The Council

by Phoenix Willow

  Tears had already formed in Jewel’s eyes, but they were of the happy kind, and she threw her arms around Sage’s neck and squeezed him tight, her heart full of love and feeling an overwhelming sense of honor that Sage had thought to ask her anything. “I absolutely give you permission, even though you didn’t need it. And I thank you for your confidence in me, because I don’t always feel the same way. You are a great friend and you and Ambrosia are a perfect match, clothes and all.”

  Sage smiled and squeezed Jewel back, before tucking the ring safely back into his bag. “Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let’s get going.” He said excitedly as he grabbed one of Jewel’s hands.

  Everyone was smiling broadly as the rest of the group joined hands and teleported back to the Hospitable Suite- one step closer to Sage’s dream coming true, and hopefully one step closer to stopping Malum and the spread of Darkness.

  *******

  The group arrived in Jewel’s room with the familiar white walls and nature-themed décor of the Faeville hotel greeting them, but Jewel wasted no time. She ran to the adjoining door and rushed into the room where she had been certain that Frost would be. She missed him, true, but she also wanted to make sure her Dad was okay. Only thing was that Frost was nowhere to be found and neither was Jade.

  Jewel’s heart began to race, and she fought down the panic that was threatening to rear its ugly head.

  “Green-” Galadriel started. Jewel turned to him, and he pointed to the luggage near the table. “-they’re still here, and it doesn’t look like anyone ransacked the place. They’re probably just in another of the rooms on the floor.”

  Jewel took a deep breath and nodded. Galadriel had to be right. He just had to be, because Jewel couldn’t wrap her mind around anything else.

  “Come on Spitfire. Let’s go find Snowman.” Rain said, grabbing Jewel’s hand and heading towards the door.

  Now, it wasn’t a lot that Jewel found herself to have no words, but until they found Frost and Jade, she wasn’t going to be able to breathe easily. Not to mention that the clarity potion she drank on the Peak seemed to be wearing off, because her thoughts were no longer organized. More like a chaotic mess, in fact.

  “We have to leave for a bit, Queenie.” Chief, the largest renuviant stated as all four renuviants dropped their invisibility.

  “Yeah, we’re starving here.” Alex, the skinniest renuviant remarked.

  “You know, I’ve been wondering if you four ever ate anything.” Jewel replied.

  Milan, the smallest renuviant snorted. “Of course, we eat. And contrary to your friend’s belief, we don’t just hang out on you all the time. We do have lives. We fly. We eat. We soak up the sun.”

  “Exactly. But we also don’t leave you completely alone. We usually just go in pairs since you seem to find yourself in all sorts of dicey situations so often.” Oakley said, the mismatched antennae swaying as the renuviant spoke.

  “But we think you should be okay at least for a little bit without us, and we are really looking forward to eating some of the good golden berries they have here in the Fairy world.” Chief explained, his jeweled wings flittering behind him in excitement.

  “Unless you want us to stay? We can stay if you think you’ll need us.” Milan said.

  Jewel shook her head. “Nope. You four go ahead. I’m fine, and I don’t know when we will get a chance to circle back to the Fairy world after we leave, so eat up.” She smiled.

  The four renuviants dipped their heads slightly and flew off. “We’ll find you if you’re in trouble. We can sense you, since we’re bonded.” Chief squeaked as he flew out an open window down the hallway with no additional explanation surrounding his comment about being bonded.

  “You bonded with your bugs, Spitfire.” Rain smirked.

  “Apparently.” Jewel shrugged. “But when, where, and how I couldn’t tell you.” She chuckled.

  A second later, the door to the stairway opened, and three individuals Jewel had never seen before came through.

  It was too late to hide, and the shocked expression on their faces had Jewel hesitating on whether to try talking to them, to knock them out, or to use her telekinesis to blow them back down the stairway. They were carrying lots of what looked like grocery bags, and the male in front with the yellowish hair dropped them as he started running towards Jewel.

