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Since she isn’t fae, her power isn’t affected by the Valonite that had hindered us for so many centuries, and she was able to cast an enchantment over certain areas to block the gem and the chaotic atmosphere.
With her assistance, we were able to regain our wits and reclaim the use of our powers.
Slowly, our thoughts became clear from the fog we’d been in for over five-hundred-thousand years. Though we had nothing to eat, we started to feed on each other regularly for sustenance. Blood wouldn’t have been my first choice for fuel—far from it—but it gave us strength.
I wish she’d left us as we were. Yes, that means I’d still be stuck in the mind-boggling suffering, but at least then Hannah wouldn’t have gotten sick.
Merina exudes an air of indifference as she lazily trudges across the stone in her brown robe. The hood is up, concealing her face in shadows, but I know what’s under there.
Scars. Nasty-looking ones.
Thousands of years ago, she and her coven started a plague in Valora, and as retaliation, their eyes were cut out. After that, the witches wanted revenge, and they got it. They cursed the firstborn children of the royal families with blindness. Many repercussions spun out of control from that point, but eventually, the coven members were killed off. Merina was the only one who got away.
I hardly know anything about her.
The few interactions I’ve personally had with her include when she uses her power to tap into my gatekeeping, and I can tell she’s about to do it now.
As an Extractor, she has the ability to mimic anyone’s magical talents. The process of it is draining for both parties, and my fatigue is suddenly overwhelming.
Swaying on my feet, I don’t have the strength to keep my grip on Faith. She breaks away from me, nearly falling on her ass with the force of jerking backward.
Resuming her screaming, she scrambles over to one of the empty cages swinging from the ceiling and hides behind it as though the bars will protect her.
She won’t need it.
She’s getting what she wants—Merina will send her back to Earth. I can feel the witch extracting my power from me with frightening force.
Merina slowly walks between Vaeront and me, closing the distance to Faith. When she lowers her hood, the gnarly lines over her eye sockets are a disturbing sight.
Obviously frightened, Faith’s yelling becomes more high-pitched.
“Stop that screeching, dear.” Merina winces. “My ears can’t take it. Come over here, and I’ll make this right.”
“Make it right how?” Faith is skeptic but hopeful.
“By the time morning comes, you’ll be back in your bed, and all of this will seem like a bad dream.”
With some relieved sobbing, Faith asks, “Y-you’re on my s-side?”
“Of course I am.” Merina feigns sympathy, probably to get the girl to trust her. “You don’t belong here, do you?”
“No. I don’t. I want to go home.”
“And go home you shall.” Beckoning with her knobby finger, she motions Faith over before slipping her hand into her pocket. The girl takes hesitant steps, but she does as the witch demands. “Now, here’s what you have to do,” Merina instructs as she holds out her fist. “Look right here. Yes, keep your eyes open.”
Faith does, focusing on the witch’s hand.
Suddenly, Merina uncurls her fingers and blows out a puff. A gray dusty substance hits Faith’s face, and she coughs while looking a bit dazed.
The magical powder will put her into a semi-catatonic state for the next several hours, and when she finally comes to, she probably won’t remember any of this. If she does recall some snippets from the past fifteen minutes, they’ll be fuzzy and dream-like.
Just like Merina said, this’ll all seem like it was simply a nightmare.
If Merina could glare at me, she would. She faces me with a dissatisfied twist of her lips, the expression pulling at her scars. “You shouldn’t have done this. You know better, Ellister. I would’ve thought you’d learned your lesson last time with the royal women.”
“Yes,” Vaeront interjects. “I’m wondering why you thought this was a good idea.”
“It worked out pretty well for you before.” I gesture to the cage, indicating how my fuckup resulted in him gaining a bride through the treaty.
