From the Heart of a Fae

Royce held his gigantic sword to the throat of the enemies’ leader, a curly haired blonde, whose hair was almost white. Her electric green eyes reminded him of poison, no matter how beautiful she was. She was snarling at him; furious they were inside a magical net.

“Must feel fair foolish, being caught like a steer.” Royce mocked, but his tone and face were dead serious. The rope on the net pulled, and the Men of the Grey, with their female leader, were hauled up, banging into each other. The magic in the net held them completely immobile.

“You won’t keep us for long, heathen tribal cur.” The woman spit venomously. The others remained silent, staring at her - waiting for orders. Stella rode up next to Royce, who had lowered his sword arm as the enemy was hauled up. The area was surrounded by their men and the trap was a success.

“I’ve never seen a group quite like this, even in the war.” Stella could tell the woman was tainted with poisoned ancient magic, and she was powerful. But she was so young and beautiful, how was she doing it? The others looked typical of the men of the gray. Sexless, flaking scaly gray skin, black eyes. It amused Stella that the woman thought herself better than her subordinate’s and was clearly not happy they were touching her. She kept yelling for them to stop touching her, but since the magic held them all immobile, her cries were useless.

“What are we going to do with her?” Stella murmured to Royce. Still looking up at her, he replied- “We’re going to give her to Kora. She is the only one who can smash that cockroach.” The woman visibly paled. Royce noticed. The woman knew Kora’s name - and not just as their target. Whatever plans she had here did not involve her coming face to face with Kora, and that intrigued him.

“What’s the matter, harlot? Afraid of a princess?” Royce taunted. The woman glowered and spat at him. It hit the ground at his feet, and he laughed.

“TSK TSK, that’s no way to treat Yer host, lady.” Royce continued his mocking, hoping to goad her into letting something slip.

“I wasn’t scared of her when she was queen, why would she scare me now?” The woman taunted back, and that caused Royce to pause. This woman was as old as Kora, but how? And she knew her. He looked to Stella, who nodded, understanding that this might be a trap by the main leader, Drew. She turned her horse, intent on finding Kora, but thundering hooves approached. Kora was flying on Oninalli’s back, no saddle, and Shadow was right beside her. The large dog looked ferocious, and from the fear on the ladies’ face, he was not expected. Shadow slid into the clearing, coming within inches of the woman’s face, snarling. She shrieked and tried desperately to shrink back against the others in the net, but again she was held still as a statue. Kora looked magnificent, and terrifying. She was glowing faintly, her hair flowing down her back. Her shirt moved gently as if in a breeze, though Royce felt none. The thunder of hooves behind her announced the rest of the party, but Kora was already approaching the net, her hands extended. Roots of the tree shot up, tangling themselves around the woman within the net. True fear was in the woman’s eyes now, and she was crying out to Kora.

“Wait, please wait, I can help! I have information! Kora, please, I never meant to betray you! I did not have a choice!” A screech erupted from Kora, and Royce knew if he did not do something, she was going to kill the woman on the spot. Running towards her, he gripped her in a bear hug from behind and swung her around to face the others, and not the woman.

“Kora, stop. I can feel your anger. I know it is valid. I do not even need to know what happened to tell you she deserves it. But we need intel. Why do you think we made this trap? Think. This is not about you, Koraline. We need to know where the enemy is gathering - so we can keep Deirdre safe.” Ben and Malik approached.

“We are sorry we did not tell you. But we knew if you were aware they were close, you would have hunted them down yourself. We needed to do this.” Ben stroked Kora’s face sadly.

“I don’t ever want to see you get hurt, can you please forgive us?” Ben pleaded. Malik stepped forward as Royce released Kora slowly. Her glow had faded, though her eyes were still wild. Malik took his turn and hugged Kora.

“Please, sister. We are trying to help.” Malik stepped back and looked her in the eyes.

“As your King, I forbid you from killing them. We need their information. But you can … rough them up a bit- if you like.” He winked and Ben kissed her. They could tell that she was still furious, and there was fear.

