Damian grabbed her talons to steady himself, curled both his knees to his chest, sending his feet crashing into her left wing. Malvina shrieked. He kicked again, this time sending a burst of magic to snag about her wing. She screamed as the bones cracked and her flight pattern was broken. Yet she would not release him even as they spiraled down towards the castle courtyard.
Malvina twisted at the last moment, landing on top of him as the roof of a store house broke their fall. Damian could not stop a cry as his own wing broke under the force of the landing. She released his tunic, fluttering awkwardly to the ground.
Damian struggled to rise, the pain from his broken wing driving deep into his back. Below, Malvina reverted to her human form, hunching to the left as her broken wing faded from view. She reached into a pocket of her dress and drew out a small vial. Even from the roof, Damian could sense the reek of death and poison in its black depths.
She broke the bottle, letting the contents run over her hands. Then she turned into a black panther.
The poison dripped from her claws. Damian’s pulse raced in fear, but he couldn’t turn back. He had to save Adela.
He pushed himself upright, shifting into a snow leopard and bounding down from the roof to meet her.
“Sure you don’t just want to run, little faery?” she snarled.
He hissed angrily in return and stalked forward. Her tail twitched as she darted away. Men stumbled away from them as the two leapt at each other, their enraged growls reverberating through the courtyard.
Claws slashed mercilessly, and they recoiled from each other. Damian yowled as she bit into his tail, then he swiped back, opening up her side. Blood spattered the cobblestones as they circled. They leapt at each other again and tumbled to the ground, locked in a furious struggle.
Malvina’s claws raked his shoulder and side. She forced him to the ground. He yowled again as her heavy paw swept across his face. Momentarily dazed, he was powerless to stop her as she gutted his stomach ruthlessly.
The pain focused his senses. He brought his hind paws up, kicking at her soft belly. Her hold loosened. Damian kicked again, sending her tumbling away. He sprang to his feet and bounded onto her back, inflicting several more wounds. She rolled away, and they were separated.
Malvina paced back and forth, snarling and spitting at him. Damian crouched as pain from his many wounds seared him, blinding and terrifying.
The noise of battle around them threatened his focus. The scent of blood filled his nostrils, and he struggled to remain on his paws. He could see the witch’s satisfaction as she paced.
“Poor thing, you’re dying now.” She hissed. “Pity you couldn’t save her. After I’m finished with you, I will kill her slowly!”
Damian growled deep in his throat. Not if I kill you first.
“Is that little growl supposed to threaten me?”
A cry stopped her triumph. They both turned to see Stefan standing over Marek’s body, a bloody sword in his hand.
“My brother!” Malvina yowled. She turned to Damian. “You will all die!”
She started to spring but Damian was quicker than she was.
He found his remaining strength and jumped toward her, his fangs finding her throat.
*
In the forest, Adela emerged from darkness with a breathless gasp. Her pounding heart settled at the sight of Lidia and Estera, but someone else was missing. Someone she desperately wanted to see. Damian.
*
The air shimmered around Malvina as she gasped her final breath. She returned to her human form one last time, her body bearing the marks of the fight. Marek’s men threw down their weapons in defeat.
Stefan had turned in time to see Damian spring. He ran towards Damian as the faery, still in animal form, stepped away from the witch’s body. Stefan paused as the snow leopard turned towards him, its mouth and fur matted with blood. Then it staggered and fell to the ground. The animal shuddered as it transformed, and Damian lay there in faery form. Stefan knelt by him. The wounds inflicted by Malvina remained. Damian could barely open his eyes.
Stefan instinctively tried to stop the bleeding, pressing his fingers to the wounds. But the liquid was no longer blood. Instead a black ooze dripped from the wounds.
“Don’t move,” he said. “We’ll find a healer.”
Damian brought a hand away from his wounded chest. His fingers were stained black by the liquid.
“You can’t help me,” he rasped. “No one can now. I have to get to the forest.”
“I’ll take you there. Surely your people can do something for you?”
Damian shook his head. “You won’t be able to find the way. Is there a horse?”
Stefan called for a horse and bent back to Damian.
“There has to be something I can do.”
“There is nothing that you can do. You have helped enough already. I can give you this in thanks.”
He slowly raised his hand with an effort and placed it on Stefan’s forehead.
“With strength and honor rule this place
And live well through length of days.”
Stefan caught Damian’s hand as it fell. The faery’s eyes already drooped shut. The horse was brought up. The animal, sensing Damian’s distress, nudged his hand with uneasy nickers.
Damian managed to touch its nose and whispered soothingly to it. The stallion knelt slowly by him and, with Stefan’s help, Damian pulled himself on its bare back. The horse stood and shook its mane as Damian murmured instructions. He leaned forward on the animal’s neck as it moved away at a trot, then gathered speed as it headed toward the forest.
*
The stallion ran the five miles to the forest without halt. As the sun began to move toward the western sky, Damian felt himself slipping away. Finally his eyes closed, and he tumbled to the ground in a clearing. The horse plowed to a stop and came back to where Damian lay face down on the ground. The stallion nudged him again and again. He barely stirred.
