Chapter 19: Fairies

- Shut your mouth. - Céline's harsh words make Sam back down, his character was too naive, they could take it as an offense. This was not the time to go to war with the fairies.

- Are you the leader? - One of them hisses, she's peculiar, I think I've seen her before. I agree, I take responsibility for Sam and Daniel, we are the recovery team that the Director has sent in search of the problem girl.

Her gaze changes, she would bet she doesn't feel so threatened, we have a certain organization within the group. Fairies are terribly classicists, the royal family is at the top of their hierarchy, but never above the Gods.

- We came to find Ailey. - I say while trying to break the damn invisible barrier that prevents me from reaching her.

I can see her lying in the beauty, something inside her head is stirring insistently, nuts that do not stop working at full speed. My heart is about to get out of anxiety.

They imitate me, raise their hands in a protective gesture. The energy intensifies, I regress again. This isn't exactly settling for my raging nerves.

-No ... -The leader speaks again with her serene voice.

I clench my fists and take a step forward, surprised to see their threatening faces from. They look like annoying cats. But I'm sure those fangs do a lot more damage than I imagine, despite their size.

A chill runs down my spine.

- Why not? - Her hands break their perfect formation and push me back, again. I'm getting tired of this.

- We don't have to explain to dirty humans. - Ah, yes, I have forgotten that, from the point of view of fairies, humans are scum.

- We will not leave until, at least, you give us an explanation.

Her faces seem confused, I feel that they join in a strange murmur. The leader looks at me threateningly.

- Sit down, the King himself will tell you. - I nod, I gesture to Daniel and Sam to imitate me, we sit on our knees. Knowing a thing or two about this finicky breed, sitting on your knees was a great show of respect.

They look at us in amazement, but that mini beacon of light with bad milk makes them disappear from my sight, I suppose they return home.

I lean in slightly, letting my eyes fix on Sleeping Beauty.

<< Wake up, λαγουδάκι >>

The only one present bows in a deep bow, if she doesn't sit like us, it means she must rank pretty high.

- Priestess, - The King bows before the evil fairy. His eyes, luminous as two stars, rest on me. - who are you?

I get up, if the King gives me permission to speak, I'm going to do it just like him.

- My name is Céline, I am the leader of this group. - I wait patiently for him to ask again, giving the floor to that little ball of light would bring less problems than hitting him with a fly swatter. No matter how much I wanted to.

- What are you doing here? - The Priestess comes forward.

- They want to take to the κόρη. - The little being looks at me with disdain. - But I've already told you it's not possible.

Staring at the topic of conversation, I watch the Fairies' eyes widen in amazement.

<< Céline… >> she whispers her voice inside me, I knew she was going to respond, a somewhat arrogant smile was drawn on my features.

<< I've come for you, λαγουδάκι >> her eyes show something that was too different from her usual gleam of indifference.

They are off. They die slowly, tortuously. Fear paralyzes me, before I know it, the fairies have already put her back to sleep. They return furious, the more beacons of light surround her.

-You are her partner! - Roars the King, beside himself, his orbs have turned too bright, almost white. Panic dances in his eyes. I see my own fear reflected, what is happening?

- Calm down, I beg you ...- The Priestess takes a quick glance at Ailey, she seems even worried about a filthy human. - You can damage her.

The King nods, returns to his iron serenity, characteristic of this town in particular.

-Did you know you were his partner? - I shake my head, I still don't know what he mean by that. - She's dying because of you.

Those words feel worse than a hammer being blown to me, how can I be killing her?

- You didn't know... - The Priestess muttered incredulously. - You have no right to claim her, we have taken care of her since she was a baby.

- Is her familiar a fairy? - Sam asks, still sitting, I'm surprised that she has not intervened before ... She is too impatient. I suppose she has had a run-in with a Fairy.

- No, she's not one of us. - Admits the King with regret. The same question haunts our minds, afraid to say it out loud.

- Then why are you protecting her? - Sam has loosed her hair, from here on, I can only let her satiate her hunger for knowledge. Suddenly she turns pale as snow, I think she has found the answer herself. - The gods…

Something clicks inside my head, certain things are making sense that I'm afraid to find out. The Priestess watches her shrewdly, warily.

- That's right, human ... - A tiny sigh rocks the wind. - She is the ward of the Gods, our duty is to keep her alive, but ...

