Hello everyone. A new chapter. It took a while but the temperatures here in the Netherlands were not exactly pleasant the last week. And I don't function properly when temperatures rise above 25 Celsius.

Gosh, this chapter is a long one and would be even longer if I had not forced myself to end it. That does mean I am not entirely happy with the ending. But hey, that happens and it is the only thing I am not happy with.

Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think (or if I've made any mistakes)!

Usual disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or the cover of this story.

Book I - Chapter XI: Death By Horny Troll

Updated: 13/11/22

Giant mosquitos that literally hunt your ass?

Check.

Creepy skeleton-like swamp guardians who started to move and growl if you came to close?

Check.

Carnivorous plants that hated sound?

Check.

Whirlpools that appeared out of nowhere and were big enough to sink in an entire boat?

Double check.

"Flora, anything else we should probably be warned about before we go any further?" We pulled ourselves onto shore after our latest fight to the death with the swamp: the whirlpools. Gone was our boat and we were all now soaked to the bone. Stella was begging Musa – who resembled a drenched cat – to get a frog out of her hair. I had lost my hat, which was the only thing protecting me against the sun so I wasn't all that happy myself. Needless to say, we were all getting a little fed up with Black Mud Swamp, especially Tecna who was going in half blind because she wasn't allowed to use her magic. And a blind Tecna I had come to learn was a cranky Tecna. "Anything murderous?"

Flora smiled sheepishly at her question. "Uh, I don't think so?"

"That is not an answer I want with a question mark at the end." I huffed at Tecna's response, slumping down on a rock and removing the water in my boots. "Alright, so for future references: magical creatures avoid swamps because swamps try to kill them."

"Well, we can't exactly blame it." Flora wrenched her hair out. "We are trespassing."

"Obviously," I scoffed. "Still, it might want to change tactics. When I find someone trespassing, I will threaten to shoot them if they won't get off my land. I don't go straight to the shooting."

A flock of birds abruptly took flight, a scream rippling through the thick air of the swamp and disturbing the silence. Instantly the carnivorous plants nearby awoke, wrapping themselves around Stella's ankles who was still trying to get a frog – no, baby alligator but I probably shouldn't tell her that – out of her hair.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" I threw my hands in the air. "Who of our lovely classmates is incapable of understanding the word silence?" This was the fourth time a scream or explosion from somewhere in the swamp had awoken the plants, who in return took their anger out on us. While we were a lot bigger than their usual meals – the giant mosquitos – they would gladly kill us if it meant silence would return. "If this swamp won't kill them, I certainly will."

While we were doing our damn hardest to wake up as little of the swamp as possible – hey, no one liked to be awoken in the middle of their nap, I would be murderous too if someone did – some of our classmates didn't seem to agree and were causing big enough disturbances that they effected the nature surrounding us while we weren't even remotely close to them.

Flora hurried towards Stella and quietly talked to the plants. The next moment Stella was dropped – again! – and the plants settled back down. Stella for some reason seemed to be their favourite target.

Musa elbowed me, grinning. "Wanna bet it is Amaryl?"

"I would take that bet if I could put my own money on her." I grinned back. "Would it be a little too witchy of me to hope the swamp defeats her?"

Musa sniggered. "Well, Faragonda does always say that in every fairy there is a little bit of witch, and in every witch is a little bit of fairy."

"Professor Selim is probably rooting for the swamp by now." Tecna joined us, her nose still scrunched in annoyance. "I know I certainly am. That is the third flare I've seen in two hours. If the swamp takes out our competition, then at least we will have some peace and quiet."

A low growl echoed behind us, and we swiftly turned around. Another swamp guardian was slowly straightening itself from its original kneeling position and staring into our direction with its hollow eyes.

Flora – our personal swamp whisperer – let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping in exhaustion. She was so in tune with nature, even with this swamp, that she had been temporarily been appointed as our leader. But she had slept as little as Stella and I had, and this constant ask for her assistance was draining her.

"Well, it can't be too hard to get them to settle down, right?" Before Flora could make a move, I raised my hand. "No, I will deal with this one."

Flora turned from me to the guardian with a hesitant glance. "Are you sure?"

I shrugged. No, I wasn't but I had to try. If I succeeded, then that would put a little less pressure on her. "They are just doing their job, right?"

I made my way to the river's edge, the swamp guardian growling in warning as I approached. I raised my hands in surrender before bowing. Flora had assured all of us that showing the guardians respect was enough to settle them back down. I hadn't seen her bow yet, but I considered it suiting. They were practically the kings and queens of the swamp, unless I had understood Flora wrong. That was of course a real possibility.

Still, these guardians protected their swamp from harm, and here were a bunch of noisy, clueless girls chattering and complaining. Waking them up from their much-needed beauty sleep. "Youth these days don't respect their elders."

The growling stopped abruptly, turning more into something of a thoughtful murmur, the moment I bent at the waist. I slowly straightened.

"I am sorry for all the noise. And our inconvenience," I told the guardian, meaning every word. While I wasn't happy with the trouble the swamp was giving us, I did understand. The swamp was magical, like everything else in the Magic Dimension, and if this world was anything like Earth, then it suffered under the reign of humans. No wonder it was fighting back. I would too. Hell, if Mother Earth fought back a little bit more, Earth itself wouldn't be on the brink of extinction. Maybe I could plant some of the plants from here on Earth. That ought to help a little against deforestation and climate change. "We will try to be as quick as we can without disturbing you too much. You have already helped us so much…"

He – no, she reminded me of that island from Disney's Moana. What was her name again? Ta Haiti? No, that wasn't it, but it was definitely something like that.

There was moss growing from the head to the back, blooming like it was actual hair. While from afar she and her fellow guardians resembled skeletons, from up close they were more like bodies shaped out of clay. And they certainly weren't as scary as the ghouls.

"We will be careful and leave everything as much as it is, disturb it as little as possible," I swore to the guardian. "And what we have taken so far… Is there any way we can repay you?"

For a moment nothing happened and I wondered if these creatures could even talk. I would certainly look like a bloody fool if they couldn't.

The guardian slowly raised a hand and the water parted, our boat jumping to the surface with a "plop". She then pointed upstream before kneeling down beside the river, wrapping her arms around her knees and becoming motionless again.

I took a few more steps forward and gazed ahead, into the direction she had pointed. A gust of wind swept straight at me, carrying the heavy scent of swamp. I gagged a little, but abruptly froze when another thing assaulted my senses. A shudder ran down my spine. Something was out there. Something that didn't belong here in the swamp, and it wasn't Alfea's annoying but benevolent students. No, this was something evil.

"Girls." I hissed, waving my hand. I had to repeat it a few times before they noticed. "She gave us back our boat." Flora whispered a thank you and inclined her head to the guardian, who remained utterly unmoving. "There is something upstream we need to check out."

"Why?" asked Tecna sceptically, a deep frown nestled between her brows. "My earlier scans show that the habitat of the flower professor Selim wants us to find is most likely that way." She jerked her thumb into the direction of the carnivorous plants.

"Because she requested it," I answered, suppressing another shudder as the wind hit me again. "And the swamp has kept us alive so far. We should at least return the favour."

"Is that what you call it?" snarked Stella moodily, apparently having succeeded in removing the baby alligator from her hair. Maybe it had fallen out of it when she had been hanging upside down. Now that I thought of it, that was more likely. "Because the way I see it, it has been trying to kill us the moment we left our cabin."

