Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📖

Guardian replied. "He was your father."
"He was also a tyrant." Sabrina smiled. When Young Guardian looked at her, she smiled, too. "Admit it."
"Oh, I've always admitted it." Young Guardian said. "I'm just surprised to hear you say it, that's all."
Sabrina nodded. "It was Cyrix who made me see how Father was using me as well." She supplied. "You saw me with Lord Maximaniac's Spell-Book. I could not take it."
"Ever wonder why?" Young Guardian asked.
Sabrina thought for a moment, of the years of torture to the Dominionites Orthos had made her do. She thought of all the times she was ordered to destroy Young Guardian, so O'Dell wouldn't have a successor. She then thought of how he'd ordered her to get Lord Maximaniac's Spell-Book and bring it back to him so he could escape the Unknown to do what he'd always wanted: to kill O'Dell and rule in his twin brother's place.
Sabrina shook her head. "I just wanted the madness to stop."
Young Guardian stared at her, surprised to hear that coming from her.
When she didn't get a verbal response from her cousin, Sabrina spoke up, ashamed. "Now it is my turn to say I am sorry." She continued. "Sorry for all I must have put the Crusaders through. I hope you will find it in you to forgive me."
"I do, and not because Lord Guardian told me to." Young Guardian announced with a grin. "I was the one to cover for you in front of Lord Maximaniac, remember? My Empathy kicked in and I could feel you in a battle only you could get yourself out of. So I spoke up in your favor. If I'd kept silent, even Lord Max wouldn't have believed your sincerity."
"For that, I thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, cousin." Young Guardian continued. "For risk of sounding preachy, I'll only say this one thing. Lord Guardian and I may be convinced you're turning good, Sabrina, but it will take more than mere apologies to win over the Companions. Show them you're sincere, somehow. Once they see for themselves you're on their side, they'll change their minds about you. Just watch."
"You really think so?"
Young Guardian nodded. "I know so."
For a moment, they were in their own thoughts. Young Guardian staring at Sabrina who was looking to her lap and playing with a fallen leaf in her hands.
"You know, Sabrina, you can call me Ariana when I'm not acting my title."
Sabrina looked up at the statement, caught off-guard. To hear that coming from her meant she was forgiven and had a permanent friend in her.
"Thank you!" Sabrina hugged her. "Oh, thank you, Ariana. You do not know how much that means to me."
Young Guardian Ariana laughed, hugging her back. “I can hazard a guess." She supplied. "For now, you'd better go to your lesson, or Kat will have my behind for breakfast!"
Sabrina laughed. "Well, let us go then."
Young Guardian, Ariana, shook her head as she took flight. "Sorry, cousin, but I have to get back to my patrols. I'll look in on you soon, okay?"
Sabrina nodded, watching her fly away. She raced back to Lady Katherine and her lessons in the good Ancient Mystic Magic.
She could hardly wait.

Part Two:
The Unicorn Dweller

Prologue:
The War Within

Aimee looked in on Aaron and Sierra when her almost-sister left. She stood in the doorway, not making a sound as she stared at her twin brother's nearly-lifeless body. She couldn't feel anything from either of them using Empathy. Aaron was pale, and Sierra was by his side, holding his hand and sobbing.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and reached her hand to meet his. She knew instinctively it was her own Earthly Protector, Scott Archer.
What's wrong with him? Scott asked her in her mind, knowing the only way he could send her the message was with her touching his hand, or looking into his eyes. Why does he look dead?
He's not dead. Aimee remarked, her mental voice shaking. I can still feel him in there, somewhere, but I can't find him on our mental path.
Scott took her hand and led her to their room. He took her in his arms and waited until her silent tears subsided.
"I don't know what's going on in there." Aimee supplied, meaning Aaron's room. "I've relied solely on the empathy and telepathy I have with him, and he's not there."
"There must be something there, otherwise, why would Sierra be trying so hard to wake him?"
Aimee shook her head. "The only thing I see her doing is blaming herself for his condition."
"You can't sense her either?"
Aimee shook her head again. "Nope. It's like they have their own mental path. If she's trying to reach him, she's not succeeding. What am I doing wrong, Scott? Why can't I sense my twin brother?"
"Aimee, love, I don't have the answers you need." Scott said. "Go talk to Sierra. She knows more about this than we do."
Aimee sighed. "I suppose you're right." She said. "Will you watch the kids for me?"
Scott smiled, hugging her and kissing her nose. Aimee smiled, leaving to go back to her brother's room.
The door was open only a crack and she could hear Sierra's voice shaking as she talked to an unresponsive Aaron. She pushed the door open slowly, stepping in.
Instantly, she got a clairvoyant vision.

