The Choice of Magic - Michael G. Manning Page 0,88
a rational voice commented, I’m dying. But even as it warned him, his arms circled her waist.
“Stop,” ordered Tailtiu’s mother, and somewhat reluctantly, the fae girl pulled herself away.
Feeling faint, Will’s legs gave out and he collapsed into a sitting position. “That wasn’t part of our bargain,” he gasped when he could finally speak again. Unlike the first time he had met Tailtiu, his turyn was recovering rapidly.
“I owe you another favor,” said Tailtiu, without an ounce of repentance in her voice.
“An unbounded favor,” clarified Will. “That makes three now. Two from last time, and this one.” He had learned the term from his studies. An unbounded favor was rare, as it meant he could ask for anything. Such favors were almost never given in a negotiation, but were a penalty for a debt that accrued through accident or foul play. Such things were the main reason one had to be careful to set terms before asking questions of the fae.
Yet she indebted herself, thought Will. That wasn’t an accident. She knows the rules better than I do. They’re part of her blood. First her mother had helped him set his terms, now this. It couldn’t be coincidence.
“What did you want to know?” he asked.
Since the hour had started, Tailtiu jumped into the conversation. “Can you see in the dark? You came without a light.”
“No,” admitted Will.
“Why didn’t you make a light? You’re a wizard after all,” she continued.
Her mother interrupted. “He hasn’t learned to use his magic yet. Have you, William?”
He shook his head. “I’m not really a wizard. Grandfather was just beginning to teach me.”
Something passed across their faces, but whatever emotion it represented was too subtle for Will to guess. “Arrogan was the reason I had my daughter call you, William. I felt his death. Would you tell me what happened?”
The shift in the conversation caused Will’s throat to tighten. Unsure what to say, he took a moment to collect his thoughts.
Taking his hesitation for reluctance, she added, “Do you know who I am?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered, “but if you’re Tailtiu’s mother—doesn’t that mean you’re my grandmother, Aislinn?”
The elder fae studied him. Her face was inscrutable as she responded, “He was my husband once, but the woman who loved him died long ago. Don’t make the mistake of ascribing human traits to the fae, William. There is no relation between us. Humans have souls; the fae do not. We are creatures of pure magic, without morals or true emotion. The closest thing we have is hunger and passion, bound by the rules of the power that sustains us. The only thing I share with the woman who was your grandmother is her memories and her name, Aislinn.”
Her words matched what the book had told him, but he still couldn’t believe it. “You’ve changed, but you’re still the same person…”
“Do you know why they caution mortals not to partake of food or drink in the fae realm, William?” asked Aislinn. When he didn’t answer, she continued, “Because it grows inside you.” Stepping closer, she held up one finger then put it into her mouth, when she withdrew it a small cut was on the tip, bleeding. “A drop is all it takes.” She lifted the injured finger to his lips, letting it hover there an inch away. “The fae realm is immortal, as is everything within it. This is true of my flesh and blood as well. Your body is mortal, William, perishable. Any part of me or the realm I come from, if taken into you, would eventually replace your mortal husk.
“Even a drop of my blood would end your humanity, though it might take years. You would slowly begin to feel the call, drawing you to our realm, and you would heed it or perish here. In the fae realm it would grow, gradually replacing your mortal flesh, until all that remained of you would be a fae creature with your memories, and eventually even those would be lost to the mists of time,” she finished.
Will stared back at her. Though she had finished speaking, Aislinn still held her fingertip in front of him, almost touching his lips. He could smell a faintly floral scent coming from her skin, or perhaps it was her blood. Growing up, he had seen blood many times, so it didn’t bother him, but this time he felt a strange urge. He wanted it.
Aislinn’s eyes grew dark. “Take it and your suffering will be over.”