¨Come her my angel¨ I said laughing as my daughter, Angelica, danced around the room with her father.¨She´s mine now¨ her father said laughing. The attetion of both parents was fixated of their 10 year old daughter.Then everything went black. The sounds of my daughters screams shattered the silence. ¨angelica¨ I yelled out. With a jolt I realized the screams had stopped.¨Angelica¨ I called out agin. ¨Liam¨ I called out again. I recieved no response. The lights came on with a harsh glare. The french doors where open and there was no sign of my family other than a single splotch of blood on the floor.

Let me tell you my story. The story of a very unlikely friendship. Our story starts of in an old book filled library. I was walking in the library which was filled with my husband’s magic books. They were covered in dust as they had not been touched since my husband’s diapperance 2 years ago.¨Mistress Bianca¨ said a nervous voice startling me out of my thoughts. ¨Yes, who are you, and what is your business here¨ I called out. For I had told my staff the library was off limits to everyone since my husband’s alleged death.¨I’m sorry I know you said we weren’t supposed to be in here but¨ the voice trailed off. ¨Will you come here so that I may speak with you¨ I called out wondering who the voice was. ¨I-i-i am standing behind you mistress¨ the voice called out closer now. I slowly turned around and there standing behind me was a girl no older than 10. With her blond hair and bright green eyes she seemed much younger for they gave her the image of innocence. ¨ Hello dear, what are you doing in here¨ I asked crouching down. ¨ I was looking for books to read¨ she told me, sniffling. ¨ shhh don´t cry, my dear. Now tell me what is your name¨ I asked the young girl while pulling her into a hug.¨It’s Ina¨ she said, still sniffling. ¨Well hi Ina, do you mind telling me what’s wrong¨ I asked the girl, feeling sorry for her. ¨I´m scared that your gonna yell at me¨ she said bursting into tears again. ¨Darling I´m not going to yell at you, come on let´s see if we can find a book for you to read¨ I said while standing up and extending a hand. ¨really¨she said as she started smiling¨you would help me find a book.¨ ¨Of course my dear, come on, let’s not delay,¨ I said smiling. I moved a long strand of blond hair so light it looked white out of her face, and looked into her green eyes. Her eyes are so much like angelica´s I thought to myself. ¨Your hair is really pretty¨ Ina said¨It looks just like my mommy´s¨ What if she is I thought to myself what if she is angelica. ¨How old are you my dear¨ I asked while looking through the shelves. ¨I’m this many¨ she said holding up 10 fingers.¨What about this book¨ I asked her holding up a book about princesses, but before she could answer a guard burst in the door bringing in a gust of cold air. ¨ There is a stranger at the gates claiming that he is your husband and that he has your daughter¨ the guard yelled out as he came in. ¨I am coming. Ina I will be right back I promise¨ I said. As I was rushed out the door by the guard the last thing I saw was Ina looking scared and lonely. We rushed out of the tower on to the breasway with the frigid air biting at our faces. My thoughts turned to the first time I had walk across the breasway. ¨Come on Bianca¨ Liam yelled to me from his perch next to the door of the tower. ¨Well maybe you should slow down Liam¨ I replied. ¨What are you scared or something¨ he called back with worry in his voice. ¨Your majesty we are here¨ the guard said shaking me out of my thoughts. ¨Of course¨ I replied¨ And where is the man claiming to be my husband.¨ The guard started laughing in a way no human should. His figure started to change and there standing before me was the most grotesque thing I had ever seen. His face which had been hidden from view before I could now see clearly and it was covered in scars. His one eye was missing and there was nothing in the socket. His other eye was bright red. ¨What do you want¨ I said, trying as hard as I could to keep my voice from shaking. ¨Isn’t obvious¨ I want to kidnap you as I did with your family years ago¨Don’t try screaming for help no one will hear you.¨ I won’t let him see me break. I will find a way out of this. ¨Why¨ I ask him ¨Why are you doing this what did we do to you¨ Again he laughed his mechanical laugh. ¨The fact that you are alive is what you did. So now I shall make you pay¨ I wasn’t sure what was happening. I had no memory of this man. ¨ Why do you hate that I am alive¨ I asked, my voice wavering just the slightest bit. ¨ Do you not remember¨ he roared. His voice louder than humanly possible, but then again nothing seemed human about him. ¨Remember what¨ I yelled¨ I have no memory of you or what you said I did¨ Then he surprised me. He started crying. ¨of course you don’t remember¨ he said through his tears¨ you a child when you made the promise¨ ¨what promise¨ I asked softly.

