A Treasure Like No Other
Seraphina flew towards the treasure glancing down at the water, where Llyr swam in a serpentlike fashion as he followed her trail. She knew that Llyr would have let her, and the pirates go to the treasure horde, even if he hadn’t heard of the blood bargain. She knew her brother, could see his resolve crumble as all the rumors he’d ever heard of her was made true. Her brother could not have done anything about her powers being stolen or being thrown in the monster realm. But this was one thing with which he could help.
As Llyr slithered back to shore, pearls, rubies, and emeralds the size of their smallest claws peppered around the beach, deep trenches of coins and even more jewels glittered in mountains of treasures that dwarfed even Llyr’s size. He slithered around the treasure, sniffing and poking his nose at the treasure as he looked for the pearl. Seraphina studied the treasure from her vantage point of above, ignoring the cries of delight from the pirates as they made their way to the shore.
She circled twice looking for the pearl before she noticed Zara searching the treasure away from the other pirates and even her husband. Seraphina flew down, transforming back to her human form just before she landed.
Zara looked up at her in alarm, before realizing it was just her. “Seraphina, have you located the pearl?” she asked.
“Not quite. What is it you might be looking for?” She asked.
Zara pulled out silver jewels before casting it aside, as if it were rubbish. “I’m looking for a handheld mirror.”
“A mirror?”
“Not for myself, it was requested on behalf of the Enchantress.”
“behalf of, or despite of?” Seraphina asked with a raised brow.
Zara looked up at her from where she kneeled with a scrunched-up face. “I’m not sure.”
“This was the mirror, that Tariq was going to help you find. Wasn’t it?” Seraphina asked with a smirk.
“And of course he is no longer here.” Zara muttered as she straightened brushing the sand of her knees.
Seraphina looked around the treasure thoughtfully. “Perhaps the mirror has a trace of your grandmother on it? Would you recognize her magic in the midst of this treasure?”
Zara frowned looking at the heaps of treasure, but her thoughts were of her childhood. Her grandmother used to play hide and seek with her, but Zara had always been able to find her, even in her grandmother’s ever-changing maze.
“I think I might be able to do just that.”
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Vanna closed her eyes gripping the fur of Shazir’s pearl white fur tightly as he ran swiftly through the realm of monsters. She knew they probably looked ridiculous her long cape flying like a carpet over them as Shazir ran. But it was better to look ridiculous than for Kagan to realize his prize had chosen another path.
She’d already messaged her sister in the way they had, to keep Kagan busy, whichever form that took. It still rankled Vanna that her beautiful sister had been taken as an object for Kagan to use however he wished. Even if he had seen in those final moments that her sister’s heart had belonged to another.
She opened her eyes looking back at the trees where she knew Ettrick followed them as best as he could. She hoped he would survive the realm; she’d wanted him to stay but had known better to ask. As was her right to go after her sister, it was also his right to take revenge on the man who had tortured his sister with a life she’d tried to escape by death. Even now, Vanna could remember the screams of Violet as she had allowed the Harpy to drain her life when she saw that neither Ettrick nor Vanna could save her from the claws of Kagan.
But even the harpies were bound to Kagan a fact none of them had known. But a fact they should have known, as the Harpies had been after them since they’d escaped with the children and Violet. They’d been so close to freedom that day.
But always forever too late.
The Castle appeared suddenly through the darkness, she leaned over to one of Shazir’s ears, and whispered, “Go left.”
Shazir followed her direction, circling left of the castle, sneaking into one of the hidden crevices, moving deeper in the hall, before finding an antechamber of sorts, and leaned down on his forelegs, Vanna scooped her overlong robe, and jumped off Shazir’s back, watching as he transformed back crawling to a laying position his body naked and covered in sweat she covered the robe over him kneeling down and putting his head on her lap.
“You did so well.” She murmured, as she heard muted shuffling moving their way. She looked to the doors and saw the once children she’d tried to save but had elected to stay with Violet to keep her safe and work as a bridge between the two sisters. Two of them now strapping older men walked towards them and bowed their knees on the grimy floor. “You have our sword and shield.” They murmured.
“And everything else we have to give.” One of the women, murmured as they knelt down and covered her with a shawl. Another woman leaned down with a basket of soft buns and fruit, a jug of sweet-smelling ale in the centre.
Vanna ripped the bread, and fed Shazir who could barely move. She looked up at the people who surrounded her and asked, “Where is my sister?”