Banished To Earth Book Two, Splintered Souls, (20)

Chapter 53

    With every invasive fairy breath, Nikki’s essence peeled away from her body, hovered between life and death until hazy sunlight filtered in. Silver mist, like the sunlight struggling to burn through a sheet of grey clouds, settled over her mind, buried her in sleep, as Eloween slowly syphoned her into the insect’s body.  

  Moments passed. Then Nikki’s body slid out of bed and robotically sleepwalked to the balcony window, opened it, then shuffled back to bed.

    Back at the oak, he summoned the tiny creature. Its will, its consciousness so rudimentary he could easily bridle it, and control it from a great distance, with little more effort than it took to turn a leaf.

    Eloween’s eyelids were fluttering as if she were having a powerful dream. She was in a state of flux, a critical period, to be sure. Part of her lay in Nikki while the remainder lay in her fairy body, helping Thorn keep Nikki alive until the transfer was complete.

    Yellow wings jerked, twitched and broke the seal. Nikki now slept in a strange new body, unaware of the terrible fate awaiting her.

    Killing the child would be simple enough. Despite their strength, fairies were notoriously fragile. That innate fragility had cost Arabella her life.

   Thorn's tiny hands were no match against any giant, even a young one like Nikki. But Eloween’s neck would easily crumple like a dry, dead leaf in those same tiny hands.

    Yellow wings were soon flapping against the blue afternoon sky. The butterfly was drawing near as Nikki lay dreaming inside it. Moments later, it fluttered down onto the beautiful sleeping fairy.

   Eloween’s body soon disappeared beneath yellow, black fringed wings.

    Hunched nearby, Thorn watched the yellow slowly drain from the wings. The insect's life force, slight as it was, was all the energy required to complete the horrific transference.

    Like a green oak leaf, curing and crumbling in a furnace, the insect shriveled, went ash       

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grey, turned to dust, and was blown away by the breeze.

   Thorn blew a few pathetic bits of dust from her cheek. Her eyes were closed, transference complete. His people’s freedom lay inches from his hand. One quick snatch, a flick of the wrist and every pod would spring open.

    His shadow slid over her, darkened as he bent closer. …’do it now.., before she wakes…’

    He wavered. His arms straightened toward her. His fingertips pressed against her tender golden skin. How many times had he kissed that neck, held her tightly against his bare chest, sank into darkness together, their intimacy hidden in their own shared night?

   Of course, he never counted. A thousand times would be too few. The urge to kiss her swelled up inside him. He jerked away. A child lay inside, a human child at that. The act would be abhorrent.

   As long as she lived, the temptation would hover over him, cast it's darkness over his heart and slowly rot his soul. He must do it now.

  “Mommie.”