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?You seem tired, Ophelia.? Alsia leaned against the tree she had nearly thrown Kate into and smiled at her. Ophelia ignored the comment, barely resisiting growling at her. She took a couple of deep breaths and reminded herself they had to discuss this calmly.

?Were you ever going to tell me?? she asked finally.

?Of course. Once I was sure that you weren’t going to turn on me or sooner if events got the better of me.? Read the rest of this entry »

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“Er…” she began to ask if anyone knew what was going on but before she could Paritan appeared in front of her, grabbed her and spun her around, his shield surrounding both of them. “Wha…” she said as he released her and sank to the grass blood soaking his clothing. She shook her head trying to figure out what had happened then spotted the Kithraean boy charging towards them only to be intercepted by Tilaran. It must have been him.

“Are you alright?” Paritan asked. Read the rest of this entry »

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She caught herself and managed to jump down, landing in a crouch and looked around for the source of the disturbance while trying to push aside the red mist of a rising rage that she thought had its source in the Key. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Paritan stiffen and turn to glare at something.

When she turned to follow his gaze she saw the Kithrean boy whom she had fought with over the spar. He was glaring at her with murder in his eyes. He must have come to finish what he started. He wasn’t the source of her rage however. The honour went to the Kithrea woman standing just behind him with her firey wings spread wide. She was staring at Ophelia as well, but for some reason she looked torn between confusion and shock. Read the rest of this entry »

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It must have worked because Ophelia flinched as the knife thudded into the branch right next to her hand. Kate smirked and followed up with another blade, attempting to force her to come down from the tree. This time the wall of light that Kate had seen when Ophelia threw her so many days ago now flared around her and the knife bounced off it. She was just aiming a? when a mental yell of warning from Darlryan gave her just long enough to brace as Alsia grabbed her. Read the rest of this entry »

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A/N: I’ll be travelling this Friday so Friday’s installment will be up on Thursday evening

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Even without what the Key was telling her Ophelia would have known that the young looking man leaning casually against a tree by the river was the one they were looking for. What she wasn’t expecting was the sense of recognition that struck her when he met her eyes and smiled.

“Paritan!” The exclamation was forced from her and she blinked in confusion wondering how she knew his name.

“That’s me,” he agreed. “And you must be Ophelia. Darlryan-mirian says you’re troublesome. Are you troublesome?” he sounded amused as he glanced pver her shoulder and bowed. “Alsia-ida. It is a pleasure to see you again.”
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“It’s not going to cooperate? It was that blunt about it?” Kira’s father eyed the Key as Ophelia nodded. “Why not? Did it explain?”

They had found an excuse to visit Kira’s after school and were sitting in the living room drinking tea.

Ophelia shook her head. “About the best I can work out is it feel like whoever got loose belongs to it in some way… though belongs might be the wrong word. It’s not a feeling of ownership.”
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“I think we have a problem,” Ophelia told Kira as they left the police station after making their statements. Aunt Sophie, who had sat with Sera and Ophelia, had gone to fetch the car. She wasn’t sure who had sat with Kira but Aunt Sophie was apparently giving her a lift home which seemed odd since surely someone from her family should have been there.

“Oh?” Kira tilted her head questioningly. Read the rest of this entry »

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A/N: I have recently updated my Patreon. I’m going to be doing more with it in 2017 including a bunch of free stuff so it’s worth a look even if you don’t want to back it.

Andarian walked to the centre of the room, closed his eyes and brought up the image of his closest friend and ally before speaking his invitation. “Pynaria-ida, hear my call. By our friendship and our alliance I request my presence.” As he spoke the winds caught up his words and whisked them to her.

“I don’t know why you’re calling her,” Xantaria muttered from where she was leaning against the wall watching him. “It’s overkill to send one of us after this human girl.” Read the rest of this entry »

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A/N: I have recently updated my Patreon. I’m going to be doing more with it in 2017 including a bunch of free stuff so it’s worth a look even if you don’t want to back it.

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Kate stiffened and turned at the sound of Ophelia’s voice. Sure enough she was standing there with that white haired fire girl she’d befriended. Philip Manion was with them and was holding the boy who’d run away from her firmly by one arm. He looked quite impressed but Ophelia’s question stung Kate more deeply than she could explain as she opened her mouth to retort.

Don’t react, Darlryan’s voice rang in her head. You’ve confused her. If you snap like she expects you’ll undo all your good work in ignoring her. And you have the kid to worry about. This really isn’t a good time to get into a fight.

Okay, she replied before speaking out loud. “I am the real Kate. It was the other girl who was the imposter.” She wasn’t sure why she said that but it felt right. The baffled look on Ophelia’s face nearly made her smirk again but she resisted. Oh, this is too perfect, she thought to Darlryan and was rewarded by his warm laugh in her head. Read the rest of this entry »

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A/N: I have recently updated my Patreon. I’m going to be doing more with it in 2017 including a bunch of free stuff so it’s worth a look even if you don’t want to back it.

Kate had been practising ignoring Ophelia and from the corner of her eye she could see that the girl did indeed look quite nonplussed by her lack of reaction.

“Aren’t we going to go and annoy Ophelia today?” Amy asked when she showed no interest.

“Not today, Amy.” She fanned herself with an exercise book. “It’s far too hot for that.” She didn’t mention that she was aching all over. Paritan had been training her hard for the past two days and nights and she was surprised she didn’t have visible bruises for the number of times he’d handed her ass to her. Still true to Darlryan’s word she now had, an admittedly basic, grasp of sword fighting she wouldn’t have believed possible in such a short time.

She smirked at?Amy who looked just as baffled as Ophelia. “Don’t let me stop you if you want to, but please stop gawking at me like I grew a second–” She broke off as she felt something like an iron weight press down on her head, a moment later the sensation of someone gripping her arms and pinning her down overcame her. “What the hell!” She turned towards the portacabins even before the cry rang out and gasped as pain blossomed in her ribs. It felt like someone was kicking her. “Damn! This hadn’t happened in so long I forgot about it.”
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