Page 35 of Deliverance

There are tales of beings that can slip into your body and control it like it is their own, turning you into a human puppet, and for the briefest of moments, I panic. Is that what this is? Am I really a monster? I check once more that Blaise is unaware that I am here and that I cannot command his body to move. No, mercifully I am not one of those, but I have no idea how I am able to sense all of these things. I was probably just imagining it.

A gentle but unquestionable pull tugs at me, and I don’t fight it as my consciousness shifts back into my body. It is the strangest feeling, as though I could feel my body the whole time while simultaneously being able to sense Blaise’s. My eyes are still closed, yet it is undeniable that I have returned to myself.

A light, almost undetectable brush against my arm alerts me to the fact something has landed on me. I blink my eyes open, and it takes a moment for me to adjust to the bright glow around us. It slowly dims as my eyes adjust, and as I glance down at my arm, I spot a gorgeous butterfly. It pulses its wings, almost in sync with my heartbeat. A smile graces my lips, which grows as a second one lands on me. I realise that this is not just a chance encounter, as one after another lands on me and Blaise. Had I not been so shocked by what is happening, I might find it amusing that the male’s exposed head is covered in a crown of butterflies.

I had a moment where many butterflies landed on me before, but that was alone. This is completely different as I am covered in the colourful creatures. It feels magical. Could this be because we are in the Seelie Court lands? Does nature work differently here?

A splashing noise down the river catches my attention, my head jerking up and scaring off the butterflies in a flutter of colour. As they clear, I see Alaric standing between the trees where the clearing ends, the river continuing on through the maze of forest. He is staring at me like I am a ghost, some enigma he cannot work out, and it makes me uncomfortable. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure it really is me he’s looking at, I frown, spotting nothing that would have caused that expression.

Another splash snaps my attention away from Alaric. Someone else is here. Are they friend or foe? A gorgeous female walks towards me across the top of the water. Only, that isimpossible, no one can walk on water, except apparently, she can. As she gets closer, I see her clothes ripple in a phantom wind, and her hair, which I thought was pale blonde, is actually silver. Everything about her exudes magic, and she’s impossibly graceful in the way she moves. This must be the river naiad.

Her pale blue eyes move from Blaise in my lap up to me. She seems to pause, blinking once in surprise. It would have been easy to miss her shock, because in the next moment, she eyes us both cooly once more, but I caught the look. Is she surprised that a human is this deep in their territory and helping a fae? Or is there another reason completely?

Reaching us, she takes a moment to stare down at us before kneeling. Somehow, she can kneel on the surface of the water, but I am too worried about what is about to happen to Blaise that I barely register it. Up close, I notice that her skin is covered in iridescent scales. They are faint, and I only notice because a ray of sunlight breaks through the trees and makes her skin glimmer.

With one pale arm, she scoops river water into her hand and lets it trickle over Blaise’s forehead. Placing her now empty palm above his brows, she closes her eyes and hums quietly. Blaise doesn’t react to any of this, making my heart clench painfully. Are we too late?

Suddenly, the naiad’s eyes shoot open and lock onto mine with the intensity of a hurricane. Having something so powerful stare me down like this makes me comprehend my fragile mortality. It would be so easy for her to reach out and snap me in two like a twig. She is one of the fae after all, one of the creatures I have been taught to fear and avoid at all costs. Despite all of this, though, I find myself more worried for Blaise.

“What are you?” she asks with a soft lilting voice, tilting her head to one side in the slow, deliberate action of a predator watching her prey.

“Human,” I reply, confused. It should be fairly obvious that this is the case. None of the other fae have had problems identifying me, so what is different about this situation?

The naiad seems just as confused, and then she chuckles, shaking her head at my answer. The sound is like the pitter-patter of rain. “You are much more special than that. I have never met one like you, and I have been bound to this river for centuries.”

Centuries. This creature ishundredsof years old. If she is saying she’s never met anyone like me, then what does that say about me? I might be the doe from the Unseelie curse, but I am still an unremarkable human. Swallowing against the lump in the back of my throat, I push those thoughts away and focus on the fae in my lap.

Alaric beats me to it, asking the question on the tip of my tongue. “Can you heal him?”

This is the first thing he has said since returning from finding the naiad, seemingly having shaken off the trance he had been stuck in. Appearing at my side in a flash of fae speed, he stares down at his friend, his face tight.

“He is very weak,” the female comments quietly, one hand still resting on Blaise’s forehead while the other gently pours water over his wounded arm. “If your human friend had not used the leaves to draw out the poison, then he would have been beyond my help.”

Alaric looks at me then, gratitude in his eyes. His mouth opens then shuts before he looks away, clearly not knowing what to say. I don’t hold it against him though, understanding that this is a difficult time.

Hands hovering over Blaise, the naiad starts to whisper words in a strange, harsh language. Her face shifts as she blesses the water, the beautiful female façade shifting to reveal high cheekbones, blue, scaly skin, and ferocious pointed teeth. It isher eyes that frighten me the most though—empty, bottomless pits the colour of dark well water. She’s terrifying.

My pulse races, and my palms sweat, my muscles tensing as though ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. It is a pointless thought. I would never be able to outrun a fae. I try to calm myself, and in my mind, I know that Alaric would never let her hurt me. She is only here to help Blaise. The primal part of myself, however, recognises her for what she is—a threat.

I watch her as she works, her hand hovering over the wound, slowly rocking from side to side as though moving with the flow of the water. Her magic has created a small current, directing a stream of water to wash over Blaise. The colour in his cheeks begins to return.

Her posture changes, the only hint that something has changed. On alert, I look over at Alaric, not sure what is happening. The naiad opens her eyes and releases her magic before standing and stepping back, maintaining her position above the water.

Her appearance has returned to the beautiful maiden she first appeared as, her expression solemn. “Your friend will be fine now. The poison is out of his body, and he is healing. It will take time, but he is alive.” Turning, she pins her gaze on Alaric, a hint of flint in her eyes. “Am I released from your service?”

Release from service? Does that mean Alaric paid her to heal his friend, or offered a deal perhaps? I was warned that the fae love to make deals, so this is probably what happened. Why does she seem on edge all of a sudden, as though she does not expect Alaric to honour their deal?

Alaric sighs and looks away from his friend, clearly frustrated by this. “You are free and no longer bound to the river.” Magic fills the air, and the hair on my arms stands on end as he makes a complex gesture with his hands.

The naiad shudders, her shoulders rolling and head falling back like she is in the throes of passion. When her head lifts once more, she is smiling a wide smile.

Alaric is still staring at her, his brows furrowed. “Remember what I told you though. If you break the terms of the deal, I shall hunt you down.”

I don’t think I want to know the particulars of that deal, so I stay quiet, brushing Blaise’s hair from his face.

“Understood, Your Highness,” she hisses in return. The honorific felt tacked on and false, even to my ears. Her gaze falls on me, I can feel it moving across my body looking for… something. I pretend I’m oblivious.

There is a sudden splash, and when I look up, I see she has vanished. My heart pounds. She is free of the river now, so does that mean she is able to stalk the land? Alaric said they weren’t particularly friendly creatures.

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