While Shirley and the students were wading through the swamp, clinging to the reeds for salvation, Genevieve stood her ground like a mother animal trying to lure a predator away from her babies. Wave after wave of Ebony Knights spewed into the castle and spread out to block her exits. Furniture was smashed, burned and flipped over. Muddy water dripped off mounts with black fur and the riders clad in black Diremonti armour. If there was one thing she gave them credit for, the Knights were not all the same species, like Ivory Knights. Genevieve saw every fairy from tiny Snow Imps to large Centaurs.150Please respect copyright.PENANAkBQJ1DsSNA
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“Oh my, what a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t expecting to find you here, Miss Lamb.”150Please respect copyright.PENANAfuXXBk9rry
She turned her head slowly and her heart nearly exploded when she noticed the blonde Silver Tongue astride a black Nightmare with wild coils for a yellow and red mane and matching wing feathers. “Why don’t we sit and have a little chat?” Phillip suggested, dismounting to walk towards the Halfling child. “Aren’t you going to offer a beverage or food to me? Don’t tell me that you’ve forgotten how to be a proper hostess?”
Behind him, what first appeared as a Nightmare stallion quickly transformed into a cobra with the same breath-taking flecks of reds and yellows on its impossibly black scales.
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It was not a serpentine-esque Elementora. This shapeshifter was the size of a carriage. Having befriended Eden three years ago, Genevieve knew immediately that this was a Vita Loquitur. It could take out this entire army single-handedly. It slithered close enough that Genevieve’s skin prickled while Phillip calmly selected a wooden barrel to sit on.150Please respect copyright.PENANAw7c63AFbgV
“Allow me to introduce Tarzali’s latest creation-”150Please respect copyright.PENANAp1RQaeFFs0
“A-another Vita Loquitur. Why?” Only Genevieve was brave enough to speak its name.150Please respect copyright.PENANA47qqAtujvO
“Because the first was…defective. I don’t understand Tarzali’s reasoning personally.”150Please respect copyright.PENANA9qFRrxanoc
“What’s their name?”150Please respect copyright.PENANADWk0RZgJck
“It’s hardly worth-” Phillip started to say as he pulled off his Minos leather gloves.150Please respect copyright.PENANAzxYzUBQufn
“Impatiens.” The creature responded in a snickering tone. “I’ve eaten plenty of Halflings, but I heard that you’re the last of a Silver Tongue mystery cult. How sweet and tender does your meat taste?” Impatiens’s forked tongue flicked in Genevieve’s ear, next to Snowflake. Genevieve pivoted and walked away to avoid confronting the creature which had taken the form of a carriage sized cobra. Snowflake kicked Impatiens on the nose.
“Fuck! When I’m done with you, you won’t be scraped up and dropped on a pin head!”
Impatiens howled in agony and snapped its jaws, catching Snowflake’s broken wing between its teeth. Snowflake screamed in pain and kicked, her legs dangling in the air.
“Drop her!” Genevieve whipped around and scowled at Impatiens, holding out her hand.
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Impatiens was impressed. Not even Fomorians had the balls to disagree. Impatiens rolled its red eyes and curve-balled the Snow Imp like an inanimate object with the intention of smearing Snowflake into the tiles. Genevieve dived to catch her friend.
“Are you okay, Snowflake?”
Snowflake nodded and Genevieve looked her over.
“Thank Gemini. Just in case, you can hide in my dress.”
Gemini was the patron god of Halflings like Genevieve.
Genevieve opened the bust of her strapless dress for Snowflake to rest inside. If Snowflake rode on the Halfling’s shoulder, there was a chance Impatiens (or any of the other Fomorians) would snatch the disabled imp. Phillip turned his back to the Halfling to avoid glimpsing her prepubescent chest until Impatiens told him to face itself again.
“She’s not a friend, Miss Lamb. As it said earlier, Snow Imps are potion ingredients.”150Please respect copyright.PENANAhZvp4atNxr
“You are wrong. She IS my friend.” Genevieve shook her head. And Arthur’s last friend. 150Please respect copyright.PENANAIcNLRvLHPX
“Nevertheless.” Tranter coughed to clear his throat. “Do you know why I am here?”
“I can imagine. What I cannot figure out is why you want to keep me alive. I suppose it is easier to drag along one fairy rather than as slabs of meat in an ice chest or glass bottles and wooden boxes containing miscellaneous parts of me for potential potions.”
“My dear, you’re the last of your mother’s people. You’re too precious for…any of that.”
“It cannot be for bargaining power. The other teachers fled and Arthur…you killed him.”
“What else can a woman be used for? Something men cannot be used for, perhaps?”
“There is noth-” Her breath hitched. A sudden realisation fell onto her head like an anvil.
“You wouldn’t?!”
“Not until you are of age, of course, that’s why I am the one supervising you. Do not think about using anything Sheehan might have taught you about your feminine wiles.”
“He never laid a hand on me! How dare you accuse him of something so…disgusting!?”
“Never?”
