22.

Some mornings, I would find it difficult to wake. Tucked warmly into layers of sheets, my perfect cocoon was too comfortable to leave hastily. I would sometimes spend an extra hour or so in bed, listening to the waking world around me; the chirping of the small birds, the rustling of the trees, and the meowing of my sisters cat, but would ignore each time something called me from the constraints of my warmth. It was one of my greatest pleasures, a luxury I did not understand until I woke with a stiff neck, a kink in my shoulder, and shivers running down my neck. I had slept outside and was warmed by Beast as I fell to sleep, but I suspected I had slept for many hours alone on the cold dirt. The creature was nowhere in sight as I groggily sat up and observed the still forest around me. There was sound from within the cabin, but I suspected none of the Fae had awoken quiet yet.

From a the singular kitchen window I observed the swishing hair of The Anima, falling like dripping ink off her shoulders. She had finally dressed, but it was in clothes no larger than normal underwear, and the majority of her inky skin was still on full display. She turned from the stove and as if sensing my gaze she stared at my form on the grass. I rose to my feet quickly, somehow feeling like I had been disrespectful by allowing myself the luxury of sleeping in such a beautiful place, even though my body was being punished for it.

When her golden eyes left mine and she continued to work the stove, I rolled my shoulders back, but simply inflamed the tissue further. I hissed and clutched my arm to my body, but it continued to feel like Lucius' spindly fingers had grabbed a hold of the flesh between my collar bone and back and pinched it tight with his fingers. Picturing it did nothing for my morning grumpiness, fuelling my partial anger at being left to sleep in the cold as the Gryphon did God only knows.

I thought about it, then laughed. I didn't know where Beast was, but I could know. I opened my stubborn mind and reached out roughly, not as delicate as I was when I was full of food and focused. I found him quickly, perched upon a high rock more than fifty miles away, ripping apart what was left of an animal, it's shredded remains hard to identify. I accidentally slipped further into his mind, and began to taste blood.

I spat onto the grass and gaged.

"Gross!" I yelled out loud, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Mmm, maybe to you. But then maybe you shouldn't be so far into my head little human." The Gryphon grumbled over our bond.

I wasn't mad at his food options, but I was becoming increasingly grumpy about my shoulder. I pushed my pain over to him through our bond and he hissed at me.

"Yeah! Maybe you shouldn't leave me lying on the ground!" I grumbled, but noted how sharing the pain had actually made it lessen. I dropped my arm to my side and noted that I could squeeze my hand without pain.

"Someone's not a morning person." He grumbled back, and then reached out to my shoulder through our bond. It felt as if he was massaging the kink out, even though he neither had hands nor was in a close proximity to my body. I sighed in relief as the pain dissipated to our shared connection.

"I just don't like to wake in pain, that is all." I muttered and began to stretch. I still remained in the dress Alvar had glamoured black. I knew I must ask for a change of costume, becoming increasingly uncomfortable and smelly.

"How did you sleep?" I asked Beast once my temper had calmed.

"Fine. But I am not used to sleeping in large chunks. Four hours twice or three times a day is what I am used to." He replied, still pulling chunks out of the carcass.

"So," I clapped my hands together and began to stretch my arms above my head, "did you hear everything The Anima said last night? About us going to the Shadow Plane?"

"Yes, you left your mind open the whole time, so I took it upon myself to eavesdrop."

"Oh." I reached down to my toes, "Then what do you think of it? Her whole plan?"

"I think it is missing some pretty important details and facts, and some parts seem not quite right, but I'm sure she knows what she is talking about."

"You're sure?"

"Mostly." He mentally shrugged and finished devouring his breakfast. He beat his wings and took flight, swiftly gliding back into the direction of the tiny cabin.

"What's that mean?" I grumbled, finishing my stretching. I could now smell eggs and baked bread wafting from the cabin, and my legs drifted towards it automatically.

"That I don't think it's entirely trustworthy. We have no idea what we will be walking into. And she still hasn't truly explained to you the ramifications if you decline your future in this Plane."

I paused before the door, unsure if I could have a conversation as serious as this under the nose of the golden-eyed lady.

"What are the ramifications, Beast?" I asked anxiously, hand on the door to keep myself from falling over.

"Eat breakfast, then we shall talk."

As I began to protest, he shut me out of his mind and left me to my own dark thoughts.

The assortment of fried eggs, cooked meats from several animals I did not recall the names of, and freshly baked bread, was consumed by the Alvar, Lucius, Sam and I within a half hour. It was even less than consumed, it was inhaled. We were all starved, and grateful to finally have a decent meal. Our stomachs had stopped attacking our bodies and the mood lifted greatly. It did not matter if the men had an uncomfortable sleep on the couches inside; they were well fed which meant they were beyond happy. Lucius even began to trot around the room, admiring the artworks hung unevenly on the walls and telling Alvar how he could learn a thing or two from the fictional characters created by a brush stroke.

