*ON HOLD* The Airborne Oracles [Book I - Breeding the fire]

Chapter Eleven

I can't continue without giving a special thanks to midnightmvelvet. Thank you for helping me in the early morning hours when I feel like I'm about to throw my laptop to pieces out of frustration! This chapter would have been ten times worse if she didn't step in and help :p

[Un ar ddeg]

"Are you unwell, dearest Nixie?" Gredula asked as she sauntered, head raised and shoulders squared, out of the shadows and to the couch. Despite the light smile on her lips, the tension in the room and in her shoulders, was palpable.

Gredula stopped at the foot of the couch, looking down on Nixie before perching over her. A vulture waiting for its prey to die. Whichever, the woman's presence made Nixie's insides churn.

"Can I help you with something, Gredula?"

If she could run away from Gredula's glaring emerald eyes, she would, but her weakened legs refused to cooperate. Irgis would return, soon, she hoped. In the meantime she was subjected to the blatant stares of the foul and devious woman. Beautiful on the outside, but rotten and stale on the inside.

Irgis where are you? she thought.

Gredula lips broadened, "Whatever makes you think such a thing, dear? I'm simply observing if the servants have done a proper job in their cleaning. After all, I cannot host in a dirty home."

Nixie grinded her jaws together. Did the woman have no shame? She inhaled. "That's strange, if I recall correctly, one cannot observe where one has been forbidden to enter." Nixie plastered a devious, but sweet smile on her own lips and hoped her eyes portrayed the boiling dislike she felt. She wouldn't show weakness in front of this wretched woman.

For a swift second she could see her comment made Gredula swift uncomfortably in her seat, but her satisfaction was short lived. Gredula jolted upright, "Spoken like a true Empress, your majesty," she curtsied.

Gredula found her way back to the crystal that lingered in mid air. The light that had previously enwrapped itself around the ball at the coronation, had disappeared. Nixie wondered if it only lit up if Irgis was in the room, or if she touched it.

Gredula cleared her throat to get her attention. When Nixie looked at her she forced a loud sigh and spoke, "Curious is it not?" she pointed to the crystal, "Irgis has the marvelous ability to gaze into time itself," her hands traced the object as she cocked her head to the side, waiting for Nixie to respond.

Nixie could see what she was trying to do. It was not working. Every single word she uttered in front of this witch were possible words she could use against Nixie to her disadvantage. She pursed her lips together and bit her tongue.

"Don't you wish you had such a power? Life is unfair is it not? Only Irgis can use this gift," she smirked before lowering her voice, "although, I heard mates can share each other's abilities, but then again, you aren't Irgis' true mate, so you would not be able to use this ball, would you?" her eyes searched Nixie's.

She could not help but smile, knowing she could see into the crystal and not the witch. Why couldn't Gradula use it then? Seeing as the claimed to be Irgis' true mate. Nixie bit down on her tongue harder and fought the urge to snap.

Gredula's irritation was evident on her face and she continued to taunt her, "You know, I couldn't help but to overhear-"

"You mean eavesdrop," Nixie cut her off.