They all respected him. They trusted Malex.
It was also clear, as he dealt with his people, that he had an uncanny ability to discern truth from lie. So I decided to be honest when I told him about myself and my sister, of our powers and the curse of slumber that we suffered from.
He was royalty and his subjects seemed very loyal; reverent, if not afraid. But he wasn’t cruel. His decisions were fair and he didn’t turn any of his subjects away, even when the night grew long and he must have grown tired. When the palace was finally quiet and the great hall sat empty, Malex gave me a tour of his home, asking if I was now confident about his identity.
I was sure he hadn’t lied and glad I had someone to confide in who understood some of my powers and the situation I found myself in with Aura.
On the way home, just before the sky began to lighten, he showed me the place most important to him: his cave. It was where he went to escape the expectations of being a fae prince for a little while. He and I seemed more alike than we were different, and it was Malex who gave me hope in breaking the tie and curse.
“Where is your father?” I asked curiously. “Why are you holding court instead of him?”
“The fae courts do not work the same way as the human courts do, Princess. I rule the land surrounding my palace. My father rules over many lands, including mine; however, he’s far too busy to deal with mundane tasks such as listening to his subjects.” He winked. “He leaves that to me.”
Another similarity. We had both raised ourselves, it seemed.
“There is a way to sever the tie between your lives,” he offered as I was preparing to leave his cave. “I can help you, but not until you awaken in the autumn. You will have to gather what I need and your magic must be used to end it, not mine. I can guide you, though.”
“How will I find you?” The following night was the last night of spring.
“At my palace or here. Sometimes I travel to nearby villages, but only on occasion. If you want to find me, I have complete faith that you will, sweet Luna.”
“What will it cost me?” I asked, fully aware of his proclivity to amass favors.
“I have an entire summer to think about that.” The possibilities running through my mind made my palms sweat. “The sun is about to rise. I will come to your cottage tomorrow night and give you bone dust and a sealing spell. With it, you can make sure Aura can’t leave the palace grounds if you seal her inside them. It might spare some human lives.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you for trusting me with your secrets,” he said as I sat on my broomstick.
I flew away from his cave as fast as I could, but I had lingered too long. When the sun came up, I was still a league from home, but that didn’t matter. I crashed to the earth and fell into a deep sleep in the middle of the dark forest. Rumors swirled about me from that day on.
Fae and human alike were terrified of the powerful witch of the dark forest, who hovered above the ground in a deep, enchanted sleep.
When Malex asked for the dragon’s egg, I shook off the memories and tried to focus. I removed it from the bag and walked to the cauldron.
“Crack it and let the slippery yolk slide into the water,” he instructed.
It took a couple of tries, but the membranous shell gave way and the yolk slid out of its shell and into the water. The surface bubbled and hissed, steam rising and dampening the air around us.
“Dragons are the fiercest of creatures. May your heart be as strong and sure, and fearsome as a dragon, Luna of Virosa,” he said.
“What’s next?”
“Add the eye of the wolf.”
I hated the feel of eyeballs. Grimacing, I pulled the gelatinous orb from the bag and chucked it into the cauldron, watching as it sank to the bottom.
“May you have the sight and wisdom of the wolf as it hunts,” said Malex. “Add the blind man’s eye next.”
I threw it in as well, wiping my hand on my skirts.
“May Aura be blind to your intentions,” he said reverently.
“She already knows I’m coming.”
“Ah, but she doesn’t know when, or that you can summon the moon to help you in your quest. The spirit is next.”
Grabbing the corked bottle, I submerged it in the water before pulling the cork out. The spirit swam, trapped by the water’s surface.
“May the spirits guide you, Luna, and may you send your sister to the Underworld.”
I took a deep breath as I thought about Aura. Then about Phillip, hoping he was still okay.
“Next, add the siren’s voice.”
When I added it to the brew, the smell of wet wood filled the air.
“May you control Aura with your voice and lure her to do your bidding.”
He watched the brew with a smile and called out the next ingredient. “Tongue of Prince,” he added with a slippery smile.
I removed Terigon’s tongue from my bag and threw it into the mixture.
“May you be as silent as our mutual friend is now,” he said cheekily. “And may Aura speak no spell against you.”
There were only two ingredients left. I held the piece of umbilis in my right hand and Aura’s rose in the left.
“Throw in the rose,” he ordered.
The watery scent of the siren’s decay was erased as the pungent scent of rose filled the room.
“Now Aura cannot use her roses against you after you’re severed.”
“Will it take the toxin away from Phillip?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, no.” Pity shone in his eyes.
I threw in the umbilis.
“May your tie be severed for all eternity,” he said, his eyes turning darker. “I’ve guided you through the basics of the spell, but you must speak from your heart, now. The words must come from you.”
I closed my eyes. Darkness was all that I could see. Comforting darkness. The sound of boiling water, the hiss of steam when a droplet struck the fire, Malex’s steady breathing.
I concentrated on the ingredients and asked for their help, as Malex had guided me.
Eye of wolf, watch for me
Eye of blind man, keep me hidden
Dragon’s egg, prepare my heart
Spirit, guide me
Tongue, quiet my foes. Let them not speak spells against me.
Siren, help me beguile
Rose, make me immune
And Umbilis,
Sever our tie for good
“Mother moon hear my cry
With this potion break our tie
Sever the bond we sisters bear
And help me wield both fire and air.”
A slow clap startled me. “Very good, Luna. Very good.”
I looked into the cauldron and saw that the water had reduced down to a thick, dark soup. Malex handed me a ladle. “Bottle it, and when you’re ready to strike, make sure you break it in an area she can’t escape from. She must inhale the vapors for the spell to work. You may have to hold her, but don’t use your elemental power. The fire could consume the spell and the air could dilute its potency. And either you or Aura has to release the spell. Since you are both bonded, it must be by one of your hands that you are severed.”
“Okay.” I took in a deep breath and blew it out. “I’ll be careful. What about the other spell?”