Elena Maionsa - Quatre

I stood beneath the large and twisted oak tree, that shadowed the doorway of Adel's tucked away haven, watching the house from afar, afraid that if I got any closer I'd never return. The rain that had beaten and bruised me two weeks before had now dispensed into early morning dew that weighed down the blades of vibrant green grass and made the smell of spring dance around me in the early sunlight.

My plans to leave Adel and "get out of his hair" were long forgotten and had turned to a series of quick murmurs, telling him that I was there to keep him company. He didn't seem to mind and for that, I was eternally grateful; I had no where else to go.

Sighing, I lowered myself onto the ground and moved my knees to my chest, resting my chin upon them and keeping my gaze on the Coven house, seemingly transfixed. Adel had told me that I should go and talk to them; ask for one more chance, but how could I return to my prison, when I was free?

That's how I met Adel, on one of my daily escapades into the small thicket of trees that shadowed the back lawn of the Coven. I could never settle into the house, always thought of it as a fortress; me the princess locked away in the highest tower. So, as soon as I hit the age of eleven, I would be out of those doors in a flash whenever anyone took their gaze from me. So they'd send out the cavalry, who brought me back and locked my door, waiting for the next time I fled.

But, one day I got away from the cavalry - my brother - and after a scuffle between us both, I was deep into the thicket, the sharpest of twigs never slowing me as I left his at the edge, profanities following me and ringing into my ears. I was free, I was the breeze.

Eight years before;

I ran as fast as my small plimsoled feet could take me, never looking back to the angry cries that protruded from the foot of the thicket and my brothers foul mouth, only to snag my foot on an offending willow branch that jutted from the dirt like a twisted and arthritic claw.

Gasping with shock - and soon enough pain - I landed on my fragile knees and slid across the dirt, grazing the skin on my shins and receiving a cut to my palm as I reached out and landed on a thorned branch. Tears sprang to my eyes and I bit down hard on my lip, whimpering at the sharp needles that seemed to be injecting their painful poison into my legs and hand.

Knelt on the floor, in too much pain to move, I remained silent and listened for the signs of my earlier enemy, Joseph, but heard none. I let the gentle flow of tears begin and I twisted so that I sat on the damp soil, able to study my knees, which were caked in mud, twigs and now; the escaping trickle of blood. I sniffed hard and wiped away my tears angrily, smearing blood and dirt across my face without realizing.

Be a big girl, daddy had always told me. Daddy; my idol, the one and only dark sorcerer in the Coven. The main man and the role model for my older years, I'm sure. The man that left without a fight when he was banished. The one I hadn't seen or heard of for two years.

I shook my head, hoping it would rid me of the replacement tears and thinking it would ease the pain in my knees, bringing me back down. After a few minutes, the pain had turned to a dull ache and I stood shakily, whimpering softly again.

My beret slipped from my head and just as I leant to pick it up I stopped, in half lean, as I sensed something different. Slowly and nervously, I looked up and my eyes met with an ocean blue pair, which were lost and mysterious. I gasped and stood straight, forgetting about the head wear that was slowly being swallowed by a murky puddle, and stumbling backwards, a scream rising to my lips and escaping in an almighty screech.

The eyes, which belonged to a long haired, creamy blonde boy, widened at this and he launched himself at me, covering my mouth with a hand and stifling the screams, looking me straight in the eye and stopping me in my tracks.

He was a wolf boy...

"I'm not gonna hurt ya'" He whispered, never taking his eyes from mine. "I promise. I'll even tell you my name - Adel. Just tell me; you come from the Maionsa Coven... right?"

I was too stunned to answer and just nodded quickly, lip quivering.

"My mother has sent me here... She has left and gone away, says you're the nice guys, right?"

I shrugged at this one and he smiled a little, rolling off me and taking my hand and hauling me to my feet, dusting me off and picking small twigs from my cuts. He stood taller than me, by about three inches and I later found out, he was one year older - twelve.

A shout echoed around the trees and out from behind the undergrowth, my mother appeared, face flushed and her beret askew as she ran to me quickly and swept me into her arms, in the process pulling me and Adel's hand's apart.

"You little... I was so worried. You know how much trouble you're going to be in you--" She twirled and looked at Adel, her breath catching in her throat as she studied him closely, eyes scanning his dirt smeared face - which matched my own - and tilting her head at the letter held tightly in his hand.

"You better come with me..." She said no more and took his hand, leading up back to the house which seemed more inviting now.

That was the last time I ran away.