Oh my gosh guys I'm soooooooooooo sorry! I've been meaning to update but my life has been insane! The laptop that everything is on has been all wonky, the screen flickers in and out and we've had it fixed twice! So I had to transfer everything onto my normal computer today. Last week I had semester tests to study for, and this week I've been packing for my church's mission trip to El Salvador wich I have to be at the airport for at three a.m on Sunday and Saturday I have my ACT's. I will do my best to update one more time before I go but only if I get some reviews! :D
Chapter 20
They arrive at the palace and up close it's even more imposing. Tall guards stand as still as statues before the great icy gate leading to the ginormous fortress. The guards are identical; same height with black hair beneath matching uniform caps and when she looks at their faces she turns away in revulsion. Their faces are smooth, blank, and featureless though they seem to watch her every move.
Simultaneously they turn and open the gate jerkily as if they are not in control of their own limbs. She and Ryan walk through and the gates slam shut behind them.
"Can they hear us?" She whispers.
"Yes," Ryan replies just as quiet. "They have extremely good hearing and eyesight though they have no eyes nor ears. It's their eternal punishment for starting a war that they lost." Marisia shudders and continues down the stone path still clutching Ryan's hand.
"Do we still have to hold hands?" She asks glancing down at their entwined fingers.
"What? No-no sorry." He mumbles wrenching his hand from hers and blushing.
"It's fine." They reach the doors and she sees a pattern of wood has been etched into the doors which are at least eight feet tall and almost as wide each. They creak open before either of them can touch them and Ryan leads her in as the doors close behind.
Inside it's like she's stepped into the past. There are candles placed at regular intervals in the walls and a huge crystalline staircase is in front of them. Everything is also made entirely out of ice, the tables, chairs; even elaborate scenes are carved right onto the walls.
"This place is amazing!" Marisia exclaims and her words echo back at her. Ryan motions for her to be quiet but it is not necessary for a soft voice says from the shadows,
"I'm glad you think so." Eric glides down the stair case to meet them. Ryan becomes as statue stiff as the guards outside.
"Eric I appreciate this and all but really it's not necessary. I want to figure this out not have others risk their lives for me." Eric frowns.
"But Marisia I only want to keep you safe. I know you are a fighter and this must be hard for you but really my soldiers are far better equipped for this situation."
"Yeah and if some of them die because me how do you think I'll feel about that?" He appears perplexed.
"Why do you care you don't know any of them. And they're expendable, criminals, worthless."
"They don't deserve to die as punishment! What about their families? Is Ryan expendable too?"
"I really don't understand you," Eric says with a frown. "Half of them would have killed you without blinking. All of their families are long dead and would be glad to see them die if they still lived. But if you insist, I will not have them do this. Will you protest if people just find out information? I promise I won't let anyone fight if that is what you wish." She considers this and then nods.
"Fine, as long as in the end I do the fighting." He opens his mouth to protest then concedes.
"Fine," He turns to Ryan. "Fairy will you show her to her room?" He looks at him with obvious disdain.
"Yes sir." Ryan says stiffly then he begins to climb the staircase.
"If you need anything just call his name he'll come."
"Alright and Eric can you please let Haydn or at least Calvin know I'm here? They must think I'm dead."
"Yes, yes, I'll get someone right on that." He says distractedly before going through another hall. Ryan leads her through the icy halls which are surprisingly warm considering they're made entirely of ice.
"He treats you like a dog!" She hisses appalled at Eric's behavior. Ryan just shrugs.
"He's not as bad as others to work for and I had to pick someone."
"There must be someone better than him to work for! He seriously sees nothing wrong in treating people that way?"
"He has had no experience in the outside world don't blame him for it he has never been shown other opinions or alternative ways of life." His answer is automatic, memorized.
"That doesn't make it right! Why does he treat you as if you're inferior to him?" Ryan sighs, steel gray eyes hard.
"Because in this world I am."
"Why?"
"I was once human."
