Pixie Tip: Don't ever, ever trust a pixie. All of them are liars…All of them.
I couldn't believe what was happening. One second, Betty is lunging at him, full out tiger, and she has a straight shot for him. But before she gets close enough, he grabs my mother and puts her in front of him like a shield. Betty backed off, but I could tell she's still ready to pounce by her raised hackles and her bared teeth.
"There will be none of that tonight," he said, holding my struggling mother. "It must be a mother daughter thing, wanting to attack me like this…"
"No. It's more of, you're an asshole and anyone who knows you would want to attack you kind of thing…" I said, snarling at him. I could almost feel my nails turning into claws at the sight of him holding my mother. But I knew I couldn't attack; not with her in his hands.
Patroiophobia, fear of heredity.
Pentheraphobia, fear of your mother.
I wasn't scared of my mother; I was scared for her. I don't know if there is a phobia for that, but they should make one. He had her where he wanted her. He could either kill her, or kiss her. Neither was an option. I could tell that Astley knew what I was thinking too. Wait, was I reading his feelings? I zeroed in on that and was surprised at myself for two reasons. One, that I could finally get a feel for his emotions. And second, that it was actually easy to do so. I guess being highly stressed out made me more aware or something. But I couldn't focus on that at the moment.
"That's no way to speak to your father, Zara," he said smirking at me. "Now, I will release your mother if you call your pet down." That seemed to piss Betty off more as she growled at him.
"Betty. Please. Just, do what he says and phase out. I don't think he'll hurt her, right?" I internally crossed my fingers.
"I'd rather not, but I don't like the idea of being mauled, so if you would…" he said pointedly at Betty.
Backing away and with one final snarl, she started phasing back into a human, and it was truly an amazing thing to see. It was fast, but it was crazy. One minute she was all fur, and the next it was like the fur was melting away into the air. Her face sunk into itself like it was some sort of black hole and soon, her normal face appeared. One moment she was on all four paws, and the next, she's kneeling on the floor, back to herself.
"You try anything, and I won't need my claws to rip your face off," Betty said with what could be called a tiger attitude.
"Noted," he said, releasing my mother from his grasp. "Now, like I was saying earlier before I was so rudely interrupted…is that I wanted to talk about the deal again."
"There is not much to talk about," Astley said angrily. "There will be no alliance between you and I. You must have something else to offer, however, or you wouldn't be here right now." Astley now moved to stand next to me. I don't know if he thought I would attack again, but I guess it made us seem stronger. Two pixies against one and all that.
"Aren't we the royal couple," he said with a chuckle. I blushed and shook off the comment. "Anyway. I did honestly come to make peace. From what little you know of me, I didn't want to do you harm," he said, getting serious. I scoffed at that, and he sighed.
"I know. I messed up. But Astley was right. I do have something else to offer for our alliance…"
"And that is," I said, impatient for him to leave already.
"My fellow pixies and I captured someone very, very important….and if you want to meet, we make an alliance…" he said smiling.
My heart leapt out of my chest. Could he mean Nick? Did he save Nick? I was so hopeful I could barely stand still. Astley, however, didn't see it that way, and seemed disappointed by my response. I shrugged my shoulders and shook Astley's negative feelings aside.
"Is it Nick?" I said, walking toward my father.
"I should have guessed you would have come to that conclusion….but no. I'm sorry, but he's still in Valhalla." He almost looked convincing. Almost. It was almost immediate that I lost hope…and interest. I felt so sad that Astley actually reached over and squeezed my hand.
"So who is the mystery person? Or are you just stalling for time here?" Betty asked, glaring at him.
"Zara. I believe you met her personally," he said with a look at me. I wasn't following.
"Why the Valkyrie that took your Nick away, of course," he said with a grin.
Everything around me seemed to freeze and I was transported back in time. I was pleading with the winged warrior; telling her she couldn't have him. I grabbed onto her, intent on going with her to wherever she was taking him, but I was thrown off into the abyss, to land among pixies. I had seen her once before when I was freeing Astley. It was crazy to think that the men involved in my life now were both related to this Valkyrie. The fact that my father of all people had her tied up was way to strange…almost too much of a coincidence. I found myself finding a chair and sitting down.
"Are you alright?" Astley said, kneeling at my side. My mother stared at me with concern, but dared not move closer to where my father was sitting.
"It doesn't make sense," I found myself saying aloud.
"What doesn't? It's quite simple, really. You…."
"No. Not that. Shut up," I said, cutting him off. "It's just. Every time this Valkyrie has popped up, it was related to the people in my life. First to Astley, whom I was able to save. Second to Nick, whom I wasn't able to save. And now, what? You magically capture her? You? My father….This can't just be coincidence…Something is going on, and I don't like," I said standing up.
"What are you trying to say, Zara? That someone summoned her to do… what?" Betty asked, trying to piece things together too.
"I don't know. But it's not right…or maybe….maybe it's a sign…" I said, backing away.
"What do you mean a sign?" Astley said, getting worried now at the shift in my mood.
"I think that maybe…. I can't trust either of you…" I said scowling.
"You can't be serious!" Astley said, outraged. "Obviously not your father, but me? After everything we've gone through? Think of what you're saying. You've lost too much blood and you've apparently lose your mind," Astley said, somehow sounding both angry and concerned.
"Oh really? Before the Valkyrie came along to snatch Nick, I was a human. I was normal and I didn't hurt people. Then out of nowhere, she shows up and lets you loose and takes Nick. This forces me to turn pixie…and then, she gets 'captured' by my father? Is this some game all along?" Now I was ranting. Was anything real?
"Is there really even a Valhalla? Is she just some random pixie with wings or… or even fake wings with the ability to just fly? All so I could become pixie and be part of some ongoing war for pixie power? Some power trip that you think you could use me in….I can't believe this…." There was too much to consider. The room seemed to be spinning as I considered all the possibilities. Everyone was right to not trust pixies. Look where it got me. And then the final thought did me in, and I thought I was going to hyperventilate.
Astley was trying to talk to me, as was my father. Betty was yelling at both of them, and my mom was waving her arms in the air. But I couldn't take in any of it. The one thing that came to mind out of all of this is that if my theories were true…..then that meant Nick really was dead….and I couldn't' save him
"Zara?" Astley said from what seemed like far away.
I felt like I could pass out, but sadness and anger fueled me. I knew that I couldn't be in that room. With all the strength I had left, I punched Astley, grabbed my father by the neck, and threw him out the window, not caring what anyone thought. From the same window, I jumped out and took off running as fast as I could. It didn't matter where, just as long as it was far away from there.
Paralipophobia, fear of responsibility.
For the first time in a while, I found a phobia that really suited me. I was scared of what I had done. Of being fooled into believing I was doing the right thing. For believing Astley. For allowing Nick to die….It was my fault…. I had to take the responsibility for my actions, and it was terrible and filled me with such despair and fear that it almost threatened to crush me. But I didn't let it…not yet. The fear pushed me farther as I ran into the darkness.
Ok. Hopefully this will tide you over for a while. It's Memorial Day weekend, so I will not be indoors not around a computer. So no updated for a little bit. Sorry. But read and review and enjoy in the meantime. Cheers.