Florisia Page 15

  Leah squeezed her hand in encouragement. “I’m sure we’ll think of something; try not to stress too much.” Belle nodded, knowing she would anyway.

  Raff scrambled to his feet, and walked over to the desk where the book still lay. “Do we take this with us or leave it here? I never thought to ask the Oracle what he wanted us to do.”

  Leah got slowly to her feet. “I think we should take it with us. The Oracle can have it translated, and we can find out what other information there is about how to use the amulet. Are we good to go? I am so ready to get out of this place.”

  Raff picked up the book, and stuffed it into his backpack. He nodded his head towards the amulet. “Do you want me to carry that as well?”

  Belle handed him the amulet with a smile. “May as well have them both together. At least that way, if anything happens, we know we just need to save that backpack.”

  Raff slipped the amulet into his backpack, and they left the vault. As soon as they crossed through the doorway, they could see the spider waiting for them, hovering at the fork in the tunnel. A sense of dread ran through Belle’s body as she braced herself for what lay ahead.

  She was grateful they were walking slower than usual; obviously Raff and Leah were as eager as she was to prevent jolting their heads too much. The spider followed at a distance. When the pain in her head finally subsided to a dull ache, she tentatively reached out and brushed against the spider’s mind. It seemed to have forgotten she could hear its thoughts, unknowingly communicating its impatience at the slow pace.

  Belle listened, as the thoughts in the spider’s head spiralled towards desperation. Thoughts about whether it should kill them now, or wait until they parted the waterfall, were battling in its mind. She cleared her throat loudly, and Leah and Raff both looked at her expectantly.

  “I’m getting really nervous. Our friend seems to be regretting our deal as much as I am, and I don’t think his patience is going to last much longer. He can’t decide whether to kill us now, or wait until after Leah parts the waterfall, but he definitely plans to kill us all! How far do you reckon we are from the cavern, because I don’t particularly want to have to deal with him in this confined space?”

  Raff squinted as he looked down the tunnel. “We should be nearly there. Maybe we should pick up the pace a bit! You two go in front, and be ready to run if we need to.”

  They increased their walking speed, and within minutes, the glowing light from the cavern was within sight. Belle concentrated on the spider’s thoughts as they stepped into the cavern. She had to fight against the wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm her as her fear combined with the stench coming from the pool. The spider was thinking about how powerful Raff must be to have destroyed the monster in the pool, and suddenly decided it might be better to kill them now. With the monster in the pool dead, it figured it had already increased its hunting ground, and wouldn’t need to hunt for a while if it killed them anyway. Best to dispose of the powerful one first.

  Belle screamed at Raff in warning as the spider lunged at him. Raff dived to the side, the spider skittering sideways as it turned to strike again, venom dripping from its gigantic fangs.

  Belle knew she had to do something. Raff needed time to shape his Gift. She closed her eyes, and sent a piercing scream into the spider’s mind. It staggered, just for a second, but long enough for Raff to shape and discharge his weapon. A lightning shaped spear slammed into the spider, skewering its bulbous body and throwing it backwards to slam into the rock wall. Its legs twitched a couple of times, and then it was still.

  The girls ran to Raff, crying and hugging him in relief. Belle’s head had begun to pound all over again from the silent scream, but it had been worth it.

  When they had all recovered, Raff scratched his head. “Y’know, I really thought I was a gonner there for a minute. I didn’t think I’d have enough time to shape my weapon, and launch it, before those fangs came down. But it sort-of staggered for a second. Did you see that?”

  “Ummm, it could have had something to do with the piercing scream hitting its mind out of nowhere. I know my head’s paying for it!” Belle chuckled as Raff and Leah looked at her, dumbfounded. “Well, I had to do something! I knew Raff just needed a second.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  - A Matter of Trust -

  Eager to escape the stench of the pool, and the sight of the spider lying shrivelled against the wall in the cavern, they headed back down the last tunnel towards the waterfall. They had been walking for close to an hour when they heard the distant rumble of the waterfall.

