“And the song, do you remember it?”she asked with a cough. Her face was growing pale again, and the hazy look in her eyes was slowly returning.“I don’t have much time, my love,”she said.
I thought back to that awful moment. Pulling at the recesses of my mind, I tried to hum the melody. As I did, the words came spilling forth. A lullaby on the wind, a song that promised happiness and love, yet it now played like a nightmarish death waltz in my mind.
“In shadows of frost, love entwined,
A dance of souls, through time confined.
In each dance, a mirrored hue,
Yet frosty waters claim their due.
To shatter chains, to cease the waltz,
A secret dance when the moon proves false.
Seek within the heart’s deep well,
A selfless step where shadows dwell.
When icy whispers bid you near,
A sacrifice, the path will clear.
Beneath the gaze of stars untold,
A choice to make, a tale unfolds.
Through whispered echoes, twenty-seven times four,
Forever love will bind once more.”
“Good. You must write it down at once. Do not forget or alter a single word, for it is the sole means of breaking the fairy’s curse. You will need to decipher the riddle to understand the nature of the curse and how to lift it. Do it now, in the book,”she instructed, pointing to the book of spells before she settled back against the pillow. She appeared to weaken with each passing moment, her breaths becoming short and ragged once more.
I seized the book and walked over to a small desk in the corner of the room, where I found an inkwell and a pen. Locating an empty page, I began transcribing the words of the fairy’s song one by one. When I had finished, I closed the book and turned my gaze back to Gran.
“How long have you been unwell?”I asked, watching her visibly fading before me.
“For some time now, but the sickness has taken hold quicker than I thought. That is why the sleep spell did not work properly; my life force is too weak. I fear I’m not much longer for this world.”She coughed again, this time her hand coming away with a scarlet stain upon it.
“No, grant the spell more time. You must teach me of my powers and how to wield them; I need you,”I said, a tear slipping down my cheek.
“My dove, the spell will not save me. It is my time to go.”
“I cannot bear to lose you as well. You are the only one who truly understands me, who can guide me. I love you, Gran. You cannot leave me.”The words spilled from me like a rushing river.
“Cora, all must meet their time,”she said gently.“I shall impart as much as I can before the spell fades, but you must be strong and learn these things for yourself once I am gone. Come closer,”she urged, patting the bed. I moved to her side and sat down.
“Long ago, when I was but a young lass, I had a courageous friend named Freya. We encountered a perilous woman who took the life of Freya’s beloved and then had her hanged as a witch. Yet, before Freya met her end, she cast a spell upon herself to be reincarnated until she could vanquish the evil the woman had unleashed upon the world. I vowed to care for her home, Fernbeg, until her return, and that all my descendants would do the same. You, my dear child, are the next in line to safeguard the cottage until she comes back, and you shall pass this duty to your own child, and so forth, until our line ceases or Freya can defeat the darkness. I know this may be daunting. Your mother wished for me to withhold such knowledge until I was certain you possessed the gift,”she explained.
I sat there stunned. Mother had kept Gran from telling me about magic all these years.“That book you hold is one of many in the library at Fernbeg, and as I will not be here to teach you, you must turn to them for guidance. You have the spark within you; nourish it and grow the flame,”she said, smiling though I could see the pain returning to her eyes. Her lips were turning back to the pale shade of blue they had been, and I could now see it was not the spell that had caused it but whatever sickness she was fighting.
She began coughing, and the fit seemed to last an age until it slowed and then stopped. She rested her head again, closing her eyes for a moment before speaking.“I have a task for you. In the cottage, there is a letter upon my desk. You may read it, then place it in the pocket of the green cape found in the trunk at the foot of my bed. Return the cape to the chest, and do not open it again. Do you understand? This is of great importance.”
“Yes, Gran,”I said as her breathing grew labored, and her eyes began to glaze over. I took hold of her hand as she looked up at me and whispered her final words.“Remember, my dear child, though I may depart from this world, I shall live on through you and the magic that you possess.”With that, a deep silence fell over the room, the only sound being my own breath as hers had ceased. It was then the duke entered the room, his eyes as full of grief as my own, and together, we sat in silent mourning.
As I sit here, penning down the events of that tragic day, I can’t help but feel the weight of the years that have passed. Four decades have come and gone since I lost the two people I loved most in the world. Their memories are forever etched into my soul. As I sit at the old oak table in Fernbeg’s kitchen, I write this account with the intention of passing it down to my daughter and her daughter someday, ensuring the tale of their kin stays alive. As I reflect, my mind falls back to the fairy bargain I struck, which still haunts me.
Despite years of trying, I’ve been unable to decipher the spell the fairy cast upon me all those years ago. I’ve often wondered if our lovecontinued on through the life of our daughter, Ailig, that maybe she was part of the riddle. The night we spent in the ruin, when we shared our love, led to her conception. I’ve cherished watching her grow, playing amidst the sheep in the fields surrounding our cottage. James was not alive to witness these beautiful moments, and his absence echoed through the years. Even though the duke and duchess were never able to properly claim Ailig as their granddaughter, they were generous, loving, and kind to us always, visiting us whenever time allowed and making sure we were never in need of anything.
