“Powerful ones that have no translation into a language you can understand. Her magick had so much flavor, so much complexity with its ancient pedigree. It was delicious knowing I was the last to taste it. But she is just a witch and no match for me. Her ethereal spark was so easy to dim under my power. Once I tainted it with my magick, it was mine for the taking. And I will keep taking it. Until nothing of her is left,” the fae responds, nimbly avoiding the answer Niven seeks.
Fire of the frost, the fae’s voice is unsettling, like dozens of individual voices speaking in unison. Sometimes one will come through louder than the rest. Only the blue hag of winter knows why. Niven’s team didn’t find a pattern for it during our first session with it. Cara and Ada heard only one, the same deranged sounding, higher pitched masculine voice. Mayhap it alters the tone to strike the greatest amount of fear in its opponents.
Undeterred, Niven continues his questioning. “How are you taking Ada’s magick?”
The fae laughs maniacally, a mid-range masculine sounding voice taking lead. “You misunderstand, witch. I do not take her magick. Her magick may be the only reason she still walks this realm and I have not claimed all her ethereal spark as my own.”
Niven’s brows knit in concern, as he guides his own magick to further seek the truth from the fae. “You’re taking herethereal spark?”
“Yes, her ethereal spark among the realms in this universe. You measly little witches refer to it as life force because you could never understand the realms like I do. There is so much hidden from feeble minds like yours. They are vast and infinite,” the fae responds, sounding smug. “I feel her, little by little strengthening me, settling into me. Do not think to get rid of me, witch. I knew exactly what I was doing, tying her ethereal spark to mine. It was so easy to do when her coven created a convenient distraction. You will kill your precious Ada along with me, if you dare try. When my ethereal spark dims and sends me into the next realm, so does hers even if I have not yet taken full possession of it. It is obvious what she means to you. Such a pity you find yourself in this predicament.”
That malicious threat alone tempts me to test its assertion. But instead, I steadily redirect its magick as it swells, even if the fae is trying to bait us into losing control. Niven still needs to get us answers on what it is doing to her. It is nothing I have ever heard of.
“Are you able to absorb anyone’sethereal spark?” Niven’s tone grows even chillier as he determines the extent of the fae’s power.
“Only on Samhain. The first burst of her ethereal spark that night was enough to sustain me for decades, I was almost drunk on the potency of it, like divine ambrosia. The rest is mine to take. It is what she deserves for interfering that night. The little bird should have burned in her nest. Now the witch will give me what I am owed.” The fae’s voice rises to almost a shout, with two or three feminine voices loudest among the chorus.
Niven seems to assess the fae after that outburst, his jaw clenching in anger.
“What would sever herethereal sparkfrom yours?” Niven asks carefully.
“Not so clever, are you witch? A counter-spell, of course. But I do not know how, and so I cannot tell you. I only take lives. I do not give them back. Extinguishing the Mayweather line will be so delectable,” it taunts in a booming low voice offset by a piercingly high pitched one.
“How long will Ada survive your spell?”
“She may have years, but she will surely fade until then, down to nothing. I wish I could see it myself, all her suffering. But oh how I feel it the more I take,” the fae intones melodiously, shifting into a child’s voice. It giggles, as if it plays a silly game. Mayhap it is, to the fae. It is a disturbing dichotomy that will sear into my memory forever.
Niven looks as unsettled as I feel. The fae messes with us despite his best attempts to control it. But every word that leaves its mouth is the truth, as bad as it may be.
“What can we do to slow the process of her decline?” Niven questions through gritted teeth.
“Slowing it down will just make it more painful for everyone. Better to let me have her now. But if you insist, only the comforts of a good life will help stave off the effects. Healthy food, quality sleep, high spirits, true love. But that little witch has been left all alone for so long. I could feel it when I finally touched her. She will be mine soon enough,” it threatens, the full chorus of voices returning.
It aims its jab at me, even if unknowingly, striking at my very soul. I cannot suppress a growl escaping from deep in my throat. I will do everything I can to save Ada from this despicable creature.
“Looks like I chose wisely with that witch. How lucky was I to pick the right one? She all but handed herself over to me. Her death will be sweet as can be,” the fae sings in a strange little tune.
Niven gestures to his assistants to strengthen the wards around the fae and encase it again in its containment. I gradually slow my pull of the fae’s magick until it is fully warded again. Niven’s face falls as he turns to me. He shakes his head in frustration and gestures for me and Darla to join him outside the room.
His entire body shudders. “That felt awful, abhorrent, like an oiliness in my mind I want to wash off. The fae tests my magick. It was a challenge to force any truth from it. Its mind is twisted, beyond anyone I’ve ever encountered before. Fae are not of this realm, of this I’ve never been more certain.”
“We need your coven to research magick that can stop the fae from taking herethereal spark, whatever the fae called it. We need to remove whatever connection the fae established between them,” I snarl. “And then it needs to die.”
“We will. I’ll make some calls to our experts today. This fae is full of surprises, it seems,” Niven says with a grimace.
“Your experts have not helped at all yet. Time is of the essence, Niven. You leave her fate up to some faraway witches who know nothing about fae,” I bite out.
“They know the stakes. Believe me. If Ada starts feeling its effects more acutely, they’ll come up with ways to help her until it’s possible to break the connection. I don’t want it to sicken her or reduce her lifespan either,” Niven gnashes at me.
“It already has, if you have not noticed. She is growing weaker and not eating very much. It is obviously because of this spell,” I point out, growing angrier by the minute.
“Have you considered breaking up the spell inside her? What if we tried that now that we know what the spell is doing?” he argues.
“I dare not try to pluck it from her. It has infected her, intertwined with her vital organs. The damage to her couldbe catastrophic. I cannot risk it.” My hands squeeze into fists, wishing I could punish the fae with them.
“Then we need to follow the fae’s advice to the letter.Healthy food, quality sleep, high spirits, true love.Only two of those can be guaranteed. High spirits and true love are… abstract. And I personally don’t thinkyouwill be able to help Ada achieve those.” Niven sneers.
I snarl at his nerve. “Sheis my priority. You are too busy with thiscouncilto give her the attention she deserves. But I am there every day, taking stock of what she is dealing with. I see what you do not, and I make sure she has what she needs.”