Finally, he reached out to the stallion. “Thank you, my friend,” he whispered. “Now, go.”
The horse whinnied anxiously but had no choice but to obey. Damian stretched out with his mind, trying to find another faery. With despair, he remembered that this night marked the anniversary of the king. A celebration was being held in the mountain and attended by all the faeries.
He was alone in the forest.
He closed his eyes and awaited death and the long journey afterwards.
Time passed. A small rabbit ventured into the clearing. Maksym had heard Damian’s call for help. It hopped toward the fallen faery, nose twitching as it recognized him. Damian’s red squirrel friend followed not long after. It bounded to Damian, chattering as it ran around him, wondering why its master didn’t stir.
The rabbit and the squirrel pressed close to each other, making their own plan. At the squirrel’s loud chattering calls, more animals began to appear. Maksym fluffed himself up and pressed close to Damian as the faery shivered with cold.
There was a rustling on the ground, and the squirrel crouched down to come to eye level with a large cluster of spiders. Their leader tapped its legs on the ground, and the squirrel snuffled in reply. They came to an agreement and the squirrel sent the other small animals off to gather moss. The spider directed its people to begin spinning webs. They spun over Damian, weaving in the moss to make a blanket to protect him.
All activity froze as a fox stepped into the clearing. Its tail drooped, and it whined softly. The squirrel boldly advanced toward it. It cocked its head as the fox whined again. Together, they reached a decision. The fox paused by Damian to lick his wounded face, then was gone to find the other faeries.
The squirrel and the rabbit remained with Damian long after the other animals had left. An owl, perched high in a tree, kept them company, but the small animals knew they had nothing to fear this night from the predator.
The sun was about to begin its rise when the rabbit pricked its long ears. Hoof beats sou
nded and six faeries rode into the clearing led by the fox. The animal lay down in exhaustion as the faeries rushed to Damian.
Rafael moved the spider blanket away from Damian as another faery in the king’s livery turned him over. They stared in shock at the wounds still dripping with poison.
“We have to get him back to the castle,” Rafael stammered.
“It might be too late,” the other faery grimly said.
He took the blanket from Rafael, covering Damian again before carrying him back to the horses. Rafael hastily mounted and took Damian up in front of him before spurring the horse back to the castle at a gallop.
Chapter 10
The Faery King paced the great hall. The celebration of his two hundredth year as king had been dismal enough with the news of the events surrounding young Adela. But then the mountain had been thrown into even greater confusion when a guard had burst in with news of a poisoned faery in the forest.
Anger and worry flashed through him. Worry for the injured young faeries, but a stronger anger that they might have endangered all of the faeries with their foolish actions. He should have been told of the bond on Adela as soon as it had happened. And Damian? He shook his head. Damian had tempted the darkness.
Damian was supposed to have been under guard, but his escape had not been noticed until earlier that day. King Gerard would have to pass judgment on both Adela and Damian. If they lived.
His thoughts were interrupted by commotion as the search party returned. A soldier entered carrying a limp form, and Gerard hurried to meet them. He loosed a rare curse when he saw the black poisoned wounds. Damian was rushed away to the infirmary. Gerard knew the healer did not have much time to save him.
There was better news later that told him Adela would live. But now yet another faery was in danger of dying. It had been a thousand years since a faery had been slain, and the present circumstances were eerily similar.
The healer stayed with Damian. The castle waited.
****
Adela woke slowly. By the light streaming in through the open window, she estimated it to be late afternoon. She wore a clean nightgown, and the dress she had worn at Stefan’s castle hung over a chair. The grey walls surrounding her were cut through with lighter swirls of grey that danced through the rock.
Home. How did I get here?
Memories came flooding back. The terror seemed so far removed as she lay safe in the faery stronghold. Quiet and peace enfolded her and she realized why.
The taint of evil magic did not touch her mind. The bonds were gone.
Confusion filled her. She had not killed Stefan, so how was she still alive?
Damian!
The grass bracelet was still on her wrist, but she could not sense his presence. She looked around the room as if to discover him there. Her gaze fell to his bracelet sitting on the table, the woven grass already fading.
What happened? Where is he?
He had not been there when she awoke the first time either. There had been other faeries there with her for a time, but now she was alone.
Completely alone.
Gradually she became aware of low voices coming through the cracked door.
“Does she know?” one voice asked.
Rafael.
“No, she’s still asleep,” a woman said. Lidia. “How is he?”
“The healer has removed all the poison, but he still hasn’t woken. The healer’s worried.” Rafael sighed.
“What else, Raf?”
“The king has passed a judgment on him because he fought the humans and went to the Nameless Ones. The king says he broke the laws.”
“To save Adela!” Lidia exclaimed.
Adela caught her breath. They’re talking about Damian!
“It doesn’t matter,” Rafael said. “The king has declared Adela guilty as well because she would have killed the mortal.”
“She was bound. What could she have done?”
