Faye and Ruin

Let The Games Begin

I knew where I was before my senses came too. The ground below me was familiar, except this time it was midday and the flowers that bloomed looked even more beautiful as they reached towards the sun. The ancient trees didn't seem quite as threatening and the sounds that escaped the forest weren't quite as haunting.

My first instinct was to run, hide, but my mother had said that Runa's essence had been siphoned into the King's sword. The sword with a distinct ruby hilt and ancient markings carved so expertly into the metal I knew it from my dreams. If King Orym knew she was captured inside the sword, then that meant he wouldn't let that sword too far out of his sight and the only way I would ever get close enough to steal it would be to allow myself to be captured by Bayne again.

So I waited. Waited for the thunder and lightning to start. For the torrential rainfall to begin, so I sat in the grass and picked at a flower.

"Well this is most interesting indeed." A voice caught me and I looked up. Deimos walked towards me this time, two swords drawn, but he sheathed them behind his armor that didn't quite glimmer the way Bayne's did. And the swords didn't disappear either.

He steadily but cautiously approached me. "What, no thunder or lightning to announce your presence?" I asked, taunting him a little.

He chuckled and shook his head, a few strands of black hair falling from the ponytail. "Those theatrics aren't really my style." I smiled softly at him and he stopped, confused. "You're not scared?" He questioned and I shook my head.

"It took me a month to figure out how to come back." I started and he raised an eyebrow. I studied his steely gray eyes, captivated by them for a moment. These Fae men were something else.

"You wanted to come back?" He asked and finally moved to stand in front of me.

I tilted my head up to look at him as a voice from behind me spoke before I had a chance. "Of course she did. The mortal world must be so boring now."

"Hello brother." Deimos said and rolled his eyes at me. I chuckled and looked over my shoulder to see Bayne stalking towards me. His armor shimmered and this time, without the fear rippling behind my sight, I finally saw it wasn't so much a silver glow, but an ivory glow that washed under the scales.

He grinned a wicked grin at me as I pushed myself to a standing position and watched Bayne raise an eyebrow at my attire. "Still such a strange outfit choice." He said to me, standing so close behind me I could feel his body heat wash over me and my heart thumped loudly in my throat.

"Ignore the idiot." Deimos said and I gave him a half smile as Bayne chuckled behind me. "You are trespassing again though." He finished and I nodded.

"Just this time could you kidnap me without-" But I was unable to finish the sentence as two fingers pressed into my forehead and all my sensation slid away.

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I came to in a different room than before, the silver bracelets back around my wrists. It was an open deck, the light summer breeze flowing in between the columns that drapes ran down. The shade from the beautiful canvas roof allowed for a comfortable temperature while the sun could still sparkle against the gold and white furniture.

Pushing off of the marble tiles below me, I gazed over the gold railing at the most exquisite view. A waterfall crashed over the side of the mountain that stretched before me. Flowers and mushrooms of colors I had never seen before swayed and glinted against the bright light as speckles of water lipped at them. The green shrubs and jungle vines that swept around the flowers and reached above the clear pool below were so deep and rich I inhaled before jumping at the sound behind me.