*Minor Trigger Warning* This chapter includes dark content of a sexual nature.
"What are we going to do?" Iridessa panicked in the gloom of Phoenix's cave.
"We can't leave Fawn here!" Silvermist added. They exchanged fearful looks and kept their voices in whispers.
Rosetta quietly reassured them, "We're not leaving here without her, right, Vidia?"
Vidia had been taking in all of the information and was angrier than ever. She was having trouble not remembering that suffocation technique the shadow had come up with and strangling the life out of this cruel man. How dare he take Fawn from her! She wouldn't let him keep her. She was not leaving Fawn here with him.
"You got that right, Ro," Vidia said, her face determined.
"How are we going to get her to come with us?" Silvermist asked.
Vidia's mind was racing and her eyes widened with a slight glimmer of hope. "You guys," she whispered. "You use your talents to distract him, let me get to Fawn. I think I know what to do to get her away from the shadow."
"One problem, sugar plum," Rosetta spoke quietly but sharply. "We are in a cave! Where the hell is the light and the plants and the water? How are we supposed to fight a fire-talent?"
Vidia pondered her words. She eyed Phoenix who gave little thought to what they were doing in their huddled circle. He, distracted by Fawn's hips, was busily groping her. Vidia felt her stomach flip and she cringed. "Iridessa, you can use the light being cast by the fire to blind him," Vidia pointed to the rays bouncing around the cave. "As for you two," Vidia pointed to Silvermist and Rosetta, "surely he has water or plants in here that you could use. You'll just have to be creative."
"But why can't one of us go get Fawn and you use your fast-flying to distract Phoenix?" Iridessa asked, wringing her hands in worry.
"Because," Rosetta's face became somber as she looked into Vidia's eyes, "Vidia is the one who escaped the shadows grip. There is something special about her. She has to do this." Rosetta smiled at a shocked Vidia.
"Well, wish me luck," Vidia cleared her throat and prepared to grab Fawn.
"Good luck," Silvermist whispered.
With a swoop and a squeal, Iridessa gripped a few flickers of light from the cave walls and shined them directly into Phoenix's eyes. He yelled and, blinded, coaxed some of the fire up from it's source and shot it in the direction of the ceiling. Vidia took her opportunity to grab Fawn's arm and pull. Fawn tried to kick her but Vidia was too quick and avoided her leg.
"Get off me!" Fawn demanded, the white veil over her eyes almost completely consuming the amber color, making her innocent face ghastly and cruel.
"No!" Vidia gripped her arm tighter and apologized silently to the future Fawn who would definitely have bruises. Vidia drug Fawn across the cave floor and out into the sunlight, leaving Phoenix's frustrated cries behind her.
While Iridessa shined the light in Phoenix's eyes, Rosetta scoured the cave for anything plant-like that she could use. She stumbled upon a small vine that had torn through the rocks from inside the mountain and was struggling to grow. Good enough, Rosetta thought to herself. She encouraged the tiny plant, motioning for it to grow and stretch. It slowly obeyed. It grew until it was the length of a short rope and as thin as fishing line, before it gave out. Rosetta looked gloomily at the tiny plant in her hand. How was this supposed to help? Her pink cheeks were flushed with anger and her green eyes skittered about as she struggled to think of a plan. Oh, if only Tinker Bell were here.
Outside, Fawn was tussling with Vidia, pushing against her and trying to knock her over. Vidia hadn't realized how strong Fawn was and momentarily wished that she herself had wrestled a gopher once or twice while back at home. Perhaps it would have given her an advantage. She gripped Fawn's flailing hands and pushed back against the animal fairy.
"I want to be with Phoenix," Fawn shouted into Vidia's face, furious.
"This isn't you, Fawn," Vidia huffed as she struggled to keep Fawn from going back in the cave.
"You don't know who I am!" Fawn screamed, attempting to slap Vidia, but the fast-flyer quickly dodged the incoming attack.
"Yes, I do," Vidia said solemnly as she tried not to take the hostility personally. She knew that she had acted the same way while under the shadow's power. "You don't want to stay with that creep. You're going to come home with us."
A sudden cawing met Vidia's ears. She looked up into the white heat of the sky and saw a dark speck, circling over head. She remembered Phoenix's words. The eagle that hunted along this ridge!
"We're not going back to Pixie Hollow, Vidia," Fawn growled, a second voice suddenly escaping her mouth.
"Well, we need to get off this mountain," Vidia pointed upwards. "That eagle is eventually going to find us."
"We're trying to go back in the cave. You're the one keeping us out here. It will be your fault if we get eaten by the eagle." Fawn's body was contorted into a feral crouch and she stared up at Vidia with vacant eyes and snarling teeth.
Vidia felt fear welling inside her. What if she couldn't get Fawn back? What if egging the shadow on didn't work for her as it had for Fawn? What if Fawn was drug back to Phoenix? What if he kept her forever? Vidia felt a knot form in her throat and she tried to swallow it. It wouldn't budge, and she began to feel tightness in her chest. Her ears rang when the eagle once again cawed from above, but this time he was closer.