"If it wanted us dead, we would already be dead."

Flora nodded in agreement. "Think about it, Stella. Every single time we had to deal with the dangers, we got a warning beforehand, giving us plenty of time to escape or change our course. Sure, we got pinched and wet and dirty, but we are still alive, aren't we?"

"Not for the lack of trying," grumbled Stella, crossing her arms with a scowl.

"I don't think this swamp wants to kill us." Though why I was so sure, I had no idea. Ever since arriving at Black Mud Swamp, there was a whisper in the air. Well, it wasn't really a whisper. More like an aura, except I couldn't see it. Still, something like an aura pierced straight through me whenever I focussed, one I could instantly understand while I still struggled with understanding the meaning of most auras. "I think it doesn't like it that we are here and wants to get rid of us, but it is not murderous." I chewed on my lip. "It's scared. There is something here that is worse than us."

"That –" gritted Stella through clenched teeth. "– is not reassuring in the least."

"Our main task was to listen to the swamp, to nature, and survive the weekend," I pointed out to the girls. "Aren't we doing precisely that? The guardians are a part of nature and she pointed us into that direction. And once we have checked it out, we can continue our search for the flower."

Stella just huffed and crossed her arms again, while Tecna and Musa exchanged looks. Whatever they telepathically discussed, they came to an agreement and nodded. "Okay, let's check it out."

Since it was my idea, I was the unlucky one who had to venture back into the water to get the boat to shore. Afterwards we climbed into it and continued upstream. I swore the guardian was watching us go, something of gratitude radiating off her, but that could just be my imagination.

"What do you think is out there?" wondered Flora quietly as we rowed. "It has to be pretty bad if the guardians are worried."

I didn't answer her. My gut told me it was the troll, that somehow it had escaped the guys and was now in the swamp with us. But if I uttered those words, they would all insist we turn back to our original path, not to mention wonder how I could possibly know that. And that was going to be a little difficult to explain, especially since I had no idea why I thought it was here in the swamp. After all, had I not just this morning concluded that the guys crash landing here while they were on their way to Solaria was unlikely?

"Why does reality have to be so much more complicated?" I wondered yet again.

The deeper we made our way into the swamp, the quieter everything got, and the more on edge we grew. Something was definitely up. The swamp had not yet been this quiet. It was eerie.

Finally we reached the end of the stream, getting out of the boat and tying it securely against a nearby tree.

"Which way, Bloom?" wondered Tecna, her eyes cautiously taking in the area.

I took a deep breath in, trying to open my mind to the aura of the swamp when the silence was broken again.

"HELP!"

All five of us jumped at the unexpected call for aid. Stella even stumbled back and fell into the water with a screech.

"Stella!" Musa and I hurried forward, reaching for her hands and pulling her up. "Are you alright?"

"Alright?" Stella stared at Musa like she had grown a second head. "I am drenched, I smell, there is mut everywhere, I had a frog in my hair, and I am cold! Of course I am not alright!"

"HELP! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY!"

"Why does that voice sound familiar?" wondered Flora with a deep frown. "It's male. It can't be one of Alfea's students and it certainly doesn't sound like professor Selim."

"It sounds like a little like Timmy." Tecna frowned. "Except it is more strangled and breathless."

"Besides, why would Timmy be here?" Musa crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Shouldn't the guys be on their way to Solaria?"

"I don't think the guardian was pointing us into that particular direction, but…" I turned to the girls. "Should we check it out?"

"I don't like the feeling that part of the swamp gives off," admitted Flora hesitantly. "But still, somebody is clearly in need of help. We should at least see if they need any assistance, shouldn't we?"

"HELP!"

"We should probably hurry," I snorted. "Because that voice is sounding more and more desperate."

We had only hurried a little further when we came across another pack of carnivorous plants. They were awake and agitated, swishing their branches and making somewhat of a growling sound. Another scream for help, this one rather muffled, reached us and as quietly as was possible – why did the mud have to make such loud squelching noises? – we creeped past them.

The sound of distress was in fact Timmy, and he wasn't alone. He, Riven, Sky and Brandon were all tightly wrapped up by the carnivorous plants and held high in the air. They were struggling against the plants' hold, their mouths wrapped up to prevent them from making another sound.

When they noticed us, the guys instantly started wiggling and fighting, muffled cries that sounded a lot like alarm coming out of their throats.

I snorted, quickly pressing a hand against my own mouth to muffle it. "I don't know whether I should laugh, take a picture or be alarmed," I whispered to Stella, who did not share my reservations and shamelessly grabbed her phone to take a picture.

She winked at me. "I will send it later to you."

"What are they even doing here?" wondered Musa with a deep frown. "And where is the troll? And their ship?" Riven made a spectacular loud noise that sounded an awful lot like a curse. Musa scoffed and pressed a finger against her lips. "Hush, you dummy. These plants hate noise."

Flora was meanwhile trying to calm the plants down, but for the first time she was failing. Every time she tried to use her soothing tone on them, the plants took a swipe at her. More than once we had to pull her away to prevent them from getting her.

"Something has really angered them," she whispered worriedly. "I don't think we can convince them to let them go."

"Well, we have to do something." I eyed the four guys worriedly. "They are starting to look a little blue." I chewed my lip. "Musa? Do you think that if you hum one of your songs they will settle back down?"

"They hate noise." Musa eyed me sceptically. "Are you trying to turn them against me?"

"No, it is worth a shot," agreed Flora. "I have yet to meet a plant which doesn't enjoy your voice. Just try to hum, nothing too loud but just enough."

I grasped her shoulder comfortingly. "We will grab you and run if it doesn't work."

She eyed the guys with some hesitation before taking a careful step towards the plants. She took a deep breath in and then started to hum, so quietly that I could barely hear it.

The amazing thing about Musa singing wasn't how beautiful her voice was. No, that alone was swoon worthy. But when Musa sang, it was almost like she went to another world. Her entire aura changed to a sparkling white, almost identical to her transformation. Peace and tranquillity just washed over her, her face would relax and her eyes would close, and all her struggles would simply disappear.

Watching Musa sing was almost a spiritual thing, and I had no doubt that that was exactly what singing was for her: something spiritual.

I smiled, utterly relaxed myself as I watched Musa's white aura extended in and out like a beating heart. "Stella did say that music was practically a religion on Melody." And honestly, if I had to make a choice, I would join that religion. It certainly suited me better than Christianity.

The carnivorous plants swayed gently on the breeze, the entire swamp seemingly holding its breath just to hear Musa hum and then letting out an equally deep breath when they caught the silent notes. The branches around the guys loosened and slowly pulled away, releasing them from its grasp.

Musa finished her song and for a moment we all held our breaths, waiting and watching to see what the plants would do. But they were calm again and didn't move. Flora mentioned towards the guys before leading them and us away from the plants.

I lingered back, taking in the scenery with a frown. Now the guys weren't in any danger anymore and the plants were calm, I noticed the air was rather strange. Thick and unpleasant, filled with fear and anger.

"What exactly happened here?"

Rather than following the rest, I moved to the place the guys had been captured. There were still some tracks, mostly from what seemed like heels digging into the dirt and struggling against being pulled away. But other than their footprints, there was nothing there.

"Except…" I inched closer to the thicker bushes. "These should be practically impenetrable. They seem old. Then why does it look like a bull crashed through it?" My fingers brushed over the broken twigs and leaves. Abruptly a shudder ran up my spine and all I saw was a thick black mist. "Anger…"

One of the carnivorous plants had suffered the full force. Its branches were broken, dangling weakly in the air and attached to the mother plant by a thin string. The mother plant was half crushed to the ground, like Knut had smashed his fists into it.

