15.

15.

Gertrude remained silent, staring at her own hands while she sat on her couch and leaned on her knees, as Annabelle finished recounting everything she knew to her friend. Finally she sighed, running her hands over face and into her hair.

“I can't decide if your family is just obscenely unlucky, or actually cursed.” She eventually groaned, releasing her hair to glare at the younger Fårie. “Did your damn sister really have to reveal I wasn't there?” She demanded.

“Technically it was the Elementals,” Annabelle reminded her, gently stroking her sleeping messenger Dragon where he remained curled around his gold coin. “Although I guess they only really made it clear to me...”

“Yeah, and then you and your big mouth went and told everyone else within shouting distance.” Gertrude hissed sourly, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Annabelle merely shrugged, clearly not bothered by that fact in the slightest.

“And if it makes you feel any better, Sleipnir threw me off in mid-ride and I ended up with a dilocated shoulder, which you then got to fix. In the process of which, you got to cause me all sorts of kinds of pain.” She said.

“Oh, what, that makes us even?” Gertrude asked. Annabelle turned to her friend, clearly confused by the question.

“Uh, yeah!” She replied. Gertrude sighed in defeat, while Annabelle punched the air in victory. “Awesome.” She murmured to herself.

“Ok, ok, don't go and blow a gasket there kiddo.” Gertrude chuckled, amused despite her irritation over the unwelcome revelations. “So, what made the all great and powerful Elementals think that I would know anything?”

“I don't know.” Annabelle shrugged, “honestly, I didn't ask.” She admitted somewhat sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her neck. “But, they definitely believed that you woud have some sort of answers, or could at least point me in the right direction.”

“And Queenie is really ok with all this, like, she's actually on board with it all? I mean, she isn't exactly known for being Human fan zero-one...” Gertrude commented skeptically, frowning once more before scrubbing the expression away with her hands.

“Whatever this thing is, it's not gonna stop Rude.” Annabelle said quietly, her stillness belying her worry. “If it destroys the Human world, half The Glade will already be lost.”

“It is so weird to hear you say such serious and responsible stuff.” Gertrude said, shaking her head with a wry grin.

“Yeah, I don't like it either, doesn't suit me at all.” Annabelle replied, making a face at the forced responsibility on her shoulders. “But hey, gotta get on with it so I can get back to my usual awesomeness that much quicker.” She added flippantly, with a cheeky grin and a wink.

“Well, this sickness is strange, I can tell you that much for sure.” Gertrude sighed.

“And it wasn't natural.” Annabelle clarified, to which Gertrude shook her head confidently.

“Definitely not natural,” she agreed. “I can't tell you who made it obviously, there's no restiction as to who can use destructive Magick... But, we may be able to narrow it down if we can trace just which spell was used.” Gertrude added thoughtfully.

“You think that maybe these Four Winds guys might be able to help trace the spell?” Annabelle asked, lowering herself to sit beside her friend.

“Pfft, I doubt it.” Gertrude scoffed, “but, the Elementals did specifically tell you to find them so, they must know something I guess.” She hummed, before she grinned suddenly at her friend. “The Four Winds are usually ok, though they can kinda be dicks.” She said conspiratorially, laughing when Annabelle groaned.

“Great, because I need more a******s in my life right now.”