Myths: The Folklore Trilogy

Chapter 17- In Which We Decide

"WAIT SERIOUSLY?!?!" Audrey shouted. "No way! You?"

She laughed as the light around her hands faded and the wind dissipated.
"Yes, me."

"Are you part of the guild up north?" I asked breathlessly.

She nodded. "Pulchralux. It means beautiful light in Latin. Isn't that pretty?" she sighed wistfully.

I nodded. That was pretty.

"How come sorcerer guilds get the coolest names?" Audrey complained, flopping down on the ground. "We sound like a really preppy school or a prison."

We fell silent, our thoughts immediately sober. Natasha Simone's School for Girls. The school that was now under attack. The school that we had now fled.

"That reminds me," Abigail continued cheerily, "why are you guys out here? Since we're allied with NSSFG, I know a little about their procedures, and I'm pretty sure you guys aren't allowed out in the middle of the sea without a chaperone." Her eyes glittered with mischief. "Are you running away?"

There was silence.

Then Sophie burst into tears. I scooted over and side-hugged her, though my nose was beginning to prickle, and my throat felt tight. I didn't trust myself to talk. I was on the brink of breaking down myself.

"Oh I'm sorry," Abigail said worriedly. "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head, still afraid to speak.

"Is she ok?" Abigail whispered.

"Probably not," Audrey said deadpan."And don't go blaming yourself. You didn't know."

"What do I not know...?" She said hesitantly.

"Some lady named Giselle attacked our school, and the magical defenses will wear down in two weeks. We were the only ones that escaped. And we're probably the only ones that will survive."

The world seemed to stop as the bitter truth we had been avoiding hit us in the face.

"Oh my goodness..." Abigail whispered.

I nodded solemnly. "Mrs. Simone told us to go to your guild. She said we might be safe there."

Abigail's eyes welled up with tears. "Of course you can seek refuge at the guild, I'll come back with you, we'll find a way to hide you, I know we will!"

"Not gonna happen."

I looked at Audrey in surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, thanks," she said standing up, "but no thanks. We aren't going back to your guild."

"We aren't?" Sophie whispered.

Audrey stood up tall, facing the rising sun. The wind rustled around her, and a kind of halo formed around her bright orange hair. "We're not. We're going to rescue our family."

For a moment, we were completely silent as the gravity of her statement sunk in.

"Audrey are you NUTS?!?" I exclaimed suddenly. "You said it yourself. There's nothing we can do."

"Yeah except I had a dream last night," she continued, "and it showed me how we can help. So maybe we can't do anything about it at the school. That doesn't mean we can't do something somewhere else."

"I don't follow you..." I said slowly.

She turned and looked us all in the eye in turn. "I said we pull out the weed from the roots."

"Audrey no!" Sophie blurted out. "That won't work. You have to realize that that will never, ever, work."

I shared a look with Abigail. She was just as confused as I was.