Chapter 28 - ARIZONA
932 Words
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING!” I hear Adrian shout.
The Fairy doesn’t speak. His face looks drained of all colour. His hands shake as he holds up his sword.
“Oh…You intend to fight me now, do you, traitor?” The thing leers as its red eyes glow. “Letting the unworthy into Dreamscape is a crime. Do you intend to make your punishment worse by stopping a magical guardian from doing their duty? If so, you are stupider than your friend Rosa.”
Knight purses his lips at the mention of the name. “Siren,” He says. “Let them go. I know you can hear me.”
There was no response from Siren. The monster’s form shifts into that of a huge dog. Its teeth gleam at us as it readies itself to pounce. Addie grips my hand tightly. She seems to know the same thing that I seem to know. Running is not an option. The thing can kill us in one move.
Knight takes a deep breath. He mutters something under his breath and his sword glows. A golden net jumps out of its end just as the creature jumps and falls on it. The net lengthens and attaches itself to the earth, trapping the huge shadow dog mid-jump. It falls back down to earth in a heap, eyeing us with murderous eyes.
“Let’s go. NOW!” Knight says and we take off in a run. We are no more than 20 steps forward we hear the sound of the net being pulled off, a sinister growl and –
Knight freezes. “Oh no…” He says.
All around us, shadows move. It is not the comforting mysteriousness of the moonlight but something far more sinister. I smell death. I taste it on my tongue.
“I never thought you would go this far, Knight.”
The Fairy who steps forward immediately reminds me of cold mornings and falling leaves. Her messy hair flys all around her head like some sort of evil halo. Her eyes, although looking directly at us, don't seem to see us at all. Her smile is like a doll’s.
“Autumn,” Knight’s voice feels resigned. “Didn’t expect you to be in charge of this.”
I have heard time and time again how terrifying a mirthless laugh is. But to see it in front of me is entirely different. I can feel the terror grip me. Worse than when I saw that monster in front of me.
“I guess my presence complicates things for you.” There is no emotion in the other Fairy’s voice. “Is it hard to accept that your life as a Guardian is now over?”
“If I had any trouble accepting that, Autumn, I wouldn’t be here in the first place.”
I feel Addie behind me, gripping my hand. She is readying herself to run. Waiting to see what Knight would do. But the more I look at him, the more I feel that he doesn’t have any intention to fight.
“I see that Rosa has been a bad influence.”
Knight laughs a little. There is a sadness in his voice that touches my heart. “I understand how she feels.”
“That’s nice.” The Fairy or Autumn holds out her hands. I see vines shooting out of them. Not beautiful green wines but ones made of smoke, full of silvery gleaming thorns. In a flash, they are around both me and Addie. The thorns cut into us but neither of us makes a sound. We are too transfixed by the scene in front of us
Still, Knight doesn’t make a single move to fight. For a frightening moment, I consider the possibility that he is getting ready to die.
“I’ll give you choice here, Knight, although you don’t deserve one. Come with me to Siren and help punish these two traitors and be forgiven or - ”
“Or be punished along with them.” Knight smiles. “How noble of you to offer me a choice, Autumn.”
“Do not mock me!” A strange fire burned in Autumn’s eyes. “How about you be grateful that you - ”
The earth below Autumn starts to shake. She glares at Knight and mutters something under her breath but nothing changes. The earth grows softer and softer. I wonder why she doesn’t run away but then I understand that her feet are stuck to the earth. She is sinking…
“YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!” Green fog shoots from her fingertips. The moment it touches us, I feel weak. I want to curl up and g to sleep.
“I brought them here. I will not let them get killed.” Knight grits his teeth as he beings to glow. A bright flash of light shoots towards Autumn, which she blocks with a shield of leaves. But I can see she is tiring. The green fog has slowed down considerably.
“TRAITOR!” Autumn screams but suddenly her legs give way as she falls face-first into the soft earth around her. Slowly she sinks entirely into the mud. The vines around us disappear
I hear Knight sigh. There is a glint of tears in his eyes.
“I sorry…” I say to him.
- Writer
