The house was quiet.
The hallways and furniture were free of dust and dirt, the floors mopped and waxed to shine. Fresh flowers, neatly cut from the garden behind the house and carefully arranged in vases, brought some vibrancy to the wooden interior.
But despite its pristine state, the house remained vacant.
Silky breathed a silent sigh, feeling a strange emptiness inside her. As a house fairy, her nature was to maintain the home she haunted, largely hidden from the humans whom she shared the residence with. Ever since her transformation from a lost banshee, she had thrown herself fully into her new role. In return for her efforts, all she desired was a cup of milk or cream on the mantelpiece.
Her first human family didn't mind her presence too much, in fact they seemed rather pleased that their home was suddenly cleaner on a regular basis. Her efforts were much appreciated, a porcelain cup occasionally left above the hearth.
But as the children grew older, they moved away from the rural countryside to pursue their dreams. Over the next decades, the house exchanged hands frequently, as subsequent homeowners were not as receptive to having a mysterious presence wandering the hallways. Complaints of furniture shifting from their positions and objects reappearing on shelves happened often, occasionally devolving into full-blown fights between members of the household.
The last family had moved out only after a month of settling into the house. A child with the Sight had spotted her late at night, performing her usual chores of dusting and cleaning. Shortly after, the humans were muttering about a 'silver ghost lady' haunting them. Within days, they were out of the door, never to be seen again.
None left a cup for her.
It had been months since the house last held the scent of humans. Silky stood on the porch, running through a mental list of tasks to complete before sunset. Since there wasn't anyone to hide from, she had begun performing her duties during the day to keep her mind occupied. The fairy picked a garden rake and began clearing the cobblestone path that led to the front porch.
"-this is it, sir. A cosy cottage fit for a family of all sizes. I'll show you the interior, if this place is to your liking we may have the paperwork completed with haste."
Human voices! Silky paused mid-sweep, turning to see the new visitors. A person she saw on occasion entered the property with another, much taller man dressed in a black coat with a leather briefcase. The former was likely the 'property agent', as previous occupants called him. The other man, however, gave off a strange, almost repulsive aura. Still, her curiosity overcame her and she jogged over to where they stood on the front porch. Peeking out from behind a corner, she examined the taller man.
He definitely wasn't a normal human. There was a faint scent of fairy magic surrounding him, yet he wasn't a fairy either. As he glanced around the surroundings, his unnervingly blank expression spooked other fairies and spirits present in the garden. A few scampered away, while others whispered along themselves as they observed.
"It's the failure!"
"Is he moving in? Disgusting, let's chase him away."
"Maybe his magic will be delicious, I've never tasted a half-made's before."
A part of her agreed with the blue-green Aerial who voiced her disgust. But the emptiness she felt would not be filled by driving this mysterious being away. She continued listening to the human conversation.
"This location is as deep into the countryside as you can wish for. There is a forest behind the house, but I haven't heard any reports of wild animals from previous owners so there's nothing to worry about. I must say, I don't have many clients deliberately requesting for a house this far from the city, but I do hope this is to your liking, kind sir."
The taller man continued to scan his surroundings, before he made direct eye contact with the silver fairy. She froze under his gaze. There's no doubt he could see her kind. Just who is this person?
"Did the previous occupants cite any reason for moving out so soon?" He continued to stare at her, his expression now one of pondering. The human male turned to see what he was fixated on, but his gaze never landed on anything in particular. Definitely a normal human, then.
"They claimed to see some… unusual occurrences around the household. But you, sir, do not seem to be the superstitious type. I assure you it's nothing to worry about!" The agent's voice wavered slightly, taking on a slightly nervous tone. "If you're still not convinced, I can give you a tour-"
"I'll take it."
—-
The paperwork didn't take long to complete. The new house owner skimmed through the documents, signing with a flourish wherever his pen was directed. Once the transaction was completed and the agent had left the premises, the new resident shut the door and stood in the dimmed hallway. Shadowy wisps dissolved the human disguise, revealing an inhuman visage comprised of a large canine skull and long, twisted horns. He removed the coat and draped it over a purple-skinned arm.
"I know you're there, silver lady. Shall we introduce ourselves to each other?"
Silky emerged from the kitchen where she had been hiding, her fairy instincts still urging her to stay away from the creature. Other fairies had long lost interest, scattering into the nearby forest. But now that he was the legal owner of the property, she didn't have any choice but to get acquainted with him.
"Ah, you must be a brownie residing in this house. How fortunate! Greetings, I am Elias Ainsworth."
He extended a gloved hand to her. When she didn't offer hers in a handshake, he tilted his head to a side.
"Not very talkative, hm? No matter, I do prefer to work in silence."
Elias walked past her to the sitting room and set his briefcase down on the coffee table. A few muttered words - a chant? - coaxed the case into unlocking with a soft click, revealing a puddle of liquid darkness pooled within. He began pulling objects from the inky substance, including stacks of books and glassware which Silky could not determine the uses of.
As the objects began to pile up on the coffee table, the fairy grew antsy at the growing clutter. She strided over to the tableside and picked up a few stacks of books, carrying them off to the study down the hall with ease. The two worked in silence for a while, Elias unpacking his materials until the briefcase was emptied of its shadowy contents and Silky putting the items away almost as quickly as they emerged. Once the task was completed, the horned stranger sat in the armchair next to the hearth. The fairy stood cautiously to the side, unsure of how she should conduct herself in front of him.
"I think we'll get along well, Silver Lady. That's good, since I do plan to stay here for many years to come. Thank you."
Silky gave a soft gasp, eyes widening in surprise. This house hadn't had a constant occupant in ages. But with his declaration of intent, the empty feeling she had grown accustomed to faded. She smiled and nodded, before turning to leave and resume her duties as house fairy.
That night, there was a porcelain cup filled with cream on the mantelpiece.
A/N: Alternate summary: Richard the property agent finally sells the one house that no one wanted to buy.