"Ngyueh!" I got spooked and threw the pendant towards my aunt. Unconsciously, my aunt caught the pendant. We locked gazes and I pointed to where I last saw Terrence. My aunt followed my finger and she let out a horrified gasp.
"Good heavens!" She yelled and threw the pendant. It flew in the air and Nate caught it next. When he glanced behind Ace, his jaw dropped and he dropped the pendant. Ace snatched it as it fell and looked behind him. Unlike the rest of us, he dared to approach the spot where we last saw the ghost.
"Late Prince Terrence." He bowed and I have to slap a hand over my mouth at the ridiculous image of him talking to an empty space. "I am the 3rd prince of the elven kingdom. My name is Prince Ace Feradin." There was a pause until Ace spoke again. "Pardon?" Then he turned his head to look at me.
Uh oh.
"Come here." He ordered firmly. I remained seated on the chair and gave him a very sweet smile that narrowed my eyes. I shook my head as I laughed amusedly and answered. "No."
"Prince Terrence is asking for you."
"And I am not asking for him." I wheezed because I didn't really don't want to see any more ghosts. Ace started to walk around the table and I did the same as I got up - making sure that he stays on the opposite side of the table. Ace frowned and started to move. I did the same to keep him at bay. I smiled sheepishly to return his leer.
"What are you doing?"
"What are 'you' doing?" I retorted.
"Prince Terrence wants to talk to you."
"A conversation needs two willing parties. And I am not willing to talk to anyone at the moment."
Ace started moving again and so did I. "Nate is the son. Let him talk to him. Let them have a father and son moment so he can scold his son for being a pervert." I was just moving around Nate when he suddenly grabbed me. I turned to the empty space where I last saw Nate's father. "See, sir Terrence? Your son is a pervert. Slap him with your ghostly hands please."
"Keep her there!" Ace yelled as he jumped over the table to reach us quickly. I squirmed and yelled when Ace got closer. I raised Custard to Ace to defend myself. My familiar simply lowered his ears and shivered at the sight of the demonic elf prince's gaze. Ace grabbed one of my hands making me drop Custard. The small spirit wolf landed on his feet and ran towards Ren, who picked him up.
"Can we talk about this?" I offered when I saw that he was going to drop the pendant on my open palm.
"An idiot once said that a conversation needs two willing parties. And I am not willing to talk to you." He said plainly. Before I could protest, the cold metal of the pendant was not on my hands. The image of Prince Terrence suddenly appeared beside Ace. It would seem that he moved from his previous spot. The man was smiling and laughing silently.
"H-Hi?" I said nervously and gulped. Prince Terrence still has that amused look on his face as he nodded in response. He turned around and started to head towards one of the walls. The ones with a lot of hands maps of the kingdom. He pointed at the largest one and looked back at me. I followed his action and pointed at the same map. "There." I said. "He's pointing at that one."
Ace followed to where I pointed and headed for the wall and looked back at us. "Your majesty, may I?" He asked the queen.
"Yes." The queen nodded. "Whatever Prince Terrence needs."
With the queen's approval Ace tore the map off of the wall and headed back to the table. He set the large map down and pinned the corners with books that were scattered around. We all gathered around it and prince Terrence did as well. His ghostly images briefly disappeared under the light. He looked up and caught my gaze and pointed on a spot on the map. "There." I said and pointed at the area where the prince showed me. The queen and the princes followed to where I was pointing.
Ren suddenly pinched my cheek. "I like it when you joke, but I don't think that this is the time for you to be fooling around."
"Ouch! Hey!" I snapped at Ren and slapped his hand away. "Who says I'm fooling around? I'm serious! Ask him yourself!" I handed him the pendant and he slowly backed away. And I thought he was a wolf, but he is just a pussy.
"Dear, that area is a dead man's grave." The Queen spoke beside me. "There is nothing in that area." She pointed at the same spot where Terrence indicated before. "There is a reason why it is colored as black."
"What are you talking about? It's green. Doesn't that indicate that there's a forest there?" I pointed out. All of a sudden, all eyes were on me. "What? Did I do something again?"
"Rose, it's a hollow shape. There's no forest there." Nate says.
"Then why would the map say that there is? I swear I am not making this up!"
"There is nothing there. I don't feel anything either." It was PRINCE Ace. Then he leaned in towards me curiously. "Are you really telling the truth? Because in the map, all we see is this vast gapping space here. No indication of a forest or anything alive in there."
"I know I fool around a lot. But I know what I am seeing. And I clearly am not color blind." I insisted. I looked at Ace hoping to convince him with my look. Fortunately, he seemed to have understood.
"Perhaps there is a reason why Prince Terrence asked to communicate with you. Tell me, what is he doing now?" Ace asked.
I looked to Prince Terrence to see that he was already standing beside me and started mouthed some words. "Dude, increase the volume please?" I suggested.
"What is he saying?" Nate asked.
"How should I know?" I whined. "Someone pressed the mute button on him. UNMUTE HIM!" I screamed to no one in particular.
"Stop screaming and focus on reading his lips!" Ace ordered.
"Stop telling me to do what I can't do!"
"Then give it to me!" Ace snatched the pendant from me and I instinctively moved it away. Ace raised an eyebrow at me and I gave him an embarrassed smile and handed the pedant to him.
"Sorry. Old habits."
Once the pendant was with Ace, the ghost of prince Terrence disappeared. We all watched as Ace starred in an empty space, where I assume is where Prince Terrence stood. It was a while before PRINCE Ace spoke again. "Those who lived and those who are born in this realm shall be blinded." He translated and turned his gaze back on us. "He says those are the enchantments of the Nymphs."
"Totally understand you." I said and nodded in fake agreement. I didn't understand at all.
"It means that even though you are originally from this world, you were not born here. Therefore, the enchantment of the nymphs don't work on you." Ace explained.
"I see." I nodded and smirked arrogantly at everyone. "It makes me more precious!" I boasted and tilted my chin up proudly.
"Yes. And if we were to find the Chalice then you are going to have to come along with us."
"Of course!" I paused as I realized what I just agreed to. "Wait what?"
"We have the location. We waited long enough." The queen added while I was just standing there dumbfounded.
"Don't I get to say something?"
"When are we going to leave?" Ren asked while brushing Custard's fur with his hands.
"Tomorrow we leave tomorrow."
"Oh come on!" I whined and slumped on the chair. The others were already planning our departure for tomorrow. No one even considered that I have just recovered! I still want to go and sleep. I want to enjoy some real food in the palace. I want to enjoy my warm and comfy bed and not go around travelling!
I hate the sun. Most importantly, I hate waking up early!
I glanced at the Ouija board one last time before their planning came to an end. Maybe this thing really is cursed after all. I'll burn it. I will make sure that it will go into ashes.