Once Upon A Magic Flower

CHAPTER 3 Annelise

I force my slightly open mouth close.

I just watched someone disappear.
I just watched someone disappear.
I just watched someone disappear.

My mind must be playing with me. Was he an elf or a fairy, a creature the two men talked about? That explains their words, the two kingdoms, the glittering blood, the lost princess, the mythical creature... they are all... real?

Is it illegal that I'm not in Atlanta right now?

My knees give me up as my heart suddenly feels heavy. I have to get out of here. I close my eyes, shake my head. I have nowhere to go. I don't even have a map let alone money. I did take some but i have no idea how much or important they are. A strong, chain like, comb is created in my tummy.

This feeling is back, I'm missing something.

I collect all my strength as i get up and run. Running to nowhere specifically. I'm already lost anyway.

Mother lied to me.
She lied.
She told me i was important.
She told me the world i always wanted to be a part of was dangerous for me.
She told me i was different.

And i was stupid enough to believe her. Is she even my mother? If she was her blood should glitter too, but every time i saw her bleed her blood was crystal clear red and nothing shiny. Nothing shiny...

What is happening? How did my life flip just like that?

I brush angry tears with the back of my hand, still running to the unknown forest, not the same i walked before.

"You are not supposed to be here." The same boy's voice was heard. I stop. "Where are you?" I ask scanning for his presence. "Who are you?"

A handsome serious face came slowly out of the shadows. Dark hair, ocean blue eyes that also reminded of ice, smooth skin, tall. He looks like a warrior. "Who are you?" I repeat.

"My name is Dorian Ryder and I have come to escort yo-" he stops as his eyes drive to the middle of my chest. I rapidly frown and cover the part of my body his gaze landed on.

His eyes turn icy then back to normal as he asks "The aura... Where did you get that?"

"What?"

"That necklace."

Oh. My necklace was what he was looking at. A wave of relief washed off my cold sweat as i say "It's none of your business."

"I'll tell you my business if you explain how that stone end up in your hands."

"Oh please, i have nothing to explain." I say as i pass him nearly bumping his shoulder from some kind of anger. "We are not done yet." He says as he grabs my hand. I almost tripped.

"Believe me, we are." I pull my hand from his grip wiping it on my cape avoiding meeting his eyes. They seem kind of scary.

It's my first time having an actual conversation (argument) with an other living creature except mother. And it's weird.

"We are not done until i say that we are." He says with a commanding tone in his voice.

"Why are you talking to me as if we know eachother? And oh stars! There is no we." I sigh then continue "Why did you approach me, Mr Ryder?"

"Calling me Dorian would be fine, we are about the same age anyway. I am assigned to find lost Atlanta that were taken by the Atlantica people before the war broke. And you might be one of those people." He explains slowly. "You feel like you are missing something, right?"

This time i look him in the eye as i cleng my heart. This feeling of something missing and all the air draining out of me was happening because of a reason? He must have read my thoughts as he explains once again "I'm right, aren't I? When we are away from our home it is only natural our bodies react this way, but it gets worse over the years. For how long have you lived here?"

"For as long as i can remember." I say, my hand still on my chest.

"How old are you, my darling?" "I'm seventeen. And it's Anna, not your darling."
There's no way I'm telling him my full name.

"Same difference, Anna. I'm eighteen, so you can talk comfortably with me" "We won't be talking any more, mr Ryder."

"I'm sorry but i can't leave you here. Now that i have found you i have to take you back either you want it or not. You are safe with me." He put his hand on my shoulder. I shake my shoulder lightly to give him a hint to take his hand away. "Please stop touching me."

"What have they done to you?" He asks with something like concern in his eyes, his hand raises trying to cup my cheek. I turn my head. "What have they done to me?" I ask ironically "Look, mr Ryder or Ryder, whatever just pretend you never saw me. I'll do the same. That way we can continue our paths separately." I say as i walk away. This time he doesn't grab my hand.

"You don't know the way to Atlanta and even if you find it you can't cross the sparkling sea alone, it's dangerous and even if you cross the sparkling sea you don't know where to go after. You need a guide and I'm the perfect person for that job." I turn to look at him. "I will escort you to Atlanta safely in exchange for your necklace."

"No. I'm not giving this necklace to anyone i met at a random day." I snap.

"Then i can be something more than anyone you met one day. We can be fr-" "That's not what i was trying to say." I shake my head.

I hug my necklace with my hand allowing me to take a look at it. It's a small blue flower made out of a sparkly stone. It always felt special to me as it was mother's gift for my first birthday. I always remember me wearing it. She warned me never to take it off. If I'm going to use Ryder to go to Atlanta I'll have to take it out and i promised never to take it off.

Mother once promised me she would never lie to me and she did. In the end, promises are just words.

"Fine." I confidently let our gazes meet "I'll come with you and you'll take my necklace in exchange. After i reach my destination and you take the necklace, our paths may never cross again."

"Perfect! Then we have a deal." He exclaims quite exited as he takes out a dagger from his belt. I take a step back, my heart beating wild. With a quick scan i try to find a way to run if necessary.

"No-" He raised his hands but that makes me want to flee even more. "I'm not here to cause you harm, Anna. Have you never made a deal in your life?"

"No?" "Were you living inside a tower or something?"

"Yes?" "Wait. What? For how long?" He asks.

"Since i was a baby i guess. I remember all my life living there. I don't want to talk about that right now and it's none of your business."

After taking a moment to examine me he opens his mouth "Deals are made through a blood contract. That means we have to prick our fingers and let them touch mixing our blood in the way. That's the way a contract is made." After saying that he pricks his finger with the dagger then hands it to me.

I watch as his glittering blood falls on the ground. "You are like me!" I shout, instantly regretting it. "You shouldn't let other people see your blood!" I whisper covering his hand with both my hands at the same time searching for other eyes.

"What are you talking about? Yes, it might be illegal for Atlanta people to be in Atlantica but I'm not in danger." He put his free hand above mine.

"It's not dangerous?" I ask. "But there are people who want to kill us."

"No. No, there is nobody who can kill us. We are magical creatures, Anna, we are the one's that can kill them." "Oh,"

"Now, do you want to continue our deal?" He asks drawing my attention to our hands. I rapidly take my hands off of his and prick my finger with the dagger.

Our fingers touch and glittering blood from both of us drops on the ground. A glowing flower grows right in front of my eyes in the exact same spot our blood fell on the ground.

"This has never happened before." Ryder mutters and i pretend i haven't heard him as i say "Our deal is done."

I can't wait for all of this to end. That way I'll never in my life have the need to see this face again.

If you liked this chapter please vote or comment (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠✧⁠*⁠。