The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Seventeen - The Abducted

Nova Theasphreyei

"You have no idea what you've done, bringing me here." I spit at the man who takes the bag from over my head. "You've unleashed armies upon yourselves!"

"Oh I know, your highness." I blink and turn to see a male, middle-aged faerie. He has a bone structure that seems relatively familiar to me but I can't seem to place it. "Beom, princess. Park Beom. Glad to make your acquaintance." So this is Jimin's father. He bows and a chuckle reverberates around the room. 

"I demand to know where I am." I clench my jaw, trying to hold my head up in defiance. The room laughs again and I quickly begin to feel less and less confident.

"And why should I tell you anything?" Beom raises his eyebrows, amused.

"Because if you're confident that I won't be going anywhere it won't hurt either way. And the nicer you are to me, the more likely it is that I will co-operate with whatever questions you ask me." I keep my voice stable somehow and I can tell he's a little impressed with how calm I seem. Although, part of me is sure that he knows my bravado isn't real.

"What makes you think we have questions? I just want to get rid of scum like you. I'm pest control, dear. And you're the cockroach." He pulls a knife from his belt and I gulp, any feign confidence I had sliding down my body and into a puddle on the floor.

"No." My breath quickens, body starting to panic as I try to keep my head clear. "There must be something else you want. If not answers, money?"

Beom cackles, holding his chest. "You think I need money?! Oh, sweet little princess. The world must look so small from your tower. But, being out of it is so much less safe. I had a deal with that Orin kid, I couldn't take you from him so as not to raise suspicion, but that girl-" He walks towards me with a terrifying glint in his eye.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?." I snap, struggling with my bonds once again.

Beom stands close to me and drags the knife over my skin, only just away from drawing blood. "Oh, she's very dead. She didn't leave Pharaway. We only needed you. In fact, the only reason you aren't lying lifelessly next to her is that my employer wants to see you in person. We are to perform a few tests on the four of you before you die... "

"You-..." I feel tears begin to drip down my cheeks but I put a stopper in my emotions and tell myself to cry once I am alone. "The... four of us? Who else is here? And who's your employer?"

"Wouldn't you like to know..." He chuckles and backs away from me. "You're sure no one followed you?"

"Certain, sir. We laid low for a few days just in case, which is why we took so long in getting here." The man holding me explains

"Good. Put her in her 'chambers'. I would say cell, but you know.. royalty."

With that, I am pushed roughly into a stone room with the dark wooden door slammed shut in my face. I wait for anything else and on no other sign of life or even movement, I sink to my knees and eventually the floor, head in my hands as I cry.

I've never prayed before. But, I pray that they're lying to me. I pray that Euclea isn't really dead and that they just want me to be as mentally weak as possible. I pray to anyone and anything that could help me. I pray that Taehyung is okay, I still have no idea what his pack were keeping from me but I do trust them to find him. I pray that someone will find me. I pray that prayers work. I'm screwed without them. There's nothing else I can do. 

Growing up, everyone around me said that I would be what brought the elemental fay back together again. My existence reminded people that fay are united by our DNA, and so I was supposed to bring peace between them. Or at least begin it, then being married off to a naiiad or Kalama. But I never saw it as that. I saw it as being weak. I'm a good healer, no one can deny that, and some might even call me great. But, I hardly have the magick of a dryad or faerie, let alone put together. I can fly, and I'm good with herbs. Other than that, the magick inside me is pretty much cancelled out. That's what I have been told for my entire life. That because of the magnificence of what my life will bring to society, I have to work harder in order to live up to that without magick. I had to train every day, become great in every subject and inept in none. The person by my side through all of that was Euclea. The only person who never expected me to be thankful. I could complain to her and she would listen without mocking me for having money and good teachers and parents who would supposedly do anything for me, although that is rather debatable. And now... She's gone? Just like that?