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  I held the sword out and let my magic flare up the flames running along the blade. “Why don’t you listen to the little lady and take us to your Siphoning Lord? I’m sure he’ll decide better than you guys can whether he wants to drain us or not. How about it?” I looked at the Ogre, who had inched must too close to us from behind. The three of us bunch together back to back to avoid leaving our bodies exposed. “My sister, Queen Shade of the Southern Seelie Realm, sent us here. She’ll be pissed to hear of your inhospitality.”

  The ruined Unseelie faery, with only web-like remains of his once beautiful wings, stepped forward and held up a fist. “What did you say?” His obsidian eyes blinked furiously like those of an oversized horse fly. His once immaculate pale skin was riddled in spidery lines that ran all through his features and made him look like a cracked porcelain doll. I fought the urge to cringe at his appearance. I had never seen a withering faery before, poisoned by the iron in the city.

  “My sister, Queen Shade of the …”

  “I heard you.” The faery furrowed his brows as he flicked his eyes from us to his comrades, contemplating what to do. “Ferdinand doesn’t want us harming Shade’s friends.” He said it more to himself and his friends more than us.

  “Aww, why not? Their power alone could sustain us for weeks,” the goblin fey cackled as he reached out a bony, slime-colored hand toward Sary.

  The winged one smacked his hand and looked back up at us with those creepy black eyes. There were no whites, just black, bug-like, eyes bulging out of his face. I hated them. They reminded me of some of the Unseelie I’d already killed while hunting for escapees.

  “The Siphon Lord will not be pleased if we harm Shade’s friends.” He frowned, causing his shriveled skin to bunch in a way that made my stomach churn. “Come along.” He seemed to be the most reasonable of the bunch. He motioned at us and turned away, despite the protests of the other two, and led us into the building.

  I fell into step with Sary and looked over at her. The concern etching itself across her face made me feel really bad that things hadn’t panned out the way she would have wanted. I imagine she saw it all playing out differently in her head.

  “Hey, one step forward, right? At least we won’t be shriveled up raisins when this is over with. Seems Shade’s previous visit made him rethink his strategy of draining everything that comes near this place.” I winked, but it did nothing to lighten her mood.

  In fact, she became paler as we made our way up through the neglected floors of the building, where debris filled the halls and the peeling walls were painted in graffiti. The stairwell was rusty and creaked while the banister’s paint had flaked off in large chunks, exposing the metal beneath. The faeries avoided touching the banister, even if the steps didn’t feel all that stable. The lights flickered on and off as we proceeded up the staircase, and the moldy stench of the air made me want to hold my breath as we ascended further.

  From the look on Sary’s face, I knew she hadn’t expected to see her brother living in such decrepit conditions. I wondered what she had expected. Whatever it was, the ideal was most certainly going to be shattered when we met Ferdinand. I could bet on it.

  Once we reached one of the top floors, Spidery Wings faery led us down the hall. A few faces peered out at us from cracks in doorways perched slightly open as we passed. Eyes filled the darkened rooms, some shiny like saucers and others black and beady like the faery leading us forward. They were all shapes and sizes, from beautiful to grotesque in appearance. Long, silk-like hair draped over the shoulder of one woman who appeared more human than the others. Only the pointed ears and snake-like split tongue flicking out as she sampled the air indicated her non-human origins. Tiny demi-fey fluttered around our heads like annoying flies, buzzing in our ears and begging for a swat or two.

  One yanked some of my hairs out by the roots, and I was about to plaster the thing against the wall when Sary placed a soft touch on my wrist. She shook her head, her eyes sad, but wiser than I was at the moment. I relented and clenched my fists instead of smashing the bugger. I had to admit, her touch was soothing, especially when the rage of being nipped and touched by these tiny banished fey left me seething.

  “You know, this place could use a little oomph, if you catch my drift,” I snickered as we kept on. “Needs an update.” We turned down another hall, and I was starting to feel like we were going in circles. This hallway was cleaner, but the reek of unwashed bodies was getting to me.

  “The master does not care to pretty the surrounding halls and floors,” the fey with the withered wings said. “Why bother? We hope to return to Faerie soon enough.”

