History Of Fire: A Dark Faerie Tale Part 4

June 18th, 1702 I fell ill and cold when I let one particular faery touch me. He wanted to demonstrate his power. In his limited communication, he told of a way to steal power from others. I feared what he told me and asked if he could do it without killing the other. He nodded but did let me know that sometimes, things go wrong. He held but a finger to my hand, and I felt the world darken as my life force left. He let go and apologized, but I was already quite weakened. I had just enough strength to make it home and slept through to the next day. I wonder how a creature of his power could exist. The ramifications of abusing such a power are too great to consider.

~Brendan His hardened almond eyes scanned over each one of us, as though he were dissecting us. It was chilling, like having tiny spiders crawling over every inch of exposed skin. I found it quite unnerving to be under such harsh scrutiny from Ferdinand, but I shook it off and kept my face straight, not wanting to give this creep any ammunition for use against me later.

When Ferdinand's gaze landed on Sary, it stayed there, filled with intensity, but also with a touch of sadness. Whatever was fleeting through this guy's head, it was probably something between him and Sary, a private thing belonging only to siblings. It reminded me of Shade for a slight second, and I missed seeing my sister. Still, I couldn't say I didn't want to know, but I wanted out of this siphoning guru's place ASAP. The man reeked of dark magic, and it made me want to get up from the mushy couch, jet right out the front door and never look back. If that was any indication on how dangerous he was to other magicals, I still didn't want to find out if he lived up to such foreboding.

"Ferdinand." Sary's mouth hung open slightly, like she wanted to say more but wasn't sure if she should. Maybe she had too many questions vying for first place, locking her in a silent battle. Maybe she was just as shocked from the swirls of invading magic probing at her like tiny spikes and snakes nipping at her s.h.i.+elds, testing them out to find any vulnerabilities. I felt it doing the same to me and fought against swiping at the air to shoo it off. I doubted it would help at all. If Ferdinand truly wanted to break down our guards, he most definitely could.

But the two of them just stood there, staring at each other.

"Sary. It's been too long, Sister."

I saw Sary swallow, her thin throat undulating under duress as she choked back the arid desert definitely forming in her throat. I noticed they didn't hug. They didn't touch whatsoever. What kind of life had Ferdinand lived, to never be able to embrace another without draining them? I bet it was a lonely and bitter one. Maybe it was the worst power to have after all. I was grateful my own powers didn't limit me so.

"I didn't know where you went. You just left us. Why?"

"Could be because you weren't supposed to know why. Why are you really here?"

Sary's eyes narrowed, her lips tightened, and I could almost feel the steam coming out of her ears. I waited for her to spontaneously combust as the air in the room began to thicken. Whatever happened to banish Ferdinand to this realm, there seemed to be something else going on as well.

His long red hair was the same color, if not a slight shade darker than Sary's. The family resemblance was obvious; they could be twins. I wondered if they were, but his stature appeared to be more of a firstborn's arrogance than one of equal standing to the sibling before him. It reminded me of Shade and her bossy manners at home. Still, I didn't think Shade would ever act the way Ferdinand did as he puffed himself out at Sary. I hoped she had enough of a hold over him to keep his emotions in check, keep us safe. It was akin to lingering in a cage with a hungry lion and b.l.o.o.d.y steaks hanging from our necks.

"I didn't come here to fight," Sary said, sounding defeated.

"Then why did you come here?" Ferdinand leaned forward, his hands laced together as he sat down on a chair across from the sofa. His evaluation of us continued, but his focus was Sary. They were more like strangers now. Still, I felt I was missing a huge chunk of the story. What had transpired between these two pairs of green eyes?

"Why are you living in this trash bin? The mortals have no need for a faery prince. What did you do to get banished?"

Ferdinand's face was still for a tiny moment before he burst out laughing. His face looked friendly as he chuckled. His eyes twinkled, and his overly white teeth flashed as if his sister had just cracked a joke.

"Oh, dear, dear, little Sister. You don't recall, but I was banished here for practicing a banned type of magic. You know what I can do, yet you have no idea what I've done." Right then, the laugh halted, and his features turned cold once more. "You don't know that because you were deadened by grief of losing Stephen. You were withering from your loss. I couldn't let that happen."