"But I am human! He treats me nothing like that!"
"You amuse him I suppose. And don't you know an old friend of his?"
"Unfortunately." She grumbles.
"Here's your room," He says stopping abruptly. "Someone will bring you dinner in a bit." He turns to go.
"Wait!" He pauses.
"Yes?" His voice is weary.
"Thanks and please come and visit me some time, it seems like I'll be stuck here for a while." He smiles, eyes a golden bright yellow.
"Sure." Then he's gone. Marisia puts her hand on the cool doorknob and turns it. The door swings open. The room is magnificent with an icy canopy bed carved with a floral design, and there are silver, shimmering curtains hanging in the windows. There's a plush white blankets on the bed and a chair covered in the same material along with a dresser and a table and amazingly a fireplace with a fire cheerfully blazing within.
Marisia turns back to the door and jiggles the knob, yep, locked. "Great." She says plopping down on the bed and stretching out in the soft blankets. She'd just go to sleep for a while. She thinks closing heavy eyes.
A sharp knock on the door jolts her awake after who knows how long. "Come in." She says groggily sitting up. A girl that could be Ryan's sister walks in; she has a stern sharp face and dark brown hair curling down her back, she appears to be older maybe twenty two. Her eyes are a blazing red and she's carrying a tray covered in strange looking but delicious smelling food.
"So you're the girl everyone's talking about." The girl says as if she can't see what the big deal is as she critically appraises Marisia from head to toe.
"I guess. Are you Ryan's sister?" The girl's dark green eyes narrow.
"Maybe, he told you his name?"
"Yeah. I'm Marisia."
"I know who you are!" The girl snaps. Oh-kay someone's got problems.
"Sorry, if you don't want to talk that's perfectly fine."
"Who said I don't?"
"I-never mind. You can set that down." Marisia says annoyed and perplexed, nodding towards the tray. What was the matter with this girl? The girl frowns down at and slams it on the table.
"So you work here like Ryan?"
"Obviously!" The girl says like she's a complete moron. She was really getting on her nerves.
"Okay fine. But can you seriously stop with the attitude?" Marisia finally snaps, completely fed up with it. The girl opens her mouth then closes it with an audible snap, raising her dark brows in surprise.
"You're not as big of a wimp as I thought." Coming from this girl it's a big compliment.
"Thanks," Marisia says sarcastically and then, thinking better of it, she adds much more calmly, "You're brother seems nice."
"Yeah he is." She says with a sigh. There's an awkward silence.
"So umm was there something you wanted to tell me?"
"Not really just wanted to see what all the hype was about, plus I was supposed to drop that off." She says gesturing towards the tray of food.
"Thanks," She says again. "Is it safe to eat? I mean…"
"Is it fairy food?" The girl gives a bitter smile.
"Trust me I wouldn't do that to anyone. I think it's one of the accomplices of the guards who's the cook she can't put anything in the food that's not supposed to be in there or," She pulls a finger across her throat.
"She gets killed?"
"Yep, not like she could do it anyway, they're all just puppets on strings trapped in their own heads with no control of their actions." She gives a small shudder.
"That's awful."
"Yeah," They sit there silently a minute. "So what makes you so special? Why are you here?"
"I honestly don't want to be here, but apparently Eric likes me or something." The girl's eyes widen.
"Likes you? But you're just a human!" Marisia shrugs.
"I'm a vampire hunter," She clarifies. "And we have a common aquatint Hesaid he's trying to protect me but I'd much rather be fighting." The girls violet eyes are huge.
"Really? I've never met a vampire hunter that must be so exciting! Why are you in danger?"
"I keep getting reincarnated, keep getting killed, and this life is my last chance to figure it out who said killer is." She says summing it up as briefly as possible.
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"I'm Renee." The girl says suddenly.
"Oh. " Is all Marisia can think of to say. She was such a strange girl.
"Did Ryan tell you why we're here?"
"No…" Marisia says warily. "But it's okay really I don't need to hear it."
