The Magic of Rue

Ch 11: Something to Look Forward to.

Kian POV

The toad spell she made was actually interesting.

Nothing she did would have been all that useful against a fae but that wasn't the goal.

I wanted to see how innovative this so called swamp witch was.

I could sense her magical energy, it wasn't all that profound. She could improve with practice but she wasn't someone who would ever be considered impressively powerful.

Her strength seems to lie in how she uses the power she does possess.

I noticed her harvesting mushrooms from the toad spell out of the corner of my eye.

Rather than innovative I don't think she has a concept of reality in the first place.

This could be useful, especially considering what I'm learning from the captured summer court fae.

There will soon be entire teams of fae hunting me in this forest.

I was without any soldier's, injured, and not in contact with the winter court wraiths.

The last issue was that of my own doing, having had instructed them to leave me alone.

Although I thought to myself, my brother may instruct my death if he knew.

He was fickle and vicious enough to take me out if the sensed an opportunity.

He may send out another wraith for a status update on my target if i wasted much more time anyways.

"Witch."

"Rue!" Came the instant reply, "have you decided on payment customer?"

"Yes." I drawled, "You get to come with me to the dimensional rift and get your reward in the land of the fae."

"Ah..." the dark skinned girl played with her fingers, "I am suddenly feeling charitable. Your previous services require no payment."

Woman was refusing to even look at me, "fine." I replied. "Then after I kill these two your next job is to come with me."

"I am closed for business, i am planning a much needed vacation to a mudbath."

"Change your vacation then." I replied blandly at her attempt to avoid the inevitable.

"No thank you!"

"Then die. Permanent vacation."

Her lower lip quivered as she stomped her foot, "but-"

"Your job is to treat my injury and make sure I can fight without issues as you figure out why im not healing."

I focused back on the summer fae, lodging my knife into one of their throats.

She squeaked a bit, "why?"

"More are coming after me. Im assuming they will trace these two here and realize its a witches domain and then proceeded to hunt you down and kill you." I stabbed the other one, his blood draining as well, "two fae dead on your land? You can't expect that to be ignored. So you may as well just do as I tell you."

Her eyes pooled with tears, "this never would have happened if I was invited to the sabbath."

Sabbath? I cocked my head to the side, dredging up what I knew about the lesser magical being that were witches.

They had a yearly celebration of sorts where all the witches of the world gathered.

I wasn't aware it was an invitation basis but considering they moved locations i assume it was more of a notification of where to go.

The fact that she was excluded is extremely telling of her status.

No one would miss her.

perfect.

"Start with checking my wound, you said you had an idea so explain that. Then gather what you need to travel."

She hesitated.

"You live longer in the scenario where you go with me."

She chewed her lip, "payment."

Is she serious right now?

"You get to enter the realm of the fae. I am sure something there will be payment enough."

She seemed to think it over.

Stupid considering she wasn't going to ever come back here. I was not going to let her live when this was through.

Suddenly her strange eyes went wine and her lips parted, revealing the edges of her two front teeth and the tiny gap between them, "mushrooms."

...what?

Her skin seemed to darken a bit a slight rosy tint barely visible beneath her dark freckles. "I bet the fae have some interesting mushrooms."

"Sure." I deadpanned.

Nodding, she approached me, "alright death cap! Remove your top and let me see the wound! The sooner we this done, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go harvest mushrooms in your dimension!"

She's really rather simple minded.

Ironic really, killing her around mushrooms would be simple for me.

As she stated, living mushrooms eat dead people. And no one in the land of the fae will care about a witch corpse, especially when it's already cleaning itself up.

I removed my shirt and my bandages, exposing the wound to the humid dusk air.

It was looking slightly better, oozing less, but still annoying. "Try and find the cause of this."

I would as well but keeping her alert to it would likely benefit me.

She nodded, slim fingers prodding the red flesh around the wound. "This is kind of a pretty color..." she mumbled to herself. "My skin doesn't do this when it gets cut."

Well.

Now I wanted to cut her.

See if the wound on her chestnut skin changed color at all.

I wonder what her blood looks like as it spills out of her.

Would it contrast on her skin more or less than my average kill.

I want to cut her.

I want to watch her blood drain from her body.

I want to kill this witch.

My fingers practically itched with the desire to end her life.

I suppose its something to look forward to.