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THE TELEPORTATION POTION took Eden exactly where she wanted to go. She appeared at the edge of the fae woods far from civilization. Snowdrifts were knee-high as she turned in a circle to search for Padavion’s house. She spied a hint of light through the trees and began slogging her way towards it.
A track that had been made by animals cut across her path and Eden stepped onto it. The trail snaked its way through the trees, carrying her in the general direction of the fairy’s house. She made far better time on the path and quickly closed in on a small cottage. It was made from stone and had a thatch roof. Smoke curled from the chimney and feeble light emanated from the windows.
Eden paused to check for magical traps, but she couldn’t feel any spells or wards in place. She cocked her head to the side when she heard singing coming from inside the cottage. The words were distinctly slurred and her nose wrinkled when she picked up on the smell of alcohol. “Great,” the succubus muttered. “She’s drunk.” She’d come all this way only to find the person she hoped could help her was inebriated. She contemplated using the rest of the potion to take herself back home, but figured she might as well at least talk to the fairy while she was here. Padavion might know someone else who had the strength to assist her.
Snow covered the stone path that led to the door. It crunched beneath her boots as she made her way to the house. An image of a fairy dressed in a delicate gown holding a wand was etched onto the wood. Eden grabbed hold of the doorknocker and banged it three times.
The singing instantly cut off and Padavion called out. “Who’s there? What do you want?” Her tone was shrill and her voice quavered in fear.
“I need your help!” Eden called back. “I’ve heard you can cast strong spells and I’m hoping you can assist me.”
Footsteps sounded, then the door was yanked open a couple of inches. Padavion peered up at her suspiciously, hiding her face from view. Eden caught a glimpse of a half-melted wing and schooled her expression to blandness to hide her pity. “Who sent you here?” the fairy snarled. “How did you find my cottage?”
“No one sent me,” the succubus replied. “A friend crafted a teleporting potion for me and it brought me here.”
The fairy glared up at her through stringy black hair that hung over her face. Burn scars marred her otherwise flawless skin. “If your friend is strong enough to make a teleporting spell, they should be strong enough to fix whatever your problem is.”
“I was told only a fairy with great power can help me,” Eden said with her hopes sinking. Padavion was weaving on her feet and the smell of brandy on her breath was overwhelming. “My friend isn’t a fairy,” she explained. “She’s from a different fae species.”
Peering past her visitor, Padavion lifted her hand and poked her wand out through the door. She mumbled a spell and a ward appeared around her house. “There, we can speak in private now,” she muttered, then opened the door just wide enough to let her visitor in. “Hurry up and get in here before the cold seeps in,” she snapped.
Eden stepped over the threshold now that she’d been given permission to enter. The cottage was small and sparsely furnished. A miniscule kitchen and a tiny dining table with two chairs were over to the right. To the left was a doorway that led to a conjuring den. The living room was dead ahead. A hallway leading to the bedroom and bathroom sat directly across from the front door. The fireplace was to the left and a couple of armchairs sat in front of it. A bottle of brandy sat on the small coffee table. “I guess you don’t get many visitors,” Eden said, noting the lack of chairs.
“No one wants to visit an ugly, shunned fairy,” Padavion said in self-pity and gestured at her ruined wings. They were useless melted clumps that were stuck together. Burn scars covered her hands, arms and neck. Her beautiful blue gossamer dress covered the rest of her scars. “I was once a high-ranking member of the Magic Guild, courted by the most handsome and eligible fairies in Nox,” she said bitterly. “Now look at me! What man would ever want to touch me now that I’m ruined?”
Eden didn’t have an answer for that question. “I’m sorry Guild Master Onvier did this to you,” she said awkwardly. “I’ve heard he’s cruel and ruthless to the members of his guild.”
“Aren’t you a guildmember of the Magic Guild?” Padavion asked her in confusion. “I sense magic in you, so you have to be one of them.”