Inside the cave, Phoenix was growing angry and had begun to shoot fire wherever he could. He had barely missed the girls multiple times and they were beginning to fear for their lives. Rosetta had been staring at the vine, trying to think of a way to use it, but ideas evaded her and as she watched the struggling light-talent, she began to fear that they might not make it out of this fight.
"Quit it!" Phoenix shouted. A ball of flames shot out from the fire in the center of the room and zoomed so closely past Iridessa's head, she could smell her hairs burning. She gulped back her panic and strained to keep the light rays focused on his eyes. He tried to run but stumbled into walls and, at one point, nearly fell into the fire. She and the other girls continued dodging the flames. He had been alone for a long time and his fire talent was rusty, but each time he threw it, his aim was better and the fire was hotter.
"Girls!" Silvermist shouted. "I found water!" She was standing in a corner of the cave, staring up at a stalactite. Murky water dripped from its tip and formed a small pool at the bottom. "It's not much but it can cut off his source!" She drew the water from the pool and amassed it into a large ball. She shot the ball at the fireplace in the center of the room. Instantly the fire went out and the room went dark.
"Why thank you, puddles," Phoenix laughed.
"Sil! Now, there's no light! What the hell are we going to do now?" Iridessa screeched from where she stood. Phoenix smiled her direction and ran towards her voice, stumbling over clay pots. The light had damaged his eyes more than he wanted to admit. Iridessa squealed and ran towards the far end of the cave, fearing what Phoenix might do to her.
The eagle cawed louder each passing minute, and Vidia knew that, any moment now, it would see them and dive. Panic began to set in as she watched Fawn's fingers dig into the rock, ready to pounce. Of course Fawn would be the most intimidating of predators when not in her right mind. Vidia needed to get through to her. Now. She looked into Fawn's eyes and saw nothing of Fawn there. She searched for something that might bring Fawn back to who she was but with the blank eyes staring back at her, she couldn't think of anything. It was no longer Fawn she was looking at. Fawn no longer had control. Fawn was lost to her. Now, only the shadow remained. Only the shadow was left to listen to Vidia's pleas.
The thought hit her like a bolt of lightning and she grew bold. "Shadow," Vidia said, timidly at first but then shook herself and shouted, "Shadow! You need to let her go!"
"Who are you to command me?" Fawn's lips moved but the shadows thoughts and voice spilled out.
"I'm the one you couldn't keep! I'm the one who forced you out!" Vidia suddenly became aware of the sweat covering her face.
"Oh and you think that because you got the better of me once, you would do so again? Not likely," the shadow forced a smile on Fawn's face. "Fawn doesn't have the will to make me leave. She believes the things I say. Phoenix is the only one who will ever love her."
"I don't think you heard me clearly," Vidia said through clenched teeth. "Leave her!"
Fawn laughed darkly. "What makes you so special?"
Vidia was taken aback by the question and Rosetta's words echoed in her mind. 'There's something special about her. She has to do this.' Vidia set her jaw. She had to do this.
She reached down and grabbed Fawn's face. She looked into the menacing eyes and tried to avoid the gnashing teeth. "Get out," Vidia's voice was ice cold. Fawn stilled at the chill in the air. Her snarl settled and her brows lifted. Vidia noticed the change and stared harder into Fawn's eyes. She could feel the warmth of Fawn's tan skin and she was close enough to smell her hair. Sassafras. Vidia was invigorated and said, "You can't have her. She's not yours." Fawn shuddered slightly and Vidia shouted, "Leave now!" Fawn's body trembled and she slumped in Vidia's arms. Her face twitched and her muscles spasmed. Vidia could hear the cawing of the eagle. She glanced up. He was moving closer. He had seen them. His talons were poised to attack and Fawn was seizing in Vidia's arms. "Give her back to me!" Vidia shouted, her voice fraying with effort. Fawn convulsed one last time, and the shadow slinked from her and dove into a nearby crevice.
The cave was dark, and it had gone almost silent as the fairies tried to hide from Phoenix. His vision was damaged from the intense light, and the darkness was blinding anyway. "Where are you, puddles? Why'd you put my fire out? Not that it matters. I can pull fire from thin air. Honestly, your friend practically blinded me and I am actually enjoying the darkness for once. Besides," the 's' slithered off his tongue. "I can hear you ladies breathing and trembling. Are you afraid of me?"
Iridessa was crouched in a far corner. As a light fairy, she hated the darkness, but she was thankful that for now Phoenix didn't know quite where she was. She figured he was bluffing about hearing them tremble. He couldn't do that. Could he?
Silvermist had not moved far from the puddle, but knew she should. She could hear his footsteps and they were coming towards her. The water felt safe, though, there was only drops left. She hugged her knees to her. She wished Fawn and Vidia would come back and save them. She wished she was home in Pixie Hollow. She wished the shadow had never found them.
