When I am a couple of feet away from the edge of my stalker's hiding place, they hiss at me in a strange, slithery sappy voice.
"Hurry!" I quicken my pace in fright. Well can you really blame me? I mean, sure I've faced foe much more frightening. Like the poppy warriors and Circe's apprentices, anyone who had a voice like that would frighten you too! There really was no adequate way to describe it except for it sounding like a bloody snake!
Now I am searching my way through the brush and into the woods, which is a very arduous task if I may say so myself! Well, it certainly is no walk down the street! Little branches with talons reach for my face and try to pull out my eyes. The trees want me for dead I believe, for they are showing me no mercy what's so ever. The hooded figure is leading me deeper and deeper through the woods. I look back after five minutes of our hike and find that I cannot see the old white bleached church. I am also finding that a hike through the woods in ninety-degree weather in a corset and three petticoats is not the jolliest way to spend the afternoon.
"Um, I don't think that we should…" But I am cut off by my hooded figure.
"Shush! We are almost there!" He says it in his slithery snake voice. I am beginning to wonder what really is under that hood. I truly wouldn't be surprised if it was part man part snake! And should I, a sixteen-year-old fairly attractive young English woman be going off into the middle of the woods with it, whatever it was?
"Stop!" it, says. "Salina should arrive soon." I am trying to figure out who in God's name Salina is, when yet another hooded figure walks from the opposite direction of where my hooded figure and I had come.
"I am Salina, and you shouldn't use our good lord's name like that." Is it just me, or does it seem like she has just read my mind?
"We must speak quick, or they will send out a search party for you. You are familiar with the Order, correct?" Salina has directed this startling question at lucky me. I am trying to decide whether to reveal any of my information with these people, or things, I should say, since they both have not revealed themselves.
"Before you start your interrogation, my I ask to whom I am speaking?" I ask with as much genteel manner as I can muster. The hooded figure laugh together.
"Don't fear us, Gemma!" Says the one who has led me out her.
"We ourselves are members of the Order!" Salina finishes.
Well, quite frankly I am astounded. Was I actually speaking to woman, yes women, of my own kind? But my amazement is replaced by anger. Where were they when Ann and Felicity and I were fighting Circe's minions? And why had they not come sooner so they could have at least taught me the basics of having my kind of powers! But most importantly, why had they not helped my mother when she had to fight Circe's apprentice? They could have saved her!
"Leave me alone," I say through clenched teeth. Their smiles are quickly wiped of their faces. I suppose that they are not used to taking orders from people.
"It is not our fault that your mother died. Nor was it our own when you needed help and training. We were being held captive by the brotherhood." Salina explains this to me as if she were talking to a small child. And once again, she has read my mind. I am finding it incredibly unnerving that someone that I hardly even know can sense my most intimate thoughts. It was, annoying at the least.
"Remove your capes, then. And you must tell me your name," I say this last part to my leader.
"Fine, for we have nothing to hide. And my name is Ellis." And then they have dropped their hoods, and there, standing before me, are the two loveliest women that I have ever encountered. This included Pippa. When Ellis had said that they had nothing to hide, they really meant it! They looked like women from those French fashions magazines that Felicity gets every month. I wonder if they were models when they were not helping the order. But they were also proof that the Brotherhood had indeed been tricking me when they had wanted me to bind the magic under those fateful words. Not that I needed anymore proof, for Kartik had left them, hadn't he? Wasn't that a sign of their wrongs?
"How can I trust you? And why?" I ask them. They immediately hold out their hands, where, on each of their pointer fingers is a ring. The ring of the order, with the two intertwined snakes. I nod my head.
"Fine, then. And in answer to your first question, yes, I am familiar with the order." I have taken the plunge.
"You have made a good choice to trust us. You will need friends during your reign. And speaking of your reign, have you made any plans on what you are going to do to rebuild these fallen realms? It has come to our attention that you have promised, er, creatures, stake inthe magic." Ellis tells me this bit of news with a grimace.
"Yes. We had a little encounter with Philon. It made it quite clear that it had not forgotten your promise." Salina shudders.
"Um, well. I hope that it didn't harm you," I say. Although I think that that it is quite funny. Philon definitely did harm them, for they both had looked uneasy when speaking of it. Philon could easily snap a giant in half. Sheis even frightening to talk, because she wields so much power. She is higher than the cantaurs on the hierarchy scale.
Before they can reply, shouts ring through the forest.
"Gemma! Gemma!" they cry. It was Ann, Felicity, and Mrs. Nightwing.
As I turn to bid Salina and Ellis goodbye, I find that they have disappeared. I think that it is going to take some getting used to of this magic business.
I sigh and turn around to head towards their voices.
"I'm here!" I cry. We meet at the edge of the forest.
"Oh, Gemma! We were so worried! We thought that the gypsies had kidnapped you. They are all over this time of year!" This was Ann.
"Oh, Ann! We weren't that worried! Gemma dear, we knew you were safe all along." Typical Felicity.
"Come now girls, into the carriage. Gemma has delayed us long enough. Felicity! Please do not trip Miss Poole!" And we are on our way back to Spence.