(Author’s note. I changed Ella’s (one of the fairy queen’s) name to Nyla because it was too similar to Donella’s)
Fourteen
What didn’t really strike me as odd then was how I could see. Usually during a starry night, seeing clearly isn’t very easy. But for me, I could see all around me as if the sun was still in its rightful place in the sky. I even had to shield my eyes as a pearly white light came from within the castle. Four figures appeared on the platform, and then the light disappeared. The four figures took their seats on the thrones.
One of them spoke. A female voice, loud with power, said, “What is it that you want, Summer Puck?”
The one that spoke, I recognized her. I’m not sure how, but somewhere deep inside I knew it was Donella. She had voluptuous white hair flowing down to her ankles and she wore an off the shoulder snowy gown.
Summer then said, “you know what I want, Donella. I want you all to stand down. I want freedom to all fairies.”
The other female stood. It was Nyla. “You do not have any idea to what will come if we resign our powers. Your little mind cannot even comprehend the disasters that will occur. You’re foolish to think that you can just come here and rule. Leave us.”
I didn’t know what Summer had planned. So she got me and brought me to Breena, what next? It seemed that Summer didn’t think out her plan completely. From my perspective, it ended there. Maybe she hadn’t thought she’d even make it that far. I couldn’t tell. And although in my eyes her plan was completely flawed, the way she held herself made her look confident. She held the reins of her Warg tightly with her chest puffed out and her shoulders back. Her chin was high as she eyed the kings and queens. What was her plan?
Foster’s hold remained tight around my waist as the queens argued with Summer. I needed to get away from him, but escape seemed impossible. I considered raising my elbow and having it meet his face. If I would have actually done some real damage, I may have had a chance to get away. But I doubted that plan. He’d be right there in a heartbeat to gather me up again. Planning seemed pointless.
Warren wasn’t coming, the kings and queens were loosing their battle, and Summer would be queen. And then we’d all die. Awesome.
Something caught my eye; a shadow moving among the weeping willows and tall trees. At first, I thought it was just more fairies that were controlled by Summer, but the way they kept hidden in the shadows made me think otherwise. Where they the protectors of the elementals?
Foster must have caught me looking into the distance because he asked, “What’s out there?”
I gasped and looked back towards Summer, as if I were only zoning out.
Foster dismounted the very large creature we were straddling, leaving me to hold the reins. They shook it my hands, or my hands shook them, it was hard to tell. Panic rose within me as Foster began peering into the wood. If the shadows I had seen were fairies sent to save me, he’d see them and ruin everything.
I have to stop him.
I pulled tight on the reins, causing the Warg to hiss and move his weight onto his back claws. The earth beneath me began to move away as the Warg stood up straight. I pulled tighter, trying to stay on it’s back, but it didn’t work. I lost my hold on the leather and fell backward. My back fell hard onto the ground. It hurt, but I tried to scramble to my feet before the Warg could trample me. I ran away from it as it began to stampede around the clearing.
I ran, not watching where I was going. My eyes were on the chaos I left behind. Foster trying to calm the beast, other Wargs responding to their fellow creature’s attitude. It caught Summer’s attention, but I ran. I ran fast. Faster than I thought my feet could travel. It was almost as if my feet didn’t even touch the ground as I moved through the woods. It was empowering and strengthened me. I almost laughed at how fun running was.
All that came to an end as I ran straight into something hard. I fell backwards, but I never touched the ground. Someone had my arm. I quickly straightened myself and tried to pull my hand away so I could run further away, even though I had no idea how to get home.
“Fay,” the figure whispered.
I gave up struggling and fell into the figure’s arms. “Warren.”
He wrapped his arms around me, tightly. He hugged me to his chest, an arm around the small of my back, and the other holding my head to him, his fingers getting entwined with my greasy hair. I slightly pulled back, not wanting him to touch it.
“I didn’t think you were coming. It’s been so long.” Tears began to form in my eyes, but I blinked them away.
“I’m so sorry, Fay. I would have come sooner if I could.”
He pushed me away, but still held me at arms length. He looked into my eyes. He had dark purple circles under his eyes and it looked like he hadn’t showered in days either. He was a mess just like me.
“You look so tired.”
He smiled. “Sleep wasn’t really on the to-do list these past few days.”
I dropped my head and stared at the ground. “No,” he said sternly. My body rocked against his sudden escalation in tone. “Don’t deprive me of that beautiful face. I’ve spent the last three days without it. Please look at me.”
I couldn’t stop the tears then. I had missed him so much. I hugged him again.
“I love you so much,” he said into my hair.
Without even giving it a second thought, I said, “I love you.”
I held him tighter.
*
Warren led me away from the castle and farther into the woods. We ended up at a little cottage that looked like something out Little House on the Prairie, except without the prairie. He took me inside and sat me down on a cot. There were a few other fairies there. They were busy with things. He knelt down in front of me and began inspecting me.
He lifted my arms and turned my hands around. His hand wrapped delicately around my chin and turned my face left and right. In the candle light, I had no idea how he could see anything.
“How is she?” A female fairy, covered head to toe in green tribal tattoos moved closer towards the cot. Her hair was tied up in two pigtails and her long green hair reached past her waist.
My eyes widened. She’d followed me?
“Minor scraps and bruises. I think she should be fine.” He smiled at me.
She nodded and held out her hand. “I’m Rayne.”
I shook her hand. “Fayette.”
She smiled at me, but didn’t continue a conversation. She turned away from us, her green swords that were tied around her waist following behind her.
“She’s been one of your protectors. Rayne actually found you.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m not a good tracker. I had no idea where Foster had taken you.”
I took his hands into mine. “Tell her that I’m grateful that she found me. And I’m sure you tried your hardest.”
“It wasn’t enough.”
I wanted to smack him for being so hard on himself, but someone barged in the door. It was another fairy that I didn’t recognize. His hair was baby blue and his skin seemed like it had a watery glow about it.
“Summer has more troops. We need to fight. It’s now or never.”
All of the fairies nodded, gathered their weapons, and walked through the door. Rayne and Warren stayed behind.
“We need everyone,” the blue fairy said.
“I can’t leave her. She needs to be protected,” Warren objected.
Rayne stood by his side. “We stay. Two fairies won’t make that much of a difference.” I eyed her suspiciously. Why wasn’t she going? Did she and Warren have some weird bond that I didn’t understand?
The blue fairy sighed and looked at me. His expression screamed that he didn’t believe in the cause he was fighting for. He had already given up. He turned around and closed the door behind him as he left.
Was he right to give up? Was there no hope left?
