Piercing My Heart

92

I held up the blade and sliced my forearm. I hissed from the incision. I then turned my arm and allowed the blood to drip onto the map. I then focused on accelerating my healing before performing the locator spell. I chanted and watched the blood snake around the map. It then ended right where Zena was last seen. Ahh! I punched the table before stepping back.

"This is incredibly frustrating."

"Anything?" Hailey nervously stood by the door.

"Do not speak." I held my finger up. "Don't utter another word." I passed her.

I entered a different room with a map plastered on the wall. I lifted my hand and levitated a needle. I tried a different locator spell and observed the needle move in a circular manner. It then violently shook before the map erupted in flames. I hissed my teeth and propelled the needle like it was a dart. I sighed and snapped my fingers to extinguish the flames.

"How am I supposed to find her, Hailey?" I spoke to the wall. "Nothing is working."

"It's because she's in a different realm."

"I know. I tried various inter dimension spells and they all come back incomplete!"

"Lara-"

"I trusted you to keep my daughter safe and you failed me. What was she doing outside the country?! You lied to me, Hailey." I sneered.

"I know. It was to follow a lead-"

"You were supposed to watch over here. Always be by her side, but she's now helpless and gravely injured according to you. She may die."

"Lara-"

"It's the truth and you know it. I'm not even being dramatic." I ran a hand through my hair. "We can't access different realms via the portals and you knew this. Yet, you allowed her to leave the confines of the campus. Where she was safe." I paused. "Where I was. I could've kept her safe and you took her from me."

"I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter now." I shook my head. "She's gone and I'm gonna get her back. I just don't know how yet." I admitted.

"Allura." Alec entered the room. "You'll want to see this."

Hailey and I eyed each other before following him. Alec led us to the balcony where a person's back was to us. I furrowed my brows before approaching her. She turned and sent me a tired smile.

"I don't have time to strategize with you. My child-"

"I heard, but we're in the same boat."

"Explain, Adira."

"Nyx and Ken are also missing. Though, it's a different circumstance than yours."

"How so?" I crossed my arms.

"Eris pushed them into the dark realm. She then fled."

"Seems fitting for a coward." I concluded. "Do you think she's aiding Lilitu?"

"No." Adira stared at the sky. "I think she's enacting revenge."

"On who exactly?

"Me."

"What'd you do, Queen?" I smirked.

"I haven't been as proactive in the unfair treatment of fairies. They're treated as second class citizens, but I haven't made any policies to protect them and give them the same rights. I thought making Eris, a fairy, an a divisor would help any unrest amongst them."

"You should know putting a singular minority on a panel doesn't change the treatment of the group as a whole." I spoke. "She was just a face to an imaginary quota that you filled. You actually had to try with her. Not just put her there and essentially shut her up."