Gryphon's Glenn

Chapter Twenty-Six

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"Princess... Nat... Please..."

The words echoed through Nat's mind as she struggled to understand what she was seeing. Chelsea was dead. That much was obvious, but it didn't make sense. Chelsea was in Faeshire Island. She wasn't in Rebekah's Torture Chamber. She couldn't be.

She could hear things crashing against the walls, but Nat couldn't wake up. She knew she was screaming, but she couldn't seem to stop.

"Nat! Nat, sweetheart, it's just a dream," Serenity said soothingly. She sounded far away. "Open your eyes."

Nat wanted to do that. She wanted this nightmare to end more than anything, but she couldn't seem to look away from Chelsea's body.

More objects crashed against the walls of her bedroom. She heard someone she suspected was Azra let out a cry of pain as something probably hit his head.

"Shit!" Sphinx cried. Nat felt something change in the air and guessed he'd opened a labyrinth to deflect whatever had launched at him. "That was close."

"Excellent reflexes, Sphinx," Jeremiah said.

"Put the guns away, Scythe," Luna said in an annoyed tone. "You can't shoot a nightmare."

"This is bad," Jason said with concern. "Jen, can you try slipping into her mind and waking her?"

"It's... too much... She's in so much pain... He killed her... He killed her!" Jennifer screamed in response.

"Who did he kill, Jen?" Hiro asked softly.

"She's dead! He killed her! She was supposed to be safe!" Jennifer shouted. Nat could hear her hyperventilating, which made her realize that she was hyperventilating.

"New plan," Luna said. "Get the empath out before we lose her completely."

"I'll take her," Jamie offered.

"Get her to her room," Lillith suggested. "The labyrinth should be able to break the connection."

"Nat, come on, Girl... Wake up," Chris said soothingly.

"Don't get too close to her, Chris," Azra cautioned.

"I'm not leaving her like this, Azra," Chris replied. "Don't worry. I can take a bump, remember?"

Seconds later, Chris wrapped his arms around her. Nat began to feel grounded. She slowly turned away from Chelsea and tried to focus on Chris's arms instead of the gruesome scene in front of her.

Slowly, Nat opened her eyes. She began sobbing hysterically, burying her face in Chris's chest. "He killed her..." She cried. "He killed Chelsea..."

"Who's Chelsea?" Sphinx asked.

"My handmaiden," Nat began. She shook her head. "My friend," she corrected herself. "Or at least, the closest thing I had to a real friend before I met all of you." She struggled to calm herself. A box of tissues manifested beside the bed, no doubt thanks to Sphinx's labyrinth magic. She blew her nose and tried to take a deep breath.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a nightmare?" Jason asked as he sat behind her and stroked her back soothingly.

"It was real," Nat whispered. "Right, Hiro?"

Hiro sighed. "Yes, Nat... It was real. I was drawing Girard killing an innocent when I heard you screaming and heard things flying into your walls. I'm so sorry..."

"I don't understand... Why would he kill Chelsea? How did he even get to her?" Nat asked as she forced herself to stop crying. She was a Princess. She needed to remain calm and dignified and handle this properly.