The Faerie Curses

Chapter One: Stolen Magic

"Do me a favor and try not to kill anyone tonight, Marissa."

The headmaster's disapproving grunt buzzed in my head as I pulled the hood of my jacket low over my face.

Easier said than done, old man.

I neared the landfill, watching the Arizona sunset splash across the sky and fade into a dry, dark twilight. The streets were abandoned now in this particularly sleepy sector; cracked pavement crunched beneath the footfalls of my boots as I traveled quietly past the windows of gloomy, darkened houses. There wasn't much light that lingered in the neighborhood, only the occasional flickering street lamp and the gaze of the watchful full moon. My insides felt a twinge of satisfaction at traveling under the cover of darkness.

Humans were blind to the fantastical lurking in the shadows.

I adjusted my sweater and the strap of my backpack as I passed an old drunkard sprawled on the side of the curb. To my relief, he only stirred in his sleep as I passed by, mumbling inaudible mutterings under his breath that reeked of alcohol.

The putrid stench of the landfill was becoming stronger and stronger with each approaching step, but I knew that garbage wasn't the only odor that lingered there. Something much more rotten existed between the crumbling piles of trash in the heated wind. Something bloodthirsty.

Swiftly increasing my pace, I ignored the sweat dripping down the nape of my neck. I could feel the sensation of my pale hair matting against my face as the summer heat plastered it to my skin.

You're getting closer. My thoughts urged me on.

Surrounding the small town were towering mountains looming in the sky, the silhouettes of their stone peaks and crags standing out sharply beneath the haze of pollution swirling among the clouds. The saguaros stood still in the stifling heat like elegant dancers pausing before the start of a song.

The entire atmosphere made my skin heat up unpleasantly.

I approached the metal fence surrounding the landfill, an enormous glistening thing that reached high above my height. NO TRESPASSING signs smacked against the chain links in the dusty breeze.

Just as my fingers brushed against the fence, a presence behind me made me freeze.

"Are you lost, girl?"

I slowly released my hold on the chain links and spun around carefully towards the direction of the voice. A boy no older than thirteen stepped onto the sidewalk, shadows swarming over his face because of the blinking street lamp above him.

He grinned at me, showcasing a crooked tooth at the top of his mouth. "You're not from around here, are you?"

My hand instinctively began to make its way to the weapon sheathed at my side.

"Is it that obvious?" I replied.

The boy tucked his hands into the back pockets of his faded jeans.

"I haven't seen the likes of you around here for a long, long time," he said, his eyebrows furrowing with interest. "With an outfit like that, you almost look human." The boy's eyes traveled to the lumps on my shoulder blades concealed under my jacket. "Almost."

I glanced around the surrounding area, but the boy seemed to be alone out here.

A smirk surfaced on my face. "Isn't that funny, kid. I was about to tell you the same thing."

The boy's hands began to rummage through his jeans behind his back.

"I knew someone like you would find us eventually," he replied calmly, "But you can't hide a smell." His nose twitched, inhaling my scent. "Appearances lie, but blood never does."