The wall shot up so suddenly in front of Elena that she didn't have time to think, she simply jumped instinctively to protect herself.
She looked at the wall, it was grey in color and had a rough texture, as if it had been deliberately designed to have a rough appearance.
Damn that old hag. She thought angrily as she stared at the wall.
She should have known the queen would try to separate them, she should have expected it. Other than the fact that her flames were the antagonist to the queen's shadows, the numbers advantage she and Haze had was very important in ensuring neither of them got seriously injured or worse, dead.
It was why Hades' chose her specifically for this mission, to protect his heir at all costs. She had promised him Haze was safe as long as he was with her and now she had managed to get separated from him.
How could you let this happen. She thought and mentally hit her head. You grew too confident, you were supposed to be beside him at all times.
She walked up to the wall tentatively and placed her hand on it, it seemed solid enough and she felt it more firmly. The queen was smart to separate her from Haze, she would have never been able to take the two of them at the same time. While Haze was a lower ranked demigod and was relatively new to combat of this kind, he was surprisingly a good fighter. She had meant to ask him if he took any fighting lessons in his previous life, seeing as he had been quick to learn how to fight with his sword and how easily he had acquired a taste for violence.
With her combat experience and Haze's ruthlessness, they could have defeated the queen but now that they were separated, she could fight him without any distractions.
"Haze!" She shouted but there was no response, the sound seemed to bounce off the wall and fall flat at her feet.
Of course she made it soundproof. Elena thought angrily.
I have to leave this room and find them somehow. She thought, but how was she going to do that?
Just then a figure walked slowly out of the shadows behind her.
Elena felt the presence and turned around immediately, her eyes widened in surpise.
"Neesha?"
The princess of witches walked towards Elena with a smile on her face, it was not a smile of friendship or comradeship, it was one of malicious intent.
"Hello, Elena". The princess said, the name sounded like a foul word in her mouth.
****
Haze looked back at the wall that had sprung up suddenly behind him, he inched back slowly till he was within arms length of the wall, he then reached out to feel it, it was real and solid, even if it was illusion, there was no way he would be able to go through it.
He was trapped here with the queen, and Elena, where was she? Was she alone in some room looking for a way to get out or she was currently fighting some guards on her way to freedom?
A thought slipped into his mind and he shuddered, what if she was trapped on the other side with Neesha?
He knew from the moment he met her that she couldn't be trusted, no stranger just showed interest in two foreigners for no reason. Then when he had learned she was the princess of the witches, his suspicions had grown, it couldn't be a coincidence that he stepped into the territory with the mind to confront the queen and the princess just randomly stumbled on them, giving them accommodation and inviting them to the palace for an event that they would not be able to enter or enter the throne room in the first place.
He wondered if she was the one who had appeared on the other side to take care of Elena while the queen did the same for him.
"It seems you're worried about your friend". The queen drawled when she saw his mind was preoccupied. "I'd advise you try not to think of her too much". The shadows in her hand began to take the form of a thick spear. "Instead, worry about yourself".
With that statement, she launched herself at Haze and stabbed at him with the spear. Haze ducked to the right and shuffled his feet to keep facing the queen.
She smiled and straightened. "You can't run forever". She said and began to circle him. "Sooner or later, you'll tire and then I'll finish you off".
She lunged at him again and Haze deflected the blow with his sword this time, the force of the attack sent him flying a few feet backwards.
"See that's better". The queen said and smiled, it was more of a grimace than a smile.
"Shut up and fight". Haze snapped at her, her constant grating was starting to get on his nerve.
The queen's smile faded. "You're rude and insolent, I'll show you respect".
She charged at him with the spear.
*****
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