“That’s easy. I don’t honestly know why I didn’t see it sooner, but it really would spoil the surprise for you both if I were to divulge too much,” Tabitha replied.
“Tab,” Raxx growled warningly. “Do you at least have any suggestions for a way to fix it? Or at the very least manage it?”
“Perseverance.” The witch grinned.
Raxx rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
Tabitha’s attention turned to Faye. “Now, my dear, let’s get down to business.”
∞∞∞
“Steady,” Raxx held Faye tightly as they teleported back into her cell.
The princess’ legs shook as she swayed a little on her feet, exhausted. Raxx’s strong body supported her, lowering her down onto her cot.
“Thank you, I--,” she mumbled, a wide yawn interrupting her.
“You did well tonight. Tabitha was impressed.”
After finally having had some of her queries answered, the princess had accepted perhaps she’d pumped Tabitha of all the information she was likely to get in one sitting. Faye had allowed the witch to turn her attention to testing her abilities.
Unlike the night prior, this time Tabitha had wanted to focus on Faye’s conjuring ability. At first, the princess hadn’t really understood, but apparently the majick she had been using thus far was instinctive, reactive majick. To conjure, meant to deliberately cast a spell. It was tough.
Faye remembered the difficulty she’d first had when Raxx had been teaching her how to summon flames as a night light. That seemed simple now, in comparison to the taxing work Tabitha had required from her.
She ached all over, more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. She allowed the shadow demon to hook his arm beneath her knees as he turned her and lifted her legs onto the bed. Faye flopped back, unable to keep herself upright any longer.
The demon gently took her wrists, pulling them both back above her head to chain her to the bed, as he had found her earlier that night.
“I’m sorry I have to do this again,” he murmured, moving to fasten her ankles in the same way.
Faye didn’t respond, just grumbled something incoherent.
“Rest, you’ll feel better,” Raxx instructed.
“I don’t suppose you fancied helping me out again?” Faye chuckled, her eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold as the demon tightened the material. “I could really do with the boost.”
She heard the demon laughing softly. “Maybe later. You need to sleep first. I’ll be back this evening to check on you.”
“I don’t have to go back to Tabithaagain,do I?” Faye cried.
“I don’t think either of us will be getting a reprieve any time soon,” Raxx replied with a heavy sigh.
Faye didn’t reply, just took a deep, steady breath as she felt the last of her energy ebbing, giving way to sleep.
“Open up,” the demon’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Faye obliged, allowing him to slide the rough gag between her teeth once more, too exhausted to fight.
Though barely conscious, Faye was aware of Raxx’s presence beside her for a long while after he had bid her farewell. He remained still and silent, yet the demon sat beside her until the first soft rays of morning light began to spear into the cell.
Whilst her body rested peacefully, Faye’s mind exploded with vivid dreams.
Some were pleasant – she was home, with her sisters beside a roaring fire, then dancing with handsome strangers in a gown that sparkled like the sun, before flying high across the land on the back of a dragon.
She lay warm and safe, cocooned amongst a bed of pine needles in the arms of a man, was kissed in the dying sunlight and, perhaps most strangely of all, she sat content and relaxed in the darkest of nights.
The images flickered, changing occasionally to gut-wrenching flashes of nightmares. Faye watched, horrified, as a monstrous cloud engulfed Lori and Lephas, she felt the sweat on his skin and the frantic beating of her sister’s heart. She saw Sivelle’s bedroom scorched black from flames, glass sparkling everywhere in the firelight. The princess tried to scream as a spear, dark and menacing, sliced through the centre of Indi’s chest. The faerie shattered into a thousand pieces before dissolving to dust.
