The Nation Charmer-Book 1

Chapter 9

Picture of Ella on the side. I know that she's not in this chapter but I thought that you would want to know how she looks like.

Chapter 9

             “Yes,” Dahlia said, automatically.

             Olive gestured wordlessly to the wall. Dahlia reached out slowly and pressed her palm against the wall. With a click, the wall swung inward. Olive puffed out the candle and placed in on the floor just outside the room.

             The four of them walked slowly into the room which was dark with no light at all. Troy closed his eyes and tried to imagine sunny beaches and palm trees to take his mind off the dark and his claustrophobia.

           Three figures came forward, bickering. A light flickered on overhead. It was a small light, dimly lighting the room.

            One of the women was beautiful with soft golden hair flowing loosely over her shoulders. She had bright blue eyes and long curly eyelashes. She hung a staff and spear from the belt of her white dress.

            The man standing in between his sisters was tall and well muscled like a football player. He was lean and tall with handsome grey eyes and untidy brown hair. He had a quiver slung over his back that looked a bit like Luna’s except it was larger. A staff hung from his belt.

            Their third companion was small and petite with long black hair hanging in a long braid over one shoulder. She had blue eyes too and she was much smaller than the other two. A staff and a dagger, worn from use, were tucked into the belt around her slim waist.                                     

            “Can’t you smell it, Rosalie? I haven’t smelt it in centuries!” said the small woman, frowning at his elder sister. “It’s so strong!”

           “It’s a figment of your imagination, Edith,” snapped the blonde woman.

            “I can smell it,” the small woman insisted. “Can’t you smell it too, Niccolo?”

            “Yes but the scent isn’t as strong as his was,” the man standing in between the two women said, his brow creasing as he breathed in the air.

            “Niccolo, you’re imagining things!” the blonde retorted, glaring at her brother.

            “Rosalie, draw a deep breath. Try it,” the small woman suggested.

            One of the women sucked in her breath sharply. She let it out slowly, frowning. It was obvious that she had smelt what her sister and brother had been talking about.

          Olive knelt quickly and gestured to Dahlia, Troy and Helen to do the same. Dahlia fell to her knees in between Troy and Olive and lowered her head until all she could see was the earthen floor. She tried to calm her beating heart.

           “It’s coming from here.”

          One of the figures, Rosalie, Dahlia assumed, flitted forward. She inhaled deeply again and her perfect blue eyes, so like Cedric’s, froze upon Troy and Helen. Dahlia felt her breath catch in her throat and wondered what measures the immortals would go to in order to remove any threats.

          “It’s them,” Rosalie hissed, drawing her staff and spear.

           The other two figures behind her, Niccolo and Edith, drew their staffs too. Edith held her dagger in her right hand. Niccolo gripped his bow in his right hand, his fingers stretching to his quiver for an arrow.