By Blood and Magic

by Jamie A. Waters

  Lily dove toward Sabine, hovering just out of touching distance of Malek. Sabine held out her hand so Lily could land. She was a pretty little thing with her yellow hair braided in an unfamiliar style, but she was much paler and smaller than Blossom.

  Lily blinked up at Sabine, her wings still twitching in excitement. “Ohhh. Blossom was right! You sparkle!”

  Sabine’s mouth twitched in a smile. Blossom also landed on her hand, her weight more substantial than Lily’s. It made her wonder if the pixies here had been suffering from some malady the same way the plants had been.

  “Will you magic us?” Blossom asked, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture.

  Lily’s eyes widened, and she mimicked Blossom’s movements. “Like this?”

  “Stick out your bottom lip more and try to look pathetic,” Blossom whispered loudly.

  Malek snorted. “Great. Blossom’s teaching these pixies all her tricks. By the time we leave, the pixies are going to be taking over.”

  Sabine laughed. Even if Blossom hadn’t asked, Sabine had intended to share magic the moment she’d gotten a good look at Lily. Holding out her other hand over the pixies, she sent a light rush of magic over them.

  Lily’s cheeks flushed, giving her a much healthier appearance. Even her eyes were brighter. She was still too thin, but it was a definite improvement.

  The tiny pixie dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t leave us, Your Highness. I’m sorry we failed you. We’ve tried to keep the forest alive, but it’s not working. All the trees are sick, and it’s spreading. We can’t stop it.”

  Blossom wrapped her arms around Lily, holding her tightly while the pixie cried. She patted Lily’s hair and said, “It’s okay, Lily. Sabine will help the trees and your family. She saved my family too.”

  Sabine’s heart broke at the sight. “I’ll do what I can to help, but can you tell me what happened here? What’s wrong with the trees?”

  Lily sniffled and wiped away her tears. “The trees don’t like the True Folk’s stinky fish magic. We’re too weak to keep the balance. Everyone’s sick. Mama and Papa can’t even fly anymore.”

  Blossom bit her lip. “Sabine, they’ve never met another Fae. They’ve been trapped here for centuries.”

  Sabine stared at Blossom in horror. Pixies couldn’t survive without a strong source of Fae magic. If they’d been trying to subsist on trace amounts of the remaining magic here for centuries, it was no wonder Lily and her family were so weakened.

  Malek sat on the bed. “What? How is that possible?”

  Lily’s lower lip trembled, and she lowered her head. “The True Folk won’t let us use the doorway to the in-between. They don’t want the Fae to take away their home. We begged them to let us go back and forth, but they call us bugs and try to squish us. Their Elder is the worst of them. He told the others to kill us.”

  Sabine blew out a breath. The True Folk were affecting the natural balance of everything here. They needed to be stopped. If they were controlling the doorway that tightly, her people probably didn’t know this city still existed until Faerie had announced her arrival. Even if they tried to send an emissary here to investigate, it was unlikely they could find this place without help. “Lily, do you have the ability to share magic with your parents and the rest of your family?”

  Lily nodded. “Yes. I’ll go share your magic with them right now.”

  “Not yet.” Sabine gently placed both pixies on the bed. She pulled out her knife and pricked her finger. Holding it out to Lily, she said, “Drink as much as you can. I know it’s a little unusual, but drinking directly from a Fae is more potent than simply sharing magic. This gift should sustain you and your family for over a month. When you’re finished, Blossom will help you get back home so you can share the magic with your family and the other clans.”

  While Lily drank, Sabine turned to Blossom. “Once you’re sure her family’s okay, come find us in the northern part of the city. I’m going to need your help.”

  Blossom stroked Lily’s braided hair and said, “There are only a few hundred pixies still living here, Sabine. Most of them have already died out.”

  Sabine frowned. “Their sickness is tied to whatever’s affecting the trees. If we can figure out how to stop it, they’ll be safe. In the interim, tell the other pixies to elect one representative from each clan. I’ll allow them to drink so they can share my magic with the rest of their families. They don’t take much.”

