Darlings (27 page)

“Her,” Gwen said pointing to Adeline and
rubbing her small wound. She was still not of present mind spinning
circles of madness, arms reached to the sky. 

The fairy walked ever so slowly up to the
unfortunate girl and stood directly in front of her. Adeline
stopped spinning abruptly. She stared into the fairy’s missing
eyes, when in an instant, the dark woman hurled the crystal into
Adeline’s abdomen. Gwen screamed as Adeline fell to the ground,
blood rushing from her puncture. Gwen rushed to her side,
attempting to cover the wound, but as her hand swept through
Adeline’s body, she remembered she wasn’t able to touch her. With
one final deep breath, the girl lay still. 

“Adeline! What did you do?” Gwen shrieked at
the fairy now holding the wet crystal. 

Samuel and Etu stood frozen staring at the
fairy’s victim…which proved fatal as the fairy moved quick as
lightening stabbing them as well before they even had a chance to
defend themselves. 

“I’m sending them back,” the fairy
grunted. 

“I’ll kill you!” Gwen yelled scrambling to
her feet and lunging at the fairy. 

Emma grabbed her by the shoulders with her
play dough like hands. “Gwen no. She’s telling the truth. They’re
being sent back to where they want to be. The crystal knows where
to send them. It’s ok. I promise. This is how it’s done.” 

“Feisty one,” the fairy hissed as she made
her way to Rynnal. She raised the crystal and attempted to thrust
it into the odd boy. Nothing. The crystal wouldn’t penetrate. She
tried once more, and again the crystal was stopped like a knife on
rock. 

“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked nervously.

“This one doesn’t want to go back. The
crystal knows when one doesn’t wish to leave. When one wishes to
stay, nothing can be done. Now be gone and come along,
Emma.” 

Gwen looked terrified at Rynnal. “Ry, what
are you doing?” she shouted at the boy. “No, wait. Try
again.” 

“Gwen stop. She’s right,” Rynal fiddled
awkwardly with his long fingers. “Let. It. Go,” he said, eyebrows
raised, clearly trying to convey a cover message to Gwen. Opposed
to her urge to convince him otherwise, Gwen relented. 

“Emma smiled faintly at her sister. “Guess
that’s my cue. Go Gwen. Rynnal.” Her eyes were swelling with
tears.  “Save them,” she whispered as she threw her arms
around Gwen’s neck for a split second. 

Gwen was confused. Where was the plan? Was
that it? Emma was going to…die and go where? Rynnal was going to
stay in the spirit world. No lights were here for her to
follow. 

“Emma, no! I’m no leaving without you,” Gwen
said as panic grew in the pit of her stomach. This was not how
things played out in her plan. 

“Yes you are Gwen. You’re leaving because I
am one. They are many.” Emma whipped her eyes and clenched her jaw.
“Go!” she yelled. Startled, Gwen and Rynnal ran to the tree, but
stopped. Gwen turned around just in time to see it. The ugly owl
came soaring through the air and took the crystal in his large
talons. In one swift movement, he flew it into the fairy’s heart,
letting out a howl. Her ear piercing scream echoed throughout the
forest as she fell to the ground and turned to black dust. Emma
smiled as she ran to Gwen. Her plan. She did it.

“You must go sister. The others will be
coming,” she said looking anxiously over her shoulder. 

“No. You’re coming with us,” Gwen said,
running for the crystal. 

“Stop Gwen. It’s no use.” Emma said softly.
“You can’t bring me back.” 

Gwen stopped and turned to Emma confused.
“But the bird,” she said

“You weren’t responsible for my death….” she
explained. “He killed her…and took her eyes. He was the only one
that could send her back…to Everland. Hollow. Her name is Hollow.
Stay away from her Gwen. She’ll want revenge.”

“Mom. Mom has to bring you back,” Gwen
stated, attempting to push the vomit in her throat back down into
her stomach. 

Emma nodded. “You know as well as I do
sister. She must bring me back…so you can kill me.” Tears ran down
her face. Now go. Please hurry.” 

Gwen would have to leave her sister behind.
“I can’t. I won’t.” 

“You have to. Go Gwendylon…I…I love
you.” 

Gwen felt frozen tears begin to form on her
cheeks. 

“I will come back for you. I will be back. I
promise Emma. I won’t leave you here forever,” Gwen said through
sobs. 

“I know you will. I’ll stay hidden until you
do. I won’t let them get to me to open the portal. Now
go!” 