Sary's eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open. Thoroughly confused, she tried to form words with her pretty little mouth, but nothing would come out. Moments later, grasping to control herself, she cleared her throat and let out an agonizingly slow breath. "What do you mean?"

Ferdinand leaned back into his chair, completely relaxed. His intense study of us eased, and the obvious release of tension receded like a wave in the ocean. It felt easier to breath. He'd stopped probing our s.h.i.+elds, glamours and wards. The release made me realize just how much he'd been pus.h.i.+ng at my power, leaving me drained.

"I never meant for you to come here and seek me out, but I knew I'd never get my wish, knowing you'd be stubborn and follow me out here anyway." He paused, rubbing his chin and looking gloomier. "When I saved your life, I used my magic. You know it's forbidden, but regardless, you were dying when you lost Stephen. You didn't want to go on." He paused, his face straining with the difficulty of explaining the story.

"To save your life, I drained several faeries. Not to the last drop, but to a point where they were weakened for days. I did nothing treacherous or malicious. All the faeries who gave me their power volunteered to help you. I siphoned it off them and transferred their life forces to bring you back from the depths of a dark, deep depression. That darkness, the lack of love of life, grasped onto you when Stephen died and never let you go. You were dying, and you didn't fight it off. I couldn't just let you die. You're a princess of the Vyn, who have no heir for their throne if you die. And ... you're my sister."

Sary's eyes filled with tears as her lips quivered. Her normally fair complexion turned a deep violent red, which I feared would turn purple if she didn't take a breath soon. Her memories of Stephen and hearing her brother say his name had hit her hard. She obviously hadn't prepared to hear such things from her sibling.

"You siphoned magic to save me? You were never supposed to use that magic ... ever. Even to save me."

Ferdinand didn't move, nor did he answer her. The truth was raw in the air between them, and he apparently had nothing to add to it.

"Why would you do that? Our people can survive without me. You should've let me die. I wanted to join my love. Now you've left me here in this wretched place without him! I didn't want to go on. You stole that destiny from me!" Her eyes bulged as the rage poured from her. Streams of tears spilled over her cheeks and dripped down onto her lap, spotting up her pants. A whimper escaped her lips right before she lunged toward Ferdinand, who didn't so much as flinch.

Luckily, I knew her intentions before she got too far and yanked her back onto the sofa with a good, firm grip around her waist.

"Sit down, Sary," I said, my voice soft and sad.

I didn't let go of her even when she struggled and smacked at my arms. She didn't hurt me, even though she dug her nails into my arm. She probably didn't know what she was doing except glaring hard at Ferdinand, ignoring me.

"Why did you do it? It got you nothing but banishment. What good was that? You could've let me go in peace. I could've been with Stephen." Her voice trembled and I loosened my grip slightly, hoping her hopelessness meant she wasn't going to jump out and attack Ferdinand again. We weren't supposed to touch him. She would know that more than any of us.

"I told you. You're my sister, heir to the Vyn throne. I couldn't let you die. Don't you get it?" Ferdinand stood up and paced the room. "I'm worthless to our people. Men do not rule the Vyn people, the women do. I have an unusual and deadly power. I've killed others, important people, by accident. I can't touch anyone. Don't you think I know they're all afraid of me? Don't you think I know my place?" His words were acid on his tongue, and the angry bitterness flashed across his features, turning his skin to match his sister's.

Sary slumped, and I guided her back to lean on the couch for support. She looked tired, exhausted. Even her perfect skin now appeared sallow and pale, as if her beauty was but a frail illusion, a trick to keep others from seeing the damaged girl beneath. This woman didn't want to rule any court or want to see anything as wrong with her family. This was the face of someone who'd given up already and lived each day like an empty sh.e.l.l, going through the motions without really living.

