Alchemy of Love

Ultimatum

I woke far before the tiny fairy did. She still was nestled in the temporary bed I had created for her from odds and ends around the house. She didn’t even budge as I moved around the house. I looked away from the imprisoned being and looked over at my April. I hated what I had to do, I hated anything that had to do with giving up. But this was important.

As much as I loved April and wanted to keep her near, I couldn’t keep her body safe here. Nicon was right if it hadn’t started to decay yet, it would soon. Thankfully I already had a plan in place to stop that pesky process. I left Nicon asleep as I wrapped my beautiful love’s body into her favorite covers. Her body was so light when I picked her up I felt my insides crack.

Steeling myself I took April out of the cottage and towards the back of the house where my large shed waited. I hugged her body close with one arm as I unlocked the door and opened it. Spiders that spun their webs turned to watch me as I entered. I set April down in a clear area and went to the long wooden box that I had secured months ago. Once more I pulled my keys out and undid the locks letting them fall to the ground and dust rose up to tickle my nose.

I ran a hand down the crystal box I had created. It had been my only project for months. I opened the lid and went back and hugged April’s stiff body close to my own for a few moments. If I closed my eyes I could imagine she was just resting as she cuddled against me.

I only opened my eyes when my tears started to trickle. With a shuddering sigh, I leaned down and put her body to rest for now. “I’ll save you, April. I promise. No matter what I’ll bring you back on the next right moon and we can be so happy again.”

Only silence greeted my ears and I sighed as I closed the lid. I know I should put the lid back on the box that housed the coffin but I couldn’t manage it. I just stared down at the goddess beneath me as she lay sleeping. I leaned over and pillowed my head on top of the crystal as I closed my eyes once more. Just a few more precious moments with her before I had to say goodbye again.

I don’t know when it happened, but I must have fallen asleep. The only thing that awoke me was the soft furry feet of my spider friends. Though when I woke to find one on my cheek it didn’t survive long before I squished it like the vermin it was. I glanced back at the crystal to make sure none of the mess marred her figure but I was lucky that she was still spotless.

I brushed my hands together to clean the bits off of them and got to my feet. The other spiders upon seeing what happened to their companion had once more hidden. It wouldn’t matter. I intended to clean this place while my precious slept in its confines.

I glanced down once more and winced. If she had witnessed me killing the spider she would have been disgusted with me. April was my fairy-tale princess she’d never hurt another living soul and abhorred when I did. “Just a few more,” I whispered down to her before I turned and left the shed.

When I got back to my house I paused at the door. Inside I could hear clunks and thumps. My body tensed as I eased the door open enough to peek inside. A woman had her back to me but based on the long golden braid that brushed the floor I knew who it was. She heard me because she whirled to confront me. The necklace I had tied around the cage lay nestled in the base of her throat. “I didn’t know when you’d be back…”

“Nicon?” I whispered as I stared at her. “How? How did you get out of the cage?” I hadn’t expected her to escape the iron bars.

“I grew,” she put a hand to her cheek. “I did warn you I wasn’t my true size.”

“Even so, I didn’t expect you could grow like this.” I entered the house and locked the door behind me. “This changes nothing, you realize?” I demanded.

Her hand fell from her cheek and when it did so I saw the grill marks she had hidden. I wagered they had come from when she had broken out of the iron prison. It must have sizzled against her skin. “I understand, but Simon, I have something to say to you.” Nicon raised her head and those defiant eyes of hers met mine as she tilted her chin. “I have no intention of letting you sacrifice me, but as long as I’m your guest here I intend to change your mind about me and my people.” She frowned at me as she took a step closer her eyes drawn to my hands. Her lips tightened as her eyes narrowed. “But first, I have a question.”

Her tone had gone so serious. She hadn’t been so critical before. What had changed her from just looking at me? My skin crawled where her eyes scanned. “No matter what you say, Fairy, I’m not letting you go.”

“You killed a spider that did you no harm. I see its aura on you. Why kill those that are helpless? Why slaughter innocents? I want to understand you, Simon. But something like this scares me. Tell me, now that I am this size will you try to squish me as well? Or would you prefer if I was small so you could squeeze me between your fingers as if I was a fragrant fruit for you?”

I took a step back as if her words were weapons. In those blazing eyes, I was reminded of my sweet April. But instead of just disappointed, this Nicon was mad at me. I could see it in the tremble of her fists the grinding of her teeth and the flat out glare that blazed out from her expressive eyes. “It was crawling on me when I fell asleep.”

“And for that sin, it should die? Did it bite you?” She asked it in such a way that I knew she was already aware of the answer. Feeling like a scolded child I shook my head. “Did it do anything at all to you besides crawling onto you?” Again I shook my head. “You’ve bound me so I can’t leave too far from your side, or I suppose too far from what you own in the case of this place. I will work with you and help you as you plead, but I have some conditions.”

“Conditions?” I chuckled and shook my head at her. “What could you possibly demand from me and what leverage do you have?”

She looked up at me then her gray ice-like eyes sparkling. “That’s simple, Simon. If you can’t agree to these simple conditions, I’ll do the one thing that fairies are sworn to never do. But I will do it rather than leave my fate to a heartless killer. I’ll destroy myself and the precious blood you crave so much.”