Door to Darkness

Two months had passed since then and Alice had not dared to enter Finnian's dreams again. He grew more frightening by the day, continuing to narrate things aloud. Some days he wasn't so bad, seeming friendlier than usual. It was on those days that he would lead her around the castle, until someone did something to frustrate him, and he would throw her back in her room.

Alice spent a lot of time getting to know Damien and practicing her powers. She would spend time in the cave that was his mind, but most of the time they were in her field- with the darkness creeping ever closer.

It was very close this time when Drevin came to her- closer than either of them had expected. He sat next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry too much," he told her. "It really is more than likely just your old memories."

Alice nodded, and for the rest of their time they practiced and sharpened her powers. She could do things now with very little pain in her head, which she was glad for. Those headaches took a lot out of her.

The next night when Drevin came to her, his expression was grim. The darkness was close to hovering above their heads.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's about time I spoke to you about my plans," he replied quietly. "Though I fear they might upset you."

"What are your plans?" she placed a hand on his arm. Whatever they were, she felt there was no way that they would make her think ill of him. "Tell me, please."

"I plan to overthrow Finnian," he said slowly. Finnian's words danced about the back of her head sluggishly, and my seat of power from me. "It's the only way we can truly break free of this place- he's keeping us trapped here."

"But- how can we do that?" Alice's shoulders slumped.

"No doubt he'll quickly discover our plans, and try his best to keep you from seeing me," Drevin placed his hands on her shoulders. "My dear Alice, you mustn't let him keep us from doing this."

"Still how are we to even take the throne from him?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"All in due time," he smiled reassuringly.

Her head began to hurt then, and Drevin disappeared. Why was her head hurting? She woke up to see Finnian hovering over her.

"What- what are you doing here?" she asked groggily. "Don't you have other things to attend to?"

"It is mid-day Alice," Finnian sighed. "Yes; the important business requires your presence."

He leaned away for a moment, about to walk away, then leaned back over her, pressing his hands into the mattress on either side of her. "You saw him again, did you not? In your dreams."

"So what if I did?" she looked away from him.

"Alice, that man is poison," he spat the word out like he truly knew it. "He will corrupt your thoughts and have you plotting against me in no time."

"Funny, he said the same things about you," Alice crossed her arms when Finnian allowed her to sit up.

"And who is the one who has protected you all this time?" his voice was near a whisper. "Who is the one who is trying his best to break us all free of this rotten place? Alice, please- promise me you will at least be wary of him and watchful of what he says and does. Keep a close eye on him and do not let him hurt you."

He held her face in his hands, dragging out his last words and searching her eyes. Finnian made a valid point. No matter how terrifying the man became, he had never hurt her- not intentionally. Sometimes he would grip her arm or wrist too tightly.

"Okay," Alice nodded."

"Thank you," he whispered and slipped away. "Now I will let you dress, and then we shall be off."

"Is it another party?" Alice asked as she pulled herself out of bed.

"Something magical," Finnian said. She saw a brilliant sparkle to his eye before he disappeared and closed the door behind himself.

When he returned she was wearing a pale yellow gown. He looked her over carefully, and Alice felt her face grow warm under his gaze. She made her way over tot he door where he stood.

"We should go now," she told him.

"Yes, right," Finnian nodded, snapping out of whatever daze he was in. He linked his arm with hers and lead them along. "Let us be off then."

She was silent for a few minutes before she thought to ask again, "So, where are we going today?"

"I could not forgive myself if I spoiled the surprise," Finnian grinned, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"I don't like surprises much." Alice was tempted to pout, to see if that would sway the frightening man even the slightest bit.

"Well, then I feel sorry for you," he chuckled. "There are some truly wonderful surprises in this world." He looked at her properly when he said that.

"Oh," she looked away from him. Alice wasn't sure how to feel about that; how to interpret it. They continued on in silence.

"Here we are," Finnian said at last.

Before them was a wall made of glass, with a glass door that stood open to a beautiful garden. Flowers of all sorts of colours and species were all over the place, along with other different species of plants and trees. Glittering lights danced from flower to flower.

"What are those?" Alice whispered. leaning over to him though her eyes were still on the lights.

"Fairies; the last of their kind," he replied. "Remnants of a world that once was. I brought them here a long time ago, as the new world did not accept or need them anymore."

"How sad," Alice sighed. She made her way over to the flowers to look at the creatures more closely.

"Be careful- they are not all that they seem," Finnian warned her.

One of the balls of light bit her finger as she reached out to it, and it transformed into a tiny, cackling, feathered beast.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, cradling her finger against her chest.

The rest of the creatures revealed that they too were feathered beasts, small and laughing at her misfortune. They were each different colours she noticed. Finnian chuckled as well.

"I told you," he said as he walked over to her.

"They're so mean!" she complained.

"They were not always like that," Finnian nodded, "they were corrupted by the black fairy."

"The black fairy?" Alice glanced up at Finnian.

"You grew up in a different world," he said. "But in my world, we had fairy tales of our own. They were all true though. The Lonely Princess, the story of a powerful sorceress who at a young age conjured up many fairies. They were all corrupted- including the sorceress herself- by the black fairy."

"Oh," she watched them with sad eyes.

"All, but one: the white fairy." Finnian made his way over to a rather large pink flower whose petals had not yet pulled open. He gently tapped the top of the flower with the tip of his middle finger, and pulled out a white version of the feathered beasts. "I want you to have her."

Alice held out her hands so that he could place the tiny fairy within them. Its feathers tickled her fingers, and it clung gently to her hand, looking up at her with dark eyes.

"What do I do with it?" Alice asked.

"That is up to you," Finnian said. "You can keep her as a guardian."

"Okay." Alice continued to stare at the tiny creature, and it stared back at her.

You are followed by something more evil than Finnian, a little voice invaded Alice's thoughts. Be cautious. Her eye widened and she realized the fairy was speaking to her through her mind. She nodded and held it close to her.

Alice, Finnian, and the fairy spent a good portion of the day in the garden, with food being brought to them on occasion. At the end of the day Alice was brought back to her bedroom, and she curled up under the covers with the fairy.

Be cautious, the fairy said to her again as she drifted to sleep, and remember who you are.