Rogue Fae, A Starseed Universe Novella

Shunned

At Emily's accusation the fae burst into sobs so loud and unexpected that Rena suggested they move further from the bar in case anyone stepped outside for some fresh air.

Gwenn levitated the magically bound fae to a clearing deeper into the woods. The fae's sobs lessened as they walked through the trees to hiccuping snivels and quiet sniffs.

"Alright then, now that we've got you settled, why don't we start with your name?" Gwenn kept her voice calm and soothing so the girl didn't break out in tears again.

The fae sniffed and looked at the ground, "Violet Mosscone."

"Violet, now that's a lovely name," Gwenn said. It was strange to be talking to a woman her own age as she would a child, but it seemed to help Violet relax.

Emily knelt next to Violet which seemed to calm her further. "We don't want to hurt you, Violet. I get the sense that whatever happened to you was not your choice. Tell me, what type of fairy line you're descended from?"

Gwenn cocked her head. It was a question she would never have thought to ask. Most of the fae in Ireland no longer lived in the ancestral homes of the kelpie, dryad, or banshee clans that used to roam the Isle. Like witches, the fae in Ireland resided among humans and it was only the faeries that still lived the old ways that could claim full clan membership.

"Air nymph," Violet's blush lit up her face.

I can see that, Gwenn thought examining the girl's delicate bone structure and pretty features.

"A nymph. Now, that makes a world of sense," Emily said taking a seat on a rock next to Violet.

"What do you mean, Em? What is a nymph?" Rena asked looking confused.

"A nymph is a fairy usually found in nature and rumored to be talented in the art of seduction. Knowing Violet is a nymph is one more piece of the puzzle in place. Lust or desire were the only emotions present at all three crime sites we visited. I'll bet if we'd investigated where Violet met Amanda one of those emotions would have been present there too. Why did you attack those people, Violet? Did you love one of them?"

Violet's eyes grew hard in the span of a heartbeat. "I loved Dan, and he betrayed me with those women!"

"Daniel?" Emily asked.

Violet looked as if she may break out into tears again. "He said he loved me too. We were engaged to be married."

"Hold on? You and Daniel were dating? Why didn't anyone at the coven tell us he was dating a fae?" Rena asked, her eyes narrowed.

"I never met any of Dan's people and he never met any of mine. We kept our relationship secret. It was easier that way," Violet said. "The coven and our tribes don't mix so we planned to run off together once we saved up enough money. That's why I'm workin' at that fancy shop. Daniel was workin' at the bank and lookin' to transfer once we had money saved for the first month's rent. My tribe would have been pissed if they saw me keepin' intimate company with a wizard from the Nashville coven."

Leaves rustled in the woods and the witches gazed out into the dark trees. No one was there. Probably a deer or a possum. Gwenn turned back to Violet.

"Earlier today you didn't have a tattoo but now half your face is covered. How?" Gwenn asked, examining the swirling, intricate ink.

Violet blushed again. "They're not tattoos, they're my tribe's markings. You have to have magic of some type to even see them. Humans see plain ol' skin. It's how I knew not to say much to you. You noticed the burn marks the elders replaced my markings with so the rest of the tribe knew to shun me. Without my markings, I'm bound to what magic the elders allow me to access. Right before I saw you in the bar I had a meeting with an elder and he gave me some of my markings back."

She was being shunned. And if they bound Violet's power to another, that would explain why I didn't recognize her as fae in the shop. Without her magic, she was essentially a human.

"But why were your markings taken?" Gwenn asked.

"You mean you haven't figured it out what with all your snoopin' around?" Violet asked incredulously.

"The lust at all the crime sites," Emily said softly. "You loved Daniel and you're a nymph. You broke supernatural law and shared your power with him, probably for personal use between the two of you. But you said he betrayed you with those women. Daniel was taking your power and using it to seduce women he'd never be able to get otherwise, wasn't he? It would have been easy if you two were never seen together in public. No one knew he was engaged. Casey told us Daniel was a playboy. I'll bet your power only helped him out in that regard. Somehow your tribe found all this out, and they didn't want the witches to get involved in their business because of the bad history between the coven and the fae tribe, so they told you to handle it."

"That good for nothin' was doin' more than cheatin' on me! Dan seduced women and then he had the nerve to sell my magic to them! Told them it'd make them more attractive and powerful." Violet's eyes filled with tears again and her voice fell into a whisper, "I had to get my magic back from all of them or else my tribe wouldn't take me back. I don't have anyone else around here. If I'm not in my tribe and I'm not with Dan, I'm all alone."

"So you attacked the women and took what you could back," Gwenn paused. "But magic always leaves a mark. That's why Emily thought the humans were part fae. They'd absorbed your powers, and that affected the feel of their emotions. Every place we visited felt more fae than human, even though by all accounts each woman was pure human, now that makes sense." The puzzle pieces clicked together one by one. "But how did anyone find out about this in the first place?"

"A fae elder works with one of the girl's daddy. Said she came in reeking of air nymph and flaunting my power all around that's how he found out. I'm the only pure air nymph in my tribe. If only Daniel and I had left sooner, none of this would have happened."

"Honey, I have a feelin' that if Daniel was the type of man to sell a bit of his woman, he'd have done the same wherever you moved. This trouble would have followed you everywhere and your man would never have been faithful," Emily said sympathetically. "We've all done stupid things for love. I've done more than I can count. It wasn't those women's fault Dan did what he did. That's all on him, and you for being naïve enough to believe him."

Violet looked up at Emily, her dark hazel eyes large and watery. "I was so stupid and I have to do it again!" she wailed.

"What?! Why?" Gwenn asked.

"I don't have all my magic back!" Violet wailed. "That's why this part of the tattoo is still missing." She ran her finger along the thin sliver of burned looking skin cutting across the middle of the tattoo. "I told the elder I couldn't find the last woman. That I'd need the magic he took from me to find my stolen powers. He agreed and gave me part of my magic back, but not all of it, which is why the tattoo is only partially filled."

"Shit. How many women did Daniel sell to?" Rena asked. "Maybe we can find a different way to get your power back so they don't go insane."

Violet touched her tattoo. "I'm almost whole. I'm pretty sure there's only one person left. Problem is, I don't know how to reabsorb my power without messin' with their mind. That's why all those women went crazy, not because I wanted to hurt them. I was upset, but I still tried to be gentle, I promise, I did. I almost had it right with Amanda, she was the last one I found, but it still wasn't all the way right." Violet squeezed her eyes shut as if trying to forget what she'd seen.

One of Rena's calming charms wafted passed Gwenn's shoulder with her voice. "We can figure out another way to pull your magic out, Violet. Together, we're sure to come up with something. How about we go somewhere private, preferably with caffeine, so we can come up with a plan?"