Halo Of Temptation

Chapter 3

"Willow! Stop chasing me, I have a cramp!" I go to sit down on the grass as Willow bumps into me. Aaron looks up from his drawing and chuckles a bit.

"Once Willow starts running she won't stop till she smacks right into her target." We both laugh at that in agreement as Willow starts arguing with Aaron about how she is definitely a lady and is not by any means an animal. We hear her say this all the time but in the end it's always the same result.

I lay down in the soft grass and look up towards the sky which looks a little less green than usual today. These are the kinds of days that I always enjoy the most. Peaceful as can possibly be without too many strifes and no teachers or maids getting us ready for this or that. Laughing at Willow and Aaron wrestling, I turn onto my side and there is a bush right by me. I see a butterfly come and land on a leaf in there and it suddenly can't move. It struggles but only gets tangled even more. A black spider comes crawling up to it and goes to work. It wraps the butterfly up in its webs and prepares for its meal.

I turn away to try to ignore the scene and look to Willow and Aaron. Before I can say a word, my mom and dad come running out and I see some people running behind them. I try to call out to them before I see both of them fall. The blood begins to pool around them but still no words will come from my throat. I want to cry in agony but nothing happens. I try to run towards Willow and Aaron to warn them but I cannot move and they do not seem to notice. I watch their faces turn to horror as the arrows pierce their bodies. They fall to the ground and the blood continues to grow around me.

The blood seems to spread and pool, drowning me as I see maids, teachers, and servants pile all around the courtyard. I finally feel a tear on my face and when I reach to wipe it away I see scarlet red shining back at me. My breath quickens as the blood rises more and more sweeping away everything in its path. I feel the liquid and start to choke needing to breathe. As I start to lose all hope I feel myself sit up and then a scream.

Shoulders grab on to my arms and lays me back down slowly. My eyes search and find Willows'. "Willow" I begin to say before coughing harshly.

"Hey, Faye, I just need you to be quiet right now. Here drink this." She brings a pouch up to my lips and feel the cool long needed water slip down my throat. She starts to move it away and my hands reach up to grab it and sharp pain stops me in my tracks. "Faye, you got a little injured so I just need you to stay laying down for now. I would gladly give you more water but due to the injury, I can only do this much for you right now."

I look up at her in frustration but decide to obey and put my arms back down at my sides. I look around to see yellow tinted walls that looks like they've been rotting for a while and see the desk by me. There is a pitcher water and a glass on the desk and I raise my eyebrow at Willow. "They told me it would be easier for you to drink from a pouch rather than a glass for now." I decide to look over to the other wall next to me and search my mind for what happened. All at once a rush of memories return as I recall mother and father pushing us out the secret passage and what she had told me right before.

I immediately reach for my ring finger and feel nothing and panic. Breathing a little quicker I reach towards my pants pocket and feel the outlining of the ring. I breathe a sigh of relief and decided to slide it on to my finger. Regardless if I actually believe the rumor of its power, it is a momento from my mother and one of the only things I have left of her now. My eyes notice a paper and pen by the desk and with a little bit of wincing, I manage to grab them. I write something and turn it over to Willow.

She smiles a little exhaustingly and said, "I knew you would ask this so soon. First, I need you to know that you have been asleep for roughly five days now." Five days!? I try to speak but Willow stops me, knowing it would do more damage then good for my throat. "While we were running through the woods you had collapsed and when I looked over you had an arrow pierced right above your kidney. Thankfully it hadn't hit any vital organs but you had been losing a lot of blood from your previous wound. Honestly Faye, you should have told me about it. It was from earlier, right?" I smile a little regretfully and nod. I write another sentence and she smiles as well.

"Well obviously I have to be a worrywart with a sister like you!" We both laugh, me a little more breathy, although still laughing all the same.

"So, we thought it was going to be all over when you fell down before some people came running up to us. You were convulsing a lot and we didn't know if we could lift you. Your breath had gotten so shallow before they came up and Nick lifted you up." My eyebrow raises at the sight of the slight smile forming on her face.

"Nick?" I breathe out and see the pink grow a little more on her face. I smirk knowingly and she waves her hand quickly.

"He's no one. Just someone who helped us get to where we are now." She forces the smile away and continues to explain what had happened. "So he lifted you up and we started running again. He was keeping pressure on your wound and after about ten minutes or so of running, we ran into a wall of electric wire. Nick showed us that it wasn't actually electric at all and we managed to climb over. A car came to the end of the gate and got us and they drove us here. Do you remember anything that happened during that time?" She looked at me quizzically and I just shook my head in confusion. "What happened?" I mouthed not determined to wreck my vocal cords.

"Well, you were breathing really shallow at that point while Nick was assessing your wound. When he grabbed the arrow to pull it out we noticed a small string tied to the end where the metal met the wood. It was a velvet color and Nick immediately knew what it meant. He got the arrow out and said as soon as we got to our destination, a girl named Anna would be able to help you. Though, while Nick was putting pressure on the wound, your body was wrapped in a dark shroud. Nick still won't tell me what happened during that time but he saw something. But whatever happened you were brought back to us." Tears started to form in Willow's eyes as she continued. "Faye, you screamed, so much. It was so awful. You were screaming in so much pain and I tried to calm you down but it wasn't doing anything.

"When we finally reached Anna, she got you on a flat table and commanded us to lay you flat on the table so you wouldn't kick or smack anyone. Nick told her about the poison and she immediately knew what to grab. They have dealt with this in the past and were able to make a faster acting antidote. You were still screaming but as soon as she got the shot in you it immediately calmed you down and after that you slept for five days." Willow takes a deep breath finishing the story and I just sit there astonished. All of that happened? All I could remember from that time was screaming in my ears and pain and fear. Also, what brought me back?

Interrupting my thoughts Willow tells me she is going to head downstairs and let Aaron know I am awake and gives me a light kiss on my forehead before walking away. I am frustrated that I can't get up and go downstairs on my own. Someone comes rushing through the door and expecting Aaron, my smile begins to grow. Right before my smile grows any bigger though someone else waltzes on in.

I notice his eyes first, bluer than any type of fabric I've seen and enough to swallow you whole. His eyes focus on mine and everything becomes quiet for a moment. Breaking the quiet of what felt like a few minutes he walks closer and sits on the side of the bed. He quickly leans his face so close to mine that I try to back away but realize I am laying on a pillow. Our foreheads touch and his dark brown strands brush against my face when he does this and makes me wrinkle my nose a bit to keep from sneezing. Our eyes lock and my cheeks start to burn forcing me to look anywhere else than his face.

He finally backs away from me and I hear his voice for the first time, deep and calming, "Looks like you're fevers finally broken." His smile brings a comforting wave over me that seems so familiar and new at the same time but before I can try to place it, Aaron comes running in with tears in his eyes.