I knelt down beside it, gently running my fingers of the broken branches. "You poor thing…"

Sharing a room with Flora had taught me a lot these last few weeks, including that plants were not as mindless as most people thought. They certainly weren't anything like what Biology had taught me. True, they were not as living and breathing as most animals or magical creatures, but they were still alive. They registered damage, possibly even pain. It suffered when they were cut down or just trashed without a reason. Sun and water made them happy, and showing them kindness and respect made them flourish. That was why I had yet to see one of Flora's plants wither or die.

And if this trip had taught me anything, then it was that this swamp had an aura almost similar to that of most magical creatures.

I gently placed my hands on the base of the mother plant, where its roots disappeared into the earth. "I am not supposed to do any magic," I whispered to it, closing my eyes. "But I know what hurt you, and it hurt me too. We have to stick together and not let ourselves be bullied. Let me see if I can help you in any way."

Ever since the ball, I had been following lessons with Ofelia. Per my request. With the auras and halos more under control, I could focus on the things I was truly interested in and the things I truly desired to learn. One of those things just happened to be healing.

When I had transported the girls away from the Trix, I had done something. Or so Tecna claimed. She was the only one of us five who remained conscious throughout the entire thing. She described it as a type of motherly warmth I had radiated, and the longer she had basked in said warmth, the better she had felt. That I had been whispering constantly "Safe them…" while doing that, gave her a pretty good idea what I was doing. Her theory was confirmed when the other girls had woken up, feeling no worse than they had had before the fight. Musa even claimed she hadn't felt that good in years.

Tecna's conclusion? I had some form of healing magic. Something I wasn't about to correct her on.

While Ofelia hadn't gotten to the more difficult spells, we had covered the basics like healing a broken bone or a shallow wound.

I took a deep breath in, focussing on how the air moved in through my nose and all the way to my core. There I held it, warming it, before letting it back out and focussing on the damage of the plant. "Sana."

The air crackled for a moment before settling down. It wasn't like the powerful magic I had experienced in Magix, or on Earth, but it always brought a smile to my face. It made me feel good, satisfied. I was helping someone, curing them, actually making a difference. I was useful for a change.

My eyes snapped open when a branch curled itself around my wrist, my heart leaping in my throat at the idea that I had upset the other plants and they would strangle me.

I almost laughed when that proved to be the farthest from the truth: the plant before me – the one I had tried to heal – was tall and proud, its branches dancing through the air. The spell had worked. One of the branches was wrapped around my wrist, almost like a hand grasping it. Like it was thanking me.

I bowed my head to it before rising quietly to my feet, my hand easily slipped out of its grasp. "You're welcome."

I shot a final glance to the destruction, or rather said former destruction. I cringed just a little at what I saw. Ofelia had warned me that a simple spell combined with my inexperience with magic spells and the power I possessed, could lead to unforeseen consequences and that I shouldn't just carelessly use it. She was often right. Once I had healed a bone of a wounded animal – under her supervision – and calcified the entire joint as well. Ofelia had to operate on the poor thing to correct the damage.

This proved to be no exception.

While I had only wanted to heal that one plant, I had done that and then some. All the damage was gone, and the other carnivorous plants were suddenly a lot larger and meaner looking. Their branches were longer and thicker, and they were more covered behind thick bushes which gave them an advantage in their attack.

"Oops…" I smiled sheepishly. "Well, at least it isn't anything that bad. I hope…"

I slowly followed the prints the girls had left behind, finding them quite some distance away from the spot we had found the guys and arguing hotly with them. Especially Stella seemed to be anything but pleased.

"Bloom." Flora was the first to notice me, keeping a little to the side and staying out of whatever Tecna, Musa and Stella were arguing about with Riven, Brandon and Sky. Timmy was caught in the middle of it and seemed to try and keep the peace. She grasped my hand. "Where were you?"

"Just checking something." I nodded to the arguing group. "What is going on?"

Flora's grip tightened on my fingers and she shot me an accusing frown. "You used magic."

"What?" I shook my head, feigning innocence. "Why would you think that?"

"Your fingers are cold and they only do that when you used magic."

My face fell. "Oh…" Speaking about being caught with one hand in the cookie jar.

"We are not supposed to do any magic." Flora eyed me worriedly. "What if professor Selim saw it? He could pull you out."

I shrugged. "Let him. It was just a simple healing spell."

"Healing spell?" echoed Flora, her eyes widening. "Bloom, Ofelia said you shouldn't…"

"Flora, please drop it," I begged. "Some plants were wounded. And after everything you told me so far, I just couldn't leave them like that. If professor Selim will give me an F because of that and I will have to do this test again next year, then I can live with that."

"Wounded?" Flora's grip tightened again, her eyes wide and worried. "What do you mean wounded?" I told her what I had noticed back at the spot where the guys were captured, observing silently as her aura became mostly turquoise to swirls of brown, blue and green. "What do you think caused it?"

"A troll." She stiffened instantly. "And if I had to make a guess, the same one that attacked Stella and I on Earth." I arched an eyebrow. "Am I spot on?"

She sighed, nodding reluctantly. "They lost it."

"How do you lose a troll?" I couldn't help but snort. "It isn't exactly a pen you easily misplace."

"We were attacked," snapped Riven angrily. I grimaced, finding the guys now gazing at me. Apparently, I had spoken a little too loud. "We were blasted right out of the sky shortly after leaving the council hall with the damned thing."

"Sorry…" I swallowed at the glare he shot me. "Were any of you injured?"

"No, we got out unscathed," assured Brandon me with a smile. "But thank you for the concern." He shot Stella, Musa and Tecna a nasty look. "That is more than others have shown."

"Well, forgive me for being more than a little upset that you lost the only lead we have on whoever is behind the multiple attacks on my life," snapped Stella back moodily. "Then again, you didn't just lose the damn thing around your crash site. Nóóóó." She jabbed an angry finger in his chest. "You let it escape and were unable to catch up with it while it ran all the way from Lake Roccaluce to here, which is not even remotely nearby!"

"Come on, Stella," sighed Sky, trying to keep the peace between her and his friend. "We get you are upset, but this wasn't our fault. And we were right on its tail before those plants got us."

Stella bristled angrily. "And what good is that?! You almost caught it. Well done! Doesn't change the fact that it is still out here somewhere!"

"Uh…" I glanced at Flora. "Why is Stella so mad at them? It is not their fault." I couldn't remember Stella being mad in the cartoon, nor figure out what the guys had done that had worsened her mood like that.

Flora chewed her lip. "I am not sure I am the right person to tell you…"

"What?" I blinked at her, understanding that even less. "Flora?" But she just grimaced. I scoffed. "Can somebody please explain what I missed in the five minutes I lacked behind?" An uncomfortable hush fell over the group. The guys seemed to avoid looking my way while Stella and Musa were glaring daggers at them. "Anyone?"

"Yes, Brandon," hissed Stella. Her eyes were practically spitting venom. "Tell her exactly what she missed." He coughed uncomfortable, scratching the back of his head nervously. But still no one answered.

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms with a huff. "Well, if nobody is going to answer me, I am going to head back to the boat and…"

"No!" The protest didn't just come from the guys, but from my friends as well. They even seemed to jump towards me to prevent me from moving.

