A Little Bit of Pixie Dust

v

George

It was cold at night, no warm fires or hot meals to help me go to sleep. It's the price to pay for vengeance.

Even after lots of bickering and protest, Bad forced his single cloak into my hands to keep warm. This was where I lay now, back near the same spot where I was tied up before, but now curled on my side, clutching the warmth of the cloak tightly to my fragile human body. It didn't seem like the temperature bothered Bad or his friend as much as me.

Every small noise from the outside made me jump, and by early dawn I was just managing to find enough comfort to drift off to sleep.

However, that was interrupted shortly after by my captors -- ehem, partners -- as the two faeries came into the room and abruptly woke us up.

"Get up, we're going scouting. If you want to prove your use to us, then now is the time to start being helpful." Dream pushed his boot into my side, causing me to get up with bleary eyes and sleep-tousled hair.

"Right now?" I realized the stupidity of the question after it came out, but Dream snapped his head to me with a sharp annoyance in his eyes.

"Yes, right now. Is it too early for you, Your Highness? This is the kind of work you need to put in, the dirty, dangerous kind to get what you need done. Don't assume any of this is gonna be easy." He snapped, moving out towards the entrance door.

"I won't let him touch you." Bad said from behind, making me nearly jump. I didn't notice him get up.

"Thanks, I doubt they'll hurt me though. And even if they do, it'll be deserved for what my people have done to them for years." I shivered at the countless deaths I had witnessed at the hands of my father's violence. Innocents, faerie villages raided and torn apart under no real means besides the king's own twisted desire. 

Sapnap came out of the other room, coming right to them. "Hold still, I'm putting the spell on you now." He lifted a hand to the three of us and it faintly began glowing. "All magic you possess is under the control of us. You will use it as we see fit, until you can be trusted."

After a minute, his hand dimmed and he gave us a once over, before joining Dream at the door.

"We leave now." He simply said, and we all walked out.

---------------------------------------------------

I hadn't realized how far we were from the castle until we reached it nearly an hour later. I won't lie, I was embarrassed to be out of breath from the brisk walk. We were in an unfamiliar location of the forest, but I can't say I actually knew many parts of it to begin with. It isn't very safe being a human defenseless in a thicket during a war. Faeries were the masters of the woods.

Up ahead I watched Dream and Sapnap powering ahead, weaving through the trees with sharpened talent. A shiver went down my spine at the thought of how long the two could have been watching my room.

"Are you okay?" I turned to see Bad next to me, clearly noticing my struggle to keep up with the faeries. 

"Pick it up, will you?" Sapnap called from ahead. When he turned to look at us, his eyes were glowing a bright red and I almost stumbled in surprise. The only time I had seen something glow so far was from a spell, but it was shocking seeing it anywhere but their hands.

They rolled their eyes and I looked beside him again, noticing Zak on Bad's other side. I glanced down to his goat legs before looking forward again, feeling oddly intrusive. "So... how do you guys know each other?" I asked awkwardly.

Bad looked at me, before looking back at Zak and shrugging. "We were friends long before I came to the castle, he followed and came with me once we arrived."