Discovering Fae

I felt... heavy. It wasn’t because anything was on me, though I doubt the thin blanket would count anyhow. I felt like I’d had particularly long day training with Gary. I felt rested, but my body was still exhausted.

“...know something. You have that look like you’re holding something back,” Ben was saying

“I might know something, which is a very different thing than actually knowing,” Naz replied coolly. “Unlike most people, I try not to jump into conclusions that might not even be founded.”

“Then what might you know?” Mal asked. “Let’s face it; if we wait around for concrete information about any of things going on with Fae, we’ll be waiting for a very long time. All we have is ‘maybe’ and ‘might’, so let’s have those. At least it’s a beginning.”

“Whatever that was, it was unique to her,” Ben said. “You saw it. It looked just like her markings.”

“I, personally, have never felt anything like that,” Naz said after a second. “It almost felt Celestial, but it wasn’t. It also almost felt demonic, but it wasn’t. And I don’t know of any magic in the Sidhe can do what that just did.”

“Even if there was something that could do that, it would take several people to pull it off, not just one,” Ben agreed.

“It knocked her out,” Mal pointed out.

“If she were any other fae, it would have killed her,” Naz said. “You felt how powerful whatever that was felt. I know you did, because it practically surrounded you.”

“So, what do you think it was?” Ben asked.

“I think it was the reason why everyone feared the possibility of a demon having offspring with a Celestial,” he answered slowly. “At least, one of the reasons. I don’t know about the Celestial side, but Immail’s gifts were... viciously beautiful to behold.”

“What does that even mean?” Ben snapped.

“He was one of the first, whelp,” Naz hissed. “The Hundred was the personal army of the Unholy One, created by His blood and gifted with abilities not even your greatest nightmares could conjure.”

“And you know this from personal experience?” Ben scoffed.

“The weight of my memories would turn you into pudding, fox,” Naz growled.

“You two could wake the dead with your marital bickering,” I grumbled, and Mal snorted as I felt him taking my hand.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Aside from feeling like I’m currently made of lead? I’m peachy,” I answered and opened my eyes to see three concerned looks. “I can feel your bruises, Mal.”

“I couldn’t let you fall like that,” his jaw clenched. “Your wings might be made of demon bone, but what about the rest of you?”

“As foolish as he was, he did make a fair point,” Naz nodded. “You are light. Too light for your whole skeleton to be demonic.”

“Ben is light,” I pointed out.

“I’m a fox. We’re meant to be light. Kind of defeats the purpose of illusions if you hear us tromping about,” Ben shrugged.

“What happened?” I asked and groaned as I pulled myself up to sit with Mal’s help.

“I got hurt and then you did something that none of us have a clue about,” Mal answered.

“It was the same as when I bound Blaine,” I frowned and looked at the bandage on his arm. “Only... I think it happened because you got hurt.”

“It’s nothing,” he smiled, knowing I was already worried about it. “Do you think it was your magic?”

“No,” I said firmly. “It was just like with Blaine. Some thing in me just knew what I needed to do. I have no idea what or how, but it did. My magic wanted to do something, but this time, I controlled what, somehow.”

“Were you intending to infuse arrows with it, or did that just happen?” Naz asked.

“I told you, I can’t control this crap,” I held my hand out and wiggled my fingers, glad to see no sparks or flames dancing about.

Since we’re on that subject, did anyone else notice that Fae only used three of the four elements, or was that just me?” Ben said and Mal helped me stand.

I looked around and felt my mouth fall open in shock. The entire area was black with ash that came off when disturbed. There were hundreds of small, yet deep craters in the earth and not a single body to be found.

“What did I do?” I whispered.

“Don’t let the ash get in your mouth,” Naz said gently, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“Why?” I looked at the black smear on my hands.

“What do you think happened to the bodies?” he asked, and I felt my entire body go cold. “You saved us, Fae. Use that as a shield. Come one, whelp. We need to pack the camp and leave this place.”

The two of them started taking down the tents and packing away our camp while I stared in horror at what I had done.

“I... I vaporized hundreds of people,” I whispered.

Admitting it out loud made what I was seeing that much more appalling, and I felt my stomach twist just in time to hit my knees before I heaved. My stomach ejected everything until it was empty, yet it still tried to get rid of more until I felt a heavy hand smacking my back between my wings.

“What happened?” came the familiar and wholly welcome voice of my father.

“Ambush in the night,” Naz supplied.

I choked on a sob as I wrapped my arms around myself then I felt cool hands on my face.

“My sweet girl,” Mom said softly. “You did what you had to do. It’s okay.”

“What happened?” Dad asked, referring to the ambush.

“Each one of those holes used to be an enemy,” Naz supplied.

“Dear Gods,” Mom gasped.

“Mind the ash,” Naz said.

“Oh, Fae,” Mom said, pulling me away from the mess on the ground a little way before sitting at my side with her legs around me, rocking me slightly. “It’s alright.”

“How did you get here so fast?” Ben asked.

“We have an elven mage in our employ. She created a portal for us,” Dad answered.

“It’s quite annoying,” I heard Blaine mutter, then he sighed. “I should have been here sooner.”

“Perhaps, but there is no changing the past,” Dad said. “Any idea...”

His voice faded as he walked away and I blindly reached out my hand, looking for Mal because I really needed him right now. Mom kissed my head and moved away as Mal took her place.

“I don’t want to do this. I can’t do it, Mal,” I cried into his shoulder.

“I know,” he said, picking up my wing I had let hang limply in the dirt behind him and tucking it against my back. “How do you want me to fix it?”

“Get rid of it,” I said bitterly and looked at him. “Find a Null for me and get rid of this... everything.”

“What?” he looked horrified. “I’m not doing that, Fae.”

“I don’t want this! I don’t want the markings, the wings, the broken magic, any of it! The only thing they’ve ever brought is pain and death!” I shouted and pushed away from him to stand up. “I just vaporized hundreds of people like it was nothing! This has to end, so I’m going to end it.”

“Wait! Stop!” he said, scrambling to grab for me, but I was already in the air.

If he wasn’t going to help, then I’d do it on my own. I was done with trying to play this game I never wanted to be a part of. I tried stepping off the board and got dragged back, now I was going to find someone to take me out of the draw completely.

A Null.

They ate magic like Skittles. Once the magic in a person was gone, that was it. It never came back. A Null consumed the part of a person’s being that was, essentially, fae, leaving nothing but humanity behind. The problem was that it had to be removed completely, otherwise it would just regrow and replenish over time.

I flew faster than Mal or Dad could, but Blaine could run underneath me like it was nothing to him and when I looked down, that’s exactly what I saw. He looked up and I could see it in his eyes. He would try to stop me if I let him, so I didn’t give him a choice.

“I command you, hound, not to interfere,” I said and he came to abrupt stop as the order stuck and I flew away to find myself a Null.

-----

Grim

I was furious. She was right there, in my grasp. I was on my way to get her. Then, just like that, the plan was ruined! I don’t even know how! And I couldn’t just ask anyone because they were all dead!

“Dammit!” the shout echoed over the land and I smirked.

At least something good came of it. Anything that upset them like that was good for me. I don’t even care what it was. I just needed to bide my time.

No, what I needed was to track her. I had to follow Fae. Now that she was alone, I had to act quickly, before the others could get to her first. Once I found her, it would be much easier for me to get her to safety and that was the goal.

She was my queen, after all.