  My eyes widened at the mention of returning to Faerie. What was he getting at?

  I cleared my throat. “What do you mean? I thought those who are banished can’t return. Like, ever.” I glanced over at Sary, whose lips were pressed tightly together. Braelynn, standing just to the side of Sary, was looking even more concerned at the news.

  Spidery Wings smirked as he came to a stop before a door labeled “The Siphon Lord.” He turned and looked back at me. “I’m not at liberty to say. Let’s just say that the banished won’t be needing Ferdinand’s services for much longer. We’ll all be healed from the taint of the human world soon enough.” He pulled out a normal-looking key and fitted it into the lock. He turned it and pushed the door open.

  I didn’t like his attitude, and being referred to as “human taint” was a sure way to get on my bad side. I made sure to give him a drilling stare as we stepped past him and into Ferdinand’s home.

  This area wasn’t neglected. Nor did it smell at all bad. In fact, it was darn well pristine. Large reams of multicolored, expensive fabric draped over the furniture and hung in lush curtains from the ceiling. Incense burned in carved-out ivory planks, sending wisps of scented smoke into the air. Warm colors of red, gold, pink as well as some purples and blues peppered the room from tiny lampshades and glowing sconces while an array of plush pillows of all shapes and sizes filled up the floor where the couches ended. Everywhere I looked, the floor was covered with something.

  “Nice digs. I feel the Egyptian getaway theme going on here.” No one answered me. I was starting to feel ignored, but it wasn’t bothering me. I exhaled a long breath as Spidery led us into the room with the sofas and motioned for us to sit.

  “I’ll get Ferdinand. Whatever you do, don’t touch him, or you’ll regret it.”

  I nodded, and we muttered our understandings as Spidery left the room. The silence was unbearable to me, and the longer we waited, the more my stomach clenched. I didn’t like it there. It felt all wrong, and the air held a trace of desolation. I couldn’t exactly pinpoint out why, yet. Maybe I’d find out soon. Maybe not. Either way, whatever Ferdinand had to say was going to be either really bad or extremely useful. How did I know that? Well, let’s just say a tendency toward precognition is another side effect of being a warlock. Darn intuition messed with my head a lot, but it had also saved me on more than one occasion.

  It also made me a darn good tracker. I could find Unseelie escapees like they were going out of style. No one could hide from my extrasensory perception. It was that same perception which was sending me an array of signals in Ferdinand’s room. Ferdinand’s powers were lethal. He could kill with a touch if he decided to suck every drop of magic out of someone. I’d heard that most of the time, he’d just siphon a magical being’s power until that person, or faery, was left but a shell of their former glory. I wasn’t going to end up that way and no way in hell would I let Ferdinand do that to Sary or Braelynn.

  I just hoped my feelings would be wrong this time.

  Chapter Seven The Monster

  The Monster

  June 18th, 1702

  I fell ill and cold when I let one particular faery touch me. He wanted to demonstrate his power. In his limited communication, he told of a way to steal power from others. I feared what he told me and asked if he could do it without killing the other. He nodded but
did let me know that sometimes, things go wrong. He held but a finger to my hand, and I felt the world darken as my life force left. He let go and apologized, but I was already quite weakened. I had just enough strength to make it home and slept through to the next day. I wonder how a creature of his power could exist. The ramifications of abusing such a power are too great to consider.

  ~Brendan

  His hardened almond eyes scanned over each one of us, as though he were dissecting us. It was chilling, like having tiny spiders crawling over every inch of exposed skin. I found it quite unnerving to be under such harsh scrutiny from Ferdinand, but I shook it off and kept my face straight, not wanting to give this creep any ammunition for use against me later.

  When Ferdinand’s gaze landed on Sary, it stayed there, filled with intensity, but also with a touch of sadness. Whatever was fleeting through this guy’s head, it was probably something between him and Sary, a private thing belonging only to siblings. It reminded me of Shade for a slight second, and I missed seeing my sister. Still, I couldn’t say I didn’t want to know, but I wanted out of this siphoning guru’s place ASAP. The man reeked of dark magic, and it made me want to get up from the mushy couch, jet right out the front door and never look back. If that was any indication on how dangerous he was to other magicals, I still didn’t want to find out if he lived up to such foreboding.

