Wild Jewel [Enter a world of Faerie Romance]

Wild Jewel - Chapter 36

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Chapter Thirty-Six

I wake up on a cold stone floor, feeling despair and gloom in the pit of my stomach. My breath creates a small cloud of dirt rise in the air as I sit up in terror, realizing I am most likely in great danger. Memories float back to me as I process what I can remember: running from vampyres and dire wolves, Amun reappearing, realizing they had come on Safira’s behalf. Everything going blank. Anxiety and fear shifts in my stomach as I take in the room around me, wondering where I was – if there was an escape. I am alone, that much I was certain. The vampyres must have dumped me here, leaving me to ponder in fear as I await Safira’s wrath. The room looks part of a ruined castle of some sort, as though people left this place a long time ago. I realize that I was more than likely in Safira’s hideaway, that this place which looks so vacant was her place to reside.  Standing up, I suddenly feel very afraid that no one would notice me missing. Hopefully Indriel saw something in a vision, and would send for someone to help me. Fear increases again as I realize that Leodáin had been sentenced to die – and I wasn’t there to stop it. My heart increases for Leodáin – Oh please, I silently tell Indriel, Spare his life for me!

Suddenly the doors behind me creaks open, and I snap back to my present consciousness, swinging my head around expecting to see the red-haired and witty face of my old friend Siobhan, who was really Safira this whole time.

But instead, I recognize the tiny blonde girl, with skeletal-like features, as she walks into the room, her blue eyes looking at me with curiosity. “Daniella?”

“Mahlita!?” I exclaim, “You’re alive?” I was at loss for words. I hadn’t expected to see her ever again. The last time I’d seen her was losing sight of her as the orcs moved in to kill her, back at our battle in the White Mountains.

“Of course; and well, I might add.” She smiles at me; though ‘well’ would hardly be the word I’d use to describe her. She looks sickly and as though she’d never seen food in her life. In fact, she looks thinner than the last time I’d seen her, if that were even possible.

“What on earth are you doing here? I thought you were dead, or captured!”

“Not likely,” she says simply.

I frown. “What happened? I lost sight of you behind those orcs, were you kidnapped? Are you here as captive?”

She shrugs, uncaring. Something was off, but I couldn’t think about that now, Safira or other horrible beasts could be lurking, waiting to kill at any moment.

“Look, Mahlita, I know you might not believe me right now, but we need to get out of here. A terrible demon may be here, and is going to kill us if we don’t get out.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that right now. You are safe,” she says with a tiny smile, “for the moment.”

“What do you mean? Come on, Mahlita. We need to go. Leodáin and my people can help us.”

“They can’t help you. No one can.”

I stare at her. Something was definitely off. Was she under Safira’s spell?

“Do you like what I’ve done with the place?” she asks suddenly and gleefully.

I look around quickly, “Where are we?”