ROYAL Lies

Chapter 6 (Eli):

This was the perfect time, after that whole ordeal with those guards our magic was drained, and we had no choice but to rest. Or at least that was my excuse. Although I have my regrets about using such underhanded tactics, this was something that needs to be done. Reaching into my blouse pockets I pulled out the crumpled old brown withering paper. Ugh, honestly the things I must do these days. A being such as myself should have had to hold such dirty things. Pinching the crumpled piece of paper in my hands I made sure I was alone in these parts of the woods.

I told Everetta to go with Luna and make sure we had lost the trail of those guards. Even with our ability to sense energy, one can never be too careful. She seemed rather eager to talk to that witch. I'll have to do something about that later. I am pretty sure Everetta's newfound fascination for that Witch steamed off from something that happened when we had faced those guards. Or perhaps when she got that new memory. I bit down on my lower lip at the thought.

They were coming back to her now, faster than I could prevent them. And if she does, no let's not go there. I can't go there. I can't let what happened in the past repeat itself. Which is why I must do this. For her own good.

Reaching down against the dirty, bug-ridden, ugh, muddy ground I scrambled hurriedly for some kind of flint. Ah there, some agate. Unfortunately, there was no time to wash the damn thing and my hands from touching the forest floor before Everetta or Luna would come back. Starting the fire myself would already take enough time. I shivered at the utter dirt that was now coating my hands. How I have hated all this "adventuring" as Everetta liked to call it. I just can't wait until we reach my Court where we can finally live like the royalty we deserve.

Look at me now, reduced to starting a flame like a caveman. How utterly disgusting. But this has to be done.

This reminds me a little of the time Everetta had dragged us into that lord's awful realm of monsters of ghouls. We had to scavenge and hunt for our own food all the time there. For several months we had to start our own fires for we were still five at the time, and Everetta didn't quite yet know how to start fires with her magic.

One would wonder how a five-year-old would know how to cast a portal to another realm but not know a way to start a fire with that very magic of hers. Good thing for her I was there to help guide us through that treacherous lord's awful world.

"What bittersweet memories those were." I sarcastically thought to myself as I finally got my present-day fire struggles to work. Signing an exasperated breath of relief I finally tossed the map of the locations for the "Gems" into the fire. She'll forgive me for this. I know she will, even if she can no longer get a hold of those "Gems" she so loved.

These "Gems were Everetta's most prized books. And one of those "Gems" was in her clutches at the moment. A necessary sacrifice if I do say so myself. Everetta in the past had written five books of her "Gems" because she adored each spell and ruin she'd written into them. Why she gave books those names I haven't a clue. Lords only know what goes on in that childish brain of hers.

A list of all her incantations was in said "Gems" because even she, as great as she was, but not as great as me, can not remember all the spells she created throughout the years. And I have no doubt she will create new ones again. So really she didn't need those "Gems".

One could say I was freeing up her shelf space. I was inspiring her to make new spells instead of relying on old ones.

One "Gem" the one she currently held, was the books of Skin and Tissues, it held the most basics of her first-ever spells. A guideline she hoped to pass on to her children to help them with their magic. I found that it had no spells that would be counterproductive to my plans so I gave it to her. At least none that would jolt her memories into motion.