"C'mon, girls," Phoenix continued to jibe. "Why are you scared? Aren't I handsome? Aren't I powerful? You can't honestly say you aren't the least bit jealous of Fawn getting a taste of what I have to offer?"
Rosetta gagged a bit, but she tried to remain silent. She still held the tiny, useless vine in her hands. Without sun and water, this thing was puny and weak. She couldn't wrap the vine around him and squeeze Phoenix like a boa constrictor though that would have been her first pick for an attacking move. There was no way this vine could do anything besides getting close to him, wrapping it around his neck, and strangling him with sheer brawn, which Rosetta was not prepared to do.
"You are jealous of Fawn, right?" Phoenix called, puffing his chest with pride. He was merely steps from Silvermist where she hid behind a stalagmite. "You should have seen her. She was stunning last night. She seemed to enjoy my roughness. Did you know that about your friend?" The girls all tried to block his voice out of their ears. He was closer to Silvermist now. Only a foot of floor stood between them. "By the way, she threw herself at me and cried out in pleasure at my touch, you would have never known that she didn't want it." He paused and chuckled as the girls held their breath. "Don't think I'm an idiot. Of course I knew she didn't want it." His scent now filled Silvermist's nose. He was just above her now. "I mean, there were moments that I looked into those amber eyes and I could sense her disgust and her horror. I knew she didn't want it. I knew exactly what I was doing to her."
Revolted, Rosetta ran forward. Her eyes had adjusted to the light, and she could see his hulking mass towering over Silvermist. She was filled with rage at him for how he had violated Fawn and she would not let him hurt another one of her friends. The puny vine would have to do. She leapt towards him and whipped one end around his ankles. She caught it and pulled, urging the plant to maintain its strength. He moved forward, startled, and tripped. With a jolt, his head smacked the stalagmite. A grunt escaped his lips and he fell to the floor, blood pouring from his head. Rosetta gazed at him in panic. He was still. Was he dead? Had she killed him? She couldn't stay there to find out.
"C'mon girls," she cried, "we need to get Fawn and Vidia and get outta here!"
Vidia could see the gleaming talons and the sun dancing off the feathers of the eagle. He would have them in his grips in any second. She began to drag the limp Fawn towards the thicker brush further down the slope. She felt guilty leaving the other girls, but she needed to get Fawn to safety and the cave was no longer safe for her.. She could try to carry Fawn, but navigating through the tall spikes with a fairy in her arms would be nearly impossible. The eagle was getting closer. She could see the yellow in his eyes. A cry escaped her lips and her slender arms struggled to drag Fawn. She was using most of her strength to pull Fawn, and it wasn't working. There had to be something she could try. She and Fawn were about to die. With a wave of her hands, she created a wind that gusted at the bird, but the strong wings beat against it. She was out of time.
All of the sudden, a beam of light shot into the bird's eyes. "Iridessa!" Vidia shouted in relief. Rosetta ran to Vidia and helped lift Fawn. Silvermist ran behind them as they maneuvered down the mountain, towards the balloon. Iridessa stopped blinding the bird and ran quickly towards the other girls. The bird was angry now and flustered. He attempted to see where they were amidst the rocks, but they could tell he was confused. They might have just enough time to get to the safety of the thicker brush.
"Ladies!" a voice behind them shouted. A figure stepped from the cave. His red hair was matted with blood and he struggled to keep himself up. "You will not take her! She's mine!"
The girls ignored him, but pushed their legs harder. Their breath was coming in puffs, but they barely noticed. Their sights were on the balloon and the eagle. He was struggling to find them, but Phoenix's booming voice met his ears. He cocked his head towards the sound and suddenly, he had found a new prey. The girls were almost to the brush, when they heard a scream. The bird had dove towards Phoenix, and he was now scrambling to the small opening in the rock that led to his home. The bird struggled to catch him, but once he was inside the cave, the opening was too small for the bird to get his head into. One talon barely fit in the small crack. But the eagle was hungry and angry. He would not let his prey get away so easily. So he stuck his talon in the cave and used it to search for the sparrowman. He would not leave until he found him.
The girls were happy for a distraction and cared little for Phoenix's safety. They plowed into the brush, not caring whether the thorns bit at their skin. They did not lose steam until the balloon was in sight. They were panting and covered in scratches but they felt sweet relief as they spotted their way home. They hopped into the balloon, dumped some dust on the top and sped away into the afternoon light.
Meanwhile, Phoenix cowered in the furthest corner of the cave, terrified that he would not survive, but agitated that he had lost his plaything. He could feel his blood boiling. Those fairies would not let him have anything. Queen Clarion had banned him from using his talent. She and the other fairies had made him feel unwelcome in his home. And now these girls had stolen his prize. He would not stand for it.
"Shadow," he whispered. "Return to me. I need you, now."