Masters of death

The Fairy Court pulsed with unnatural energy, a domain twisted into a vision of surreal splendor. The walls shimmered as if alive, and the air carried a weight that pressed on Rose like a heavy mantle. She had poured her magic into creating this place, but it now felt more like a gilded prison.

Rose paced the halls, her mind churning. She had taken every precaution to keep her meetings with Taylor and the Undersiders secret. But Glaistig Uaine's possessive nature made it feel inevitable that she'd discover the truth. Still, the confrontation, when it came, was faster and more terrifying than she'd imagined.

"My little sorceress," came Glaistig's voice, silken and sharp, from behind her. Rose turned, her heart sinking as she saw the Fairy Queen standing in the doorway. Glaistig's green eyes glowed with an eerie intensity, and her smile carried an edge of cruelty.

"Is there something you'd like to confess?" Glaistig asked, stepping forward with a measured grace. "Perhaps about the company you've been keeping?"

Rose's pulse quickened. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady.

Glaistig laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "Oh, my sorceress. Lies don't suit you. I've seen you sneaking off like a disobedient child, plotting with those little insects. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"I'm not plotting anything," Rose insisted, her hands clenched.

"Enough." Glaistig's voice turned cold, her ethereal aura flaring. "You've been mine since the moment I saved you. Your power, your loyalty—your heart. And yet, you defy me."

Before Rose could react, Glaistig closed the distance between them. Her hand cupped Rose's cheek in a mockery of tenderness. "If you won't acknowledge it willingly…" she murmured, leaning closer.

Rose froze as Glaistig pressed her lips to hers in a forceful, possessive kiss. The air around them seemed to crackle with power as if the Court itself was reacting to the act. When Rose shoved her away, her fury erupted like a storm.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Rose yelled, her magic surging around her in visible arcs of light and shadow.

Glaistig's expression darkened, her smile twisting into something cruel. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you, my sorceress? You think you can betray me, yet you still wear the power I've nurtured? You are mine, and I will remind you why."

The air turned heavy with tension as Glaistig raised her hand. A shimmering spectral blade formed, radiating with deadly intent. Rose's instincts took over, and she raised her wand. "Aegis Magica!" she shouted, conjuring a radiant shield of golden light just in time to block Glaistig's strike.

The clash sent a shockwave through the room, shattering nearby furniture. Glaistig stepped back, her expression alight with twisted amusement. "Good. Show me what my little sorceress can do."

Rose responded immediately, slashing her wand through the air. "Ignis Sacrum!" she cried, unleashing a torrent of holy fire. The flames roared toward Glaistig, who waved her hand and summoned Lung's specter. A massive dragon-like plume of fire met Rose's spell, the two forces colliding in an explosion of heat and light.

"Do you see, Rose?" Glaistig taunted. "Even your strongest flames are mere flickers compared to what I command."

Rose gritted her teeth and stabbed her wand toward the ground. "Frigus Inferna!" