Lola stepped out of her room, bare feet barely making a sound as she crept down the hallway.
She didn’t want to risk waking them. Grabbing her shoes and her purse, she turned the lock and twisted the doorknob, pulling the door open. Slipping into the empty hallway. Shutting the door softly. She prayed that it didn’t wake the others. Her heart thudding in her chest as she let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Resting her forehead against the cool wood of the front door, she took a moment to breathe before slipping on her shoes. Lola walked past the elevator with a longing glance. The entire time she’d lived in the building it had never worked, and she wondered if the handsome, blond landlord would ever get it fixed.
She opened up the door to the stairwell, quickly rushing down the steps. Once she was outs
FOUR YEARS LATERPushing her hair out of her eyes, Lola let out a huff as Lu rounded the corner. A bright green-eyed toddler clinging to his back. Her copper curls bouncing in the slight breeze as he bounced her around the yard."There’s your mum.”“Mummy,” the girl shouted, she pointed over her father’s shoulder, “Auntie Queen is here.”“Lu, be careful with her.” Lola chided with a small smile as Lu galloped her around the yard. She turned her head, looking over at the Queen.“Your majesty.” She said, dipping her head.“Lola, how many times have I asked you to call me Callie?”“It still feels strange.”“We’re family. You’re sister and I are ruling the courts together.”
Bodach moved through the antique shop, searching for any signs of Lola. He could hear Lu and Merrow doing the same. Their movements didn’t cover up the footsteps he could hear above them. He wondered if it was Lola and what she could be doing here.He was more in tune with his primal side when it came to her. He paused, hearing the whispers of voices as Merrow moved closer to him.“She’s here.” Bodach whispered.Merrow nodded his head, looking up. Lu came out of the kitchen, her purse clutched in his hands.“Aye.”A loud crash pulled their attention upwards. It was quiet after that, and Bodach felt anxiety well up in the pit of his stomach. He moved towards the stairs, Lu and Merrow on his heals as they tried to keep their steps quiet.
“Not a word.” Lu squeaked out as he looked up at the towering forms of Bodach and Merrow.“My coileach is bigger than you.” Bodach said. His hand coming up to his mouth to hold in his laughter. Lu glared up at Merrow, waiting for the other man to say anything about his current size.“He is a wee-thing, but hurry on. Be safe.” He said, motioning the other man towards the building. “Let us in when you’re in.”Rolling his eyes, Lu turned away from the others. It would have been more dramatic if he weren’t so small. He was roughly about six inches tall. Already he’d walked around the building searching for an opening that he could fit through. When he’d found it, he couldn’t help but let out a groan.Knowing that he wasn’t going to hear the end
Bodach strode forward, his feet pounding the hot pavement. It would have gone quicker if he were alone. He didn’t want to risk the others doing something rash without him, though. He didn’t trust them not to. He felt the ache as much as they did for Puca.He didn’t want to believe that the other man was dead. He couldn’t accept it. They’d fought together for so long that a world without Puca seemed so empty.“Bodach, wait.” Lu’s hand on his forearm pulled him from his thoughts.“For what? We’re almost there.”“Can you not feel it?” Lu asked, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight.“Lu is right, it’s the magic of the queen. Same as in the forest.” Merrow said, looking towards the antique shop and th
Lola dropped her hands to her sides, spinning around to face Erik. Watching him as he came into the room, she hoped he couldn’t tell that she had been up to something.“I thought you might be hungry.”He said, moving closer to the cell. He sat the tray on the chair that sat outside of her cage, pulling out a ring of heavy looking keys.“You could always let me out,” Lola said, crossing her arms under her breasts.“To eat, I mean.” She added, not holding her breath.“Now Lola, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”Erik chided as he unlocked the door. Moving to pick up the tray, “What happened to Puca?”Looking down at the floor, Lola didn’t say anything as she pressed her lips together, closing her eyes.“So you killed him?”
Lola crawled off of Puca, grabbing his shirt to cover him up. She didn’t want Callie or Erik to see him like this as he struggled to breathe. She pulled her sundress on, pressing her back against the wall as she wrapped her arms around her legs. Her chest shook as she tried to hold in her sob.She didn’t know if she’d killed Puca, but nothing she had done had helped the man she loved.His breathing was shallow, gurgling with the water that had filled his lungs.Lola didn’t know that his connection with Merrow was the only thing keeping him alive.The door creaked open. Lola couldn’t help the fear that ripped through her. She didn’t want to see Erik to be reminded that this was her fault.Looking up at the woman, she put her hand over her mouth.Trying to hold back a sob she knew wouldn’t help her. The seelie