  “Ferdinand.” Sary’s mouth hung open slightly, like she wanted to say more but wasn’t sure if she should. Maybe she had too many questions vying for first place, locking her in a silent battle. Maybe she was just as shocked from the swirls of invading magic probing at her like tiny spikes and snakes nipping at her shields, testing them out to find any vulnerabilities. I felt it doing the same to me and fought against swiping at the air to shoo it off. I doubted it would help at all. If Ferdinand truly wanted to break down our guards, he most definitely could.

  But the two of them just stood there, staring at each other.

  “Sary. It’s been too long, Sister.”

  I saw Sary swallow, her thin throat undulating under duress as she choked back the arid desert definitely forming in her throat. I noticed they didn’t hug. They didn’t touch whatsoever. What kind of life had Ferdinand lived, to never be able to embrace another without draining them? I bet it was a lonely and bitter one. Maybe it was the worst power to have after all. I was grateful my own powers didn’t limit me so.

  “I didn’t know where you went. You just left us. Why?”

  “Could be because you weren’t supposed to know why. Why are you really here?”

  Sary’s eyes narrowed, her lips tightened, and I could almost feel the steam coming out of her ears. I waited for her to spontaneously combust as the air in the room began to thicken. Whatever happened to banish Ferdinand to this realm, there seemed to be something else going on as well.

  His long red hair was the same color, if not a slight shade darker than Sary’s. The family resemblance was obvious; they could be twins. I wondered if they were, but his stature appeared to be more of a firstborn’s arrogance than one of equal standing to the sibling before him. It reminded me of Shade and her bossy manners at home. Still, I didn’t think Shade would ever act the way Ferdinand did as he puffed himself out at Sary. I hoped she had enough of a hold over him to keep his emotions in check, keep us safe. It was akin to lingering in a cage with a hungry lion and bloody steaks hanging from our necks.

  “I didn’t come here to fight,” Sary said, sounding defeated.

  “Then why did you come here?” Ferdinand leaned forward, his hands laced together as he sat down on a chair across from the sofa. His evaluation of us continued, but his focus was Sary. They were more like strangers now. Still, I felt I was missing a huge chunk of the story. What had transpired between these two pairs of green eyes?

  “Why are you living in this trash bin? The mortals have no need for a faery prince. What did you do to get banished?”

  Ferdinand’s face was still for a tiny moment before he burst out laughing. His face looked friendly as he chuckled. His eyes twinkled, and his overly white teeth flashed as if his sister had just cracked a joke.

  “Oh, dear, dear, little Sister. You don’t recall, but I was banished here for practicing a banned type of magic. You know what I can do, yet you have no idea what I’ve done.” Right then, the laugh halted, and his features turned cold once more. “You don’t know that because you were deadened by grief of losing Stephen. You were withering from your loss. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  Sary’s eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open. Thoroughly confused, she tried to form words with her pretty little mouth, but nothing would come out. Moments later, grasping to control herself, she cleared her throat and let out an agonizingly slow breath. “What do you mean?”

  Ferdinand leaned back into his chair, completely relaxed. His intense study of us eased, and the obvious release of tension receded like a wave in the ocean. It felt easier to breath. He’d stopped probing our shields, glamours and wards. The release made me realize just how much he’d been pushing at my power, leaving me drained.

  “I never meant for you to come here and seek me out, but I knew I’d never get my wish, knowing you’d be stubborn and follow me out here anyway.” He paused, rubbing his chin and looking gloomier. “When I saved your life, I used my magic. You know it’s forbidden, but regardless, you were dying when you lost Stephen. You didn’t want to go on.” He paused, his face straining with the difficulty of explaining the story.

