Wicked Hearts Of Stone

Chapter 12

I stumbled back into the mouth of the cave, plopping myself down.
Sebastian laying down in the same spot as before, looking up at the caves ceiling high before, seemed like the was thinking. Contemplating.
The lady was hunched over the crackling fire, adding more sticks and picking at it. This is when I could see her in better light.
She had a long and thing dress on, hugging her skin gracefully. Sheer layers drooped over it which flowed to the floor. Her arms were bare but the same sheer fabric laced across for hands and forearms.
Her eyes watching the dancing flames was an ice blue. She was very pale, but her skin was glistening in the light, licking specs of glitters and stars sprinkled upon her skin. Her body was long and thin, but she too was built well, strong as her toned muscles were carved to perfection.
"What's your name?" I asked her. She briefly stopped poking the fire as she rolled her eyes to me in annoyance. I could tell I wasn't on her good side, but I decided to at least make some light conversation. I hated the silence.
"Fiona." She replied, the dullest way you possible could. "And yours?" She quested back.
"Aeryn." I asserted.
"Hmph, pretty name for a girl with a shitty attitude." She mumbled under her breath.
"Fiona." Sebastian bellowed out, "Be nice."
Fiona tucked her chin in between her knees, "I don't understand." Fiona mumbled under her breath.
Sebastian, not impressed, kneels up on his elbows, staring at the back of her. "What did you say, Fiona?" He question.
Within an instant she has moved from the fireplace and is next to Sebastian, standing and looking down at him. A long, thin stick she used to poke she fire still burning and glowing at the other end in her hand. It dwelled on me that she too can move faster than I can keep up.
"I said I don't get it! She is a complete stranger, possibly endangering our lives. Why bring her in and keep her safe? Why do all of this Sebastian?" Yelling down at Sebastian, but he doesn't react.
"She was captured by Deslin. I had an opportunity to take him out, so I did. She is innocent and does no harm. Let her be."
"Deslin it out?" She questioned him, her tone becoming a bit more calm.
"Yes. He's dead. Shot him with soul arrow."
"Wasn't that our last one?" She asked
"Yes Fiona, it wasn't a waste." He answered, rolling his eyes and laying back down. "Unless Nikolai can bring me some more."
I sat there in utter confusion, who were they talking about? What was a soul arrow, what the hell is going on?
"Um, excuse me?" I say interrupting their conversation. Both their heads turning to me in sync, waiting.
"What the fuck?" I say again, not even knowing where to start, what question to ask first.
Fiona looks back at Sebastian, who has an unpleasant look on his face.
"Fiona, can you? I really can't be fucked right now. I'm tired." Sebastian said, laying his head back on the ground, waving his hand to me.
Once again she rolls her eyes, and struts over to me as she then sits in front of me. I scoot back a little, I didn't trust her and wanted to keep space. She noticed and gave me an annoyed glance.
"What do you know.. of this place? Of us?" She question, resting her head on her hand. Clearly not amused.
"Well.." I said breaking the eye contact as I look around randomly. I swallow hard as all of this information, as much as I am needing it still don't sit right with me. "Sebastian has told me some stuff. About the wall, and how it got there. The council, and how you guys hunted us for years-"
But she cut of me briskly "Oh no, not us. We" she said pointing toward her and Sebastian "didn't do that, our family didn't dive into that... sport." She said, pulling her lips up in disgusted.
"Other creatures on this side of the wall did for sure. But not us. No way. We're not that low." She said, as if she was gloating about her status. But I was just confused, but decided to carry on and ask questions while I had the opportunity.
"Deslin.. is that the guy my father sold me to and brought me over the wall?" Her eyes shot open wide and her mouth dropped.
"What?" I ask in response to her reaction.
"Your father...sold you.. to him?" She seemed stumbled. "Occasionally he travels across the wall to capture people against their will. I've never heard of him buying someone before. Gosh, your dad seems like an as asshole to just sell his daughter like that." She say as she chuckles a little bit and turns towards Sebastian, seeing if he had the same reaction. I look to see him looking back at me with a raised eyebrow.