  Lily finished drinking and swayed where she stood. She giggled and plopped face first onto the bed. Sabine sighed and gestured for Blossom to help her new friend. Blossom grinned and propped Lily up.

  “Come on, Lily. Let’s go fix your parents. Find your wings and start fluttering. I’ll steer!”

  Lily hiccupped, and the two pixies took off for the balcony.

  Malek stared after them and frowned. “I had no idea the effects would be so widespread. Can you save them?”

  Sabine nodded. “My magic will help with whatever’s making them sick, but we need to restore access to the rest of Faerie, or it won’t last. This city should be large enough to sustain tens of thousands of pixies, not just a few hundred. That’s part of the reason the trees are dying. The Merfolk have upset the natural order of this place.”

  Malek’s jaw hardened. “Then let’s go save Pearl and heal the forest. I’m not about to allow another pixie to die.”

  Sabine held her illusion magic over the crystal lift while the tree carried them to the ground. To any curious onlookers, they wouldn’t be able to tell anything was happening. Sabine knew some of the True Folk could track her by searching for sources of foreign magic. The Elder was probably one of those with such talent, especially if he was sensitive enough to detect when the doorways to the in-between were opened. Fortunately, the moon was high in the sky, and her magic had always been stronger at night. She just hoped they hadn’t discovered they were missing yet.

  The lift settled soundlessly on the ground, and Sabine withdrew her glamour from the tree. After motioning for Malek to follow, she surrounded them in shadows as they walked along the path to the northernmost part of the city.

  Many of the crystal pathways were broken, and entire buildings had collapsed. Even the trees in this part of the city had either died or were struggling to survive. Sabine had to battle her instincts not to help them, knowing it would only make her presence known that much faster.

  A few of the True Folk patrolled this area. Sabine and Malek crouched off the path while these armed men and women moved past them. Once they were out of earshot, Sabine and Malek crept forward, trying to locate the building Blossom had described.

  “Blossom said it was a partially collapsed spire,” Sabine whispered to Malek after another patrol had disappeared into the darkness. “I didn’t realize how many there were. We could spend all night searching and not locate the right one. We may need to wait on Blossom to show us the rest of the way.”

  “Are you sure the guards can’t track her?”

  Sabine shook her head. “I’m not sure of anything when it comes to these people. Lesser Fae magic is different and in some ways stronger than ours because it’s harder to detect. I have to trust Blossom can handle herself.”

  Malek nodded and led her off the path. They walked in silence for several minutes, climbing over fallen rubble and fractured crystals. She’d never seen such widespread destruction. Placing her hand against one of the crystals, she wondered whether these buildings had been destroyed during the Dragon War.

  Malek turned back to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

  She pulled her hand away and shook her head. There wasn’t any point in discussing it. They both knew what had happened here.

  “I was worried about this,” Malek said quietly, taking her hand in his. “I had a feeling my people were responsible for this destruction as soon as we saw the rubble. When Marsious told us how he’d come to be here, I thought you’d pull away from me then.�
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  Sabine looked away and murmured, “I didn’t.”

  Malek sighed and ran his thumb over her hand. “No, but this can’t be easy on you. It’s not easy for me either. But please remember, you’re not those Fae, and I’m not those dragons. What we’re building together will make the world better for all of us. Don’t allow the past to divide us.”

  She lowered her gaze, desperately wanting to believe he was right, but she couldn’t forget the fear Lily had exhibited when she’d realized Malek was a dragon. Even the Elder had been scared of Malek. She knew her people would never accept a dragon at her side, no matter how much she’d grown to care for him.

  Sabine swallowed and whispered, “Seeing what happened here makes it a little more real. I heard stories growing up, but it’s different when you see it for yourself. All those lives and all their magic, gone forever. It’s been ground into dust, just like these shattered crystals.”