  “To save your life, I drained several faeries. Not to the last drop, but to a point where they were weakened for days. I did nothing treacherous or malicious. All the faeries who gave me their power volunteered to help you. I siphoned it off them and transferred their life forces to bring you back from the depths of a dark, deep depression. That darkness, the lack of love of life, grasped onto you when Stephen died and never let you go. You were dying, and you didn’t fight it off. I couldn’t just let you die. You’re a princess of the Vyn, who have no heir for their throne if you die. And … you’re my sister.”

  Sary’s eyes filled with tears as her lips quivered. Her normally fair complexion turned a deep violent red, which I feared would turn purple if she didn’t take a breath soon. Her memories of Stephen and hearing her brother say his name had hit her hard. She obviously hadn’t prepared to hear such things from her sibling.

  “You siphoned magic to save me? You were never supposed to use that magic … ever. Even to save me.”

  Ferdinand didn’t move, nor did he answer her. The truth was raw in the air between them, and he apparently had nothing to add to it.

  “Why would you do that? Our people can survive without me. You should’ve let me die. I wanted to join my love. Now you’ve left me here in this wretched place without him! I didn’t want to go on. You stole that destiny from me!” Her eyes bulged as the rage poured from her. Streams of tears spilled over her cheeks and dripped down onto her lap, spotting up her pants. A whimper escaped her lips right before she lunged toward Ferdinand, who didn’t so much as flinch.

  Luckily, I knew her intentions before she got too far and yanked her back onto the sofa with a good, firm grip around her waist.

  “Sit down, Sary,” I said, my voice soft and sad.

  I didn’t let go of her even when she struggled and smacked at my arms. She didn’t hurt me, even though she dug her nails into my arm. She probably didn’t know what she was doing except glaring hard at Ferdinand, ignoring me.

  “Why did you do it? It got you nothing but banishment. What good was that? You could’ve let me go in peace. I could’ve been with Stephen.” Her voice trembled and I loosened my grip slightly, hoping her hopelessness meant she wasn’t going to jump out and attack Ferdinand again. We weren’t supposed to touch him. She would know that more than any of us.

  “I told you. You’re my sister, heir to the Vyn throne. I couldn’t let you die. Don’t you get it?” Ferdinand stood up and paced the room. “I’m worthless to ou
r people. Men do not rule the Vyn people, the women do. I have an unusual and deadly power. I’ve killed others, important people, by accident. I can’t touch anyone. Don’t you think I know they’re all afraid of me? Don’t you think I know my place?” His words were acid on his tongue, and the angry bitterness flashed across his features, turning his skin to match his sister’s.

  Sary slumped, and I guided her back to lean on the couch for support. She looked tired, exhausted. Even her perfect skin now appeared sallow and pale, as if her beauty was but a frail illusion, a trick to keep others from seeing the damaged girl beneath. This woman didn’t want to rule any court or want to see anything as wrong with her family. This was the face of someone who’d given up already and lived each day like an empty shell, going through the motions without really living.

  “It doesn’t matter either way,” she said. “Our people will never have the ruler they want. We’ll be absorbed by the Scren Realm in the end. It’s better that way. At least their ruler, Shade, cares about her people, and she didn’t even grow up in Faerie.” Sary closed her eyes and sucked in another choked breath. “I don’t care anymore. I wanted to die, but I didn’t. So here I am. What now? Did you figure it all out Ferdinand? How to live again? Are you happy out here?” Her eyes flung open as she tried to turn the tables, dissecting her brother with a hard, fiery glare.

  Ferdinand returned to his chair and sat down heavily. “I have nothing figured out. Here, we’re just trying to survive. Here, it’s an eternal war to stay alive. Without our motherland, Faerie, we’re as good as rotted, shriveled fruit. I haven’t withered because I can siphon magic from anywhere, any person, anything. Others are not so fortunate.” He shifted in his seat, reaching for a glass parked on a small square table next to him. He threw back a swallow and slammed it back down.

  “I do a service for those banished from Faerie. I get what they need and in return, they serve as my guards, my ears, my eyes and bring me information. Magic is the currency here, and those without it are in no position to tell me what to do. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get what you want when you have what everyone else wants.” His hands spread out across the room, like a king on his throne addressing his subjects. “This is my kingdom, and you no longer have any power over what I do with my life.”