Fairytale Fate: The Legend Begins

♚ C H A P T E R • T H I R T Y - F O U R ♚

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"He was her dark fairytale and she was histwisted fantasy, and together they made magic." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Aura awoke to an almost deafening ringing in her ears. She slowly opened her eyes and gently placed a palm on her forehead in an attempt to subdue the throbbing. She sat up abruptly when she noticed her rose gold bracelet chain was absent from her wrist.

            Carolyn was still asleep on a cot next to her's. They were in a different part of the cave than they were before they had fainted. It was blocked off from the rest of Althea's cave by shoji screens made from the bark of a cedar tree.

            Aura could hear the faint echo of voices from the cave's main area, but was too far away, and her senses too hazy, to make out what anyone was saying. She blindly tapped Carolyn on her shoulder, her sister slowly stirring.

            "Five more minutes..." Carolyn groaned through a yawn, not even opening her eyes.

            Aura leaned over and swiftly flicked the side of her sister's forehead.

            Carolyn's eyes shot open as her hand flew to her temple. "Asshole..."

            "C'mon," Aura said to her sister as she urged her sore muscles to stand.

            As the twins stumbled into the main area of the cave, the whispering they had heard halted.

            Althea, Bailey, and Robin were sat at the mossy oak table huddled around something in the center. When they heard the twins, they all turned in their direction.

            "Morning sleepyheads," Bailey joked, although her smile was strained.

            "How long were we out?" Aura asked, rubbing the stiffness out of her neck.

            "About two hours," Robin replied, shifting on his stool.

            Carolyn moved closer to the table to examine what had her friends fixated. On a worn piece of cloth sat the twins' bracelet chains, both pulsing a bright golden glow.

            "They've been acting up ever since you passed out," Althea said, gingerly handing the bracelets back to the twins. The second the rose gold chains touched their wrists, their glow halted. She poured two small cups of tea. "How are you feeling?"

            Carolyn gratefully accepted the petite stone cup, the warm liquid soothing the remnants of her pounding headache. "More or less like I've come back from the dead." She carefully rubbed her eyes but jumped when she momentarily saw piercing blue eyes staring back at her.

            Althea suddenly appeared next to her, placing her cool palms onto Carolyn's shoulders. She inhaled a sharp breath as she traced circles along Carolyn's temples. "Did you see something before you passed out?"

            Carolyn nodded as she took a shaky sip of tea. "Bright blue eyes." Aura mumbled in agreement.

            Althea hummed to herself as she fluttered around her large workspace, combing through tattered books and crinkled scrolls.

            "Whoever they belong to doesn't give me a bad vibe at all, they're almost comforting in a sense," Carolyn started before biting her lip, "that is when they don't scare the shit out of me."

            Robin and Bailey shared a look as Althea rushed back to the twins, a small smile making its way onto her face.

            "You said blue eyes, yes?"