{{A/N: might be adding chapter 27 in the next couple days. keep a look out! hope you enjoy!}}

Alexander's POV

"That was probably the second most stupid thing you have ever done," I think to myself as I round the dark corridor and slip unseen into my father's quarters. I should have brought Aubrey down here with me, but with the charms His Majesty usually places upon his prized possessions to detect magical threats, there was no telling if she would set them off of not. Luckily, I slipped into his study without issue and made a bee line to the one bookshelf that I knew held what we were looking for.

Something instantly looks off. The books that I am after have sat on this shelf for decades, completely untouched. This bookshelf is disheveled, the books are hanging off the shelf slightly and out of the order I am accustomed to seeing them in. Who in the bloody hell has been in here going through these? My father would never leave them in such a mess, especially considering what information they contain. I shake my head and set about finding the ones we need so I can get back to Aubrey.

Aubrey's POV

"I got what he asked for. It won't be long now before he figures out how to lure her out of hiding," a snarling voice says a little to loudly from across the hall.

Before I could register what I had just overheard, all I could hear was shuffling and someone mutter,"Quick, someone's coming!"

I turned to peek over my shoulder again and then a hand grabbed a hold of my arm and I jumped sky-high, swinging my arm for a punch.

"Whoa there Gorgeous! It's only me! What the hell has gotten into you?" Alex says, jumping back to avoid my flailing arm, a heavy, leather bag over his shoulder swinging as he moved.

I wrinkled my brows at him and looked around the column and only saw moonlight shining in on an empty ballroom. Not a thing was there. I feel him lean over and look at the empty space with me. I turn to him and we both had confused looks on our faces.

"What exactly are we looking at Poppet?" he asks slowly and very quietly.

My eyes search his, trying desperately to find the joke in this, but there's nothing.

He didn't see them. I swallowed hard and grabbed his free hand.

"Let's get out of here."

~*~*~*~*~o~*~*~*~*~

"You saw what? That's not possible Aubrey. Rippers barely leave their caves, and besides, they aren't allowed on castle grounds," Alex sat, staring at me in disbelief. We had been back in his suite for a few minutes now and were sitting down on his couch while I tried to tell him what I had seen.

The man was still looking at me like I was crazy.

I sighed,"Alex, I swear I am not making this up. I did not imagine it, I am telling you that there were a crap-ton of them in your grand hall and I think I heard one of them say something about getting what 'he' asked for and that they would get 'her' out of hiding soon. Now I'm no rocket scientist, but I already had one of them come after me so I can only assume the her they are talking about is me."

I look down at my hands and notice that they are trembling. I rub them against my knees and start chewing on my bottom lip.

'Oh Lord, this just got really bad, didn't it?' my inner voice wails from her corner.

"Ok, well, if they were there, I have no idea why or what they took. I can look into that further another time. What you and I need to focus on now is what we went there for in the first place," he says, opening the leather bag and pulling out two old brown and black books.

He hands one over to me and I hesitate. I think I even stopped breathing. He sighs and motions again with the book and I finally take it into my hands.

"Now the books were not written in English, in fact I have no idea what language they were written in, but they have been charmed so that they translate instantly to whatever language the reader needs it to be. So don't be alarmed when you open it," Alex says quickly, while flipping open his book like it was the newest copy of the Hunger Games not some hundred year old antique.

I took a deep breath, pushed aside the voice inside of me telling me to stop and wait for Isaiah to return and opened the crusty old thing in front of me.

After about 30 minutes of scanning through useless information Alex finally tapped my knee, never taking his eyes of his book.

"I may have found it, Aubrey," he gasped. I slammed my book shut and set it on the table and scooted over closer to him on the sofa.

He opened the book to me and I began to read the pages before me.

"...and then the age of the Oracle will arise. We have seen the rise and fall of four such enchanted beings. Their comings will span the course of thousands of years, each possessing gifts more greater than the one before her. The product of forbidden union between heaven and hell must bear the fate of the same. To each a purpose; to each a fall..."

I realize I am breathing hard when I feel Alex's arm slide down mine and he takes my hand in his. I lean my head back and sigh and Alex begins to read the text aloud to me.

"The first Oracle will possess the power to shift. Not just appearance, but mind and body will be theirs in transition. A true gift to know not only the form, but the mind and secrets of what you become. This ability will bring about a fear of power our kind has never known. With the fall of this Oracle, the Realm will fall under a reign to control all power...

The second Oracle will harness the power to control time. Her fate, the same as the one before her, will blossom from the fear of her abilities. Our realm will discover what its like to covet ones powers for the first time, despite her attempts at changing the outcome. Time has no effect on fate, and as fate should have it, she will fall by the hands of her own kind.

The third Oracle will harbor the power of possession. Every single ability our kind has ever known will lie at her fingertips. For one of such power, she will bring about the end of the reign of fear of her kind. Her fall must be by her own hands as a sacrifice to the one who must create a new Balance..." Alex's voice trailed off and I heard the fast fluttering crinkle sound of pages being turned.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" he suddenly snarled. I immediately threw my head back up and looked at him and the book. I had heard what he just said and I was sick to my stomach but why he stopped, I was worried it was worse than I thought.

"Whatever it is Alex, just give it to me straight!" I said, my voice shaking slightly.

He threw the book down onto the coffee table in front of us and pointed to it, "I would Aubrey, only I think I have figured out what your friends took." I glanced down at the book again and that's when I saw it.

The next page had been ripped from the book.