𝑊𝒉𝑒𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐼 𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛? ─── AN ORIGINAL STORY [abandoned]

Chapter 11

"How did you'll survive the attack? " Isabella questioned them.

The five of them had made there way into the forest surrounding the kingdom with the help of a map and  Max's memory of the forest. He had led them to a big cave where he claimed they would take shelter for the night before packing up and resuming their journey at sunrise. By the time they had gotten to the cave, it had been mid-afternoon and there was a cold wind blowing by so Max and Axel had collected wood and built a smaller fire. Now they all sat around it to keep warm and watched the sun slowly dipping lower beyond the mountains, outlining the clouds and turning the sky orange and purple.

Crystal stretched her finger out in front of the fire warming them up, "I barely did," she admitted, the fire giving her pale complexion a rosy glow. "Had it not been for Max, I would be here," she added, her fingers trembling slightly.

"Yeah same for me," Olivia said, giving Max a sickly sweet smile.

Isabella turned to look at Max "Thank you... .you saved all of us," she said softly.

"Not me!" Axel pointed out.

"I was only doing my job," Max answered humbly, ignoring Axel's comment.

"But still," Isabella persisted "thank you so much."

Feeling uncomfortable, Max quickly changed the subject "Did anyone see the logo stitched onto the sleeves of the people that attacked us?" He asked.

"What logo?" Olivia asked, stiffing and looking nervous.

"When we were attacked I realised that there was a gleaming silver logo stitched on the sleeves of all the attackers.

"How interesting," Olivia commented, turning her head slightly.

"Huh? How come I didn't see anything?" Crystal asked, scrunching her eyebrows together, thoughtfully.

"I'm q bodyguard I was kinda trained to notice small details like that," Max said with a shrug.

"Uhm. . .did everyone forget I wasn't with you'll?" Isabella asked, looking confused.

"I didn't forget," Axel replied unhelpfully, before leaning backwards and resting his back against the smooth walls of the cave.

Max shot him a glare before turning to Isabella and explaining how the symbol had looked.

When Max finished Isabella just looked more confused " I still don't understand. . ." she said.

"Me and you both," Crystal added, had facial expression one of confusion.

Meanwhile, Axel had been studying Olivia closely, noting all her actions and how unnaturally nervous she seemed, and also how she kept on reaching up to her hair where there was a silver hairpin shaped like a flower.

"Should I draw it for you?" Max asked the two girls.

"Please?" Isabella said, looking apologetic.

Max reached behind him to his backpack and brought out a pencil and sketchpad, he then proceeded to quickly sketch the symbol he had seen. Once he completed it he passed it around for them to all see.

"Wow! You an amazing artist!" Crystal complimented as she inspected the sketch.

"I've never seen anything like that before. You sure you didn't imagine it, Max?" Olivia asked.

Max's eyes turned hard as he looked at Olivia "Are you saying that you doubt my eyesight and skills as the princesses bodyguard?" He asked her.

"Maybe. . ." Olivia muttered under her breath, but Max turned away from her, ignoring it.

"I've seen this symbol before," Isabella suddenly said, squinting at it more.

"You have?" Olivia asked, her body going rigid.

"Yes! This exact symbol is on multiple letters that mom receives," Isabella answered, looking shocked.

"So you saying your mum is part of a group of rebels and ordered the killing of her own daughter?" Axel asked, with a small smirk.

"Aargh no!" Isabella sighed in exasperation at Axel's childishness, "I'm saying that maybe they blackmailing her or something, since you know she's the queen".

Axel was about to answer her when he saw Olivia pulling the silver flower pin out of her hair, as he yelled: " watch out!" But he was a fraction too late as a blinding white light sparked from Olivia's hands, taking away everyone's vision for a few seconds.

"Olivia what the-" Max stopped mid-sentence, his eyes trained on Olivia who was now fluttering above them a sliver flower wand in hand and pink and blue ombre wings protruding from her back.

"Olivia, what is going on?" Isabella asked, her eyes wide.

"Wellllllll. . ." Olivia dragged the word out a bored look on her face "I'm actually a twenty-year-old rebel fairy" she added.

"Uhm. . .what?" Crystal asked, looking between Max and Isabella for elaboration but they both looked just as confused as her.

"Okay. . .let me explain from the beginning" Olivia told them "So when I turned 15 years old I was recruited to join the unknown rebel group, they told me that I needed to get close to the princess, but I had to be a similar age to her, so I could find out more about her. So with the help of some magic, I became a small then year old 'orphan' girl who the palace people felt sorry for. And soon after coming to the palace I became friends with the spoilt brat of a princess, but then. . ." Olivia's voice turned bitter "when I turned twelve, I was turned into her maid" she hissed, her voice filled with venom.

Isabella gasped "Olivia. . . I'm so sorry, but why did you have to become close to me?" She asked.

"I needed to find out what the princesses power was, and I figured it out" Olivia replied unblinkingly.

"Are you saying Isabella has powers?" Max asked.

"Yup! She actually just has to focus on the energy inside her and push it through her fingers, and it will immediately incapacitate everyone that is hit by the force," Olivia said with a gigantic smile.

By now Isabella had blanked out everything happening around her and only focusing on the gentle humming power coursing through her veins. But as she focused more on that energy she could feel it thrumming with more power towards her fingertips. Yet she still withheld it from escaping and allowed the energy to gather more until she couldn't handle it anymore and she allowed it to escape her fingertips. But instead of incapacitating Olivia, it opened up a huge multicoloured porthole.

"Logan! Now!" Olivia yelled, and Isabella whipped around to see Logan standing behind them.

Isabella gasped, he looked terrible. His face was extremely pale, his eyes glassy, he looked lost and vulnerable to such an extent that Isabella actually felt sorry for him.

But before she could ponder more about this, he raised his hand that carried his wand and murmured some words.

All of a sudden she felt herself being hoisted off the ground by a great wind along with Max, Crystal and Axel, and they were all flung into the swirling circle of colour. . .

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