Descendants of the Kings (Book 2)

Ch 28.2: A one-woman army

Dozens of tiny creatures swarmed around Ella like flies, their bodies covered in thick dark hair, their wings bright blue. Their shrill screeches pierced the air, loud enough to make the dead wince and cover their ears.

Gods-damned pixies.

A cluster of them hounded Fiend, knotting his hair and yanking on his braids.  Fiend brayed and chomped wildly, attempting to fend off the vicious pixies. The rest of them made quick work of ransacking Ella's belongings, strewing her clothes and food everywhere.

"Get away! Shoo!" she bellowed, smacking the pixies in an attempt to defend poor Fiend. Fiend whinnied and stomped around, trying to deter their attacks.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Claret brayed loudly, and soon, Aedion dismounted and rushed towards her. The pixies screeched as he batted them away, their tiny bodies thwaping against the trees.

"Fucking hell," he hissed, cuffing a pixie that had chomped down on his ear. Growing tired, he conjured a ball of fire, which caused the creatures to shriek in fright.

He aimed one in their general direction, and it was enough for them to scatter, but not before taking their loot.

"My bags!" Ella cried, jumping up to snatch the bag from two stubborn pixies. For such tiny creatures, they had an enourmous amount of strength.

She yanked hard, the surge of strength managing to dislodge their grasp, but not before the majority of the contents tumbled out.

Aedion lobbed another fireball and the pixies wailed, but they held onto their prizes and flew away, their shrill voices still buzzing in their ears.

Ella stood there with her hands fisted by her side, her chest heaving like she'd run a mile. All around her, her clothes and belongings littered the ground, mud seeping into the fabric.

Aedion made a noise of sympathy, as she leaned down and lifted what had once been a pristine white shirt.

"Not a word," Ella uttered between clenched teeth, pinching a soiled pair of undergarments between her fingers, with as much dignity as possible.

"I wouldn't dare," Aedion conceded, and wordlessly, he began to help her pick up her sodden belongings.

"My tent is missing," Ella said blankly after a moment, once she'd finished collecting all the debris. Her tent, a blanket, a few items of clothing, and a couple bags of dry fruits. She pinched her nose-bridge and took deep, calming breaths.

Her scalp still burned from when the pixies had attacked her, and worst of all, she felt the sudden urge to cry. Out of habit, she angrily pinched the inside of her elbow, desperate to keep the ridiculous swell of emotions at bay.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder, and she felt Aedion's presence behind her. It made another wave of guilt and humiliation wash over her, her eyes prickling in response.

"I know you wanted to continue, but its already late. The sun will be going down soon," Aedion said evenly, not a hint of pity in his tone. "We've travelled a lot today, and the horses are sure to be tired. Fiend is probably still shaken up. I think it best to rest for the day and continue tomorrow, yes?"

Ella let out a slow puff of air. There it was--the way he took care of her even when she'd been a rude brat. The way he knew her enough to make it about the horses, rather than her own exhaustion, knowing Ella was too prideful to ask for it herself. Kind, attentive, and too damn good to her.

She wanted to say a million things at once. Apologise, for one. Thank him for his endless patience. She managed a weak nod instead, too tired to muster up energy.