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Authors: Aurelia Destiny
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these gorgeous, graceful people, or something similarly humiliating.
She slowed her pace uncertainly, looking at the others to see what she was supposed to be doing, but they giggled and drew her in, hands showing her how she should move.
Chelsea was drawn around with them, feet stumbling. She laughed, and others joined in amusement and she struggled to match their graceful steps as they moved over the forest floor. She moved her arms up when they did, fingers still joined to those on either side; the music beat going faster and faster until her head was spinning madly.
She caught sight of the queen sitting on her throne, face still covered by the veil, yet the girl could feel the hidden eyes upon her. It was rather unnerving.
The beat died off, and the women stopped, all with joyous smiles on their faces. She laughed and bent over with hands on knees to catch her breath. That had been fun!
“Did you enjoy the dance?” Finvara asked from above.
Chelsea glanced up from under her wildly tangled red hair and grinned. “It was so much fun!”
He offered his hand and she took it, his iciness seeping into her skin and waking her up from the spell she'd fallen under. This was all so wonderful, but it still felt wrong . “Prince Finvara, I think I need to go home.”
His smile faded rapidly. “Not yet.”
“But I – “
“It's almost time, Chelsea.” The prince looked up at the night sky, eyes gleaming an unearthly gold in the moonlight. “Midnight is almost upon us.”
Chelsea was curious as she was taken back to the long table and pressed firmly into her seat. “What happens at midnight?”
Finvara gave her a disconcertingly slow smile, a hunger in his golden eyes. “We are permitted to eat.”
Oh right, he'd said that they could all eat at midnight. They must all be starving by now, she'd been there for hours and no-one had taken even one bite.
Why did I just get a chill when he said that? Half the time I wonder if he’s saying one thing and thinking another…
“Alright, but then I really need to go home. It's been amazing here and I loved it, but I have to go back to my family.”
His hand went to her cheek and he chuckled when she shivered. “You would not wish to offend myself, or my queen, would you, Maiden?” The prince asked sharply.
Chelsea’s eyes went wide and she shook her head frantically, rather dazed by his touch. He was so beautiful. She felt drawn into his eyes irresistibly. She flicked a quick look at the queen at the end of the table, feeling her eyes on her again. “Of course not!” He drew back, and she turned to the table and slumped into her chair. Was Finvara keeping her here? They did mean to send her home after midnight, right?
She glanced up uncertainly and saw several people staring at her with their strange luminous golden and silver eyes. Their expressions were remote, as if staring at something distasteful; something utterly beneath them. It was far from the welcoming smiles and greetings of earlier. She began to tense up, heart beating faster in her chest. Something was wrong . Her skin was practically crawling and she felt stares boring into her back.
There was something else too, that she had just noticed. Not once had she been bitten by an insect or seen one about, and there appeared to be no birds. It was night, but with this much fire and noises, surely the birds would be awake and chirping?
Was there something wrong with this forest?
Chapter 8
Time passed again and Chelsea was practically vibrating with nervous fear. There were now more eyes upon her, the conversations at the table and in the clearing practically dying down to nothing. She swallowed hard and glanced around, seeing that many eyes were still watching her. She saw expressions on their faces that deepened her fear and made her heart still beat too fast in her chest. No longer was there amusement and laughter, but something more like hunger and a fierce anticipation.
It was as if the
She slowed her pace uncertainly, looking at the others to see what she was supposed to be doing, but they giggled and drew her in, hands showing her how she should move.
Chelsea was drawn around with them, feet stumbling. She laughed, and others joined in amusement and she struggled to match their graceful steps as they moved over the forest floor. She moved her arms up when they did, fingers still joined to those on either side; the music beat going faster and faster until her head was spinning madly.
She caught sight of the queen sitting on her throne, face still covered by the veil, yet the girl could feel the hidden eyes upon her. It was rather unnerving.
The beat died off, and the women stopped, all with joyous smiles on their faces. She laughed and bent over with hands on knees to catch her breath. That had been fun!
“Did you enjoy the dance?” Finvara asked from above.
Chelsea glanced up from under her wildly tangled red hair and grinned. “It was so much fun!”
He offered his hand and she took it, his iciness seeping into her skin and waking her up from the spell she'd fallen under. This was all so wonderful, but it still felt wrong . “Prince Finvara, I think I need to go home.”
His smile faded rapidly. “Not yet.”
“But I – “
“It's almost time, Chelsea.” The prince looked up at the night sky, eyes gleaming an unearthly gold in the moonlight. “Midnight is almost upon us.”
Chelsea was curious as she was taken back to the long table and pressed firmly into her seat. “What happens at midnight?”
Finvara gave her a disconcertingly slow smile, a hunger in his golden eyes. “We are permitted to eat.”
Oh right, he'd said that they could all eat at midnight. They must all be starving by now, she'd been there for hours and no-one had taken even one bite.
Why did I just get a chill when he said that? Half the time I wonder if he’s saying one thing and thinking another…
“Alright, but then I really need to go home. It's been amazing here and I loved it, but I have to go back to my family.”
His hand went to her cheek and he chuckled when she shivered. “You would not wish to offend myself, or my queen, would you, Maiden?” The prince asked sharply.
Chelsea’s eyes went wide and she shook her head frantically, rather dazed by his touch. He was so beautiful. She felt drawn into his eyes irresistibly. She flicked a quick look at the queen at the end of the table, feeling her eyes on her again. “Of course not!” He drew back, and she turned to the table and slumped into her chair. Was Finvara keeping her here? They did mean to send her home after midnight, right?
She glanced up uncertainly and saw several people staring at her with their strange luminous golden and silver eyes. Their expressions were remote, as if staring at something distasteful; something utterly beneath them. It was far from the welcoming smiles and greetings of earlier. She began to tense up, heart beating faster in her chest. Something was wrong . Her skin was practically crawling and she felt stares boring into her back.
There was something else too, that she had just noticed. Not once had she been bitten by an insect or seen one about, and there appeared to be no birds. It was night, but with this much fire and noises, surely the birds would be awake and chirping?
Was there something wrong with this forest?
Chapter 8
Time passed again and Chelsea was practically vibrating with nervous fear. There were now more eyes upon her, the conversations at the table and in the clearing practically dying down to nothing. She swallowed hard and glanced around, seeing that many eyes were still watching her. She saw expressions on their faces that deepened her fear and made her heart still beat too fast in her chest. No longer was there amusement and laughter, but something more like hunger and a fierce anticipation.
It was as if the
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