Carefully, so as not to knockher throbbing head wound, Lori shuffled down the mattress and lay down. She gathered her long hair together, tucking it neatly over her shoulder.
Reading the situation, Lephas left the room briefly before returning with an old wooden chair. He placed it in a far corner of the room and sat his large frame on it.
They remained in a strangely comfortable silence. Lori stared into the flames, watching them flicker and dance as their heat ate away at the wood.
Her thoughts turned to her sisters. What were they doing? No doubt Faye was distraught. She had made Lori promise to take her with her if she ever went on an adventure. She wouldn't see it as Lori did – an escape.
Faye was the oddity of the sisters. Whilst Sivelle and Lori had no real majick skills to speak of, Faye wielded it as easy as breathing. She was a majborne – a child, born with a natural affinity for majick. She was what the faerie people called a ‘sun sprite’. Her flawless skin sparkled and glowed like the evening sun and all of her majick abilities shone bright like a thousand stars.
Despite all her grandeur and beauty, Faye was kind-hearted and gentle. She was still scared of the dark despite being twenty-four years of age.
All faeries could eventually learn to use majick, but it took gruelling study and years of practise.
Whilst Faye may have been envious of Lori’s escape, Sivelle would understand. Her eldest sister had been in the room when Lori had told their father, in no uncertain terms, that she would not be obeying him. It hadn't been pretty. Sivelle had to have known Lori had no other option.
Lori loved them both dearly.They had spent their whole lives together, locked in their father's cage. She felt empty without them. She hoped that they had found the letter she had written for them before she left.
Lori's heart hurt just thinking about her sisters, thinking she may never see them again...
Her vision swam as tears sprang forth. She closed her eyes and a tear spilled and tracked its way down the side of her face. She took in a shaky breath, barely holding back a small sob.
Deeply absorbed in her own private grief, Lori hadn't given much thought to her captor silently observing her until he was kneeling right beside her. He leant over and placed a small scrap of soft material on the mat next to her face.
She sniffed and raised her head. A handkerchief?
She swiped her tears away quickly, embarrassed to have been caught so vulnerable. Lori wasn't in the habit of showing her weaknesses. Shame burnt at her and she brought her knees up, curling up into a ball.
Lephas didn't utter a word, just got to his feet and went to sit silently in his corner once more.
Her moment now interrupted, Lori sniffed and played with the soft handkerchief, running her fingers around the delicately embroidered edges. She closed her eyes and brought the material up to her face. There was something comforting about it. She sighed and wished sleep to take her swiftly.
∞∞∞
Lori cracked her eyes open. When had she fallen asleep?
The nearly extinguished fire in front of her glowed dimly. A dark figure knelt nearby, tending to it.
“Hello?” she murmured groggily and lifted herself up on her elbows.She hissed as pain spiked in her temple.
“Go back to sleep, Princess,” a familiar voice said in the darkness. “I'm just sorting the fire out. Wouldn't want you catching a cold.”
Lori's brain took a few moments to catch up, the events of the day prior filtering back to her. She wasn't in her springy four-poster bed. She was still fully clothed and lying on a thin, lumpy travel mat.
Her delicate golden wings were folded up inside her jacket. They ached, unused to being constrained for such a long period of time.
“Haros?” she asked.
“Very good – someone's been paying more attention than they let on.” She could hear the demon smiling, though she couldn't see it.
“You're not difficult to forget.” Lori yawned and rubbed her eyes.
“Well thank you, Little Dove.”
The embers glowed anew as the demon leant forwards and blew air onto them. There was a rustling and suddenly fresh fire broke out in the fireplace.
Lori watched, mesmerised as the tiny flame gradually grew and engulfed more and more of the kindling. It chased the shadows from the gloomy room.
Haros's handsome face was finally illuminated and he sat back, watching the fire carefully. He poked the ashes a few times, ensuring the fire had well and truly caught, before turning his attention back to Lori.