"It doesn't matter either way," she said. "Our people will never have the ruler they want. We'll be absorbed by the Scren Realm in the end. It's better that way. At least their ruler, Shade, cares about her people, and she didn't even grow up in Faerie." Sary closed her eyes and sucked in another choked breath. "I don't care anymore. I wanted to die, but I didn't. So here I am. What now? Did you figure it all out Ferdinand? How to live again? Are you happy out here?" Her eyes flung open as she tried to turn the tables, dissecting her brother with a hard, fiery glare.

Ferdinand returned to his chair and sat down heavily. "I have nothing figured out. Here, we're just trying to survive. Here, it's an eternal war to stay alive. Without our motherland, Faerie, we're as good as rotted, shriveled fruit. I haven't withered because I can siphon magic from anywhere, any person, anything. Others are not so fortunate." He s.h.i.+fted in his seat, reaching for a gla.s.s parked on a small square table next to him. He threw back a swallow and slammed it back down.

"I do a service for those banished from Faerie. I get what they need and in return, they serve as my guards, my ears, my eyes and bring me information. Magic is the currency here, and those without it are in no position to tell me what to do. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get what you want when you have what everyone else wants." His hands spread out across the room, like a king on his throne addressing his subjects. "This is my kingdom, and you no longer have any power over what I do with my life."

"So you're the king of this dump. Woo-hoo. Some kingdom," I replied. "Ruling over withered faeries ruined by the human world. Banished for committing unspeakable crimes. Their own fault."

Next thing I knew, I was bent over on my knees and kneeling on the floor. My arm felt like it was tearing away from my body, and I gripped onto it as I groaned in pain. Ferdinand was on his feet and pointing a finger at me with a wicked smirk rising on his lips. It felt like spear stuck my side while my arm was twisted, or maybe a thousand tiny icepicks being inserted into my skin, making their way to my organs.

"Ferdinand!" Sary crouched beside me looking shocked and helpless. "Ferdinand, stop it!"

I could see the room sway as I struggled to stay awake and bear the excruciating pain, but the room grew darker. My vision narrowed, and the sweet call of unconsciousness begged me to follow, swiftly and deeply until there would be no more pain, no more suffering ... only nothingness. This was more than just a blackout. If I gave in to it, I knew it would be the end of me.

Chapter Eight Approaching Darkness.

Approaching Darkness

"Let him go!" Sary was now standing and confronting her brother. He was a good foot taller than her, but she was almost pressed against him, narrowing her eyes. As soon as he realized she was too close and would certainly be touching him, Ferdinand stepped back and released me from whatever magical hold he had on me. It had felt like the magical version of a Taser but much, much worse. It left me huffing to catch my breath. The torturous ache slowly dissolved away, but I was sweating like a horse, barely conscious and feeling almost completely spent.

Did that son of b.i.t.c.h drain me? What the ...

I tried to get to my feet, but the sluggishness I was feeling hummed down my body, making it harder to move, and I barely managed to crawl back onto the couch.

"What did you do to me?" I muttered, slumping back and feeling like utter c.r.a.p. A groan slipped past my lips, and I closed my eyes. Sary was already checking me for damage and sharing her healing magic to help me out. If it weren't for the fact that everything hurt in every tiny cell of my body, even from her delicate touch, I would've found her concern flattering. But since I wasn't quite myself, I couldn't take any pleasure in it as I struggled to breathe through the pain.

"That's just a sample of what I can do. I'll siphon your energy, weakening you in a millisecond. It's my power ... my curse ... my way to survive in this wretched human wasteland."

"It's not a wasteland to the humans," I muttered, fighting to keep my eyes open and drill an unsavory glare into him.

"You've no idea what paradise really is." Ferdinand returned to his chair, an unhappy look gracing his features. As soon as Sary was satisfied that I was still a whole man, she whirled back around to face her brother.

"What happened to you? You're nothing like the brother I once knew. You steal power that isn't yours and hurt those weaker than you. How dare a royal son of the Vyn court act in such a manner? How could you?"

"The darkness isn't that far away, just like it wasn't for you, dear sister."

Ferdinand looked away, staring for a moment out a small window, which was mostly draped with more eloquent fabric to block the remains of the day s.h.i.+ning into the room. His jaw tensed as he leaned on his hand, avoiding Sary's acid glare. Somehow, I don't think he was as unaffected by her disappointment in him as he made it seem. He'd saved her life and received the reward of banishment for it. If it weren't for the fact that I wanted to kill him myself for that magical ambush, I might've felt a tad bit sorry for him. But I didn't.

