The Fog of Airyll COMPLETE

Chapter 14

Hello!

So, here it is! This chapter was a bit of a pain to write, but I kind of like how it ended up. I'd love to hear what you think!

So the next chapter will be coming June, 28th.

And now, with no more delays... On with the chapter ;D

Glancing at the hands on the clock ticking away, Nephelle wondered why they were moving so slowly. From where she was standing - above a tall bench, standing in eye level with the clock - it looked like it was working well. The hands were slow, truth, but they moved with no hesitation, no hiccups.

So they were working.

But why, why it was taking so long?

Glancing around her, she noticed the three women muttering amongst themselves. They fiddle with the fabric of the dress she was currently trying on, and whisper to themselves, only to repeat the process all over again.

She was about to pull out her hair, but she forced herself to take another deep breath and stare ahead.

The plan, she thought as she forced herself to relax her shoulders, she needed to focus on the plan.

"No, no, no, no, no. This won't do!"

Nephelle grimaced, running a hand through her hair. This wasn't going as they had planned.

It had been a good plan, she mused. Brilliant, even.

She had been awake when the sun rose. Every time she saw the sunbeams hitting the city she was convinced the days before had been paranoia.

But as it had happened in the last two days, the second she and Wade decided to head out for breakfast, that thought was changed once more. They were back to being followed everywhere.

Oh, nobody was rude about it. There were no offenses made, no rude gestures, no unpoliteness at all...

Except for the women, of course. They would slip their feet on her way to make her trip, push her into the mud puddles or into walls and make snide comments when she walked past, but that didn't bother her.

It was inconvenient, that was all. She wasn't worried.

What worried her was, of course, the fact that Lord Alastair most likely received a very detailed report of what they were doing. Even though they had a plan to head towards the library that morning, neither one was brave enough to attempt.

It was when Wade had this brilliant idea.

"We're supposed to be heading to Lord Alastair's ball, right?" Grinning at her, he shrugged. "We might as well pretend we're going to go. You can go and choose a dress and I'll send a message to let Fox know he was invited – after all, Lord Alastair did invite him, right?"

Oh, she had been against it. She didn't want Fox anywhere close to the trap that had her and Wade stuck, but he had an answer to it as well.

"I'll tell him I know how busy things are now and that it's ok if he can't make it. Fox will understand we are having problems, but that we don't want him here, that's for sure."

Wincing when her skin was pricked by a pin, Nephelle left out a sigh. Sure, Fox would understand it. She was sure.

But was he going to stay away? Somehow that didn't fit with Nephelle's image of the boy who had taken on responsibility for his whole family.