Changeling

Lexi picked up each book carefully, trying to decide as she went along which were still legible and not before putting them where they belong. “You didn’t have to help.”

Dillon chuckled as he lifted the table back onto its feet. “I wanted to.” He dusted the table off before pulling the violet tablecloth over the top. “It looks kind of blank without a crystal ball on top. But I don’t think there’s any putting that thing back together.”

Lexi glanced around at the shards scattered throughout the room. “Probably not…”

His hand clapped down upon Lexi’s shoulder, surprising her as the elf greeted her with a warm smile. “Don’t feel too bad about this. I just gave the woman twelve hundred speks last night, remember? I’m sure she can afford a little redecorating.”

Lexi relaxed a little. “Thanks.” She smiled warmly as she turned to him. “Thanks for everything.” Her blue eyes searched his for any sign of false kindness. “You’ve done so much for me. And I’m so sorry I ever got you hurt.”

He hushed her gently, never losing the gentle smile playing on his lips. “I promise. I’ll be fine. It makes me feel good to be able to protect you.” She liked the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled that brightly as his eyes squinted to small slivers of deep green. “I am a warrior elf after all.”

She laughed gently. “I still haven’t decided that one.”

His smile fell suddenly, looking like a kicked pup as he whined at her. “Aw come on. You saw me fighting today.”

“I saw a blur as I was running and nothing more.” She smirked, leaning down to pick up another picture frame off the wall. “She has a psychic’s certification?”

“It’s fake.” He informed her, looking at the document over her shoulder.

“Well of course it’s fake.” She laughed and put the picture on the table. “You said it yourself, psychics don’t exist. I just can’t believe people actually trust that stuff.”

Dillon chuckled. “You have seen a crazy elf, fairy wings, and a witch in the past three days and people’s superstitions are what you can’t believe?”

“True. I guess I should really believe almost anything by now, huh?”

“Yep. Like that I’m a warrior elf.” He beamed at her proudly as he lifted the chairs back into place.

Lexi rolled her eyes dramatically, avoiding his gaze. “Almost anything.” She stacked the pieces of stray paper on the bookshelf that was slowly coming together with books that were previously strewn over the floor. Under the pages she found the stand to the crystal ball, which fell from her hands with a loud clatter as a scream broke out on the floor above them.

Sven…She listened carefully to the fae as he cried out from the upstairs bedroom. Lexi wanted to cover her ears from to shield herself from his cries, but couldn’t make her hands move. That was her punishment, she thought, to listen to his screaming as his wings rebuilt because of her stubbornness to go downstairs that day, causing his wing to be torn to shreds by that spear.

Her surroundings became muffled suddenly. She hadn’t registered the tears on her cheeks or the hands over her ears in the beginning. When she finally got the courage to open her eyes, she was met with Dillon’s eyes. His hands were shielding her from the sounds that chastised her. Sven’s cries went on a little while longer before the room was finally silent. She couldn’t tell why, but something in her told Lexi that Margeux had finally muted the boy in his room. And, as much as she didn’t want to admit to herself, Lexi couldn’t help but feel grateful they had ceased.

Her eyes focused again on the boy in front of her. His hands gently moved from the sides of her head to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Are you okay?” His voice was as soft as a feather as he pushed the sides of her hair behind her ears, focusing on her.

Lexi’s head dropped to meet her hands as she rubbed her eyes of any tears still trying to fall. She wanted to respond, but couldn’t think of the right words to say. She wasn’t okay. Would that be alright to tell him? Would it sound unremorseful if she did?

A soft hand moved to her jaw, tilting her head up carefully. “It’s not your fault.”

Part of her wanted to scream at him. It was her fault. Sven was only down there because she was too adamant to stay where she was told. Sven only got hurt because he was trying to bring her back to safety. And his wing only ripped because she wasn’t strong enough to help him. It was her fault. It was regretfully, miserably and completely her fault.

