What Nightmares Are Made Of

Chapter 5: Summer's Heat

  I gulped and looked at his features closely. I did as he instructed and worked at the pieces that didn’t look right on him with the back of my mind as if I were using some unseen third eye.

  Layer by layer his features were stripped before my eyes and what was once an arrogant man was now something much more abnormal. His gold eyes seemed to be bottomless as they swallowed you up. His hair throbbed with gold threads and he just didn’t look normal. He seemed like one of those things you see in a nightmare. Or like an untamed lion stuck in a ‘human’ body. He looked just like the faery in my dream, not exactly but his scariness factor reached it.

  He smiled his evil smile as he realised I had done it.

  “So now you see. We are not normal. And neither are you. All you have to do is unlock that faery inside and then you will be just like us. Then you can be our Summer Queen.” The way he said it implied something else. I was awfully uncomfortable. “But that is for another day. You are dismissed. I have nothing more to do with you. Guards!”

  Two big buff guys came in armed with spears. I quickly stripped away their human features to reveal armour that could only be described as built into them and both of them had two small wings protruding out of their backs that ended in rough points. They didn’t look at all friendly.

  “Take her back to the dungeon. But do not hurt her; I still want her in one piece.” The King demanded.

  The two buff guys lunged forward and then a second later were dragging me back down to the dungeon in a death grip. I struggled of course but these guys didn’t so much as release their grip. Not even when I kicked one where it should’ve hurt most.

  Then I was shoved back into my cell and was greeted by Reigner’s screaming again.

  “You hoodlums! Why would you do that to her! She’s just a girl! And you two are just a couple of oafs doing a little child in a crown’s dirty work!” Her words were full of hate and she even managed to stab one of them in the leg with the piece of wood she had.

  The guy she stabbed then bent down to her level. “Try that one more time and next time we won’t be so nice to you.” He growled out.

  Reigner gulped and immediately backed down.

  The two guards disappeared back up where we came from.

  “Ella. What did the king tell you?” Reigner asked me quietly.

  “That I am an heir to the light court.” I whispered back. I still didn’t really believe it or understand it for that matter.

  She looked at me hard. “Ah now I see it. You have Linda’s looks.”

  “Linda?”

  “The Light Queen.”

  “You mean my aunt?”

  She nodded. “What else did he tell you?”

  “He told me that I had to strip away a faerie’s features to see them properly since I am a half faery.”

  “Ah. It’s called a glamour by the way. You have to strip away the glamour. All faeries have one, whether it be weak or not. Try stripping away my glamour. I do have one; I use it to protect myself from them. It may not be very good because I am weak right now. Just try it.”

  I listened to her. I had no idea why I was doing so much listening today; I guess I was just curious.

  I stripped away her glamour layer by layer. It wasn’t that hard but what I did see surprised me. She looked exactly like she had before but there was something moving under her skin. I gasped as I looked harder. It was kind of like gold stardust and glowing green leaves moving just beneath her skin. She also appeared brighter; like a light in the darkness.

  “It’s not as bright as it usually is. And what you see is what all elves from the Gold Leaf clan have.” She smiled and I caught a glimpse of golden swirls moving on her right cheek.

  Sniffles and movement in the cell next to me caught my attention.

  “My name is Laurel. I am a water faery. You won’t be able to strip off my glamour for I am not using one and I am too weak to use it. But if you are who you say you are then you need to get out of here.” The faery from earlier-the one I saw with a broken wing- was talking to me through the gap in the wall.

  “Agreed. Before you become weakened by the metal in these bars.” Reigner said.

  “Weakened by metal?” I asked. What were they on about?

  “Yes. All members of the fey are weakened by any man-made source. Which is pretty much any metal.” Reigner clarified.

  “Okay. That’s understandable, I think. Anyway how am I supposed to get out of here?”

  “We have to wait for the right moment.”

  “In other words, we have to wait until Reigner, the trusty Gold Leaf warrior elf, figures out a plan.” A man with antlers said to the right side of Reigner.

  I stared at him. He wasn’t there before, was he?

  “I am Rodan. I am a member of the Deer Clan. I will help for I serve the Light Court, as does Laurel and Reigner.” He told me. His antlers were the most surprising part of him really. He didn’t look anything different-even when I tried to get rid of a glamour that wasn’t there-from a human, besides the antlers of course.

  “Ah Rodan. I was beginning to think they had killed you.” Reigner said to him.

  “Well they didn’t. And you need to think of a plan fast and I will help.”

  “I will too. But as soon as I get out I am going back home.” Laurel said.

  “As am I. I will go home and see if they will be able to help.” Rodan agreed.

  Reigner nodded. “Of course. Ella, as soon as I figure out a plan to get us out, I promise I will guide you to the light court. And once an elf makes a promise, we keep a promise.”

  I nodded. “Okay. But do you think you could explain more to me? Because I don’t even get what the Light Court is. Or where I am either.” I gave them a ‘help me’ look.

  Reigner laughed. “Of course we will.”

  But then the sound of guards approaching made us all go quiet and stop talking about escaping.

  “You three! You have an appointment with your favourite person.” A guard snarled at Laurel, Reigner and Rodan.

*Gasp* A cliffhanger! And yes it's a cliffhanger... well kind of lol. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this. Hopefully more will be out soon! ~*~*~Melissa~*~*~