As I looked back into his face, his palm was raised, facing the sky, to just underneath his mouth. A purple powder glistened in his hand, like stars twinkling in the night sky above us.
He blew the powder into my face. Shocked, I gasped.
'Good night, Samradh. See you in Prythian.'
I didn't have time to contemplate the strange place name before I succumbed to the darkness.
I was awake, but not.
My head was pounding and it felt like I was spinning around in circles. Whatever that purple powder was, it had knocked me cold.
I had definitely been out for a couple of hours at least.
I knew something bad was happening but the powder seemed to block any emotion, especially fear or panic, from penetrating through the blackness. I wished it would get rid of the nauseous feeling in my stomach.
I felt half in and half out of consciousness, but my eyes had no intention of opening. It was like they were glued shut.
I tried to move my finger or toe, but no movement came to me. I felt like a brain floating in the darkness, my mind here alone.
I tried to think back to what had happened, the bandstand, Pimms, the hooded stranger… what had he said to me? The silent question reverberated around in my head.
There was nobody here to answer it, only me - if only I could remember it.
The name came to me in a flash, Prythian. I had never heard of it before, even though there was a memory tickling the back of my mind.
I HAD heard it mentioned before, once, in a place I really shouldn't have been. Said by a historian, talking in hushed tones with my father. The more I thought about it, the more nauseous I felt.
This would have to be a conversation I have with myself another time. The urge to vomit was filling my throat, a strange sensation when I didn't know for certain if I had a throat anymore.
I tried to concentrate on something more tangible, my hearing. I tried to block out my thoughts and focus everything on my hearing.
Creaking and voices, faint but there.
I focused on the voices, narrowing in on one. I could only catch syllables or small words, most of which I didn't recognise.
Then I heard my name.
They knew I was listening.
I felt something light and airy fall on my closed eyelids and within seconds, I was asleep again thinking I heard someone say 'Not just yet, pretty one.'
…..
I felt the stirring of my mind happening again, this time however, I was more aware of myself and knew what to expect.
My stomach still roiled with nauseousness, waiting for the moment I would be able to be sick.
I could feel my body this time, first my toes wiggling and then my fingers. My eyes still wouldn't listen to the commands of my body, remaining glued shut.
I moved my fingers, trying to decipher the sensations I was feeling from my fingertips. It was satin and I was laying on it, suddenly understanding the feeling from all across the back of my body. A bed?
Where the fuck am I and why am I in a bed?
I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. I was waking up, but slowly. Too slowly to be of any use to me.
My mind was fully awake but my body was slow to react. Whatever that purple powder was, it really did a job on me. I don't think we have anything like that at home, not even amongst the worst of drug takers.
But my hearing was back, enough to hear the soft click of a door and feet lightly skimming across the floor towards me. Two sets of feet actually, one slightly heavier than the other. My best guess was a man and a woman.
I wonder if it was the man who tricked me into this situation. I couldn't remember the exact sound of his voice, hoping it would come back to me if I heard it. But it wasn't a man that spoke first.
'She has been like this for days. I don't know why she won't wake. Maybe we should call for a healer?' Her voice was soft and lilting, with an almost musical tone.
A healer.. What a strange thing to call a doctor.
'No.' The voice that spoke next dripped with command. Whoever claimed this voice was in charge, and it was obvious.
'She is coming out of it already, I can hear her heart clattering around in her chest. I am almost sure she can hear us.' the male sneered. He sounded loathsome.
I listened as the heavier set of feet left the room and didn't release the breath that I had been holding until I heard the door click shut.
I felt the side of the bed dip under a light weight, then a soft hand resting upon my own. 'Stay asleep for as long as you can, Samradh. Nothing good will come from you waking.'
The woman sighed and gave my hand a squeeze and I listened as I heard her leave the room.
There were a hundred questions floating around in my head. Who are these people, what do they want with me, where am I, why me?
The last one stung the most, why me?
