Page 43 of Curse of Immortality
“Why are we running away? Did you know those men?” Althea asked as she settled into the narrow seat next to her protective friend.
“They aren’t men,” Annabel muttered and gave the command for Tobias to move. Pulling out a sheepskin from behind her, she covered Althea and herself. As Earthens they weren’t cold, but humans used hides from sheep to keep warm and Annabel was careful to blend in.
“What do you mean they aren’t men?”
“Those two were Faders.”
Althea opened her mouth to ask more questions but there were so many that she couldn’t decide which question to ask first. “But he seemed so nice.”
“Ha,” Annabel scoffed. “There’s nothing nice about Faders. Trust me. If we had stayed they would have either killed us themselves or taken amusement from getting the humans to burn us as witches. Faders are evil, Althea.”
“But…” She kept playing the memory of her short conversation with the tall stranger in her mind and nothing about him had seemed evil. “I felt so at ease with him.”
Annabel gave her a sideways glance. “You wouldn’t be the first. Faders can be charming and with their long life they are knowledgeable and often charming.”
“But how did you know they were Faders?”
Annabel hurried Tobias on and moved in her seat. “The longer they have lived, the slower their vibration. You must have felt it.”
“I did feel it, but it felt soothing.”
“Yes, as soothing as a snake hypnotizing its prey.”
Althea pushed her hands under her thighs. “He said I looked stunning and I didn’t pick up on any danger from him. Are you sure that all Faders are evil?”
This time Annabel turned her head and spoke in a hard tone. “They sold their souls, Althea. What you see is nothing but an imitation of kindness.”
Althea sank lower in her seat and for a while they rode on without speaking. Once they were about an hour away from the inn, Annabel approached a farmhouse and asked for permission to spend the night in their barn. Tobias was used to the outdoors, but it was December and colder than usual.
The women placed the sheepskin on haystacks and as they lay close that night, Annabel began to share.
“It’s interesting how humans have always been curious to know the truth about the world. They look to religion, science, and myths for answers. Constantly they try to sharpen their vision to see farther and wider, without realizing that the answers were never far away or out of reach, nor have they ever been hidden. The truth of the world is as obvious as their own noses. It’s right there but out of sight.”
Althea propped herself up on her elbow. “What do you mean?”
Poking at her nose, Annabel pointed out, “Do you see your nose when you look at me?”
“No.”
“Exactly. The nose is always in the view of the eyes, yet the brain chooses not to acknowledge it. Your eyes are trained to look past your nose to see farther.”
“I never thought about it,” Althea said and squinted her eyes to see her nose.
“Humans have feared us Earthens for a long time now. They’ve executed our family members for crimes they never committed. All the while they’re clueless about the real danger living among them. We Earthens are a kind species that serve to heal and protect, but Faders are unpredictable and it’s best to stay away from them altogether. There are many myths about them. Some say they can’t be killed, but that’s not true. They heal faster than humans and if no harm is bestowed upon them, they have the possibility of living forever. But they can be killed, I’ve seen it myself.”
Althea listened with full concentration.
“If I were to kill a Fader, I would remove their heart or their head. You would have to do great bodily harm for them to die. Stabbing them wouldn’t be enough.”
“One of the men had a large scar on his neck. Did you see it?”
“Yes, I saw. You can see why women are drawn to them now, can’t you?”
Althea nodded. She had felt all kinds of unknown sensations from the closeness of the Fader who had called her stunning.
“Not all of them are as handsome as those two. But they are all powerful and rich. It’s the gain they get from selling their souls.”
“How does one sell their soul?”
