23.

  Faelwen

  True to his word, Aeon returned not long after. He carried a tray laden with bread, still warm from some unseen hearth, bowls of rich stew, and tea that smelled of jasmine and something faintly sweet.

  We gathered in a small sitting area near his alchemical table, sinking into overstuffed chairs that welcomed us like old friends. There was no fireplace to keep the place warm, but somehow that wasn’t necessary. Aeon sat opposite me, tea in hand, and regarded me with a faintly inscrutable expression.

  “To answer your questions,” he began, “you must first understand how all of this began.” Spook and I both leaned forward as he began to speak. His voice measured the cadence of a storyteller who had seen too much and lived far too long.

  “This war with the Underworld began not so long ago. Around 50 years ago in the Second Era. It was the year 885. Even though the Underworld has always posed a threat to the Mid Realm, it was then that the darkness increased. The Fiend had taken control and was looking for his fallen lover who supposedly was reincarnated on the Mid Realm.”

  He paused before continuing, “The Underworld hardly posed a threat to the First Realm, where I mostly resided, so I didn’t worry. It was when Talron called to me that I became intertwined with this war.”

  He sighed as if the memory felt heavy on his shoulders.

  “Talron had found a way to summon me with the help of an old elvish spell book. He wanted to make a pact with me to gain the power to defeat the Fiend who had sent his followers into his lands. But I felt his greediness and knew he would abuse the powers I would grant him. So I refused. In the year 897 Talron managed to make a pact with the Fiend together with the help of Barnabas and four elf mages.”

  “How did they know the Fiend would hold himself to this pact?” I interrupted Aeon.

  “I believe they made a blood pact, which means that if either one of them would break the deal, they would be trapped in the Nether Realm. But the Fiend is devious, he made the pact so that he could wander in the Marshes whenever he wished and his minions could wander in this world without restrictions.”

  “What is the Nether Realm?” Spook asked, confusion written on his face.

  Aeon turned to him and explained, “The Nether Realm is a place with nothing. A realm created by the Weave for those who get lost in the magic. Your spirit will forever wander the planes of nothingness while your body will become an empty hull. People who end up in the Nether Realm never return, never age, never die. Time stands still in this realm. Most people go insane over time.”

  I shuddered at the thought and noticed Spook raising his eyebrows as he bit off a piece of his bread. I followed his lead, the bread tasting warm and sweet on my tongue. Aeon continued his story, looking at each of us in turns.

  “On the first day of the first moon in 898, Talron named the beginning of the third era. It was then I noticed the Weave getting stronger on this plane of existence. I therefore settled here and for other reasons not important for you to know.” He took a sip from his tea before he continued.

  “And as you well know on the nineteenth of the third moon Talron’s eldest son Orion was born. The magic that runs through the royal family was gifted upon him. But the fear and greediness of Talron I sensed before started to take over and Talron banished his eldest son when he turned sixteen. He also started the hunt on all magical beings out of fear they would otherwise steal his crown. Your caretaker, and friend, Barnabas fled the castle soon after. Orion, being banished, wanted revenge and became what Talron feared most—”

  “A Necromancer. A mage that uses the dark arts to perform the most heinous spells, such as disturbing the peace of the dead by raising them,” I whispered, interrupting. Aeon nodded.

  “Yes and when Edmund, Talron’s youngest son, inherited the crown, he not only took his father’s place as high king, he also proclaimed war upon the Necromancers with their leader Orion. Driven by the same fear his father had experienced.”

  “And Barnabas wanted to prevent this war from escalating. So he tried to find a way through his research. But he didn’t succeed,” Spook mumbled. I raised my brows at him. He grinned back.

  “I read the notebooks,” he said.

  “Right,” Aeon interrupted us, “But one thing nobody expected was, because of these unstable times, the Underworld was getting restless. They know the humans are currently at war and it won’t be long before they’ll strike.”