  Leah had been watching Belle, and from the way she kept closing her eyes, and wincing, every few steps, Leah guessed her head still ached from the scream she’d sent into the spider’s mind.

  “How about we stop and have a rest for a minute?” She knew she’d been right, by the look of gratitude Belle sent in her direction. “I seem to remember the sound of the waterfall getting absolutely deafening just up ahead.”

  They slumped to the ground gratefully. “Okay, how about we pool what’s left of the food and water.”

  Leah pulled out an apple and a sandwich, remembering she had emptied her water bottle in the vault. Belle added two apples, two sandwiches and some cheese. She’d hardly eaten anything all day! She just shrugged, and mumbled something about eating, and stress, and nausea. She also had some of her water bottle left, which she added to the pile.

  Raff hadn’t even attempted to open his backpack, which meant he had nothing left. He sat looking at the ground, obviously expecting them to have a go at him.

  Leah smiled at the small pile of food. “Cool. We have a virtual feast, a sandwich and an apple each, and some water to finish off. Pity there isn’t a hot bath around. Then I’d be perfectly content.”

  She chuckled when she saw the grin return to Raff’s face. She threw him an apple and a sandwich, then watched as he devoured them. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

  She looked at her two friends, and marvelled at what they’d all achieved together since arriving in Florisia.

  She thought back to her last week in Naissance. She had been so angry about having to leave her childhood home. Her cheeks grew hot from the memory of how self-absorbed and caught up in her own personal pity-party she’d been. She picked up her backpack and put it on the ground behind her, stretching out on her back and using it as a pillow.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about how Belle had sent the scream into the spider’s mind, long enough to distract it for Raff to shape his weapon. She suddenly realised that throughout all the horrors they had faced, she was the only one who hadn’t risked her own safety to save the others. The only times she had used her Gift were when she knew it wouldn’t harm her.

  The truth hit her like a bucket of cold water to the face. She was a coward! Why hadn’t she tried to use her wings and flown at the spider to distract it? Why hadn’t she used the water in the pool against the slimy creature? The truth was, she had thought about it, but she’d been too scared to try. Poor Raff had almost drowned, trying to get her to use her Gift at the waterfall.

  Well, no more! If Belle and Raff can be brave, so can I. She just needed to learn to trust her Gift, and her friends. Maybe the reason her Gift didn’t work unless someone was threatened, was because she could only use it when she was desperate? She really needed to talk to someone about it.

  Maybe if she tried to explain how she felt to Raff and Belle, they could help her deal with it? She’d never been good at sharing her problems, preferring to work them out on her own. Before she could change her mind, she sat up, and looked sheepishly at her friends.

  “Ummm guys, I need to ask you about something…?” She trailed off, the words stuck in her throat, as they both turned to look at her.

  “It’s just… Oh, don’t worry about it.” She looked away, tears burning behind her eyelids.

  Belle looked at her, concern in her eyes. “Hey, what’s up?” She shuff
led closer, and put her arm around Leah’s shoulder. It was the sympathy that brought her undone. She told them about everything she’d been thinking, her face growing hot with shame as she admitted to thinking of helping and then not doing anything. Raff and Belle didn’t say anything as she talked; letting her purge herself of the self-loathing she was feeling.

  “Wow, Leah, I think you’re being way too hard on yourself. You’ve done so many awesome things too; you need to stop beating yourself up for what you haven’t done! Hey, we’re only kids remember? We’re supposed to make mistakes, and do the wrong thing sometimes, that’s what kids do!”

  Raff’s eyes were sad as they looked into hers. “Yeah, she’s right you know. I used to be totally desperate to go on adventures, thinking it would be cool to be a hero and stuff. Well, it’s not! I have spent more time terrified in the last week, than I have in my whole life. And after today, I’d be happy never to go on another adventure as long as I live!”

