Nightfully ;Azriel

19

Althea stumbled onto her feet ignoring the nausea that hit her instantly. Why was she here? She reached towards the shelf on her right to help steady herself as her eyes wandered from every crook and nanny trying to find the elderly woman. She took a couple steps forward before she fell onto her knees not being able to hold back the weakness she felt. 

Her sisters... she held back another sob. 

"There, there." A woman cooed, she instantly recognised the voice, relief flooded her body as she sunk into the hug Ms Robins pulled her into stroking her hair softly. "You're safe now, no need to cry."

She turned to look at her with tear filled eyes. "H-how did you bring me here?" 

Ms Robins looked at her with a grim look, an unreadable look in her green eyes, she wrapped a velvet coat around Althea pulling the hood over her head hiding her pointy ears. "Hurry, we'll speak once we get to safety." She helped her up, her grip tight around her wrist yet Althea felt no pain. "They're looking for you girls as we speak."

The townsfolk. 

Althea didn't need to be told twice, instead she let the older woman guide her to the back of the store into the brick alleyway in the back away from the lights that shone through the shops windows, Ms Robins tugged at her coat ushering her to hurry her pace as they slipped through empty streets as quick as they could, trying to avoid every villager their eyes would land on, malice clear in their stances. Althea was certain that if they caught her she would be more than dead. She was fae now, their mortal enemies, she had no doubt that they wouldn't hesitate to do what their ancestors taught them to do.

She didn't question her as they neared the edge of the woods away from the familiar lights that coated the town like stars in the distance into the darkness that awaited them. If she was being honest she lost every rational thought at that moment, she just wanted to get to the safety that Ms Robins spoke of. 

Ms Robins slowed her pacing after a while, letting her feet finally rest and the adrenaline she had pulsing through her veins diminished in a second. "The boy... they found him inside your manor. The house was a mess, it was clear that there was a struggle and that you were all taken yet... Lord Nolan that foolish man believed that you three sisters over powered his son." 

"That's not what happened." Althea croaked, trying to push down the tears. Poor Benjamin. 

The older lady gave her hand a soft squeeze before coming to a halt in front of a large tree. She gestured to follow her which Althea did unhesitatingly. "Trust me Althea." 

The pink haired girl looked at her in confusion yet she didn't argue as the older woman slipped through a whole carved in the tree big enough to fit them, pulling her inside along the way. If Althea was being honest it would've been the most normal thing to happen to her that night so she followed the lead. She held onto her hand tightly as she walked through a tight knit passageway into a clearing that looked almost identical to the one they left. 

Yet unlike at the other side of the tree, there were two torches on each side of them where they stood overlooking a small village beneath them. "Welcome to the Gaia Coven." 

The walk down to the village was quite awkward. Coven as in witches. She frowned to herself, well if fae's were real why couldn't witches be. And as they walked past busy taverns and groups and groups of people, Althea realised something important. There were no men. 

She turned to look at the older woman. She was the only one with grey hair as well, every one she came across was all young with peculiar hair colours. With one last suspicious look Althea continued to make her down the paths which were outlined with flowers to the house right at the center of the town. It was the biggest building she could see from where she was, proudly standing at three stories high with large windows and high ceilings.