I probably made a noice as descended into the bunker. Or maybe I just wasnt giving her senses enough credit.
But the moment I neared her, Fey’s eyes fluttered open warily.
"It’s me," I said calmly.
Her tight expression relaxed.
"why have you come?" The sickly green poison had spread up to her waist now.
"Of course, I came to see you. Did you forget that youre my master?"
She laughed weakly.
"What can be done about your condition?"
"Im afraid a demon’s beast poison is almost impossible to cleanse. But this time tommorrow, I would have taken my last breath."
’Almost?’ I repeated.
Her eyes closed in resignation. "A forbidden spell— one able to cleanse any poison. But the price..."
"Why? What does it demand?"
"A piece of your soul. Or rather a piece of your identity."
She started to say something, but apparently changed her mind.
She slumped back into the hammock and sighed. In the dim torchlight, her complexion looked even worse.
My mind raced, searching for something she would respond to.
It was only then, under the weak light, that I noticed a dazzling emberstone necklace resting against her clavicle.
"Your necklace is beautiful," I complimented im an attempt to re-engage her.
"Is that your betrothal gift?"
My question caused a bit of irritation to enter her expression, but she said nothing about it. Maybe she just didn’t have the energy. "It was the last gift my father gave me."
I waited, not sure whether it was in my place to ask. We locked eyes, and I could tell she was having trouble openening up to me.
"My father was a lowborn," she said, "But he was a good man. His kidness attracted the attention of my mother— a great sorceress who took an interest to him. Not long after they had me, my mother left, ashamed of what she had done— ashamed of me."
I nodded. What Fey described did’nt surprise me. Even among humans, this was not uncommon.
"One night when I was thirteen, my father gave me this neclace," she said.
"He said it was my mother’s — that it would protect me. The look in his eyes back then: It was as if he knew before anyone else, the fate that would befall our entire village. Our war with the Dhampir had a reached a critical point when a Serzarian spy saught refuge in our village. The villagers were kind, and gave shelter. But when the Dhampir found out where he was..." Her voice faltered, her weak fingers closed around the necklace.
"Fey, I’m sorry."
She knit her eyebrows. "Xerxes found me. He was only a hundred years old at the time. He knew my bloodline and its potential for magic. He found me cowering in a pit under some leaves my father had dug. I was the only one to survive. . . "
My life was far from a fairy tale. But at least I had a good father. And now I had memories of my mother as well.
I couldnt imagine losing all of that while being so young.
"So thats why you resolved to be a great sorceress— why you’re engaged to Xerxes."
I guessed. "So you would always have power enough to direct your fate."
She let out a self depreciating laugh. "A lot of good that did me. . . I harmed you . . .and then I used your desire to save your gaurdian to fuel my own selfish goals. So maybe I really do deserve to die this way: utterly bereft of the dignity and power I’ve valued so much my entire life.’ After hearing her I struggled to find the right words. I finally sighed. "Everyone dies bereft of dignity..’
’At some point .. .our bodies simply break down.
Usually at the end of lifespans, and at times before we are even born.
And there is no dignity or power in it. Those are things we carry in life. And I believe your life is not yet over . . .
Please...’ I begged’Teach .. . . .me .. .. the . . spell. . ’ I whispered at the softest of volumes.
Fey stared at me blankly. Surprise and something else— some other complex emotion— mixing in her gaze.
I leaned forward and she whispered the words into my ear. I listened . .. listened for a long while.
I withdrew slowly from her when I finally understood the spell.
’Do you understand now?’ She asked weakly. Her voice still dull with despair.
’I do.’ I nodded serenely.
To put it simply, the spell was a truth-sayer spell.
For only a true heart could touch the poison of hatred without being harmed.
And the truth needed would be my own truth.
My darkest thoughts, my most embarrassing moments, my greatest hopes, my worst fears, an amalgamation of all of it.
It was the surmation of everything I was— my very identity. And I would have to surrunder it all to her. She would have knowledge of all of it, and as a result she would also have great power over me.
This was why she had never held onto any hope that I would save her. For who could bear to surrender so much of themselves to another?
She wouldn’t, if she were in my place.
We both knew that.
But that was also why .. .
I placed my hand on Fey’s poisoned thigh and spoke the spell.
’You-’. She began, her eyes trembling.
My entire form glowed brightly with images depicting the events of my brief life:my first day; the warmth of my mother’s kiss against my head; my first steps; my father beaming with pride as he watched me run for the first time.
Years passed with each second. Fey saw my struggle for survival, and then my eventual death against the flame meta.
She felt the awe i held for my new body, but also my fear of the creeping bloodlust— my fear of what it might push me to do.
Then she saw my most recent memories:
My grief and pain at losing Hera; my desperate desire to see her safe at all cost.
Then she saw herself through my eyes.
Beautiful, powerful, but dangerous.
And yet somehow, some part of me had grown to care for her in the brief time we’d spent together.
So much so that . . .
The green venom retreated from her veins. Color returned to her face, and the two bleeding gashes in her skin closed.
Slowly, Fey relaxed.
She shuddered, took a deep breath, and opened her eyes.
Then her eyes immediately locked with mine, amazement shining within them...
I don’t know how much time passed us by like this. But neither of us said anything because there was no need for words anymore.
She had seen all my memories, seen the darkest recesses of my mind.
She understood me— understood exactly why I had saved her.
She knew me better than anyone in the world now.
The feeling . . .was slightly uncomfortable.
But when I turned to return to the ships deck, I felt her hand weakly grab mine, her eyes flowing with a silent need.
And so I stayed with her and watched her fever subside. Soon she started breathing more easily and slipped into a restful sleep.
I finally let go.
I glanced upward with a furrowed brow.
I was dimly aware of something odd in the ship. When I had arrived in the bunker I could still hear the graceful flight of Vampiric feet— the anxious grumbles of hushed voices.
Now the the ship itself was deathly silent as I felt the river of destruction rolling under the hull.
I got a strange tingling in my spine, it was a feeling I got whenever danger was close.
I slowly, carefully climbed through the hatch door, keeping my eyes on my immediate surroundings.
The deck was completely empty — like all the Vampires that were here a few moments aga had completely vanished.
I would have thought that another demon beast had done this. But then my eyes caught one tiny, nearly invisible mote of black dust drifting in the air.
My mind took me back to the scene of the great assembly, and I remembered the one vampiric trait that could cause decay so complete, that the only remnants would be black dust.
’Axon.’ I realized.
The sound of slow, deliberate, clapping hands almost made me jump.
Axon materialized on the ships prow. Regarding me with some grudging respect.
His lips were curled into a sneer.
He spoke in a relaxed, mocking voice:"Sorry Mason, I’m going to need you to die for me. It’s a favour between bros. No hard feelings okay?"
I snarled, crouching defensively.
"Back down,"I warned the Vampire."I dont want to have to kill you."
Axon looked at me incredulously, before bursting in a bout of raucous laughter. He swung his head back and guffawed like i had cracked the worlds funniest joke — if i wasnt so worried about myself and Fey, I actually might have been offended.
Next Chapter Title: Fey’s request