“Never!” She jumped back, putting a safe distance between herself and Phillip Tranter. Was there a safe distance for a monster like him?150Please respect copyright.PENANAtqUR42zHUP
“Go and bathe, Miss Lamb. We can continue this conversation another time. Don’t worry about those ruffians. They know what I’ll do to them if they bother you.”150Please respect copyright.PENANAlxFZ6YWThS
Genevieve nodded before fleeing from the room, struggling to regain her composure.
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Genevieve prepared herself a bath, dragging a tub to what used to be her bedroom. Over the three years that Arthur turned the castle into a school, this room was used as a staffroom. Lost in her own thoughts, the eleven-year-old did not make the water as warm as she usually liked. This was only an excuse to stay away from the Fomorians. After letting Snowflake out of her dress to sit on the corner of a low desk trimmed with lace, the Halfling sat in the tub of water, hugging her knees until the water turned cold.150Please respect copyright.PENANA8x21hQvsLs
“G-Genevieve?” Snowflake whispered as she picked up a piece of soap root and slid down off the corner of the desk. She was so light that even her broken wings audibly twinkled.
“Yes?”150Please respect copyright.PENANAcpx4Q1b7oD
“Are you okay?”150Please respect copyright.PENANAdNcPKbkW5g
Genevieve lifted her head and shook her head, choking back her tears in deep, slow, staggered breaths. “N-no. I’m not okay. I don’t know what to do. I wish I ran away with the others. No. I wish that Arthur was here. He’d know what to do.” She reached up, cupping her hand over Snowflake until the imp was pressed against her cheek. The coolness of Snowflake’s skin provided some relief for her burning, tear-stained cheeks.150Please respect copyright.PENANAUk28Uc6wCn
***150Please respect copyright.PENANA1hJSYZVT20
After hours of crying, Genevieve felt better. She climbed out of the tub, towelled herself dry and changed clothes.150Please respect copyright.PENANAfFB22KTTBm
“Do you want to rest? I’m sorry. I didn’t overheat you, did I?”150Please respect copyright.PENANAJRKcGVloAw
Snowflake shook her whole body.150Please respect copyright.PENANABpAChLW7m2
“I’m okay. Do you mind if I ride in your dress again?”150Please respect copyright.PENANATIEKbyUlrS
“Not at all.” Genevieve lowered her hand with a flat palm for Snowflake to drop into.150Please respect copyright.PENANAuP2JTQMV0W
“Where are you going?” Snowflake tilted her head to one side.150Please respect copyright.PENANAlxxf3DJB1g
“I’m going to find out who I can trust.”150Please respect copyright.PENANAiiknSg9LXM
“You can’t trust anyone. They’re Fomorians!”150Please respect copyright.PENANAi0DzvanOJL
“I’ll be okay. I have you.”150Please respect copyright.PENANAIJx5tivdnt
For a moment, Snowflake smiled at the compliment and dropped down into her palm. By the time that Snowflake was settled comfortably in the cups of the Halflings bust, it was too late. Genevieve rushed silently down the corridors, pausing momentarily to listen. Eventually, she kneeled beside a door, pressing her long ear against the timber.
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“If she cannot escape, she might attempt to take her own life.”
“No, she won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“She’s not Madeline.”
My mother died of a broken heart…Didn’t she?
“Does she know why she’s here?”
“Oh yes, she’s quite aware. She says that Sheehan never did anything like that to her.”
“Maybe he was waiting, just like us?”150Please respect copyright.PENANACo8nVNHowz
“Waiting? You’re all being too generous. A hero like that would ‘ave some dirty secrets.”150Please respect copyright.PENANA3gV6f0jxml
“Maybe there were too many witnesses? This was a school, right?”150Please respect copyright.PENANAzu4W4m8FDQ
“A school?”150Please respect copyright.PENANAixGoYhzxa7
“It’s a miserable dump.”150Please respect copyright.PENANAVzZWY5leyn
“Whatever. I’m not going to pretend to be one of you. And I’m NOT going to babysit a brat. I’m busy.” There was no mistaking the venomous growl of the Vita Loquitur’s voice.150Please respect copyright.PENANAa3hlgvzCXw
“Off you go then. Don’t return until there are a hundred Nightmares for every Knight.” From Tranter’s tone, Genevieve could imagine him waving his hand dismissively.
“What are they saying?” Snowflake asked.
“They are saying awful things about Arthur.” Genevieve tore her ear away from the door.
She did so in the nick of time. Impatiens burst through the door so hard that the door smashed against the supporting wall. This time, Impatiens was in a human form.150Please respect copyright.PENANALgL0iYF84q
The Vita Loquitur’s skin was dark brown. It had an hourglass body that would make the Pantheon envious. Its long, red and yellow hair was braided. It could have been mistaken for a human if not for those piercing snake eyes and long fangs glistening with venom.150Please respect copyright.PENANA13olmGogOu
“Aren’t ya supposed to be the good one? What’re yer doing ‘ere? Were you snoopin’?”150Please respect copyright.PENANAjWIMCjR0Aj
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Tranter spoke up sternly. “Did you enjoy your bath, Miss Lamb?”