Sleep with the Lights On ✔️

17. I'm Sorry

Peros burst into the dining room, Essylt was in a forcefield and pounding on the pearlescent walls. She was screaming but her voice was muffled. When she saw Peros her anger dropped, turning her expression to pure desperation. She tried to call him over, but he was looking at the other shimmering bubble that encased Cassie, and a tall man in a black suit. the glimmering surface obscured his face, but Peros couldn't help but feel anxious. He hurried to Cassie at the muffled screams of Essylt. Cassie didn't turn around, she seemed fixated on the man in some sort of trance. He slammed his palms against the surface but nothing happened, while Essylt's protests and rage were muffled, Cassie's forcefield was silent.

"Peros!" Essylt cried out. He reluctantly turned to her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He was trying not to sound accusing although the last time they had met she'd attacked him.

"I just came for you, and she attacked me!" Essylt whined in response. Her spindly fingers raked against the forcefield, a pleading look on her pale face. Peros eyed the sprite skeptically, and turned back to Cassie. She and the man seemed to be in deep conversation. 

"Cassia," The man said with a broad smile, his voice seemed familiar. Cassie didn't bother correcting him.

"Who are you?" She asked. Her stomach was writhing, partly due to what Fion had said, as well as Essylt's unexpected arrival.

"My name is Evander and I have a proposition for you," Evander said. He kept his hands open, his arms open and his face smiling. Cassie furrowed her brow and took a step back. "I am so glad to have finally found you."

"You've been looking for me?" Cassie asked.

"For eons," He said smiling.

"What do you want? ... And my name isn't Cassia, its Cassie," she said.

"I'm just trying to get home, but I need your help," He spoke slowly, his smile never wavering. Cassie's heart was beating loud in her ears, as he stalked closer. He was careful not to make any sudden movements, she wanted to laugh; he was approaching her like she was a wild animal. She couldn't laugh though, she was terrified. There was something coming off him that made her nervous, something she couldn't put a name to.

"I want to get home too," Cassie snapped, her voice quivering. "Are you the one who brought me here?"

"We will both get what we want, if I had found you sooner your stay in the underworld would have been much shorter," He said, slight annoyance slipping through his perfect smile.

"What do you want from me?" Cassie demanded. She was growing overwhelmed, the feeling that had been guiding her was telling her nothing, but still going wild. "Why did you bring me here?"

"We will have plenty of time to talk, I can't keep these forcefields up, I'm sure you understand." He was lowering his hands, and looking beyond Cassie. She spun around to see Essylt out of her forcefield, and fast approaching Peros who now stood between them. "Will you agree to help me?" He asked.

"Fine, swear you wont let any harm come to me or Peros." Her voice was strengthening, she watched Peros and Essylt talking although she couldn't hear them. 

"I promise," Evander said, "I'm going to break the forcefield now. I've lost too much magic holding these up, so you'll have to deal with the sprite on your own. I am sorry I couldn't find you sooner."

Cassie nodded, although her eyes hadn't left Peros.

The forcefield popped and left Cassie, Essylt and Peros standing in the middle of the room, Evander had backed away to the wall. "Are you alright?" Peros asked, turning to Cassie. He took a step forward and was sent tumbling backwards against the wall.

"I'm sorry Peros but I'm not going to be distracted from the purpose that brought me here," Essylt called over her shoulder. With a few purposeful strides she was towering over Cassie. Cassie tensed her muscles to resist the urge to step back.

Pain exploded in Cassie's chest and she doubled over. She tried to think of what kind of enchantment Essylt had used as the foot of the other girl knocked her onto her back.

"This is even easier than I expected," Essylt giggled. The pain in her chest was subsiding and her mind raced to think of a counter enchantment. Essylt flew upwards, and hung in the air, Cassie could feel Essylt working against the enchantment and she held tighter.

Peros ran to stand beside Cassie. "If you can keep this up maybe she'll tire out?" Peros suggested. Cassie squirmed under the weight of keeping the enchantment.

"I can't," She whimpered. Essylt dropped to the floor, having broke free of the enchantment.

"Peros, why are you doing this?" Essylt growled.

"You know why." Peros pleaded. Cassie took a step closer to Essylt.

"I'm really sorry things happened like this, I never intended to..." Cassie began. Essylt waved her arms and a glimmering sword appeared in her hands. Cassie had never seen any enchantments like that. The sword was thin, but sharp. The surface shimmered like Essylt's insectile wings. Cassie was paralyzed, and not because of an enchantment. She hadn't prepared herself for this.

"I didn't want this to happen either, but I have to," Essylt said slowly, her compound eyes reflected the whole room and Cassie was lost in them. "It will be painless," Essylt whispered.

Pain ripped through her shoulder, but not nearly as much pain as she expected.

Peros was on the ground and Essylt was standing over him, the sword dangling from her dainty hand. Tears poured from her eyes as she looked down, but something changed in her. Her eyes clouded over and she was running toward Cassie, sword raised.

The sword clattered to the floor and Cassie stood over Essylt, who was not laying beside Peros. She saw her body from afar, moving quickly.

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry" two voices mingled together, echoing each other. One sobbing and the other gasping. Cassie didn't know where the voices were coming from, or who they were. Was one of the voices her own?Her vision blurred red and her eyes watered, she crashed back into her own body. Her veins felt on fire, her whole body was numb. She felt the shimmer of enchantment pass through her.

And the biting cold light of something else.

super short chapter, I wanted to leave the chapter on ^this^ note so It's very short, I'm still dying to hear from you guys!!! :D