“Emerald you’re babbling,” I interrupted. She wiped her forehead and pulled up a chair beside me.
“Child, what’s wrong?” She asked sympathetically, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ears.
“Nothing, honest.” I lied with a weak smile.
“I have to go change out of this dress it’s a bit cold in here. Ever heard of central heating,” I joked.
“Ok if you won’t tell me I’m sure you will tell Peggy. Take these for her will you,” She smiled taking a bunch of carrots from her vegetable box and handing them to me.
Turning my back to the kitchen I made my way to the stables. As I entered I picked up my blue and pink cloak that I had left hanging there the last time I had been home. A gust of wind blew through the stables as I wrapped the soft fabric around my body. It lifted in the wind sending goose bumps up my arm. The sound of neighing comforted me as the stables came alive with sounds from each pen, the loudest, coming from the far corner of the stable as I made my way through the hay piled walk way. Pushing her way through the stables she met me half way.
“Hello gorgeous!” I exclaimed stroking the mare’s face. I kissed her muzzle and pulled out the carrots to feed her, she nuzzled my neck in appreciation.
“It’s good to see you Pegs,” I smiled stroking her silver mane.
“I’ve had a weird night.” backing away she lay down opposite a seat and nudged it with her muzzle. I laughed as I took my usual place in her pen and began to comb her mane with my fingers. Her silver skin glowed in the moonlight shining through the cracks in the wooden panels. I told her all about my night, and she sniffed and neighed at all the right places. I had been given her when I was five, when she was a pony. We were inseparable ever since, and I knew she understood everything I said.
I must have fallen asleep as I was awoken by the sound of footsteps outside, and the sun was shining through the cracks in the wooden walls. I stood up groggily, trying to find my balance, falling back Peggy caught me, pushing me up with her muzzle.
“Thanks.” Kissing her goodbye, I made my way out of the stable. I walked the short way to my room and was pushing the door open when I felt someone orb behind me. Spinning around I saw a tall figure standing in my door way. His brown hair was spiked up, so he looked like a hedgehog.
“So I hear you are yet again the topic of everyone’s conversation.”
“Good to see you to Ethan,” I groaned as my stepbrother pushed passed me and sat on my bed. I shut the door behind me and collapsed on the side of the bed in which my brother wasn’t hogging.
“Tough night?” He asked picking up a small jewellery box on my bedside cabinet. I reached up and took it from his hands.
“What do you want?” I snapped.
“Cool it. Sheesh! I was just seeing how you are,” He said sounding hurt. I sat up and placed the jewellery box back on the side.
“I’m sorry, I’m just really tired it’s been a long night and it’s only what... Seven now, I just want a few hours’ kip.”
“Okay I can take a hint,” he laughed making his way to the door.
“But before I leave I just want to say one thing. Dads worried, the demon who came to you last night, he’s trouble,” he said sounding serious.
“Lorias?” I asked
“No, Logan,” my heart stopped. The other major demon was the drop dead gorgeous one that seemed to be the leader.
“He’s just trouble ok. Be careful,” He gave a weak smile and left. I sat there thinking over everything that had happened yesterday. The girl that was attacked, my new power, Lorias. The main thought in my head was the new demon Logan. I fell asleep with a million questions in my head.
Chapter Three
“I think I just had a heart palpitation,” Alex announced just as I took a sip of orange juice. Her sudden outburst made me jump, almost choking; the tang of orange stung my throat.
“What are you on about?” Josh croaked through a mouthful of toast.
“Have you seen this?” She asked holding up the Gracia Times.
“No. I’ve never seen a paper in my life,” Josh replied sarcastically taking the paper from his sister’s hand. While Josh was preoccupied it would be an opportune time to fill my plate up.
“Mayor of Icarus resigned from the post and mayhem erupts.”
“What!?” I bellowed taking the paper from his hands.
He was right, in black and white was the headline, it wasn’t over a day ago that I had no idea what Icarus was, now it seemed like it was going under in a matter of hours.
Mayor Aray has resigned from his post today following the recent mysterious deaths of government officials. He declared his resignation over evening patrol of the realm and the discovery of another government official’s body. Ryany Craig was found near the remains of last month’s Icarus riverside circus. It is still unclear how he died, but police officials have stated that it was the work of the demonic kind. Mayor Aray has this to say:
“The goings on in Icarus are no longer under my control, A Mayor who has lost control of his realm is an unfit one. It is my time to leave and let someone who is capable of doing the job, do so.”
He will be replaced in due time after the mysterious deaths have been investigated.
“Sounds like Icarus is having problems,” Josh mumbled through more toast. Why did I have the crazy feeling that us all orbing to Icarus amidst all this drama was not just a coincidence, probably because I’m paranoid. It could be possible that it was just a coincidence but with me involved it never usually was. Checking the rest of the paper for any other stories involving Icarus a small articles headline stuck out.
Prince kills three
Logan Night, Prince of darkness kills three innocent men in a midnight massacre. The murdered men were all named as men that worked locally within the human world. All men were of the magical kind, one of them being a shape shifter who had recently worked with the King himself. Dale Tyson was the former president of the Kings Army and had recently retired to the human world. We send our best to all of the men’s families.
