Faye's Story

The faeries were now hushed, eyes intent on the battle coming to a close. Helen stood in front of the mass of Faeries, her index finger of her right hand on her temple. Feardia had already left them earlier. He had wanted to watch out for Skye-Not that she needed it-and he was disturbed by how much he missed him brethren. He hadn't slain anyone yet. He didn't particularly enjoy the act, as a healer, but neither did he cower from it. He stepped over bodies without looking down to see if they were alive or not. But he could feel it. The end was nigh. Neither force could hold out much longer.

I left the kitchen maids where they were, and climbed back to the library. I opened the door slowly, detesting how even the ancient library's silence was corrupted by the sounds of battle. I took my seat next to the largest window and looked down again. I could watch now without retching, but I retained my disgust and grief at this terrible waste of life. I quickly picked out my friends-noting unhappily that Feardia was nearing the bloodshed.

All of a sudden, a ring of fire rose from the earth. I put my hand to my lips to muffle my gasp, as Jaxin was hidden from my view. He was the person I had been watching at that precise moment. I looked for Skye too, but she must have been within the circle of flames. Feardia was outside the licking flames, looking deeply at it, as if to break it with his eyes. Apparently, he could find no way to look inside as he suddenly roared with frustration. The faeries did not move, or blink an eyelid. Only Helen moved, reestablishing her hold on her staff intently.
I moved closer to the window. There, I could, albeit barely, see into the ring. I could distinguish three people, but their faces were blurred by the heat of the air around them. Three must have been hidden from my view. I bit my lip. Feardia's back was to the Faeries, and all his energy must have been out into hiding his emotions from the faeries, because his face was the most open I had ever seen it. The was fear in his face, a fear that couldn't be for his own safety. You could see it in his eyes, it was a fear for a loved one.

Faye saw then, through the flames and waves of blistering heat, Alabaster stalking towards a suddenly crippled Eruda. She pressed herself to the window, watching him without blinking. This was it. She hoped, oh so prayed that this was it. Alabaster would get hat he wanted yet again, and people would stop suffering.

But it was not so. Eruda, jerked her hand up without warning, ripping through Alabaster's proud, arrogant chest. Although Faye couldn't hear her words, Faye knew that Eruda had been feigning her lack of power. She was just as strong as always was, and she was going to win. Faye's spirit sank. Feardia would survive, at least. With his family. But her.. She doubted it, unless she was turned into something like the creatures downstairs, afraid of the light, but prey of the dark. Skye, death, or worse. Arthur, Alienor... Her fate would be the worse, Faye thought, sick at heart. She wasn't surprised to see Alienor try save Alabaster, but she was wholly unprepared to see what Eruda did to her. Faye's eyes flickered to Feardia, expecting him to be mad with the screams. But he was standing as still as his brethren, watching the fire intently. He must know Skye's screams well enough about to worry, Faye observed. Although it was the most inappropriate time,, she giggled. Then she hated herself for laughing when Alienor was being butchered before her eyes. She shut her mouth and once more pressed herself to the window.

..Everything had changed within a second. The fire, gone. Alienor was on the ground, Eruda's broken corpse discarded several feet away. Alabaster held Alienor's limp body to him, as gentle as she had ever seen him. Just proof Jesus was in all souls, dark or light. Feardia was approaching cautiously, as he was most likely unsure about what had happened. His eyes darted everywhere, taking in everything. Instead of going near Alienor as Faye hoped, he moved in the slow direction of Skye, relief beginning to paint his face.

Faye was missing someone... Where was Jaxin? She moved her neck anxiously, but she couldn't see him. He couldnt have disappeared, he was in the ring of fire earlier! She was beginning to dread the worst, when Alabaster stood up with Alienor in his arms. Then she saw in his shadow, her brother. He was injured, she could see, but he seemed stable enough. Her legs suddenly wanted to give out, as if her gut wrenching worry had been the only thing holding her up.

She sent a quick prayer up to God. He was clearly the reason her loved ones were alive. All of them. But she still felt the pain of a thousands deaths on the battlefield. She picked up her skirts and turned away from the window. Now was the time for the water. She would demand Feardia help her attend to the dying and the ones that they could salvage. She skipped down the stairs. The buckets were where she wanted them. She picked up two and bent over with their weight. Grimacing, she let one down and gripped the one left with both hands. She pushed the great doors open with her back, and the dreary hall was flooded with watery dawn light, yet it barely broke the gloom as if the hall refused to affected.