"You disgust me." Sary shot daggers at him and stood up, looking at Braelynn and back down to me. "Braelynn, have you any healing draught?"

Braelynn fished through the tiny bag strapped to her waist and finally dragged out a small bottle of the sweet concoction that tasted delicious and healed me ever so nicely. I drooled at the sight of it.

"He's had a lot of the draught lately. He mustn't have too much more," Braelynn cautioned. This warning made me perk my ears up, and I stared at her questioningly.

"Why not?" I wanted that bottle more than anything in the world. I craved to pluck the cork out of the container and drain it to the last drop.

"Because ..." Braelynn handed the bottle to me after pulling the stopper from it. "You're already showing signs of addiction. It can have that effect on humans. You're human after all. Not a lick of faery in you, which is unfortunate. Your sister wouldn't have such an issue."

I s.n.a.t.c.hed the bottle from her, but before I put the bottle to my lips, I paused, flicking my eyes up to Braelynn and then to Sary. "Is she right? I can get addicted to this stuff?"

"It's like the magic I peddle here," Ferdinand offered without looking at any of us. "It's highly addictive to energize oneself with the magic of others. Such an addiction is irreversible if you let it get that far."

Oh, now he wanted to be helpful.

I pulled the bottle away from my lips and stared curiously down at the silvery liquid slos.h.i.+ng inside. The draw to it was unbearable, begging me to sip on it and savor its delicacy.

"What's in this draught that makes it so addictive?" I asked, still holding onto the tiny flask, afraid of what I was going to hear.

"It's not anyone's energy," Braelynn said. "In Faerie, magic is everywhere, it comes from the trees and especially flowers of the Eliquinscence tree. It's full of healing power but doesn't grow outside of Faerie, so none of the banished have access to it. They must drain power from another source, like other faeries." She watched me holding the flask. Unlike how my face probably appeared at that moment, her face was a mask of calm, without any desire for the draught. That alone made me angry, hating the fluid more than ever. I quickly s.n.a.t.c.hed the cork from her fingers and plugged the bottle.

Now that the heavenly scent of the draught was no longer lingering, it made it easier to resist, and I no longer felt an insatiable desire to drink the fluid. I handed it back to Braelynn and frowned.

"Don't give me any more. I can walk with a little help."

"Going so soon?" Ferdinand perked up at this and watched as Sary bent over me to help me to my feet. Before I stood, Ferdinand interrupted once more. "Wait. Before you go, I need to warn you about something."

Sary turned and let me go. I slumped back onto the couch, my legs unstable. Turning one's back on a siphon lord could be dangerous, so I didn't blame her one bit for keeping an eye on him, even though the movement made my body flare up with pin p.r.i.c.ks of pain shooting through me. It was enough to make my head spin.

"What makes you think I want any help from you?" Sary hissed.

Ferdinand visibly flinched at her words, but nevertheless continued. "I'm not the only thing you need to fear out on the streets of the world, little Sister."

Sary's eyebrow lifted, and I managed to pull myself out from my misery to listen up. "Like what?" she asked.

"Not what ... whom."

"What do you mean?"

"Oran's tribe."

Silence fell across the room. I felt lightheaded from the lack of air. I swear Ferdinand not only sucked the life out of people, he also thinned out the air, too.

"Who's Oran?" I managed to ask, though I think I squeaked it more than anything else. I could feel a sheen of sweat across my forehead as I breathed hard to keep from pa.s.sing out.

Ferdinand focused his s.h.i.+ny green eyes on me, though now they were as hard as gems. "Oran is the leader of the Unseelie in the mortal world. He's a self-proclaimed king and ruler of all the banished. If you're waging a war against the escaped Unseelie and the banished, you'll definitely have your work cut out for you with Oran backing them up."

"How come I've never heard of Oran before?" I asked, feeling slightly better. "No one in Faerie ever mentioned him before."