However, the other part of her wanted to take his comfort. The guilt was overwhelming, but she accepted his soothing arms, falling into them with desperation. The tears had started again, leaving their mark on his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t rub her back the way Warren had always done. Instead his arms were still and strong against her back. His chin was propped on her head as she wrapped own arms around his waist, fingers clinging to his shirt.

She was certain he was whispering something to calm her, he could feel it in his chest as he did, but she couldn’t tell what words he was offering to her. When she caught her breath and nerves once more, she could finally decipher what his lips were whispering against her hair. “Please don’t cry anymore. He’ll be okay. It won’t last long. Everything will be okay again. I promise.”

She stood there for a moment, letting his heartbeat soothe her just a bit more, before pulling back from his arms. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was weak as she looked up at him, shameful and disheartened.

“I know.” He smiled softly at her, keeping his arms gently around her waist. “But it’s going to be okay.” He pulled her forward, leaning down to whisper into her ear. “I think I’ve acquired a taste for you…”

Lexi could feel her cheeks burning before she turned to look at him. He was so close to her, his eyes shining like deep emeralds. His smile was devilish and tempting and only moving closer. She felt her eyes shut, as if on reflex as she felt his breath against her lips.

“So sorry to interrupt.” Lexi’s head turned quickly, smacking against Dillon’s as she looked over at the witch standing in the doorway.

Dillon sighed, rubbing his forehead as he stepped back. “But you did. What do you want, Margeux?”

The blonde chuckled, grinning brightly as Lexi hid her face, still radiating in embarrassment. “The elf’s awake.” Margeux told them. “And this place looks like crap still. So when you’re done interrogating him you have to finish this up.”

“Yeah yeah.” Dillon shoved his hands in his pockets as he headed to the doorway. “Coming Lex?” He glanced back at her with a smile.

She couldn’t make herself keep from smiling. “Yeah.”

The man looked worse than Lexi had remembered. He had a black eye, cuts along his face and arms, his lip was busted, and judging by his staggered breathing, he’d gotten some injuries to his ribs and chest as well. Despite the fact that he was trying to kidnap her and beat her friends, at least, she had to admit she felt a little guilty. When she thought of the crying fae in the next room, however, her remorse faded.

His head was laid back, as if he was trying to relax in the chair he was bound to, both by ropes and magic. “You already know who sent me.” He growled. “So what else do you plan to get from me?”

Dillon dropped into the seat across from him. “Just a little chat I guess. What’s your name?”

The man laughed darkly. “You think you’re going to intimidate me? You’re only a child at the end of your second decade. I may as well be interrogated by a dog.”

“He’s not the one playing ‘bad cop’ here.” Margeux propped her high heel clad foot on the chair between the elf’s legs. “I took the chance when you were sleeping to read your fears a bit. So I think it might be a good idea if you just cooperate some.”

He rolled his eyes. “I can’t tell you much even if I wanted to. Wren didn’t tell me a lot.”

She tilted her heel forward, watching the man wince in pain. “Then just answer what you can.” She put her foot back on the floor and leaned against the table. She picked up a jar from beside her. The insides were moving, but Lexi couldn’t tell what it was until Margeux pulled a spider from the glass, letting it crawl over her hand. “Alright?”

The man paled, nodding slowly. “My name is Garrow. I was part of the organization back when Hilde ran things.”

Dillon looked from Margeux back to the man, Garrow. “So you guys have reunited then?”

“Most of us. Some decided to stay out of it. They’ve got families and what not. Others have died or been killed in the centuries since then.” Garrow was eyeing the spider dancing across Margeux’s fingers suspiciously as he spoke. “But Wren has been recruiting new members every day.”

The brunette crossed his arms as he inspected the dark haired man across from him. “Is Wren planning on another takeover?”

“We assume so. But he hasn’t said. So far he’s been much more concerned in getting his changeling back.” His cold gaze left the spider and pointed to Lexi. He examined her closely from his seat. “I don’t really understand the appeal though.”

“So you’re just blindly following this guy and doing what he says. What if he has no intention of doing what you all want him to do? What if he just wants her back for his own reasons?”

“If he were being selfish he wouldn’t have all of the strong followers that he has. I’m not a higher up. I don’t have all of the information that you want.”

