Knightingale [THE FIRST DRAFT.]

CHAPTER TEN

"Magic is a tricky sort of talent."

[ THIS BOOK is available illustrated on my KOFI @/2ndstarart ]

Adric's jaw hung low as he stared into eyes that matched his own. It seemed like the world halted around him and she radiantly glowed to the point he wished not to take his eyes off of her.

"Your hair is down." He blurted, unsure what to think at this moment.

She nodded and giggled at the small boy. It was a giggle that was not her own and it unnerved Adric. Many questions whirled through his mind, 'Why was she here' 'How was she here' 'Why is her hair down!'

Reader, I too am uncertain why he insisted to focus on this menial fact.

He opted for the first question he could form into a proper sentence. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you!" She stepped towards him, holding her hand out gracefully. "To take you home." She looked like an angel, ready to take home the lost souls who had failed on their journeys.

Adric jumped back, away from the hand and from his sister. "What, no. We're almost there!"

"You and Gale." She spoke with disdain, retracting her hand.

It was at this time Adric properly started to use his head, "How do you know about-?"

"Do not trust her Adric." The girl interrupted a fire in her eyes that riveled that of the dwindling flame in his grasp. "She lies."

He knew this not to be true, or at least he hoped for it, but why would his sister lie? Was it even his sister at all? Truthfully, he told himself, how would Mallory find him let alone reach him? "No." He meekly replied as the girl stepped forward once more.

Mallory circled him like prey fixated on its next meal. "You believe she would follow blind? A strong girl like her."

"I suppose-." His head whipped around to follow her. It seemed like she was floating rather than walking.

"She wants to harm the Queen. Harm our chances at a better life." She whispered into his ear, a poison-laced whisper that promised to act upon the word in which she spoke 'harm.'

"Why would she do that?" Adric stuttered out, breathing almost heavily as he tried not to seem sacred. He was sure this was no longer his sister, 'a trick' he thought, but from who, or what.

It wasn't until the next words trickled from his lips that he knew this to be a certain truth. "She is blessed, she wants revenge."

A rustling came from above, followed by a loud angry cackling as the black and white bird dove through the treeline towards Adric. Her blue and green feathers glinted in the small moment of moonlight before the flowers repositioned themselves and closed off the light. As she swopped down, it seemed as if she would crash through the girl, but no such thing occurred.

As Mallory flew to her brother, she burst through the fake, which dissipated like a cloud of purple pollen, sticking to every tree in its reach.

"It's not real." He whispered, The magpie on his shoulder tilted her head in confusion. Only Adric could see her. "Mallory would never say 'blessed.'"

The magpie, now more than ever wished she could speak, even show herself to understand what he meant. "And Mallory doesn't know Gale." He was almost talking to himself, had he even recognised that the bird had returned. "The flowers..."

"Gale!" He shouted, screamed even to which she came galloping back towards him. "Gale, get away from the flowers!"

She did as was told; however, it was quite hard to do so in this specific glade. "Adric! What's wrong." Genuine worry covered her voice.