Jade scoffed, and pointed towards Avery’s wounds, “Until you learn how to come back without being covered in your own blood…you’re a child.”
Avery knew Jade far too well to know that this was an argument she was going to win. So, instead of standing out in the darkness and shouting about it for another hour, Avery just rubbed at her head, which had just recently started throbbing, and told Jade, “Fine, I don’t care, come with me.”
“Of course, I’m coming with you.” Jade said to both Avery and Gumptin, “I don’t even understand why this was up for debate. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After taking a few steps towards her home, Jade turned around and told Avery, “Make sure you take care of those gashes when you get home.”
Skylar groaned, as she headed off with Sasha and Bunny towards their houses, “Tomorrow’s gonna blow!” She complained, picturing the extra work Gumptin was going to give the three of them with Avery and Jade gone.
“Avery,” Gumptin said, before Avery had a chance to make her own way home, “may I have a word with you.”
With his finger, Gumptin motioned for Avery to follow him into the stables. Not wanting to argue anymore, Avery obeyed and followed Gumptin.
Inside the stables, Pip was brushing down the Protectors’ horses, while Thomas threw fresh green hay into the stalls.
“It was not just because of Jade’s more than offensive attitude that I wished for her to stay behind!” Gumptin told Avery in a whispered yell.
“What are you talking about?” Avery asked, her curiosity slightly peaked by Gumptin’s statement.
Gumptin sighed, “The Fairies will not take Jade’s appearance in their kingdom very well.”
Now Avery’s interest was really peaked.
Gumptin continued, keeping his voice down, “Jade and the Royal Fairy Prince Eryk had a secret love affair before she died.”
“What?!” Avery laughed loudly, causing a few of the horses to jump and Pip to turn around and stare at her.
Avery couldn’t help it; she could never have imagined she would ever hear Jade’s name associated with the term ‘love affair’. Sure, Jade was as much of a fan of a good looking guy as most girls, but back on Earth, she preferred them just passing through, in town for a few days to help her have some fun and scratch a few urges, then out of her life forever. They never came close to anything involving love. Avery couldn’t wait to tell Jade about her past romance, with a Fairy Prince nonetheless.
Perhaps seeing the joyous look of anticipation on Avery’s face, Gumptin told her, “Whatever you do, you cannot tell Jade. You must keep her far, far away from Prince Eryk.”
Avery didn’t like that idea at all. She was already keeping what the Serpentine Demon had told her from Jade. Now Gumptin wanted her to keep Jade’s own love life a secret from her. Avery was used to telling Jade everything. They never had any secrets before Orcatia, and she didn’t like the feeling it was giving her.
“Gumptin,” Avery said, “I don’t think that’s something I can keep from Jade.”
“You have to!” Gumptin told her sternly, “Their affair was the reason the Fairies withdrew their support. When the Emperor first started gaining power, the Fairies worked with the Protectors to fight the Emperor. Prince Eryk leads their army, so he and Jade spent a lot of time together. Somewhere along the way they developed a relationship, one that they tried to keep secret from everyone. Unfortunately, the King and Queen found out. They were so furious; they ordered Eryk to never see Jade again and swore to never aid the Protectors again.”
Avery thought that was one of the biggest overreactions she had ever heard of, “Why did they have such a fit?” Avery asked.
“Jade is human,” Gumptin explained, “and Eryk must marry a Fairy princess, or he can never ascend to the throne. He is their only son and heir. It is out of the question for him to fall in love with a human. To the King and Queen, the Protectors betrayed them.”
Hearing the rest of the story caused Avery’s heart to ache. The thought of Jade having to be ripped away from the man she loved hurt Avery more than any Demon attack ever could. The only comfort she had was the knowledge that Jade didn’t remember any of it.
“If the Fairies think we betrayed them, why would they even consider helping us?” Avery asked.
