Orchid

Our Second Traitor

I watch in horror as the blood courses through the seashells. I try to make a move for the Faerie relic, but Lycaeon holds up her hand and a gust of wind blows me backwards. 

 The relic glows with a black light and the beautiful soft pink of the shells darken to an ominous black.

 "Perfect. Now I am in control of the Faeries," Lycaeon announces proudly.

 Looking at the dead body of Albatross, I kinda feel sorry for him, that he was enslaved against his will and then killed, slaughtered like a sheep. 

 "Bye, sweetie," Lycaeon says, and hoots in delight. Turning her attention back at Jenna, she waves her hand. "Go ahead, my precious eaters. Kill her, and when you're done, kill Orchid as well. I'll be sad to see you go, honey, but wut-ever! Ciao, bella." Her eyes are slitted as she starts to teleport away.

 "When did you f-ing speak Italian?" I mutter even when she's gone. I slam my fists against the bubble, but it holds. The bugs nip at the net.

 Almost at Jenna.

 I kneel at Albatross's still body, clearing the rivulets of blood away with a sweep of Water, and look around his body for items. Only a napkin in his pocket, as well as a note with scrawled handwriting on it. I unfold it and read it.

 Dear Auklet,

 I want to let you know that I am dying right now. She has come and broke through our barriers...she'll kill us all! My body is numbing already, and my mind is spinning...in my last moments I will share this with you: a message. The order is FOAM HAW D. She bragged of it. I have no clue what it is about...but it is worse than death. Please............

 Albatross

 I lean back, slipping the note in my pocket. He thought he was dying, but really, he was being possessed. He wanted to let his sister know. Foam Haw D? What the hell? I used to love haw flakes back on Earth...but foam? D? Like Sunny D, the orange juice? I lean back more, furious that I'll get executed and not be able to do anything. 

 I peer out of the bubble, which is transparent. I see Amphitrite frozen by a nearby wall, staring blankly ahead. If Lycaeon didn't lie...then...is she really under her control?

 A fist slams against the side of the bubble just as the black dots hover over Jenna, about to feast on her. Hold on, Orchid! a voice yells.

 Jason.

 I almost cry as his Warrior powers destroy the bubble and I fall to the ground. The black dots disperse, clicking and clacking when they meet water, and Jenna falls free as well. I put my arms around my best friend, never so grateful. I find I can still talk, for some reason. Must be a Warrior thing that nobody has tried out. 

 "How?" I ask, choking on my joy of not being eaten alive.

 "I was about to go back to sleep, but I heard Amphitrite scream. So I rushed out and saw this big puffy bubble. And you know the rest." His voice is pointed, accusing.

 "Lycaeon was here," I whisper. 

 "What? That--" he chokes on what he's about to call her. Bitch. Both of us know it. He touches me gingerly. "Did she hurt you?"

 "No. Just my pride. And shook up a few nerves in me too," I tell him. "But her disgusting bugs nearly ate Jenna alive."

 "Jenna?" Jason's head whips around to see her, and a beginning of a snarl arises in his throat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

 Seeing her crumpled form, I sigh. "Relax, Jason. It's fine."

 "When did you ever become so freaking compassionate? Did you remember what she did to you when we were kids? How could you forgive her?" A burst of confused questions rolls off his tongue.