Chương 39: Spinning the Web

The journey to the portal through the Elven Kingdom had been a somber one. Tearful goodbyes were said at Sheera and Rowan's door. Seraphina could not recall a moment in her lifetime that had felt heavier and more riddled with guilt than the moment Sheera gently put the infant's remains in her arms. The fairies, no longer concerned about being seen, kept to the road this time. The road was virtually silent. The crickets and the tree frogs chirped a soulful dirge while Seraphina and Celestia strode onward.

Moonlight filtered through the clouds as Seraphina and Celestia made their way through the darkened streets toward headquarters. The bundle in Seraphina's arms felt impossibly heavy, though its physical weight was slight. Each step brought them closer to their performance, a deception that had to be flawless.

"Run it by me one more time," Celestia whispered, her boots clicking softly against the cobblestones.

"We found her, took her to my house because we weren't sure who to trust," Seraphina replied, her voice barely audible.

"Then, after that woman confronted me in the bathroom, I knew something was wrong. When I went to get you both, I saw the raid starting. We fled, went into hiding, and then..." She paused, swallowing hard.

"And then she got sick. We couldn't risk exposing her location by seeking help, and by the time we realized how serious it was..."

"It was too late," Celestia finished, her face grim in the shadows. They approached Fairy Central, its windows still illuminated despite the late hour. Seraphina caught Celestia's arm before they reached the entrance.

"Remember, we're exhausted, devastated. We've been in hiding, scared for our lives and the baby's. And now..."

"Now we're returning with the worst possible news." Celestia nodded, squaring her shoulders. The night guard recognized Seraphina immediately, his eyes widening at their disheveled appearance.

"Seraphina? We've been looking everywhere for…" his words cut off as he noticed the bundle in Seraphina's arms.

"We need to see Simon immediately. I am hoping that he is still here, but if not, could you please call him in? Please don't ask questions. Sadly it's above your security clearance, Clarence," Seraphina said, her voice cracking perfectly." The guard hesitated only a moment before nodding and reaching for his communication device. Within minutes, they were being escorted through the quiet halls, their footsteps echoing in the late-night silence.

Seraphina did her best to keep calm by taking slow deep breaths while they snaked their way through corridors. Fairy Central took on an entirely different atmosphere this time of night. During the day the place felt alive. It had an energy all its own.

Now, now, it felt like the floor was made of wet cement pulling them down into the abyss. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Seraphina almost gasped as she caught her reflection in a mirror on the wall. Her dress was tattered and torn in places. Her face was dirty, there were leaves in her knotted hair, and she looked like she had aged twenty years over the last several hours. She glanced over at Celestia, who seemed to fare better than she had.

She had some smudges here and there, but was still pretty much as pristine as she was when they embarked on their journey. There's a big difference between office attire and patrol attire, Seraphina. Besides, she thought, looking down at the small bundle in her arms, some things are replaceable, while other things are not. Consider yourself lucky that the only thing you lost today was a dress… oh yeah, and possibly a house, can't forget about the house… Her thoughts broke off as they stood outside Simon's office.

Simon was still at his desk when they entered, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he hadn't left for quite some time. He looked up, his expression shifting from surprise to concern as he took in their appearance.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, quickly standing.

"We've had teams searching…" He stopped mid-thought, noticing what Seraphina carried.

"After that woman came from…"

"You mean Regina?" Seraphina interrupted.

"It's been an unbelievably trying evening, Simon, and I don't think this Regina woman is connected to any official fairy business." Simon looked up at Seraphina, then down at the bundle, then back to her.

"I can see that," Simon said, softly.

"Why don't you two have a seat and tell me where you have been for the last five or so hours." Seraphina and Celestia both nodded before sitting down in the two chairs in front of the desk. Simon shook his head, studying the meticulously wrapped bundle Seraphina carried in her arms. He slowly made his way around to the other side of the desk and sat down.

"Simon, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I mean no disrespect, but I think this is above both of our pay grades," Seraphina said solemnly.

"After you hear what I have to say, I think you will understand my caution." She sighed.

"We need to get some higher ups down here, for all of our sake."

"Just tell me what's going on, Seraphina. I will make that decision if necessary," Simon said, trying to pull rank.

"For the love of Janus, tell me what you are holding!"

"Simon," Seraphina said sharply.

"We are not uttering a word until the suits get here. I don't know who I can trust and I am not going to risk our safety or yours, for that matter."

"Seraphina, I'm sure it's not that bad…" Simon began.

"No, Simon! It's actually worse. Now either get the suits down here or we are leaving and will contact them ourselves. Don't push me, Simon, I'm simply not in the mood." Simon looked at her, flustered.

"You know this goes against protocol."

"Simon, quite frankly, after everything that has happened, I could give a damn about protocol," she snapped.

"Make the call, Simon, make the call." Simon sat staring blankly at her. When she stood, he quickly picked up the phone.

"Okay. Okay. Sit down," he said, resigned to the fact that she was calling the shots.

"Who would you like me to call?" Seraphina thought about that carefully. She needed the right people to believe the ruse if they were ever going to pull it off.

"For starters, OPD, I want to confirm that Regina is not who she says she is. Then call Bureau Security, we most certainly have a breach in the organization. Once we talk to them, we will decide who else, but I think those two branches are the best places to start."