The Awakening

Chapter Nine

After what felt like an eternity of rinsing and wringing, Brianne's pale brown pants and loose orange shirt were finally clean enough to pass as clean. Throughout the ordeal, Avelon wore a persistent smirk, clearly enjoying her frustration.

Once presentable, Brianne suggested they return to the stables to continue their work. But as they arrived, they stopped short. The stables were under guard, and Balor stood waiting for them, his expression unreadable.

"Brace yourself," Brianne muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible as they stepped into the shadowed stables.

"For what?" Confusion laced Avelon's hushed tone, they had not done anything wrong.

Balor's presence loomed before them, his gaze tracking their every move. "Ah, the slaves deign to grace us with their presence," He drawled, his words thick with mockery.

The air around them seemed to thicken, pressing down like a weight on Avelon's chest. She breathed deeply, refusing to allow his affinity to rouse any anxiety within her.

"We were just-" She started, but the words faltered as an invisible force squeezed the breath from her lungs.

Her eyes widened in silent panic, unable to speak against the crushing pressure. Balor's cruel smile was all she could see before she doubled over, gasping for air.

"You'll learn, Avelon," he sneered, his voice dripping with menace. "In my palace, you don't argue or counter, you simply obey." He took a slow step closer, his threat lingering in air.

Instinctively, she took a step back, but Brianne held her ground, her gaze defiant, even as her posture remained oddly compliant.

"Two Fae," He mused, sweeping a hand through the air in a dismissive gesture, "as different as night and day, yet both doomed to the same fate." He clicked his tongue, and in an instant, the guards moved, closing in on Avelon.

Before she could react, they lifted her off her feet. The sudden motion made her feel small and insignificant.

"What's happening?" Her voice cracked, the fear in her words far too evident.

Her heart pounded against her chest as millions of scenarios ran through her mind. Balor's indifference to their lives was a stark reality which had her fear growing by the second. He did not care whether they lived or not.

"Your questions are unwelcome," He snapped, his voice low and dangerous.

His eyes narrowed, and his gaze darkened, sending an icy shiver down her spine. "However, your presence is required elsewhere."

The stiffness in her body increased at his declaration. Her presence was needed, but for what? Silently, her gaze wandered over to Brianne. She refused to meet her gaze, and instead her focus remained on the stables before her. It was only then that the soft whining of the horses pierced the silence, a sound previously unnoticed by her overwhelmed senses.

A sharp sting of betrayal flashed in her eyes at the lack of acknowledgement or defence coming from Brianne. They had only just begun to find common ground. The feeling was quickly subdued by the realization that Brianne, bound by her own fear, could not stand against Balor. Neither of them could. She nodded to herself. She held no resentment against her. Survival trumped loyalty when it came to Balor.

They had both known what he was capable of, and they both knew that he would kill her without second guessing the decision if she were to intervene.

Stifling the overwhelming urge creeping up her throat to plead for any help from her newfound friend, she forcibly tore her gaze away from Brianne who had been nervously chewing her lip. The booming bootsteps of the guards overwhelmed the lingering whimpers of the horses and the thumping of her heart.