Sometimes when he was in high school, Warren would listen to a particular song. He'd fill up with energy, but have nothing to take it out on. There was no option other than to sit in his chair pumped full with the sudden desire to do something. Standing in the woods as he waited for the next puzzle piece was fairly similarly to energetic seat sitting. Not a single sign of life aside from the approaching lantern made itself known.
"Mina was drinking Seelie blood from the teacup," Warren noted as the waiting moments ticked on and on.
Crow, who'd taken a seat in the grass, nodded. My kind can't tell lies, our positions at least. Sayre was wise not to tell Mina what kind of tea she was having.
"So what can you remember of what you are?"
Er, Crow went silent. I was called the Odile long ago. But I know I was different from the rest, considering that my body was made of wood and not flesh like the other Seelies and their Unseelie acquaintances. It's been so long since I've acknowledged my past, the details blur together. I'm lucky, however, to remember what I can.
Warren turned around himself as he once again sweeped the forest for details. The lantern continued to grow closer, a silhouette walked along behind it. Another figure was approaching the lantern, but the held no light. Warren scratched the back of his head, "So you're trapped in this lake with Sayre and the fox girl. It must be... Horrible."
It is our prison, yes, but it goes beyond that. The lake itself is a cell, but the world around it is a somewhat home for those escaping from Sayre's wicked deeds. It is our curse.
Ah yes, another puzzle piece.
"The Seelies and Unseelies live outside the lake," Warren noted. "But not the lake normal people see, it's what I saw, isn't it?"
Not many people are granted the opportunity to see Naw's Lake for what it really is. I said it once and I will say it again. It is our curse, we gave ourselves up to contain Sayre. We gave up our bodies. Almost all of us.
Naw's Lake was indeed a prison. Warren smacked himself upside the head. Sayre was trapped in the lake and it was her goal to escape. She'd seemed so confident when she'd worn Ophelia's face during their meeting. Boasting that there would only be 30 days after summer solstice to stop her. But if everyone was trapped as an ethereal ghost, Sayre included, she wouldn't have much to go off of without a body.
Silence. Peace. Calm. Quiet. The woods were still hiding their lives from the outside world. Strings of theories flung themselves together. Almost all of the Seelies and Unseelies reportedly gave up their bodies willingly. The numerous Seelies and Unseelies in Sayre's cellar were dead and dying, certainly not of their own free will.
There was some kind of detail staring Warren down in the form of a silhouette and a bobbing lantern.
"Good evening, Goody Sayre," croaked the silhouette- who wasn't really a silhouette, just some figure hidden behind a cloak and a bowed head. "I bring news from both realms. Magic and... Non-Magic."
"Dear son, is that any way to greet your mother?" Came Sayre's reply from behind Warren. "I haven't seen you in far too long, let me see your face."
Sayre stepped forwards to embrace her son, but he held up his hands, "Don't touch me. There's been retaliation in what you and Von Rothbart have done with that colony of Seelies you captured. They believe you murdered them in an attempt to access black magic."
"There were Unseelies too," Sayre protested. "They choose to retaliate now? I thought they knew of my intentions for vengeance."
"They've always known, but that was before Rothbart killed one of the twelve near a week ago. That was before you decided to expand your family by claiming Mina van Helsing as your own."
"She drank the Seelie blood intentionally."
"And you've forever damned her."
"She's destined to become the Odette," Sayre stooped down to pick a single wildflower. It withered and died in her fingers. "I must sever the bond between the Odette and the Odile if I am to continue to hold this power. By corrupting the child, there is no one with enough power to stop me."
Sayre's son tilted his head to the side, "Which leads us to my next bit of information. You're aware that the little girl you watched over several weeks ago has succumbed to her illness and passed away?"
"Humans are weak, a little sneeze and suddenly they're rotting in a coffin. Really, my darling John, you know this," Sayre sighed. "There's something more than just the girl dying, I'm sure of it."
At Warren's feet, Crow leaned forwards, I believe this is moments before... Wait for it...
"The townspeople believe you to be a witch, mother."
