Mist & Whispers by C.M. Lucas

had arrived, she stepped out into the camp, trying not to break the silence again. The fountain full of glorious Sunshine had gone and the fire had been restored.
    She rubbed her hands over her face and let out a soundless yawn. Her chest aside, she felt surprisingly good for a “morning after the night before” . No headache, no sickness – nothing. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a blur of deep blue fluttering through the trees ahead. Could Theone be hunting for breakfast? She followed after him, hoping that she might be able to help.
    They were deep into the forest before he landed, and the closer she got, the sooner Anya realised it wasn’t Theone at all. This boy was much shorter than Theone, and didn’t hold himself like a king.
    She was only a few feet away when she finally called out, ‘Hey, what are you doing out here?’
    The boy turned around. He had Theone’s eyes, and sandy, tousled hair that he’d swept back from his face. His wings were the same as the King’s too.
    ‘You’re Theone’s son, right?’ she said, noticing the sword resting at his side.
    He turned away and continued on his journey, unfazed by her presence. ‘You shouldn’t be here,’ he said, barely glancing over his shoulder.
    ‘Hey!’ she called, chasing after him. She grabbed his arm and when he spun round, his affronted eyes collided with hers and a surge of pure heat erupted beneath her hand, forcing her to let go.
    ‘How dare you grab me? I am the Prince!’ He was so arrogant, he could have been Michael.
    She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Theone said it wasn’t safe out here. The protective enchantments don’t work this far away from the camp.’
    ‘ You are but a girl. I am a Royal,’ he declared, standing tall. ‘I can do things you couldn’t even dream of. I can look after myself. Now leave, before you get me into trouble, and don’t speak of this to anyone back at the camp.’ With that, he carried on through the woods.
    ‘Are you asking me to lie? I can’t lie to the King! That would be seen as treason or something, would it not?’ It was a crafty move and she knew it, but she was, and always had been, a victim of her own curiosity. She couldn’t let him go without finding out what he was up to.
    The Prince let out a huff of exasperation and whirled around, meeting her cunning with gritted teeth. ‘He wouldn’t do anything to you , you have the mark,’ he said, not sounding convinced.
    ‘Would you take that risk? What if something happened to you and I had just let you walk off into the forest to your death, and then lied about seeing you? What would the soldiers think if they discovered the Marked One had been dishonest? They’d stop believing in me, in the prophecy – they might turn on your father! Do you really want that?’ She knew she was greatly over-exaggerating, but at least it had the desired effect.
    Harrion’s wings lowered with the drop of his defences and he let out another disgruntled huff. ‘Fine. Don’t go back to the camp then. Follow me, but don’t fall too far behind.’
    ‘And where are we going exactly?’ she asked him, picking up her pace.
    ‘We’re going to see the castle.’
    Something beneath the leaves cracked and Anya howled. ‘Owwwww!’ She dropped to the ground and examined her foot. A sharp stick had perforated the skin just by her toes, and fresh blood trickled through her fingers as she tried to suffocate the pain.
    ‘Why aren’t you wearing shoes?’ he said, shaking his head.
    ‘Well, I wasn’t expecting a hike in the woods with the Prince of Stealth when I woke up, was I?’ Harrion curled his lips and Anya’s voice softened. ‘Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.’
    He knelt down beside her and lifted her foot for a closer look. ‘That’ll be the Sunshine. It makes you forgetful.’
    ‘Wait; how do you know I was drinking sunshine? You weren’t at the feast; I’d have noticed another set of wings fluttering about the place.’
    ‘I was