Chapter Thirteen

Soren

“I’m sorry, sire.” Flint kneeled in front of me. His head was bowed, and his eyes were to the ground below. “There have been no sightings of Aryan or the girl.”

“Did you find her home?” I asked, trying to keep the frustration from leaking into my tone.

“Yes, master. We’ve set flames to it—Fairy fire to be exact.”

I could have sworn I felt my eye twitch as my fingers tapped the arm of the chair I was in. “You did, what?”

“We set fire to her… dwelling?” He spoke uncertain, frightened.

“Why the hell would you think that was a good idea?” I stood, pacing in front of Flint, and trying to figure out if he would be a better resource for the Earth. “If there is no home to go back to it will make it infinitely more difficult to find her!” I held in the scream that caught in my throat by my foolish Halflings.

“W-we thought if she caught the smoke coming from her home then she would be more likely to return. We staked her place out to see if she would come, but…”

“But?”

“But… by the time my men and I found a secure spot to observe from, there was no longer any smoke. And when we got down there, we discovered the fire was gone, and no one was left in the home. She seems to have abandoned it.” Flint’s pebbly eyes looked at me and pleaded not to destroy him.

“You said the flames were gone?”

“Yes, sire.”

“Didn’t you just tell me you used Fairy fire?”

“Yes, Master. We did. That’s why we rushed back when we noticed the smoke was gone. It should have burned perpetually.”

I clenched my fist tightly at his confirmation. It must be happening. Nothing puts out Fairy fire. Only the waters of Fausta could do such a thing, and there is no well of hers in Curio…

I growled as I said, “Keep men on both sides of the Veil, and keep searching! I must have that girl.”

“Yes, sire.” I caught Flint nodding just before I turned my head towards the window, but I did not peer outside it. Instead, I watched the flames of the torch beside it.

It licked the air, and reminded me of her eyes…

For just a few seconds, I had forgotten that my head soldier was still in the room. “Is there something else?” I asked, aggravated by his presence now.

“There is one other thing, sire.” Flint nodded his head to one of his brothers. Basalt opened the door, and in walked Andesite with a wiggling person between his spotted arms. “We found the serpent.”

“You found Ewan? And why did you not kill him?” I asked, exasperated.

“He is…” Flint began but did not finish.

Instead, Basalt continued for him. “He seems very different, Master. We thought you should see for yourself.”

Curious, I gestured to Andesite to bring him closer. Andesite dragged Ewan across the room. Surprisingly, the snake hissed and bit Andesite in an attempt to escape, but it didn’t affect my creature at all. Interesting. I thought, observing him closely. Ewan was not this combative before.

When the serpent Janus made eye contact with me, he became a truly wild beast. He bucked and pushed against Andesite as he tried to escape my soldier’s grip and run away. “I have to ssssstay out of your reach. Out of Sssoren’s reach. Out of reach. Out!” he whispered to himself, refusing to have anything to do with me.

“Hold him tightly, Andesite.” I approached Ewan, grabbing his head, and forcing him to look at me. He twitched at the sight of me. “Who was the girl that you came here with? Where did you take Aryan and the girl when you all escaped?”

“I… I… I don’t know a girl.” He closed his eyes and rocked himself as if that would comfort him. “Out of reach.” He whispered like a mantra. “Out of reach. Out of reach. Out of reach.”

I looked closely into Ewan’s beady eyes and noticed that he had been spelled. It was similar to the one that was used on Basalt, but this one was so deeply imbedded into the Janus, not even I would be able to disillusion him.

I walked back over to my chair and plopped myself in it as my thoughts danced around furiously.

“Shall I dispatch him, sire?” Andesite asked.

“No. Just release him. He’s of no further use.”

The second Andesite let Ewan go, he ran faster than I’ve ever seen a serpent Janus run. He didn’t hesitate for even a second. Nor did he look back as he ran out of my home.

“You can leave me.” I told my Halflings. “But keep the search up. I want the girl and Aryan found.”

My soldiers left, and not a minute after they did, Taja walked in—a sultry vigor in her step. She didn’t seem to give walking over to me a second thought. She came right behind my chair and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Is there something I can do for you?”

I stood up, not wanting her touch. “Yes. Gather my brothers.”