Ah, there it is, Crow nodded. 1666. Witch trials occured years before Salem.
"And you think they'll go so far as to try to hang me? That's a silly notion. It takes more than just a noose to kill something like me."
John nodded, though he didn't push away the cloak hood to reveal his emotions, "But they can kill your body."
"My knees knock with fear."
"As they should. Once your body is gone, your spirit can be contained. The Seelies know this. The Unseelies know this. False evidence will come forth from all sides to kill you, Mother. You must take this seriously. If you wish to enact your spell, you must act sooner rather than later."
Sayre opened her palm where the wildflower had once lain. She crushed the dead flower in her fist and let the petals stray to the ground. For several moments, Sayre didn't say a single word. When she looked back up to John, her eyes had gone strange. All yellow and bird-like and wicked.
"I will bide my time until the rumors become too much to ignore," the eyes returned to normal. "Humans thrive on gossip, this will blow over and nothing will-"
"Gabriel van Helsing will lead the Seelies, Unseelies, and the humans against you if you don't return his daughter. They know you're hiding many things. And- and the Odette knows what you've done to your family."
Don't push aside the hood, Crow pleaded. But Warren knew that nobody would hear those pleas.
Goody Sayre reached forwards and pushed the hood away from her son's face. John Sayre wasn't deformed or hideous or frightening. If anything, he looked like he belonged with the Seelies frolicking through the woods. John's skin was tan, his face unblemished. Something about him wasn't quite human. He didn't look much like Sayre, save for his night black hair. John sighed.
"I'll do my best to help with your spell," John said quietly, a small smile spreading across his face. "I'll do my best to help you ruin the Odette's power. She is old and weak, easy to overcome. Easier now that we have Mina."
"And not to mention that she's busy with the other Odile," pointed out Sayre. She motioned for John to walk with her as she began to wind through the lifeless forest. "What I've thought of is unlike any other plot. I've sacrificed much, and I feel it time for you to know so you may join my crusade."
Mentally Warren did a small victory dance. Villain monologues were his favorite, they always revealed details that would become their undoing. Warren began to follow Sayre and John, eager to listen and learn. However, Crow had taken to hiding himself in Warren's pocket.
"You okay little guy?" Warren asked quietly, keeping up with Sayre's breakneck pace.
I wish not to hear this. Leave me be, please.
And true to his requests, Warren didn't pester Crow again as Sayre began to talk.
There was still something queenly about her, the way she held her head and lifted her skirt to avoid getting caught in brambles. Sayre inhaled deeply and linked arms with John, "I once lived with the Seelies and Unseelies. You know of the twelve, obviously. You know who they are and that Rothbart has killed one of them. There are always six males and six females, tasked with keeping the Seelies and Unseelies from practicing dark magic. Or at least they used to, things have become much more relaxed.
"There was a time when I was destined to join the twelve and protect our people from dark practices, a time long since passed. I danced through the woods with Puck and Fae and Loom and all of the others. We were the best of friends, I saw them as my family, they saw me as their sister. But-"
"But times changed, didn't it?" John asked. He pushed a branch away from Sayre's head. "They threw you out, didn't they?"
Sayre laughed, and shook her head, "No, no. They could never. It is the fatal flaw of all Seelies and Unseelies. They can't bear to throw away any members of their species. Something different happened. Joining the twelve is a chance most dream of, but nobody dares hope to receive the title of Odette or Odile. They balance each other, representing dark and light. Sorrow and joy. I was chosen to become the Odile; a Seelie named Anais was to become the Odette. Each with their own secret abilities unique to each title. We were to balance each other, we were to stop Seelie magic from growing stronger than Unseelie magic and vice versa. Anais was my best friend, I cherished her very much, but it changed when Anais gave up the role of Odette because she'd grown fond of a family of humans."
The woods became denser, more malicious, as if they were trying to squeeze the light from the air. Sayre gestured to an opening between a copse of willow trees. The leaves rustled in the wind as John pushed them aside. They continued onwards. Warren and Crow followed unseen behind them.
