Broken Wings

Chapter thirteen~ "I can't let them hurt him!"

Chapter thirteen,

Eelii was stuck by my side like glue now, the queen had ordered him to guard me at all costs and with my outburst he had agreed before she’d even finished the sentence. Apparently Thif was planning to come back again, and Eelii would be the one to make sure he didn’t hurt me.

“I don’t need protecting.” I mumbled, kicking a rock across the ground.

I was in another gold dress; this one was more like a summer holiday strappy dress though. And it was way comfier than the rest. Eelii had insisted that I couldn’t leave the palace but he couldn’t hold me back so I had persuaded him to let me at least walk through the woods. The woods were dense and nothing like the castles gardens, I hadn’t been here in a while but I wanted to go to the portal to see how Tristan was doing without me.

I had left quite suddenly, so he might have been upset.

As we neared the place I had thought the portal was Eelii got extra cautious, worrying I would try and run away back to earth. I saw the glowing whole in the ground and my eyes lit up. I leant over it and prayed that Tristan would appear.

He did.

But he didn’t just appear… he walked out of the portal.

It was like my life was now a series of surprises, some awesome… some not so good. But right now, this surprise is good.

“Anna!” He grinned, opening his arms for a hug. As he stepped forwards Eelii slid in between us. He gave me a cautious glance and then turned to Tristan.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” Eelii said flatly. I laughed and pushed him out of the way. I jumped into Tristan’s arms and let myself relax into him.

“I’ve missed you so much!” He said, “I thought you were dead. But then my dad said you’d be in Myllic. He told me not to come, but I couldn’t help it!” He laughed and I frowned. How could his dad know about all of this? As we stepped away from each other Eelii drew his sword and pointed it in Tristan’s direction.

“Step away from the princess.” He ordered.

“Who is he?” Tristan asked, he didn’t seem to be phased by the fact he was holding a sword to his head. I spotted a hint of jealousy drip out of his voice. Tristan looked Eelii up and down and laughed at his blue hair. Eelii shuffled on his feet uncomfortably.

“He’s my body guard.” I waved my hand as if it was a boring subject. “Eelii, chill out, he’s not going to hurt me.” I stepped past Eelii again but then turned to the portal as another body emerged from it. Tristan’s face fell.

Tristan’s dad stepped out of the portal and glared at his son. “I told you not to come here! You do not know how dangerous it is!” He snapped and grabbed his sons arm. I watched helplessly and Tristan was dragged towards the portal.

“That man has sense.” Eelii said under his breath. I elbowed him and waved to Tristan.

Great. Now he was gone again. Just like that.

Just as I’d got to talk to him again.

It would probably be one of the last times I saw him. I was only not stopping him from going back to earth because I knew it was dangerous, I didn’t want him to get hurt.

Just as Tristan’s dad tried to step into the portal Thif appeared in front of them. He laughed like a madman and the sky dimmed, and lightning attacked the trees.

Crap.

Why couldn’t Thif just leave me the heck alone?

Everything had gone from fine to fatally dangerous in less than a second.

Then Leo appeared next to Thif. My jaw dropped as he still avoided my eye contact.

Oh, wasn’t this pleasant. Tristan, Leo and Eelii all in the same place.

Me and Eelii, Tristan and his dad, Leo and Thif.

It was like some three- way battle.

Eelii drew his sword again and pushed me behind him protectively. Thif laughed, flapping his wings to create dominance. Leo then looked to me; his eyes full of regret and maybe even… sorrow?

As Thif stepped towards Tristan and his dad, ready to scoop them up and drag them away I screamed Tristan’s name and ran forwards, standing in between them and Thif. Eelii shouted my name but I didn’t listen. I would protect Tristan at all costs; he was just an innocent human. He would have no chance against Thif.

Eelii ran forwards to try and pull me away but Thif drew his sword and started to fight him backwards. Leo stepped towards us.

He mouthed the words ‘I’m sorry’ and raised his hands to move Tristan and his dad with his powers but I raised my hands as well, countering his force.

Leo seemed shocked I could do it, and in the moments he stood amazed I flung him away against a tree. I pushed Tristan and his dad towards the portal but Thif appeared and just as they fell into it he opened his wings to block there path.

I glanced behind me to see Eelii lying on the floor, struggling to breathe. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed his sword and ran towards Leo.

“You touch them and your son is history.” I said sternly. Thif turned to face me; Tristan looked terrified in his arms. I placed the sword onto Leo’s neck and Thif looked concerned, but not enough to drop Tristan.

Suddenly Leo jumped up and grabbed the swords hold, placing his hands over mine. I could tell he was trying to move me with his powers and take the sword for himself but I used my powers to make myself stay put. Leo gritted his teeth and our eyes met.

I forced myself not to be enchanted or hypnotized. He seemed to be doing the same. I felt his hands loosen and I threw him backwards without my hands.

Thif laughed and flapped his wings, satisfied with the outcome. Leo looked to the ground and disappeared.

“ANNA!” Tristan shouted as Thif flew away with them. I screamed back at them, but it was useless I had no wings. I jumped helplessly up to try and grab them but the highest I got wasn’t even close.

Half Fairy, half human, of course I wouldn’t have wings. I cursed at myself and fell to my knees. I shivered; what would Thif do to them? Would he torture them? Use them as bait? Kill them to make me sorrow and weak?

“Vi…” Eelii coughed from beside me. I shuffled around so I was sitting next to him. He looked up at me and his eyes started to water. Someone always seemed to end up hurt when Thif came, someone that wasn’t me. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t fight him…” He choked. I smiled weakly and helped him up. He leaned on my shoulder for the walk back. I would take him to my mother, she would heal him and then I’d focus on getting Tristan back.

“Vi! Are you alright?!” My mother ran towards me faster than I’d seen her run before. She took one look at Eelii and placed her hand on his forehead. After a few seconds his wounds seemed to disappear. He stepped away from me and managed to stand on his own. Eliyn pulled me into a hug and babbled about how foolish it was to leave the castle without a full scale security crew.

I couldn't help thinking how easily Thif had entered our castle and our forest. Our security must be shit...

“Mom, t-they have,” I gulped, trying not to let the tears that had gathered in my eyes fall down my face. “They have Tristan, I need to go save him! I can’t let them hurt him!” I pleaded but I knew it was useless. She wouldn’t let me go anywhere where I could get hurt.

“It’s a trick, Vi! It’s what they want. They want you to go and save them and then they’ll capture you.” She said, stroking my hair. I buried my head into her shoulders.

“But I-I can’t let them hurt him!” I said, my voice shaking. She rubbed my back sympathetically.

We all knew there was nothing I could do to help them, and to send our soldiers into their castle would be like execution. 

But I knew I had too.

Tristan and his dad were innocent. It was my fault they're here, it was my fault they were taken by Thif. I wouldn't let myself be the blame for their deaths.