  A silence followed as both Spook and I looked at each other with wide eyes. I felt my heart jump. The demons in the underground tunnels. We both knew they were already trying to wreak havoc. Aeon, seemingly unaware of our shock, continued his story.

  “All this time I had kept myself distant from the war. Then one day your mother appeared.”

  My breath caught, his words carrying me back to her fire, her strength, her desperation to protect me. I could see her now, holding a small child, me, as she pleaded with him for power.

  A mother willing to do anything, pay any price to keep her daughter safe from the Fiend, from the Hunters, from anyone trying to hurt me.

  His voice softened when he described her, an unrelenting spirit, he said, and I could see the faintest flicker of something almost like fondness in his strange, empty eyes. Finally he turned his gaze back to me.

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  “Your mother’s pact with me ensured that you would come to me one day. I am the dam that holds back your magic, Faelwen. But I can remove it, if you choose. The power you seek can be yours, under my guidance as your patron.”

  The room fell silent again, the tea in my hand had long since gone cold. I looked at him, the weight of all this information and his offering settling on my shoulders like a cloak.

  War.

  Power.

  But at what cost?

  I searched his pale face for answers and found none. Only quiet patience, as though time meant nothing to him at all.

  “Does this mean that you have a claim on Faelwen’s soul?” Spook broke the silence. Aeon shook his head.

  “No, the bargain is that I can control Faelwen’s magic. I can remove the dam, but also replace it whenever I wish. In return I claimed her mothers’ soul. She’s safe now.”

  I didn’t know how to feel about that.

  “I’ll ask you again Faelwen, do you want me to remove the dam that holds your magic?” Aeon asked after another silence.

  “I… I don’t know,” I murmured at last. Aeon looked from me to Artemis and he and Artemis seemed to quietly communicate together.

  Did our conversations look like that too? Staring intensely towards each other, nobody understanding what you’re doing or what you’re talking about? After a brief pause he locked his eyes back on me and inclined his head.

  “You need rest and time to think. Tomorrow we can begin at first light if you are willing.”

  And with that, he rose, his cloak trailing like shadows, and gestured for us to follow.

  ? ? ?

  We trailed after Aeon, his presence steady and unhurried as he guided us to the staircase leading back to the entrance.

  But midway up, the staircase curved, revealing a hidden balcony bathed in soft, golden glow of fireflies. Tiny pinpricks of light danced like living stars, guiding us into a dimly lit hallway that seemed to be breathing.

  This tower was a quiet, sacred place where even the air felt enchanted, carrying the faint scent of moss, wood and blooming flowers. The hallway led us to a room. It was a warm, welcoming haven that felt as though the very heart of the tree had opened itself to embrace us.

  The walls were carved from sturdy, red-brown wood. The grain spiralled in natural patterns that seemed to hum with life. There was no fireplace here, just like in the sitting area downstairs. But just like downstairs, the room was bathed in a comforting, gentle heat, as if the tree itself radiated warmth.

  Leaves and delicate flowers adorned the space, draped over shelves and woven into corners like nature’s own decoration. From the ceiling hung celestial wonders. There were tiny carved stars and planets suspended on invisible threads, swaying gently in a non-existent breeze.

  A small, stone basin and a polished copper bathtub sat against the far wall, waiting patiently. As I passed a tall overall mirror propped between the leaves, my reflection stared back at me.

  I froze. My wide eyes, shadowed and pale, blinked as I took in the thin, dirt-streaked creature before me.

  A crimson flush crept up my cheeks. I looked awful, exhausted and grimy, my hair clinging in unruly strands to my face. A bath was not just a luxury, it was a desperate necessity.

  “You’ll find everything you need here. If you need anything else, just ask the tree. It will provide,” Aeon said with that calm, otherworldly voice of his.

  Spook nodded gratefully and, without ceremony, collapsed on the bed as though gravity itself had claimed him. I murmured my thanks as well, and Aeon slipped away, leaving us alone in the gentle hush of the room.

