Faeries and Fangs (The Blood Witch Saga Book 5), page 8
If this was the only way we could kill Leann, and the only way to get rid of this power she tricked me into taking, we had to try.
Chapter 13
Faeries don’t fly straight. I’d seen it in the forest before. Even those faerie soldiers, when they were coming for me, didn’t fly in straight lines. Mercy and I were like jelly beans in an Easter egg. When the faeries bounced, we bounced.
Willie didn’t hang around with us. I couldn’t blame him. He was probably one of the faeries carrying us through the forest on our way to the garden groves and the Tree of Life. When he flew out through the oaken shell that formed our little prison he told us to hold on tight.
Hold on to what exactly? Our asses?
I don’t think I’d ever heard Mercy drop so many f-bombs in such rapid succession. I let a few fly myself. When you’re being jostled around and thrown into walls and each other, gosh darn it, and gee whiz don’t cut it.
As vampires we could take a beating. We heal fast. When Mercy and I bonked heads, I’m pretty sure it gave me a concussion. I saw stars. Nothing I couldn’t overcome in a minute or two.
In the words of the King—not the Faerie King, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll—we were all shook up.
The shaking stopped suddenly.
“About damn time,” Mercy rubbed the back of her head.
“At least now we know what it feels like to be a scrambled egg.”
“That’s not funny.”
I smirked. “It’s a little funny.”
Mercy held out her arm and rubbed away a bruise. I had a few, too, but they were fading. Vampire healing rocks.
The light coursing through the surrounding sap turned from gold to an emerald green. The dome over us parted at the apex of the egg and split open. The light of the garden groves hit my face.
I gasped. On earth, sunlight was a problem. Here, it didn’t hurt us at all. Then again, there wasn’t a sun there at all. The light emanated from the sky itself. This realm was light—pure and warm. I could have stood there staring into the light for hours. I hadn’t stood in the sun since I was sixteen. That was going on eight years ago. Since then, the few times I’d ventured out into daylight, I was running to take shelter as it burned my flesh. More than a minute or so would leave scars that wouldn’t heal as fast as other wounds. This light was healing. My entire body tingled.
When the egg fell away, Willie flew around us. Five other faeries, including the Faerie King, hovered in the air straight ahead. A giant tree, full of green foliage and adorned with a red, bulbous fruit, stood behind them.
I gulped. “The Tree of life.”
Mercy nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
“Follow me,” the Faerie King said. “We must appeal to the dryad within and hope he’ll sympathize with our situation.”
I cleared my throat. “By the way, King whatever your name is, if you have the need to transport me in one of those things again, mind adding a little padding?”
The Faerie King laughed. “My name is Oberon. I apologize for the rough ride. It was the only way to bring you here with no one knowing I was helping you.”
I nodded. “Right. We wouldn’t want Leann to find out. I get it.”
“More than that!” Oberon rested his bony hand on my shoulder. “I have a reputation to uphold. Aiding vampires violates my own laws. Those laws haven’t changed. You two are a necessary exception.”
“What about these other faeries who helped carry us out?”
“They are my most loyal and trusted subjects. They understand what’s at stake. Come, let us summon the dryad.”
Oberon approached the Tree of Life. Mercy and I followed him and Willie flew up close behind us.
Oberon tugged on his beard. It was only about six inches long, but nearly reached his waist. He took a deep breath and with green magic in each of his palms, he placed them on the trunk of the Tree of Life. He squeezed his eyes shut. Was he concentrating or communicating with the dryad-protector of the great tree?
The bark on the tree was moving. Almost like it wiggled. A shape that matched the tree’s bark stepped out of it. Then a hand. Soon, an entire tree-like creature was standing in front of us. It’s strange to see something that looks like it would move like an animal. It was human-shaped mostly, but the limbs were long and gangly, and the creature’s head was boxy and had a face nearly twice as long as the average human’s.
Oberon fluttered his wings and backed away from the dryad.
