How to Feed a Fairy (3rd month of Autumn, 46th day)

  In the morning, Negli found his fairy lying motionless, face down on the cage floor. He cast a detection spell — its magic core still glowed faintly.

  "Stay here. Don't touch it," he told the guard as he stepped out.

  He sent Imke to fetch his blood kit, then headed to the training grounds. Aya was there, mid-session. Negli approached Rasa.

  "It's an emergency. I don't have time to run it by Kedi, but he'll confirm later."

  Rasa frowned but nodded briskly, releasing Aya. As they walked back toward the barn, Ixi swooped down from the roof and latched to Aya's hand. She took her in the arms.

  "Can I bring her?" Aya asked.

  "Yes, but there's another fairy there. Make sure she doesn't act up."

  Imke returned with the kit, accompanied by Xia. Together, they entered the barn. Negli lifted the cloth covering the cage.

  "We caught it last night. It was full of life — and now look. Do you know what this is?" he asked Aya.

  He half expected a reaction from Ixi, but the little fairy only glanced over with mild curiosity. Aya closed her eyes. After a few moments, she opened them again.

  "Her core is nearly dead. She needs magic."

  "Can you feed her?" Negli asked, noticing Xia's frown.

  Aya shrugged. "I can try, but I need to touch her."

  "Take her out," Negli told the guard.

  The man hesitated. With a look of disdain, Negli unlatched the cage himself.

  "Then at least hold the door."

  He crouched, gently lifted the limp body, and laid it on the dirt floor. He pinned it down — one arm around its hair to prevent biting, the other pressed against its shoulders.

  "Now."

  Aya set Ixi down and placed a hand on the prone fairy's chest.

  "There's no pull," she said after a few seconds. "Her core won't accept magic." She pulled her hand back. "It happened to Ixi once. She almost died."

  "How did you fix it?"

  "I don't know. I cried and called for her. Then suddenly, the pull was back."

  "Try again."

  Aya touched the fairy once more. Her face drew inward with concentration. Seconds stretched. Nothing changed. Negli held the creature still, his mind drifting. Some magical creatures needed unique sustenance. How did Caseus keep them alive? The book didn't say. Maybe he just drained their blood and dissected them afterward. That would be his style. What did this one need? It ate the meat they gave it — so food wasn't the issue. Or maybe it was the wrong kind? They were said to feed on blood and magic, and they rarely appeared outside battlefields.

  "Blada," said Ixi, pointing at the motionless fairy.

  That was the obvious thing to try, but somehow Negli doubted it was as simple. Still, he had no better ideas and the comment gave Negli the push he needed.

  "Hold its head," he told the guard, rolling up his sleeve.

  The guard carefully gripped it by the hair. Xia crouched to hold its shoulders. Unlike the nervous guard, she showed no fear — only tenderness, as though the little monster was kin. Imke opened the blood kit without prompting. Negli pulled a band from the box, and tightened it around his arm above the elbow. While waiting for the veins to swell, he cleaned his skin with lotion and inspected the knife. Then he made a clean, diagonal cut — the one for faster flow. A red bead swelled instantly. He crouched, held the fairy by the chin, and let the blood drip into its mouth. At first, it just ran over its lips, coloring them bright red. Then he pried the mouth open and trickled blood inside. The fairy twitched.

  "Hold it," he said. The motion was likely just a reflex — the blood couldn't have worked that fast. "Aya, how's the core?"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "Maybe a little better... I'm not sure." They feed on blood and magic, on fear and despair, he thought, could he provide that? He felt no despair, only excitement over the intellectual puzzle and mild irritation at the prospect of losing a specimen. Perhaps if he were a poet, a skald with booming voice and bleeding heart. Those elves always struck him as ridiculous — but maybe their craft had substance after all. Blood, and magic. Magic, and blood. The heat of battle, the raging passion, the murderous frenzy... Everyone was watching him.

  "Let me try one more thing." he said.

  Here goes nothing. He inhaled deeply, and chanted a spell, focusing on his hand. The spell tugged at his reserves, and he carefully channeled his power — slow, steady, smooth — until he noticed tiny orange sparks dancing in the air. With a sharp exhale, he cut the spell off. His blood, now infused, kept dripping into the fairy's mouth. A wave of dizziness washed over him.

  "It's getting warmer," Aya said.

  "Good. Can you feed it now?"

  Aya shook her head. "Still no pull. I think... she doesn't want to."

  "It's a core, it doesn't have a mind. I think this kind of feeding requires a bond, that's why it works between you and Ixi."

  The fairy's eyes moved, focusing on Negli. It lay motionless, mouth open, blood seeping in. Then, suddenly, it jerked and snapped, trying to bite. Xia and the guard held it down. Negli pulled his hand away.