“Where is he?” Lexi stepped in, hands crossed over her chest nervously. “Where’s Wren at now?”

The man shrugged, uncaringly. “No idea. I got orders from someone else. I haven’t seen him since we met up at that elf’s cottage. He couldn’t get in so he asked some others to try. I went in and looked around before telling him no one was there, and then I went home. The next morning I got orders to come after you here.” He smiled at her. “But now that I’m out of commission only the stronger will come. Think you can do a repeat of that performance that out did me, girly?”

Lexi looked down. She wasn’t sure. She didn’t know how she’d done it last time, let alone would she know how to do it again. Or how to control it.

“I didn’t think so.” Garrow laughed roughly. “So you should all go ahead and get ready because you have some pretty large battles ahead of you.”

“We’ll be fine.” Dillon told him, sternly. “Sven will be able to fight next time, and I’ll have my weapons. I won’t be caught unprepared again.”

“Dillon.” Margeux looked at the boy with eyes narrowed. “Are you just going to tell him the whole game plan or something?” She looked at the man again. “I have a task for you, friend.” She placed the spider on the man’s hand gently.”

“Get that off.” Garrow’s face was white, eyes wide. “Get it off of me.”

“He’s afraid of spiders?” Lexi looked at Dillon, confused. How could such a strong person be afraid of a spider the size of a quarter?

“Not spiders. I’m afraid of that thing…” He clarified.

“This is a special spider.” Margeux explained. “It does what its master commands it to do. It’s even been known to eat people alive from the inside out. And this spider belongs to me.”

“Get this thing off of me now.” He jerked against the restraints, but couldn’t shake the arachnid climbing up his arm.

“We’re going to let you go, and you’re going to keep this pet of mine. You have to tell them exactly what we tell you to tell them, or else that spider is going to stay with you forever, understood?”

The spider moved across the man’s shoulder, making its way to the top of Garrow’s chest, exposed from the tears in the fabric of his shirt. Garrow’s voice dropped as he began chanting in a language Lexi couldn’t understand.

“Elf prayers don’t work on ridnea spiders. You know that, don’t you Garrow?” Margeux’s smile was dark and terrifying. “So just listen to what I want you to do.”

Garrow nodded, sweat gathering on his brow, hands clenching the armrests. “Whatever you say. Whatever will get this thing off of me…”

Margeux leaned in close, petting the small spider resting on him as she spoke. “You’re going to go back to your higher up. You won’t tell him anything of this spider. You’re not going to tell him anything of Lexi’s power. You’ll tell him you lost to me. Tell them that the realm knows about all of you, and tell them how you ripped a fae’s wing in half. I’m sure the fae in your group would love to hear about that.”

Garrow gulped, trying to catch his breath from fear. “O-okay.”

“And make sure they know Lexi is as weak as a normal human. Understood?” Margeux moved her hand away from the ridnea spider at last, giving the elf a sugar sweet smile as she stood straight.

He nodded quickly. “Understood. I promise…”

“Good. Because you’ll have someone watching, remember that.” As she told him, the spider seemed to melt into the man’s flesh, leaving what looked to be a dark black tattoo in its place.

Margeux moved her hands to the ropes binding him. She pulled lightly on the rope, as if they were thin threads laid over his wrists, before letting them fall to the floor. Garrow stood, feeling of the mark on his chest with shaking hands. “You’re also on a time limit.” She told him with a smile. “Six hours. Think you can make it?”

Garrow’s eyes widened. “I can.” He told her, nervously. Lexi wasn’t entirely sure if the man was telling the truth, or hoping. “I can make it.” He started walking towards the door quickly, before Dillon stopped him.

“One more question.”

Garrow looked over at Margeux, tapping her foot expectedly, before looking back at Dillon. “Hurry.”

“What does Wren want with Lexi?” Dillon’s eyes were narrow as he waited for the man’s response.

“Wren is going to be our king.” He explained, looking from Dillon to the girl in question. “And she’ll sit on the thrown beside him as our queen.”