a deep breath. Each was at a loss for words, helpless and angry as they thought the same thing: What would make Sabrina want to hurt Ariana? What was the motive? What did Ariana ever do to her to make Sabrina this angry?
Mark had to say something to crash the silence. "We've got to do something!" He cried, staring at Ariana's unconscious body.
"And fast, otherwise Sabrina really will win, and we'll never see Ariana alive again!" Luna cried, sniffing. She was angrier than the guys were, because it was her twin. Luna was the closest to Ariana, despite their separation of over ten years.
Derrick hugged her. "Don't think like that, Lu. I've got an idea." Luna and Mark perked up and watched him. "I say we watch over her in shifts. I'll take the first."
Luna wiped her eyes. "I take second."
"I guess that means I get to take the third." Mark replied. "When we retire, we'll sleep in my room. I have both a bed and a convertible chair."
"Right." Derrick and Luna echoed.
Derrick kissed Luna's cheek goodnight before they left. He sat on the big easy-chair beside the bed and sighed, taking one of her hands. Derrick began to talk to her, hoping in his heart that she could hear.
A few hours later, Derrick whispered. "I love you so much."
"Aw, how sweet." Sabrina's voice crooned. "I never knew you cared!"
He let Ariana's hand free and stepped back. "How dare you do this to her, Sabrina? She's done nothing to you!"
"Maybe not, but she owes me." Sabrina whispered, being sure not to arouse the others.
"What?" Derrick asked, crossing his arms.
"My powers, that’s all." Sabrina replied. "If only she would hand them over and not be so difficult, I would tell Damian to release her."
"She refuses, right?" Derrick challenged, smiling in the darkness.
"Of course." Sabrina crooned viciously.
"Good, because those powers are her birthright, not yours!" He cried.
"Where do you think those goody-goody Ancient Mystics attained their great power? From a Cracker Jack box?" She cried sarcastically, using Caroline's own words.
"No, from Lord Guardian, that's who." Derrick could tell she was looming off the subject. He was tiring of her nonsense. "Get on with it, Sabrina. We're not talking about the Sisters here; we're talking about Ariana. Let her go!"
Sabrina laughed. "I will have Damian release her when she gives me back my powers. Not a moment before."
Sabrina left then, making Derrick feeling double angry. There just had to be a way to rescue her without totally losing her!
Think, Reading, think! He silently scolded himself. He yawned, looking at the clock on the wall. It was Luna's turn to watch over her sister.
Derrick just hoped Sabrina didn't think of messing with Luna. Luna was in such a terrible state, she wouldn't be able to handle anything their old nemesis could dish out. She would go insane.
Thanks to Sabrina, Luna felt she was losing a special part of herself, as was Derrick. Also thanks to Sabrina, he thought, I missed my beloved.
Derrick sighed and walked across the hall to Mark's room to awaken Luna. 
Chapter Twenty-Three:
Derrick's Message

After waking Luna up, Derrick fell into a deep sleep on the bed his best friend had abandoned.

Immediately, he began to see Ariana's tear-stricken face, and thought he heard her voice.
Derrick...Come to me...
Ariana? He cried out in his thoughts. Where are you?
In Dark Tower, my love. Please hurry to me...
Her voice trailed softer. He searched for her everywhere until he found nothing but a whisper of his love coming from the darkest place the Dream Realm had to offer.
Derrick was stopped at the tall, black gates by a gremlin-creature.
"You must leave now, before Master Orthos catches you here, Companion." The gremlin warned.
"I'm not a Companion. I’m a Crusader from the Outer Realm. I’m searching for Young Guardian." Derrick cried. "The Merchant has her trapped at Dark Tower, I can’t leave now. I have to save her!"
"The only way to enter these Dominion Gates is to be evil." He replied.
"Are you the Gatekeeper?" Derrick asked.
The gremlin nodded. "They call me Crag. I keep gate shut from Companions of this world."
Derrick's