“Most of my magic isn’t accessible,” Eden said. “I’m too weak to use it.” She lifted her hand and conjured a feeble flame to demonstrate her lack of control.
The fairy stared at the flame blearily. “Even weak human witches are members of the Magic Guild,” she pointed out. “All magic users are expected to join the guild. Your parents should have registered you at birth.”
“I’m an orphan,” Eden lied when the fairy peered at her suspiciously. “I was raised by a foster family. I guess they didn’t think it was worth registering me when they realized I couldn’t access my magic.”
“You said you need my help with something,” Padavion recalled. “What do you want from me?”
“I need you to dispel an enchantment,” the succubus explained. “A binding spell was placed on me against my will and I want it gone.”
“Binding spells are rare,” Padavion said with a frown. “Only a monster would bind someone against their will.” She gestured at the conjuring room. “Step into my den,” she invited her guest. Eden followed her through the doorway into the cramped, musty room. Dust covered the worktables and a pair of wooden chairs that sat in front of them. It was obvious the fairy hadn’t used the room recently. “Sit down and let me take a look at you,” Padavion ordered. “What’s your name, girl?”
“Eden,” the succubus replied. She sat down on one of the chairs, then tensed when her host placed a hand on her head. “What do you sense?” she asked when the fairy’s gaze became distant.
“It’s definitely a binding spell,” Padavion mused. “Whoever cast it is far stronger than I am. I can sense more than fae magic mixed in with it. There’s black magic in there as well. I won’t be able to dispel it without causing you irreparable harm.”
“What sort of harm would it cause?” Eden asked in growing desperation. Padavion was her only real hope of being able to free herself from her enslavement.
“Unless the right mix of magic is used, it could tear your mind apart and leave you a drooling vegetable,” Padavion said flatly. “I don’t dabble in black magic. You’ll have to find someone who does if you want to be rid of this enchantment.”
Eden slumped in defeat at that news. Now she needed to find a strong fairy who could cast black magic. As far as she knew, there was only one person in Nox who met that description. Considering Lord Dallinar was the one who had cast the spell on her, getting him to reverse it would be impossible. “Thanks for your help,” she said in dejection. “I guess I should be going.”
Padavion put her hand on her visitor’s shoulder to prevent her from standing. Her expression had become thoughtful and a hint of hope glinted in her eyes. “I might know of someone who can help you, Eden,” she said. “But I need something from you before I’ll give you a name.”
“What do you need from me?” Eden asked warily.
The fairy withdrew her hand and turned away so only her profile was showing. “I’ve heard rumors that there’s a being somewhere in Nox who can heal even the worst of wounds. If you find this person and convince them to heal me, I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“Why haven’t you found this person yourself?” the assassin asked.
“Because I don’t know who it is, obviously,” the drunk fairy snapped and glared at her visitor from the corner of her eye. “All I know is that they use divine power, so it must be a holy person.”
“I thought the only people in Nox with divine power are the Night Cursed holy folk and they’ve all been drained of their power,” Eden pointed out.
“Have they?” Padavion said slyly. “Not all of them are weak and useless. Some of them were left with enough energy to perform their jobs.”
“You think this healer is still capable of using their divine power?”
“I hope so,” the fairy replied bleakly. “They’re the only one who can restore me to my former beauty.” She tried to lift her wings and hissed in pain.
Pity stabbed through Eden again and she found herself nodding. “You have a bargain, Padavion. I’ll do my best to find this healer,” she vowed.
“Our bargain is set,” the fairy said. “Speak of this matter to no one,” she added in a stern tone.
Eden nodded again and felt a spell bind her to the fairy. Making bargains with full blood fae could be tricky. They were both now bound to their word. She took the vial out of her purse as the fairy returned to her living room. “Take me to the City Square,” she murmured, then gulped down the potion.
She sensed someone standing outside the window as magic wrapped around her. It was too late to see who had been spying on her. The potion kicked in and she was whisked away from the cottage.
