You Owe Me Two

Chapter 22 - The Reveal

××Wild××

When I caught sight of bright yellow hair and a very familiar face, tears welled up in my eyes. I rushed towards him, arms open wide. It had been so long since I had last seen him.

"Saffron!" I cried, hugging the fairy prince tightly. Saffron held on just as tight. I closed my eyes at the comforting gesture, simply soaking it in. I stumbled backwards, ripping myself from Saffron's arms, when I opened my eyes again. Standing directly behind Saffron was the stranger who had been following Zypher and I. Seeing my panic, Saffron twirled around but only smiled at the tall man.

"Wild, this is my friend Novus. He's my personal guard," Saffron explained as the man stepped closer. My guard dropped slightly at the words of my friend.

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Novus said, giving me a kind smile. His voice and demeanor were completely different than the last time we spoke. He held out a hand and I hesitantly took it before we shook.

"What are you doing here?" I rushed, finally coming back to my senses.

"We've been searching for you. When you disappeared, I was granted permission from my father to search for you," Saffron said, giving me an excited smile, "And now we can go back together!" My smile didn't quite meet my eyes.

"Explains why he's been following us for so long," I mumbled to myself. The issue could have been avoided if Saffron had just shown himself when they first caught up to Zypher and I.

"Huh?" Saffron asked, not hearing my quiet words. I didn't bother repeating them.

"You've been away from the kingdom for so long," I commented quietly.

"So have you, Wild. I couldn't just forget about you," Saffron interjected, "What happened to you? Have you been traveling by yourself?"

Before I could speak, Novus added, "We were following a man and someone I thought resembled you. I'm assuming that's who you were with."

"Yeah, he saved me from the wizard that kidnapped me." The mention of Zypher caused me to glance around. Unsurprisingly, he was already watching intently. All I caught was worry before Saffron pulled me back to the conversation.

"I would love to meet him at some point and thank him. Would you like to dance while we catch up?" Saffron asked. I hadn't even noticed soft music was now playing throughout the hall. I nodded and accepted his outstretched hand.

Saffron wasted no time in sweeping me into the very small crowd that had formed in the center of the room. He spun me in circles as he caught me up on information about my brother and the kingdom. He was smiling brightly but after one of my turns, his expression turned somber. I tensed when he leaned down to my ear and pulled me even closer.

"We are all in a trap," Saffron whispered. Saffron pulled back seconds later and resumed the stance we had been in moments ago. He smiled at me as if he hadn't said a word.

Saffron twirled me around and I frantically searched for Zypher as he did. Our eyes met for only a second but I hoped he could sense that I needed him. It wasn't surprising that we were in a trap; Zypher thought we were too but now we had people who we could stick with if things went bad.

"What do you mean?" I asked when I faced Saffron again. Maybe he knew something we didn't.

"Men in suits everywhere. Some random guy gave us letters just yesterday and we've only been in the city for a day," Saffron said, laughing slightly like he had just told a joke. I played along and smiled. 

"Do you have a plan to get out of this?" I asked, keeping a low voice and peppy expression. I'm not sure how much it mattered though. Everyone in the room was in their own world.

"I don't know. Wait out the dance. Find your companion. We'll figure things out from there." I nodded at Saffron's words and tried to keep my actions casual as the song played out. It felt like the music would never end, the notes seeming to last forever.

As soon as the song came to a close, Saffron and I bowed. I took my leave first, giving Saffron one last look as we parted ways.

My eyes found Zypher quickly and I started for him but stopped in my tracks when the crowd went silent. I followed the other guests' gazes to the balcony above the main room, opposite of the main entrance. More men wearing the same suit as Zypher stood on the balcony. I could count over twenty of them now.

No one uttered a word. I'm not sure if anyone knew why they were being quiet, but at that moment, a pin dropping would sound like thunder.

It seemed like time slowed down as a man stepped out of the shadows and into the chandelier lights. His steps echoed against the walls. The noise almost drowned out the sound of blood rushing through my ears.

He had pale skin and pitch black, slicked back hair. His eyes were soulless dark orbs, staring intently into the crowd below him. His black suit matched Zyphers and the other men, with the exception of a red tie. His face held an expression I couldn't exactly name. Happiness? Excitement? Odd satisfaction?

He stepped up to the balcony's edge and gripped the golden railing. The silence continued as his eyes flitted across the crowd. His eyes would linger every few seconds on someone before moving again.

He closed his eyes and his lips curled into a sinister looking grin, showing off his pearly, white teeth. When he opened them again, his gaze shifted the the men in suits on the balcony with him. He nodded once and looked forward.

"I'm pleased you all were able to make it tonight. I'm sure you'll find the ball quite satisfactory."