  Jewel didn’t end up having to decide on what course of action to take because the yellow-haired male didn’t get very far before Sage used a spell to pin him to the ceiling. Foster flew in a blur as he pulled out his dagger and held it to the male’s throat. Rain had placed her own body in front of Jewel’s and was throwing water orb after water orb at the two that were still standing close to the stairway, helping to block Zephyr and Galadriel’s approach as they made their way over to them. Unfortunately, that was all the water orbs were doing as the other male with green hair was apparently quite powerful and had formed some sort of shield around himself and the girl that was with him, that nothing seemed to be able to penetrate. Jewel placed her hand on Rain’s shoulder and stepped around her. Rain stopped flinging the water orbs, but she didn’t let Jewel go too far without her mirroring her steps.

  The man within the shield looked directly at Jewel and asked, “What is your business here? Who are you?”

  “Who am I?” Jewel asked indignantly. The guy had a lot of nerve. “That’s not important. Who are you is the real question here, buddy……that and how did you just happen upon this particular floor when it’s completely booked?”

  “She doesn’t have the necklace on. It’s not her.” The man stuck to the ceiling called out in a strained voice. “What have you done with her?” He hissed, his aura shifting between yellow, white, and black.

  Jewel stopped in her tracks. “How does he know about my necklace, Raindrop?”

  Rain shrugged. “I don’t know Spitfire, but there is no way we can leave with them having seen us and we still need to find Frost and Jade.”

  Jewel nodded. “What have you done with our friends? There was a boy and a girl staying on this floor, which once again, was rented out to only us, and seeing as how you three just happened to turn up here, you must know where they are.”

  Jewel saw a bit of confusion flicker in the male’s eyes with green hair before a determined expression took hold and he allowed the shield to drop. “The important thing is we know who you are. We know you are a follower of Malum. You are an imposter. A charlatan. And you will pay for what you’ve done.” He roared.

  The male’s aura flashed red as he flicked his wrist, sending Galadriel, Sage, and Zephyr flying through a door and disappearing into a room. The girl wasted no time joining in the fight, and even though her aura had turned to a neon yellow, she used her very skilled telekinesis to pick up any loose object and throw it at Rain and Jewel as the man threw spell after spell at the girls. Foster looked as though he couldn’t decide whether to move to help the girls or continue to babysit the third man that was still stuck to the ceiling, but Jewel and Rain were fine thanks to a quick protection spell that Jewel had muttered.

  Protection spell or no protection spell, however, Jewel had no time and less patience to deal with the nonsense, not to mention the fact that if they tore up the hotel, they would have nowhere to rest or restock up on supplies. And on top of that, they still had no idea where Frost and Jade were, and currently that was Jewel’s top priority. Well, that and making sure that her dad was okay.

  So, with no more hesitation, Jewel focused her Keeper of Tempus abilities on the three strangers, freezing them in their tracks. Her time freezing powers weren’t very far reaching but they thankfully didn’t have to be as all three strangers were in proximity. Sage, Zephyr, and Galadriel made their way back to the hallway, as Jewel felt a familiar crawling sensation on her arms.

  “We were gone like five seconds, Queenie.” Chief squeaked, his large body covered in spots with some sort of sticky gold substance that smelled like berries.

  “Told
you we should have gone in pairs.” Oakley said, his mismatched antennae twitching.

  “You four didn’t need to come back. I have this under control.” Jewel raised an eyebrow.

  Alex snorted. “Oh, yeah. Clearly. Well, tell me this then, Sovereign. If you have this under control, why is it that there is a small group of soldiers heading in this direction right now?”

  Jewel’s head snapped to the window. “What are you talking about?” She asked as her green eyes began to glow.

  “Whoever they are-” Milan said, nodding towards the three frozen figures, “-they aren’t just your run-of-the-mill Magicals. They have connections, and those connections are headed towards us right now.”

  “We need to go.” Jewel said to the group. “And we are going to have to take those three with us.”

  “Go where, Spitfire?” Raindrop asked, brushing a bit of some sort of debris off her clothes.

