Shine

I saw them ahead of me, they were carrying wood. “Wait!” I suddenly piped up. My voice switching five octaves higher than it normally should. “Wait for me!” I yelled out tripping over a root with a loud, “oof!”

As I neared Zane I heard him mutter, “Oh my God.” I grimaced.

“Who is she, Zane?” The boy asked, I could now clearly recognize his thick Irish accent. His long shaggy hair was red, and freckles dabbled across his cheeks. He looked nothing so much as a tall leprechaun. He smiled wickedly at me.

“A nuisance.” Zane rolled his eyes. My blood boiled at the boy’s rude manner.

“I want to know- what’s up?” I stomped my foot like a child who didn’t get his way. Zane laughed.

“The sky is up, Milady.” The Irish boy starred at me incredulously. I blushed at the term he used for me. “Milady”, as if I were some sort of medieval queen.

“She’s a human, Aiden. They practically have their own language.” Zane turned his back towards me and ushered the boy along.

I tripped after them. “Wait! I’m not a human! At least, I don’t think. Ugh! Will you slow down?!”
“NO!” Zane shouted back, swinging around to face me with his hands full of wood. “Our job is to take this wood to the palace, and we only have a few hours left to do it. Now if you please, go back to where you came from.” He spat swinging back around to leave again.

“Zane! You have no chivalry.” The boy dropped his wood and smacked Zane over the head. He put out his hand to introduce himself. “Aiden Melloy- Milady.” He grasped my palm and kissed my hand gingerly. I blushed. “Are you lost?” He asked. I shook my head.

“I just want to know, where I am? How I got here? Who are you people? And why that little baby named Keehlan has wings!” I shouted the last part. A large calloused hand pressed tightly over my mouth.

“Will you be still!?” Zane whispered forcefully. “There are warlocks everywhere at night. They could hear us- and mug us.” He finished. I ripped his hand away from my face and breathed out frustrated.

“Zane, you’re harsh!” Aiden scolded. “She might have been spelled and lost her memory!” Aiden looked back over to me and gripped my shoulders. “You’re in Avalon. Realm of Queen and King Bassette, parents of the missing Princess- Elora Shine. We are all healing fairy’s and combat fairy’s, except for the royal family, who are the only light fairies in this realm.” He paused, “Are you a healing fairy?”

“A what?” I stuttered.

“It’s useless.” Zane began to walk again. “The girl hasn’t a brain in her head.”

“I do have a brain!” I spat back, with a lack of a better comeback. I smacked myself on the forehead for not thinking of a wittier response. I continued to follow them, as Zane dragged Aiden along.
“Can you at least explain this?” I held up my necklace and Aiden shined his lantern on it. Zane turned around to look. His eyes focused on the writing on the necklace.

“Where did you get that?” his eyes widened and he gulped. Aiden’s hand flew to his mouth.

“I don’t know. I’ve always had it.” I looked down at the trinket and clutched it.

“You’re a thief! You stole it from the palace!” Zane grumbled yanking my arm with him as he plodded in the direction we came from.

“NO I DID NOT!” I struggled in his grasp. To which he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Put me down, you- you- CREEP!” I batted at his back repeatedly.

“Zane! Wait! Slow down!” Aiden called from behind. I was amazed at the speed at which he was walking. I was like a sack of potatoes being tossed limply as he walked angrily.

“I have not stolen anything! This is mine! I’ve had it since-since I can’t remember!” My anger boiled and my skin felt hot and steamy. Suddenly Zane threw me off him and I landed to the ground in a thud. His face looked scared, and he backed away from me slowly, Aiden on his tail. He rubbed his hand like it had been burned badly.

“It’s about time you stop bickering! Like an old married-” Aiden stopped and gasped, “couple.” He finished backing away from me as well. I suddenly felt like I had the black plague or something.

“What?” I asked. “I don’t have the plague!”

“You’re,” He slapped his palm to his cheek. “You’re glowing.” He finished. I looked over my skin. I was in fact, glowing. My arms were shining in a white bright light. As my anger faded, and worry increased, the light began to dim. I scratched at my skin hoping it would come off, like paint. But it didn’t. My chest was bright still as the rest of it began to fade. I unclenched my jaw and stood up from the ground.

“It’s her.” Aiden said shakily. I brushed the dirt off me and as my anger grew less, it got darker and darker. Zane was still speechless, and he was looking at me as if he had never seen anything like me. “She’s the princess. We found her! Do you know how much money we could make?! We’ll be rich! We found the lost princess!” He started jumping around Zane. Zane watched me intently and then he quickly then averted my gaze.

“We have to get out of here.” He grabbed my arm and began to walk the other direction again. His grip was frantic.

“What? Why? Where are you taking me?” I said trying to pull his hand off mine. I suddenly had a feeling he was going to kidnap me, and maybe kill me or something. "HELP! I'm being kidnapped!" I suddenly yelled out, tripping over my skirts in the direction towards the houses. Zane caught my arm and spun me around. His grip hurt my forearm. I winced.

“It’s not safe out here. There are spies everywhere looking for you.” He pressed. He turned me around and pushed us further into the forest. Aiden followed in our footsteps. The boys apparently ridded of the wood a while ago.

“What do you mean? They’re looking for me?! I want them to find me! I want to meet my real parents.” I continued.

“No, you imbecile!” Zane rolled his eyes, and flicked me on the forehead

"HEY!" I swung his hand away. He chuckled.

“Don’t speak to royalty like that!” Aiden quickly finished. Zane ignored him.

“We have to get out of here because of the warlocks. They want you dead, so that Odin- your uncle- will take the throne from your parents.” He explained quickly. My brain felt like jelly, so much information flooded it. To think this morning I was at my High school. "Besides, we're going to the palace to figure out if you really are the Princess or not, because you seem like an imposter If you ask me."

“Oh.” Was all I responded. Then we heard a crack in a branch behind us. Zane stopped suddenly and turned around. “Was that you?” I turned to Aiden. He shook his head. Zane suddenly pushed me behind him, his hand on my waist.