"Without the Odette," Sayre paused as she examined a willow branch. "I had my first taste or pure... unbalanced... raw power. There was no way I could go back to the balance between the Odette and the Odile. I began to think of ways to sever the bond. Permanently.
"But the twelve wouldn't have it. They caught me in my practices, but they forgave me, and reinstated the Odette position. But they were weak, and I was strong. I bided my time in anticipation, and in doing so, fell in love with a human."
John smiled, "My father?"
A look crossed Sayre's face, "I had a child before you, but I lost him."
Crow tensed into a tiny ball within Warren's pocket.
"I couldn't handle the loss," Sayre continued. "The twelve deemed it wrong for me to continue as the Odile. But I threw myself out of their cursed courts before they could strip me of power. The twelve gave the title of the Odile to their odd tree friend and let the Odette live herself to death."
"And now they intend to make Mina the Odette," John concluded, likely of his own accord. "But-"
"I hope to give her what's left of my power to help with my spell."
Warren and Crow had followed Sayre through the woods to a lake woven with beauty. Fireflies danced through the sky, mingling with the twilight. Sayre wasn't done with her plan, "I want my power back. That pure power. And I will take back what is owed to me."
"Thank you," John muttered, "For telling me your version. Now I will piece together the truth from what I've been told."
"I speak the way I do because," Sayre nodded towards the trees at a tiny figure hiding in the shadows. "We have a listener. Come along Mina, tell me what you've heard."
Mina came scampering from the trees, her face knit with confusion, "Can I help you? Like you've helped me?"
It seemed like the child hadn't heard the reports of the Odette and the Odile.
Sayre scooped Mina up into her arms, "Of course you can, my dear. There is always room for an extra pair of hands! This is my son, John, he feels that you may be ready to practice a spell."
"Does he... know?"
"Yes, I do, actually," John said, his face emotionless. "I am just like you, Mina."
"Are you going to be my new family like Goody Sa- like Mother?"
A look passed between Sayre and his mother, but he finally nodded, "Absolutely! And if you complete this spell, it will show us that you're ready to become my little sister."
"Oh tell me right away what I must do!" Mina exclaimed. "I can do it! I'm sure of it!"
Sayre and John exchanged another look, but this time, the look was smug.
John drew his fingers in a circular motion, and withdrew a pure white feather from thin air, "Make the feather burst into flames after I throw it into the sky. It's very challenging, you must focus. Are you ready?"
"Throw the feather! I'm ready!"
The feather drifted through the air, soon engulfed in flames.
Distant screaming tore through the woods.
"No! No! No!" Warren shouted against the sky as the current faded away. He stood up, and kicked the green turf beside an oddly familiar lake. Night stained the sky. "God! We needed to see the aftermath!"
The twelve Seelies and Unseelies, technically eleven considering Loom's death, sat in a circle on the lake's shore. Gabriel and Mina's grandmother sat with them. Nobody looked happy to be there, Warren couldn't blame them. Loom's special book lay in the center of their circle of council. It remained shut. Crow lingered in Warren's pocket without a sound.
Warren gave the grass another angry kick, cursed the stupid lake magic, and sat down near the makeshift court. Not one person made a sound. The vibrant colors that had followed the twelve had dimmed, lines of worry spread across Gabriel's face. Grandmother had slumped her shoulders.
Fae took the lead. She held her head high, a wreath of diamonds and feathers woven in through her corkscrew hair, "We have lost two of our own within a fortnight. A human child has died, and a daughter has been stolen. An entire settlement of Seelies have gone missing, and we fools didn't see it."
Upon counting the Seelies and Unseelies, Warren realized that yes another woman in feathers was no longer with the twelve.
"This is Sayre at work," muttered Gabriel. "I told you. I told you that she was going to kill us all and you didn't listen!"
Grandmother, the Odette, hung her head in shame, "We thought Sayre was going to find the light."
"It seems that she's found quite the opposite," Puck steepled his fingers together, "This is our fault. We should have killed her when this first happened."
"Nobody could have known," the Odette was eerily calm considering the recent events that had transpired. "But rest assured we will learn from our mistakes. We must wipe away all those involved."
