Nevermore

The grey-eyed girl

Hester and Anadil should have considered themselves lucky to get away from Rafal.

They were now sitting in a cold stone room in Avalon Towers, glancing wearily at the girl sitting across from them, tending to a fire. The girl had introduced herself as Hazel. The poor girl had looked like she'd spent the whole week running and tripping every few minutes - basically, she looked exhausted. She had bags under her eyes, her skin  ghostly pale, her chestnut coloured hair thin and wispy. Nevertheless, she had saved Hester and Anadil's lives. 

When they were running from Rafal something strange had happened. The world around them had suddenly turned...black and white. Rafal had been right there and hadn't seen them. Anadil had turned to see a girl beside her, pressing a finger to her lips to shush. 

" What are you doing here in Avalon alone?" Hester asked warily. She still didn't trust Hazel. 

She looked up from the fire for a second, as if in deep thought, before drawing her gaze back down to the flames. " The more important question is is what you're doing here," Hazel replied, her voice raspy from weeks of misuse. 

" That's none of your business."

" Well then, you can't expect me to tell you mine." 

Hester glared at Hazel. 

" We're all on the same side here aren't we?" Anadil blurted. " What Hester's saying is that we need to know if we can trust you." 

Hazel laughed in surprise. " I saved you from him. I'm beginning to regret that choice. Tell me your story and I'll consider telling you mine." 

Hester and Anadil glanced at each other. " Okay, well..."Anadil retold what happened at the Battle at Stymph Forest to being rescued by Guinevere, sent out on a mission to recruit the Ever Kingdoms and Rafal catching them. 

When Anadil finished, Hazel was looking at them, her lips pressed in a thin line. " It might not be the best idea to go to the Ever Kingdoms." She said at last. 

" What? Why?" Hester asked, confused. 

" I came from Jaunt Jolie," Hazel began, her eyes seeming to go to some faraway place. " I lived there with my family. It was all fine there until... the rulers became scared about the School Master attacking them. That's when they found out about me. I have this ring and this might sound unbelievable but it makes you invisible. Oh, and it only works for me. They were planning to sacrifice me to the School Master.  A peace offering. I escaped, and ran. Ran,ran,ran. My muscles burnt, I could hardly breathe but I still ran until I could no more. I didn't know where I was heading and I ended up in Avalon. Been here for a week, I'd say. Can't say the food's great." 

All of a sudden, a snake leapt out from behind Hazel's back, causing Hester and Anadil to jump. " Oh, I picked up this little guy on the way." Hazel patted the snake on the head fondly. " I called him Diablo." 

" Wait, so how did you escape?" Hester asked curiously. 

" Sewers. Ewww, gross right? They came out in a farm just on the borders of the kingdom." 

Anadil stood up straighter, seemingly more alert. " Could you get in the sewers the way you came out?" 

Hazel shrugged. " I mean, I guess." 

" I guess our first stop is Jaunt Jolie." Hester proclaimed. 

" No guys, not a good idea." Hazel's face drained of colour. 

" You don't have to come." Anadil replied. 

" Actually she does." Hester pointed out. " How else are we supposed to find the sewers?" 

" Please." Hazel begged. " You do not want to go there." 

" What else are you supposed to do here? You'll die in these walls." Anadil responded. 

Hazel sucked in a breath and looked around the fire lit stone room. A few blankets she had found, crumbs. Some musty old books. The albino was right. She would die here.  Anyway, what else would she do here, in these abandoned towers? She didn't want to be alone again, not after finding someone in this god forsaken place.

" Okay," Hazel  agreed uncertainly. 

" We could get a map from Rafal's guards." Hester suggested. 

The three girls - an albino, a girl with a demon tattoo and a girl with a silver-coloured snake and magic ring, ran out into the snow. 

Luckily, it appeared the guards were still passed out from their encounter with Hester and Anadil earlier in the day.  " What worries me," Hester began " is the evil stepmother. Me and Anni saw her earlier but she seems to have  disappeared." 

" You think she's around here?" Hazel whispered cautiously.

Behind them, Hazel and Hester heard a muffled scream and whirled around. The evil stepmother was there, caked in blood,holding her filthy hammer, holding Anadil like she was a toy.

She grinned menacingly. 

Hester glanced to where Hazel was seconds ago but she was gone. What a bitch, Hester thought. " Hand yourselves over or your friend will die." The evil stepmother threatened. 

" Never." Hester replied, her demon coming to life. 

As the evil stepmother was about to slit Anadil's throat while Hester watched in horror, she saw a floating rock come up behind the stepmother. Her gaze flitted to it and the stepmother, sensing something was wrong,  spun around, dropping Anadil to the floor who heaved for breath. 

Hazel had been knocked off balance and her ring had slipped off her finger, leaving her defenceless in the snow. The stepmother snickered in glee and raised her hammer over Hazel, whose eyes widened in realisation. 

Unluckily for the stepmother, this had given Hester and Anadil time to get back on their feet. With one quick move, Anadil threw a dagger at the stepmother's back and Hester's demon slashed at her with his claws. Hazel scrambled back up and applied the ring back onto her finger, while Diablo sunk his fangs into the stepmother's flesh. 

In a few seconds, the stepmother lay dead at their feet as the three girls sucked in air. 

" Thank you," Hazel gulped " I would have died if you hadn't done that." 

" I'm glad we could return the favour. After all, you saved us." Anadil smiled weakly. 

Hester took Hazel's hand. " Welcome to the coven." 

Hazel cocked her head. " The coven? What's that?