This week continues the Marble Witch story.
Hayes could barely lift his head, and his hands were scorched from a combination of unfamiliar magics and dragon flame that left him no doubt he’d never pick a lock for fun again, let alone for a job.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Kea. His daughter, his second chance, now a withered husk of life and Fae magic spent. A half-melted hand he didn’t recognize reached for her, and he moaned in a pained roar that left his throat raw as he gathered the shell of the girl into his arms.
His hands were so clumsy, he feared he’d shatter what was left of her into the dust and rotted apple blossoms the Marble Witch had used to create his child. Days before felt like ages, and a drop fell onto her shriveled, frozen face.
“That’s it, child.” The wounded dragon in the corner wheezed the words. “She needs your pain.”
“Allies don’t enjoy each other’s misery,” Geo snapped at the woman. “Can’t you see he’s grieving?”
“Get him one of those disks.” Celia coughed, then pointed. “Our alliance doesn’t have to be temporary. He needs training. More than you can give him, frog.”
Geo leapt over the crumpled remains of the witch and pointed a finger at the dragon. “I’m no longer a frog.”
“And yet I just watched you hop. Yes, one of those. Actually—” she eyed the store of disks— “maybe all of them.”
“What are these, potting disks? What’d you do with these?”
“Exactly so.” Celia leaned forward and clutched her ribcage, ignoring Geo’s second question. She wobbled slowly to her feet, panting. “Put them in the tub there. Then the girl. And then it must be watered with all the pain he’s held inside.”
She staggered across the room, leaving smeared bloody handprints on the counter to mark her trail.
“Hayes,” Celia said, tilting his chin up with a forceful hand to peer into his eyes. It broke his stare from the horror of death by physically planting herself in his view. “You’ve heard of Jack and the Beanstalk.”
He clutched Kea’s body more tightly. “Magic beans. Of course.”
“Kea is a type of magic seed right now. If we act fast enough. If you can use your pain and channel it. Your tears must water the potting disks to make the ground grow enough to nourish her back to life.”
“Why should I believe you? Our alliance was one of convenience. I tricked you into hiring me.” He gritted his teeth and jerked his chin away, but couldn’t block her golden eyes. How had this woman ever passed as human?
Celia gestured at the Marble Witch’s body. “A life for a life, Hayes. I owe you the balance. And you owe me service after your deceit. I demand you heal and train. You owe me that.”
“That’s all of them,” Geo said quietly from behind her. “It’s time to decide.”
***
This week’s prompt was inspired by nother Mike (maybe Hayes can be a nickname?): Henry planted the free seeds that came in the mail before he realized they were supernatural seeds…
Mine went to AC Young. Check out what he did with it over at MOTE!
