The Price to Pay

Chapter Twenty Eight

"We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality."

-Iris Murdoch
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Adeline

I spit out several leaves before falling onto thick grass, I can feel where several branches cut me too deep on my arms and face. You would think that having new claws would help break away some of the branches but these things are useless.

Only to you they seem weak, the strength is mine remember. You should have asked for help. I snort, I don’t need her help, I’m free now and besides I didn’t want to know what else would start to grow if I asked for anything else.

I stand from the not so very green grass and dust off the few stray leaves and twigs from my jeans. Bastet won’t be able to come through, the crystal is like a key, the crystal!

I search the ground for the clear crystal, I can’t lose it, I can’t. I fall to my knees frantically searching for the very small object, it’s gone. How could I have lost it, I had it in my hands, it was here and now…I won’t be able to get back. How am I going to get back?

“You must be the one then.” I turn around but find no one there.

“Who’s there?” There was no sun here, no light for me to see.

“The cat, she said it would be a girl with fiery blue eyes. That is, you, is it not.”

I searched for the voice again, it had to be the warlock who spoke. “And are you the one she spoke about, the warlock that knows where Lilith is.”
His rather loud throaty laugh makes me search harder for him. I wanted to put a face to the person who would help me and I had to admit curiosity was nagging at me from all sides.

“You humans are so very enchanting. I can see why Death has you in his clutches.” He said, only to stop briefly. I knew where this was going, something about me being his property. “Does he know you are here little Halfling.”

“I do not belong to him. I am my own person so please can we do what we came here to do.” I was ready to not be uttered in the same sentence as Death and property.

“As you wish.” From my right a man seems to glide toward me, he radiates his own light that comes from nowhere in particular. I can tell he has no problem showing what he truly looks like, his dark skin is tinted with accents of red and gold. His eyes are nothing but two black orbs, they match the two small horns that protrude from his skull. From the looks of his features you would have thought his clothes would have been just as fierce but they were indeed not. He had on a dark cloak with a shirt that was left unbuttoned to show off his sculpted skin. His many pendants and necklaces swayed with the rhythm of his hips as he walked closer.

“Are you impressed?” He said.

That’s highly an understatement, I was astounded. I thought I had seen it all but it seems I haven’t. “My name is Adeline, if you didn’t already know that.”

He bends slightly forward, “It is wonderful to put you, Adeline. My name is Ulsif, the great and ultimately warlock, if you didn't already that."

I clear my throat of the imaginary blockage before speaking, “Why have you chosen this place to meet? It was very hard to get in.”

“Oh, but you are here, so no worries but I might ask where is the demon cat.” He reaches up to stroke his horn, I quickly avert my gaze before I ogle.

“When we were trying to get through, I sort of got stuck and it only took me inside the gate.” I was still confused and freaked out about that.