Happily Ever Awkward (The H.E.A. Files, #1)(41)

Battle cries erupted from every side and a gang of fierce-looking Flitterlings tumbled from hiding. Strange tribal tattoos covered their wings, unlike the pristine wings of the Flitterlings in town, and they glowed a dark, luminous purple. The gang surrounded Paul in a barbaric circle of wild hair, painted faces, and leather armor. Though they were only three feet tall, they looked quite terrifying, and Paul nearly experienced a minor situation with his bladder.

“Something tells me these Flitterlings don’t live to frolic,” the Singing Sword muttered.

Flicker, the warlord Flitterling, jackknifed over the others and landed in an acrobatic crouch across the circle from Paul. She had sleek limbs and long dark hair wound in tight braids about her head. Twin bandoleers of tiny, infant-sized blades crossed her chest in an X. After sweeping the violet glow of her eyes over the prince, she casually plucked a knife from one of her belts and hurled it at him. As it sailed through the air, the blade magically grew to man-sized proportions before it unerringly knocked the Singing Sword from Paul’s grasp.

“I hummed you this would happen!” the Sword wailed as it plopped into the dirt.

Flicker strutted slowly across the circle. “Well, well, well, well, well. What manner of creature has chanced into our hunting grounds, eh? Why, we’ve netted a Manling!”

“I… I meant no harm,” the prince stammered. “I am Paul, crowned Prince of Lilypine—”

“A royal Manling!” Flicker declared.

Jeers and catcalls exploded from the crowd. Flicker unfurled her deep violet wings and took flight, slowly circling her captive. “So tell me, prince, what brings you to the slums of Saraan-Vishta?”

“I come… I’m here because I need—”

“Ah! So you come to take. Always you nobles come to take!”

“Please, I—”

“Take! And take! And take!” Flicker jabbed her finger at Paul’s face. “Your kind convinced us to prostitute our magic so you could take it. Turned us into servants and errand-beings so you could take us! Then forced us into the slums when your economy couldn’t support a surplus of our kind — and took our dignity! No more! It stops here! And it starts with you!”

The warlord Flitterling spun to face her gang and swooped around the circumference of the circle. “We’re fierce, we’re Flitterlings, and we’re in your face!”

The gang screamed right back at her, “We’re fierce, we’re Flitterlings, and we’re in your face!”

Paul could feel his heart like a fist punching against his ribcage. His breath came in shorter and shorter gasps. He closed his eyes, clutched handfuls of dirt, and forced himself to calm down… to take slower and deeper breaths… to think. “Stand up,” he whispered to himself. “Stand up, no matter what.”

So stand up he did.

“I’m… I’m not afraid of you,” he said.

Flicker swung in Paul’s direction. “You must be very brave, or you must be very lying.”

Paul pressed ahead. “I see your conditions. I… I understand your anger, but… please, I do not expect to take something from you for nothing.”

A strangely melodic laugh escaped Flicker’s mouth. “Promises mean a lot coming from a Manling in a net!”

Paul’s mind raced. A thought was beginning to form. “Perhaps… I can help you. A… a bargain. I propose a bargain. Yes. Look around you — is this what you want? The forests of my kingdom are vast and untouched — I offer them to you. If you will help me, I guarantee sanctuary to you all.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Flicker slowly clapped her tiny hands. “Stirring, but you are still a monarch, full of lies like all the rest. There will be no bargains.”

Paul had gone too far to stop now. Taking another deep breath, he said, “My Quest is urgent. I require your aid. If you refuse to give it, then… I… I… I want you to smite me as hard as you can.”

The gang instantly fell silent. Just for a moment, not even Flicker could hide her shock.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“You… I think you heard me.”

“You challenge me. To a duel.”

“To win your allegiance, I… yes, I do.”

A broad smile split Flicker’s face. “Well, this suddenly got interesting.”

She drifted up to Paul’s face and hovered there, nose to nose.

“You’re scared, boy. There’s the stink of a curse all over you. A curse… and something more.” Flicker’s eyes widened in surprise. “Something wild.” The warlord smiled, intrigued. “You might be worth my time after all.” She gestured and the net dissolved into wisps of golden glitter. “Show me.”

Paul scrambled to his feet and scrabbled the Singing Sword from the ground. He spun to face Flicker as the warlord bounded back and drew two more of her tiny daggers. To an outside observer, the fight appeared to be incredibly mismatched, for Paul stood twice as tall as his Flitterling opponent, but even so, Paul hesitated.

“SHOW ME!” Flicker yelled.

Startled into motion, Paul whirled his sword through a dramatic demonstration of the moves he’d been practicing on the Sphinx. To an outside observer, the display appeared both impressive and intimidating.