  Belle squeezed her shoulder. “I think maybe you just need to trust your Gift a bit more. I know that every time I use mine, I feel a little bit more confident about doing it.”

  Raff chuckled. “Yep, me too. It sort-of grows on you.”

  Leah sniffed, and wiped her face with her sleeve. “Okay, I get what you’re saying. I am scared every time I reach for my Gift. I’m worried it won’t work, or it’ll kill me, or I’ll make a mistake and do something wrong. To be honest, the whole thing just freaks me out.”

  “You know what? I think it’s perfectly normal for us to feel weird about the whole ‘using our Gift’ thing. That’s what the Fey Academy is all about. They’re supposed to help us learn to use them. I’m sure we’re not expected to know how to use them in life or death situations quite yet!” Belle grinned, and Leah smiled back.

  “So, I reckon we should just head back to the waterfall, and see what happens. I can always just step out under it again if you need me to!” Raff winked at her, and she punched his arm.

  “Ow! You must be feeling better. Let’s go.” He jumped up, and offered them a hand each.

  “Thanks for listening guys. I’m sorry I’m such a pain.”

  Belle smiled. “You’re not a pain. Besides, that’s what friends are for.”

  Leah took a deep breath as they headed off towards the waterfall, the churning in her stomach getting worse with every step. She gritted her teeth and kept walking, determined not to fail this time.

  The roar of the waterfall was just as deafening as Leah remembered it. Trying to ignore her shaking legs, she stood in front of the curtain of water and reached down to where she knew her Gift lay. For the first time, she embraced it fully, feeling it surge through her, allowing it to consume her. She released the power flooding through her into the waterfall in front of her, and watched in awe as it parted instantly, the water in the lake sweeping apart into the same walls as it had done before.

  Wow, that was so cool! Her entire body was tingling from the sensation of her Gift surging through it. She smiled as Belle and Raff stepped up on either side of her and squeezed her arms.

  “Awesome. Now let’s get out of here!” Raff yelled to be heard over the waterfall, and they stepped out of the cave into the clean, fresh air of the Forever Forest.

  Leah could see Dominic and Dub sitting with the elves they had left waiting. She raised her hand to wave, as Dub’s voice slammed into her mind for the first time.

  “It’s a trap! Tyranius is here! Run!”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  - Tyranius the Kitsune -

  Raff felt Leah stiffen, and knew something was wrong.

  “Dub just sent me a message. It’s a trap… Tyranius is here, and he’s waiting for us. Dub said to run!” She was yelling, trying to be heard above the roar of the waterfall.

  Raff’s mind kicked into overdrive. He’d thought long and hard about what he’d do when, and if, Tyranius caught up with them. He remembered everything the Oracle had told them about kitsunes. The two most important things he remembered were what a kitsune feared, and how to kill one.

  He leaned towards Belle, and yelled into her ear. “Can you reach out to any wolves in the forest, and ask them to come here urgently?” Belle nodded that she understood, and he could see her concentrating as she called on her Gift.

  He reached back into his backpack, his hand closing around the handle of the amulet. He could feel it getting warmer, and hoped that meant it was getting ready to do whatever it was supposed to do. Trying to force his hands to stop shaking, he slid the amulet into the back of his belt.

  He cursed as Tyranius stepped out from behind the trees. The old elf was pushing Madame Persimmons before him, holding a knife to her throat. The children looked at each other in horror. They all knew he would kill Madame Persimmons without hesitation. They’d been standing there too long, and he’d obviously worked out something was wrong.

  Reaching for each other’s hands, they began to walk slowly towards the shore. Belle’s frown told him she was still concentrating on finding a wolf nearby. Now he just needed to think of a way to buy them some time.

  As they stepped back onto the shore, Tyranius raised his free hand to stop them from coming any closer.

  “That’s far enough. So, we finally meet,” he said with a sneer. “You three children have inconvenienced me a great deal. Now, I think it’s time to put an end to all this rubbish. Where are the pieces of the amulet?”