Logan is defiently turning out to be bad news, at least I know what he is capable of now. If I ever met him again in a dark alley, I will control my hormones and remember that he was bad news rather than an attractive guy. How is it that with every other demon, I can look past their looks and see the demon, but with him his attractiveness was the only thing I could fixate on.
“Icarus and it’s problems,” My father boomed as he entered the kitchen. Taking my eyes off the article I placed it back on the table and looked up at my father.
“And I need you to try and find out the source of them,” He demanded placing a bag onto the table in front of me.
“Right because you’re far too busy doing..? What exactly are you doing?” I asked giving him a sweet smile. It’s his place to look after everywhere not mine, well not yet, and I have enough problems trying to find out who Lorias is and what he wants with me.
“Funnily enough keeping the whole world from being overrun with demons killing innocents and getting away with it. Oh and keeping in place our side of the good and evil balance. You know the little things that keep the world from going under,” He smiled the same smile back at me, making me smile despite myself.
“Less of your cheek young lady, you have the weekend to find out some information. I’m not asking for a lot from you Elle. Take this pair with you, they need something to do.”
Taking the last piece of toast from the table, he left, leaving the bag in front of me. I’m guessing he wanted me to have this then, what could be inside, a book of answers oh yes, please. Opening the brown satchel my heart sank, not a book of answers but a book of incantations. It’s like Christmas, a Christmas when you asked for a necklace from tiffanies and you end up getting one from Argos instead.
“Sorry guy’s but I do have plans, I have my martial arts training,” Josh explained polishing off the last piece of bacon.
“Great, it’s a good thing I d
on’t ever have plans when your back isn’t it,” Alex sighed, finishing off her cup of tea.
“What are you on about, you never have plans till I come home. I am your plans love,” I joked standing up to put my pots in the sink.
“Yeah sure, you are my life. Without you I would cease to exist,” She replied following me.
“You know it,” I giggled blowing left over bubbles from a former pot wash at her.
Before I knew it, we were in a full on water fight with bottles and jugs of water flying over the room. Soaked to the skin we walked out of the kitchen that we had utterly destroyed. Josh slipped as he made his way to the door and slid through the doorway, making us all fall into a fit of giggles. Emerald will kill us if she sees this place like this. Pointing my left index finger at the room, I took in a deep breath and chanted.
“Emerald is going to freak, change this room back to neat,” Releasing my breath the room began to clean itself. I closed the door feeling confident Emerald wouldn’t have a clue.
“Damn I forgot the book,” holding out my arms the book appeared, it was a lot heavier than it looked and made me lose my balance. I read the title and chuckled out loud.
“Incantations for beginners.” My father thought I was a beginner at incantations, has he not met me. I was casting spells when I was six, and I was teaching my brother, Ethan, spells when I was nine, and he was seven.
“That’s a laugh, didn’t you change the colour of the Orginia sea when we were eight?” Josh growled turning into his canine form and running down the corridor. Running after him, Alex and I slipped and slid on the floor with our wet shoes. As we caught up to the tanned dog, he sat outside my bedroom door, breathlessly we entered, Josh shifted back into his human form blowing my Zac Efron poster off the wall.
“Sorry E!”
“It’s tainted now anyway, Reminds me of Lorias and his metro sexual looks, Bye Troy Bolton,” I sighed screwing up the poster and throwing it in the bin beside my desk. I wonder if he is linked to the Downfall of Icarus, it wouldn’t surprise me, weirder things have happened in my life.
Taking a seat on the bed beside Alex and Josh, the door opened and closed without anyone entering. Privacy is not this places strong point. It’s surprising we aren’t invaded more often.
“I’m going to get on it in a minute, tell him I don’t need to be watched,” I moaned at the space in the room. Leo appeared at the end of the bed wearing his black suit that most of my father’s soldiers wore. I think he was going for the James bond style, but I’m not quite sure it was working for Leo. His body was too sculptured so his biceps about burst through his sleeves and his short blonde hair stuck out in every direction, no wonder he liked to stay invisible.
“He requested you start right away, you only have a few days to find out information, and I and my team have been searching the realm for two weeks since the first death was discovered. We have found nothing, we need your help, you seem to have a knack at seeing things we don’t.”
“Who am I, Sherlock Holmes?” I asked, sighing I slipped off the bed and began to pack my bag. Taking the usual crystals and the bottle potion my father had given me before, I shoved the incantation for beginners in the bag for good measure. Maybe it will have something useful in or just weigh me down, either way it will make its presence known.
“Have you found anything at all?” I asked.
“They leave a symbol beside each of the bodies. It’s the symbol for chaos, an ancient symbol that was used once to show demons where rituals were going to be held. But we caught on to it decades ago and they stop using it, until now.”
So the murderer was leaving a symbol next to the bodies, maybe they were marking their territory so that other demons knew that they were the culprits in Icarus’s downfall.