Silence hung over the circle once again. Gabriel inhaled deeply, "Mina included."
Each member of the circle reluctantly nodded; Warren felt bile rising in his throat. But she was a child. A little girl who wanted a family and wanted a huge house to let her friends live in. Sayre had manipulated Mina into murder, and now Mina would have to pay an ultimate price.
"She killed one of our own tonight. One of my sisters," Fae snapped. "We trusted her with everything, and what did she give us? Death. Your daughter gave us death. The next Odette brought us death. Now we will give the same in retu-"
"There's a spell within the Grymory that will give an ample punishment," cut in Puck. He reached for the Loom's book, the Grymory, and inhaled. "But the price is high."
"Death to all involved with Sayre!" Fae argued.
"There's a better way!"
"You wish to damn us all too? Have you gone mad?"
The Odette heaved a heavy sigh, "The world doesn't care for our kind anymore. They hunt us and leave us without our bodies. They are too afraid of what they don't understand, this has become a question of survival."
"And the spell is supposed to save everyone? That's not possible," heat laced Fae's words. Her hands balled into fists. "Kill Sayre and Mina and we will restart."
"The world will begin to kill our kind with their metal contraptions, they kill us now for territory, remember Fae, I have abilities you do not."
"The spell would make a world for Seelies and Unseelies to thrive in isolation," Puck muttered. "We'd be safe from human expansion for forever."
Before fae could argue again, Puck pressed his hand to the print in the Grymory's front cover. Vines bedecked in roses curled down from the top of the book, reaching towards each member of the circle. A honey light glowed from within the Grymory pages. Puck withdrew his hand, and the book flipped itself open to a certain page.
"A Spell of Sanctuary," The Odette murmured as she looked at the archaic pages.
To Warren's surprise, the spell had been written in english.
"We'd turn the lake into a portal," explained Puck. He gestured to the lake beside him, "And at the price of our magic, trap those involved with Sayre's bloody crusade."
"You suggest wiping out our entire race because you haven't the heart to kill somebody?" Fae burst, leaping to her feet. "You're weak! Sayre will break out and enact her plan to-!"
"Sayre's plan is to wipe out the Seelies and Unseelies," The Odette chastised quietly. "She sees flaws in who we are, and wants us all gone."
"But if we sacrifice our magic, we'll be playing right into her hands."
"But we will be alive. And Sayre will be locked away."
Puzzle pieces were unveiling themselves left and right. Warren had moved to peer over Puck's shoulder and look at the spell, and it wasn't good news. Couplets danced with each other across the page, declaring that magic must be given up in order to make a pocket world. A pocket prison. An alternate dimension. Not one member of the circle seemed to regret that Mina was going to be among those imprisoned, not even her own father.
The Odette with her wise eyes and gnarled hands stood to face Fae, "Goody Sayre wants to gain unlimited power. She wants to exterminate those who will go against her. The more killed for her cause, the more power she gains. We know of two of the twelve who have been killed for her, and we know an entire Seelie settlement was kidnapped and murdered to test the boundaries. To see how far she could go before we came after her. I regret not listening to Gabriel sooner, we should have acted the day the gallows burned."
Warren continued to study the spell as the debate began to cool down. It was noble, choosing to let somebody live. But it was foolish. The circle didn't know it now, but Sayre would break free of her bonds. It had to be her that had bargained with Warren in the pool. But maybe- maybe there was another spell. A backup spell. Something Warren could use in his time to stop Sayre! He ignored the circle around him. Concentrated. Reached to turn a page. And-
Nothing.
Warren's hand passed right through the page.
So much for that.
"There are so many what ifs," Fae argued. "What if-"
"What if the world stops turning and we all turn into toads? There will always be uncertainty," Puck countered, his eyes blazing with frustration.
"And what does the Odile have to say of this?" The Odette mused, again bringing a restless peace to the gathered circle.
All eyes turned to the tree figure slouched behind Gabriel. They looked up with those yellow eyes, and pointed at the Odette.
She nodded, "Yes, you're right. We should've thought of that."
"Thought of what?"