“You do not understand. He will come for that woman. I thought she was dead long ago-that there was no one he cared about. But she … He will come for her. We must be ready- because whether we kill her or not, he will come.” Kora shook her head and turned to face the woman. She walked forward, the roots still winding their way around the woman’s body. They wrapped around her face and forced the woman to look right into Shadow’s eyes, who was still close, teeth bared. They noticed the roots had moved her forward, and she could not shrink back from the gigantic dog anymore.

“What a genuine disappointment to see that you are still alive, Amelia. It was one of the few comforts I had when I was revived from stone. I assume your hand was in that? The markings on the Obelisk looked very much like the ones on your parchment in your office that day … We had quite the altercation then, didn’t we?” The woman paled, and she said nothing.

“Come now Amelia. You had so much to say a minute ago, are you telling me you are not happy to see a familiar face?” Kora jumped, landing on Shadow’s back to lean over his head and look down at Amelia. She was smiling, but it was the coldest, most emotionless smile the others had ever seen. Ludis covered her mouth and looked away-trying to hide the chill that went through her body.

“You know what my being here means, Kora. You know he will come for me. I have nothing to say to you.” The woman could not look away. Kora’s face turned thoughtful.

“You know, Amelia, you are right. There is nothing I can do to get you to talk. But there are 14 others, so what do I need you for? The others will surely sing. They might not know as much as you do, but hey-some information is better than none? What do you think, Brother, may I please have this one?” Turning to look down, Malik nodded.

“I am sure you have something exceptional planned for her. It will encourage the others to be … more cooperative.” Kora’s eyes glowed fiercely, and Amelia began to sweat.

“You know what the best part about this is, Amelia? I know the ancient magic you carry will make you hard to kill. This will be so much fun for me. Longevity does not stop pain, sweetheart, and by the time I am done, Drew will have heard your screams deep in whatever hole he is hiding in. You. Are. Mine.” Stella waved her hand, completed a series of signals with her fingertip. The net shimmered around them, and suddenly the woman was trapped in just the roots, and not the net anymore. Kora pulled her forward, and the roots walked the woman towards her, shadow now standing over her, growling. Kora jumped from Shadows back, so she could be face to face with Amelia. Shadow circled them slowly, growling. Amelia was shaking, the fear evident.

“Kora do not do this. You know him. You know I could not have denied him, he is too powerful. He even fooled you! What chance do you think I had?” Amelia was pleading, sweat dripping into her eyes.

“Did you have anything to do with my entrapment, after Ikalla was killed? The months I spent as a slave in that dark icy cave. Tell me now Amelia- was it you who set me up? Do you know what they did to me in there?” Amelia gulped, and she remained silent. A root came up, curling around her head to point on a sharp end to her eye.

“Yes.” Amelia whispered. Kora expected this, but it still stung.

“And turning me to stone?”

“I created the spell. I was the one who hinted to you to sing to the ancestors. It was all a set-up.” Amelia confessed and closed her eyes. Shadow snapped in the air, stopping inches from Amelia’s face, and then moved back to circle them again. Amelia screeched in fear, and when the bite did not come, she opened her eyes. She noticed the roots were starting to sprout tiny vines. They were so small, like veins. They even moved across her in the odd pattern’s veins took. Not only that, but they were moving under the roots, wrapping around her hands and feet, then she felt them creeping between her legs and around her head towards her face. Suddenly realizing what was about to happen, she began to screech.

“Kora, stop, I- I will tell you where he is! I can tell you how he is getting into your dream! I can tell you where to find him! He thought that sex would pass your power on! When he did not get it from you, he wanted others to try- I told him it would not work! Please do not kill me this way!” Malik stepped forward, his face blank.

“What do you mean, sex would pass her power on?” Ben came forward now, and he was shaking with anger, afraid of what she would say. Kora directed another sharp root to her eye, and with a dead voice, spoke.

“Go ahead Amalia, tell my family what you set me up for. Do it.” Amelia was crying now, sobbing in fear.

