Outside was chillier than before. Or was it just my body shutting down?
I wrapped my hands around myself, inhaling in and out softly, needing to tell my body that I was here, in charge, but my legs felt heavy and about to give out. One more step. I chanted with each step I took, until I was out of the library vicinity.
I stopped, rested on a tree, and looked at the cave. What do I do about the illusion? Not that I expected the strange witch to be waiting for , but I kind of thought she would be hovering sowhere, or maybe had put a spell for the illusion to return once I ca out.
How that spell would have worked, I don’t know. I didn’t think it existed.
’Just go, Maya. Yes, the Queen would know that soone had broken through her illusion, but she doesn’t know that it is you. Even if she suspects, there is no evidence.’
But I didn’t want suspicion at all. I was uncertain what her next move would be. Maybe a stronger illusion I couldn’t break, even with El’s help?
"Hey."
Where did that co from?
’El, am I hearing things?’ I asked, looking around, even turning to see if the sound had co from behind .
"Hey. Can’t you speak?" the voice ca again, forcibly, less tiny than before.
"I can hear you. Where are you? Show yourself." I was talking to the air. Great. And now El has turned off. The brat! The effrontery to leave stranded in the forest. How was she a good half?
"I am right here. You are so tall, you can’t see what’s in front of you."
? So tall? That’s the exaggeration of the century! But then a light clicked in my mind. So tall?
I looked down, a gasp escaping my lips when I saw what was beside my foot.
A dwarf?
No, this was smaller than a dwarf. Or was I in so territory where I am suddenly a giant? I wondered, squatting. But he-- I wasn’t sure what to call him, dwarfy, maybe--moved away.
"Don’t want you squishing ," he mused, hands folded across his chest.
"What are you?" I breathed in awe, wishing to touch him, to feel the components of this strange being whose height stopped at a spot on my legs, way before my knee.
"A Quafar."
Quafar? What was that? Another term for a dwarf?
"I am not a dwarf."
He could read my mind too?! Imdiately I scrambled to fix this, but my energy was rapidly depleting. I felt faint, and the mind guards couldn’t stay stable.
"You are too tired. You’ve used up your magic energy for the day. You need to eat," the Quafar stated, stepping in the direction of the caves, stopping after three steps.
"But that’s not my business. Mother sent to cover you, to instill the illusion that your curiosity had broken through—and to make sure you get ho safely."
"By mother..." I wetted my lips, sitting on the floor. It took energy to speak now.
"Yes, the witch that helped you. I’m not sure why she bothered, really... that could get her in trouble."
What trouble? My mouth had shut down. I only watched as the small thing—the Quafar—started chanting words which served only to lull to sleep.
A tap on my arm. Another.
Stop. I wanted to shout, wanted to fling the person disturbing my beauty sleep.
A third tap.
Leave alone! I shouted, annoyed when I realized my mouth hadn’t moved to speak the words.
A fourth tap.
"Get up, you big fool!" a whisper, but the insult was enough to make open my eyes. Drowsy eyes.
A gasp when I saw what was standing beside , by my head. An incomplete gasp because the thing instantly covered my mouth with his two hands.
What the hell! I cursed when I couldn’t shake him away. I was too... weak? I stopped struggling when I realized my efforts were futile, letting my head relax on the grass floor.
Grass floor? Where was I? I shut my eyes to rember, and rember I did. Oh God. I had passed out.
’El?’
There was no answer. I shuddered in fright.
’El?!’
Still no answer. Had my disobedience pushed El away from ? Was this what the strange witch had been talking about?
Even though I felt and sotis let El know she was a disturbance, I couldn’t do with her. I couldn’t...
’Stop being so dramatic. She is out of your reach because she is trying to conserve the remaining energy you have. You are so depleted that if she had stayed with you, you would have been unconscious for days, maybe even weeks. What were you thinking, using her power like that, paying no regard to your own strength?’
The Quafar was in my head.
I swallowed, but that was painful, yet not more than the pain of my foolishness. ’I am sorry. I just...’
’Acted without thinking. And now we are in a forest, with the Queen and her stupid ally.’
I started, dread creeping into my veins. ’The Queen is here? She should be in the caves! Did she see that the illusion was broken?’
’No, luckily for you.’
’How long have I been out?’
The dwarf looked at and shook his head. ’Just a few minutes. El had been able to resuscitate in record ti.’
A pause. ’We have to leave. I can do a cloaking spell, but you have to be strong to run with .’
Which I was not. ’What are we going to do?’
The Quafar shrugged. ’I have to lend you my energy. Although that might affect the cloaking. I’ve already used so of my energy to recreate her illusion perfectly.’
I cursed my carelessness again. I should have listened to the strange witch, should have returned ho, or at most, read only two books and heeded El’s warning.
But I will be damned if I allow the Quafar get hurt because of my mistakes. I had a feeling that the strange witch wouldn’t be happy about that. And there was the fact that she could get into trouble, whatever that was, for helping . I had to right my wrongs; I had to take responsibility.
What to do?
’Hey, stop thinking so much. I’m sure I can...’
’Just lend a little of your energy and go back to your ho. I can handle it from here.’
The Quafar raised a brow, scrutinizing head to toe.
I was still lying down, couldn’t even lift my head.
’But I promised mother...’
’I can’t have you being captured by the Queen, or worse. Just lend what I need and leave. I promise I will be alright at the end of the day.’
The Quafar sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and touched the center of my forehead. ’Receive what I have then.’
Imdiately I felt a burning sensation right at the point of contact, the sa mont I felt sothing hot invade my system from top to bottom. In less than a second, I felt invigorated. Like I hadn’t been almost paralyzed before.
"Thank..."
The words died in my mouth when I looked at the Quafar. He looked paler, shorter than before. He had given more than he should have. I just knew it. Emotions clouded my eyes.
’You...’
’I will be fine. Don’t get teary on . The energy in is enough to take ho. I can recover fully what I’ve lost. Mother will make sure of that.’
’How long?’
He said nothing.
I exhaled tiredly. ’I am sorry.’
’It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up. And please, take care of yourself.’
And then he was gone, leaving alone with the forest and the two people I could hear talking in the distance. I couldn’t decipher their words, but I could hear the rumblings; I didn’t bother to expend my energy to break through the cloak around them.
Quickly, I started toward the bonfire area stealthily—that way it would be easier to lie to them if they happened to see still.
I walked faster when I saw the path I had dumped Raul on. I even started running, only stopping when I felt, rather than saw, a hedge barring from moving forward. I felt it swoosh overhead and land in front of . An invisible hedge.
The Queen. I was sure of it.
And true to my words, I heard her voice, clear as the night sky this ti.
"Dora. I was sure I had felt movent in the forest a few minutes ago. What are you doing here? It is late to be wandering around with all the killings happening."
I turned slowly, mildly surprised when I saw she was alone. The lycan’s scent, though, tweaked my nose. He was hiding in the bushes.
"I’m aware, Queen Aliana. But I can take care of myself."
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