Echoes of Magic

The Scent of Secrets

The garden was still as the captured witches were escorted toward the palace, their silence as thick as the tension in the air. The fairies could sense it—questions lingered about the witches, but more about Vayu herself. Her unique power had left them all uneasy.

"How did she know?" Diana whispered, breaking the quiet.

"It wasn't sight or sound," Nathasha replied softly. "Vayu said it was their smell. But no fairy has ever been able to do that."

Aurora walked ahead with Morgana, her expression mixed with wonder and concern. "A fairy who can sense witches by smell. That's a first," she murmured. "Why now? Why her?"

Morgana's lips tightened. "I don't know," she confessed, casting a brief glance at Vayu. The young fairy trailed behind them, hands clasped nervously. "Her powers are still evolving. But if this is something unique to her, we need to understand it."

Far away, in her dark fortress, Kaaki's mind raced. "She smelled my witches?" she hissed, pacing before her council of witches. "Fairies don't have such abilities."

One of her witches, still shaken from the failed infiltration, spoke hesitantly. "Perhaps Vayu is different. She's newly transformed..."

Kaaki stopped, narrowing her eyes. "Different? Yes, she must be," she mused, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Morgana always meddles, thinking she can shape fate. But if this fairy truly has such power, she could become a serious threat."

Another witch cautiously asked, "What should we do, Mistress?"

Kaaki waved her hand dismissively. "Proceed with the plan. We've captured fairies who know more than they're letting on. Morgana may think her palace is secure, but she's wrong."

Back at Morgana's palace, the tension in the grand hall was palpable as the captured witches knelt before the council of fairies. Vayu stood aside with Nathasha and Diana, her thoughts swirling. She could still feel the strange tickle in her nose, the overwhelming scent, the sneeze that had exposed the witches.

"Do you know why this happened?" Nathasha asked quietly, leaning toward her.

Vayu shook her head, her voice uncertain. "No. It was like my body just reacted."

Before Nathasha could reply, Morgana stepped forward, her commanding presence silencing the murmurs. "You," she said sharply, addressing the witches. "Who sent you? What was your purpose?"

The witches exchanged glances before one spoke, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Why, to admire your beautiful kingdom, of course."

Aurora flared in response, ice forming at her fingertips. "Enough of this," she snapped. "We can make this easy—or much harder."

The second witch sneered. "Do your worst. We won't speak."

Nebula, seated nearby, sighed heavily. "This is a waste of time. They're loyal to Kaaki. We need stronger measures."

Diana stepped forward, her calm demeanor masking a fierce resolve. "There are ways to make them talk," she said softly. "Let me handle this."

Morgana hesitated but nodded. "Do what you must, but no permanent harm. We need them alive."

The interrogation began, with Diana weaving a spell designed to break through their defenses. The witches fought back, their resistance strong, but cracks began to show. They spoke in riddles, revealing snippets of their plan—whispers of a larger assault, a hidden portal, a way to breach the palace's defenses.