- We failed. - Declares the King, his solemnity is not questioned. However, before Sam can ask, he is about to release the information we ask for himself. - When she was an infant, after the abuse of her father ... she died, she crossed the boundary between life and death ... And she came back, we thought we had failed, we were wrong ...

- Wait a minute,- Sam interrupts with a frown. - Is she a zombie?

She looked at her as if she were an idiot, what little intelligence she has let us see before her, she has vanished. The Fairies seem to want to strike her down.

-No, her familiar brought her back, he merged with her into one being, he gave her his life and body. - That statement brings me closer to my suspicions.

-No familiar can bring her godchildren back to life.

The King puts his tired gaze on me, says that he has lived too long, I'm wrong. I am aware of it, but I want him to affirm it. If necessary, I'll shake him like a maraca until he admits it.

- There is one that does… - The Priestess whispers, placing a hand on the High Sovereign's shoulder. - And you know it.

I nod, it is a mythological being considered extinct. The possibility of one appearing is almost zero, it is not worth even considering them alive.

-What does it have to do with her being his partner in all this? - Again, the Priestess answers, hinting that the King will not speak again.

-The Gods allowed her family member to save her life, but in exchange they gave her a mission that she must fulfill ... - Her eyes look like two balls of fire, if she could, they would burn me in an instant.

- And you're interfering.

- As…?

- Enough. - Says the Sovereign with a tired look, his little ball of light flutters until it stops in front of Ailey's forehead, bathed by her reddish hair, it seems pale. - She woke up.

Instantly, her eyes widen, she blinks like the flutter of an agitated butterfly. Her confusion reaches me. I run. I feel like if I don't reach her, I will never be able to see her again. I want her, I love her more than anything in this world.

I'm not going to let her go.

It is a promise that I make to myself, the last one, to protect her from her with everything I have. I don't want to wake up again and see that she is not next to me, curled up.

- λαγουδάκι? - I whisper, her hand caressing my cheek gently. I brush away the unruly locks that prevent me from meeting her eyes. What I find horrifies me.

They are empty, they no longer have that peculiar green color.

- Celine... - I can barely hear her voice, I let her hand fall, inert, on top of her stomach, her ribs scarred. However, she doesn't give up, she sits on her elbows until she can kiss me. - You've come…

Her voice is soft, like her, small and husky. I smile as she lets the tears flow, I can't believe she's talking.

- Oh, God ...- I cradle her in a python hug, I feel the coldness of her body. I can only think of bringing her closer, of preventing me from closing her eyes forever. - I was so worried ...

-Céline… -Her voice sounds again, calm, almost too… Wait.

- You are…

- She has lost much of her powers,- Begins to explain the Priestess as she calmly approaches and sits on her shoulder. - By not fulfilling the deal with the Gods, her familiar rejects her.

-But… Wasn't I the partner of her familiar? - There are things that are beyond my understanding, but it cannot reject her, not because she loves me.

-The problem is not that you are her partner, it is what you provoke in her ... - Her eyes fade as I understand the truth. - She must had stayed away, oblivious to all of you, then proclaim peace between the Sons and the Damned.

I gasp like a fish, I can't breathe. Seeing her fall asleep in my arms no longer provides me with the usual calm.

-By getting involved with you, she has chosen a side… -The only rule that she could not break, if the Gods had chosen her for a task comparable to Hercules… why didn't they let her love? - Her only destiny ...

- Do not say it! - The grove shudders at my tone of voice.

I sob once more.

I shrink, I hold her, I fear I will never see her eyes full of life again, a funny and cunning malice. I don't care that Sam and Dani are seeing what it means to lose her, to be alone again. I clench her fists as she let blinding anger make me shake her like a maraca.

She doesn't react, her eyes are still closed under a terrifying expression of joy.

- How is another one of your jokes in bad taste ...! - I shut my mouth realizing that she can't hear me. My jaw clenches hers. Not yet, just a little more. - Open your eyes!

I will always regret saying those words, I watch her body fade into my arms, where she was supposed to be safe.

Her lost gaze, gray like the clouds that begin to swirl around me.

- There's still one hope... - I heard the Fairy King whisper as he pulled the fragile body that even though I loved with all my might, I couldn't ever protect.