Erin’s wings folded instantly, and she hid behind Mandy.
Davina backed against the wall, shaking. “What's happening to me, Corey” she yelled and before anyone could move, her eyes turned pitch black, and she collapsed to the floor.
The room was thick with unease. Davina lay unconscious on the couch, her breathing shallow, her skin pale as ash. No one spoke for a while each trying to process what they’d just witnessed.
Byron finally broke the silence. “Whatever that was,” he said, “it wasn’t human.”
Sam crossed her arms, still pacing. “You think?” she muttered under her breath.
Mary stood beside Davina, watching her carefully. “It was like watching two beings trapped in one body.”
Lucy’s arms were folded, her mind spinning. “So, what do we do now?”
No one answered.
Byron turned to Barnaby. “Anything in your notes?”
Barnaby shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll need time to cross-reference what I picked up. Feels like some form of possession.”
“Let’s regroup in the other room,” Byron said finally. “She needs space. And we need answers.”
Everyone followed him out reluctantly, leaving Davina resting under Mary’s careful watch. They gathered in the sitting room, Lucy leaned against the fireplace, staring into the flames. “We can’t just ignore this.”
“We don’t even know what she is,” Sam said flatly. “Maybe she’s dangerous.”
“Maybe,” Lucy replied, “but she’s also my friend.” A small voice whispered. “She’s like me.”
Everyone turned. Erin was standing in the doorway, half-hidden behind Mandy. Her tone was quiet but certain.
Lucy crouched slightly to meet her eye. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”
Erin fidgeted with her sleeve. “She’s a fairy. But…different.”
Mandy’s hand came to rest on her daughter’s shoulder.
Lucy frowned. “Dark one?”
Erin nodded. “Not evil. They don’t hurt people. They just use a different kind of power, and they’re naughty, my daddy used to tell me stories about them.”
Barnaby tilted his head, curiosity flickering. “Wait, that tracks with something I read once.” He started tapping rapidly on his screen. “There’s an old Fae legend about binding dark fairies. Something to do with clipping their wings and locking theirmemory behind a seal. Makes them forget who they are which makes them easier to control.”
Mandy exhaled slowly. “Yes. It’s true. Some of them were bound that way centuries ago. The ritual strips their magic and leaves them vulnerable to possession. They become hollowed out, controlled by whoever cast the spell.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “So, she’s a prisoner in her own body?”
“Exactly,” Mandy replied. “But…” her tone darkened, “if she was bound, she must have done something to deserve it. The Fae don’t bind their own for nothing.”
Lucy shook her head. “No. I don’t believe that. Whatever she’s done, she doesn’t deserve this. She’s good, I can feel it.”
Byron glanced at her. “Feeling and knowing aren’t the same thing, Luce.”
“Maybe,” Lucy said, “but I trust my instincts. We must help her.”
Mandy hesitated for a long moment, then sighed. “Thereisone way. But it’s risky.”
“Risky how?” Corey asked.
“We can summon someone who might know how to undo the binding,” Mandy explained. “Someone from the old realm.”
