Chapter 17: Wings, Sword and a Crown

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” Kyle whisper yelled at me as we came to a stop at an old tunnel. With only a small amount of arguing an begging Kyle had willingly agreed to let me come along, although he especially said that he would be doing all of the talking – yeah right. We had quickly slipped away before anyone noticed and I was well aware that I had to be back before the sun started to set so Kyle had decided on a quicker way to the Underground which involved going into the sewers and stumbling in from there. It was not my favorite idea.

Pushing through the gross water’s we were sure to walk only on the small path that rimed the edges of the tunnels but with an unsure Kyle leading the way I thought we would never reach the door. It was a heavy door that I almost walked past – overlooking – which I assume was by design, it simply just looked like a dead end but written on the stone were golden symbols that felt somewhat familiar to me but I couldn’t place them. As we stopped Kyle pushed me out of the way gently and pulled out the dagger that was held in place just off his ankle, he gave me a small smile before cutting his hand and holding it up towards the door, letting his blood drip down just before it.

I still found it strange how one had to cut themselves to enter. As I had found out before that only creatures such as elves – like Kyle – and those with Logan’s blood line can enter but they had to give a blood offering or whatever it’s called just like Logan had when we entered through the train station.

It wasn’t long before the stone seemed to rumble like and earthquake was going through making me slip and scream as I was about to fall into the disgusting sewer water’s below me, but Kyle’s hands quickly shot out to grab hold me, pulling me to him and away from the water. With heavy breathing I looked up to see Kyle’s purple eyes blazing down at me – they were like the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

“Thank you.” I breathed as I put my hands on his chest and found my footing. With the door now opened I pushed off of Kyle’s chest and started walking through.

“Stay close, okay.” Kyle said to me as he brushed up against me and fell into step beside me. I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my face as I remembered the lecture Logan gave me about sticking close and not staring too long.

We had stepped out in a side street with many – what appeared to be – normal people although I knew them to be more than what they appear. As we turned a corner we came onto the main strip that we had walked down last time, the market stalls and busy gatherings of people made me step even closer to Kyle so that I didn’t lose him. Walking past I took it all in, the strange appearance of people made me seem like the strange one amongst them and stick out like a sore thumb.

We came to a stop just in front of the white and gold mansion that I recognized from the time before, this is where Marco was I had no doubts about that. Taking a deep breath I turned to Kyle “Thanks but I can take it from here.” I patted his chest and spun around before starting to walk off into the large building.

“Hold your horse’s missy.” Kyle said as he reached over and grabbed my elbow and spun me back around until I hit his chest.

Pulling my arm out of his grasp I looked up at him and gave him a deathly serious glare. “If you go in any further you could get in trouble, I can handle myself.” I told him although I wasn’t too sure of the last part. I had enough faith in Marco to believe that he wouldn’t kill me or hold me prisoner, especially if I were to help him save his little brother but the trick would be getting in to see him since last time I had been attacked by a fairy and Logan had to rescue me.

“No, I’m not going to let you go in there alone and get killed, I’m not doing it.”

“Yes you are. Just trust me.”

“Are you listening to yourself?” He glared at me and asked as if I had a massive whole in my head preventing rational thoughts.

“No, I’m listening to you and you need to listen to me. I am going in there alone.” I crossed my arms over my chest defensively and matched his glare with one of my own.

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Walking through the doors I noticed the decorations and colour scheme seemed a little different than last time I was here but everything else was relatively the same. Before the cream coloured walls had been covered by golden tapestries but this time around they were blood red and held a black crown with a sword through the middle of it and I suddenly found myself remembering Marco’s words about the birthmarks both of the brothers had been gifted with. Logan and I both have the same mark, the sword from my father’s family but with a crown from mums.

As I walked in I kept my head up and scanned the room watching as everyone seemed to turn their eyes on me, their heated gazes were like an itch creeping up my spine and making me shudder. My gaze froze on a familiar figure in the corner and I recognized him from the last time I was here, the hooded man sat against the wall in the corner, wearing a black hood that last time covered his face, but this time I could see a small proportion of a strong slightly stubble jaw line.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the human.” A voice came from my left making me peer my eyes away from the hooded stranger in the corner and focus on the fairy that had so elegantly tried to eat me last time. The scaly winged lizard creature with its razor sharp teeth had ruined the ideal of fairies for me and I wasn’t about to let her try and eat me like last time. “And she’s come alone, how foolish of you little girl.”

I tilted my head slightly and narrowed my eyes at her. “I am not here as a meal you ugly sorry excuse for a fairy.” I said to her keeping my voice as low and as intimidating as I could possibly manage. “I’m here to see Marco Bellator!” I raised my voice and addressed everyone the room hoping that someone would tell Marco that there was someone here to see him.

“Well then it is a true shame that your wasted journey ends here.” She snarled at me before lunging my way. With my eyes wide in a panic I ducked making her miss me internally and crash into the closed doors not too far behind me. I smiled to myself thinking that I actually done it but then the wicked creature got up and the look on her face was one of pure murder. Oh o. She came charging at me again, in a panic I turned around looking for something I could use as a weapon and cursing myself for not taking a danger off of Kyle. Finding a plate and a fork I decided this will have to do and picked them up just in time to catch her charging towards me.