¨Do you even know who I am¨ he asked softly. I leaned against the cold metal gate as it started to snow. ¨I´m afraid I don´t¨ I said. I realized then that he was shivering in his thin shirt and pants. ¨Let´s take this convesation inside¨ I said. As we slowly walked back toward the castle I finally got up the nerve. ¨Who are you¨ I asked treading carefully. ¨ I am James, I was Liams brother.¨ he replied his voice and expression was unreadable. ¨B-b-but that´s impossible¨ I said staring at him in shock. ¨It is in deed possible you see, I never died. I was left behind by my own brother. I was left to die.¨ his voice esclated to the point where he was yelling. ¨How¨ I asked ¨ How are you living¨ I opened the door and stolled into the grand entrance with chandiliers decorated with delicate golden stags and foxes. ¨Prepare a fire in the main library. You make some hot tea.¨ I ordered my staff. ¨Come¨ I said to James and we walked towards the main library. We sat down on the velvet couches in front of a roaring fire. ¨I´m alive thanks to an old witch. She took me to her hut, and we lived in harmony. She saved me. Her name was Circe.¨ he said giving me a long look. ¨You said you had my daughter.¨ I asked. ¨Daughters¨ he corrected ¨You see Angelica was acually a twin, me and Circe had been caring for them both after their father brought them to us. He was half mad said he staged a kidnapping so that you would not worry for them, then he rushed of into the forest.¨ he said sadly recalling the way his brother ran off. ¨Where is here twin¨ I asked. He smiled ¨ I had no intention of hurting you. Circe should be here soon with the girls. She sent me first to make sure it was safe.¨ I said nothing for the shock was to great. My daughters would be here soon I could meet them. Then, the doors swung open to reveal a majestic old women, she was holding the hands of two girls who looked exactly the same. ¨ Is this... Are they..¨ I looked at James unable to form a sentance. ¨Yes¨ he said smiling ¨This is Ina, and Angelica.¨ I stared at them trying to comprehend what was happening. ¨Ina, and Angelica meet¨ but before Circe could finish, Angelica interupted. ¨Mommy¨ she yelled rushing towards me. ¨Oh my sweet girls, come here¨ I said a smile growing on my face. ¨Thank you¨I said looking at James and Circe both in turn ¨ Thank you both¨ I pulled my girls in close ¨nothing bad will ever hurt you I promise¨ I whispered. Now you think that this would be the end of the story, but the events that would take place next would shake me to my bones.

I turned to see the window shatter as a masked figure lept through it. He was shouting ¨Wher are they¨ over and over again. Although I couldn´t see his face I reconized the voice. It was Liam. ¨ Liam¨ I called out to him, to happy to care what James said about him being half crazy. He look at me, and slowly pulled a hunting knife out his leather belt. Off in the distance I heard Circe chanting. Liam froze. I fianlly got a good look at him, his clothes were muddy and his hair was a mess. It look as if he had been living in the wild. ¨Come on¨ James yelled ¨We need to get out of here¨ James, the girls, and I raced towards the tower. He alive, but if he is alive this way, it would be easer if he was dead.

There was a feeling of hopelessness in my chest for I knew there was nothing we could do to save him. ¨What will Circe do to him¨ I asked softly not wanting the girls to hear. ¨She will turn him into animal so that he is no longer a danger to anyone¨ he said sadly. He will lose his brother, the girls will lose their father, and I will lose my husband. ¨There must be something we can do¨ I said in my growing desperation trying hard not to cry. ¨ I´m afraid there is nothingt we can do¨ James said. We walked through the halls quietly while the girls whispered. ¨What´s gonna happen to daddy¨ Angelica said looking up at me with her big green eyes. ¨He is gonna go to a far away place where he can get better¨ I told her. ¨Will I get to see him again¨ she asked me looking hopeful. ¨I´m afraid not sweetheart¨ I told her holing back tears. ¨Come on let´s go¨ I took her and Ina hands and walked with them down the hallway. James and I shared a look of pure saddness and then hurried down the hall with the girls.