Chapter 20 - ADRIAN
809 Words
He appears in the cave entrance, just as the Shadow said he would. Knight with his white armour and gleaming silver sword. His eyes are red, his face twisted in pain. If anything, he looks more like a downtrodden human than an all-powerful fairy. His wings are unnaturally still as he looks at the two of us, a mixture of simmering anger, hurt, and confusion in his eyes.
“I do not want to be here. I do not want to do this.” He murmurs.
“But you’ll do it for Rosa.” Contempt fills every fibre of my being. “Just like you sentenced me and my sister to die.”
He scoffs. “It was a choice, girl! Between Rosa and two children I barely knew. What would you do if you had to make the same kind of choice- between your beloved sister and someone else.”
“I have enough of a conscience not to sentence children to death, Knight, and I’m only 17. What’s your excuse?”
“I am not an i***t to let a Witch trail after me.” His eyes are on Ari and I see contempt on every inch of his face. “Have you offered her your life in exchange for whatever little help she can provide you? I may not like you, girl, but I have to point out how stupid that is.”
Before I can respond, Ari steps in front of me. “I don’t want anything in return. I just want to help.”
“I know that is what you’ll say until I let you into Dreamscape. What’s the plan, Witch? How exactly are you planning to backstab your human friend? Have you decided on a recipe for her yet?”
“I would-“
“She may be naïve but I am not. There is no way I’m letting a monster into Dreamscape. Consider yourself lucky that I have not killed you yet.”
“That’s enough.” I step beside Ari and take her hand. “She saved my life. After you left me for dead in the forest. So you can get off your high horse now.”
“I was following orders.”
The absolute absence of guilt on his face infuriates me. “I think that when your orders are to murder children, you ought to start thinking twice about the person giving you orders.” I step towards him, knowing very well that he can annihilate me with magic. “Where is my sister?”
“There is nothing you can do for her.”
“You evil son of a –“ I lunge at him and he raises his hands immediately. A beam of blinding light flashes towards me. But before it can touch me, I find myself inside a glimmering sphere. The ray bounces back and hits Knight, instantly knocking him down. The sphere dissolves and I hear a thud behind me.
“Ari!” I run towards the tiny motionless figure on the ground. As I gently shake her by her shoulders I notice that her hair is rough and grimy. The rotting wound on her cheek has spread and is not extending its thin dangerous hands towards her neck.
“Ari, wake up!”
“Wh…What…”
I turn to see the Fairy on his feet, dazed. He shakes his head and stares at the scene before him. I know the absurdity of what he is looking at. A girl crying over a Witch.
“What is wrong with her? He shakes his head again. “I can see how she earned your loyalty. Rather clever of her. Being a replacement sister-“
“SHE IS DYING!” I scream. “SHE IS DYING BECAUSE THEY CAST HER OUT. BECAUSE SHE REFUSED TO KILL. BECAUSE SHE REFUSED TO DRINK HUMAN BLOOD. SHE IS A FAR BETTER PERSON THAN YOU WILL EVER BE AND SHE IS DYING. HOW IS THAT FAIR! TELL ME HOW THE HELL IS THAT FAIR, YOU HYPOCRITE! YOU CHILD-MURDERING SELFISH MONSTER!” I let out a wail and hug her still body. Tears stream don’t my cheeks and I do nothing to stop them. A numbness fills me and I think to fall and die here won’t be bad.
There is a stunned silence. After a few moments, I hear footsteps behind me. And then, he kneels at my side and touches her face.
“I can’t help…” He says softly. “She is exhausting her magical energy every second…”
“Anything…” I sob. “Isn’t there…”
“You said she doesn’t want to kill or drink blood…”
“Can’t you give her a bit of your energy?”
“She has been stripped of Fairy magic. Once that happens…There is…”
“A...Ad…” Ari’s eyes flutter open. “I’m…I’m sorry…”
“You saved my life.” I kiss her forehead. “Don’t be sorry.”
“I only intended to knock you out,” Knight says sheepishly.
Ari sits up, rubbing her temples. “I thought you were trying to kill her.”
Knight didn’t reply. He stood up and said, “We have to leave. If we have to have any chance of saving Rosa…We have…”
- Writer