  Raff spoke before either of the girls could say anything. “We ummm… we left them with the Oracle.”

  Tyranius’ grin was pure evil. “Somehow I find that hard to believe. Throw your backpacks over to where my guard is standing.”

  Raff had started to take off his backpack, when he felt Belle nudge him. He threw it over to the guard, and caught the glint of excitement in Belle’s eyes. She’d found a wolf? She nodded, and by the look in her eyes, he guessed it was on its way.

  “Nothing in here Sir, except this book,” the guard reported, holding up the book they’d found in the vault.

  As Tyranius turned to look at the book, a low growling sound came from the direction of the trees. The blood drained from the old elf’s face. The wolf leapt from the trees, and lunged directly towards Tyranius. He tried to pull Madame Persimmons between him and the wolf, but he was too slow.

  And that was when he started to change. The old elven skin began to dissolve before their eyes, replaced by white fur spreading along its elongated snout. The black robe fell away, revealing the fur that now covered its entire body. But it was the tails that drew Raff’s attention. Nine of them! Just like they’d read in the book.

  The wolf had retreated at the sight of the creature emerging before him. Raff knew it was time. Their only hope was the amulet, but he had no idea how it worked. Pulling it from his belt, he held it in front of him, pointing it directly at Tyranius. He could feel its warmth, the glow pulsating in his sweaty hand.

  Tyranius, the kitsune, turned back towards them, and saw the amulet pointed towards him. For an instant, Raff saw shock, and then fear, flash in his eyes. But when the amulet failed to do anything, the creature threw back its head and released a blood-curdling howl.

  “Fools!” he snarled. “You don’t even know how the weapon works! I don’t know how you managed to reassemble it, but you obviously don’t have the power necessary to use it!”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Leah said, stepping up beside Raff.

  Belle appeared on his other side. “Here we go again.”

  The girls placed their hands over Raff’s on the handle of the amulet, and he instantly felt the surge of power responding to their Gifts. A flash of fear appeared in the kitsune’s eyes. Its face began to change, the fur receding, to be replaced by the old elven skin. They had to do something before he could complete the transformation.

  The amulet was now pulsing with power, but Raff still didn’t know what it was supposed to do. He prodded it with his Gift, begging it to act before it was too late. How
were they supposed to make the stupid thing work?

  Maybe the amulet needed to know why Tyranius deserved to die? He formed a picture in his mind of a child stepping out of the portal, and then of the giant wolven beast attacking them near the fey Village.

  Suddenly a blazing light shot out of the end of the blade, streaking towards Tyranius and hacking at his tails as the kitsune howled in fury. They watched in stunned horror as the last tail was severed, and the creature that had been Tyranius slumped to the ground, dead.

  Raff became aware of fighting all around him. The elves were fighting the Guardian soldiers, and were outnumbered at least two to one. Dominic and Dub were appeared beside him, trying to drag him away from the fighting. Raff racked his brain for a way to help, but he knew he couldn’t use a weapon without killing the elves as well.

  And then they heard the thunder of hoof beats. Rogue, Midnight and Solange appeared further down the meadow, leading an army of at least fifty elven warriors. It was all over within minutes, the surviving Guardian soldiers surrendering in the face of such overwhelming odds.

  Raff slipped the now cooled amulet back into his belt. It had all happened so fast! He scratched his head, and grinned. “Wow. How cool was that? I was really starting to worry there for a minute.”

  The next thing he knew, Leah and Belle were hugging him and laughing. Dominic and Dub had run to check on Madame Persimmons, and Lyricus was standing in front of them, grinning and telling them how incredible they were.

  Dub sidled up to Leah and they began to chat excitedly about how amazing it was that Leah had heard his warning.

  Raff seized the moment to slip away, and walked over to where the horses were. Rogue looked up as he approached, and Raff could have sworn the horse winked at him.