I threw my hands in the air, frustration getting the best of me. "What the hell is going on?!" Some awkward and tense glances were exchanged.

"They lost the troll." Tecna was the one who answered, though even she seemed to have her reservations.

I huffed. "Obviously."

"It's chipped," continued Timmy, stuttering a little. "A precaution the council took. A good thing too. Well, the moment we noticed it was gone, we tracked it. Here it is a little more difficult since the swamp interferes with our reception…"

"Oh, for Arcadia's sake!" snapped Stella. "Just tell her what your master plan is!"

No one answered again and much to my astonishment, even Riven was avoiding my gaze. He even seemed highly uncomfortable, which was not like him at all. He always spoke his mind. Almost like he could feel I was watching him, he slowly gazed up. I tilted an eyebrow and he flinched. He actually flinched.

The oddest thing was that their auras were all the same. Flickering hysterically while swirling with mostly brown and blue.

"Guilt…" I blinked as I realised that, though how I wasn't sure. As far as I knew, I hadn't observed guilt before. "Why do you four radiate guilt?" They tensed and suspicion instantly prickled my mood. I perched my hands on my hips, glaring at them. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" protested Brandon quickly, taking a step towards me. "It's just…"

"Oh, for God's sake!" I burst out when his voice trailed off and no one answered again. "Just tell me!"

"They want to use you as bait." My head snapped to Flora. She was fidgeting with her bracelets. "Tecna said…"

My gaze snapped towards Tecna, who cringed. "How was I supposed to know they would jump to that conclusion?"

I gritted my teeth. "Jump to what conclusion?" I glared harshly at the guys and my friends, perching my hands on my hips. "Somebody better tell me what the fuck is going on or I swear I will set your feet on fire!"

"The guys crash landed near Lake Roccaluce," Musa informed me, her own teeth clenched and all while glaring daggers at Riven. "Naturally they instantly started tracking the damned thing, except it changed its course. Originally it was heading for the dark forest, then abruptly turned around and headed straight here. They didn't understand until Tecna said…"

"Hey, I just pointed out that trolls are notorious for lusting after beauty and power," defended Tecna herself sharply. "And that it practically found its perfect prey when it met you on Earth, so it was to be expected it would want to track you down again."

"Ah." I finally understood why the girls were mad and the guys were radiating guilt. "And upon hearing that little fact, you guys decided that rather than hunt after the damned thing yourselves, you would use me to lure it to you."

"We will keep you safe." Brandon was staring almost frightened at me. "You don't need to worry about that. We would never let anything happen to you, or even let that thing come near you. And if you don't want to…"

I raised my hand and he instantly cut himself off. He gulped when I shot him an icy glare. "What happened to "with your aura I don't believe you will need any help I can offer"?" Musa snorted while Brandon cringed. I turned to the girls. "And why were you so upset with that?"

"Bloom, they were making plans on what to do long before even asking you if you were alright with it," protested Stella indignantly. "Like you just had to participate and didn't have a choice."

"I don't."

Stella stared at me like I had gone mad. "What?"

She didn't understand that the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place. The Trix had helped the troll escape, to prevent it from selling them out when Stella's father turned to less friendly methods to get answers, and I was pretty sure king Radius would turn to them. Simply asking it for answers certainly hadn't helped the council. But since the damned thing considered me its personal drug, he had betrayed them. Rather than meeting up with them in the dark forest, he headed to Black Mud Swamp to track me down. After all, once a troll caught a scent, it would never forget it. But the swamp had its own defence mechanisms, meaning I was hard to track. Yet anything bearing my smell he would try to find.

"Including the other Alfea girls in the swamp, the ones who share a classroom with me. And all while the Trix try to find it, to silence it forever. Wait, didn't I dream about that last night?" I shook my head dismissively. "Probably because it is so similar to the cartoon."

"Stella –" I sighed, shooting her a tired look. "– be honest here, what choice do we really have? That thing is currently out here, somewhere, trying to find me. Let's say we won't help the guys catch it. What will we do? Go back to our assignment, to the cabin? How likely is it that the troll will find us before the guys find it?"

"Without any intervention it is a matter of time," answered Tecna instantly. "And it is not a matter of likelihood. If we don't help the guys to get it, it will find us before they find it."

Stella bristled, glaring at me. "You can NOT be serious!"

"Stella, they will just use my presence to lure it to them." I crossed my arms and glared back. "It isn't like they will tie me naked to a rock and wait for it to appear and devour me." I snorted at the glances everyone shot me, like I had officially lost it. "Sorry, Earth reference. There is the story about a sea creature sent destroy a town and only the sacrifice of their princess would calm it, hence why they tied her to a rock naked."

"What a horrible story!" Flora gasped. "Why did no one fight the monster?"

"That is Greek Mythology for you: it always ends in tragedy." I shrugged. "Don't worry, Flora. Someone did fight it, turned it to stone and saved the princess. They got married and lived happily ever after."

"We will make sure that that will happen with Bloom as well," assured Sky Stella, gently grasping her hand. "We won't let anything happen to her, Stella."

I arched a sceptic eyebrow at Sky. "I could do without the marrying. No offense, but I barely know you guys. It is a little early to pop the question."

As if on cue, Riven fell down on one knee, his eyes twinkling and a big grin on his face. "Oh, fair lady. You have captured my heart. Do not crush it be denying me your hand."

Brandon shot him a nasty glare. "Knock it off, Riven. This is not the time or the place."

But I laughed, Riven goofing around was exactly what I needed in that moment. "Very convincing, Riven. I almost believed you meant it."

"Why, thank you." Riven jumped back to his feet with a smug grin. "Whoever said watching a lot of movies wasn't good for anything, can stick it up their ass."

"This is not the time for jokes," gritted Stella through her teeth. "You of all people should know that, Bloom. Don't you remember what happened last time you came face to face with that beast?"

I shuddered. "Oh, don't worry about that, Stella. I remember perfectly. And it is not like I want to face it again. But if you have a different plan – one where I won't have to play bait – I am more than willing to try that." Stella pursed her lips but didn't say another word. "I feared as much." I turned to Timmy. "Okay, wonder boy. What's the plan?"

The plan was relatively simple. With our help, we would track down the troll. Once we had caught sight of it, the others would lie in wait while I went to confront it. We all suspected it would charge straight at me upon laying eyes on me and I would run to where the others were waiting to ambush it. Afterwards it was easy: ambush it, cuff it, and ship it to Solaria.

The most difficult part of the plan was finding the troll itself. For some weird reason the troll wasn't leaving any footprints – thank you, Trix! – and the swamp was messing with Timmy's reception, making it near impossible to track it with the chip. And while Flora and I tried to listen to nature, the fact remained that we were following in its path while it was trying to find me. And had I mentioned it had a head start? No? It had.

"If it catches us off guard, we will be in serious trouble," grumbled Stella as we made our way deeper into the swamp. The path the troll had taken was rather easy to follow. In its wake it left destruction, and a lot of angry plants. "And we will never be able to finish this damned test before the deadline."

I sighed, silently agreeing with her. There was a real possibility that we would be going in circles, the troll trailing after us while we trailed after it. And if it did get the jump on us, then I might as well strip naked and tie myself to the nearest tree just like Andromeda. Except there wouldn't be any Perseus with the head of Medusa to save me from certain death, though I doubted the troll was planning on killing me straight ahead.

