The Faerie Curses

Chapter Fourteen: The Sprite Lair

I let out a huge sigh. I had to tell Glen eventually, it might as well be now.

"Do you remember when it was our second year at the academy?"

"Yeah," Glen replied. "I got an elf girl to kiss me that year."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not important. Diandre went to Winter Academy that year, you dimwit."

Glen stared at Diandre for a long time, and his luminous eyes went wide with recognition.

"You were Marissa's best friend, weren't you? I remember now; you followed her around like a lovesick puppy."

At the words "lovesick puppy", Diandre's eyes seemed to ignite with fire. He opened his mouth to say something, but once I jabbed my sword point closer to him he decided against it.

Glen cocked his head to the side, studying Diandre's back where his wings used to be.

"What happened to you anyway?" He asked him. "How did you end up a sprite?"

"He helped the sprites kill my family." I answered, my words cold and dripping with iciness.

Glen's jaw dropped in horror and shock.

"Marissa, I had no idea that was what they were planning." Diandre said to me, his eyes pleading. "You have to believe me. The reason I agreed to help them in the first place is because-"

"You're a coward?" Glen finished.

I let out a low growl of frustration.

"I don't need to know why you did it, Diandre. I only know that my parents and brother are all dead because of you. Now, it was great catching up, but I've got to help those children."

I reached into my bag and pulled out a length of rope. I don't know why I wasn't just going to kill Diandre, but when I looked at him I could still see that boy deep inside him. Or maybe I had just grown soft. I reached over his shoulder and yanked his quiver of arrows off of him, fastening it around myself instead. I let Diandre keep his bow. Without arrows he was practically defenseless.

"You'll never find them in time." Diandre said softly as I prepared to tie him up to a tree. He didn't even try to fight. "Only a sprite can get passage inside the lair. You'd be killed before you even glimpsed those children."

I frowned, not wanting to believe him. But still...it would be must faster if Diandre showed us the sprite lair. I felt as if I were at war with myself; I knew that I couldn't trust him, but those children needed help. Who knows what The Master could be doing to them at this very moment? Tyler sobbing and screaming as he was being carried into the forest flashed in my memory.

"Besides," Diandre added, a strand of black hair falling into his face. "After what I've done, I owe you."

I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth in irritation. This was the only way.

I shoved the rope back into my bag. Both Diandre and Glen looked equally surprised.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing?" Glen asked.

I squared my shoulders. "As much as it aggravates me, we need Diandre to show us where the sprites are keeping the children. We're already running out of time."

"What?" Glen exclaimed. "Have you gone mad, partner? This guy betrayed your entire family and now he's helping us? You must have hit your head on a log or something."

A weak smile surfaced on Diandre's face. "I'm pretty sure that her head is fine. She just values saving people more than she does her own life."

He slowly stood up, but I kept my sword pointed at his chest the whole time. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. It's as if Diandre knew the whole time that I would agree to his help. Maybe he still knew me better than I knew myself.