“Have you searched the library to find out when the symbol was last used? It may be connected with the new use of it, could even be the same user,” I asked.
“Yes we have, and it couldn’t possibly be the same person who used it before, your father had him killed.”
“Of course he did,” I sighed.
Well he obviously wouldn’t be using it again, and he isn’t around to ask about it either. I suppose I will have to take a look around myself.
“Come on then Watson, we have a case to solve,” I bellowed.
“You coming Leo?” I asked as Alex joined me by my side.
“Sorry your Highness, I’m taking Josh for his training, but good luck,” He gave me a nod and disappeared out the door, followed by Josh who had turned back into a dog and leapt from the bed.
Giving Alex a smile, I took her hand and cleared my head. Thinking of flowers and the piercing sunlight, I imagined Icarus and within seconds, I opened my eyes, and we were standing in the middle of a field of sunflowers. Everywhere seemed covered by a yellow glow that stretched for miles, it wasn’t where I had planned to land, but it was so beautiful that I could stand there for hours and not get bored. I wonder how big Icarus actually is, it seems to stretch for miles, that’s a lot of space for creatures to live. How is it that so many creatures live here yet I didn’t know it even existed. I must be so out of the loop living with the Bales.
“Did you see that?” Alex asked pulling at my arm.
“What?” I asked turning to see what she was looking at, the only thing I could see was the entrance to a heavily wooded forest. There was a path that winded around the trees, maybe it will lead to some civilisation.
“Nothing, I thought I saw something, but it must be the sun making shadows. It’s so bright here,” She wasn’t wrong there. The sun was ten times brighter than the sun in Gracia never mind Black stoke. Turning back to take one glance at the beautiful sunflower field, I took in a deep breath and filled my lungs with the floral aroma.
Walking into the forest, the sun disappeared quickly behind the trees and the goldenness of the field disappeared behind masses of shrubbery. The path twisted and winded around the trees, leading us deeper into the darkness. I hope this leads us to the other side and not into a Brothers Grimm story.
“Defiently saw it that time,” Alex stuttered pointing into the darkest part of the forest.
“What?”
“Look there,” She pointed as the trees began to move at a great speed creating a new path. That’s not spooky at all, now what is the best thing to do, carry on down this path which may have been changed so many times it may not lead to anywhere at all. Or follow this new path that has been created by trees that move. Oh the choices. Looking at Alex I knew she wanted to follow the new path, she was always one for taking risks.
“Death by trees it is then,” I declared walking onto the new path which seemed to be straighter than the last. Promising.
Not before long the light of day peeped through the break in the trees and the smoke from a chimney floated above the remaining trees. The daylight disappeared in a flash as a great big oak stood tall in front of us. It hadn’t been there two seconds ago, these trees really are fast. With a second to think, a branch came crashing towards my head. Ducking out of the way, another branch crashed into my stomach making me gasp for breath. Within seconds, Alex landed next to me on the cobbled floor.
“Ok maybe…” I started interrupted by another branch crashing between us. Rolling out of the way the branch hit the ground where I had been a second before.
“Death by tree was not… far off,” Alex finished jumping over another branch. What was happening here, why were we being attacked by a huge oak tree, we had only been here a couple of minutes.
Another thick branch crashed underneath my feet as I jump onto another, the tree was having a fit at me being inside of its leaves. Thrashing to and fro it tried to shake me, holding on was going to be difficult. Grabbing one of its non moving branches, I climbed up to the highest point.
“Alex the crystals,” I yelled, startling the tree, it shook vigorously, throwing me out of its leaves. Landing on my feet, I caught the last crystal from Alex and placed it on
the floor.
Every one of the six crystals were placed around the tree to create a cage. It thrashed against the electric cage and burnt leaves crumbled to the ground. For a second, I thought I heard it cry out in agony, but it’s a tree it doesn’t have feelings, but then again they shouldn’t move either.
“STOP THIS AT ONCE!,” a voice boomed from behind us making the ground beneath us shake.
“Are you insane? Let this poor creature go, you are hurting her!” He yelled pushing his way through us and taking one of the crystals. He crushed the stone in his hand with ease, turning it into dust.
“Hurting her? She was attacking us,” Alex yelled.
The giant just looked down at us with a bemused expression on his bearded face. His cave man physique towered miles above us, which should have made us feel threatened but I was too annoyed and confused to feel anything else.
“Well what do you expect? With all these murders going on, none of us are safe. We got to protect ourselves,” He bellowed making the ground shake even more.
The tree gave a quick twist of her branches and swiftly made her way back into the forest. We wouldn’t find her again, that was for sure.
“We are here to help. She’s the princess of Gracia, and we have been sent by her father to find the person that has been killing your people,” Alex announced giving him a warming smile, he didn’t appreciate it.
“I’m Gair, and I’m the giant of the sycamore woods, not really anything special,” He sighed, Giving a huff he stomped off in the direction of the smoke that had come again into view. Pushing the trees away, he left giant footprints on the ground. Cursing, Alex grabbed my hand, and we followed him out of the forest and towards the brightly coloured cottage.
Heritage Page 5