Chained By The Witch

Chapter Nine: What Just Happened?

 After what seemed like hours of walking we reached a central room. It appeared to be some sort of meeting room, which was currently empty. Adalricus stopped for a moment, mumbling to himself. Whatever he was debating in his head he decided on and he took us through a pathway to the left. It was short and led into another room. What must be hundreds of Cerebrals whizzed past us, after they left we went to the right and then took another left into what looked like a lobby of some sort.

"Woah." Xander looks up at the ceiling and I follow his gaze. Millions of egg sacs hang from the ceiling, oozing some amber colored liquid. Adalricus grabs both of us and shoves us down another hallway. This time when the hall ends it leads into a grand room with a throne facing us. It's empty. The guards look straight at us and glance the other way, acting like we don't exist.

"Adalricus, why aren't they attacking us?" I ask.

"Shh. They can't see us." He whispers. The guards look towards us again, sensing the sound. They look at each other and shrug their shoulders. Adalricus silently curses to himself and we speed-walk down another hall. This time it ends in a bedroom.

A beautiful young woman lays curled up in the satin sheets of an elegant bed. Adalricus shuts the door behind us and removes whatever spell he had on us. He strides to the bedside and shakes the woman awake. She opens her eyes sheepishly, seeming unfazed by a strange man in her room.

"Hello Minerva, I've brought you a gift." Wait. He knows a Cerebral? By the looks of it, a Cerebral royal?

"For me?"

"Yes, Doll." Doll? Me and Xander exchange a look of concern. Who exactly did Ives leave in their place?

She stands, her pale blonde hair cascading down her back and settling at her mid-thigh. She hugs him tightly and smiles. Her teeth, they're razor sharp! Adalricus is unfazed by this and even smiles back at her. She turns to me and Xander, her ice-green eyes piercing my soul.

"Who are they? Have they come to help you deliver my gift?"

"No, Love. I've brought them to meet you. Is your daddy around?"

"No. He left earlier. Why?"

"Nothing to worry about, I just need to speak with him. How about your mother?"

"Mommy? She hasn't been home for a while now, but Daddy told me not to worry and that she was just busy. Is this about that boy?" She asks, pointing to Xander.

"Partly. Would you like to see your gift now?"

"Oh, yes! Please!" He summons something, an animal. A rabbit! A grey rabbit with long ears and a fluffy tail. Minerva squeals and practically snatches it from his hands. She coos at the small thing and hugs it to her chest. Adalricus turns to me and beckons me forward.

I walk hesitantly towards him and the girl and smile awkwardly. I look back towards Xander and his eyebrows furrow.

"Minerva, meet Emily. She's a very nice human girl around your age." I wave shyly as she almost completely ignores me, focusing on the rabbit. Adalricus clears his throat and she finally looks up at me.

"Wow, you're pretty!" I thank her and she sets the rabbit on the floor. It hops away under her bed. Adalricus walks over to Xander and drags him to my side, squeezing his arm, almost as a warning.

"And this is Xander. He's also human, but he uses magick."

"Cool! Can you teach me?" She asks, bouncing up and down.

"Maybe another day." Xander says, he looks like he's about to pass out. Today has been hard on all of us. I think Adalricus senses that Xander needs sleep so he hurries up with whatever he's been trying to get out of this girl. They exchange a few quiet words and hug one last time before Adalricus summons his book again and opens to a certain page. He writes something in the air and a portal starts to form.