When All is Lost

24.

We spend the morning with Veva cleaning the Fae, in the morning light the rock looks bare, the huts clinging to it as if built from the rock itself.

There's not as much talking in the daylight, the job becoming methodical. The injuries on the Fae vary, some have died of sickness, some from cold. Others are so thin and frail that I'm afraid to touch them.

"This one lost her magic," Veva says, seeing my reluctance. "Your dad showed you his makeshift hospital ward, right?" I nod and she continues. "Well, more and more Fae are showing up like this. They're taking too much from them, becoming careless or callous. Will finds them in ditches, off roadsides where they've fallen or been tossed. It's like they're used up so they just get thrown out." She shakes her head. "When magic died, the land grew sick like this, the grass went grey, the trees were bare, nothing grew or blossomed. We stayed as we'd always been. I still create light, that's my magic, and as long as I live I am Fae. I don't know what desperation makes them give that up." She shakes her head and carries on cleaning, after a moment, with nothing to say I do the same.

I'm glad when Freya comes in, opens the barn doors wide and declares it lunchtime. The bright blue skies of a winter's day lift my spirits a little as we cross the yard to the eating hut. Freya, the chef of the group, has put together another loaf of bread, some eggs and a bit of cheese which we devour hungrily. Drinking the honeyed water she makes herself and savouring its sweetness.

Will stalks in as we eat and takes his plate to the window, leaning against it, watching us.

"There's been another "riot"." He says and Veva twists in her seat.

"Where?"

"Chesterton" Will says his eyes on Nate.

Chesterton is Adam's county. His family seat covers most of the northern cities. That can't be good.

"What happened?" Nate asks.

"The report will say..."

"What happened?" Nate repeats interrupting Will, who smiles.

"A pixie was murdered, and so the clan refused to work the farms until the crime was investigated. The sheriff claimed another pixie had done it, the wife of the victim. He hanged her last night."

I shook my head, "Pixies won't hang, they're too small."

Will nodded. "She was still up there this morning."

I stare at him. Nate stands beside me. "Let's take her down. Why are we just sitting here?"

"Because a mob already tried to take her down. Soldiers shot them. We have 13 corpses waiting by the river." Will sounds so calm, so relaxed, it's horrifying to think he might be so used to this that it doesn't affect him anymore.

"Who gave the order?" Nate finally asks and Will shrugs.

"It would have to be the Lord of the County, wouldn't it?"

"Adam would never."

"Well, he did." Will shrugs and tears into his bread.

Nate fixes him with a glare before leaving the hut.

"Your husband is upset," Will says to me, and I roll my eyes at him.

"And you're an arse. We can all point out the obvious." I stand up thanking Freya for the food and head to the door following Nate out into the bright cold day.

"He wouldn't. He wouldn't make that order." Nate says before I get close.

"He would have heard a very different story." I offer.