Gwen scrambled back to the tree and Ry placed
his hand through hers. With her remaining hand she covered the
black heart.  Looking once more at her baby sister she said,
“I love you too, Emma.” Then, closing her eyes, all went
black. 

Chapter 11

He was strung up on the wall in human form,
arms extended. Andrew was being whipped again and again in front of
Gwen’s eyes. She ran to him but it was no use, he couldn’t see
her…he couldn’t feel her. 

“Andrew!” she screamed over the crack of the
whip. “Oh my god. Stop!” blood trickled down his bare back and down
his leg into the drain in the cement floor below. His head hung and
his eyes were closed. The pirate was relentless.

“Gwen,” Rynnal said from behind her. “Gwen,
listen to me. You have to get through to him. Now is the time. It’s
time. You have to break the barrier…completely. I know you can
Gwen. Break it. Break his collar too. Focus. Use your anger. Pull
it in.” 

Gwen knew he was right. She had to break the
barrier. For him…for Lily and Tiger…Gwen closed her eyes as she
felt the energy. For her brothers….for Lilly…for all the
prisoners….It was cracking….for Pete…for her….sister Gwen pushed
and felt the snap. Her mind was free. The barrier was gone. The
collar was of no use. She’d done it. 

“It’s gone” she whispered. 

“Good!” Rynnal said excitedly. “Now his,
Gwen. Break it. Follow the energy tunnel and crumble the block. You
can do it.” Gwen obeyed and crashed through Andrew’s mental barrier
like a road block on the interstate at full speed. Her knees shook,
as she reached to touch her mark.
Andrew. Andrew, can you hear
me?

His head raised and he looked slowly from
side to side. He couldn’t touch his mark. Damn.
Andrew I’m here.
If you can hear me shake your head.
 

Andrew shook his exhausted, heavy head. Gwen
was right in front of his face now, extending her hands to his
cheeks. She wished she could touch him. She prayed he could see
her.
I’m here in front of you
she thought. 

He again looked up between wincing in pain
and gave a soft very forced smile. Listen
. You’re collar’s block
is gone.
His eyebrows raised.
Yes. I’m close. When you can,
I need you to touch your mark and tell Pete and the others to get
ready. They should be here in Everland by now with the rebels. They
need to attack soon.
  Like clockwork. The pirate decided
Andrew had had enough and let him down. Andrew’s crimson stained
body fell to the ground. He sat crouched, wearing only a pair of
bloodied and ripped blue athletics shorts. 

“Good,” the pirate said proudly. “We like to
keep you weak. Looks like you’ll be healing from his for quite some
time.” Gwen felt something sliding down her calf. Blood. Andrew was
taking her pain as well. 

She looked to Rynnal, whose face said it all.
He cringed at the sight of Gwen’s bleeding back. “We don’t have
much time,” Gwen anxiously said. He can’t go on like this much
longer. We have to act now.” 

Rynnal nodded.
Andrew, Listen. I need you
to tell the other Manticans to be ready.
 

“Get up!” the old pirate shouted as he kicked
Andrew in the back. Suddenly Gwen saw the ferocious rage in
Andrew’s eyes. The intense rage that appeared right before he
turned to his primitive animal form. 

Andrew, don’t change. Control it. You can’t
let them know I’ve broken your collar. Focus. Stay focused…for
me. 

Gwen could see his internal battle. He closed
his eyes and shook trying to control the urge ripping at his chest
with every inch of his bloody god like body. 

“Up!” the pirate hollered again. Gwen prayed
the pirate would shut his jagged mouth. With one last deep breath
Andrew pushed himself up with all he had…and he stood. Gwen knew it
was ripping him apart inside but he did it…for her. 

You did it. Now get them organized. Spread
the word. Their collars will be broken…
Gwen secretly
hoped. 

He touched his mark. I
don’t know how
you’ve done it, but we’ll get them Gwen. I’ll have them ready. Be
careful. 

I will. Don’t let them see you touch your
mark. We can’t let anything give us away
, she
thought. 

Andrew nodded as he limped out of the cement
torture room. Gwen wanted to follow him, to make sure he was
alright, but knew better. She had to return to complete her
mission. With her shiny emerald eyes full of hot tears she bit her
quivering lip and turned to Rynnal. “Ry. Why didn’t you go?
You-”

He interrupted her smiling, “Gwen we’ve
almost made it. We’re almost there. You need me for this part. I
couldn’t go back. Don’t break down now. You’ve come too far.”
Rynnal pushed his broken glasses back upon his large nose as he
commonly did.

