Heart Spell

Chapter 12

The days dragged on, and the routine stayed the same. Every morning, Evolet would wake to find a new box for her with food and small gifts. Then at noon time and evening, the stranger would arrive, never speaking, and exchange out the boxes, each one offering new gifts to dazzle her with.

She refused each item in the box. Sometimes there even notes, each expressing a desire. Each time, Evolet would crumple the note and throw it at the door or back into the box.

"Why do you keep giving me gifts?" She would yell. "You do not impress your prisoners. I do not accept your gifts or claims of desire. I wish to be free!" After that, she would kick the door, or throw the gift at the wall, or yell out the window, hoping someone would hear. Mostly, her stag.

She had only been given one other dress since her last green one, but she had wretchedly stuffed it back inside the box and left it for the stranger to come pick it up. Now, she wished maybe she had kept it since her current dress was beginning to collect dust and dirt from her time in the room.

She had still been planning her escape. The lock on the door was iron and needed a key. Evolet had searched the entirety of the room, but had uncovered no key or makeshift lock picker.

How much longer, she thought to herself on a particular day when the skies threatened impending rain and the treetops swayed to the play of the wind.

The stranger came and went, leaving behind a box like before. Evolet had resigned to herself, and she came to the conclusion that it would be best to waste away in this room than hope for any longer.

As she crept into bed, keeping her candle light away from the window where it might attract the attention of the beast, she wondered about her village and Vanadey. Was Vanadey worried sick about her? How was she holding up now that Evolet was gone?

Her mind churned in circles. She groaned and pulled the covers over her face before falling sleep. Later, she woke, but kept her eyes closed. Through her closed eyelids, she saw lights zooming around. She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

Before her were little wisps of light. They danced and floated around her, little balls of light among the dark room. One little ball of light came to hover in front of her, as it dimmed, Evolet saw that the light was an aura around a tiny woman with thin, gossamer wings. A pixie. A Fae.

"Who are you?" Evolet asked, just barely a whisper.

The pixie responded in a soft voice like a tiny bell, "We have been sent by someone as messengers."

Someone. Evolet thought of her stag. "What message?"

"It is urgent. You are on the precipice of fate, and you must be discerning of the heart."

"What do you mean?"

"The time of repercussion and forgiveness is nigh. It is a matter of who will face what, and you will be the determiner."

"I don't understand."

"You will. And now that our message has been delivered, we shall take our leave."

Wait," Evolet leaned forward and the lights appeared to hover closer, "Can you send a message for me?"

The pixie nodded.

"There's a stag. He is one of your kind. Please, tell him I'm here. And then in my village, there is a woman named Vanadey. She knows of your kind. Tell her where I am so she might send someone to rescue me."

"Tomorrow," The pixie simply replied and nodded once more before brightening into a ball of light and flitted over to the window to join by the others.

What? Evolet wondered then called out, "Wait, who sent you?"

The pixie slightly revealed her form when she replied. "Her Lady, the Goddess of the Forest."

Evolet gaped as the pixies flitted out through the window and disappeared. Intrigued, Evolet got up and ran to the window to see as the last pixie light disappeared within the blackness of the treetops. Even the moon did not show its face tonight so there was barely any light save for a few stars.

Evolet heard the beat of wings and a deep growl. Startled, she flung her self from the window and back to the bed. Tomorrow. Evolet replayed the pixie's word in her mind. With what little peace she had gained from the visit, she turned and willed herself into fitful slumber.