The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Six - Inverted Isa

Euclea Hecklby

I wipe the hot, salty liquid from my cheeks. I feel pathetic. Here I am crying over this girl who I'm too afraid to even tell how I feel. I tug at the cord around my wrist.

~~~

"I don't get it." I cock my head to the side as the faerie finishes tying the string to my wrist.

"It'll keep us connected. Forever. I never want to be without you, Lea." Hollis blushes slightly.

"But they don't even match." I frown.

"Do they need to? I made yours and you made mine..." She shrugs, intertwining our fingers together and letting the bracelets fall side by side.

"But we were told to make our own. For ourselves." I shake my head, going to remove her bracelet from my wrist.

"Since when did you start listening to what people tell you to do?" Hollis chuckles and I smile, I can't deny that she has a point.

"I love you, Hollie..." I purse my lips slightly, taking a deep breath in as I attempt to find the right way to word what I want to say next.

"I love you too, you're my best friend." The faerie leans her cheek against my shoulder.

I blink, unsure how to take that. Is she trying to friend-zone me?

"Did I tell you about that guy who's been flirting with me?"

Oh please no. "Yeah..."

"Well, he asked me out."

No. PLEASE NO.

"I said yes..."

"Oh..." I clench my jaw tightly. I can't have been imagining it all. Can I? Really?

"What do you think?" She looks up at me expectantly and my heart breaks immediately.

"Congratulations, I guess." I shrug, taking my hand out of hers before standing and brushing myself off. "I have to go. Training and stuff..."

She blinks for a second but then nods. "Of course."

"I won't take it off, Hollie. No matter what." I smile sadly. I hope she doesn't see the pain in my eyes. But I have a funny feeling that she does. And that she knows exactly why it's there.

~~~

A hand rests on my shoulder. "What's wrong?" Nova's voice.

"Nothing. Just thinking..." I shrug, the bracelet dropping from between my fingers and dangling on my wrist once more.

"Speaking of thinking! I thought we could have lunch with Hollis after the meeting with my parents in the morning." Nova grins. "I've missed her so much."

I purse my lips and nod. "Maybe..."

"What is it?" The princess frowns.

"What?" I turn away, knowing she can read me far too well.

"Whatever you're hiding from me." Her arms cross over her chest and I don't even need to be facing her to picture the expression of disapproval and annoyance.

I sigh. There's no point hiding this for much longer. She'll find out as soon as she asks someone to deliver a message to Hollis. "I don't want you to overreact... We don't actually know who's involved or not."

"Tell me. That's an order." She glares at me and I feel bad. We're all friends above anything else, perhaps I should have spoken up sooner.

I gulp and lick my lips uneasily. "Hollis was taken. No one saw her for a few days before you and Orin left for Pharaway. I went searching for her and I overheard two fay talking about the Cadman guy, which is how I found out about the betrothal. But they saw me flying away, caught me and took me to where they'd taken Hollis. They tortured us for the fun of it. If I hadn't known better, I would have assumed they were part of the Clanless. But, I don't think it was. I think it was puritans. Even though you're a fay hybrid, just a mixture of two different types of elemental fay, there are still some people who don't agree with you being the future queen because you're not a 'true' faerie. We already know that Orin took it upon himself to punish Taehyung for spending time with you because he wasn't from a True Clan. Is it that far fetched to think he could be a puritan too? He's always hated you and no one could ever work out why."

"So you think that he's stopped working first and foremost for my mother?" Her brow furrows and you can practically see how fast her brain is working.

"I think. I don't know. And I can't be sure that your mother isn't involved, but, though she is harsh, she is a fair Queen. I thoroughly doubt she would let them hurt people for fun. That doesn't seem like her." I look to the ground, feeling even guiltier that I kept all of this from her in the first place.

Nova nods. "Thank you for telling me. I'll look into it."

"No need. That's what I asked Taehyung before we left - that he would get his alpha to find Hollis and find out who was really behind it. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I just didn't want to give misinformation. And I was right because you already believe Orin is a puritan, don't you?" I bite my lip, hoping I'm wrong.

"Maybe..." Nova looks to the side and I chuckle at her sudden cuteness.

"Just please remember that we don't know yet. It's a theory, that's all." I say sternly.

"Okay. I'll try. But meanwhile..." Nova turns to me and my heart turns to stone, tying itself around my stomach dropping down to my feet like a cannonball.

"Oh god, I hate it when you look at me like that."