A World Of Treason and Tides

Chapter 16: You Will Die

I met Emma at the kitchen. "How did it go with Ryan?" she asked.

"He is as miserable as always. I don't want to talk about him." Emma winked at me but did not say anything. "What?"

"Nothing," Emma said and handed me a glass of sparkling water. I gulped the carbonated water in one go. Emma chuckled. "You may want to slow down."

"I am fine. Tell me about yourself," I asked her, "Did you like Eleanor's dresses?"

Emma's face lightened. "They are so beautiful. I love them," She clapped her hands together. "Their fashion is really awesome. I know you dread the moment you will have to go to Odalis, but I say that go there, look beautiful, rescue your parents and come back here." Emma flashed a big grin, which brought a smile on my face too, though looking beautiful was not really on my checklist.

"Oh, I hope everything goes just the way you said. But these are all so real and I am really afraid."

"I know you will be able to do it," she looked into my eyes. "Even if you can't, I know you will try, I know you will try everything to rescue your family."

Emma was right. But there was something else I feared too.

"Ryan belongs to the Kingdom of Water. Maybe....," I continued, "Maybe, I'll have to go underwater. I do not even know if I'll survive there for even a day." My voice was almost a whisper then. I did not even know how will I breathe underwater, let alone survive. Emma did not say anything but she also knew what was I talking about as she came forward and hugged me.

"Don't worry. Ryan said there is a spell that helps faeries not belonging to Kingdom of Water breathe there. It should work on you too."

I pulled away from her, confused. "When did he say all those?"

Emma flashed a sly grin. "We had a little chat, today, at lunch. You were in your room."

***

It was a little after dawn when I heard loud noises coming from the forest, outside. I looked out the window but was unable to make out anything. The thumping only grew louder with time and a few seconds later Ryan entered my room with one of his daggers on one hand and his bow was slung around his shoulder. A sheath of arrow was strapped to his back. Ryan only said, "There is an attack." And handed me the dagger.

"I— I don't know—" I had never held a weapon in my life and defending myself with a dagger— I could not even think of it. I was so afraid that I was practically shaking, but then I remembered someone.

"Where is Emma?" I asked Ryan.

"She is safe." I was relieved hearing those words. But Ryan continued, "Emma is in the kitchen. You also need to go there. There is a back door—maybe we can escape."

A burst of blinding, white light illuminated the room. Ryan looked surprised for a moment as if not realizing what was happening, then took my hand and we both immediately ran out of the room.

"What was that?" I asked Ryan once we were near the stairs.

"I don't know. I have never heard of or seen such a creature before," Ryan almost whispered to me.

"You think it can sense our voice?" I whispered back. Ryan mouthed a 'maybe'.

"Did not Aeron used to send those monsters after you?" I muttered, remembering what Ryan had said about Aeron starting to send monsters.

"No, they were the usual vicious creatures from the forests. Not like this one," he answered in the same voice as me and motioned for me to go the kitchen while he himself went near the main entrance.