Gumptin shook his head, looking worn down, “I am hoping that your death and subsequent memory loss have alleviated some of the King and Queen’s anger. Avery,” Gumptin said, in such a serious tone that it demanded Avery’s complete attention, “we need the Fairies and their army. Without them, there is almost no hope. Do whatever you have to do; say whatever you have to say, to get them to help you. You have to make sure they understand the severity of the situation.”
Avery nodded, swallowing hard. Gumptin’s words scared her. The longer she stayed on Orcatia, the more people she met, and the more monsters she fought, she realized just how serious the situation with the Emperor was.
“And Avery,” Gumptin said, turning to leave, “whatever you do, make sure Jade stays away from Eryk.”
After Gumptin left, Avery just stood in the stables, contemplating how she was not only going to convince the Fairies to help them, but also keep such pivotal information secret from Jade.
“Avery.” She heard someone call her name, slowly pulling her attention away from her thoughts.
When Avery turned towards the sound of her name, she saw Pip standing just a few inches away from her. His hand was on her shoulder and he was looking down at her with care in his eyes. Avery blinked a few times, clearing her mind, until she was fully back in the present.
“I thought ya might need this.” Pip said, handing her a soft blue cotton scarf.
It took Avery a second before she realized the scarf was to wrap around her neck, so that she could hide her wounds from her family. The fact that Pip would have even thought about something like that overwhelmed Avery with gratitude. After everything she had been through, getting attacked and almost killed by a Demon, learning she might have had something to do with them getting killed, dealing with the implications of Jade’s heartfelt speech on the lookout, the prospect of having to lie to Jade once again, and the weight of getting the Fairies help resting on her shoulders, it was almost overwhelming to have such a small but kind act done for her.
Without even thinking about it, Avery stood up on her tiptoes and hugged Pip around his neck. If she hadn’t already been so emotionally drained, she would have cried into his horse scented tunic. He instantly reached around Avery’s waist and held her tightly.
“You’re a good friend.” Avery told him, pulling away from the hug and wrapping the scarf around her neck.
“Avery,” Pip said, a cautious look on his face and one of his hands still resting on her waist, “I…” Pip averted his eyes away from Avery and let his hand fall to his side, “I want ya to make sure ya get a good night's rest.” He smiled widely at Avery, a smile so wide that it almost looked forced, but Avery didn‘t pick up on it. She took off towards her house, the cool breeze outside the stables blowing her auburn hair and blue scarf into a peaceful dance.
Avery rushed inside her house and pushed back her charging dogs, dashing up the steps to her room before Cinder and her parents could get a good look at her. The last thing Avery wanted was for her little sister to see her all clawed up.
With too many emotions swirling around inside of her, Avery couldn’t bring herself to join her family for dinner, instead she lay on to top of her bed, not even bothering to take off her bloody clothes, and just staring up at the dark wood ceiling.
“Can I do this?” She said into the darkness, the memory of the Serpentine fight vivid and sharp in her mind, “Can I really do this?”
The reality of what it truly meant to be a Protector was becoming clear to Avery. It was a life of struggle, and fighting, and carrying the weight of being responsible for keeping the people you loved alive. Just a few hours ago she had almost been killed, but she had also been str
ong enough to fight back, to use her powers, and defeat a Demon powerful enough to impress even Gumptin.
All Avery knew for sure as closed her eyes was that it had been the longest few weeks of her life, that she had seen things she could never have imagined existed, done things she never thought herself capable of, and that her journey was only just starting.
The End...
To be continued in Dark Fate: Book 2 in the Protectors Saga
About the Author
Paige Dooling was born and raised in Arizona, where besides a healthy love for writing, she also developed an obsession with Chuck Taylors, Jim Henson, and classic rock. In what little free time she has she enjoys writing fantasy, visiting observatories, and spending far too much time reading travel narratives.
If you enjoyed this story and want to find out more about upcoming books, the world of the Protectors, or the author; you can do so by following her at:
http://paigedooling.blogspot.com/
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
The Protectors: Book 1 in the Protectors Saga Page 32