  “I need a bath,” I sighed, my voice barely louder than the creak of branches. I didn’t want to think about all Aeon had said. I was too tired.

  “I’m not stopping you,” Spook replied lazily, sprawled out like a contented cat, one arm tucked behind his head as he regarded me with a teasing gleam in his eyes.

  My gaze flicked toward the bathtub at the end of the room. There was no screen, no curtain, just open space and lingering firefly light. Spook noticed the hesitation, his lips forming into that infuriating grin.

  “I’ve seen naked women before, you know.”

  I shot him a sharp glare, though my cheeks flamed hotter.

  “But you’ve never seen me naked,” I countered.

  His grin widened devilishly.

  “For everything, there’s a first time.”

  I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose as Artemis gave a derisive snort from the corner. I jabbed a stern finger in Spook’s direction.

  “Don’t peek.”

  He held his hands up in a pantomime of innocence, though the mischievous twinkle in his eyes remained. Shaking my head, I turned toward the tub. My footsteps were muffled by the thick, plush beige rug beneath my feet.

  How bad could it be, really? If we were going to travel together, there would inevitably come a day when he’d see more than just my face and hands. Still, my stomach twisted with nerves as I undressed quickly, the air cool against my skin.

  I slid into the water, and the moment its warmth embraced me, I sighed, sinking deeper. It was bliss. Pure, restorative bliss.

  “Can I turn around now?” Spook called lazily. I laughed softly, the water rippling around me.

  “Yes, Spook. My body’s safely hidden by the water now.”

  I caught him out of the corner of my eye as he leaned back against the bed again, arms crossed behind his head, his gaze drifting idly toward the ceiling.

  “So… how’s the bath?” he asked. I shot him a flat look.

  “Are you serious?”

  He chuckled, unbothered, and let his eyes close as though he might drift off. For a moment, the only sounds were the soft lapping of water and the faint creaking of the tree as it breathed around us.

  “You know there’s only one bed, right?” Spook said suddenly, his voice quieter. His eyes opened, and for once, they held no teasing. Only the barest trace of worry. I shrugged, my fingers trailing through the water.

  “It’s fine, really. The bed is big enough for the three of us.”

  “The three of us?” he echoed, glancing towards Artemis. Artemis flashed a wide, toothy grin, and Spook shifted uncomfortably, mumbling something unintelligible under his breath.

  When I was clean, Spook asked the tree for fresh water, and I turned my back politely as he bathed. Once finished, we both crawled into the bed, and as I had suspected, it was enormous. Easily large enough to swallow us whole.

  Artemis circled twice before curling up at the foot of the bed, his tail twitching once before he slipped into sleep. Spook and I lay on opposite sides, facing each other across the sea of blankets and pillows.

  The room was still. The only light came from the fireflies lingering on the walls, their glow soft and dreamlike. For a while, neither of us spoke.

  “What really made you decide to follow me?” I whispered into the stillness. Spook’s jaw tightened, his gaze dropping briefly as if searching for the right words.

  “I… ehm.” He hesitated, then sighed. “I just… grew fond of you in our small time together. And I couldn’t bear the thought of you walking toward all that danger alone. Not with only a scared wolf for company.”

  I glanced at Artemis, who huffed softly in his sleep, and then back at Spook. My lips curved into a smile.

  “I grew fond of you too, you know. I meant it when I said I’m glad you’re here.”

  His expression softened, a small, genuine smile pulling at his lips.

  “Good. Because you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

  I laughed quietly. Spook curled in slightly, his breaths growing slower, steadier as sleep crept in. I followed soon after, folding myself beneath the blankets.

  Artemis’ warmth at my feet, Spook’s presence nearby, close enough that his breath brushed faintly against my cheek.

  It was comforting, like a whispered promise that I wasn’t alone anymore. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I drifted into sleep feeling safe.