As they went to the Unicorn and Airmed’s sides, a brilliant flash of light met them. Once their eyes readjusted again, they could see Orthos was fuming.
“What?!” He was astonished. “You were supposed to be destroyed by light! How can this be? You cannot still be alive!”
Both the Young Guardian and Amethyst could see Airmed’s form, smiling in defiance. She was flexing lengthy fingernails, staring at Orthos with blood-red eyes. Neither Ancient Mystic knew what to think. What scared them the most were her growing incisors, the sharpened fangs of a vampire.
Or more precisely, a Dweller.
Young Guardian called in her mind to any Dweller-kin available to help while she watched the scene unfold.
“Surprise, Orthos!” Airmed’s raspy voice was nothing like her own. “I am invincible!”
Amethyst looked to her stunned brother. His Unicorn-green eyes were black and hollow. He was frozen in fear of this dangerously new side of his usually loving girlfriend.
Orthos saw the Unicorn hiding behind Airmed, and smiled. “Warriors! Attack!”
Airmed, Young Guardian, and Amethyst could only stand and watch as Dark Warriors shot arrows at the Unicorn’s frozen state. All three women tried to shift the arrows in another direction using their Magic, but it was too late.
They screamed as the arrows pierced through the Unicorn’s skin, propelling him to the ground just feet away from the girls. Amethyst turned from the scene, crying in Scott’s embrace. The Young Guardian could only stare, even as she was whisked away by the Protector.

Aimee snapped out of the vision just in time to hear Sierra sobbing as she held Aaron's pale hand. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to use my Watcher-kin powers on you. Please, come back to me."
Aimee decided to speak up. "He would have died if you hadn't, and you know it."
Sierra looked to see her standing there.
"Didn’t your eyes used to be two different colors?" Aimee asked, once seeing Sierra's eyes were dark.
Sierra nodded.
Aimee tried to step closer to the couple, but she could feel a barrier of mistrust around them. "I'm not going to hurt you, or him, so you can take your barrier down."
"You?" Sierra exclaimed. "You can feel that?"
Aimee nodded. "I've always been able to feel it, and do it." She said. Gesturing to the bed, she asked. "May I?"
Sierra nodded again. "How?"
Aimee took another step and sat on the edge of the bed. The barrier was still there, but not as strong. That was a good thing. It showed Sierra had some trust in her.
"It started when Ariana Moon came to Shore Point Home for Children." Aimee began, trying hard not to lose herself in the memories. "She found out first-hand how Mrs. Gertrude was beating the children. We made friends with her, of course, and became the Three Musketeers. Ariana learned how to erect a magical barrier using her Ancient Mystic Magic. Of course, she didn't know what it was called until much later in life. Anyway, she would shield us with the barrier whenever Mrs. Gertrude or anyone meaning to do us harm would come around. Before she left, we made the Blood Pact. When she did leave, and we found out what that Pact did to us, we learned how to erect magical barriers of our own."
She paused to catch her breath, and watch Sierra's reaction. Sierra was speechless, and Aimee could feel the barrier lifting, if only a little. She also noticed Sierra's eyes. They were no longer black, but back to their blue and green.
Aimee smiled. "Your eyes changed back, Sierra."
This snapped the dark-haired girl out of her daze. "Really?"
Aimee grinned, nodding. "Go check it out."
When Sierra left, Aimee moved closer to her brother. She took one of his cold hands in her own and closed her eyes, sending him the thought. Sorry about this big brother, but I have to do it. The Crusades were years ago, but I'm still your Over-Seer.
Aimee erected a barrier of her own around them. She then sent herself into his mind, a Healing Magic visual-version of herself searched.

It was dark, and cold. She could feel nothing to grasp onto and Heal so she called out for him. Nothing.
She tried to sense him, but again, met with nothing.
Then, she saw a lone figure standing in a ray of light, like a spotlight on a stage.
He stood in place, examining his hands. His hair was tousled, and the bright green glow of the Unicorn Magic was in his eyes. The 'feel' of him didn't feel like him at all. It was so dark it scared her. If it weren't for the hair, she wouldn't have recognized her own twin brother.
Right away, she could feel him. He was angry and confused. She felt the waves of confusion beating at him, the anger trying to take over him.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he wouldn't let her. She tried to move, but she was frozen in her spot. Aimee sent her Healing Magic to him, only to have him throw it back at her. She tried twice more, but it was again rejected, and thrown back at her.
Aaron, stop this madness! Aimee used telepathy to tell him, since she still couldn't move or speak. I know you're angry and confused. Come back to us and we'll figure it out together.
The vision of Aaron finally looked up and acknowledged her. The green glow was still in his eyes, and he reached