She faced the battlefield, her eyes half closed from the brightness. Her sight came back only in time to see Alabster rushing towards her, Alienor in his hands. She only managed to throw herself out of the way before he passed her into the hall. The door slammed behind them as if to keep out everyone but his master. Unfortunately, in her hurry to get out of Alabster's way the bucket tipped over her, soaking her gown and wings. Droplets of water fell from her waterproof wings, but the water rapidly sank to her skin, chilling her in the Dawn's light breeze. Too afraid to go in after the mad man, she pushed herself up and walked towards Feardia and the others. She pushed herself to walk faster an normal, despite her bothersome corset. As soon as she reached the edge of the battlefield. She couldn't continue. The ground around her was littered with bodies of fallen warriors, fallen fathers, fallen sons, fallen children. She couldn't quite breathe, and it had nothing to do with her corset. Two bodies away, a young man was choking on his own blood, and it gurgled from a gash in his throat. Kneeling next to him, she ripped one of the bottles from her waist and tipped a drop of its mixture into one of the poor creatures open wounds, into his veins. It took only a few moments before his body convulsed violently for the last time, and stilled. She slipped her hands over his eyes and closed them. Quitely, she murmured the Last Rites into his ear, begging God to forgive his sins, and that he be granted into Heaven. 'Amen.' She finished, unable to keep her tears in. Once upon a time, his mother held him as he cried. Once upon a time, he created mirth amongst his friends, he created tears, perhaps he held a girl. Most probably, she wouldn't see his face again, for Faye couldn't think of anyone caring enough to send the bodies home before they decayed. Rubbing her tears away with fingers stained red, she pushed herself up again. She stopped every now and then to administer the poison on people she knew Feardia couldn't save, or those he wouldn't be able to save in time. Sooner they she could have believed, every one of her four bottles were emptied, even though she never used more than two drops. She forced herself not to look down, but walked towards the others, not much closer than when she started. Upon seeing Jaxin and his pure white wings, something terrible occurred to Faye. Something that made her stop again, something that made her trembling knees almost give in again.

She was a murderer.



Feardia nodded to Skye. But before he could move away, he had to touch her. Just to make sure that she really was unharmed. He touched a darked piece of flesh before the black receded, leaving her skin clear again. "I'll do at then," he said, assured that she was fine. He pulled his arm back and turned away to go talk to the angel, still on the ground. Feardia couldn't help but feel as if Jaxin was weak.

Feardia sauntered over to Jaxin. He stood over the Angel's trembling form, uncompassionate. "Get up. You've got to go and get ready to leave. That includes convincing Faye to leave... Use your authority as a true angel if you must, even if it upsets her to be reminded that she's Fallen." He didn't offer his hand.