Gwen stared at the colorless boy in the
cement room. “I wish I had half your courage,” she said
quietly.  

Again he smiled, and his eyes lit up with
excitement. “But you do Gwen,” he threw his hands in the air. “Look
around you. Look what you’ve done, are still going to
do.” 

“I will come back for you as well Rynnal…if
you want me to,” Gwen stated firmly. 

“I know you will Gwen. That’s why I’m not
afraid,” he said pretending to kick a pebble with his transparent
foot. “Besides I can’t leave her there alone.” 

Gwen lifted a thin eyebrow. “Who?” 

“Lilly,” Ry admitted gawkily. 

“Lilly?” Gwen was shocked. “You and
Lilly?” 

“No, no,” he said quickly. “Just me.
She…doesn’t know.” An odd match Gwen thought. The brilliant
alchemist and the mantican, well, unchanging mantican. She wondered
if he knew of her feelings for Pete. 

“Come on now, we have to get back. Keep our
wits about us,” he said

“Wait. I have one more place I have to go.”
Gwen said breathing hard. The place she dreaded even more than the
dark world. 

“I have to see Pete.” 

Chapter 12

To Gwen’s surprise, Ry nodded. “We have to
make it fast.” 

“I will,” she said, extending her hand and
closing her eyes. With her stomach fluttering she envisioned Pete
and waited for her mind to take them to him. When she opened them,
they were in a forest, though no kind of forest Gwen had even seen.
Everything seemed to shimmer. Even the leaves on trees sparkled in
the pink sunlight. It reminded Gwen of that perfect time of night
when the setting sun cast its honeydew light upon everything that
lay before it. The golden hour, but even more golden. The smell was
the best of all. Vanilla, honey, cupcakes, lavender – Gwen couldn’t
even begin to identify everything she smelled. 

“The royal forest,” Rynnal muttered. The
trees were massive, around the size of a small house in middle
earth. Fairies flew, Manticans and Immortals were dressing for
battle. Andrew told them, good she thought. Gwen was tempted to
leave, but couldn’t force her feet to move when she saw him. Pete
was carrying his heavy steel armor through a door in the base of
one of the trees. She followed and stopped at the door attempting
to turn the handle but remembered her hand was not solid. 

“Just walk through,” Ry reminded her. Gwen
squinted as she made her way through the thick base of the tree.
Once inside, she glanced around the room. It was like something
from a movie, from someone’s wildest imagination but better. It was
cozy. Like a cottage. It had a bed etched decoratively into the far
side of the room that was surrounded by some sort of flowing sheer.
The blankets, Gwen noticed, were made of some sort of purple silk
that reminded her of flower petals. There was a small table and
chairs and a television like image was projected onto the wall of
some news reporter like man speaking of the weather. A modern
wonderland. Gwen thought to herself. She saw Pete dressing in the
far corner. He was so stoic as he looked into the large mirror and
buttoned his shoulder armor. Gwen felt a fluttering in her chest as
she remembered their kiss. The way he lifted her up as the danced.
She wanted to go to him. To be safe in his large arms and at the
same time ask him about Lily and Tiger. 

Rynnal startled her as he spoke, “Okay we’ve
got to go.” Gwen nodded. As she began to turn around, Tok entered
and she stayed. He was in his human form and reminded Gwen of
Andrew in his athletic shorts. Even in paradise, those boys wore
gym shorts, Gwen reflected. 

He spoke low and deliberate, “Did Andrew tell
you how many?” Tok asked. Pete answered by shaking his head still
looking in the mirror. 

“Did I do the right thing?” Pete asked as he
studied his unchanging reflection.  

Tok pulled out a too small chair as he sat
down elbows on his tan knees his head in his hands. He looked up.
“With Gwen?” 

Pete nodded. 

“You had no choice. You knew she’d find her
and bring them back.” 

“I hoped. I hoped she’d find my daughter and
bring her back. I turned her over Tokala. I turned her over to the
pirates on hope.” 

Gwen felt her stomach drop. She couldn’t
believe her ears. “He sent me?” she whispered. 

“I know,” Tok said quietly. 

“I sent your brother without even telling
him,” Pete said. 

“You know we couldn’t have told Andrew. He
wouldn’t have let her go-”

Pete cut him off. “I shouldn’t have let her
go.”