I shuddered as the memories of my last encounter came rushing back, my stomach twisting uncomfortably. "Oh, I think I am going to be sick. Why did I agree to this again?" I picked at the sleeve of my green blouse, which was the only thing separating my skin from the sun above our heads. "Because you are the reason it is here in the first place. What other choice do you have?"

None, but that didn't mean I wasn't secretly wishing to be anywhere but here. I never wanted to see that troll again, let alone be its bait. Honestly, any plan the guys came up with that didn't involve me coming face to face with it, I was all for. When I had agreed to act as bait, I had thought they would just use my smell and my presence to lure it into a trap. Not that I had to lure it to said trap.

My stomach tightened itself in a thick knot, to the extent it hurt, and I wrapped my arms around my waist in comfort. "Come on, Sybil. You can do this. You're the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame. If things go wrong… You already used your powers once. What does it matter if you use them a second time?" That was somewhat reassuring.

Still, I felt more than a little sick. Worry and anxiety made it hard to breath, and the thick air of the swamp didn't exactly help much either. "Don't be sick, don't be sick, don't be…"

I let out a yelp when a scream ripped through the silence, my heart leaping to my throat and my knees buckling. "Oh, please no! I don't want to faint again!"

"That sounded like Amaryl," gasped Flora, hand on her chest.

Musa shrugged, not caring too much. "Yeah, she probably ended up in the mud again."

But the scream didn't fade, nor was there an explosion of magic in the air that indicated she had activated another flare. "Or she found the troll," suggested Brandon grimly. "We better hurry to see what is wrong."

I swallowed against the lump in my throat, nodding nonetheless and leading the group towards Amaryl's scream together with Flora. "Please let it just be a mud pool. Please just let it be a mud pool."

Of course, it wasn't a mud pool because that would mean we didn't have the worst luck ever and we most definitely had. Well, I seemed to have the worst luck.

The troll had cornered Amaryl and her group against a rock formation. They were sitting huddled together, arms wrapped tightly around one another while trying to move as little as possible while the troll towered above them.

The sight of it made my breath hitch and I wanted nothing more but to turn on my heel and run away, to prevent it from lying eyes on me. Better yet, I wanted to crawl away in the mud and not reappear until the guys had it safely in their custody.

"What is it doing?" whispered Musa as we ducked behind some bushes and observed the troll. It was half bent towards Amaryl and her group, audibly sniffing them and growling low in his throat. "And what does it want with Amaryl's group? None of them even look like Bloom, let alone have her aura."

"No, but they spend several hours a day with us," reminded Tecna her. "That means that they smell a little of Bloom. Maybe enough to confuse the troll."

"Okay, this is it," cut Sky in. "Bloom, are you ready?"

"No, not even remotely." I nodded, not able to utter a word. If I opened my mouth, my breakfast from that morning would definitely reappear.

"We will pull back a little. The shrubs and trees aren't as dense there. Just call out for its attention and lead it straight to us." Brandon placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "Just because you won't see us, doesn't mean we aren't there." I just nodded again, swallowing against the lump in my throat. Was it too late to change my mind? Yeah, it definitely was.

I waited as long as possible, giving the others plenty of time to hide themselves, but when the troll straightened and sniffed the air rather than pay attention to Amaryl, I knew I was out of time.

"Oh, dear God, if you exist please be merciful for once and help me to get out of this unscathed."

I took a deep breath in, trying to stop my heart from leaping out of my chest, before stepping out in the clearing. I was shaking on my legs, each step feeling like I was making my way to the gallows.

"Hey, dipshit!" My voice wasn't nearly as confident as I wanted it be, reminding me more of a mouse than a lion. But it was enough to catch the troll's attention. It twirled around, its beady eyes instantly focussing on me. Ugh, had it gotten even uglier in the last month? It sure seemed that way. "Why don't you mess with someone your own size?" It took a step towards me, licking its lips while letting out a groan that made me want to bash my own brains out. Speaking about cheap porn-star material. "You want me?" I challenged, ignoring how my hands were shaking and keeping my eyes focussed solely on its ugly head. "Come and get me then." I twisted around and made a run for it, hearing the ugly thing behind me give a roar that somehow was both excitement and frustration. I was so going to have nightmares about that.

I felt the ground shake beneath my feet as I ran, each step the brute behind me took sending shudders into the ground. And he was gaining. "Of course, he is gaining. His legs are what? Three times as large as mine. In the least. This was a stupid idea. Why did I ever agree to this?"

The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up and I ducked to the side when my instincts screamed at me to do that. I felt the air above my head move, stumbling back when I saw the troll had taken a swipe at me and missed.

The good thing about being hunted by a troll was that their size was both their strength and their weakness. Yes, it was fast and strong, but it couldn't change it course easily. And we were currently in a patch with carnivorous plants. Before it could charge again and I let out a scream worthy of a banshee. The troll roared in delight in answer, something I hadn't expected but that turned out to be a welcoming addition. The plants instantly attacked it rather than me. This time it growled and slapped the branches away while I bolted away again.

"I should be close-by. Just a few more steps and I will be where the others are." I jumped over a familiar log, seeing ahead the spot where the bushes and trees were thinner. The spot where the others said they would hide.

Goosebumps erupted all over my skin, my breath hitching as I slammed into a wall of magic and not the good kind.

Something snatched itself around my ankle and with one tight pull, I was whisked off my feet and dragged into the bushes. Away from the spot where my friends were hiding. Away from the trap.

"Guys, HELP!" I screamed as the invisible string around my ankle pulled me deeper and deeper into the swamp.

I faintly heard someone call out my name, but the speed at which I was dragged away was rather astonishing. My butt and back protested loudly, not enjoying the hard ground filled with stones and lugs that was currently my underground. I was definitely going to feel that tomorrow.

I tried to get up, to get to the string and possibly free myself, but I couldn't even move onto my stomach. The speed prevented that.

"STELLA!" I screamed as the dark magic surrounding me grew stronger. I tried to grab hold of a tree as I was passing it, screaming out in pain when all that did was tear the flesh right of my fingers. This wasn't good. I was in trouble. "GIRLS! ANYONE!"

The string abruptly snapped lose and I was launched a few more feet forward before finally coming to a stop.

I bit my lip to suppress the cry of pain, tears rolling down my cheeks instead. My back hurt, like the flesh had been stripped away and then had acid poured over it. The ankle the string had been attached to, was twisted in an odd position. Broken. I didn't need to be a doctor to see that.

The swamp was so thick in the area I was now in, that I could barely see the trees surrounding me. Though I faintly heard something of a river nearby.

I curled into a ball, biting my lip even harsher when the pain assaulted me again. My stomach gave an odd pull. "Come on, Sybil. If you can get to your knees, you will be able to crawl away."

The ground shook underneath me. I whimpered. The troll was nearing. "Oh, God. Please don't let it end this way. It can't end this way."

A shudder ran down my spine, the air surrounding me growing thicker with magic. "I am not alone…"

My eyes searched the darkness desperately, the heavy footfall ringing in my ears. There! Hidden half behind the trees were three auras. They were the darkest I had ever seen, seemingly swallowing all the light surrounding them. Even their halos were black.

"Dark magic," I realised, my throat tight and uncomfortable. "The Trix. It has to be."

I raised my hand, calling forth a flame to illuminate the darkness around me. I had barely gotten the chance when the string returned, only this time it wrapped around my throat.

