The Fairy Code

Chapter 16

Louis was begrudged. I couldn't think of another word for how he was feeling. He definitely wasn't happy, but he wasn't fully depressed either. Begrudged seemed fitting.

Louis was no longer surprised by people from the Fairy Kingdom. Beanstalk and Mort were more than grateful for the food and fun that the trolls provided.

Niall was in his element. Magic surrounded him once again. Except, it wasn't magic that could burn down a forest. It was good magic.

Zayn had attracted all of the female trolls to his side. I had understood that Zayn was an attractive man, with the dark hair and stubble, but Louis had my heart. I laughed as Zayn tried to push one of the females off of him.

As for myself, I watched the lanterns dance in the sky. The young trolls had created colorful paper lanterns and lit them. Magic lifted them into the sky and they floated around the area where we had gathered.

"So, Miss Faraley!" The elder troll came up to me. "What brings you so deep into the forest?"

"I'm running from Princess Eva." I told him. "She's been up to some terrible things. I know too much."

"The Fairy Code?"

"How did you know?"

"Trolls have ears everywhere, my dear. Now, tell me, will you always be running?"

"No. We plan on fighting."

The elder choked on his drink. He started coughing. "Fighting? Against Eva?"

"There isn't another way."

"Do you have a plan?"

"We...Have a dragon." I didn't want to tell him the truth. I didn't want to tell him we didn't have a plan.

"A dragon is not going to kill Eva!"

"Kill? No I didn't say kill. I said fight."

"What else do you plan on doing? My dear, trolls may be carefree, but that doesn't mean we don't know anything about fighting."

"But...I can't kill."

"You're going to have to."

I suddenly felt weak. The music slowed. I fell to the ground. The realization came over me. I was going to have to kill someone. It was the only way to stop eternal chaos from happening. I was going to kill Eva, or she was going to kill me. I knew my stregnth. I knew my power. I did not have enough.

"Faraley?" Louis' voice swept over me. I looked up at him. The paper lanterns floated above him. "Are you ok?"

"I have to kill her." I whispered.

"I can't hear you." He helped me up. "Let's go somewhere quiet."

We walked away from the party. The music died down. We lost a lot of the light. It was so dark outside now.

"What did you say?" Louis asked me. "Is something wrong?"

"I was talking to one of the trolls." I told him. "And...He told me that I would have to kill Eva."

"You didn't realize that?" He seemed confused.

"You knew?!"

"That's somewhat the point of a final battle. That's what we've been preparing for. Isn't it?"

"I'm so confused." I choked. "I can't kill someone."

"You're going to have to."

"What am I going to have to do? Stab her with a sword?"