"Guards for this prison," the Odette's joints popped as she slowly sat down. "There would be needs for people to keep Sayre within boundaries."
Fae scoffed, "First you ask us to sacrifice our magic, and now you ask us to stand guard for a practiced of black magic?"
"Technically I asked for us to sacrifice our magic," Puck pointed out. Without missing a beat, he held up his hand, "I will guard the lake."
A few more hands went up with reluctance. Each of the feathered women had raised their hands save for Fae. Even the tree being had volunteered to keep Sayre within the lake.
"You're wallowing in arrogance," Fae snapped. "All of you volunteering yourselves to a life of cell keeping and we haven't even captured Sayre yet!"
"We will capture Sayre at any cost," Gabriel's voice was torn with gravel.
The Odette and the tree being, the Odile, locked eyes with one another. A silent agreement seemingly passed between them. Warren felt around his pocket to get Crow's reaction to the exchange, but he didn't have much luck. Crow was frozen in position.
"You will all live until Sayre is dead or new guardians are found," the Odette looked away from the Odile.
Every member of the circle nodded in agreement, except for Fae. Fae's pretty features had contorted into a mask of bitterness. Her hands balled into fists, "Kill Goody Sayre! She's killing us!"
"It would be much harder to kill Sayre than you think."
"And how would you know, oh wise Odette?!"
The Odette and the Odile shared another look.
"Sayre," the Odette paused. "Sayre has tainted magic on her side. We've been fortunate to avoid such fiendish practices for so long. Eliminating her would cause a surge of tainted magic to flood through the world as we know it. Uncontrollable magic."
That's not true, Crow muttered. He'd slowly begun to relax in Warren's pocket. Sayre was undefeatable because her magic was spread through two others. Mina and- Mina and me. None of us knew it at the time. I was the Odile. I had a body of wood. I didn't know that I was merely a vessel for Sayre to channel magic.
"They were doomed to fail from the start, Fae and all the others. Nothing would have worked," Warren notes.
Well, not exactly... none of us played our cards right so to speak.
The members of the circle seemed so confident in their plan. They'd sacrifice their magic to trap Sayre within the lake they all sat by, and let the twelve give up their years to serve as prison guards. So much was to be given, but nothing was to be rewarded.
"The townspeople already believe her to be a witch," Gabriel ignored Fae's continued arguments. The other members of the circle all nodded in agreement as they waited for him to continue. "If they hang her, the spell would only require us to banish her spirit. She'd be unable to practice magic if she ever escaped."
"And what of the others working with her?" Puck had left the book open to the spell they all intended to use on Sayre. "They could try to revive her."
"We plant rumors, let the townspeople believe what they want. The humans are so thirsty for blood they'll believe anything."
"And the Grymory? What are we to do with it? The knowledge inside is vital to Seelie and Unseelie history. There are thousands of spells here. If the townspeople do not hang Sayre and her colleagues, they'll come for us and they'll come for the Grymory," inquired a Seelie man dressed in flowering vines.
"Banish the Grymory to the lake prison too then," the Odette countered. She motioned for Puck to close the book. "We will all fade eventually, the world keeps growing, there won't be room for magical creatures like us. Let the Grymory reside in the lake. Let it live on in silence."
With heads bowed in reverence, every member agreed to the notion with raised hands. Fae included.
Crow peaked out from Warren's pocket, it is a shame what we did here. I regret it. That's a curse about time. It makes you regret.
"There's no way any of you could've known that Sayre would try to escape," Warren ran a hand through his dark hair. Something clicked into place in Warren's head. A puzzle piece. It had fit itself in with two others. He was beginning to understand. Warren stood up straight, eyeing the lake, "We could find the Grymory when the lake frees us and use it to get rid of Sayre once and for all."
Noble idea, but magic from the Grymory always comes at a steep price. Many see the price far more favorable than tampering with demon magic.
"Easy loophole. We figure out what the price is and come up with either a literal or figurative payment, a friend taught that to me."
I wish things worked that way, I really do. Crow clambered his way down to the grassy shore. I believe the Grymory still exists, but access to it may not be as easy as we think.