"Because he is the forgotten one. He's an Unseelie prince, probably some sort of relative to Aveta. Arthas had many children who can possibly claim the throne, but none had power enough to take it from Aveta. Now that's she gone, Oran is gearing up to return to Faerie to claim it."

"So why is he in the human world? I thought Faeries hated it here."

Ferdinand smiled. "I don't hate it here, but I'd love to return to my home. I actually feel more loved and powerful here than I ever did in Faerie. As does Oran. He doesn't suffer the effects of the human world like most lowly fey. He's immune to the iron effects and, like me, can share power with his underlings. Therefore, those who follow him do not suffer the ill effects of the human world." He sighed, looking tired as he explained the history of Oran. Why he was offering up this information was beyond me. It made me wonder if it was a trap or not.

"Why are you telling us this? Why would we even trust you?"

He shrugged. "Maybe I'm tired of being the enemy. We need each other. A delicate irony in that, wouldn't you say?" He grinned but I didn't return it. "If Oran expands any further, he'll grow into my territory. I'm happy here. We get plenty of fey pouring in due to our proximity to the borders of Faerie. It's enough to keep us supplied with magic without killing anyone. Some look for a better life than Faerie has to offer them. Not all are fortunate in magic, and some have more family on this side of the border than the other. Who knows why they come here, but they do. I like my territory and have created a small kingdom for myself and my followers. It suits me. If Oran doesn't return to Faerie, he'll come here to take my lands. I don't want that to happen."

He leaned forward and drilled his eyes into me. I felt a pinch of a drain again and pushed out what I had left of my own s.h.i.+elds to meet it. He backed off but not before throwing me a wicked grin.

"If anyone can stop Oran, it's Benton and Shade's family. They have ties to both worlds and are the most powerful of the original elemental family."

The what?

"Excuse me?" I sputtered. I couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Ferdinand enjoyed catching me off guard. This was getting to be too much for my aching head to handle.

"The original elemental family dates back to the time the Ancients came into being. Faeries aren't the only magical beings out there. Like you, Benton, there are elemental witches and warlocks, vampires, werewolves, anything you can think of. It's all real, not just fairy tales told to keep little kids in line. Just well hidden. Your family was the original elemental magic family, and your blood is as old as the Ancients. Why do you think Shade is so powerful? She's descended from not one but two original magical families. You're almost as powerful, but you still need to hone your ability."

"That's bull c.r.a.p. You almost killed me with a lift of your finger."

Ferdinand laughed. "If you'd read your family's history and knew all the spells you're capable of casting, I'd be no match for you, Benton. Keep at it. I'm sure you're as immortal as your sister."

"Where can we find Oran?" Braelynn's voice surprised all of us, for she'd been unusually quiet the entire visit. Maybe it shouldn't have surprised us at all. She was a powerful sorceress and would want to know more about anything magical.

"He's based in the Western lands." Ferdinand offered. "I'm not too sure, the exact location is secret. You'll have to ask around there, or start in Las Vegas. I have an informant there in the Golden Nugget Casino. His name is Lorell. Harmless, really. He's a runt-riff faery."

"What's a runt-riff faery?" I asked.

"A non-magical faery," Braelynn mumbled, looking tired.

"You mean a faery who has no magic? How's that even possible?"

Braelynn shrugged and sighed. "Unfortunately, it's very possible. They usually die before they reach adulthood in Faerie. Most escape Faerie to live with the humans. One good thing about not having magic is that iron doesn't affect them." She turned toward Ferdinand. "How do we get Lorell to trust us?"

Ferdinand lifted a finger and got up from his chair. "One moment."

He exited into the next room where I heard him move a bundle of stuff about, as if he was going through a storage area. I sighed, almost feeling near normal except for the full body achiness and fatigue. I flexed my magic around me and felt the fiery warmth return, not yet at full strength, but it felt loads better than what it'd been right after being siphoned. I frowned at how helpless it had left me, vowing to read the rest of those darned grimoires back home in the Pyren as soon as I could, before any more adventures. If Ferdinand was right, I had to do it. Not only to protect myself, but to protect everyone I loved.