“You can’t be serious,”
said Cage.
“I am,” said the mayor,
“all this gentleman has to do is think wisely and agree to not hurt anyone
else.” He turned to Elise. “I hope you’ll make the same agreement when this is
all over. We’ve allowed your curse because of that dastardly act those men did
so long ago, with the hope that you’ll realize we aren’t them. We aren’t them,
Elise.” He turned back to Paul. “We aren’t here to harm anyone. Can you say the
same? Wouldn’t you like to live in peace?”
“Peace you say?” said
Paul as he scratched his chin.
“Yes,” said the mayor,
“peace is what we’re offering.”
“No thanks.” Paul threw
out his hand causing a vicious gust of wind to knock the mayor off his feet,
sending him somersaulting across the street. Two of the townsmen rushed over
to help the mayor to his feet once he stopped tumbling.
“I’m fine,” hollered the
mayor. “Give him hell.”
Elise tried to think of
the best spell going forward, but before the words could form or her fingers
could flex, Cage took off into a run toward Paul.
Chapter
11
“No, wait,” cried Elise,
but it was too late. Cage barreled into Paul, sending them both flying
backwards into a scuffle. To the average eye, it looked like an old-fashioned
fist fight as the two men rolled around punching each other on the sidewalk,
but Elise knew every punch had the power of a sledgehammer.
She thought of what the
mayor had said about the pixies moving in. She wished she could call on the
fairies, but knew they wouldn’t get involved unless they had to. They had
stayed away from human interaction for centuries and they weren’t about to show
themselves to the townspeople of Apple Hill now, even if the town declared
itself a haven. But she could ask nature for help. Nature would know that
Paul’s destruction of the town would hurt both human, flora, and fauna.
“Mother
Nature I call to thee, please Mother Nature hear my plea. In our mist we have a
foe, one of which must surely go. Please send your help, we need it now. Please
send your help, you have my vow. Help these souls keep this town and I will
bestow to it a crown. This is a place a rest and peace, now please rid us of
this beast.”
Elise heard Mother Nature
answer her call as Cage let out a cry of anguish as Paul’s fist met with his
rib, causing Cage to roll away.
“Now!” she cried.
A buzz filled the air
causing the townspeople to drop to the ground and cover their ears as hundreds
of bees, hornets, and wasps swarmed toward Paul. His arms flew up as he tried
to cover his head from their stings, but Elise knew there were too many as they
assaulted his skin and flew up his nose and into his ears and mouth.
A flash of black followed
the swarm in causing Elise to blink hard and focused on the black mass. At
first she thought the fog had come back to aid Paul, but as the figure took
form she realized it was not the dangerous mist, but a demonic looking humanoid
that was fighting Paul, not helping him.
It took Elise only a
moment to realize who the humanoid was, it was someone who had been by her side
constantly, but she had only seen his true form once. It was Roark.
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