Feardia gave up on trying to talk to Jaxin. He was unresponsive, still trembling on the ground. He turned on his heel and strode towards the middle of the field where Faye was kneeling. He wondered what she had done during the battle and what she was doing now. Maybe she was praying, he thought in disgust. A bit late for that now.
Approaching her, he slowed down. Her face was absolutely blank; eyes dead, face bloodless. He felt concern for her although he hated it. If he were to care about Faye, he would spend every moment of every day doing so. She wasn’t made for this world. “Faye?” His voice was soft and cautious. “Faye, you shouldn’t have come out. You know you’re not used to all this gore.”
She looked up at him, eyes unseeing. “Feardia?”
“Come, Faye. We’re leaving this place. You won’t ever have to see this again. C--”
He stopped talking and looked her up and down. For the first time, he had noticed the empty vials at her waist. Glancing at her face, he slipped one out of their holds and sniffed it. He looked at her again, but now for the first time as if he was really seeing her. “Faye?”
“Yes?” She replied, emotionless.
“This vial used to hold poison. So did all those at your waist, I dare suppose. But now they’re empty.”
“And?”
“What did you do?” Horror was growing in his chest. Death and murder didn’t bother him. But that Faye could lose her innocence, that this wretched place was capable of tearing even the most untainted of consciences, was appalling. She may have been irritating, but she was a breath of fresh, clean air at times.
“They were in pain. Unable to be saved. So I prayed for them and ended their life.” The words were spoken as if they were foreign and she didn’t understand the meaning of them. The only sign of distress were her hands; her nails were dug deeply into the flesh of her thighs. Feardia didn’t know what to say to her, for the first time in his life.
“It.. you did well, Faye. Come now. It’s time to go. We went through this before, remember? You’re coming with us.” He took hold of her arms and pulled her up.
“Don’t speak to me like a child.” Emotion flared on her face in the form of a flush. “I’m not going.” She ripped her arms away from him.
“What?” He was dumbfounded. It made absolutely no sense that she didn’t want to go with them. Fair enough, she had never joined in on their conversations of their escape, but never had she made any inclination that she wasn’t going to join them. The idea was ridiculous. She simply couldn't protect herself alone, not to mention survive by herself in Alabaster's castle. "What are you messing at, Faye?" He demanded, confusion quickly turning to anger.
"I can't leave." She replied, her eyebrows set resolutely. 
"You can't not leave. You were welcomed here as a guest of a Faerie Prince. Now that exact Faerie Prince is stealing away one of Alabaster's most prized warriors. You're not even significant enough to be punished for my actions, but you certainly won't be welcome. If you're lucky, you won't die for quite a while. But that innocence face of yours is simply too tempting for the occupants of this place. Besides that, you have a tendency to be annoying. Especially if you attempt to interact with Alienor. She's lost to us, Faye, since before we met her, since she stumbled upon this black land. Coming here was her downfall, and staying here will be yours. You'll die one day, alone and unnoticed except for the rats who will feed off your flesh. Your body will rot in a forgotten room, in a forgotten corridor, not grieved for by a single soul. If someone comes across your bones one day, they'll throw them to the dogs, and not even the dogs will want to eat from them. Is that all worth whatever idiotic reason you have for staying?"
"That..image you painted so well won't happen, Feardia. Go without me. Be happy. Make Skye happy."
"So this is what it's about? Your foolish infatuation with me? You can't stand to see me with her? You stupid child."
"That's not it." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, friend. Bade my farewell to Skye too. But I am to stay here."
"...Please, Faye."
"Thank you, Feardia, for your concern, but you can't change my mind."
Feardia withdrew his outstretched arm. "This is not out of concern." He said, sounding furious. "Do you know how many pains I've been through to save your worthless hide? The inconveniences I've endured with the role of your guardian thrust upon my unconsenting shoulders? I've protected you from my family, forgiven you for putting Skye's life on the line when you betrayed us... And now you want to throw it all away? Damn you."
"I'm already damned," she said softly. "I'll be fine. Trust me. Now go. Be lighthearted knowing I am no longer your burden. Spent your time protected you lovely other half instead. I will keep you in my prayers."
Feardia scoffed. "You'll need more than prayers, dear. You'll need a miracle. You have no other protector. Even Jaxin will leave you. He's going, didn't you know?"
"He.. But he's Alienor's protector."
"And like I said, she's gone beyond his help. Besides, Helen will be a frequent visitor. It isn't wise for any type of angel to be alone with her in a castle laden with torture equipment."
Feardia imagined that if her face could get any paler, it would have then. "..I'm sorry."
Without a word, he turned away and left her. Faye felt terrible that their parting was so full of bitterness and misunderstanding, but unlike him, she knew it wouldn't be her last.

Feardia returned to where Skye was standing, in the middle of the scorched circle Alabaster had left. She was completely back to herself now, no trace of the black tendrils that had enveloped her skin only minutes before. Arthur was near, still forced to kneel within the confines of the thick vines she had created. He was still struggling, although Feardia supposed that he knew it was fruitless at this point. Feardia almost felt sorry for him. He could imagine what it felt like to watch his lover been carried off by another. He just didn’t imagine himself being stopped by flowery. The upsides of being a Faerie, he thought wryly.
“We’re going. Now. We can’t wait for him to tire himself out.” He breathed in deeply. The smell of burnt grass did nothing to hide the pungent stench of burnt flesh. He didn’t enjoy it. Death, no matter if it was only humans who were dealt it, was not amusing. “Faye isn’t coming, Skye. She won’t explain herself, and she isn’t delirious. She’s attached to this place. Look, there she is. Bidding farewell to her brother.” He made a sound at the back of his throat. “It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t, anyway.”

Faye approached Jaxin slowly. She didn’t know if she could face him. Feardia was hard enough. He hadn’t been quick enough to hide how horrified her actions had made him. But to look Jaxin in the eye and know that she.. She had always thought that someday, she would be forgiven. That if she lived a good life on Earth, they would accept her back eventually. But now it could never happen. And she didn’t think that even Jaxin could still accept her after what she had done. The guilt was overwhelming, but she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand how she could feel so evil about a deed done with merciful intent. She clenched her fists into the material of her dress. It had become stiff in areas where the bloodstains had dried.
He had stanched his own wounds, at least, but he looked exhausted. Grey shadows underlined his eyes, making him look at least a decade older. Ash stained his hair and face, dulling the brilliance of his wings. She knelt carefully next to him. “Brother?” She reached out to brush her fingers against his cheekbones. She knew she was far older than him, but he had always seemed wiser than her, and purer. The type of angel little girls prayed to. “I’m so glad you’re alive, brother. I thought-I...I wasn’t.. it didn’t look like you’d survive at some points. I was frightened. I c-couldn’t even trust in the Lord’s will. But you’re alive.. more or less.”