  “I don’t know, but the renuviants said an army is headed in our direction, and I don’t know about you, but I would really rather not need to fight against anyone else right now.” Jewel said, giving Rain a ‘do you?’ look.

  “I was really looking forward to a bath, too.” Rain grumbled. “Chocolate sauce. Fine. But I’m not leaving until I get my chocolate.” She said, folding her arms over her chest.

  “How much time do we have?” Jewel asked the renuviants.

  “Maybe five minutes.” Chief stated. “And that’s a big maybe, because they were moving pretty quick.”

  “We’ll leave in four.” Jewel said, turning towards everyone. “We grab everything we can and meet back here in three minutes. Grab food, water, ingredients for potions, blankets, clothes, and as many toiletries as you can. There’s no telling when we’ll be able to get more.” She instructed. “I’ll stay and make sure that these three don’t unfreeze.”

  “What about Frost, Jade, and your Dad?” Sage asked in concern.

  “We can’t think about that right now. We’ll just have to hope that they’re somewhere safe. We can try and locate them later, but right now the clock is ticking.” Jewel said, concentrating on her Keeper of Tempus powers not wavering.

  Three minutes passed by slower than any three minutes Jewel had ever experienced before. Her adrenaline was pumping and sweat was beading at her brow as she struggled to keep her focus on the strangers.

  The four renuviants had been keeping watch, but they flew quickly to Jewel, squeaking all at once.

  “One at a time, please. I can’t understand you.” Jewel said, her nerves making her a bit more agitated than normal.

  Chief rolled his sparkling black eyes. “I said, the soldiers are here, but it looks like a mixed group. There are definitely Fairies, but there appears to be some Elves too.”

  “Anyone you recognize?” Jewel asked.

  “What am I? A facial recognition program or something.” Chief snorted, rolling his eyes in the process.

  “We gotta go.” Jewel called out, but it was too late. The door from the stairway slammed open, and Elven soldiers appeared just as several Fairy soldiers flew through the window, joining them. Jewel lost all focus and the three strangers unfroze immediately, and the yellow-haired one pinned to the ceiling dropped like a sack of potatoes.

  “Uh, guys. We have company. Like a lot of company.” Jewel called out as she allowed her power to build up.

  “Wait! Wait!” A voice amidst the army of Fairies and Elves called out. “Don’t attack.”

  Jewel was ready to strike, but something about the voice pulled at her memory.

  A familiar voice rang out. “Sovereign. Is that you?”

  Jewel narrowed her eyes as she saw a figure moving their way from the back of the soldiers to the front. Galadriel appeared by Jewel’s side with a few towels in his arms, a robe, and Jewel’s emerald green suitcase. It would have been comical had Jewel not been facing a hallway full of soldiers that looked like they wanted to attack. The three strangers, however, were looking at Jewel with a mix of confusion and something Jewel couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  Jewel heard footsteps behind her and within seconds Foster, Sage, Rain, and Zephyr had surrounded her and Galadriel, ready to fight if need be.

  Jewel gasped as the figure made their appearance. “Rayon?” She said in an almost questioning way.

  “Sovereign? Is it truly you?” Rayon asked as he stepped forward, his hands outward in a nonthreatening way.

  Jewel relaxed a little, not completely, but some. “Of course, it’s me. I may have lost a few pounds since the last time we saw each other, but I don’t think I’ve changed that much.”

  “Yeah, and who else can literally glow up like Spitfire can?” Rain snarked. “I mean, come on.” She rolled her eyes. “I personally think that everyone we left behind has lost their melons completely. Yep. I always knew we were the glue that held the group together.” She said, gaining a few snickers from Sage, Zephyr, Galadriel, and Jewel.

  “Yeah, you just keep thinking that, Rainy. But we all know it’s really all me.” Galadriel smirked.

  “It has to really be them. Nobody can fake the banter between the real Princess and Trickster.” The stranger with yellow hair who had been pinned to the ceiling stated.

