The Rise of the Nations

Chapter 7; Rio's P.O.V.

I awoke at some point during the night, with a startle. Tokala was breathing lightly in his bed next to mine so I knew it wasn’t him who’d woken me. But something had and every instinct in my body said it wasn’t good. Although the lights were off and the blinds closed, I could see everything as if it were the middle of the day, courtesy of being a shape-shifter. Nothing seemed amiss and I was about to lie back down to go to sleep when my grandfather’s words rang through my head.

                She’s a special child. Many will try to take her but it’s crucial that you protect her. For the sake of the tribes.

                Earlier in the day while at the first day of competitions for the Gathering, when Mica had gone off to find the restroom, I’d had the same apprehensive feeling and sent Tokala to go check it out. When he came back, he said he’d caught the scent of a Dark Fae and a powerful one to boot. We’d had no idea how Mica had defended herself and resisted him, but she’d been fine when Tokala had found her and it had stumped the rest of us. A simple human being wouldn’t have stood a chance against such a strong Fae and yet she had been fine; not a hair on her body out of place.

                For some reason, my body was telling me that the same sort of magic was being used in this very hotel and I bet I knew who it was being used for. Question is, if she’d be able to fend off the Dark Fae a second time around. I pulled off the covers and after shaking Tokala, I quickly put on my pants.

                “Ugh,” he groaned, rolling over in bed, “What is it?”

                “Mica,” was all I had to say before he was out of bed in a flash.

                We both ran up the stairs, not even bothering to take the elevator because it would take too long. I reached her door first, right as I heard her scream. I kicked down the door, using more than my human strength (hey, when life gives you lemons…and a screaming girl). The room was pitch black; which is saying something since I can see in the dark. At first I couldn’t locate her, but after concentrating on the darkest spot in the room, her life force came into focus and it was dim; almost too dim.

                Nanco chose at that moment to slam his bedroom door open and after taking a look into the room, we used our mental shape-shifting connection to communicate how we wanted to approach this. We agreed that too sudden of a move, and Mica could die. The element of surprise was of no use since we’d thrown the door open, announcing ourselves in the most obvious way possible.

                As we telepathically communicated, the dark entity, holding Mica hostage, began to shift and take form. When at last the transition was done, I kinda wished it had stayed the way it was. When it comes to Maude, Winter Queen and ruler of all Dark Fae, ignorance is bliss.