Half-Faye

Chapter 25

He was a lot stronger than I thought and when his blade came down upon my head I was barely able to deflect it and shove him back.

His magic couldn’t hurt me but I was still a skinny fourteen year old girl. Verrann was an elf and an adult. My situation had never been crazier.

I exhaled deeply when he came for the strike again. The king had scrambled to his feet and jumped back. We circled each other after he had shoved me to the side. I was trying to work out what he was going to do with little success.

Despite his strength I knew that I was still smaller and I could dodge some of his strikes so that they only hit air.

My nerves began to mount again. I was struggling to keep him off of me. What have you gotten yourself into this time Flo? I told myself. This was not some cat fight with Millie, it had life or death consequences for the loser and I was afraid that was going to be me. This had to be one of the most stupid things I had ever done.

I rolled to the side as he charged at me, surprised at my own agility. I had never even held a sword before or even learnt how to fight but part of me was just getting it naturally.

He spun in a circle to face me again, slicing the air with malice. A snarl escaped his lips. I narrowed my eyes, feinting to one side only to attack the other. He swept me away like a rag doll and the sword that had been weighing me down flew from my grip. I heard it clatter across the flagstones beside me.

I gave a gasp of pain as my skull connected with stone. I had tried but there was no use, I would never win. Hopelessness spilled through me. I got up weakly on my elbows and found the tip of the blade resting far too comfortably below my chin.

I looked up at Verrann and straight into the eyes behind the mask. They were black and soulless. I glared hard at him despite that I knew I had lost. I curled my hands into fists on the stone and felt something unusual beneath my fingertips.

I rolled it between my fingers. It was the chain that the Zhyd stone had been on. I picked it up, continuing to stare up at Verrann. I did not want him to know what I was doing. If I couldn’t surprise him then it would not work.

The seconds dragged by and the blade pressed closer and it began to sting. I could tell that Verrann was going to drag my death out. My heart beat along the thin line across my skin.

I tried to keep my breathing even but it was hard. I counted in my head, I was running out of time and I needed to act fast.

Three.

Two.

One.

I kicked right up between Verrann’s legs and he flinched in surprise rather than shock. The sword slipped across my skin. I saw small specks of blood fly into the air.  

Before he could recover I slid around behind him, jumped to my feet, and then with the ends of the chain held in each hand, I leapt onto Verrann’s back and pulled the chain tight around his neck.

I could hear his skin sizzling and I felt my stomach churn and bile enter my mouth. I kept my lips pressed as he struggled. He started yelling loudly in elven and he swung his word around, trying to hit me. I hung on as he tried to throw me off. My muscles burned but still I did not let go.

Then with a sickening crunch he fell to the ground beneath me, his breath raspy and hollow. He wheezed. And coughed. And spluttered. It seemed to drag on for hours. The whole time I just wanted to puke my guts out.

Then he gave an almighty shudder and was still. I jumped off of him and rolled him over. Where the chain had rested on his throat his skin was burned a steely blue and his skin was tinged blue.

I don’t know what made me do it but I lifted the mask from his face. I did not know what I was going to see but I guessed that I was just being curious.

As the mask clattered onto the ground I bit my tongue. To say that his face was disfigured would be an understatement. He had a scar stretching from one ear to the other and it was very similar to the new one on his neck. It had the same bluish hue.

I slowly moved back and then I fled the throne room. I had no idea what I had just done and I felt as though I was in a dream. No one came after me.

Once I was in a corridor in some extremity of the palace I dodged behind a suit of armour and emptied my stomach. All that come up was bile as I had not eaten in days. I felt slightly faint as I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and got back up.

I started walking again, my subconscious mind talking me to the depths of the castle. I found myself wandering through corridors of iron bars. I didn’t even notice the damp, musty smell of the dungeons. A call caught my attention.

“Florence!” A yell came from my right.

I jumped in shock and then relaxed immediately. It was Ridel. He jumped up from his seat on the bed, his back resting on the wall. I rushed to the bars and grabbed his fingers through the bars in an awkward sort of hug.

“Ridel,” I almost cried.

“What happened? I heard the bells go off and now I have control over myself again,” he eyed my face, “are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I said in barely a whisper, my voice hoarse, “We need to get you out of here.”

I reluctantly pulled myself away. I quickly found a guard and asked him to release Ridel. He seemed cautious but I convinced him. I continued to move about in my dream-like state.

As the door of his cells swung open we stood apart, not really believing that it was over. The guard gave a cough, his wings flickering. We both looked at him and then Ridel stepped forward, clear of the iron door and he wrapped his arms around me.

I would have liked to stay like that forever but the wrench was starting to cut through my fuzzy sense. He pushed me back gently and then led me from the dungeons. Our hands remained locked together.

I let him direct me. I felt so empty at that point time that I was struggling to stop myself from day dreaming and keeping my focus on the real world.

We stopped on the palace steps and I sat down, pulling him down beside me. My legs felt tired and I could barely hold myself up. I stared out into the sky where the sun was rising.

Ridel pulled me into his chest the pain of our injuries forgotten completely in our happiness.

He must have noticed my drowsiness because he stood and picked me up gently. I could hardly refuse and part of me told me to enjoy it. I know many girls dreamed of being swept off their feet by a handsome prince and here it was happening to me. Florence. A half-faye and a nobody.

I pressed myself closer to him and closed my eyes. The worst part was over and even though there was still much that was needed to be done for now I could just rest.