  “What did you just call them?” Jewel asked, her brow lifting and her jaw slackening ever so slightly.

  “It’s okay. Drop the glamour.” The green-haired stranger who had called Jewel an imposter and who had been shielding himself and the girl said to the yellow-haired male that Sage’s spell had pinned to the ceiling. He threw a vial of some purple liquid in the direction of the male who had referenced nicknames before handing another vial to the girl that was looking warily at everyone and everything.

  “It’s truly her.” Rayon smiled. “Welcome back, Sovereign.”

  “Uh, it’s good to be back……..well, I think it is anyway. But I gotta tell you, I am so confused.” Jewel admitted.

  Rayon nodded. “As you should be, but we can clear everything up.”

  “But first things first.” Brutus said, breaking away from the pack of soldiers. It was a wonder that Jewel hadn’t noticed him before now. He towered over Rayon and still looked like a wall of milk chocolate muscle. “There’s someone who would like to formally meet you, and it’s been a long time coming.” His olive flecked golden eyes twinkled.

  Jewel looked at Brutus and Rayon in confusion and was even more befuddled as the stranger who had shielded himself stepped forward.

  “Welcome home, Angel.” He said as his glamour faded, leaving Steele Draconis in his place.

  Jewel’s jaw dropped, and she felt like she had momentarily lost her mind. It couldn’t be her dad. It was a trick somehow, but her brain couldn’t figure out how it could have been a trick, seeing as how he was literally standing in front of her. And if that wasn’t enough, the other two strangers drank the vials of purple liquid and morphed into Frost and Jade.

  No one said anything or moved for what felt like an eternity until Rain broke the silence. “Well, good, because I for one, really wanted to take a bath.” She smiled.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A Bunch of Hogwash

  There were a few nervous titters around the group at Rain’s profession of wanting a bath, but luckily Rayon jumped in.

  “That’s not a bad idea. How about we all get washed up and ready for a celebration feast. The Sovereign is back, and we can get caught up on current events.” Rayon suggested. “There are plenty of rooms, so everyone should be able to have their own.” He said as the soldiers wasted no time finding a room. Brutus placed his watermelon sized hand on Jewel’s shoulder as he passed. “It is good to have the real you back.” He said as he too found a room. Jewel couldn’t even muster the question of what that meant, however, because she was still gaping at the man that she had left frozen and in Frost’s care.

  “I know you all have a lot to catch up on, so I will leave you to it, but how does dinner in an hour or so sound?” Rayon asked.

 
; “That would be wonderful. Thank you, Rayon.” Steele said, his eyes never wavering from Jewel’s.

  Minutes passed by and still Jewel couldn’t find her voice. Her eyes were seeing something that she had only dreamed about, but her brain couldn’t process it as truth.

  “Use the stone, Spitfire.” Rain said, nudging Jewel’s shoulder, until Jewel looked her way. “The stone. The stone. Use it to see if it’s really him.”

  Jewel’s brain finally started working again, and she quickly placed her hand in her pocket, holding the truth stone that Ariel had gifted her with as she asked, “Are you my Dad?”

  “I am.” Steele answered without hesitation.

  The stone warmed, and that was all the reassurance that Jewel needed. In a mad dash, she ran to her Dad and threw her arms around his neck, tears falling freely as reality finally set in. “How? How is this possible? I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be able to make the potion to save you. Did someone else get you the potion? Did one of the Council members know where you were? If so, we should probably head out because at least half of the Council is compromised.” She rambled.

  Steele merely chuckled as he squeezed Jewel back. “Oh, my daughter. You are so very much like your mother, Rose. Her brain seemed to work on overdrive in situations where she was confused.” He smiled broadly as he draped his arm around her shoulder and guided Jewel to an unoccupied room. Jade, Frost, Galadriel, Rain, Zephyr, Sage, and Foster filed into the room after Steele and Jewel, finding a seat at the ginormous wooden table by the window. Steele and Jewel took seats on the wicker chairs across from one another.