Beyond the Glow

Chapter 32

 Gods! I forgot! I touch my lamp longingly, I can sense his heartbeat, so at least he's still alive. How could I forget about him in the first place though? I need to talk to him!

Len frowns. Not now. We don't know how close those men are. We need to find a safe spot to camp tonight.

 I can help with that.  

I whirl around, looking for the source of the intrusive voice in my mind. It wasn't Len, and it definitely wasn't me. Their mind's voice was melodic, lilting and sweet, like a lullaby. I could see Len out of the corner of my eye in a similar defensive stance, before he straightened up and relaxed.

 Trust me. The voice said, and I could feel my muscles relax, my mind slipping under the tune of their words. Come and stand in the trees with me. There's a troop of guards headed our way, tracking your steps. I will hide you.

My feet began to move, taking us towards the edge of the clearing, where I could now see a female figure. It wasn't very clear, but something about her seemed familiar. Hurry! She says, and Len jogs past me. I pick up the pace as well, and jump into the bushes when the first black and red soldier jumps into the clearing.

I watch through half lidded eyes as more soldiers come in, before the figure raises her arms, a deep golden glow spilling from her hands and forming into a shield around us, before there's a bright flash and I'm momentarily blinded.

When my vision returns, I'm not in the bubble anymore. We're all in a hut, Len and I are standing side by side while a woman sits in a chair, sipping tea. Len stares dazedly around, and I blink the fuzziness from my eyes.

"Where are we?" Says Len, before looking at me apologetically, and speaking again in my head. Where are we?

"Don't bother with mindspeak anymore my friend." The woman at the table says, taking another sip of her tea. "I gave it back. She can hear again."

"How?" I blurt out, and Len jerks slightly. He must not have believed her about giving it back. "Nobody's supposed to be able to do that. Wishes are irreversible. I'm not supposed to be able to hear until dawn."

"There's always a loophole my friend." The woman smiles, her teeth startlingly white and slightly pointed, complimenting her long brown hair. She stands, leaving her tea at the little table and walking over to a nearby window. Drawing open the curtains, she lets in a pool of light, showing the sunrise in the distance.

"You can warp time?" I ask, "That's not supposed to be possible."

The woman lets out a sigh, before dropping the curtain. "No I can't warp time. Nobody can do that. I simply took us to a place where the sunrise was closer." She paused, "Time wise, I mean."

"You mean, we aren't in the Kingdom anymore?" Says Len, stepping forwards. "Where are we then?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Says the woman. "Aren't you a little more concerned with knowing why I bothered to save your sorry arses?"

"You're right." I say, stopping Len before he can insist on his question. "That is something I would like to know. Who are you?"

She smiles again, showing those strange teeth once more, and I can't help but think how they look familiar somehow.

"I'm glad you ask. I've never really had a name you know, but you can call me Rena."

"How can you never have a name?" Says Len, his eyes narrowing, I feel suspicious too, something is tugging at my mind, saying that this isn't right...