Millennium Academy - The Fractured Shadow - Novel I

Chapter 16 - Haleth Castrie & Lilith Moon

"What. The. Hell. Is. going. On?" Haleth clipped, panting.

"Profanities," Lilith reminded. Her outfit and hair remained immaculate as ever, unlike Haleth, who was seriously shaken after the trip.

"How... do... you remain... so calm?"

Lilith just shrugged. "I have to."

They walked in silence for a minute. Haleth looked around, trying to look anywhere but Lilith, the perfect vampire who could never mess up her hair, the girl who could make no bad decisions.

"Where are we?" She said at last, trying to break the silence.

Lilith shrugged again. "I don't know. Where do you think? Is this any realm you know?"

"Why are you asking me?" and then, under her breath, "If you're so perfect."

"Excuse me? I can hear you, you know. And nobody's perfect. Look at me! I let my best friend-" Lilith stopped midsentence. "Anyway. You can't judge me just 'cause- just cause- UGH!"

"Whatever." Haleth snorted impatiently. "Let's just find someone, and ask them for directions, ok?"

"Sure, sure. Be my guest." Lilith snapped in a cold voice, brushing past Haleth.

They walked silently beside each other.

Lilith noticed a dark shape moving toward the forest. She tapped it's shoulder. "Excuse me, could you help me and my friend? We seem to be lost and need some directions..."

"olleH! emocleW ot mlaeR fo moorhS! I ma oJ nexiR. dnA uoy?"

Haleth looked taken aback. Lilith on the other hand, frowned in thought, and spoke slowly. He was speaking Sdrawkcab, the native language of the Shroomish peoples. They spoke everything backwards. She had learned this language in Millennium Academy.

"eW era htiliL nooM dna htelaH eirtsaC. eW deen ot dnif ruo sdneirf, areV zaznoG, alimE snepreS, dna zzaR zeitraM. evaH uoy nees meht?"

"oN. tuB ym ruobhgien, nebueR nereR swonk gnihtyreve tuoba gnihtyreve taht sneppah ereh. I nac ekat uoy ot mih, fi d'uoy ekil." the small creature waved its arms in haste.

"seY, sey! tahT dluow eb gnizama. knahT uoy!" Lilith cried, dragging a confused Haleth along behind her.

"What was that?" Haleth hissed.

"It's neigbour knows everything that happens here. All the goings-on. He might know where the others went! And hopefully, where Veran is, too!"

"Why do you want to know where Veran is?" Haleth asked sharply, stopping.

"Come on, Haleth, Jo's getting away! We don't have time for this!" she tried to follow Jo again, who waited patiently, oblivious.

"No, Jo's waiting. And we have time. You tell me why you want to find him or SO HELP ME JEZEBEL RUBY!" Haleth warned.

"erA uoy ydaer ot og, htiliL?" Jo asked tentatively, then scurried to the side when she shook her head.

"Jezebel Ruby? Really? Wow, you sure are one for extremities." she said dryly, turning back to Haleth.

"Stop dodging the question." Haleth growled.

"FINE! I'LL TELL YOU!" Lilith yelled, tears dripping down her cheeks. "Fine. I need him to come home, Haleth. It's an instinct, I- I think he might die if we don't get him back."

And good riddance to him, Haleth wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Stop being a baby," She said instead, "We'll find him, and when we do, I'll be out of your life forever. Capiche?"