Sam hung back and watched in amusement as the other two men began to drag one another, likening each other to the uglier portraits or animals hidden among the artworks. I wanted to join in, to laugh along like this was normal and everything was fine, but could not. The weight of the knowledge sunk heavily on my shoulders. I wanted to speak to Beast and Alvar privately, where I could pry without fear of the golden eyes and the sharp hearing of The Anima. If there were true ramifications for my unwillingness to abide by the words of a strange woman who didn't dress and a Fae Prince who induced crazy visions, I needed to know.

My mind was brought to ease as the beating wings of the Gryphon sounded outside the cabin. I fled from the table and shot outside to watch him land heavily onto the grass. His front claws still had ruminants of animal blood on them, and I shot him the same look a mother would give to a child's dirty room. He wiped them in the grass, a grin on the corner of his mouth. His beak was also sporting blood spots, but I simply sighed and began to reach for him.

Using the edge of my dress, I helped him clean his beak and stubbornly yanked him down when he tried to pull away.

"So?" I asked when I was done, hands on my hips.

"Not now." He said, peering over my shoulder and into the small home. "We must only speak when we are far away from this place, for doubting her is similar to treason." Beast nodded towards The Anima, who was exiting her home to greet the Gryphon.

"I guess you must be on your way." She spoke loud enough that the men inside could hear, and they all at once came tumbling out of the house and onto the lawn.

We were all very prepared to leave. Although I knew this woman to be sacred to them all, and held higher authority than even the Prince, I felt the Faeries discomfort in her presence. There was something not quite right about the aura she held. Her power was ancient and she held a strange tie to all of us. I knew we all felt like she could have us do whatever she wished, without even hearing a protest, due to the insane strength her mind had over our own. The Prince needed to be home, and I Alvar and Lucius wanted to leave just as much as I did.

"Remember what we have spoken about." Her golden eyes locked onto mine, and I nodded. I tried to pull my gaze away, but could not. We simply stared at one another for a lengthy period, and I could feel her trying to get inside of my mind once more. But learning from the night before, where she had printed a message into my skull, I held my walls up strong and refused her entry. Her brow crinkled, and I could not decipher if she was enraged or impressed by my small feat. She could not enter my mind again, not like she had done before. "There will no doubt be more power that will flow from me to you as I begin to die. You need to learn how to control it." She said harshly, for a moment sounding simply like a human who feared an inevitable death.

I almost began to feel empathy for the woman, but then remembered glimpsing into her eyes when they were most manipulating and shuddered. I couldn't help but feel like her time was up, and she had to let go.

"You," she looked at Sam, "take care of your kingdom. Don't let that hyena take over. And you," she turned to Lucius, "look after Alvar. He needs you now more than ever. And you," she turned to Alvar, extending a thick finger in his direction, "Look after her." She pointed at me, her eyes staring down, not at my eyes, but at my chest. "And make sure she does want take that damn thing off."

My hand lifted to my necklace. I frowned and was perhaps even more curious. Why was she so afraid of the idea of me taking it off? Did she fear for my own life, or fear for something I may uncover?

We left hastily, none of us looking back once as we retreated into the tree line. She had told Alvar where our next destination must be, but the rest of us were clueless to our destination. We walked in silence, no one brave enough to break the building tension and launch into a discussion of what exactly we were to do.

But quickly came the time that Sam had to leave and fulfil his promise to me. He was stiff as Lucius slapped him on the back and bid him a farewell, which lacked any brief shimmer of emotion. Alvar was much more enthusiastic, and the two shared a few quiet whispers that ended in them both bursting into fits of laughter. Then they embraced, like soldiers who said possibly their last goodbye before they entered the realm of gunfire and uncertainty.

Sam turned to me, his white hair brushed back by the breeze and golden skin shining under the morning sun. He looked like royalty; one of the most beautiful Fae I had the uncertain pleasure of meeting. I approached him, our gazes locked onto one another. Neither of us knew what I was going to do, and neither of us expected me to pull him into a tight hug.

His body went ridged, arms stiff at his sides as I crushed my face into his chest and squeezed my eyes shut. I waited for his arms to move, and only pulled back after he hugged me just as fiercely. I pressed up onto my tippy toes and pulled his head down to my cheek.

"We will not destroy this world together. If the shadows do come, I will not give into that darkness. I promise." I whispered before stepping out of his arms.

He looked at me curiously, head tipped to the side, and smiled. My lips curled into a grin and a silent agreement passed between us. Neither of us wanted the visions to come to surface. I knew the shadows were coming either way, but did not want to be in the arms of the prince as the world was destroyed. It was strange, but I felt like there was something I had to do to stop this new world from imploding. There was something we were missing, maybe even half the puzzle, that would lead us to the ending we needed; a fresh start where no one we loved died.

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xx Charli

(unedited)