“Lugh!” Oberon giggled. “You’re looking fantastic!”
Mercy nudged me. “I wonder if he barks.”
I snickered. “Was that a tree joke?”
“Thank you, Oberon,” Lugh said. “I see you’ve brought two of the chosen guardians.”
I waved my right hand through the air. “Hey there!”
Lugh tilted his head and narrowed his eyes--which looked almost like knots in the trunk of a tree. “Hello. Oberon, may I have a word?”
“Yes, you may!” Oberon exclaimed.
Lugh walked off in the grass, and Oberon followed. The dryad must’ve known we could have heard what he was saying on account of our enhanced vampiric hearing, so he spoke a tongue I’d never heard. Mercy’s furrowed brow suggested the language was foreign to her as well.
I sighed. “My parents used to speak Pig Latin around me when they were trying to keep secrets. It didn’t take me long to figure it out.”
Mercy grinned. “This language is distinct. I’ve picked up a few languages through the years. It’s not like anything I’ve ever heard.”
I snorted. “Sort of sounds like Klingon. Do you think they’re speaking Klingon?”
Mercy laughed. “It’s not Klingon, Hailey.”
“Do you know Klingon?”
“No. But I seriously doubt that the Tree of Life’s protector-dryad and the Faerie King speak a made-up language attributed to a war-hungry fictional race.”
I shrugged. “Maybe the otherworld is infested with trekkies. You don’t know.”
“Do you see a television set anywhere?”
I shrugged. “Maybe he has one inside the tree. You’d be surprised what you can fit inside a tree with a little magic. Besides, if I lived inside a tree, I’d be bored, constantly.”
“Don’t you mean you’d be a board?”
I shook my head. “The tree jokes keep coming.”
“I think Lugh has wood for you, Hailey.”
I rolled my eyes. “He has wood for everyone.”
“He’s covered in bark but isn’t wearing clothes. Is that a twig between his legs, or is he just happy to see you?”
I laughed. “You’re horrible. You really think you’re going to pass this test of virtue?”
Mercy sighed. “I can hear him telling me already. Yeah, we’ll overlook all those people you killed back in the day, but you told penis jokes. That’s unforgivable.”
I tilted my head. “How many people have you killed?”
Mercy sighed. “There was a brief period where I gave in to my urges and accompanied Ramon on one of his dismemberment binges. We only killed people who deserved it, though. Heroin dealers. Politicians. People like that.”
“You put drug dealers and politicians in the same category?”
“Depends on the politician. This one was running the heroin dealers and using the cartel to fund his campaigns. Plus, he was harassing his intern. Couldn’t have that.”
“So you were acting as an angel of wrath.”
Mercy chuckled. “I did it to feed and indulge in my darker urges. Ramon and I targeted scoundrels just so we could justify it to ourselves.”
“Well, it’s your past. It’s not like you still do that kind of thing.”
“Then, there was that time I castrated a priest. He deserved it, too.”
“I’m not going to ask why. I can connect the dots.”
“When I was first turned, I fed on my younger brother.”
“This isn’t confession time, and I’m not a priest. Even if I was, I don’t have anything you could lob off.”
Mercy snickered. “I’m just saying, if this test involves a catalogue of my past indiscretions, there’s no way I’ll pass.”
I shrugged. “He just said we’re both guardians.”
“Right. Because we kick a lot of ass. That doesn’t mean he’s going to give us a stake to kill Leann.”
“Doesn’t mean he won’t.”
“Think about it, Hailey. This is the Tree of Life. Killing shit isn’t exactly its modus operandi.”
“By that reasoning, why would it give a stake to anyone, no matter one’s resume of virtue or record of vice?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe to save me from becoming a fucking succubus.”
Mercy smirked. “That’s redundant, Hailey. You realize that’s what succubi do, right?”
I snorted. “Right. They literally screw people to death. Not exactly my idea of the best way to cap off a romantic evening.”
