by K.N. Lee
Then, satisfied that he would not be going anywhere anytime soon, I turned and instinctively rushed back into my body, merging with my physical form perfectly.
The air rushed into my lungs and I gasped as I woke up. I looked at my hands, happy to be back in physical form once more. I got to my feet as I caught sight of the Oakatex's empty form lying close to me and I took a step back.
Just as I did, a stream of seemingly sentient fire blazed past me and attacked the empty husk of the Oakatex. I turned and saw Danielle standing with her hand stretched towards the monster as the flame poured out of her claws in what looked to be an endless stream of fire. I looked at the body and was shocked to see that it remained unaffected by the flame attack.
"It's useless. You don't listen much do you, granddaughter? The Oakatex cannot be killed here, it can only be killed in the well, which is in the middle or the forest".
Danielle and I looked at him quizzically and he explained quickly, snatching nervous glances at the prone body of the fairy killer.
"The well contains the essence of ancient Fae’s. Their combined abilities alone can form a weapon, which we can use to erase the Oakatex from our physical world forever. But this weapon can only be wielded by the leader of the Fae”.
I listened to his proclamation with mixed emotions. I still hadn't come to terms with realizing that I was supposed to be the leader of the Fae’s. What exactly did that entail? And how was I selected? More importantly, why was I selected?
I looked at Saban, processing this information and suddenly, large wings sprung out from his back and he addressed us, never taking his eyes away from the immobile Oakatex,
"You have to move now. That astral realm won't hold him forever. You have to get to the well before he breaks loose and possesses his physical form once more. I will hold him back for as long as I can to enable you get to the well and unearth the weapon".
He hadn't finished speaking when Danielle shot up into the sky with her dark wings and flew towards the forest.
I found myself floating in the air suddenly, and wondered how I could be floating without my wings. Nevertheless, I moved rapidly through the air, towards the well in the middle of the forest. I had no clue how fast I was going, but Danielle was nowhere to be seen.
I entered the forest and suddenly felt a crippling headache. Before I knew what was happening, I crashed to the floor as another wave of a headache crashed into me. I cried out in pain, as it seemed my head was going to explode from the pain. What exactly was happening to me?
I knew the answer the instant I asked. The Oakatex's voice sounded solidly in my head. This was a psychic attack. He was calling out to me via mind communication and I was temporarily powerless to stop it.
I got to the bunker and I immediately knew something was wrong.
Immediately when I landed, I caught sight of blood on the floor. I regarded it with the detached awareness that came with the dark fairy form. I seemed unable to care much about anything. Anger and revenge were my main motivation and they were a very volatile fuel.
I followed the blood and located the source. It was Bobby. He laid on the floor, torn to shreds. I looked around, unsure of what could have torn him apart so savagely. I listened; closing my eyes and calling on my heightened senses, I couldn't hear any of the rest. But wait…
As I turned, I saw Moira pop out of where she’d been hiding and she staggered towards me. I regarded her coolly, noting her wounds and seeing the similarity between the slashes and the ones that were on Tabitha. Suddenly I was overtaken by emotion and I returned to my human form.
I held her as she gasped for breath. It was clear that she was dying, her wounds were not healing and she was getting weaker by the second. I inspected the wounds some more, confirming that they were indeed similar to the ones I had seen on my sister. Something was not quite right here. Where was everyone?
I glanced at Bobby’s slashed body and I felt intense sadness threaten to take over. I shook my head and turned back to Moira, trying to keep her steady. Every breath she took looked like it was going to be her last. What exactly happened?
"What happened Moira? Take it easy. Where's my sister?" I asked and Moira looked up at me with eyes that didn't really seem to see anything. I repeated my question, alarmed now that she would die before she had the chance to say anything. I shook her slightly.
