Chapter Nineteen: The Knight Who Plays With Fire

2.2K 188 9
                                    

I was lost in a cloudy, dreamless sleep for hours until heated shouting from upstairs awakened me slowly. There was an impressive amount of cursing from the residents of the apartments, and my eyes blinked open, adjusting to the light in Lorely's spare bedroom. I flicked a clump of my hair away from my face. Sunlight filtered through the ratty curtains, and with a groan I sat up. My muscles were sore and aching, and I stretched my wings. They unfurled gently, soaking in the warmth of the summer day. Despite the pleasure in my wings, I really wished that it was winter. I was beginning to miss the snow.

Lacing up my boots, I pulled back the curtains and discovered that it was nearly sunset over the dumpsters. I did a double take.

Had I really slept that long?

My mouthed formed a grim line. There wasn't much time, we needed to find The Summer Scepter. Tonight. I shouldered my bag quickly, and just as my fingers brushed the doorknob, I heard the frantic pounding of footsteps down the hall. Abruptly, the door was flung open and whacked me in the shoulder.

"Ow!" I exclaimed. Glen was standing in the doorway, but before I could yell at him I saw his expression and froze. He looked worried. Glen wasn't easily worried. "What is it?" I asked him, my voice tinged with concern.

"We've got company." He responded.

Lightning struck in my nerves.

"Who? The sprites?"

In response, Glen grabbed my shoulders and pushed me deeper inside the room. He peered out my window through the curtains.

"No one is out there." I told him, folding my arms across my chest. "As far as I know. Now what is-"

Glen put a finger over his lips. I took that as my cue to shut up. Reaching inside my bag, I pulled out my ice sword and waited. I found comfort holding a weapon, in control even though I had no idea what was happening.

The apartment was utterly silent. Then, someone knocked at Lorely's front door. I could hear it from down the hall, chills crawling up my spine as the rapping of knuckles continued. I braced myself, and beside me I noticed Glen's wings twitching in anticipation. Lorely passed through the hall, glancing at us through the open bedroom door.

"Leave." She whispered, so soft I could barely hear it.

I turned to Glen.

What about Diandre? I mouthed. His face paled.

Before he could answer, I heard the sound of the front door creaking open.

"Good evening," Lorely rasped. "How can I help The Winter Fae?"

I froze.

The Winter Fae? What could they possibly be doing here?

A voice spoke, drifting towards me. It was so familiar it made my jaw drop.

"I believe you know the answer to that, Lorely." It replied. "We have detected activity in one of the mirror portals in Colorado, and then in yours."

"That's odd," Lorely said innocently. "I thought you had closed them down."

The voice went on. "When we went to the source of this disruption, we discovered that it was inside a sprite lair that had been evacuated only hours before." A pause. "At the same time of this portal interference, dozens of abducted children were mysteriously returned to a police station. You must have a guess on who's behind this, Lorely."

I wilted with relief for a moment. The children were home safe.

"Is there something you're getting at?" Lorely hostily exclaimed.

The Faerie CursesWhere stories live. Discover now