Lina: Twisted Fairy Tales Book Two

32: Rising Tensions

Papa let me stew in my own misery overnight. He had food sent up, and by the next morning when he came in to sit on the foot of my bed, he looked like he’d aged ten years. He ran a hand through his messy hair.

“What were you thinking Malina?” He sighed. The sound nearly broke me, but I shoved myself up and, gazing steadfastly at my fingers, mumbled an unintelligible reply. “I know things with the Erl King have not made your life any easier, and I understand if you’re angry at us all. You’d have every right to be, but this behavior-”

I gaped, opening and closing my mouth soundlessly. That wasn’t it at all! Mad at them? Why would I be mad at anyone besides the Fae King? I mean, I still bore a bit of a grudge towards Uncle Reggie, but it would wear off, with time. I must have made some sort of noise, because Papa paused, and glanced at me.

“Did you have something to say?” He asked tiredly. I could feel myself shrinking under his gaze, and shook my head. He nodded, though the gesture seemed mostly for himself. He rubbed a hand over his mouth before speaking again, as if the words tasted sour even to him. “If you feel like you need some time away from us, we can set you up in the village near where I came from. The Woodsman returns there often, he’s trustworthy and knows who can be trusted if you want some time to-”

“Papa no!” I interjected swiftly. “I don’t want to leave! I’m not mad at anyone! Well, the Fae King..” My father’s expression hardened at the mention of the Fae Lord. “But I’m happy to be home.” I continued hesitantly “Don’t send me off now!” Papa sighed again, bowing his head.

“What is going on with you, pup? I’ve never seen you act this way. You get into trouble, sure, but disrespecting Reggie in the middle of a meeting with our grain supplier? Running from your grandmother in such a public display? Getting your brothers involved?” Papa questioned. I blanched.

Human Realm

King Ward

Malina was keeping things from me.

No, that wasn’t it, entirely. But something was wrong and she wouldn’t truly tell me what it was. Granted, she had the right to her space, but I was terrified it was a problem that would bite us all in the hindquarters later, and I had a good idea I knew the origins of it all. After watching her squirm for long enough to realize she was not going to ask me for help, I left Malina’s room. Going to kiss Kennice and our newest daughter, I told them I’d be going for a run, then let the transformation rip my body apart. I was hunting a particular person, or being, and I was sure he wasn’t going to like it.

The colors around me shifted and my sense of smell increased. I tore through the castle halls and took the stairs in one bound. The man posted at the most common entrance ripped the door open just in time for me to bounce off it and out into one of the many courtyards. I howled my discontent as I raced for the gates, and was pleased to see them opening as I approached.

The Healer had moved his business out of the gates of our city, preferring the more natural elements of the forest for his surroundings. He used the tunnels Kennice had taught him about to come and go swiftly without being seen. Most of those tunnels had collapsed during the war, but it was nothing to have a route or two excavated for our Healer’s needs. In fact,the cave-ins were beneficial to the Centaurs, since having those areas adjusted to compensate for their height and hooves was much less effort than the work required to retrofit the rest of the tunnels.

Wolves met me at the edge of the trees, racing alongside me as I ran, snapping at and jostling each other as they fought for positions flanking me. I didn’t have a smell to offer them for the hunt, but the fact that I was racing so swiftly towards a goal was enough for them. I let the wind carry her scents to me, and veered sharply to the right. My quarry was away from the Healer’s this day. This would make things much more simple. I increased my speed.

Human Realm

Malina

Something was wrong.

The hair on my arms stood on end, my nape prickled and somewhere, dimly, I swore I heard the howling of wolves.

I wasted no time, letting my body rip apart and compress into the humming bird’s, only to remember I had to open the blasted window. Precious seconds of time ticked by as I Shifted, threw the window open and shifted again before I could zip out into the open air. A storm was brewing overhead. I could feel the pressure and excitement of the electricity as it formed. My little wings were a blur as I darted away towards the woods. Something felt off and I knew to trust my instincts.

Human Realm

King Ward

I snapped my teeth together with a growl. Why hadn’t the Erl King attempted to use his power against me? Why was he insisting on staying on that branch trying to calm me when he could so easily force my shape to change? Or do so many worse things..

“Quite honestly, is this any way to treat a visiting King?” Called the Erl King, stirring my ire once more.

‘Come down here, and I’ll show you how I treat your kind, Erl King.’ I thought at him angrily, and he tsked.

“Just because your form has changed doesn’t mean I don’t understand you, Wolf. Be kinder to your future son-in-law.” The Erl King retorted. That was it, I’d had enough. Snapping my jaws at him, I lunged upward, trying to grab some part of the branch he was on. The wolves around me barked and snarled, circling the tree and trying to find a way up it. “Calm yourself, I meant no offense!” Called the Erl King over the ruckus. I saw him flinch as his wings fluttered, and filed it away as a possible advantage due to his injuries. Bark shredded away from the tree under my claws. This creature was somehow the cause of my Malina’s pain and I was going to end him. If he had hurt my pup in any way…

Human Realm

Malina

I felt the draw pulling me towards the forest. In particular, the direction of the Healer’s, but not quite. The wind had picked up, tossing me recklessly back and forth as my wings beat furiously to keep me moving in the right direction. I considered changing forms, but was afraid of losing even more time doing so. Lightning struck the forest, and my heartrate doubled. I shoved off the walls surrounding the castle to give myself more momentum, but was quickly driven to the ground by the tossing of the trees. My form exploded into the fox and I ran as quickly as I could, guided by some unknown sense of urgency. The sound of wolves snapping and snarling was picked up by my sharp hearing, and I raced towards the sound. A branch crashed to the ground in front of me, and I leapt over it with a yip. Ahead of me, the sight of my father’s wolf form trying vainly to scramble up a tree, his snapping jaws flashing dangerous teeth, chilled me.

And the subject of his less than dignified display? The Fae King.

My feet froze to the forest floor