"I have to tell. Someone has to know. Maybe especially you." Her voice is far off, dreamy. Was she crazy or something?
"Uh okay." She really didn't want to hear this but couldn't think of a way to stop her.
"It was forever ago," Renee starts, her voice is far off. "I don't even know how long ago it was. What year is it?"
"Two thousand thirteen."
"Sixty, Seventy years, but it seems like moments." She murmurs.
"Renee, really if you don't want to…" Renee cuts her off.
"Ryan was seven I was twelve, big sister's supposed to watch out for him right? So I did," She takes a deep breath, trembling. "I heard him scream and my parents wouldn't wake up, so I go to his room and I see shiny people grabbing him and so I grab him too. They try and make me let go, say I'm too old, no good but I won't let go and they take me too." She seems to be in a trance now, eyes wide and blank, voice monotone and Marisia really doesn't want to hear any more of it.
"Renee, just stop okay? I don't want to hear this. You don't have to tell me." This girl was nuts. Renee has pale green eyes now, with hugely dilated pupils and she rocks back and forth, arms hugging her knees.
"Ryan!" Marisia shouts. She recalls remembering what Eric said and hopes he was right. Ryan suddenly bursts into the room not ten seconds later.
"Renee!" He exclaims upon seeing his possessed looking sister. He goes over to her and gives her a slap in the face. Marisia is about to protest when she sees it working, Renee blinks and looks around in surprise clearly not knowing where she is.
"Ryan?" She whispers and bursts into tears.
"Its fine Renee, it's alright." He says softly leading her out of the room like a child by the hand.
Once they left Marisia slumps back on the bed. Renee was nuts. Eric could have warned her about that. A moment later there is a tentative knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Ryan." Is the quiet reply. Marisia sighs.
"Alright come in." His eyes are a deep sea blue.
"I'm sorry about Renee she's not allowed to see people." He comes and hesitantly sits beside her on the bed.
"Because she's crazy?" He winces.
"That and when she's not she's…"
"Incredibly rude?"
"Yeah, she knocked out the person who was supposed to come. I wouldn't eat that food if I were you either."
"What could she have done to it?"
"Poisoned it, made it fairy food. She's not been the same since…"
"You were taken? She started telling me about that." Ryan swears.
"I'm sorry I usually never let her out of my sight but I had to get you and I didn't have time to put her in her room."
"Its fine really, you came before she did anything. That trance thing just freaked me out."
"And the story didn't?"
"Yes it did but she didn't get far."
"Would you like to talk about it?" He asks softly. She shakes her head.
"Not unless you do."
"I-I don't know if I'm ready to."
"That's fine," She assures him with a small smile. "Renee said she had to tell someone about it, maybe especially me. What was she talking about?" He frowns eyes a serious brown.
"I wonder what she meant by that." Marisia shrugs.
"I have no clue I was hoping you'd know."
"No I can't think of any reason why she'd say that she doesn't even know you."
"Umm yeah how'd she even know I was here?"
"She's kind of psychic, predicts the future that sort of thing." He says sounding uncomfortable and looking away.
"Really? Huh. I've heard of some fairies being psychic but I thought it was mostly witches."
"Yeah it is. It's kind of rare."
"And what's your power?"
"I'm uh telekinetic."
"Wow that would be cool. You can move stuff with your mind right?" He looks almost embarrassed.
"I guess."
"What you don't like that? I think it would make things a whole lot easier."
"I suppose it does."
"But you'd rather be normal?" She asks gently. Ryan gives a wistful smile.
"Yeah. Wouldn't you?" She shrugs.
"I don't know," She answers honestly. "I've never been you know normal."
"That must have sucked."
"Not really, I don't think I'd know how to be normal."
"Seriously?"
"No sleepovers, birthday parties or summer camps for me. Just training. That's all my life has been."
"You know what? Even though I'm not supposed to I'm going to show you some fun." He says a crafty gleam in his gold eyes.