"What was that arrow you were talking about? Soul arrow was it?" I say trying to chance the conversion. I could feel my heart tugging a ball forming in my throat. I wanted to forget about it. Forget father.
"It's an arrow that has ether energy. A type of energy that can capture a sole, and by breaking ether with a trapped soul will... well no one really knows where it goes. Your body is dead but so is your soul. It never carries on in the after life or can be harnessed again to be resurrected."
This world was too much. It was complicated and complex and I probably only know a little portion about it. It was well out of my comfort zone, and way to weak to be walking amount these creatures and energies.
"Who's Nikolai? Is he one of you guys too?" I dare to question, not sure if I really want to know more or not.
"He's a friend, he'll be here sometime soon. He likes to take his damn sweet time." She mocks, a small half smile growing on her lips.
"How did you guys meet, and why are you living in this cave?" I question again. But her smile quickly disappears, as her face becomes stale and emotionless. She looks down at her arms, touching the gashes previously made so effortless by Sebastian's claws, amazed that they're closed up and healing already.
"Do you want to answer that one, Seb?" Fiona questions him. He signs and groans, annoyed with our question and annoyances.
"Aeryn-" he begins but cut off.
"We once were great kings, queens and rulers, but a cocky, ignorant wicked witch of the west decided she wanted all the power to herself the little selfish prick. She cursed us to be stuck as feral animals and our kingdoms push us out making us become.. well.. essentially homeless. Does that sum it enough Seb?" A voice echoed behind me. We all snap our heads to the mystery man standing at the mouth of the cave accompanied with another woman.
"Nikolai!" Fiona yells as she stumbles to her feet and runs over to him, clashing into him with a great hug which stumbles him back a little. Sebastian greets them with handshakes and hugs, welcoming them back safely from their journey.
"Aeryn, this is the Nikolai you're been hearing soooo much about!" She exaggerates as she steps to the side out of his view.
Wings. Those were wings. Large, monstrous wings plastered on his back.
He was tall, but not as tall as Fiona and Sebastian. He had strawberry ginger hair with short soft curls. His face wasn't long and skinny, but wider and had a more of an appealing face that was friendly, a warm welcome smile towards me. He was also built well, but more bulky, he wasn't as lean as Seb and Fiona.
"A human? What are the chances of that?" He said with a large smile, looking between Fiona and Sebastian. It's was nice to have someone more welcoming, friendly and upbeat compared to these two drabs I've been stuck with, but wings?!
"Nice to meet you, Aeryn." He welcomes. But I couldn't give an answer back with my jaw on the floor. I was in complete awe at the sight before me.
Wings. Like a bird. On him?
"I think she's just a bit shy." Fiona mentions.
"Oh, well then she would get on great with Myra then." Nikolai claims as he turns towards the other woman. I didn't even notice her with my eyes pinned to Nikolai, but when I saw her... how could I of not seen her?
She was beautiful, I mean they all were, but in her own way.
I was met with piercing blue eyes that swirled and danced around her iris. Accompanied by striking deep blue hair that complimented her blushed pale skin and plumped rosy pinky lips. But what caught me so off guard was her gills like layered skin featured on the sides of her neck.
She gave me a small smile, and there I saw teeth that were short and sharp. Just likes Sebastian's claws, they could probably rip anything apart with ease.
I genuinely questioned what I was seeing before me, I couldn't believe my eyes.
She walked over to me, and as she pulled out her hand to greet me a noticed the webs in between her hands.
In such disbelief, a backed up against the cave wall.
These... creatures before me, was nothing I could have ever managed in my wildest dreams. Was everyone, no, every thing like this?
I pushed my body hard against the rocky wall as it poked sharply into my back, wishing I could just melt into it and disappear, hoping this was all just a dream.
But they all were staring at me, with those eyes of theirs. Each one different, beautiful but menacing and intimidating.
"Aeryn." Sebastian called out taking a few steps towards me, trying to snap me back into reality, but my heart rate was spiking, fast. And I was sweating bullets. I was trapped amongst monsters. Ones I couldn't hunt. Oh no, ones that would hunt me.