CORRUPTED FILE [Lumina Chronicles Past Drafts]

Level Fifteen: Never Kiss A Fairy

*KINDLE'S PoV*

It was well past midnight when I returned to the castle. Carlyle was leaning up against a wall, waiting for me when I walked through the door.

I was a bit surprised to see him here instead of with Blondie, like I told him to be. As I thought about it, the surprise began shifting to panic. "Is she okay?" I asked.

Carlyle's lip quirked up into a smile. "Your girlfriend's fine, she's with Faye. Something about a new dress. The girl talk was getting to be too much, so I escaped while I still had my sanity."

I nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed, but not much. I took off my cloak and made my way down the dark corridor. "You were supposed to stay with her. What if Lydia decided to confront her? You know more than anyone what Lydia's capable of."

Carlyle vanished from his spot against the wall, reappearing in front of me with a smirk on his face, "You didn't correct me when I called Maggie your girlfriend."

I sighed, walking through him. He always hated when I did that. I walked around the corner and up the stairs, heading for the main part of the castle.

"Oh... and, I um... kinda messed up." Carlyle added, keeping up pace with me. Without giving me time to brace myself, he said, "I showed Maggie."

I froze just before reaching the top of the stairs, "You what?" I asked in disbelief.

"She was yelling at me in public!" Carlyle exclaimed defensively. "It was either give her the information she wanted or have everyone in town think she was nuts."

I shook my head, eyes closed. "You should have let people believe she's crazy. How much did you show her?" I continued walking.

"Quite a bit. I wanted her to understand what Faye's been through, and how truly evil Lydia is. I figured it would help keep her safe. She'll be more careful around Lydia now for sure." He said.

I walked down the next corridor, nearing the room. If Blondie was with Faye, I could use this time to get some sleep. Traveling all day was pretty tiring. However, just as I rounded the corner, I was met with the smiling face of Lydia. Carlyle vanished at the sight of her.

"Kindle, I was just looking for you," she chirped, a smile bright on her face. I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was angry. I hesitated, unsure what to say. I knew I had to choose my words carefully when she was like this.

"Lydia," I bowed my head respectfully, though I kept my eyes on her. I of course knew why she was angry. The last time I spoke to her I'd denied her request. I haven't done that in years. "What can I do for you?"

"You can answer my question, for starters," she snipped, placing her tiny hands on her hips. Her dress today was the same blood-red as her lips. For such a small girl, she truly was intimidating. I knew she would never kill me as she did Carlyle, but she's punished me before. If I did something she didn't like, she'd just give me a slightly higher dose of venom, enough to show me that she held power over me. She was, to put it simply, my master. Just as I was nothing but her pet, her play thing, her slave, the list went on.

"Consider the answer yours," I replied robotically, "What is your question?"

"Why did you refuse me when I came to you in the ballroom?" Lydia asked.

At least this question was harmless. "I only have a month— less, now— to train the girl. If I fail, it is you and Seraphim who will suffer. The revenge on King Jareth you've been seeking all these years comes down to getting information from his son, correct?"