“Too late,” said Helix. “Look, I see someone emerging through the portal now.” An evil smile crossed his face, making Stone feel sick since he knew Persimmon was coming through.
To Stone’s surprise, instead of Persimmon stepping through, The Blackseed brothers stumbled out of the portal with their weapons drawn.
“Kill them!” shouted Sethor. “They’re no friends, I assure you.”
A fight started between the brothers and Kings Sethor and Helix. The king had taken away Stone and Aithrod’s weapons, so Stone used his bare hands to fight. He’d taken down two of the guards when he saw Persimmon step through the portal next to join them. She was holding out her hands, keeping the portal open.
“Fast, go through the portal,” she told Stone and the Blackseeds. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold it open.”
“Persimmon, stay with me,” called out Helix. “You are my daughter and this is where you belong.”
“What?” She looked over at Helix and when she did, the portal started to shrink.
“If we’re going through, it’s now or never,” shouted Darium. “The portal is starting to shrink.”
“Stone, won’t you and Aithrod come to live at Mura?” asked Persimmon, her hands still raised, holding the portal open. “Please. I want you to. We all do.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” Aithrod bolted through the portal, disappearing with a snapping sound.
“The rest of you go. I’ll hold them off,” said Darium, his sword clashing with more of Helix’s soldiers who had just entered the cave at hearing the sound of the fight.
“I see the bag of stones. She has them attached to her belt.” Filip reached for them, but Sethor struck him down dead.
“The stones are mine,” said the greedy Sethor. “And all deals with you are off, thief!”
“Nay, those gems are not yours. They belong to me and my daughter.” Helix fought his way over to them. “Persimmon, stay here on Taelgonoth with me. You are the daughter of a king and you deserve everything I can give you. I will treat you like the princess that you truly are.”
“Y—you’re really my father?” asked Persimmon, getting distracted and seeming extremely shaken. When she lost her focus, the portal started closing more.
“We’re going to be trapped here, now get going,” Darium told his brothers.
Rhys and Zann jumped through the portal. When Rancor was about to go through, Stone grabbed him, took his sword and threw him to the side.
“Not you,” he said. “Mura doesn’t want your kind. It’ll never be a dark place like Taelgonoth if I can help it.”
“We’re losing the portal,” shouted Darium. “Move quickly.”
“Go!” Stone told him. “I’ll hold them off and come through with Persimmon.”
“Are you sure?” Darium was reluctant to leave. “I left you once before and regretted it later.”
“I can handle this. Go on, there is no time to lose,” shouted Stone.
“Behind you,” yelled Darium. Stone turned in time to see Rancor charging him with a knife in his hand. Stone took him down with his sword, killing the man instantly.
“All right. I’m going. Now follow me through. We’ll wait on the other side with our weapons in case anyone else comes through with you.” Darium backed up to the portal with his blade still drawn, and stepped back and through the portal leading to Mura.
“Give me the stones, or I’ll kill you.” Sethor grabbed Persimmon and put a blade to her throat. Her hands lowered and the portal became less vibrant.
“No, not again,” mumbled Stone, seeing Sethor threaten Persimmon’s life for the second time now. He was about to save her when something else happened.
“Those stones are mine!” Helix bolted forward, sinking his blade into Sethor’s back. King Sethor fell to the ground with blood spurting out from his mouth and his eyes bulging. If Stone wasn’t already certain that Helix’s soul was too dark to be saved, he certainly was now. What kind of a man would stab another in the back without giving him a chance to defend himself? This man was greedier and even more evil than Mura’s King Sethor. He knew that now.
“Persimmon, quickly. We need to go.” With his blade still pointed outward, he grabbed her hand, meaning to go through, but she pulled away.
“Wait,” she told him.
“Persimmon? What are you doing?”
“Stone, I came here not only to get you but to find my true father.” Her gaze traveled back to the king.
“And now you have found me, daughter,” said Helix, holding out his hand. “Come with me. Let us go back to my castle where you belong.”
“Nay!” shouted Stone, fighting off another guard. “Don’t do it. Persimmon, he is evil. He just wants you for your stones and powers.”
“I’m confused,” she said, looking at him with tears streaming down her face. “Stone, this might be my true father. If so, I’d like to get to know him.”
“Nay, you don’t want to know him. I assure you, he is evil. Walk away now while you still can.”
“Come, Persimmon. I’ve been trying to get to you since that night your mother and I conceived you. There is so much I want to tell you.”
“That’s a lie, Persimmon,” Stone warned her. “He didn’t even know you were born until I foolishly mentioned it when I returned.”
“Oh, Stone. I have lived my life without a true father. It has been a hole in my heart. Mayhap you should go without me.”
“I won’t do that,” he said. “You are coming with me and not staying here. You’re confused. I won’t let you do it.”
“You can’t give her the life she deserves, but I can,” said the king, walking forward, still holding out his hand. “Come, daughter. We have many years to make up for.”