“Then take the purity pledge. Lots of people do it, you know.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. Religious tweens take the purity pledge. Most of them break it. What you’re talking about is like a nun’s lifetime celibacy vow. I’m not built for that!”
Mercy snickered. “Well, hopefully, the dryad values your sex life as much as you do.”
“It’s more than that. Oberon explained it all to me. If I ever give in, even once, that’s the only way I’ll be able to feed. Every time I do it, my victims will die.”
“Then don’t give in. Even once.”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“I’m on your side. I’m just telling you, I’m not exactly optimistic that the dryad is going to be as quick to help as you’re hoping.”
I shook my head. “Oberon wouldn’t have brought us here if there wasn’t a chance this would work.”
“Oberon wants Leann dead as much as you do. She’s a threat to the Seelie Forest.”
I scratched the back of my head. “I know. Hopefully Lugh sees it the same way.”
Oberon was raising his voice. Lugh was shaking his head. I didn’t know what they were saying, but it didn’t look good. When Oberon threw his hands into the air and Lugh returned to the tree, the news he brought would not be good.
Oberon flew over to us. He was shaking his head.
“What’s the verdict?” I asked.
“The Tree of Life will not provide a weapon meant to kill.”
Mercy nodded. “Could have seen that coming.”
“So we’re screwed?” I asked. “Is there nothing we can do?”
“There is one option, but I don’t like it.”
I shrugged. “I’m listening.”
“The Tree of Life will not provide a weapon. This is not the only tree that might give us something that can be used against the succubus.”
Mercy shook her head. “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?”
Oberon nodded. “Also known as the Wayward Tree. You’ll have to venture into the land of darkness, into Samhuinn. The Wayward Tree is protected by thorny vines. If you can retrieve a thorn from the Wayward Tree, it can kill the succubus.”
I bit my lip. “I’m guessing there’s a catch.”
Oberon nodded. “You’ll be able to wield it without pain. That’s the good news.”
“And the bad news?”
“The Wayward Tree is also vested with powerful magic that will invigorate the darkness within you. It may awaken Leann’s essence and transform you the moment you touch it.”
“What if I use it?” Mercy asked.
“Hailey still needs to use it to kill Leann. It’s the only way to purge Leann’s essence. You might kill Leann if you strike her with it, but it won’t cure Hailey.”
“What will it do to Mercy if she holds it?” I asked.
“Temptation. Beyond what you could imagine. There is no reason to corrupt the both of you. Hailey must take and wield the thorn.”
Mercy shook her head. “But you said it will change her, maybe the second she takes it. What will happen to her if she uses it and stakes the succubus?”
“That is why this must be done quickly. When Hailey strikes Leann, it will be as if she plunged the thorn into her own heart at the same time.”
I bit my lip. “What if I don’t touch it at all?’
“How can you possibly strike the succubus if you don’t?” Oberon asked.
I smiled. “Telekinesis. It’s one of my abilities.”
Mercy cleared her throat. “We’d still have to bring the thorn to Leann. How are we going to get it to her in the Unseelie Forest if we don’t touch it.”
I pinched my chin. My shirt was already torn. I’d needed it for the beakers. There wasn’t much left. “What if we wrap it in material? I could rip my pants. Maybe Mercy could tear off a piece of her dress.”
“I cannot say. Take extreme care to ensure it doesn’t come into contact with your skin. Not until it strikes Leann. Then, however, you must touch it if you wish to be cured. If you can wait to touch it until the moment before it strikes her heart, you might purge her essence from you before it transforms you.”
“How much time are we talking?” Mercy asked.
Oberon shook his head. “I cannot say. The transformation won’t take more than a few moments. It must be simultaneous.”
“And if I hold the thorn too long before I strike her?”
“It may kill you when it kills her. Once your essence transforms, and nothing of what you are remains, destroying the succubus will destroy you.”
I nodded. “Alright. We’ll have to be careful. I still think we can pull this off. We just have to make sure that the thorn is in position, that I call when I’m ready to strike, and I make sure it’s my hand rather than my telekinetic ability that plunges it into Leann’s heart.”
