The Queen of Ash and Flame

Chapter Three ✓

The smell of clover and hibiscus wafted into my nose. The scent was soothing and pleasant. Scents of potatoes and carrots roasting on a fire also drifting into my senses. Fire light danced across my shut eyelids, dark silhouettes swayed above me. Voices mumbled, sounding like I was underwater.

I felt like I was trapped under iron, under million pound boulders. I was unable to move, couldn't even open my eyes. I felt like I was walking through syrup, pushing my way through.

"I think she's waking up!" a high voice squeaked.

I forced my eyes open, and I was met with three unfamiliar faces. Their hair all hanging in their face from looking down.

"She's awake." a different voice sounded. This one was deep and rumbling, almost rattling my bones.

I blinked multiple times to clear my vision, I reeled up. Scooting away from the forms. I scrambled away from them, my back hitting a warm wall. I went for my knife but I couldn't feel anything in my leather holster. I didn't break eye contact, and didn't speak.

Three people stood in front of me, a dark skinned male, tall and largely built. A short rosy woman, she was lean and had a kind face. And then the woman in the centre, she was tall and beautiful. Long flowing dark hair like leaves in a breeze.

I moved from looking at the forms to looking at the room I was in. It wasn't that tall, and the walls were close together. A laid hay roof hung over our heads. A pot over a fire stood in the corner, a bubbling sound came from it. Upside down bundles of herbs hung from the ceiling.

There were no windows, and only one door. But the exit was behind the three people. I looked back at them, looked at their faces again, and realised to my shock that all of them had tall pointed ears. Fae ears. They were fae.

"Who are you?" I said clenching my hand to my chest.

The short rosy woman burat forward, "Well my name is Annista," she said. Her voice high and cheery. "This is Lilith," she said, gesturing to the tall woman in the centre. Lilith bowed her head in greeting. "And this," she said "is Dimitri!" She pointed to the deep voiced male.

She waited for a second, I felt uncomfortable. She was just staring at me, like she expected something. "And your name is..." she asked.

"Oh...um...Natallia," I stumbled out. Not sure if I should trust them.

"Well hello there Natallia," the woman in the middle said. "Now you are probably wondering why you're here," she said, stepping forwards. I pressed my back into the brick walls, wishing they would budge.

I didn't respond with words, only with a nod of my head. Not breaking eye contact with Lilith.

"Well we saw you unconscious on the forest floor, your hair a mess, clothes riddles with holes. We then heard your village burning. Or at least I thought it was your village. The dark queen's soldiers were ransacking the town, killing the men taking the women and children slave." she paused, her face slightly falling. "We think you're the only one who managed to escape from the village alive and free."

Memories of Madeline and Thalia in those lines, cuffs around their ankles and wrists. I bit the inside of my cheek from rage at the fae soldiers. The warm metal taste of blood filled my mouth.

Dimitri tilted his head, like he could hear something.

"Lilith," he muttered under his breath. The woman turned to look at the tall man. He gestured for her to follow him, they walked outside the hut. Annista turned back to me and smiled.