Rafael released another sigh. “I don’t know. But I’m ready to fight on their behalf.”
“And I’ll be there with you. Don’t say anything to Adela about this yet.” Lidia drew an affirmation from Rafael before the door creaked open.
Adela forced a smile through the tears budding in her eyes.
“Adela!” Lidia rushed to her side. “You’re awake!”
Something broke in Adela at the sight of her friend. She threw her arms around Lidia, sobbing. “I heard everything.”
“Ady, I’m sorry!” Tears filled Lidia’s eyes.
“I knew something like this might happen.” Even if she’d prayed it wouldn’t. “Where is Damian?”
“I’ll take you to him.”
Lidia helped Adela rise from the bed and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. They stepped out into the empty hall and walked slowly to another room further down the corridor. Rafael opened the door, allowing Adela to enter.
Damian lay on the bed, and Adela could hardly recognize him. Blankets hid the worst of the wounds, but the claw marks that ran down the side of his face were painfully visible. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took his hand, but he didn’t respond. Two other faeries sat in the room. Adela recognized them as his parents.
“Are you the one?” his mother asked.
Adela nodded. “Yes.”
The faery smiled. “I’m glad to meet you. You must be special for him to risk everything for you.”
“No, I’m sure he would have done it for anyone else.”
Damian’s mother shook her head with a sad smile. “Not just anyone.”
Adela blushed.
“I’m so sorry!” she blurted. “This is my fault.”
Damian’s father stepped forward, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“You did all you could to stop the curse,” he said. “You both did all you could…” His voice faltered.
His wife took his hand, and they left Adela alone with their son.
Adela hesitantly touched Damian’s cold hand, half afraid he might wake up. She didn’t deserve his sacrifice. He’d offered to help her, and she’d only brought injury and judgement upon him. She should be punished, but not him. She might not be able to forgive herself.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
She leaned close and brushed a kiss across his lips before running from the room.
Estera saw her in the hallway and hurried to her. She gathered Adela into her arms.
“Lidia told me you were awake, and that you overheard them talking.”
Adela managed a nod, tears breaking free from under her closed eyelids. The punishment for breaking the faery law was severe. She would never be able to seek out the way to the stars. She would be cursed to live in the world for more than six hundred years until she faded away to nothing, forced to wander aimlessly through the Halls of Death in search of a way to the Creator.
“I ruined everything. I hurt Damian…”
“Oh, my sweet,” Estera sighed.
She walked Adela back to her room and laid her down on the bed. Estera covered Adela with the blankets and sat by her until she fell asleep.
****
Damian tired of the darkness and the fear he’d been trapped in since falling in the forest. A sliver of light had crept through, but he’d lost it. Just as he despaired of finding a way out, a persistent nudge came. He recognized the obstinate touch of magic that tugged at him. He latched onto it with all his strength and allowed it to drag him forward.
Someone touched his arm. He cracked his eyes open enough to see the bulky figure of his brother sitting beside him. Felix’s dark brown hair stood up at odd angles, and exhaustion lined his hazel eyes.
“Felix?” Damian mumbled.
A smile broke through Felix’s worried features. Damian tried to move. Felix steadied him. Then Felix looked up to a point outside Damian’s narrowed vision.
“Rafael! He’s awake.”
Damian tried to sort out what happened next. More lights flared, and there were voices
and faeries in his room. People tried to talk to him and the pain flared again. But it wasn’t as bad this time.
The brightness of the room stung his eyes. He had been wandering in the empty darkness for so long. It had been so eerily quiet there. At one point he thought he had heard someone talk to him, but he couldn’t remember for certain.
Someone held a beaker to Damian’s mouth, but his face and lips felt too tight to move. They nudged open his lips and made him drink anyway. Then his eyes closed against the light, but the noise was still there. He tried to speak. Someone must have heard him, because a new face came into his blurred vision.
“Raf?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s me,” Rafael said.
Damian tried to speak again, but couldn’t seem to get the words out. Rafael saw enough in his confused face. More faeries crowded the room and even Rafael appeared tired of the endless questions that Damian didn’t have the strength to answer. Felix cleared them out until only Rafael and the healer remained.
Damian managed to speak again. “What—happened?”
Raf’s face fell. “You almost died.”
“Adela?”
“She’s alive,” Raf said.
Relief swept through him. He tried to speak again, but the healer stopped him.
“Enough. You need to rest now,” she said. “You can ask questions later.”
Damian closed his eyes. Silence overtook the room, and the candles dimmed. He slept. This time the light stayed with him.
****
Adela curled in the window seat, barely hearing the call of the forest through the open pane. Even the bright sunlight could not tease a smile from her face, for she couldn’t enjoy it fully. She been given the news that morning that she was confined to her room until further notice.
A light breeze crept through the window to tease at a stray lock of her hair. She wondered if she’d ever be allowed to leave the mountain. Or would she perhaps be cast out to wander the world, separated from her friends and family forever? She pressed her arms tighter across her stomach, and tried to focus on the light purple flowers clustering on the vines that wrapped the sill.
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