Mercy nodded. “It could work, but only if Leann doesn’t see it coming. Demons are fast and formidable. So are faeries. She’s a bit of both. It’s essential she suspects nothing.”
“That will be difficult to ensure,” Oberon said. “The trees of the Seelie Forest are connected to the Tree of Life. The root system extends deep into the soil of the garden groves. The Unseelie Forest is connected in the same way to the Wayward Tree.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” I asked.
“Faeries can travel through the root system,” Willie piped up. “If the Wayward Tree is wounded, if someone takes a thorn from the vine that protects it, the effects will radiate throughout the Unseelie Forest.”
Oberon nodded. “That’s why I didn’t suggest we use the Wayward Tree from the start. If you acquired a stake from the Tree of Life, Leann would never know. There is a risk. She’ll know what’s happening before you even leave Samhuinn. Any faerie in the Unseelie Forest will see what’s coming.”
I bit my lip. “Fair enough. Maybe she’ll know we’re coming for her. That makes this harder, but not impossible. She still won’t expect me to use my telekinetic abilities.”
Oberon crossed his arms in front of his chest. “If I were her, and I found out you’d taken a thorn from the Wayward Tree, I’d do whatever I could to ensure that you touch it. If you’re changed before you use it against her, and if you staked her with it after you’re changed, you could die.”
Mercy nodded. “It’s a fair point. Just by forcing you to change, Leann could ensure her own safety. She’d both eliminate you as a threat and turn you into the creature she wants to use as her progeny on earth.”
I took a deep breath. “You’re absolutely certain that I will die if the thorn transforms me before I can use it?”
“If it happens too soon, Leann will control you. It may not matter if you live or die.”
“It’s like a sire bond, right? And since I have Nico’s bond, if I’m turned into a succubus will that still be active?”
“It is likely,” Oberon said. “I cannot say for certain.”
Mercy’s eyes widened. “That means Leann might not only be able to control you, but she could use you to control me as well.”
“How many vampires are still alive who Nico turned?” I asked.
Mercy shook her head. “Not many. Corbin is gone, for instance. His lineage would not be affected. Still, probably half the vampires across the world can trace their lineage to one of Nico’s living progeny.”
I clenched my fist. “If I touch that thorn and don’t kill her fast enough, Leann will not only have me. She’ll have a vampire army. All she’d have to do is manipulate the chain of command via sire bonds.”
Mercy shook her head. “This might not be worth the risk. Celibacy is still an option, Hailey.”
Oberon shook his head. “It’s not much of one. You’re not the only one who could take a thorn from the Wayward Tree. If Hailey does not give in and become a succubus, all Leann would need to do is capture Hailey. Since your portal home goes through the Unseelie Forest, and the trees there are all connected to the Wayward Tree, I suspect Leann won’t allow you to return to earth until Hailey’s transformation is complete.”
Chapter 14
This was an awful plan. The problem was that it was our only plan. We had little choice. I couldn’t stay in the Seelie Forest or the Garden Groves forever. I was still the best chance anyone had to stop Mug Ruith back on earth. I had to stake Leann with a thorn from the Wayward Tree. I couldn’t touch the thorn and I had to go into the Unseelie Forest to do that. If they captured me, Leann could take me into a tree. Since the Unseelie forest was connected to the Wayward Tree, if I so much as touched a tree in that forest, the influence of the Wayward Tree could catalyze my transformation into a succubus.
I was a fly, Leann was a spider, and the Unseelie Forest was her web.
Willie, Mercy, and I headed out from the Tree of Life toward the blighted Samhuinn. I wasn’t looking forward to it. I’d been to hell—and this place was just as bad. Annabelle had gone there several times. Mercy once or twice. Their stories about the place weren’t exactly inspirational. The place was pure nastiness. The weather there was bad enough—hot as hell, dry as a desert.