Jaxin's eyes were blank, as if they were made of glass. Somewhere, far away, he could hear Faye's voice, calling to him. And yet, there he was still, with the battle cries all around him and the dried blood on his hands, the souls of the innocent slipping right through his fingers.
The lives he had taken.
"Brother." he heard her say again. Faye, he thought, it is only Faye. Slowly, tantalisingly, he detached himself from the massacre and the screams, the pain flowing all around him. Jaxin's eyes became clear with colour again as he blinked at her. It was only for a brief moment, however, before he embraced her in his arms.
"I am so glad you stayed out of this..." he whispered, careful not to press too tightly on her own dark wings. "You are not meant for the sights of death and agony, Faye." Absent-mindedly he noticed the red patches of blood on her dress. "What happened to you, my Sister? Were you...please tell me you were not injured? We must call on Feardia for this. I could heal you myself if the wound is not fatal...come, Sister. Let me see."

I froze as he touched the stiffening stains on my frock. “Brother...” The word escaped my lips like a plea. He would condemn me. What else could he do? It was against everything he was. No love for me could overcome the heinous sin I had committed. Yet I could not lie to his face; no, not to my only loyal brother. “I..It is the blood of the soldiers I killed.” I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes. I couldn’t watch the horror pass his eyes, the lost look he would give me as he searched my face for an answer. The exact moment where his horror turned to disgust. It would haunt me for the rest of my existence.
I stood up, eyes still screwed shut. “I love you, Brother. Go in peace.” I backed away, and then swivelled around to hurry towards the castle. I ran, dodging the bodies littered around. The empty vials clinked against each other and I wished they would all break and be hushed, for once and for all.
Under the shadow of the castle, I felt better. Detached. As if the darkness claimed my soul and stole my emotions. I slipped in, the stench of blood not bothering anymore. I had to find Alabaster. He would bring Caydryn back. And everything would be alright.

Alabaster did not raise his eyes from Alienor's convulsing body, his fingers pressing into the punctured wounds on her chest, his hands soaked in her blood, flowing crimson, almost black, mapping splotched paths on the fabric of her armour. His own body was trembling, shaking with fear, fear so strong that made him wonder at the brutality with which it hit him. Fear that made his gut wrench tight, fear that made his eyes blur, fear that made his heart race. Alienor had done exactly what he had expected her to do, only Eruda had proven to be expecting it as well. She had seen loyalty in the girl- love, she had called it, but she just deluded herself in that. Alabaster would have never thought that his own slaves could be anything more than expendable- meant to be used and discarted as soon as their efficiency had been exhausted. And now there he was, watching the fleeting light fade from a young girl's eyes and using every ounce of his energy that he had left to keep her alive, to keep her close to him. She belonged to him, with him. The vampire was not yet done with her.
"What do you want, Fallen? This one is not dead yet, you may not have her." he snarled at Faye, who stood at the doorstep. "Leave me in peace and go pad after your precious Faerie."

"I will not." I had aleady steeled myself against the sight of the bloodied girl, but my heart trembled to behold her. Still, I ripped my eyes from her and directed them to Alabaster. I couldn't quite look him in the eye, but I brought my gaze as close to them as I dared. "I have come for what you promised me. You promised me, after the battle, you'd bring him back to me. So, do. Heal her quickly."

Alabaster's pale lips curled into a savage grin as he slowly turned to face the Fallen. When he spoke, his voice had acquired dangerously quiet tones, implying the intensity of the storm that was raging inside him. 'You...' he drawled 'You dare command me?'. The vampire's hands were soaked red, blood dripping from his fingertips. His step held no balance as he dragged his boots across the black marble towards the shivering girl. 'You pathetic, insolent w-'
His maddening insults were interrupted by a tortured cry of agony that came from the shaking figure behind his back. At once, his eyes darkened and stilled, fixing into the emptiness that only he coukd gaze at. Alienor's lips parted to release another painful sound.
'Leave. Leave me with her and I will revive your beloved little faerie pawn,' his voice trembled on the edge of breaking. He took another step towards Faye, his hands clutching at the air before closing in on her throat, squeezing lightly, only to rake at living flesh. 'But if she dies...' Alabaster's grin widened 'I will only bring him back to you so that you can witness his sliw death again and marvel at the sight of his corpse.'