I had obviously been asleep for days, according to the woman and my brain was buzzing with activity, even if my body wouldn't obey.
Her warning had been stark but it was hard to fight the primal instinct I couldn't ignore. Get up, get out, fight back.
I concentrated on moving my body, bit by bit. Hours could have passed for all I knew but it was working.
I started with my toes, then moved to the bones in my foot, then my ankles, slowly making my way up my body.
I had gotten the feeling back to most of my body when the door to my room opened again. My eyes were the last thing to open.
It was her, the woman with the musical voice. 'Samradh, please do not move.' Her voice had a pleading edge to it.
But it was too late. I had set the ball in motion earlier and now there was no stopping it. I was on a downhill slope and my eyes were opening.
They took a minute to adjust, focusing on the woman who stood beside the bed. She was beautiful, a word not even strong enough to describe her.
Her onyx hair was braided to one side, with a golden crown of leaves and vines braided into the top of her head. Her dress was simple but stunning, red but where the sun was catching it, it was like a melting pot of oranges, reds and golds.
Her skin was tanned but not dark, like mine at the start of the summer just before I got golden brown.
But her face was the most exquisite of all her features. Her plump lips were covered in a bold red, bolder than any colour I had ever dared wear. And her eyes were a shining amber, proud and warm like the autumn sun.
She couldn't have been much older than me, 25 at the most. Then I saw it, a magnificent ruby ring sat on her wedding finger. Shocked and confused, I looked away. I didn't know anyone who married that young.
She looked at me with pity.
I tried to sit up, my body still feeling the effects of the purple powder. She hooked her hands under my arms and hoisted me up, strength I wasn't expecting from someone so petite. She fixed and fluffed the pillows behind me and I gave her a grateful smile.
I don't know why but I felt like I could trust her - even if she had just... kidnapped me?
I could feel the tension in the air and knew that at any moment, the man I had heard would come through the door. And worse, I had a feeling I knew who this beautiful young girl was married to.
I don't know why she would look at me with so much pity when it was pity I should be feeling for her.
As if right on que, he strolled in the door. He was striking to say the least. His red hair looked like a live fire on top of his head, with the twin of the crown on the woman's head on his own. Only it was bigger and more extravagant.
A ruby encrusted leaf was top and centre of his. On anyone else, it would have looked beautiful but on him, it looked menacing.
Despite the magnificent crown on top of his head, I couldn't pull my eyes away from his ears. They were pointed, like fairies in stories.
I glanced at the woman who stood beside me, wondering if she too had pointed ears but the one that I might have been able to see was covered by her long braid.
'You have met my wife, Inebra I take it?' he said, his voice much softer and friendlier than I had heard before. I was sceptical about this new friendliness but tried to keep my emotions off my face as I felt my eyebrows scrunch together. I schooled myself into a much calmer demeanor.
'You can pretend to be as calm as you want, your heart gives you away.' He was right, my heart had sped up the moment he walked into the room. How could he hear it?
I hadn't spoken for days and my voice was hoarse as I dragged some words out of my mouth. 'Why am I here, who are you, where even is here?'
'So many questions, all to be answered in time. You have been asleep for days, I'm sure you are hungry and thirsty and in need of a good wash.' He sniffed. 'A good wash indeed.'
Heat rose in my cheeks as the embarrassment registered in my brain. How dare he.
'Eilidh here,' he said as a small, mouse like woman entered the room, 'will help you with anything you need. You might be a prisoner here but we aren't savages.'
Prisoner, the word clanged around in my head.
'Once you have finished washing and eating, we will answer your questions, as much as we can' he said. All traces of the man I had heard before were gone, he seemed friendly even. He turned on his heel to leave.
There was one question that was burning in me and I knew if I didn't take my chance to ask him now, I wouldn't be able to stick waiting until later.
'What is your name?' I managed to croak out.
'I am Eris, High Lord of the Autumn Court' and with that, he left, Inebra trailing behind him.