“We … we kept her in a cave. They … they raped her to try to assume her power. Drew’s orders I swear! I opposed; I did.” Ludis and Stella blanched. Ben went white. Malik felt like he was going to vomit, and Royce’s face was stone. Ian, standing further in the back under a tree, felt tears come to his eyes. Kora had said months... She was kept in a cave and raped for months. This woman was responsible., and Drew. They had killed all her loved ones, kept her hostage, and raped her, then he pretended to love her and betrayed her turning her to stone.

“Tell them all of it Amalia.” Kora’s voice had turned hard. Amalia whimpered, and the root started to go up her nose.

“She … She was 15. Her mother … Her mother helped us. She took Kora from the safety of the tribe, and … Handed her over to us. Kora never knew Drew was involved.” Kora closed her eyes and tears ran down her face.

“You know, I did not put it all together until I saw you here Amalia. Thank you for the clarity. My mother’s lover must have been Drew. How else would she have been convinced to even bother coming for me?” Malik could not take it anymore. He wanted this woman dead. He could see the others were of the same mind, Stella, and Ludis were in tears, covering their mouths.

“Where is he, Amelia? Speak now, while I can still stop her.” Malik lied, and they all knew it. Amalia would die tonight. Kora did not even look at Malik.

“Fief Sinclair. He - He rebuilt it. He is there now.” Of course, he is, Kora thought bitterly. Hiding in plain sight. For her, anyway-no one else knew his identity before she came to this new kingdom. The little sprouts continued to creep.

“Kora, it’s your decision.” Malik turned away and Kora was elated.

“This is going to hurt. Terribly…” The others had to turn away as Amelia started to scream. The sprouts began to push into every orifice, and found their way into her veins, crawling along every avenue. They pushed under her toenails and fingernails. Because of the ancient magic she stole, she was not dying right away. She screamed until her voice box was riddled with the roots, and she cried until the small sprouts began to run along the veins in her eyes. Tears of blood now ran down Amelia’s beautiful face. Kora and Shadow never looked away. Ben, Malik, and Royce stood a few feet behind Kora, and they would not look away either. They understood now, Kora’s deep-rooted hatred for this woman, and her fear of Drew. Malik once again was thanking his stars that he was not Kora’s enemy. The remaining enemy members were terrified, unable to move, they too were forced to watch the horror unfold. It had been too much for Ludis and Stella, who moved beyond the circle of the soldiers. Most of them were also having a tough time stomaching the process. It took hours, and the sun was setting when Kora stood up from her seat on Shadow to walk forward. Amelia was still alive, but barely.

“Well, Amelia, any last words?” The woman convulsed slightly. No sound came out other than a faint gurgle. Kora, with her superior strength, struck the woman through her chest, straight into the cavity. Kora wrapped her hands around the woman’s heart and yanked hard. It came out in an explosion of blood and Kora began to back up. The sprouts had traveled through every single vein. Wiggling to make room, they were all attached firmly to the heart. Amelia’s eyes bulged and one last scream escaped. Kora looked down at the heart in her hand, and then spoke.

“I should have known it would be black. Do not worry, I will make sure your lover gets the message.” The light faded from Amelia’s eyes, and her body went slack. The roots covered in her blood began to weave in front of Kora, and a small box formed. Kora scooped up the vine, veins, and the heart, placing it into the box, closing the lid, as the box disconnected from the roots.

“Let us leave her with our guests. Give them some time to think about what their fate will shall be, when they dare to challenge the last of the Fae.” Kora strode past the men, covered in Amelia’s blood. She noticed, in the shadows, stood Ian. He watched her, and his eyes showed respect and fear. She knew the others would be looking at her in the same manner, but it did not matter now. She had a message to deliver. Kora handed the box to Shadow, who put it into his mouth.

“You know what to do. Do not let him get close to you.” Shadow took off into the night, and Kora began the descent to the castle, covered in the enemy’s blood, Oginalli walking behind her.