The Hunt

Chapter Eight

The sprite servant looked in the Cold Sprites Queen direction for confirmation. Her slight nod indicated her agreement with Angelique's words. 

The servant averted her eyes back onto the impatient Princess. 

"Of course. It is this way."

With a small bow, she pointed into a dark part of the forest. Acknowledging the Cold Sprite Queen, Angelique rushed in that direction with her heart in her throat. Shying away loose branches and climbing over shallow roots intertwined on the ground, she appeared next to a small stream. 

Placing a hand over her eyes, for the sunlight penetrating through the trees was unbearable, she gasped when Diana was lying broken and bleeding in the water. Rushing towards her, she fell onto her knees in the flowing water next to her. 

Ignoring the cold water flowing underneath her and wetting the coat, Angelique was saddened. Biting her lip, her hands hovered Diana, for she was unsure of where to touch her wounded body.

“Oh, you poor thing. If only you and I did not share a bond, you would have escaped without being hurt.”

Whimpering, she hastily brushed the tears falling down her cheeks. As if sensing her presence, Diana tried to stand with a soft neigh, but Angelique rests her hands against her neck, and threading her fingers through her wet fur, she murmured. 

“We are safe now.”

Conjuring her healing affinities from nature, she slowly closed every single wound on Diana's body. Slowly, she stood from the shallow water. A smile split Angelique across her face as she followed suit. Placing her face against her neck, she closed her eyes.

I am glad that you survived.

“We need to leave here immediately. I sense Lycans are approaching."

Turning in the direction of the Cold Sprites Queen, she frowned. Her heart nervously raced at the mention of the beast of a man, but a deep part of her heart was scowling at her lack of commitment in waiting for his return, something she quickly dismissed. She bit her lip when a loud howl permitted the air.

The man had returned earlier than she had thought.

Can I ride you?

Of course, you can, my pet.  

Happy that Diana was back to good spirits, Angelique saddled her with the help of her plants. However, the Queen shook her head in denial, for she had another plan of travel. 

“I will bring us to my Kingdom using a portal. If we move on foot, the Lycan will have a better opportunity to catch up to us.”

Understandably nodding, Angelique slid off Diana. She patiently waited, but her nervousness was becoming intolerable, for she had never been through a portal to anywhere before. Another loud howl that sounded too close for comfort caused Angelique to shiver.

Waving a hand in the air, the Cold Sprites Queen quickly formed balls of ice in her hands. Suddenly, a loud growl and crunching of leaves could be heard, which caused Angelique to freeze. From a part of the forest, the beast walked into the clearing. It snarled at the new company.

With hackles raised and teeth bared, he made to lung at the Sprites Cold Queen, but she intercepted his attack by forming a thick wall of ice in front of him. 

The beast was furious, its sharp claws scratching the solid ice.

The Cold Sprites Queen used such a scenario to her advantage. Forming a portal in front of herself, she spoke with haste. 

“Please enter into the portal, Princess.”

Glancing at the angry beast scratching and smacking itself against the thick ice, Angelique with Diana hesitantly walked into the portal with the Cold Sprites Queen and the servant quickly following behind. They left the loudly growling and whimpering Lycan to materialize in a beautiful part of a meadow in the Sprites Kingdom. Jumping through the dissipating ice wall, the Lycan whimpered. Raising its nose to the sky, it let out a loud and distressing howl. Other howls quickly followed suit. Dashing back into the dark woods tears, fell down its eyes like rain. 

The moment she stepped through the portal, Angelique's breathing became haggard, the change in the environment affecting her senses.

She sagged against Diana when a pounding headache had issued. Unbeknownst to her lack of variation, the Cold Sprites Queen smiled.

“Welcome to the Sprites Kingdom, Princess Angelique. You can reside here as long as you like. Whatever update I find about your father, I will bring it to your attention.”

Angelique was thankful as she gazed at the meadow. 

"I appreciate your hospitality, your highness."

Angelique closed her eyes, the sunlight piercing. She felt uncomfortable. Sweet-scented flowers wafted through her nose, and a cool breeze brushed against her skin, but Angelique did not feel calm. On the contrary, she felt like a snake was coiling around her neck. Placing a hand on her chest, she felt lightheaded. Diana sat on her haunches, her tongue lagging out of her mouth. She was still recovering from her injuries. 

The Cold Sprites Queen shook her head as she walked closer to take the young Princess's hands in her.

“You shall address me as Pearle from now on, and nothing else, for I was your mother's best friend before she passed. You are like a daughter to me. The nagging you gave me when you were younger to teach you how to harness and use your ice techniques have made that a reality.” 

Feeling tears pooling in her eyes, Angelique tried to control her emotions, but it was all over the place. 

Suddenly, her body felt heavy, and she became hot all over. Sweat broke off on her head, and breathing in and out became difficult. 

Gasping and pulling her hands from hers because her skin was piping hot, Pearle barked a command at the servant to fetch the physician. 

Barely catching the falling Angelique, Pearle frowned. 

She had forgotten the frail Princess had never experienced passing through a portal. 

Wincing from the heat coming from Angelique’s body, Pearle hissed, for it was burning through the sleeves of her expensive dress. Quickly, she formed a barrier of ice around her person to lessen the burn, but it was not enough.  

Angelique moaned when the wound around her neck begun to hurt.  

She felt disoriented and could no longer stay awake. Feeling her body shutting down, she fell unconscious in Pearle's arms.