Finding its location would take time and- dear Lord, I'd have to communicate with the others in the lake.
"That's you, Sayre, Rothbart, and who else? If you say 'spoilers', I'll squish you."
Who, me? You wouldn't dare, and yet Crow made no attempt to hide as he inched away from Warren's foot. I try to avoid the others. They're not exactly stable. I can't remember names, another thing time took from me. Sayre, Rothbart, and Sayre's son are all trapped here yes, but there's more to it. Seelies and Unseelies took refuge here during a scare in 1911, all are trapped as animals and cannot speak. I can speak, the aforementioned trio can speak, Fox can speak, and a friend of ours in a toad mask can speak. Together, I suppose we form one whole brain.
"Ha, you made a joke. I must be rubbing off on you."
I've always had a sense of humor, I prefer to share jokes at more appropriate times.
The lake began to slowly flood forwards. It soaked Warren's shoes and began to slop over the circle. The flooding never ceased its advance. If anything, the magic seemed reluctant to zip Warren and Crow away. That thought didn't bring Warren much comfort. He didn't want to see what he figured was going to happen. Something dark and terrible and laced with death's cruel threads.
Water engulfed Warren and dragged him down beneath its watery depths.
Down.
Down.
Down.
It was kinder that time. Gentler. As if it wanted to win his trust. The lake water drained away as quietly as it had come, leaving Warren and Crow standing in a dark clearing. It was still dark outside.
Tall trees lingered close together, and several little lanterns illuminated the clearing. White paint lined the grass in a peculiar shape. Abrazier sat in the middle of the shape, though no fire burned anywhere near it. Four figures huddled beside the brazier. Warren ensured that Crow was safely in his pocket, and gingerly approached the four figures. Sayre, Rothbart, John, and Mina were watching the brazier basin, which had been filled with water rather than a source of light.
"Use the water to locate that special place we were speaking of earlier," Sayre beamed at Mina, even going so far as to set a hand on Mina's head. "There's no doubt that you can do it, Mina mine."
"But what if I forget? I've never seen anything like what you described," uncertainty rang through Mina's words, but still, she touched the water surface with the palm of her hand.
Rothbart and John glanced at each other as Sayre launched into describing a small town, "It's very beautiful there, with houses like those in your village. Think of the people as fairies, picture the people in the town above everything else."
As Sayre continued to speak, the lanterns began grow dim. The water in the brazier began to bubble. Crow squirmed out of Warren's pocket and climbed up his shirt to rest on Warren's shoulder. He leaned forwards, watching the water bubble.
This isn't good, Crow grumbled. Sayre's described a Seelie settlement.
The water steamed around Mina's hand, her eyes had long since drifted shut. A wicked grin spread itself across Sayre's features, her skin appearing yellow in the eerie lantern light. One by one, the lanterns put themselves out. Wind howled. It threw the trees against each other, spinning in a frightening vortex. Sayre stood still against the gall.
And then it stopped.
The howling wind stopped completely.
There were no more trees standing like silent sentinels, there wasn't a cleaning. The symbol painted on the grass had vanished. Sayre, Mina, and the others were all standing in a brand new place. Nothing was familiar to Warren anymore.
Sayre, Mina, and the others were still standing in a circle. The water filled brazier stood tall. Night still colored the sky. An open meadow dotted with wildflowers stretched to the horizon. Quaint little houses poked up from the ground. Warren felt welcomed. He felt the exhilarating feeling that came when spring had returned.
"Very good Mina!" Sayre exclaimed, but she made no move to embrace her. "Now, I have another spell for you to practice."
"Another spell? Has she the ability to do that?" Rothbart cut in, his face was drenched with low confidence. "I've tried similar spells to no avail."
Mina frowned, "I can do it. I'm very good at magic."
"You'll be... surprised. This spell, Mina mine, will give the people who live here their reward. Don't you want to help people? Don't you want to help me?"
There was no hesitation. Mina stuck her hand back out, "Tell me what to do."
"Here, place your hand on the water. Shut your eyes."