His fingers did not steal my breath, his words did. I realized, perhaps too late, that I shouldn't have bothered him right now. I just hadn't known...that her wounds were so hideous. Or that he would care so much. I hadn't seen much of her in the past months, he hid her away from all of us. I thought he did that for her cruel training. But maybe that wasn't the only reason.
He let go of me, but the fingers of blood left over from his grasp remained clutched around my neck. I took it as his cue for me to leave. I hastened to get away from him, although Alienor's blood burned at my throat. Later, I wondered if it was because her blood was too pure for me, or just that her blood appalled me to my very bones.
Closing the door behind me, I asked myself where I could possibly go. I used to go to Feardia and Skye when I was scared or upset. Jaxin, too..sometimes. When I could find him. But they were all gone. My breathing hitched. For Alabaster threatened to murder Caydryn as soon as he rose, which means I would never have anyone ever again. I bit my quivering lip and made myself move from the door. I couldn't think like that, I told myself. I had to get ready for Caydryn's arrival.

Caydryn couldn't remember where he was, nor who he was. All he was aware of was painful pulling sensation in his mind. If he had hands, he would be holding his head. But he didn’t have a head anymore either. Memories were escaping his mind, all of them. Emotions were floating away. The lyrics of his first lullaby abandoned him. What was left of his conscience was being torn into shards and they were being drawn agonizingly somewhere else.
He had no idea how long it lasted. Time is not a factor in pain. Torment feels everlasting to those who suffer it. But as everything does, it ended. For then, it all surged back. Memory after memory flooded back into his mind, and he cried out, for the amount of years he lived were all coming to him in milliseconds. Now he did have a head and he was clutching it tightly. Fear feels everlasting as well. But when it died down, he realized he had the ability to think. His first thought: Where am I? He opened his eyes beneath his fingers and was assaulted by the light of the room. He squeezed his eyes shut again, as the pain in his mind intensified. He was aware he wasn't alone. He was also aware he was naked, on a cold floor, and silence was heavy in the air, as if his company were waiting for him.
He speculated as to where he could be. His last memories were the last feeble moments on his death bed. But he no longer felt feeble. In fact, he didn't remember feeling like this for many years. This was youth.
It was wrong.
Braving the light, he opened his eyes and lay down his hands. At first, he was blinded, but he refused to close his eyes. Slowly, slowly his eyesight returned, albeit blurry, bringing with it his surroundings. He was in a damp room, with only one shuttered window. There was one chair in the corner, its two back legs pathetically twisted out of shape. There were two people standing silently in front of him. A man and a girl. Black and white. Before he could examine them thoroughly, he saw a neat pile of clothes next to him. He still felt the necessity of warmth, even in all his confusion. Quickly, he dressed himself, keeping care never to turn his back to the strangers. In the back of his mind, a little voice told him he ought to be ashamed to be seen naked, but he was too preoccupied by whether his onlookers wanted to harm him, than to worry about what they thought of him. That done, he straightened up.
Although knowing appearances were deceiving, the man seemed the most dangerous, and fixed his eyes on him first. His memories gave him a name immediately, but he couldn't remember who this man was. Alabaster. His presence was ominous.
Now he gazed upon the girl. Her face was veiled, but everything about her was familiar. Her height, the way her hair still looked beautiful in tangles, the way she held her hands to her breast, the exact shade of her wings... Hatred rose up within him, as torrents and torrents of memories wreaked havoc in his mind, all showing him that she was his foe, a cursed enemy, someone who wanted to watch him suffer.
He darted at her furiously. He didn't even have time to wonder again at his strength and steadiness before he grabbed a hold on her. She gasped, and cowered, but his hands clasped around her neck. She didn't struggle, but fell limp at his touch. He wanted to see her face as she died; her eyes dim as they realized tormenting him was the cost of her life. He pulled the veil off. Her eyes were wide and filled with water. None of that made him sympathize with the bitch.
But it was her grey eyes that reminded him that he should be enchanted. He should have been embracing her, not killing her. His hands shouldn't be able to murder her.
It meant he was free.
Immediately, he dropped her. He was tied to her no longer. He would not do anything more to do with her, not even kill her. If he killed her, she would forever be a part of him. And that was everything he didn't want. He stepped back from her trembling form and turned to Alabaster. She was clearly of no import to him, as he had not tried stop Caydryn.
"Why have you brought me here?" His voice was soft and calm. Caydryn thanked his gods that it did not betray his confusion, his wonder, his horror. Caydryn was a Faerie King, and he would not appear weak to Alabaster. Memories came again, stories of a dark he-monster with no capabilities of mercy. Alabaster wasn't here to welcome him home; he was here to get a profit. Whether that profit was him, or something completely else, he didn't know.