  "That's enough. Imke, bandage."

  While Imke reached into the box, Negli caught Ixi staring at his bleeding hand. Her gaze was ravenous, hollow with hunger. Aya noticed too, and looked at Negli with a guilty and helpless expression.

  "Let's try and see what happens," Negli said with a faint smile.

  He tipped a few drops onto the knife's blade.

  "Careful. It's sharp," he warned, handing it to Aya.

  She took it and held before Ixi's mouth, the dull edge first.

  "Careful..." she began — but Ixi lunged, lips closing over the blade, teeth clincking. Then she withdrew, leaving the metal glistening clean. She closed her eyes as if savoring the taste, trembling faintly in Aya's arms. Aya dropped the knife and clutched her protectively.

  "Master. Bandage," Imke reminded him.

  Negli snapped out of his observational daze. He looked down — his hand and clothes were streaked in blood stains. With Imke's help, he quickly bandaged the wound. Meanwhile the fairy on the ground had begun hissing and thrashing.

  "Back in the cage," Negli said.

  Between him, Xia, and the guard, they wrestled the creature back inside, earning a few claw marks in the process. Outside the barn, Negli took stock. Ixi looked dazed, Aya — worried, Xia — calm and composed, Imke — blank as ever. The guard, however, looked pale and shaken. Some warrior he is.

  "What's your name?" Negli asked.

  "Refi, your lordship."

  "Refi. This is important. You mustn't tell anyone what you saw. It's a secret — for your protection and your masters' sake. Understand?"

  "Yes, your lordship. I won't tell."

  "Good. I'm counting on you." Negli turned to the others. "Now we need to find a better place for my new fairy."

  "First you need to change, my lord." Xia said.

  "That too."

  Negli's Shop

  A better place for Negli's new fairy was eventually found in the sewing room. It was an averagely sized space with two large tables in the middle. Xia explained to the sewing girls that the mansion was running out of rooms and that, from now on, sewing would be done in the lounge. The relocation took most of the day.

  As soon as the benches were removed and the tables pushed to the sides, Negli began moving in. Late in the evening, the cage — still covered — was brought in by two guards, with Imke's help. They placed it in the corner.

  Once they left, Negli lifted the cover. The fairy was conscious but visibly weak. He cast a spell, infusing a piece of fresh meat with fire, then gave it to the fairy. She ate, but not eagerly. He needed to find the optimal composition — a proper magical cocktail to keep it healthy and alive. He only hoped she wouldn't be comatose again by morning. The last thing he wanted was to reanimate it again. He covered the cage and went to his room.

  Price of Violence

  Kedi was finishing the day's work when Xia entered his study and quietly sat down in the corner.

  "I'll wait until you're done," she said.

  He put aside the letter he'd just finished.

  "I'm done. It's about the executions, isn't it?"

  She shook her head, offering a sad smile.

  "But I can see you're upset."

  "I am upset."

  "I didn't mean it to be her," he said. "I thought Rasa would do it."

  "I know. It's not your fault."

  He put away his writing kit, stood, and stretched. She sat in the shadows, thin and fragile. He wanted to hug her — but not awkwardly over a chair. So he came over and sat on the floor at her feet, looking up at her face. This way, she couldn't look down — there was nowhere for her gaze to fall.

  "What's upsetting you then? I heard she handled it well. She'll be stronger for it."

  "Not everything is about strength, you know."

  Her eyes held quiet pain. He reached up and ran a hand along the soft fabric of her sleeve. She laid her other hand gently over his.

  "I understand war," she said, "but the executions... If she's really as strong as Negli claims, we shouldn't be teaching her violence."

  "If she bothers you, I can send her away."

  Xia smiled faintly.

  "That's even worse. She'll hate us — and end up in someone else's service. Imagine her on Tezir's side."

  "All right, we'll keep her. But if she goes out of control, then..." He drew a finger across his throat.

  "Stop that," Xia said, laughing softly. "Your friend Negli is the one who's already out of control. Deal with him first."

  "I'll murder him too. Anything for you."

  "No," she said, mock-scolding. "Don't murder anyone, please. I like you peaceful."

  "Then I'll make Kemi do it."

  "You're impossible. I'm worried, and you're joking!"

  "Don't worry, my love. Aya's a good girl. And Negli will come around."

  "I hope so. I never would've thought he had it in him. He looked so... respectable."

  "I've known him since childhood. He always had it in him — just hid it well. I'll make sure he doesn't overdo it."

  "You're not doing a very good job so far, my love."

  "Right now I need support, not critique."

  Xia smiled and ruffled his hair.

  "Oh, I support you. Let's go to bed."