I gasped and grabbed for my throat, the flame fading instantly as my concentration was broken. My fingers clawed at the invisible string, a string that wasn't even there. There was nothing around my throat, nothing to remove, but still an invisible force was cutting off my airway. I trashed desperately, more tears rolling down my cheeks as I fought to get free, to get air. My lungs burned, straining and almost popping in their desperation for oxygen.

"No, no, no!" The words echoed constantly through my head. "This can't happen. No!"

Black spots danced before my eyes, the burning of my lungs and the panic that I couldn't breathe pushing all other things aside.

With a final desperate gasp, I fell and tumbled straight into the darkness. I could still feel the pressure on my throat and the tears rolling down my cheeks. They were dancing over me like phantom touches.

I fell, a sense of weightlessness settling over me as the thick air rushed past me. It along with the darkness was somehow familiar and comfortable. I could lose myself into it, give myself over to it. It would keep me safe, cherish me. I would never have to worry about pain again.

"I want to stay here," I wished. "I like it here." Even the biting cold was nice, nipping at my painful burning skin. "Like ice on a burn."

The only unpleasant thing was the tug under my midriff, like a weight was attached to it and forcing me down. "I don't want to land. Let me float, please. Nothing hurts when I float."

The air around me thickened, crackling slightly, and I whimpered as a force slowed me down. "That hurts… My back…"

I drifted down like a feather, going limp with a delighted sigh as my back landed on something cold and wet. I swore I could hear it sizzle happily.

"Hello, Red." I almost groaned. "It's been a while. I wondered if you would ever come back." I didn't answer. Maybe if I kept quiet, he would think I was dead and leave me alone. "Yes, that is not going to work. I know you are alive."

"Am I?" I wondered, staring up at the darkness above me. "The last thing I remember was being strangled."

"Strangled," he repeated with a deep sigh. He sounded almost disappointed. "Who did you piss off enough that they decided to strangle you?"

My brows furrowed, ignoring his question. "Why am I even here?"

"Now that is something I would like to know as well," he replied. Something hard nudged my side. It felt like a boot. "What happened to you, Red? And what had you so anxious?"

"What makes you think I was anxious?" I shot back moodily. "I wasn't anxious." I grimaced as I heard myself. I sounded like a stubborn child.

"You were nearly strangled. Anxiety and panic are the body's natural response to a deprivation of oxygen." I rolled my eyes at his deadpan voice. How could someone sound so cocky? Even Riven wasn't this bad. "But that wasn't what I was referring to. I meant the time before that." I pursed my lips, refusing to answer. "No? Very well. If you insist it was nothing and didn't happen, be a dear and tone it down in the future. It woke me up."

"Why would my emotions wake you up?" I asked harshly. "You were probably the one whose anxiety reared its ugly head. Don't put your own fears onto me."

"And what do I have to be anxious about, Red?" The boot was back, nudging me harsher now. "No, it was definitely you. Now answer my question." This time he actually kicked.

"Hey!" I snapped. "Knock it off!"

He kicked me again. "Make me."

My fingers dug into my palms as I gritted my teeth, readying myself to get up and acquaint my fists with his face. But the slightly movement ripped a scream out of my throat, the skin on my back burning so hotly that I swore little white lights danced before my eyes.

He cursed and the next moment warm hands grabbed my arms and rolled me on my stomach. I screamed again, that hurting even more. He cursed again. "What the fuck happened to you?" I sobbed. His touch burned, and being rolled onto my stomach made my skin feel like it was being pulled apart. I wanted to curl into a ball and die. No, I just wanted to die. "Red," he gritted angrily. "Answer the damn question."

"I was running from a troll," I cried, biting on my lip to keep another scream in. It was like someone was constantly whipping me. "Something grabbed my ankle and I was dragged over rough ground for a few miles."

A hiss filled the air. "What is it with you and trolls?"

"Not trolls, troll," I corrected, another scream escaping when his fingers touched my sore back. "Don't!" I begged pathetically. "Please don't! That hurts!"

"Of course it does," he snapped. "You have barely any skin left."

"Roll me back," I pleaded, crying out when the pain grew worse. Like claws were slowly wrenching my skin apart. "Please! The snow helps."

"Of course it fucking does. Cold numbs the pain. Are you that clueless, Little Red?"

Still, he rolled me back. Another cry ripped through the air when my sore back hit the snow again, the movement forcing more tears out. But after a few careful breaths and some silence, the pain faded and I let out a sigh of relief. As long as I did not move, I would be fine.

"Now back to the whole troll business. Would this be the same horny troll I have nothing on?"

"Why do you care?" I hissed when his hands suddenly appeared on my painful ankle. "Stop touching me!"

"And here I thought you considered me hot."

"What?!" I squeaked offended, locking all my muscles into place to stop myself from moving even a little. "I never said that!"

"Oh? You didn't try to sneak a glance when your kinky librarian showed up with a light in her hand, wondering if I was as hot as I sounded?"

"Those were my private thoughts, you utter jerk!" Oh, I wanted to strangle him. "You don't get to use those against me! How do you even know…" I screamed at the top of my lungs when the hands suddenly snapped my ankle into place, the pain following unlike anything I had experienced. This time I did faint for a blissful while, though for how long I couldn't be sure. When I returned, I could still feel him holding my ankle and the tears were still running down my cheeks. And I was still in agony. "Jesus Fucking Christ! You utter MAGGOT! Why would you do THAT?!"

"Maggot." He snorted amused, petting my painful ankle almost sympathetically. "I've been called many things, but that's a first." I gritted my teeth. "And you're welcome. I just set it."

"If I ever heal from this, I am coming back to punch your teeth out!" I growled, pinching my eyes close as tightly as possible when pain shot right up my leg and assaulted me. I wasn't even bloody moving it! "Motherfucker, that HURTS!"

"Please," the asshole snorted. "You offend me. I am rather picky when it comes to my lovers. I doubt your mother with her heart as cold as ice would even spark my interest." I gritted my teeth, all kind of nasty names floating through my head. Which he apparently could hear because he chuckled. "Now, now. That is no way to thank me."

"You will have to wait an eternity before that happens," I snapped. Why had I ever thought he was hot? No matter how good looking he was, none of that could make up for this type of behaviour. This was torture! "And stay out of my thoughts, asshole."

"That is no way to talk to your grandmother. Oh, that reminds me. Did you bring me cookies, Red?" Despite the pain still assaulting me, I had it with him. The fury won it from the pain and I shot up with a growl, taking a swipe at him. My hand probably didn't even come close to its target, nonetheless he easily caught it. "That is more like it." He sounded awfully pleased with himself. "Get angry. Fight back."

He caught my other fist as well when I tried to punch him with my free hand, locking his fingers – bloody hell, why were his hands so bloody warm?! – around my wrists. "Let go of me!" I bristled.

"Answer my questions and I just might." He sounded bored. "Horny troll. Get to it. I don't have all day, Red. Or actually I do, but there is only so much whining I can tolerate."

My anger flared upon being called a whiny child, and with it my hands. Flames sprung to life, lightning the darkness surrounding us, and and for the first time I caught sight of my "grandmother", and damn it all to hell, he was handsome!

The most prominent feature were his eyes. They were like grey jasper stones, with swirls of blue through them, yet they held an intensity and superiority that I found disturbingly arousing. They were sparkling and focussed on my flaming fists, the corner of his lips tugging up.

