The Seelie Curse

Chapter 47

Kyma watches the red-haired girl in front of her, eyes flickering between Ro and the glowing trees. Each one fades as the other girl passes, the light inside it disappearing. Kyma's gaze flickers to the trunk of one of the trees, where a tiny twig has begun to grow. One of the trees farther up has a mushroom shelf growing there, another one has a knothole. The pattern seems to be wherever Ro's fingers touch the trees, life flowing from her fingertips.

Ro weaves throughout the forest, continuing to follow the glowing path before her. For a time, Kyma follows her without question, but the path just keeps going on and on. She opens her mouth but closes it again at the burbling sound of water up ahead. Her pace picks up in eagerness, could their walk be over? When the river is roaring in their ears, Ro holds her hand up. Kyma halts at once, Astrila stopping a heartbeat behind her.

"Ro?"

Ro turns, holding her fingers to her lips. "Quiet. We have to be careful now."

"What is it?"

Ro points ahead, through the trees. Kyma steps up to her, peeking around Ro to look between the young trees. There is a strange shape hunched over at the edge of the water. She squints, trying to make it out. Is that a person?

She looks over at Ro. "Who, or what, is that?"

Ro's voice is hushed, so low she's almost whispering. "She is a Ben Síde. a type of banshee."

"A banshee? Don't those foretell death?"

Ro's mouth twitches. "Some of them, yes. But the Ben Síde foretell more than death."

Kyma frowns. "How?"

"We have to get between her and the water. If we do that, she will answer any question."

Kyma swallows nervously. "How will we do that? She's barely a meter away from the river."

Ro looks pointedly at Kyma's feet. Kyma looks down, then back up, confused. Ro sighs. "Travel up the river. She won't see you."

Kyma sighs and moves back a bit, walking to the river from outside the Ben Síde's view. The water is cool, with a mildly swift current. Kyma giggles to herself, letting the water brush against her skin. She shifts, taking a moment to brush down her scales with the clean water. Then she's off, sliding into the current.

She pushes against it with ease, barely needing to pump her tail at all to spiral through the water. She shoots past a few fish, startling them from their spots. She winces, sending them an apology for her disruption. A shadow falls over the water above her and Kyma slows, swallowing. She must be close to the Ben Síde.

Kyma pokes her head out of the water for a moment, looking ahead. Mercifully, there is a small slope to the shore, so she can see the Ben Síde without risking the woman seeing her. Kyma shifts back, preparing herself to stand. Her feet dig into the silty bottom of the river, easily finding purchase.

She listens to the water around her for a heartbeat and surges upward. On the riverbank, the Ben Síde jerks, startled. She stands and looks at Kyma for a moment, scrutinizing her. The woman's dark eyes sweep over Kyma's body and back up again before they narrow slightly. Kyma takes a breath, tensing her legs.

The Ben Síde surges for the river and Kyma darts to the side, blocking her. The Ben Síde quickly changes course, hurtling for the water. Kyma doesn't have enough time to change her own path, so she pulls on the water, sweeping it back from the Ben Síde. The woman stops in shock, her eyes wide as she stares at the river beyond her reach.

"You're very strong, young one. Where are your powers from?"

Kyma watches the banshee woman try to move towards the river, her feet sliding along the riverbank. Kyma shifts, blocking the banshees path. The woman sighs.

"Very well. What answers do you seek from me? You get three, and only three."

Kyma nods and looks past the banshee at the trees where her friends are waiting. Ro and Astrila step into view, crossing the small clearing towards Kyma and the banshee woman. The banshee sighs.

"You three were planning this, weren't you?"

Ro raises an eyebrow at the banshee, her gaze sweeping over the banshees ragged clothing and silver speckled dark hair.

"We have questions for you."

"Yes, I gather that. Ask them so I may go."

"We won't just blindly ask questions. You may be compelled to answer them, but you could still avoid the truth of what we seek."

"So tell me the importance of your answers and perhaps I will be more straightforward with my responses to your questions."

Kyma can see Ro chew on her lip as she mulls over what the banshee woman said. She sighs. "We plan to break the kelpie curse."

The banshee's eyes widen. "I don't know much about that, so my answers may not be what you seek. But I shall try to aid you, if only for my watery cousins."

Ro's chin dips in gratitude.
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Do you think they'll get the answers they want? What questions will they ask? What do you think of the banshee? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.