|please read the note at the end of this chapter|

I FELT a knot form in my stomach just as it had the first time I entered the tavern. Arley was an intimidating man. Everything he did exuded an air of "touch me and die." Although I wasn't completely uneasy in his presence, I couldn't help but worry. How would he react if he knew I let Aislin get kidnapped?

We walked further into the tavern and Arley met us in the middle with a large grin on his face. "Look what the tide washed in." He laughed at us, "And is that Zion I see, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

Zion chuckled, "Hello old friend." They both reached out and embraced each other.

Arley let out a deep chuckle, "It's good to see you." He pulled back, looked at the Syndicate, and smiled, "You girls too!"

"What brings you all here?" Arley looked at our group a little more carefully and furrowed his brow, "Where's Aislin?"

I mustered up all the courage I could find and forced myself to meet his demanding gaze. "We need to talk. Can we go somewhere out of public view?"

Arley's expression grew serious, apparently grasping the severity of the situation, and nodded. He quickly turned on his heel and called an employee to man the bar. He then nodded toward the back of the tavern where we went the first time, and strode toward it, not waiting for us to follow him. A sense of deja vu washed over me as I stepped through the heavy wooden door.

"Explain yourself, Bambi!" Arley thundered down at me as soon as the heavy door thunked closed. "Why are you here without Aislin?"

I tried to swallow but the knot in my stomach had jumped to my throat. Arley took a step forward, his heavy boots echoing on the wooden floors. I stood my ground, but my mouth still refused to work.

"WHAT DID YOU DRAG HER INTO?" he bellowed.

"Back off, Arley. Now is not the time." Kingsley interjected, stepping between us and pushing him away.

"Now is a perfect time." Arley countered, trying to stand his ground against Kingsley. "I swear to the gods if you hurt her... If you let anyone hurt her... Nothing will be able to save you." Arley snarled at me over Kingsley's head.

"It wasn't his fault." Blakely-Rose chimed in from the corner.

"WHAT wasn't his fault?" he roared. I felt August and Arius take a step back behind me. Arley had had enough of Kingsley's interference. He placed a hand under each arm, lifted her off the ground as if she were no heavier than a feather and placed her gently on her feet to his side. Then his gaze locked on me. I planted my feet, but I felt myself close my eyes and hold my breath as he stormed toward me.

"STAND DOWN!" I heard an unfamiliar voice boom from the doorway as I felt Arley's hand close on my neck.

I opened my eyes to see a weather-beaten old man standing in the open door. Arley stood frozen in his tracks, still resting his hand around my neck, glaring at the man in the doorway.

"This doesn't concern you, Kady," Arley growled.

"Well seeing as how I seem to have just stopped you from killing the only man who can give you the answers you want, I say it is." Kady reasoned. "Plus, someone had to tell you the whole tavern can hear you, and I drew the short straw," he said as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the heavy chair at the head of the table.

"Are you going to sit down and listen to what the man has to say?" the old man asked, gesturing at the table. Everyone scurried to a seat, but Arley didn't move.

"Pipsqueak, let go and sit down," Kady demanded. Zion stifled a laugh as Arley turned red at hearing the nickname.

Arley released his grip on my neck but stood strictly at the corner of the table as I shuffled nervously into the seat at the corner.

"Now which one of you young'uns is going to tell me what in blazes is going on here? Why are you lot back without Grasshopper? Why is Pipsqueak trying to tear the head off The Snowball? And Raven, why were you going to let him?" The old man demanded.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Kingsley raised a hand to stop me.

"Aislin has been kidnapped by the same people who kidnapped King Kole." She explained. I felt Arley burn hot with anger next to me as his hand clamped down on my shoulder.

"She was what?" he snarled down at me. I finally found my voice.

"We found the king. Kavan held a festival in celebration. Someone laced our drinks with poison. When I came to, she was gone." I managed to whisper, as the reality of what had happened that night sank in once again. I had lost her. I promised I would always be there for her and I had lost her.

"It wasn't his fault." Blakely-Rose piped up again. "We were all there. We all let our guard down. We all let it happen." She explained as the heads around me hung in guilt and sadness one by one.

"So Grasshopper got nicked, you lot feel guilty, and Raven and Pipsqueak blame The Snowball. That doesn't explain why you're here." The old man seemed to be mulling something else over in his brain. "This King Kole of Kavan doesn't happen to be June's boyfriend from back in the day does he?" Kady asked after pondering for a moment.

"He is," Zion spoke for the first time since our arrival. "We needed a fresh set of eyes. A set of eyes that knew Aislin and June. She dropped off the grid when Aislin went missing."

"What do you mean 'dropped off the grid'?" Arley questioned. "June Amulet has been dead for years."

"No, she hasn't," Kady said quietly under his breath. "That horrible, fateful night while you and Grasshopper were out gallivanting around, someone snuck onto the island and broke into the Amulet home. Nobody made it out, except June. She was gravely injured, but somehow she managed to drag herself out of that house. Raven found her and brought her to me. We knew none of the remaining members of the Amulet clan would be safe if anyone knew June was still alive so Zion made it look like she died that night and I smuggled her off the island on my fishing boat."

"You kept that from Aislin? Do you have any idea how much that night broke her?" Arley tried to demand, but his voice cracked.

"Arley, I have never asked you for anything before, but I am begging you; help me find my little cousin. Help me find my aunt. Help me heal her." Zion said somberly, staring at the floor.

"I'll go with you, but I am helping her, not you," Arley stated bluntly. "Grab your rucksack Kady. We'll leave at first light." He turned to leave.

"Not so fast, Pipsqueak. I'm no young whippersnapper anymore. My old nod box won't be of help to anyone. She's better off if I stay here." Kady countered, rising from his seat. Arley looked at the floor and nodded reluctantly.

"You bring our girl home, Pipsqueak. Bring both of our girls home."

Arley looked up, meeting the old man's intense stare, and nodded in determination.

×××××××××××××

Author Note!

Hello, My Mickey Mouse Club House Members!!❤️

Someone I know in my grade committed suicide and it's taken a huge effect on not just myself but everyone around me. Hence I haven't been able to write.

I won't go into depth because it's not important but it is important to talk about. You aren't alone. Even when it truly feels like you have no one. At one point in my life, I felt like that and all I had to do was look around me and see I was loved by many.

Nothing I can say can truly change the way someone feels or their actions, and it sucks that we humans have to feel such depressing emotions.

You are worth everything and more. You are loved.

Thoughts on the chapter?>

Random thoughts? >

How is your day today? Was it bad? Good? In between?

QOTD: any good dad jokes?

Love you all thank you for reading! Xoxox 💋💋

- Mickey ✨