His face was rectangle with strong cheekbones and his chin had a faint cleft, which was hidden behind a five o'clock shadow. One thin line stood out, though, and was bare. A scar, from a blade if I had to make an educated guess. He had another one through his left eyebrow. Now those were full and dark, darker than the hair on his head. It put the emphasis even more on his grey eyes.

His reddish-blonde hair helped even more with that, short streaks falling into his face with an elegance that just caught the attention, and drew it to the eyes that they framed so wonderfully. I couldn't see what else his hair did or looked like, though it definitely reached below his shoulders.

"Interesting…" His fingers let go of my right wrist and curled over my own. Much to my astonishment the flames didn't react at all. They didn't flicker out, nor did they burn him. Instead, they jumped straight towards his own fingers. "Very interesting…" He moved the flame between his fingers, like some sort of coin trick, before finally closing them around it once it reached his palm. It quenched, a tiny puff of smoke rising into the air. Only then did his eyes snap towards mine, some smug half-grin tugging at a corner of his lips. "And?" He arched an eyebrow. "What is your judgement? Am I as handsome as I sound?"

"I should break your nose." He chuckled lowly. "I don't know you."

He tilted a sceptic eyebrow. "Now that hurts my feelings, Red."

"I am serious." I gritted my teeth. "I don't know you. Why are you in my head?"

"Who says I am in your head?" he shot back, sounding like we were discussing the weather. "Maybe you are in mine."

I tried to tug my locked wrist free but he refused to release it. "Stop being cryptic."

"Oh, but I am not. Merely pointing out the obvious. You seem to think that this is all in your head, that this is your "dream" and therefore you make the rules. But what makes you say that? What if it is the other way around?"

"Knock it off," I told him once more, this time with more force. "I am already in agony without you giving me a damn migraine."

"Are you?"

I frowned. "Am I what?"

"Still in agony? I expected that should be getting better now." My brows furrowed deeper, still not sure what he was talking about. He shook his head, clearly disappointed. "You really are clueless."

I yelped when his free hand suddenly landed on my back, trying to jump away from his touch. The problem was that with him holding my wrist and touching my back, the only way away from the touch was forward.

He chuckled when my chest ended up against his, the only reason we weren't toppling over was his steadiness. "Now I do believe that answers my original question."

"Stop bloody touching me!" I snapped angrily, my cheeks flushing but I wasn't sure whether that was from anger, embarrassment or possibly arousal. My breasts were being squeezed tightly against his chest…

"If you stop being an insolent child for a moment –" I bristled again, the flames surrounding my hands flaring higher. "– you would notice that your back doesn't hurt quite as much as before. After all, you are sitting up, aren't you?" I froze at his words, realising he was speaking the truth. My skin still tingled under his touch but it didn't hurt like it had before. "Your ankle as well. That was why I had to set it."

"You- you…" I choked on my words, barely believing them. "You are healing me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

"Why?" I demanded to know.

He shot me an unimpressed look. "I am waiting for that thank you."

I snarled at his words, at his tone. That arrogant bastard! "And I told you: you can wait an eternity for it." I swore I saw a sparkle of amusement, and one corner of his lips definitely twitched up. It was a good look on him. I quickly pushed that aside. I was not going there. I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"I thought that should be obvious." He shot me another deadpan look. "Some answers."

"Why do you care?" I demanded to know for the second time.

He shrugged carelessly. "You're the first entertainment I've had in years. Consider me utterly bored."

I narrowed my eyes, gazing to his aura to see if I could decipher his true intentions. The problem was that there wasn't one. Just air. My brows furrowed. "Why don't you have an aura?"

"I rest my case: you are clueless." He rolled his eyes rather dramatically. Honestly, it almost matched Stella's. "I don't understand why everyone displays their powers so openly. It is ridiculous, not to mention idiotic. No one flashes their money either, do they? Knowing how powerful someone is, gives them an advantage over you and I don't like people having advantages over me."

"Stop being such a drama queen," I retorted, silently laughing at the comparison between him and Stella. "I wasn't talking about your damned halo. I was talking about your aura."

His eyebrow flew up. "My aura?"

"You really are clueless," I mimicked. There was that quirk of his lip again. "It is that thing that surrounds you and tells me which emotions you are feeling."

"You can see auras?" Now he sounded intrigued. "Now that is…"

"I swear I will set you on fire if you say interesting one more time." I shot him my meanest glare to back that threat up.

He chuckled. "I was going to say dark magic."

"Bullshit," I shot back, narrowing my eyes. "And I am a fairy. I don't indulge in dark magic. I leave that to the Trix." His eyes lit up and I huffed. "You are thinking it. Stop saying that I am interesting. I hate that word."

"Just because you are a fairy doesn't mean you aren't attracted to the darkness," shot the asshole back. "There are plenty of fairies who decide to become witches because the allure is simply too strong to resist."

I glared at him. "Not me."

He let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, I see!"

I eyed him cautiously. "See what?"

"You are one of Faragonda's students." He practically spit out the headmistress' name. "That is why that librarian seemed familiar. She works at Alfea."

"Why does any of that even matter?" I tried to pull my wrist free again, without any success. "Will you let go of me already?"

"No," was the simple answer. "Only magical creatures indulging in dark magic have the power to see auras, Red. Don't try to lie to me."

"I am NOT a liar," I snarled. "I was on bloody medication to stop seeing them. God damn it, learning how to deal with them after getting off my medication has been utter hell, so don't you dare to call me a liar!"

"Hmm…" His eyes were focussed on my face, his stare making my insides squirm. "You mentioned something earlier? The Trix? Who are they?"

I scoffed. "Will you let me go if I tell you?"

"I might consider it if I find your answers satisfying."

Something told me I wasn't going to get much more out of him. "Fine!" I ran my free hand through my hair with another scowl. "The Trix are three witches: Icy, Darcy and Stormy. They are power-hungry bitches who are looking for more power to indulge in dark magic and raise an unbeatable army and conquer the Magic Dimension." I arched a daring eyebrow at him. "Happy?"

"Hmm, not exactly the word I would use. But it is somewhat satisfying." Much to my astonishment he let go of my wrist. "I'll probably be right in assuming that those witches also sent that troll after you."

"Not me. My friend Stella. They want her sceptre," I rubbed my free wrist. The touch of his fingers seemed to be burned into my skin. "I saved her from being killed and took her home, but they sent an ogre and troll after us to get that sceptre. And that is when I got face to face with the horny troll."

"The same one you were running from before blacking out?" he urged.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, genius. I already told you that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why was the troll after you if it was supposed to go after your friend's sceptre?"

"According to Tecna it is because trolls lust after power and beauty, meaning I am basically its personal shot of heroin."

He arched a sceptic eyebrow. "Heroin?"

"It is a drug on Earth. Highly addictive," I scoffed. "Forget I mentioned it."

"Why would you know the name of some drug from Earth, little fairy?" wondered my grandmother with a cruel twist of his lips. "Magical creatures aren't supposed to venture into that realm. Breaking the rules isn't very fairy-like, you know?"

I shot him a nasty glare. "I was raised on Earth, you twit. Until I met Stella, I didn't even know I was a bloody fairy, which – guess what? – was a fucking MONTH ago!"

"Interesting…" I screamed through clenched teeth. The fucker had the nerve to laugh at that. "I wouldn't have pegged you for an Earth fairy." His brows furrowed, his lips quirking down as his eyes examined my face. I felt strangely exposed under his gaze. "No, you are definitely not an Earth fairy."

