Page 72 of Crowned A Traitor
“We were waiting,” the Fae said, unable to lie. “For what?”
“You Heiress,” the Fae smiled, dropping the tranquillizer. “The Fae Queen wanted to see you for herself. Our eyes are hers.”
“If she has seen this, then she will see that I have let you all live despite breaking neutral laws. I mean no harm to her people by being in these lands. I’m no threat to Kalos,” Klara said. “In case your lying, you will go yourself and repeat this message.”
The Fae looked ashamed at the thought of leaving the injured, “I won’t leave my patrol with you.”
“I have no desire to kill them.”
“How can I trust you?” The Fae said with a shaky voice. “If I had wanted you all dead, I would have done it already.”
The colour drained from the Fae before he slowly backed away from her and ran.
“What about them?” Wolfgang asked returning to Human form, looking at the injured and unconscious Fae. “Another patrol will come along and find them soon enough.”
“Why not kill them?” Wolfgang said, his chest rising and falling, as he tried to suppress his nature. “They would have killed us,” Wolfgang continued, holding Lottie in his arms as she cried softly into his shoulder. Klara followed his gaze to the squirming Guards writhing on the Forest floor. The once pristine uniforms were now ruined.
“Sorry about this,” Klara said crouching beside the Fae with the axe in their shoulder. The Fae looked terrified as she gripped the handle. “Trust me. You’ll heal faster without it.” Klara removed the axe, and a gargled shout came out of the Fae before they passed out.
“How lovely, why don’t we portal in a Healer while we are at it?” Wolfgang barked, and Klara rose to wipe the blood off her axe.
“You want me to slaughter a patrol in front of your sister,” Klara whispered to him, and his face fell. Lottie’s eyes filled with confusion as they whispered.
“You’re not leaving, are you?” Lottie asked, and Klara shook her head.
“Why didn’t you get up?” Lottie said, pressing her cheek to Wolfgang’s. “I’m sorry Lots, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Wolfgang said, and Lottie wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I want mummy,” she said, and Wolfgang looked to Klara over Lottie’s shoulder. “I know you do.”
Klara heard a rustle as a Fae reached for a spear. Klara kicked it away, “too late for that,” Klara winked, landing a foot into the Fae’s ribs, and the Fae groaned rolling onto their back.
“We don’t have far to go. We should leave before someone comes looking for them,” she said, looking to the edge of the Forest.
“Thank you for coming back,” Wolfgang said as they rushed to the clearing. They stood at the edge of the trees before stepping out. There wasn’t a Fae insight. All three stared at an impressive stone wall that cut across a great field before disappearing back into the trees on either side. Klara could see that the intimidating wall was only a glamour and not a solid structure, but that made it all the more impenetrable. In the distance, a portal door in the high wall appeared across the field of grass and wildflowers as it sensed their presence.
“Are we just going to stand here all day?” Wolfgang said as the sun rose. “Just because the door appeared doesn’t mean we will be granted access, only those deemed worthy can pass to and from with ease.”
“Well we aren’t going to find out by staying here,” Wolfgang said when Klara felt Her.
“HEIRESS!”
The shout stripped the air of its breeze. Everything stilled around them. The blades of grass didn’t dare move. They were so close the door riddled with inscriptions stood only a few feet away.
Klara faced the High Queen as she remained at the tree line. She had to protect the others from falling into her hands.
“I know what you’re thinking, but we are so close,” Wolfgang said as Klara watched Abadan.
“The Fae should be here in their legions with Abadan so close. Even this far south, the Fae Queen would have had her army waiting,” Klara said to Wolfgang, who seemed just as puzzled.
Klara sighed as she stared at the empty field.Why get involved in a fight that wasn’t hers?The Fae Queen was going to leave them to slaughter each other.
If Klara were to go any further towards Kalos in front of Abadan, it would be an act of war and confirm Abadan’s narrative.
“Go without me,” Klara said. She kept her voice calm as not to frighten Lottie. His gaze fixed on her as she looked to Lottie.
“Come with us, I despise her as much as you do. Don’t give into her,” Wolfgang said.
“I can’t run anymore. I’m sorry.”
