Midnight (DISCONTINUED, INCOMPLETE)

30 || The Most Dreaded Place

A groan from Sebille pried Ash's eyes from Caspian, though she could still feel his piercing stare drill into her. The fairy dragged her legs underneath her. Ash paused for only a moment before hurrying to her side. At the same time, a group of pixies detached from their group and headed toward Sebille.

"Here, let me help you."

Sebille simply grunted in reply.

Ash slung Sebille's arm over her and slid her own around the fairy's back. The pixies grasped Sebille's arm from the other side. With a single heave, Sebille stood on her feet once more, though much of her weight rested against Ash. She gritted her teeth. Sebille couldn't have weighed much with her thin stature, but after everything, her muscles strained from the effort.

"Thanks. Just get me to that rock over there," Sebille said, nodding to a larger one about half her height.

"Alright." Ash had only made it a step in that direction when Caspian appeared before her.

"Let me take her," he said. "Before I have to get you both off the ground."

Ash frowned, but she let him replace her by Sebille's side. Not because he didn't think she could handle it, because she couldn't have promised she could. He had spoken with amusement, but his eyes had reverted to impassable walls once more

Caspian huffed as he walked Sebille onward, and after he helped lower her to the rock, he rolled his shoulders. "So, what exactly happened back there?"

"All your magic shot into me, that's what happened," Sebille said as she rubbed her eyes. "Sight is a fickle ability. Sometimes it happens when a strong change in the world is to happen. Sometimes it is from strong exposure to another's magic. In this instance, the second caused it."

"So, why did you have visions about Ash? And that whole little freak out?" Willow asked. She made her way over to them, and Ash couldn't help but notice she still held on to a hardened sugar ball.

Sebille paused for a moment, then crossed her arms over her thighs. She examined Ash with her head tilted to the side and lips pursed. "I suppose I took her energy in when she touched me. It wasn't enough to get a very clear view into much, but it did make most of what I saw for him involve her."

It made sense. There hadn't been nearly as much blue as green or amber. Still, something about what Sebille said rang false in Ash's ears. What, though? What kind of reason would she have to lie? Ash bit her lip to keep the question back. She must have still been shaken by everything that happened.

"Visions from the Sight are hard to decipher," Sebille began slowly, looking between the three of them. "I only get flashes of events and pieces of information, but..." She exhaled deeply as she dropped her gaze to her legs. "A pirate crew of people touched by magic?"

"If you're asking if it's true, then yes," Caspian said. "And one of them was told to remove the magic placed on her brothers, she had to retrieve an apple from this island."

Sebille snorted. "Really? Only one out of your entire lot?"

"This... This has happened to you a lot?" Willow asked hesitantly.

"I would at least a hundred others have tried to get an apple from here for a fairy or fae," Sebille bit out. "The apples give temporary Sight to whoever eats it, and fairies nowadays would sink to great depths for that. Fae... They don't need much temptation. And the ones desperate enough to come here don't tend to come peacefully."

Ash and Willow looked at each other. Willow's cheeks reddened as she dropped the small ball. "I suppose that doesn't make you feel very welcoming to guests."