She opened her mouth to speak, but as she tried, she gurgled and blood spilt out of her mouth from injuries that were as much internal as they were external. I rubbed her back gently trying to get her to calm down. She breathed with some difficulty and as I watched her, she tried again to speak. This time, I managed to make out what she was trying to say and the reality of it chilled me to the bone,
"P...Peggy. She’s an Oakatex".
I was short of words, wondering how this could have happened. Peggy? How? I opened my mouth to say something else when I saw Moira's eyes roll into her head and she took her last breath.
I sighed as I held her in my arms. A twig broke behind me and I gently placed Moira's head on the ground and got up slowly to face whoever it was that was behind me.
I turned and breathed a sigh of relief as I was face to face with Drayton, Ophelia, Juan and Tabitha who I was glad to see, had regained consciousness.
Juan looked at Moira and then at me, inquisitively,
"What happened here?"
I snapped.
"I should be asking you that. You all went into the forest together. I just got here". I took in a calming breath and then told them what Moira had told me about Peggy.
"So, I'm going to find her, and I'm going to rip her apart. Let nobody attempt to stop me", I said and called on all the anger and pain from loss I still held within me. I felt it take over and my transformation began. The dark fairy took over and my skin took a dark pallor and my eyes glowed red.
My wings fluttered soundlessly behind me as I prepared to take off. Just as I began to lift off, the bushes on the opposite side from where we were all standing shook and someone came out of the brush. It was Peggy. She was in human form and she came out with both hands up and a smile on her face.
All five of us shifted slightly at the sight of her. It was obvious she knew that we knew who she was. Why had she come out still? What did she hope to gain by showing herself? I stared at her and I could see Moira's face and Bobby’s remains. The anger boiled even hotter, but I held myself back from attacking her and ripping her apart.
"Okay, you got me. I'm an Oakatex. But hey, I didn't really get to choose, you know? Just like you guys. You can see I'm in human form, I love this form. The other, more grotesque form is just a necessity. So yes, you figured it out. Yes, I kill your kind, I have done it many times, and I will do it again. I need you to survive and I won't pick any of you over myself. I hope you can understand that. It's just the rule of our world. Predator and prey, you're the prey and your delicious fairy juice keeps me going. It's how it's always been. You'll find that I'm a bit easier to come to terms with. That is, unlike my brother Vagner”.
Peggy watched me as she said this, she watched all of us and it was clear that she knew her revelation had gotten the desired shock effect. I was taken aback by it. Vagner was her brother? How had any of us not known this? How were we even friends?
I heard Juan wonder out loud where Faye-Minita was and I wondered why she had not arrived here yet as well. Juan mentioned that he could sense her, but he couldn't pinpoint her location. Something was throwing him off.
Peggy looked at me and smiled, licking her lips,
"Danielle, the dark fairy right? You know your kind is very hard to come by, yeah? Now I'm going to enjoy you. Your blood can last for up to 25 years. Just enough time to get a husband, start a family of my own. It's all I've ever really wanted, a normal life. Don't you understand that?"
I looked at her with incredulity written all over my face. Did she try to justify her killing fairies by saying she wanted to live long enough to start her own family and li
ve a normal life? What did she expect after saying that? A nod of understanding and for me to offer my vein?
I stared at her, noting how she looked at me hungrily. The others kept behind me, watching the exchange keenly.
Peggy was hungry. As she stared at the fairies and she flexed her knuckles. Masquerading as the friend had not been very easy, as I'd had to ignore the constant urge to rip them apart. But Vagner had other plans and he'd made me stay my hand. I went along with the plan long enough, but I had enough. Everything was falling apart and I had to get going while the going was good. The old man had returned and even worse, a new leader of the Fae had emerged. I knew the implications of that. I had no intention of waiting around for her to fulfil her purpose. Nope. I had a normal life to establish, a husband to find and some kids to give birth to. Every other thing took a back seat to the actualization of that single dream.
I watched Danielle and I knew she would attack soon. The others cowered behind her, but I didn't care much for them. They were ordinary fairies. She was a dark fairy. Her blood was precious and I needed it for myself. She was worth more than the four of them combined.