As Mina's eyes clenched shut, Sayre gestured to Rothbart, who gave her a long bladed knife. The metal curved like teeth, sigils wound around the blade. Sayre dragged the knife across her hand and let her blood drip into the water. She murmured words of encouragement as her blood continued to dilute the water.
It was subtle at first. A door slammed. Then another. Seelies stumbled out of their homes.
"Keep your eyes closed Mina mine, the spell is working," Sayre whispered, blood still dripping from her hand.
There was something plaguing the Seelies. All of them had to have left their homes.
Dark liquid seeped from in between the Seelies' fingers.
Blood seeped from their eyes. Their noses. Their ears.
Everywhere.
Mina's spell was draining the life from innocent Seelies, and she had no idea.
"You're nearly done," Sayre gentle patted the top of Mina's head. "You're doing a spectacular job."
Thuds filled the night air as the dying Seelies began to hit the ground. The peaceful settlement turned to a macabre graveyard. No one would be there to bury the Seelie bodies. Their corpses would sit in the sun, waiting to be discovered by the twelve. Sayre was one step ahead of them, or so it seemed. There was something to gain. That had to be the reasonings behind Mina's manipulation.
Warren couldn't even bring himself to speak after watching the Seelies drop dead. The air went numb. On his shoulder, Crow continued to watch every move Sayre and the others made. The slaughter was silent, it came under the guise of surprise. None of the Seelies could have seen it coming. Sayre murdered them all with the hands of a child.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Mina asked politely, her words piercing through the sickeningly dense air. "Can I see what the spell did?"
"This is a special spell," Sayre replied, gesturing to Rothbart. He nodded, and waved his hands. A cloak of darkness set in over the Seelie corpses. Sayre was careful to take Mina's hand with her own, she hid the cut and the knife, "You won't see the results until later. But I suppose you may open your eyes."
"What will the results be?"
"It's a surprise my dear, now, I say we all return home and make ourselves a delicious breakfast! Shall we walk through the woods?"
It wasn't truly a question. Sayre snagged Mina by the hand and dragged her towards the tree line. Mina didn't offer any shred of resistance as she followed behind. The brazier full of water melted into the earth. Rothbart's cloaking spell faded away like clouds before a summer breeze.
Warren frowned, unable to pull himself away from the grisly sight of the Seelie settlement. He crossed his arms, "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Sayre's spell has something to do with death, doesn't it."
You are correct, Crow agreed. The spell I believe she is enacting is found in the Grymory. Her next mission is..
"To steal the book," Warren nodded.
He already had plans to find the book once he left the lake. Somehow he'd find a way to stop Sayre's ruthless plan.
The water came again, crashing through reality. Warren was glad.
He was glad to have an excuse not to stare at the corpses for a second longer.
It left him standing in the village where he had appeared the first day. The gallows had been reconstructed, people were cramming into a large white courthouse. Crow stirred on Warren's shoulder, assessing something.
I believe it's been two days since Mina destroyed the Seelie settlement, Crow said. The bodies were found, charges of witchcraft are being tossed to and fro.
"And we're supposed to watch what happens, aren't we?" Warren clarified, already moving towards the packed courthouse.
I suppose we are. You're the one giving me a ride.
Dust floated through the summer air. Warren's hands grew clammy with each step he took towards the church. Birds sang. The three nooses danced. Sunshine flooded the village. The world was bristling with life, with good things and promises for better tomorrows. But that all changed when Warren crossed the threshold into the courthouse. People hurled accusations at one another, the room was thick with the rank odor of sweat.
And at the heart of the chaos sat the Odette with Gabriel van Helsing at her side
There we have it! There are many questions, most will be answered within the next 1 1/2 chapters! Special thank you to Fairygirl22, I am definitely planning on adding much much more to the story, I hope you stay tuned! Thank you very much for all of your reviews, you're a very kind person!
As for those leaving negative comments, shocker, but you don't have to read this story!
Will we ever return to Fablehaven? (Duh) Will we discover who the other people living in the lake are? Who's going to be a part of the death toll?! (LOOOOTS)
Anyways, hope this chapter wasn't too graphic, leave a review!
-Nacho
