Etherea: The Lost Daughter

7

The woman laughed, low and sinister at the fear on their faces. Rian prayed that he had not led his friends to slaughter by showing them this dreadful place. "Your mother will be rolling in her grave at your stupidity" she spat with delight at Torrin "who are you?" Nia demanded as she stepped towards the woman "and why should I answer you?" at this, Nias temper rose. Their similarities were eerie as the Fae watched the pair. "I should think the fact that you are wearing my face is reason enough" Nia sneered. The hatred in the room had begun to seep into her skin. It made her skittish and aggressive. "They call me Nessa and this face, sorry to disappoint, is my own" Nessa bit back at the dim-witted princess standing before her. It angered her, to see Nia free and herself bound beneath the Sapphire Court. 

"How?" Nia asked as she took another step, Nessas eyes gleamed "our souls entered this world at the same time. Two born of the same power to balance each other" Nia had quickly grown tired of her vagueness "do not speak to me in tongues, what have you done to earn this imprisonment?" She had to know, for if they merely locked the girl up for being powerful, Nia would feel required to free her. Nessa smirked, she could easily lie, yet felt compelled to tell the truth "I grew tired of the pretty girls with sharp tongues, so I boiled their blood until their beauty ceased to be" Nia felt sick at that. Nessas cheerful tone as she recounted the memory only worsened her queasiness. "You foul creature, how could you do such a thing?" Nessas eyes burned bright red with anger, the wards had been placed hundreds of years ago and their casters mostly dead- Nessa had tested their resolve daily. 

Torrin jumped towards Nia, only to find himself barrelling backwards against the stone wall. Rian followed shortly, both found themselves bound to the wall. Unable to move, they could only watch as both women glared at each other. This is where Nessa had made her first mistake. While Nia could not summon her magic at will, the sight of her friends bound by magic swelled the rage in her core until her own lilac orbs turned scarlet. The air became electric. "They are the foul creatures" Nessa snarled at the two High Fae "a plague on this land with their high-society and glaring hypocrisy, their knees should bleed as they bow to their betters" Torrin and Rian found it harder to breathe as Nessa spoke "they're weak, pathetic little creatures that cannot handle power greater than their own. They will throw you in with me the moment you show them what you can do". 

Nia knew this to be false, it had been her first fear once she discovered the things she could do. She had done as Nessa had, this was true, when she boiled the blood of the Abhartach- but Nia had not done so out of petty revenge. She had done it to save another's life. With this thought to steady her, Nia stepped forward once more. Nessa watched her counterpart curiously "we are not the same" Nia growled as she reached within her cloak "you are a wicked, selfish thing. They have seen what I can do. The difference is that I did not do it to sate some murderous lust, I did it to save the life of another. We are not the same" The sureness of her words gave Torrin and Rian some hope that they could be saved. "You only lie to yourself, I see the truth, you will burn this world to ashes by my side, and you will relish every moment of it" her laughter broke what little resolve Nia had left and before Nessa could react, Nia had pulled her elven blade from her waistband and held it firmly against the decaying woman's chest. 

The blood red jewel adorning the hilt grew so bright Nia winced, but she did not miss the sheer terror that filled Nessas eyes as the silver steel almost pierced her skin. Torrin and Rian fell to the ground with a thud, their lungs greedily sucking in air. Neither one realised how grateful they were for breath until that moment "get that thing away from me!" Nessa screeched, Torrin and Rian covered their ears. Nia merely winced, Nessas fear was paltry compared to the tsunami that had first assaulted her mind, it blended with those she had been pushing away daily. The blade burned hot at Nia's fingertips; she almost dropped it. Nia would rather scald her skin than release her grip on Nessa "open the door" as Nessa cast a glare at her, Nia pressed the blade harder against that greying skin. They heard the scraping of stone as the entrance flew open. Nia made a mental note to secure that door. If Nessa had the ability to open it, she had stayed for a reason. 

Torrin yanked Nia from the wretched woman and dragged her out into the rising sun. The door behind them snapped shut once more as they fell to the ground, tears stung Nias eyes as she pulled herself to her feet "I am not like her" she repeated to herself as she paced towards the manor, Torrin threw a worried look towards his brother and ran to follow the distraught girl. That stench of evil, that wicked voice in her mind that had told her not to go into that chamber. She had been willing to kill Nessa, within moments of speaking to her. It unnerved Nia, that willingness to kill - even if it meant protecting another. At what point would those lines blur? Would she eventually take the life of another for simply offending her? "Don't believe a word that woman says, I was a fool for bringing you to her" Torrin started as he caught up to Nia. She was awfully fast for someone so small, he noted. 

"You were right to bring me, I would have gone by myself, and I would have drove my dagger into her chest without a second thought" her words surprised him as he followed her to her chambers. Torrin felt it was not the right time to leave her to wrestle with her mind. Nia sighed and sat on her bed as she examined her scorched hand. Torrin rushed to her side, his own hand gripped hers with such gentleness Nia almost smiled. Her skin was seared "how did this happen?" Torrin questioned, worry shook his voice "the dagger, it burned when it touched her skin. I did not want to let go; I could sacrifice a hand if it meant saving you and your brother" Torrin frowned at that as he began muttering the same healing spell that he had used on her that first night. 

"Stop that" he said firmly, Nias teary eyes shot to his blue orbs with confusion and Torrin breathed a sigh of frustration "stop thinking that your life comes second to those around you, you don't have to kill yourself for the sake of another, the war will wage and the world will turn without me or Uaine" Torrin couldn't bring himself to say his brother's name "but without you, Nia, my world would end without you" neither noticed the innuendo of what Torrin had said, his world, not the world. They were both too filled with worry for one another, to notice the care swirling in the other's eyes "you are worth much more than you think, so please stop throwing yourself into danger as if you are not important" Torrin begged. 

Nias tired heart swelled with gratitude, and she found her arms flying around Torrins neck. As he wrapped those strong arms around her waist, Nia swallowed a shudder and squeezed him tightly "I cannot promise I will not fall on my sword for any of you, but I will try not to put myself in another situation such as this" it was the best Nia could offer. She was too curious for her own good. Torrin had been given a glimpse of this curiosity and it had already frustrated him to no end. Nia stretched her tired limbs as she rose "I am still no further at finding my mother, or the full extent of what I am" she huffed as she ran a comb through her unruly hair. Torrin, with a heart filled with guilt, drew his hand across his face "I used the dance to reconvene with some old allies of mine, they should send word soon of where Duane is keeping your mother and what is going on in his court. I am sorry I could not do more" Nia shook her head and took Torrins face in her hands, his stormy blue eyes met hers as she spoke "you have done more than enough for me, thank you for everything" with that she lay a soft kiss against his forehead. 

Torrin felt the world disappear for a moment in her soft embrace, his eyes fluttered closed with peace. When they opened once more, Nia was retreating towards the washroom. He could not see the scarlet shade her cheeks had burned. It was only once Nia sank into a steaming bath; did she notice her hand had healed. As the warmth of the water soothed her skin and the scents of raspberries and rose washed away the stench stuck to her nose, Nia found her eyes heavy with sleep. 

She dragged herself from the water and wrapped herself in the softest peach nightwear. Her feet dragged along the ground until she reached her bed, Nia had nothing left within her. As she prayed that Torrins allies would report to them soon so she may finally set out to find her mother, all energy she once had disappeared like a puff of smoke in a storm. The moment her body hit the smooth silk; exhaustion sent her tumbling into a fitful sleep. Her dreams ready to plague her once more.