  Malek lifted her hand and kissed it. “We’re going to make sure nothing like this happens again, sweetheart.”

  Sabine managed a weak smile and moved forward, determined to focus on their task. He was right; it was in the past and they were working on building a better future. She needed to keep that in the forefront of her mind. This destruction needed to serve as a reminder of their purpose. And for that, they needed each other.

  The lack of foliage in this area was nearly as shocking as the rubble. Every breath she took had an unfamiliar weight to it, slightly tangy and even metallic. It was wrong.

  She lifted her head, detecting something else buried under the surface. “The treeheart should be up ahead, but it… I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t feel like it’s complete.”

  Malek glanced at her. “That’s the heart of the city, right? What does it look like?”

  Sabine hesitated and then shrugged. “It could be anything. The previous ruler of the city would have chosen the vessel. Most of the time it’s a tree, which is why it’s usually referred to as the treeheart. It could be a crystal or maybe even a weapon of some kind. It depends on the focus and preference of the caretaker. If the city has claimed me as its ruler, I should be able to find it.”

  “You can sense it?”

  She nodded. “Yes. The magic of the treeheart has been calling me since it proclaimed me as ruler of this city.”

  Blossom appeared suddenly beside them. “It worked! Lily went to go rally the other pixie clans so you can fix them too.”

  Sabine smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. Her parents are able to fly again?”

  Blossom nodded. “Yep. They’re all better.”

  “Good. Can you show us where to find Pearl?”

  Blossom pointed straight ahead, almost in the exact direction of where the treeheart should be located. “Up there. The building’s hidden behind that hill.”

  They crept forward, keeping off the road as much as possible. At the top of the rise, they crouched beside a partially collapsed crystal wall. Down below was the ruined spire Blossom had mentioned. A large tree was beside it, pulsing softly with strange colors. They kept shifting between blue and silver, the colors of Sabine’s house. It could be a trick of the moonlight reflecting on the shattered crystals scattered around, but she didn’t think so.

  Sabine squinted, trying to get a better look. “Do you see that? What color is that tree?”

  Malek’s brow furrowed. “The leaves? They look green to me. A little lighter than the ones outside in the forest, but they’re green.”

  “It looks like a tree,” Blossom said, cocking her head to look at it. “Is it a tree? Want me to sniff it to find out?”

  “That must be the treeheart, but something’s wrong with it,” Sabine said, angling her body so she could study it without revealing their location. The shifting colors must be a beacon only she could detect.

  Malek pulled her back and motioned toward where a patrol was walking. Sabine inhaled sharply and pressed her back against the wall. They’d come from a different direction than she’d expected. If she wasn’t more careful, they would be caught.

  They waited until the footsteps had passed before Malek asked, “Can you tell what’s wrong with it?”

  She shook her head. “Not from here. I need to get closer.”

  Blossom scratched her head. “Uh, looks like they brought over more guards. I see more than twelve now. Think they know you’re missing?”

  “Shit,” Malek muttered and leaned to the side so he could get a look from behind the outcropping. “They’re moving around in some sort of formation. Maybe Blossom can get close enough to see what’s gotten them all riled up.”

  Sabine shook her head. “No. If they know we’ve escaped, they’ll be watching for her.”

  Blossom frowned. “I can be sneaky.”

  “I know,” Sabine said, holding out her hand so Blossom could land on it. “We don’t know what abilities these people have, and Lily said they don’t treat the pixies kindly. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  Blossom hugged her thumb. “What should we do? They’re holding Pearl in that building. We need to rescue her to save Esme.”

  Another patrol came through, this one even closer than the last. They’d need to move soon or risk being discovered. Malek motioned for them to remain silent, but he drew his weapon. Sabine did the same, hoping they wouldn’t need to use them. The Merfolk weren’t enemies with the Fae. Once she crossed that line and killed one of them, there was no turning back. No matter what they wanted from her, they technically hadn’t hurt either her or Malek yet.

