Fairy Tale: Winter's Bite

Chapter 5: Aurora Borealis (Part 4)

While waiting longer than expected, Joe dozed off sitting against Cassie's bed. His sluggish eyes reopened when the door rattled. He was fighting an exhaustion he had never felt before and knew by the way Cassie entered the room that he would have to continue the fight.

A whirlwind of nerves, the fairy princess paced back and forth over the same creaky floorboard, electrifying the room with her tension. It was enough to make Joe's ears ring.

She suddenly stopped, glanced at Joe and the sleeping children, and spoke in a voice that would not wake them. "Where is he?"

Joe bobbed his head toward the washroom.

Two fast paces later, her ear was against the door. "Chris?" She tapped the wood with just her fingernail and then listened again. "Why won't he answer?" she whispered to Joe.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen him like this before."

She had missed the worst of it, too. After the lock had clicked, Chris's stumbling seemed to break everything in his wake, and he proceeded to expel every drop of nourishment from his body. It was turning out to be a great night—or morning or whatever it was. It was hard to tell the difference in Pyxis.

Cassie's shoulders relaxed, just a touch, and she settled in the chair at her desk. "Do you know that plan you mentioned before? Now is the time. We need to set something in motion before the Gray Coats report to the Royal Air Brigade."

Joe leaned his head back against the bed. "All right. What are we up against?"

Cassie took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "They will hunt us down. We cannot stay here; we must leave the city immediately. I know of only three passages that allow exit from Pyxis in the winter. You already know about one way—the way we entered, through the caves. We could try going back through the Gray Coat barracks, but they will be on high alert there, and I do not recommend it.

"Second is the main gate, but it is heavily guarded. Unfortunately, you need wings and proper identification to pass through without question. Anyone deemed Unworthy has been placed on the Extermination List and will not be allowed to exit."

Joe nearly choked on his own spit. "Extermination List! This is no joke. If we get caught, we're done, aren't we?"

Averting her gaze to the floor couldn't hide the morbid truth that passed over her face like a shadow. She chose not to address Joe's question but instead picked up where she'd left off. "There is also one exit via the Aerial Palace. It is at the back of the dungeon. The gate is always locked, and is—"

"Let me guess . . . heavily guarded?"

Cassie didn't answer, but she didn't have to. Joe was catching on that her non-answers were as good as confirmations.

"And another thing," Joe said, trying not to think about things that were heavily guarded, "once we do manage to exit this cave, what do we do then? Where in Canada did you say we were?"

"The closest human town is Chibougamau," she replied.

"I've never even heard of it."

"It has more than seven thousand inhabitants. But the average high temperature at this time of year is negative ten degrees Fahrenheit. With two small children, no clothing, no gear. . ."

"Are we at least near Quebec?"

"Quebec City is over five hundred kilometers south of us."

Joe closed his eyes and started rubbing them. His intent was to clear his vision, but when he removed his fingers, there was more grit and grime in his eyes than before.