Arf

The Lost Cities Again

Alvar let out a brittle laugh at my shock and brandished the knife threateningly. 

"I'd advise you to comply," he declared, and I nodded slowly. Then he clutched my wrist with surprising strength and took out his crystal. It was clear, which meant we were going to the Lost Cities. But before he could leap us I cried, "Wait!" He glared at me. "You can have my crest as proof that it's me if I can go get one thing." He frowned, then checked his pockets. I had previously stolen my crest back from him, and was now waving it temptingly in front of his nose. But he rolled his eyes. 

"You forget that I'm an elf, Amy Foster." 

He stared at the crest in my hand for a bit, and I looked up at him, confused. But then the crest stating tugging at me and worming its way out of my hands. It finally slipped out after a fierce struggle, and zoomed back to Alvar. But with the distraction, I realized my wrist was free. I dashed into the house, grabbing my phone and slipping it into my pocket before he caught up with me and I pretended to be searching frantically for something, as if I hadn't yet found it.

He smirked and held his crystal to the light, once again grabbing my wrist.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

We reappeared in a field that looked utterly rural. Me being human, my body was almost translucent, but I could tend to that later. Hopefully. I followed complacent behind Alvar as he led me into an imposing looking stone house, and called out, 

"I've got the girl!" 

He locked the door behind us and left looking for more Neverseen members to see his catch. I turned on my phone, which luckily had battery left, and dialed my mom's number. Somehow miraculously it connected; we must've been near a Forbidden City.

"Hello?" I heard from the phone.

"Hi mom, it's me, Am - Natalie."

"Ok, hon, what's up?" 

I paused. 

"Um, so mom..." On a whim, I lied. "I might not be home when you get back. Just don't freak out." 

"Why not? Where are you?" 

Oh. 

"Um, it's... kind of a secret... I can't really tell you." Then I heard voices coming closer. I said a quick bye and hung up.

"What was that?" I heard a sharp voice behind me and spun around.

"Did you take my Imparter?"

"Um, no I didn't... I just talk to myself sometimes."

"Yeah." 

I scowled up at him and backed away, trying but failing to hide my phone. He grabbed it. 

"What is this human rubbish?"

I grimaced as he stared at it, afraid he was going to use another Elvin trick. But he simply turned it over again and again, frowning.

"I asked you,what is it?! Tell me or I'll destroy it." 

I could see that he meant it with the way it almost trembled in his hands as he glared at it. But I wasn't about to let him get information about my family- again. I gulped, but suddenly he found the protruding bit of metal, and turned it on. He scrolled through my contacts curiously, then seeing my mom's name frowned. I, meanwhile, was watching in horror. 

"How- how do you know how to use that thing? "

He gazed over at me. "Excuse me? Isn't it obvious? "

I stared.

"I've seen these before, everywhere, in your world. I just had to find the strip. Now, shut up." 

He then sneered over at me and clicked my mom's contact name.