The Dark Fairy

Chapter Nineteen

Ibis made his way through the Dark One's cave. His tawny owl wings moved so fast that the galaxy walls appeared as a blur as he flew past them. With a loud crash he slammed the large wooden door open and swooped to his usual perch on the side of the looking pool.

The Dark One blinked irritably as he took in Ibis's concerned gaze.

"What?" he snapped eventually, after Ibis refused to give up pecking at his marble hands.

"Carabosse disappeared, Dark One!" Ibis informed him, he expected him to show the same level of concern as he was feeling, but Achlys' facial expression didn't change at all.
"Did you hear me? I said she has disappeared!" he repeated, frustrated.

"What do you mean, disappeared?" Achlys humoured the bird of prey in a monotonous tone.

"As in, she's gone! In a flash of light, gone!" the tawny owl flapped his wings to emphasise each word in his thoughts. When he saw Achlys still not budge, he stepped closer to him and stared deeply into his deep, black eyes. "And I could no longer hear her!" With this addition, Ibis successfully managed to pull at the Dark One's mind.

Without a word, Achlys turned towards the looking pool and created ripples upon the glassy water with his index finger. The dark fairy's likeness graced the pool's undulating surface. Her amber hair was noticeable first, then her dark feathered wings came into view, framing her slender curves.

Achlys watched Carabosse as she studied her surroundings in the water, she then stepped back with her crimson mouth curved into a smile.

"This is perfect!" she laughed.

"What is she doing?" Achlys demanded, as he witnessed Carabosse place two hands in front of her. With her magic, she made the waters wave violently within the round pit. Then, in a blink of an eye, the pool became still like glass again. Achlys watched her turn away and saw a glimpse of gold and dirty lilac enter the picture.

"No! You can't leave me here! Not without answers!" a high, melodious voice echoed around the slate room.

"She didn't!" Achlys growled between gritted teeth. "How dare she do this! How dare she use the darkness in this way!" He hit the water with a vicious strike that startled Ibis, making him leap from his seat and fly away to find a nook to hide in.

The sound of the wooden door creaked open, and in walked Carabosse, with a flourish of dark pride.

"What is the meaning of this?" Achlys yelled from his place by the looking pool.

"The meaning of what, Achlys?" Carabosse responded in a confident tone; she wasn't going to allow him to intimidate her.

"You went inside the princess's mind!" the magically informed Dark One accused her. "You made a connection between here and that girl's dreams!"

"Yes, I did!" Carabosse admitted, without one change in her demeanour. She then, nonchalantly, shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know why you are so upset, I did this for us. This is the next step to take down Heartha."

"In what way is that the case? You are losing it! You are losing your rage! You are allowing the humans to get under your skin!"

"What nonsense!" Carabosse dismissed with an incredulous laugh. "I am only entering the child's dreams so to twist her mind against the fairies of the Enchanted Forest, Mother especially!"

Achlys went silent, his marble skin became ice cold and the black abyss within his irises grew deeper and darker. He turned back towards the pool that just became calm again after the assault it received from its dark owner. Resting his palms on the side of the pit, he consciously slowed down his distressed breath. The moon sent its cool rays through the hole in the ceiling, which lit up his exposed platinum spikes and his glittering, fury-filled face.