✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

29

Mia's POV

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I feel sick to my stomach as I stare at Fin, whose forever open, glassed over eyes stare up at the ceiling. I don't even see any blood. In a blink I'm glancing away, not able to look anymore, and instead look at Rose and Andor, who stand a few feet away from us, worried looks on their faces. I am much more than worried, I'm entirely disturbed. Sick. Scared.

I look up at Rose and Andor, and watch a glow of white-blue mist form next to Rose. Knox appears and scans the room. I avert my gaze to El, who gives me a worried glance.

"What...." Knox starts, a startled look on his face, too. I see a flash of something in his eyes, probably the same memories I have working its way into his brain.

My mind feels numb, but I don't think it is. Either there are so many thoughts rushing through my brain that I can't focus on anything, or I just don't know what to think, so I'm not thinking at all.

"The Queen and I were coming back from a meeting," Andor explains, clearing his throat of the weakness, "and this is what we came back to."

Suddenly I feel like someone is reaching inside me and squeezing my lungs, so much that it's hard to breathe. I bring a hand to my sternum and twist my fingers into the material of my dress, pressing down. Like it might help ease the waves of nausea. Who would do something so awful? So morbid?

"The Cin must've done this," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. I swallow and try again. "Nobody here would do something like this..."

"But why would they do that if Fin seemed to be working with them, to bring Mia to them?"

I shudder at the memory of the cold water, Fin's hands on my arms. And now he's dead.

I'd never seen a body before. Part of me is curious, but most of me is repulsed. My grandpa died last year, but of course I never saw his body, I was just told that he died, and I cried for him, all that. I never saw his body. I remember when Fin and his friends were alive, and granted they were trying to hurt me, but it's an odd, raw sensation to see someone you recently saw, alive and breathing, now cold and unmoving.

Mist grows in the throne room, and two elven men appear, wearing matching grey tunics. They give Rose a small bow then head to the bodies, drop their stones, and disappear, taking the the dead with them. Once I can no longer see their bodies my lungs feel better, the air seeming to be a bit lighter. But I still feel the dread pulling at me like an anchor.

"I don't know.." Andor replies to El's question. "And Mia, do you remember anyone else at the stream that day? Anyone who might have been watching Fin?"

I lower my eyes and try to remember. I shake my head.

"No, I don't think so." I surprise myself with how drained my voice sounds. I feel tired, even though it's the middle of the day.

"Can I go?" I ask, already turning to the door. Rose nods

"Of course. Let us know if you remember anything else."

Without looking at Knox or El I turn and stride out of the throne room, my dress puffing out behind me as I speedwalk.

The minute I get out of view of everyone I run. Warm air hits my face as I run down the hallway, then up the stairs, then up another hallway all the way to my room. I'm breathless when I open my door, but it feels good. Better to focus on something else right now.

-

About a week ago I bought- well, more like got, since there is no money or paying here- a wooden target for knife throwing, and hung it in my room, on the bathroom door. Now I sit on my bed, idly throwing my opal knives at the target on my closed door. I watch the blade spin end over end, sticking deep in the wood just a little below the center point. I've gotten better at throwing, and even though I only have two opal knives I stash four extra silver knives in my room, and sometimes I do as Knox does and stick them in my boots- with a leather cover on, of course.