I mapped out my strategy as I began my transformation.
Their eyes widened as they watched me take my true form and they staggered backwards in shock. I nearly laughed. They were scared of seeing drawings of my brother, well I was twice as big and that much scarier. I saw Danielle staring at me coolly and I knew that in her dark fairy form, such concepts as fear were alien to her. She was the only one who was truly unafraid of me among the lot even though some of the others tried to maintain unaffected facades.
I watched Danielle. Any time now. Her claws clenched and opened ominously and I waited. Biding my time, this was it. The big one. This was the one that would finally give me everything I wanted. Everything I'd ever wanted. Killing fairies and drinking their blood for sustenance and the added powers were second nature to me. It came naturally, but then, I'd always felt as though something was missing. It wasn't as much a feeling as a strong conviction within me. I knew something was missing. Even better, I knew what it was.
I longed for the problems that came with living an everyday life. Going to work, coming home to meet my husband and kids. Worrying about how we might not be able to make the rent or pay the mortgage or conversely, about where exactly we could go for our next vacation. Just a normal, everyday life. Humans didn't know how good they had it.
Just as I thought Danielle was finally going to make her move, a blinding pain split my body in half and I clenched my teeth in agony.
I looked down and realized with a dawning sense of gloom that I was not going to get the chance to do any of the things I wanted to.
A metallic sword I vaguely recognized due to the energy it emanated had been plunged through my heart from the back. I recognized the energy, and I knew the implication of my present situation. It was the energy of the ancient Fae’s. I had a pretty good idea about who held the weapon that now stuck out through my heart.
My blood, black and thick, oozed out of the wound and I tried to scream, but no sound came out.
As I stood there, impaled from behind, I felt the blade push deeper inside and a brain numbing pain assaulted me.
I watched quietly as Danielle prepared to attack. She was so predictable.
Peggy strained against the obvious pain she was in. The pain Faye-Minita and her mystic blade put her in. I made my move, then, not wanting her to see it coming.
As I rushed towards her, spreading my wings as I did. The searing pain I felt nearly made me lose consciousness.
The wings dragged me, and as I struggled against the force and pain, I felt my wings rip out of my back and I almost blacked out a second time from the pain. I screamed as all my emotions got the best of me and I must have accidentally opened a psychic channel as all the others; fell to their knees, holding their ears in pain.
I fell to the ground and caught sight of Vagner. I was bleeding and felt extremely weak from the pain inflicted by Vagner.
I caught sight of Faye-Minita then, she waved her hand and a tree fell towards the Oakatex, knocking him out of the way.
As I lay there in anguish, Ophelia and Drayton rushed to my side to help me up. I hardly registered their hands. My entire body was one screaming ball of pain.
Faye-Minita stared at Danielle with pity as Drayton and Ophelia took her away. Then I looked down at the fallen Peggy and withdrew the weapon that was still in her chest. She laid on the floor, lifeless.
I could feel the energy pulsing from the blade and I glowed with a furious aura,
"One down...one more to go. Come at me", I declared, as I watched out for Vagner.
My eyes glowed a bright green and lightening crackled across the sky, splitting it into two halves for a second. I knew what I had to do. My duty, it was now clear. I was going to end this threat.
With everything I held dear, I was going to protect what Fae still left alive.
14
I looked around, searching for the Oakatex, but he seemed to have vanished into thin air. I gritted my teeth in frustration, scanning the area. He seemed to have vanished and it made me uneasy. I could sense that he was close, but despite my best efforts, he eluded me. I could not pinpoint his exact location and I kept my guard up, expecting a surprise attack at any time. I wouldn’t put it past him. He had seen what I did to his sister, and I was certain that he would be extra careful when he wanted to deal with me. The element of surprise would work greatly in his favor, and the forest area provided generous cover for any sneak attack he might have planned. I didn’t intend to give him the pleasure of catching me off guard. The sword pulsated with energy and I grasped it tighter, feeling connected to every Fae whose power coursed through the metal. It was an extension of my hand and I felt comfortable with it in my grasp. Safe even. I looked at the blade and the metal glowed slightly as if informing me that we were in this together. It seemed to be intent on carrying on the will of the fallen Fae and the ancients.
