Fairies of The Black Circle

22

Flora's heart pounded in her chest as she raced through the dense undergrowth, watching his shadows appear in the distance behind her.

Despite the guilt building in the back of her mind for leaving Bloom, she did her best to reassure herself that now she had a chance to make it all pay off.

Her breath continued to come out in ragged gasps as her feet carried her swiftly over the uneven terrain, every snap of a twig and rustle of leaves made her heart leap.

She knew that he was close behind.

Catching a fleeting glimpse of his silhouette she glanced over her shoulder to see a mischievous smile on his lips.

He was gaining on her rapidly.

"You're not allowed to use magic!" She accused, laughing as Anagan cruised alongside her with ease.

"I'm not."

He sounded amused, smug even, which only caused Flora's eyebrows to raise. Consequently, he rolled his eyes playfully and turned so that he was now running backwards.

"Ok fine. Now I've made it harder for myself" he smirked, knowing that his pace stayed exactly the same.

"Showoff" Flora scoffed, although her tone remained light.

"Two can play at that game" she said as she attempted to do the same, except her foot got caught on a hidden root.

As she stumbled she felt Anagan's hand close around her arm and pull her forward towards him.

"Come on Flo, I'll give you a headstart" He teased, his breath dancing against the nape of her neck causing her to shiver, before he gently pushing her ahead of him, his laughter echoing through woods.

The forest seemed to blur around her as she ran faster, the thrill of the chase mingling with fear and excitement.

Flora darted between the trees, the branches reaching out to snag her clothes, but she maneuverered through them with the grace of a deer.

She was in her element after all.

Suddenly, she changed her direction, veering toward the familiar rise in the ground, just visible through the treeline.

She was convinced Anagan had hidden their flag on the hill above the cave, and now all she had to do was lose him long enough to grab it.

"Woah, slow down, there." Anagan called after her as he turned to continue his pursuit, his speed slowly starting to increase.

"So, I was right." She smiled under her breath.

As she burst through the last line of trees, the moonlight revealed the glistening blue fabric of the wizards' flag.

She sprinted up the hill, her feet sliding through the mud.

It was now or never.

But just as she stretched out an arm to grasp the flag, strong arms closed around her waist, thwarting her plan.

She felt her feet lift on the ground, Anagan's hot breath on her neck once again as he pulled her away from her goal.

She flailed about breathlessly, the adrenaline that had fuelled their chase now coursing through her veins.

"So close, tree hugger." Anagan teased.

Flora huffed, struggling against his hold.

"Put me down."

He did, which surprised her. However her happiness was only momentary as he proceeded to then step back and hold his arms out, forming a barrier between her and her objective.