by Alexia Purdy
“I never could stand living here. The iron in the pipes and pans appalled me. You’re lucky it never fazed you.” Evangeline stood leaning on the kitchen counter with her arms crossed. She looked slightly uncomfortable but tried to appear more at ease. She wasn’t used to being in this kind of situation. Being an Unseelie leader for so long, diplomacy was not in her vocabulary. Most things she just took by force. Now, observing her sister as she moved through the room made Vange wonder where her long-lost peace had gone.
“Here, drink this,” Jade said, handing her a cup. “It will help with the iron effects since you have no power to shield you.” The cup was full of some sort of concoction she had whipped up.
“It’s not poison, is it?” Vange gave her slight, nervous chuckle, attempting to cover up her reluctance.
Jade sighed. “No, it’s not poison. If you don’t believe me, you can just leave.” She slumped down at the kitchen table where Soap, Shade, and a sleepy-looking Benton waited.
Vange glanced down at the swirling white fluid. The nausea from the iron in the house made her head swim and had brought her dangerously close to fainting. She had envied Jade’s human resistance to the iron toxicity that her own faery heritage had cursed her with. At least with a shield of glamour, Vange had endured it quite well as a child. Now it was like breathing in fumes of exhaust that penetrated down to her gut. No wonder we leave the cities to the mundane humans, thought Vange. She sighed and downed the potion with a quick swallow. The queasiness faded as the sweet liquid filled her stomach. It quieted the pain and dizziness so fast that Vange felt exhilarated to feel normal once again.
“Wow, it’s glamour without glamour! That’s amazing, Jade. You always did have the most powerful gift of the magical arts. I never thought I’d see you as a full-fledged Witch.” She grinned, tossing the empty cup into the sink. “Now, since I feel quite alright again, where do you want to start?” She felt giddy, almost drunk. “What was in that stuff? It’s good!”
Jade rolled her eyes. Shade pressed her lips tight to avoid doing the same. Only Soap let out a stifled chuckle but stopped and cleared his throat to shield it when Shade elbowed his ribs.
“I learned to make it as an apprentice to Gilarel. She was a gifted teacher of the magical arts and a powerful Witch. She taught me well. And I paid attention.” Jade tilted her head at her sister and motioned for her to sit in one of the empty chairs at the table. “Why did you come here, Vange?” Jade asked. “I’m not powerless against a memory charm like I once was, so you can forget about reinstating it. Why risk yourself to come here? You can’t have Shade if that’s what it is. She’s under my protection, and you and I both know I can still match you. Even out of practice, I can still outwit you.” She waited, watching the blood drain from Vange’s face as the memories washed over both of them.
“I didn’t come here to fight, Sister. I wanted to warn you. My legions are at war right now with Prince Lotinar’s armies. If they break through, they will come here and take Shade. With or without me. Corb is in command. He is ruthless, and his heart is as black as pitch. He does not hesitate and will not be swayed against killing her or taking her back to Aveta. He is truly the Ice King.” She sucked in a breath and turned to Shade, eyeing the ampule of Santiran Water around her neck.
“Aveta wants that Water Magic, Shade. She wants you to wield it for her. She will stop at nothing to win this war. She’ll even break the wards between our worlds. No human will be safe, no place will be hidden. I’ve come to warn you, that’s all.” Vange turned her attention back to her sister. “You may think I’ve forgotten the past, but I live with it every day and keep it deep inside where not even Aveta can see. I don’t want you or any of my kin harmed.” She rubbed her eyes. Her once strong and confident mask melted away as her fatigue became apparent. Dark circles stood out starkly under her slightly reddened eyes.
Jade’s face was cold and hard. “We are safe here,” she said, “even from her. I will make the necessary arrangements to stay here for long periods of time. Promise me this, though: you will steer them away as best you can, without notice. Then I shall believe everything you say.” Shade was impressed with her mother’s calmness. This new Mom was a fierce warrior, something the memory charm seemed to have suppressed.
“I promise I will,” Vange answered. “But I can’t hold them back forever. You do understand that, right? Corb will notice my diversion eventually. I’m afraid you might have to eventually leave and go into hiding. I’m sorry about this. I should’ve never let it get this far. The Unseelie Queen has grown far too strong, and even I can’t overtake her now. I never meant it to go this far.” Glistening tears welled up in her eyes, but they reluctantly didn’t spill down her cheeks.
Shade watched the emotion play across her aunt’s face. She suddenly wondered why Vange had joined Aveta’s ranks. She knew about Vange’s past with Jack, and the reasoning behind breaking such a happy union baffled her. Plus, if Vange was half human, too, why didn’t Aveta use her to wield the Santiran Water Magic?
“Vange?” Shade asked quietly.
The raven-haired faery faced Shade, straightening a bit as she pulled her hard exterior around herself once more. “Yes, Shade?”
“Why did you join Aveta? Why did you leave Jack to go work for her? And if you are also a halfling, why can’t you work the Water Magic for your Queen instead of me? I don’t get it.” Shade leaned forward, drilling her gaze into her aunt’s hardened face.
“Because I have hidden my human side for very specific reasons, namely all of you. And Jack? What do you mean I left Jack? How do you know about that…?” Vange’s stutter gave away her surprise as she backed into her chair, wincing at the mention of her former love’s name.
“He said you were engaged and that you suddenly up and left one day to join Aveta’s army. Why would you do that? Why leave your true love?” Shade gulped, hoping she hadn’t gotten on Vange’s dark side.
Vange stared back at her, horrified. Her lips contorted into a scowl. Realizing her slip, she let her face slide back into a blank canvas, but she could not hide the seething rage behind her dark eyes.
“I don’t think it is any of your business. I work for Aveta, and that is all,” She snapped at Shade as she stood up. Turning toward Jade, Vange calmed her voice but remained intensely serious. “Jade, I’ll be leaving you now. If I do not return soon, Corb will become suspicious.” She nodded her farewell and turned abruptly, leaving out the front door, and out of the protective dome.
Reaching the other side of the barrier, she collapsed down to her knees as the force of her powers returning to her took her breath away. Gasping, she turned back to the house, seeing her sister watching her from afar. Vange took in slow deep breaths as she regained her composure, returning the gaze before swiftly running away into the blackened forest of the night.
Chapter Twenty-One