***
When I finally get into the shower, the warm water washes all the blood and mud off my body.
Abella explains that soon a new guard will be assigned to me and he will never let me get close to Gabriel. Her plans are unclear, but I don’t know what other choice I have. She is trying to help me because I am her granddaughter. I have so many questions about my parents, but she isn't going to explain anything until Gabriel is safe. All these ideas and plans sound simple, but I still don't know what's going to happen after we are reunited.
Abella leaves my house. She doesn't want to say where she is going, leaving me even more frustrated than I have ever been. I think about poor Herne and about her family. Everything has gone so horribly wrong; she is the second person who has died because of me.
I put the bloodstained clothes in the bin. My whole life seems to be falling apart. The new Sprite is already guarding my door. He is probably prohibited from talking to me and walking into the house, as he knows that I can see him. I bring up the memories from the beach; now I am in Rose’s debt. She saved my life, along with Gabriel.
As the evening approaches I keep looking out the window, wondering if Abella is going to come back. She might have lied to me; maybe she wasn’t related to me at all. An hour later I hear the faint knock on the front door.
‘Cold iron should do the job,’ she says, walking inside smiling widely. I exhale with relief. Maybe I am lucky after all.
‘I remember you told me to use iron when we met in the restaurant,’ I say.
‘Restaurant?’ she asks, confused. Her expression shifts and her eyes darken.
‘Yes, you remember, it was a few months ago. You stopped me on the stairs and warned me to use iron,’ I explain.
She is silent for a long moment. ‘Yes, I remember. Iron will always protect you.’
Then she goes through what I have to do with the knife that she has brought. I always thought that iron’s power was just a legend, but she assures me that it works well with any fairy creature, disabling them for at least twenty-four hours. She also mentions that there is another, more powerful iron that can kill a Sprite instantly. Humans used whatever they had to keep Sprites away from newborns.
Her plan is exceptionally straightforward: I have to get rid of my new Sprite that is going to influence me from now on and head to the Mumbles where Gabriel is being kept. My iron knife is in my pocket and I can’t hesitate; I have only one chance.
I leave the house around 8 pm, feeling the soaring pain in my stomach. I don’t know what to expect, but at the same time I am petrified, biting my lips nervously. I start walking, moving slowly towards Singleton Park. I just have to make sure that he will keep following me. I only caught a glimpse of him. He is blond and probably handsome, but I have to focus on the task ahead of me.
Within a few hours, it will be completely dark, so I have to move fast. I walk for around twenty minutes, passing the roundabout opposite the student accommodation where a few cars drive through. I reach the gate to the park. The timing is perfect as it is the day after exams, so all the students have vanished and the university is deserted. There are only the residents who are enjoying the pleasant walk on this humid summer day.
My heart is hammering in my chest and I keep going over and over the plan in my mind, determined not to mess up this time. My Sprite guard is just by me and the adrenaline starts pumping through my body. I have to do this for Herne and Amy; Richard is going to pay for what he’s done.
I pass a few people with dogs on the way and the Sprites that are following them. For the first time, I don’t have to force myself not to look at them. It is official. The news has spread quite quickly, they know that I can see them. They are glancing at me, whispering amongst themselves.
I pass the entrance to the university and look ahead to avoid seeing how far behind me my other Sprite guard is. He doesn’t want to walk too close to me, which is all right with me. After another ten minutes, I turn sharp right and start running as fast as I can. I hide behind the large bushes, breathing heavily. The beads of sweat roll down my back; he is going to look for me. He can probably feel me near. Abella mentioned that he is inexperienced, but he is aware of my ability.
I stop breathing and listen, squeezing the small knife in my hand. I spot the sight of his tall posture. He is following the main path ahead, looking for me anxiously. He has long blond hair and wide shoulders. I wait until he passes, hoping that he won’t see me. I creep out around the tree to get close to him; I have to act fast, otherwise he will sense that I am near. A metre away I freeze. Before he can turn around, I jump out of my spot and slash his bare arm with the knife. He grabs my wrist and the knife falls on the ground. The colour drains from my face and my stomach contracts when in a split second our eyes meet. But before he can react, he falls to the ground unconscious. My heart is thumping in my chest when I stare at his still body. I have managed to knock him off. My mind is blank, but I force myself to move. The path is empty when I drag him away.
My heart is beating like crazy, but I feel that there is still hope. Gabriel is going live if I hurry up.
20