Last Fae

Chapter 22 ~ More Tricks

I spun around so fast that the whole world blurred.

"Delly?" A young girl stood in the doorway, her fingers twisted around the hem of her sky blue dress as she stared at me with her pale green eyes. Her fiery red hair was only a shade lighter than mine. My breath caught in my throat. Her aura was a vivid, vibrant violet. It swirled around her small frame as if it had a life of its own.

A hesitant smile pulled at her lips as she waited, her body seeming to lean closer though her feet remained planted a safe distance away.

"M...Mia?" I gasped taking a step forward to get a closer look. She stumbled back at my approach and I froze. I wanted to rub my eyes and check that I wasn't imagining it. But I was terrified if I took my eyes of her for even a second she might disappear.

I hadn't seen her in five years. She would be ten now. But I could still see the little girl I knew staring up at me with those big green eyes. I pinched the skin on my forearm with as much force as I could muster, a sliver of pain snaked its way up my arm but Mia remained as life like as ever in front of me.

"Mia, is it really you?" She nodded and the grin that broke across her face could have lit up the whole room. I spread my arms for her and waited, hoping she'd come to me since she seemed afraid of me moving towards her. She took a slow step closer and when I didn't attack she ran for me. And leapt into my arms.

I pulled her in close, tears streaming down my cheeks and blurring my vision. She smelled like fresh daisies and I inhaled deeply trying to replace the memory of her small broken body that morning with the vibrant young girl I held now. I spun us around holding her tight, terrified to let go.

Pulling back the slightest fraction to look at her again was all I could manage. A scream ripped from my throat as I stared down at her. Her rotting corpse grinned up at me, maggots crawling beneath her skin. I let go and stumbled back reaching for the door of the cell and dragging myself through.

The body disappeared but I couldn't wipe the image from eyes. It was burned into my mind like a brand that would never fade. My stomach clenched again but there was nothing in it to bring up. Kellan's heavy footsteps raced through the door and stalled to a halt when he saw me sitting on the ground in the middle of the hallway.

"What happened?" He asked, the fear fading from his eyes as he took in the lack of a threat in the area.

"I...I," I had no idea, "I saw Mia," I whispered still dragging in every breath with effort trying to calm my frayed nerves. I pointed into the empty cell, "She was standing in there, but when I hugged her she was...she was dead again." The last few words came out on a sob and I wrenched back control of myself tired of all the out of control emotions I'd been through in the last few days. I needed to get a grip of myself. I was losing it.

Kellan frowned and walk over to the cell. I reached out a hand to try and stop him but it was half hearted, I wanted to know if he saw anything in there or if I really was going crazy. He didn't even hesitate as he stepped inside and walked around running his fingers over each wall before turning to stare at me through the bars of the door.

"There's nothing in here." I got to my feet and forced my shaky legs to move towards him. My heart pounded in my chest, racing inexorably faster with ever step I took towards the doorway. "You can do this," I mumbled under my breath and Kellan eyed me warily, "It was all in your head. Just breath." I whispered the words over and over again as I walked closer.

I stepped through the doorway and walked around the room. I heard her light footsteps behind me. My hands started to shake. I took a deep breath.

"Delly?" She whispered. Just breathe, it's all in your head I told myself and turned around to face her. She stood the same as before staring up at me with those beautiful eyes. Tears dripped down my cheeks. If I could just hold her and keep her like this forever. I glanced back to the door, wondering if Kellan was seeing this too.

He was nowhere to be seen. I ran. I raced passed the Mia's shocked figure and out the door. He was gone.

"Kellan?" I called voice rising higher as my head spun from one side to the other searching for him.

"What just happened?" His bemused voice came from behind me. I turned slowly. He was still standing just inside the door, I glanced across to the spot she'd been standing in and she was gone.

"I saw her again. But you disappeared. I thought you'd left me. Or been taken or something." His head shook slowly and he watched me like he was staring at a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. "You disappeared as soon as you walked into the cell."

"What?" I shook my head as well, that made no sense.

"Do it again," Shaking my head even harder I stepped backwards putting more distance between me and that cell.

"No way. She looks so real. I can't."

"What if it's them?" He asked, something akin to excitement in his tone, "We've been searching for them for so long. We might finally have a chance."

"You think it's a Fae trick?" He lifted a shoulder and waved me inside. Hesitating for a moment I thought about it. We Fae did love our tricks, but what was the purpose of it? Was it specifically for me? Kellan didn't seem affected by it at all. I sighed and moved closer once again.

"Just one step inside, then come back." I did what he asked and looked to him for further instruction once he'd reappeared beside me.

"Did you see her again?"

"No, I don't think I went in far enough. She came up behind me before."

"What happens if you walk all the way through?"

"You want me to just ignore her? And look for what? It's just an empty cell."

"Maybe," He murmured, "But it's strange that you're the only one affected by whatever this is. And that in it's self might imply that it relates to the Fae." 

With a deep, calming breath I stepped through one last time. I heard her footsteps behind me when I reached the middle of the cell.

She called my name. I ignored her and kept moving. I heard her creep closer and call again. 

Goosebumps spread along my arms and a chill ran down my spine. I closed my eyes and covered the last few metres. My hand hit the back wall and I breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing but wall. I opened my eyes to make sure and all the air rushed from my body.

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