Attacking on impulse I shifted my weight to the side and brought my hand with the plate held firmly in my grasp around the side of my body and hit her with it, the plate shattered from the force of hitting the fairy in the side of her head which only pushed slightly to the side of me and made her fall down to the ground as she was no doubt coming down with a very large headache. A strange sound vibrated through her body coming out as almost as a screaming growl, it was a disgusting sound that made me want to cover my ears and hide but I knew she was on the verge of pushing herself back up and devouring me like I was her last meal.

Tightening my grip around the fork I brought it down until it was embedded in her hand making black blood ooze from the wound which only made me hold back a gag. I can’t believe I just hit something over the head and then stabbed it with a fork! I was so going to need some major counseling sessions after this.

“Britney!” Marco’s cheerful voice boomed in the hall making everyone that looked like they were about to join in and eat me sit back down and leave me kneeling over the fairy, still holding the fork that I had jammed into her hand. “I would say it’s a pleasure to see you, but that would be a lie.” He walked in and stopped just in front of me, his gaze passing between me and the fairy that was on the floor struggling not cry out in pain from the wound. “Now how about we stop trying to kill people and you and I can have nice little chat, hmm?”

Breathing deep I had a long blink and then raised myself to my feet, leaving the fork embedded in the fairies hand and started walking off with Marco, falling into step just beside him. I followed Marco into a large room, with a long stone table in the middle, it had a collection of old looking flowers in a large vase as the center piece and the entire back wall was made of large arched windows that looked out over the city that is the underground.

“Take a seat.” Marco said, gesturing to the table and chairs. Not arguing with him, I pulled out a chair on the corner and sat down as Marco did the same, except that he sat at the head of the table. “So may I ask, what were you doing? Or better yet, thinking? Coming down here alone and baring in, creating quite the stir and trying to kill of the fairies and disrupt my peace.”

“Okay, first of all, in my defense, she came at me. Twice!” I said holding up two fingers and dancing them around his face to emphasize the number. “And secondly, I’m here about Logan.”

“What about him?” I seemed to have captured his interest just by using his brother’s name.

“He is being held and is set to face the executioner tomorrow night, you have to help him.” I explained, the last part coming out as more of a plea as I leaned forward to stress the importance.

“What is he accused of?” Marco asked in all seriousness and I was a little taken aback by the question.

“What?” I scrunched up my face and pulled back showing my clear confusion.

“I am asking what he is accused of?” he repeated himself.

“Does that matter?”

“Yes.”

“Why? He’s your brother, you have to help him!” I said raising my voice a little and completely annoyed at his question. Who the hell does he think he is?

“Because if he is being executed because he can’t keep his hands off of what’s not his, then I may decide to let him root in that cell for a little while longer to teach him a lesson.” He explained to me in all seriousness.

“He is accused of helping you escape!”

Marco looked down for a moment, his eyes were narrowed and his brow frowned ever so slightly as he looked off in the distance, looking as though he were in deep thought.

“You have to get him out of there!” I pleaded softly and reached out to Marco, hoping to gain his attention once more.

“You’ve fallen for him haven’t you?” His question stunned me a little. I was expecting it and nor did I know how to answer it. Did I love Logan? Was it love that I was feeling or just a strong fondness for someone other than myself? I knew I couldn’t answer this question just yet, not until I had time, which I didn’t now.

“Just help him Marco!”

He smiled at my answer as if he could read it for himself on my face. I didn’t deny it because I did feel something, I just wasn’t sure if it were love just yet. Standing up Marco wondered out of the room for a moment, leaving me alone with just the echoes of the wind howling through the buildings foundations. Upon returning Marco held a gold medallion in his hands.

“Go down to see him and give him this. He will know what to do.” He passed me the heavy gold medallion and I turned it over and over in my hands examining it. On the front it had the symbol of a sword with two wings coming out on either side of the blade and on the back it had an inscription.

Believe what you don’t see and see what you don’t believe.

“It doesn’t make sense.” I said as I read the words over and over again.

“It will to him.” He assured me.

With assurance that this would save Logan I started off, back the way I came and trough the entry way that held all of the creatures who I think are hell bent of eating me alive. I passed the fairy who just stared at me closely as I walked out of the building, her left hand held closely to her chest and bandaged as she cradled it. Turning around I noticed the hooded figure whom sat in the corner was no longer there, a fact that seemed to spark an odd curiosity in me.

I started down the path headed back the way I came, knowing that Kyle was waiting for me at the door which we entered through this time round which meant I had to crawl back through the sewers. As I was walking I felt a presence and a pair of eyes on me making me turn my head to check behind me but there was no one there. Panic began to take over a little as I knew I couldn’t possibly defend myself out here too well and especially without a decent weapon, the feeling of someone watching me was like an itch I just couldn’t scratch and it just kept getting worse as my steps got faster.

With my heart racing I quickly turned into the next ally way I saw just to make sure there was no one following me. I leaned my back up against the cold dark bricks of the building and turned my head around the corner so that I could get a look at the one who was following me.

“Britney isn’t it?” A deep voice said from just behind me making me freeze. Swallowing hard I slowly turned around a jumped a little as I stared at the hooded man walking out of the shadows.

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