"What does it matter?" I snapped moodily, feeling new heat rise to my cheeks. "I am a fairy, I am attending Alfea to learn magic, and am currently lying unconscious in a swamp after being hunted by a troll and then strangled by three witches with the darkest auras I have ever seen."

"Your Trix I presume?"

"No… Well…" I slumped, hissing in frustration. "I don't know…"

"Hmm." He observed me curiously. "You don't like being in the dark, do you?"

"Who does?" I grumbled, crossing my arms.

He tilted an eyebrow, not answering. "Surely if you know those Trix, then you know whether they are behind the attack?"

"If only it was that simple. The three witches who attacked me and my friends in Magix were terrifying and ugly. Seriously, corpses actually looked healthier than they did. But one of my friends met Darcy and she wasn't terrifying and rather beautiful, nor did she have a dark halo."

"That means nothing," snorted my grandmother. "There are plenty of spells to hide your power aura. The price one has to pay for dark magic is even easier to disguise."

That sparked my interest. "Price? What price?"

"Unless you possess a power strong enough to heal you, dark magic comes at a terrible price. Loss of fertility, loss of beauty, loss of hearing and/or sight. Name it and it can claim it. Dark magic without good compensation is utterly draining and will eventually kill a person."

"To heal the damage –" I started slowly, my insides squirming eagerly that I was finally getting some answers. "– would stealing someone's power compensate that?"

He eyed me somewhat warily. "Yes… But usually that is a temporary solution. And taking that much of someone's power to compensate such a heavy price, will definitely kill the other."

I almost bounced closer to him – as far as that was possible since our chests were still practically touching – eager to learn the answer to my next question. "And if that power is the Power of the Dragon?"

He stiffened, a harsh look appearing in his eyes. "Why do you ask that so specifically?"

"Because I know the Trix are looking for that specific power. They currently think the sceptre of Solaria is its keeper, which is why they are after Stella."

"They are idiots if they think trinkets such as the sword of power could possibly harbour that type of power." His eyes hardened. "And the last Keeper of the Dragon died on Domino eighteen years ago. There is no creature alive that holds it, nor is one likely to hold it in the future. Their search will only lead them to a dead end." I pursed my lips, not responding. Why should I when I knew he was wrong? That the last Keeper was currently sitting right in front of him? His brows furrowed together, something of wonder crossing his face. "What kind of a ridiculous names are Icy, Darcy and Stormy? Their parents must have really hated them."

I snorted. "I know, right? I thought the same thing. But according to Riven Darcy's real name is actually Malia but she changed it last year. I have no idea why." The corners of his lips quirked up, his eyes sparkling, and I was sure he was going to respond, before his attention was caught to something above us. "What?" I followed his gaze up, my stomach turning again, but I only saw darkness. "What is it?"

"You are being called back again, Red."

"I am?" I strained my ears to hear my name, but I only caught a faint whisper. I couldn't even say for sure that it was my name. "Oh…"

"You best hurry back." His face hardened. "Try not to wait another month before visiting again."

"Why?" I grinned cheekily. "Do you enjoy my company that much?"

"Don't flatter yourself," he retorted drily, shooting me an unimpressed look. "Like I said, you are the first entertainment I had in years. I am bored, and you provide some distraction."

I rolled my eyes. "Ms. Barbatea made me swear to never come here again. To never speak to you again."

"Well, you've already broken that promise, now haven't you?" snarked my grandmother. "Though, I suppose as the good fairy you are, you will keep your word."

"I didn't come here by choice," I shot back, crossing my arms. "And just because I am a fairy, doesn't mean I am a goody-two shoes." The whisper was back, catching my attention. This time I could make out my name.

"Of course, you are not." I glared at his sarcastic reply. He was unfaced. "Until next time, Red." His fingers closed around my hand, which was still burning. The flames were extinguished and darkness fell around us once more. "Try not to forget the cookies next time."

"I still don't know who you are," I protested a little indignant.

"Sure you do." His voice was further away now. I was almost tempted to start another fire, just to see where he was going. "I am your grandmother, remember?"

"Alright…" My lips quirked up, my insides fluttering. "Until next time, old man."

"Old man?!"

I woke up, still laughing at his outraged outburst. I was probably going to regret saying that next time I ventured into that world, but it was so worth it.

"Bloom?" Flora was hanging above me, her aura like a slap in the face. Damn, I hadn't noticed how wonderful not seeing one was until now. Why wasn't there a switch that I could flip? To see them just when I wanted too rather than always? "Why are you laughing?"

I snorted. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

I tried to sit up, but Flora instantly held me down. "No, don't move." I frowned. "Professor Selim is getting Ofelia as we speak. I don't know what kind of magic you used on yourselves, but while your wounds aren't as bad as they were earlier, you still aren't fully healed yet."

"Oh, right… I was wounded pretty badly…" I tried to move my head a little, to take in the surroundings. "Where are the others? Are they alright?"

"They are fine. They left for Solaria not long ago." Flora chewed her lip, her eyes and aura overflowing with concern. "You really shouldn't move."

"Solaria?" I tried to sit up again but Flora instantly pushed me back down. "No, Flora. I promised Stella I would go with her to Solaria…"

"Bloom, you are wounded. Seriously wounded," protested Flora both softly and sternly. "The only place you are going is to Alfea's healing wing."

"But…"

"Musa and Tecna went with her for support," continued Flora. "And the guys are there as well. They will be more than able to tell the story."

"But…"

"No buts, Bloom," scowled Flora. "You need to focus on yourself now. Stella said so as well. And they will be back before you know it. Now that the troll is dead…"

"Wait, what?" I interrupted sharply, trying to sit up again. Flora refused to let me. "It is dead?"

"Yes, Bloom. And you were nearly too." Flora's eyes shimmered. "Please don't ever agree to something like that again. When we found you like th…" Her voice broke. "Stella screamed and collapsed, Bloom! She collapsed! And Musa and Tecna would have attacked the guys in fury if I hadn't wrapped them up in ivy."

"Oh no!" My stomach twisted, my own eyes filling themselves. "Flora, it wasn't their fault!"

"They were the ones who came up with the plan to use you as bait."

"But that wasn't what nearly got me killed," I protested fiercely. "There was something else here. I think it were those three witches from Magix. They used me to lure the troll to them and then they killed it!" I huffed as Flora pushed me back down. "Can you please let me sit up? I'm alright, I really am."

She never had the chance to answer. A voice cut in before she could. "Do not even think about it."

Flora turned swiftly around, relief flooding her face. I, on the other hand, groaned. Ofelia was marching straight towards us. I had never seen her this angry before and that was saying something.

"You, Bloom, are grounded for the rest of your education at Alfea. And I will make sure Faragonda sees to that, even if it means placing spells on you that will keep you inside Alfea's borders." She was fuming, absolutely fuming as she knelt down beside me. Poor Selim lingered behind her, his shoulders slumped. Ofelia had clearly chewed him out before coming with him. "Why is it that every time you leave Alfea, I am called away from my wing because you have sustained some type of injury?"

"Honestly –" I let out a deep sigh. "– I am asking myself that exact same question."

Ofelia just huffed and started her examination, asking Flora questions on which state she and the others had found me, which injuries were prominent, how long I had been unconscious. The more Flora told her, the more I wished to return to that cold dark realm which felt so safe and familiar, to my annoying grandmother. At least there her fury couldn't reach me.

I cringed at the glare she shot me once the interrogation was over. "Oh, I am a dead woman walking."

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