Page 26 of The Force of Five

“That is a lie. We have just come from Eternity Fae, and they are not there,” Love says angrily, which has most of them looking at each other in surprise.

“That’s not possible,” a woman says from my right. “We have tried to get to Eternity Fae, but it’s closed a magic spell keeping everyone out, now who do you know that can do that except for the sovereign.”

“Look, what she says is true. We have just come from Eternity Fae Forest, and the sovereigns are not there. That is why we came here, because there is something attacking everyone there, and we thought that maybe someone here in the city would know what it is.” Everyone stands in shock at my revelation. “Why don’t you tell us what exactly has been happening here so that we can try to figure out what is happening.”

“A couple months back, Fae started disappearing. At first, we all thought it was a Fae hunter, but as time progressed and more went missing, we realized that no Fae hunter could outsmart so many Fae and come out unscathed, so the only solution was that it was another Fae doing this,” a Grundel standing to the front says.

I am surprised to see a Grundel here, as Grundels are frequently found in the homes of Elves. Grundels work in service for the Elves in exchange for a safe and happy home. They are dedicated to Elves and their families and usually live together with them for generations, moving with them as necessity dictates. To see a Grundel here away from the Elves’ home is surprising, unless his Elven family is here too.

“Was it a Fae?” Drez asks.

“We still don’t know, but Fae are still disappearing, and now some have been found dead,” someone states.

“How are they when they are found?” Drez asks.

“Like an animal attacked them, maybe a Werewolf,” one of the Vampires say, which clearly shows that the rift between the Vampires and Werewolves is still there.

“Are you blaming us for this?” a Werewolf who has been quiet until now asks, facing the Vampire. This is a volatile situation, and these Fae are nervous.

Trek moves forward to stand between where the Werewolf and Vampire are standing. “What is killing the Fae is not a Werewolf. The same thing is happening in Eternity Fae, and we have had the misfortune of meeting them. We call them shadows because that is what they are. We have found that the only way to beat the shadows is with light.” I can see the confused look on everyone’s face as Trek goes on to explain everything that has been happening at Eternity Fae and everything we have found out up to now. “So, by telling us everything you know about what has been happening here, we might be able to figure out who is behind this and who wants harm on the Fae.”

“Since the sovereign has disappeared, it has become worse. The Demons are out and about, attacking unhindered,” one of the Vampires say. The Demons are Vampires who have overindulged when drinking from humans to the point of killing. When the Vampires get a taste for killing, they never go back, and then they must be killed, as they become dangerous to the human and Fae population. I have never faced a Demon, as we don’t have them in Eternity Fae. The guards around Eternity Fae Forest keep them away.

“Drez, looks like you have your work cut out for you,” Shok says as he looks over his shoulder at Drez, who is still standing next to me.

“You are Drez, the slayer of Demons?” the one Vampire asks in surprise, only to get a nod from Drez. I look up at him in surprise. He is called the slayer of Demons?

“Why do they call you the slayer of Demons?” I ask.

“They say that whatever Demon the slayer has targeted is a dead Demon. There is no other Fae who has killed as many Demons,” the same Vampire says, still looking at Drez in fear.

“Good thing you are back,” the Grundel says, a speculative look on his face. “If you need any help with anything, just let me know. I am free to serve you.”

I smile as I see Drez frown. I don’t think Drez is the type of Elf to have others do things for him, as he is very much a loner and does everything himself.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he mutters.

“Do any of you know how to heal a Fae once they have been attacked by one of these shadows you are talking about?” a Fairy says from the back, and from where I am standing, I can see the concern on her face.

“If you let us see the Fae, we will be able to tell you if we are able to help or not,” Love says as she starts making her way towards the Fairy, but is stopped by Shok as he steps before her.

“Where is the wounded?” he asks, not showing any sign when Love slaps his back in anger.

“At the back. Please, he isn’t doing well. He was attacked yesterday.” Shok looks over his shoulder at an angry Love and winks.

“Shall we go have a look?” Love glares at him as she walks past him, muttering to herself. I smile as Hope and I follow her, with Drez and Shok taking up the rear. I see that Trek stayed behind, and I’m guessing that is to try to get as much information from these Fae as possible. As we approach, I can see a male Fairy lying on a makeshift bed. His colouring is pale, and his breathing is laboured. His wings have been released from the holding that the Fairies usually use here in the city, and they are hanging down limp and colourless.

“Do you mind giving us some space to examine him?” Hope asks of the Fairy anxiously standing next to him. She nods, stepping back, which immediately has Hope pulling down the sheet covering him, only to groan at the raw, infected wounds across his stomach and arm. As I look at the wounds, it is clear that he was attacked by one of the shadows. We are going to have to try to get the word out that to stay safe, the Fae are to have as much light as they can always around them.

“He’s very weak,” Love says from next to me, her hand taking mine and squeezing. I know that she is trying to assure herself as much as me, because even though we have healed Brog and Braun before from an attack, they were not as weak as this male now is.

“Dream,” Hope calls from the other side of the Fairy, “I think you start by expelling all the darkness from his body. As soon as I see that most of the darkness has been expelled, I will fill him with energy and life to try to revive him and bring him back to health.” Hope then looks at Love. “Love, you can bring him peace and calmness once I am done.”

I move to kneel next to the bed, but before I can, Drez is pulling a chair behind me. “Sit,” he murmurs before moving back. Sitting down, I look up at Hope to see her looking at me. She smiles her encouragement and nods. Closing my eyes, I stretch out my hands and place them over his chest, flinching when I feel the heat of his body. This Fairy is burning up. As soon as I start flowing light into him, I feel as if a rush of fury crashes against my energy, and then I’m gasping for air as a hand around my neck squeezes the air out of me.

My eyes pop open as I struggle to breathe, seeing the Fairy’s eyes are now open and staring at me, the orbs a pitch black, as he squeezes.

“Let go of her or you will be the one struggling for breath,” I hear Drez say just as his hands are taking hold of the Fairy’s and pulling them away from my neck.

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