I wondered where Saban Montgomery was. If Vagner was here, then what exactly did that mean for Saban? I feared for his safety, even though he had seemed very powerful, he was outmatched when it came to a one on one face-off with the immortal Oakatex. If there was only one way to kill them, then what hope did one have to take one of them on one on one? I really hoped he was okay. There was a lot I still didn’t know about the Fae’s and I was fairly certain that he was the only one with sufficient knowledge on the subject to fill me in. I was also curious as to why he had chosen me. He claimed to have bitten me because I scared him but I had a gut feeling it was more than that. Could me getting chosen have been a mere freak accident? A chance roll of the metaphorical dice? What exactly did it say about me and my leadership abilities if I was just chosen at random? How could I believe in myself if getting chosen was because I’d been in the right place at the right time, totally by accident?
The thoughts rolled in constantly, but I could not even come up with probable answers for any of them. However, these were things I was fairly certain Saban Montgomery could answer for me if he survived.
My thoughts were broken into by a large scream and I turned in the direction of the scream. It was Tabitha’s voice. I looked in dismay at Tabitha and my chest fell. It happened so fast. Vagner had driven his hand into her back and she hung midair, lifted up with her spine. He had changed back to his human form. I know knew why I’d been unable to see him.
Tabitha groaned in pain, and as our eyes met, she looked at me meaningfully. Her message was clear and I knew what her last requests were.
Save them, Faye. Please. Save all of them.
I heard it as clearly as if I had thought about them myself.
In that instant, before I had the time to process what exactly was happening, or even react, Vagner snapped her vertebrae column and she hung limply in his hand. Then, as I watched in horror, feeling the anger reach a fever pitch inside me, Vagner tossed her aside like she was nothing. Jus
t a piece of trash, an obstacle that he had to overcome to get to what he really wanted.
As I watched, still very much shaken by the brazen way in which he had executed Tabitha, I caught sight of Danielle struggling to get up where she rested. She was much too weak and couldn’t manage anything more than a furious expression directed towards Vagner. The wilderness researcher walked towards her and knelt over her.
I watched in paralyzed shock as he knelt over her, changing into his Oakatex form. Then he extended his wooden hands and they penetrated her body and he began to drain her blood, groaning in pleasure. I watched all this, suddenly unable to move. What was wrong with me?
Drayton and Ophelia rushed forward to help her, but he simply shoved them aside with his free hand. They landed in an unsightly heap a short distance away and he continued as though nothing had happened. Ophelia got up once more and rushed towards him, but he seemed to have anticipated the attack and caught her by the neck. Then he tossed her aside and she crashed into a tree. Drayton rushed forward with a large rock and struck him. He watched in dismay as the rock smashed into bits as soon as it touched his head. He turned towards Drayton and smirked, and then he smacked him aside, and then returned to his feeding.
Just then, I saw Juan emerge, running towards the Oakatex like a deranged animal. He held a weapon in his hand, a weapon I recognized. It was the sword of the Fae and I was suddenly aware that I no longer wielded it. I looked at him, still in a daze as he rushed towards the Oakatex.
He never got to him. As he ran, screaming bloody murder, the sword suddenly turned into smoke and evaporated right out of his hand, vanishing into thin air. He stopped in his tracks, looking at his hand in confusion and turning towards me. I instinctively knew what had happened. It just came to me, just like a lot of things seemed to be doing. I wondered if it was as a result of being the leader of the Fae’s. The sword had fulfilled its purpose and that was why it had suddenly vanished.