  Footsteps crunched on the broken pathway, and Sabine tensed, mentally willing them to keep walking. She couldn’t even deepen the surrounding shadows without fear of being detected. Any trace of foreign magic could reveal their presence.

  “I thought Aberforth wanted the woman alive,” one of the men said to his companion. “Marsious said to kill them both?”

  “No. Kill the dragon, but capture and subdue the Fae. Marsious says she’s a threat and can turn the city against us. If we sacrifice her along with the Merfolk woman, we can infuse their combined magic into the city. We’re so close to shifting back. This might finally be the turning point for us.”

  “It’ll be war if the Fae find out we killed one of their Royals,” the first man said in warning.

  “And if we’re forced out? War is nothing compared to…”

  The voices trailed off as they moved farther away. The reality of what the Merfolk were intending made her stomach lurch, and Sabine squeezed her eyes shut. This was worse than she’d expected. It was no longer a simple matter of saving Esme and Levin. If they didn’t save Pearl and the treeheart, thousands could die—including all of her people.

  Malek blew out a breath and said, “I need to get you out of here. If you can open a doorway through the in-between, I can fly us out.”

  “I can’t leave,” she whispered, her heart clenching in pain. “I know how they’re infecting this pocket of Faerie. I have to stop them before they destroy the city completely.”

  Malek grabbed her arms and held her tightly. “Have you lost your mind? Let the city die, Sabine. We can get the pixies out and escape together. They’re going to kill you if they find you.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand. They’ve poisoned the magic of the city. If we don’t stop it here, it will gradually spread to the rest of Faerie. They’re trying to turn this place into their city.”

  “Then let them,” Malek argued, a trace of temper filling his eyes. “This city has been abandoned for centuries, and these people want you dead. You don’t owe them any favors.”

  “No,” she said, straightening her shoulders and pulling away from him. “Do you know what happens to a plant when it’s nourished with saltwater?”

  “It dies,” Blossom whispered, horror filling her eyes. “They’re going to kill all of Faerie if they change this place. The magic moves back and forth through the in-between. That’s how I talk to my family.”<
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  Sabine nodded. “Exactly. That’s why we have to save the treeheart and Pearl. Otherwise, it’s not just the city that will suffer. All of my people will be wiped out—the pixies, the Beastpeople, and every living creature in Faerie. All parts of Faerie are connected through the in-between, even if this part has been mostly walled off.”

  Malek’s brow furrowed. “You’re saying there’s a link between the missing Merfolk woman and the treeheart?”

  “Yes. It’s similar to the ritual described in the stone that Aberforth showed me. It’s why they’ve brought Pearl to the treeheart. They’re sacrificing captured Merfolk to change this place and themselves so they can return to the sea. They want to go home. They must think the city can absorb even more of Pearl’s magic if they sacrifice me at the same time.”

  Malek glanced around to make sure no was approaching before leaning against the sloped crystal wall. “I need you to explain how the magic of the city works.”

  Sabine took a deep breath and nodded, hoping he might have some insight into how they could save everyone. “Unlike most of the other magical races, the Fae have to purge themselves of excess magic or it becomes too much to manage. We siphon it off and give it back to the land so it might blossom and grow.”

  He frowned. “You’ve mentioned something like that before. That’s why you believe it’ll be a while before your family can summon the Wild Hunt again, right?”

  “Yes. They won’t have enough strength yet. Rhys must have depleted most of his power to summon it before. My father wouldn’t have risked giving up that much of his magic. We’re safe enough for now, but we shouldn’t stay in one place for too long or they’ll send the Huntsman after me again.”

  Malek nodded. “Okay. How does the city store the excess magic then?”

  Sabine paused, trying to figure out how to explain to someone who hadn’t been born in Faerie. “The ruling family of the city is the caretaker of the treeheart since their magic is the purest and most powerful. It’s the heartbeat of the city, fueling all the other parts with the ruling family’s power.”