Legend of the White Witch {#Wattys2016}

Chapter 7

"I don't think you have to worry about that from me." His eyes glimmer with an untold secret that I decide not to ask for.

"What exactly makes it fairy wine?"

"The grapes are grown using our magic. So, really, it's just magical wine." He shoots me one of his somewhat forced half smiles. "Nothing to be afraid of." I take a cautious sip out of the cup. Just as I expected, it tastes like wine with a teaspoon of cinnamon. I don't like it; it's too sweet. But I'm rewarded with a slightly more sincere smile from Alec, so I take another sip. "Not so terrible, is it?"

A group of fairies step in between us, swarming and bombarding me with questions and excited chattering. I try my best to listen to them all, but there are too many voices to focus on just one. Once I start to feel claustrophobic, I try to force my way out of the circle of loud fairies, but they're oblivious to my discomfort and block my path. A hand grabs my elbow and pulls me out of the crowd. Alec. He mutters something to them that keeps them from following us. Others, spotting us maneuvering through the crowd, gravitate toward us. They touch my arms and my hair like they did when I first arrived, their voices pulling me in every direction.

Alec's hold on my arm tightens and he pushes through the thickening mass of fairies, no longer being polite with his movements.

Once we break free from the crowd, he guides me around a corner and up a few steps. He releases his hold when we reach a twisting mass of thick branches outside that form a sort of porch that overlooks the forest below.

I take a deep breath of the cold air, grateful to be away from the suffocating environment of the party.

"They seem to really like you," Alec says, watching me from the shadows. I grimace and he folds his arms over his chest. "They mean well. Just too excited about being in the presence of the greatest witch of all time." I ignore the sarcasm he injects into the last few words.

I snicker. "No pressure."

Alec stares at me until I look away. "I wanted to apologize. For what I said. In the forest the other day." His words come tumbling out, like he's nervous. A sarcastic comment pops into my head, but I block its way out with a small smile. Alec is being nice, so I will be too.

"You're forgiven. I'm sure everyone was thinking it anyway." Sighing, I twist a stray strand of hair around my finger. Alec's bruise stands out in the darkness, swollen and purple. Painful. I wince, guilt gnawing at me. "I'm sorry for hitting you."

He waves a hand in the air. "I deserved it." I nod my agreement and he rolls his eyes. "Anyway, now that we're the best of friends," he says, his voice thick with sarcasm. Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. "Why didn't you let the griffin kill me?" The question is unexpected, but I suppose I should have seen it coming. I've been wondering the same about why he did what he did the first time the Queen threatened me.

"So that we'd be even." I shrug. Alec raises an eyebrow. It isn't a lie since I don't know exactly why I did it. But I certainly don't want Alec hanging it over my head that he saved my life. "You stopped Warren from killing me, so I stopped the Queen's griffin from making a meal of you. We're even now." He shakes his head and chuckles. I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing my arms to keep warm. "Speaking of, why did you stop the Queen from killing me?" My question seems to make him uncomfortable. I cock my head. "There was no reason for you to."

Alec hesitates, his rigid expression faltering.

Screaming fills the room beside us. Alec and I lock eyes for a fraction of a second before taking a step toward the doorway. A swirling mass of black drops from the branches above us, slamming onto the ground in front of me. I stumble to a halt, inches from the creature. The black smoke forms the vague shape of a body and two shapes on its back that I think might be wings. Its eyes, red and glowing, are glaring at me. Evil exudes from it, filling me with dread.

The eyes narrow, then the creature pounces.

A strangled scream escapes my lips as it barrels into me, shoving me onto the ground and crawling on top of me. Smoke extends from its sides and wraps around my neck, stealing the breath from my lungs. I choke on my spit while struggling for air. My vision starts to swim and my heart pumps loudly in my ears.

The last thing I'm going to see is its horrible eyes.

Something silver flashes above my face and the creature shrieks, releasing its grip on me. Its head—or what I think is its head—topples off its shoulders and onto the ground, rolling away. The headless body evaporates.

"Looks like you owe me again," Alec says, sliding his sword back into its sheath and pulling me to my feet. He looks unshaken, whereas I'm having a hard time breathing.

"What—what was that?"

Alec releases me before I can steady myself. I stumble a bit before leaning against part of the tree trunk, waves of nausea rolling through me. "Fatoris. A dark fairy." Cold fear fills my veins, making me feel like my insides are made of ice. Alec glances at me before turning back to peer into the canopy where the sounds of screaming and death rapidly grow louder. The shadows on his face make him look almost as terrifying as the creature that attacked me.

"We have to help them!" I gasp, stepping toward the sounds. Alec bars my way with his arm, glaring down at me.

"Stay here," he orders. With a hand around the hilt of his sword, he charges into the bloodbath.

Dark fairies are everywhere. Billowing clouds of dark swirl around the partygoers, strangling the life of out some, stabbing curved knives into others. I choke down my terror.

"Like hell," I mutter, following Alec into the chaos.

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