Page 28 of Chased By the Fairy

On his hands and knees, he looked up at all those trapped.

“Free us!” Serenity demanded.

“Quiet, you fool,” Glay snapped out with a whisper, hissing at her through his teeth.

Just as Sorrel was getting to his feet, heart stammering at being free, Serenity bashed her fist against the glass. “Don’t you dare leave us!” Then her feelers lowered as if in dejection as she added, “Please.”

Sorrel didn’t know how to help, but he eyed the area for something sharp or hard. There was nothing.

He bolted for the entrance that led to a staircase to a lower area, having seen what was below him when they’d carted him to his cage.

“Coward!” Serenity yelled.

He made sure the space in the next area he entered was clear before stepping into it. Inside were gems, crystals, and coins that Jeffers had collected, all standing on little platforms.

Grabbing a silver coin, the weight of it rather heavy due to its size, he ran back up the stairs. Then he ran to the squirrel’s glass.

“Can you help free everyone?” Sorrel asked as he bashed the edge of the coin against the glass. It cracked.

“Yes. If I have room to move, I should be able to break everyone out.”

With a nod, Sorrel bashed the coin again, and the crack split further. Since Glay worked to free himself now that there was a chance to, Sorrel broke Serenity out as well.

“We have to be quick,” Sorrel stated, knowing the sounds he was making would soon cause alarm.

“I thought you’d abandoned us,” Serenity said with a relieved sigh once she was freed.

“I may be wingless, but I’m not a coward.”

Just as Glay was free, and Sorrel was helping the grasshopper, Jeffers and his gang exited the staircase leading higher.

“Fuck,” Jeffers spat, seeing so many angry eyes upon him. Then he bolted away.

The guards remained, acting as a barrier that was quickly destroyed when Glay used his larger body to barrel his way through. As a group, they freed everyone before making their way outside.

Or rather, everyone else did.

More guards appeared behind the group of escapees, more than Sorrel thought possible.

Someone grabbed his arm, and he was pulled into an area that all the other quickly fleeing sprites ignored. They wanted freedom – that’s all they cared about.

Ripping the coin from him, Jeffers flung it down and snarled at him from within the dim light. It clinked along the floor before settling. “You! You did this.”

Horrified, Sorrel’s eyes widened when he pulled out a baton from under his wings. He’d never used it on Sorrel, since he’dnever needed to, but Sorrel had heard Jeffers be rather cruel to other sprites.

Before he could swing it, Sorrel tackled him around the waist and slammed him to the floor. Straddling Jeffers’ waist, Sorrel fought to get the wooden baton away from him. Once it rolled away, he leaned back and punched the beetle sprite in the face twice.

His black, buggy eyes rolled from just two hits, and Sorrel used that as his opportunity to get off him. He ran, taking the chance at freedom while he could, instead of meting out retribution.

He didn’t want to still be here if a guard came.

Which was wise, as, when he was almost to the staircase that led higher, two came from the stairs of the lower levels. Sorrel sprinted, using all his strength to get away.

Light up ahead was accompanied by fresh air. Cold, frigid air that felt like razors across his skin when he escaped into it.

The area was quiet, all the escaped sprites gone.

He was alone.

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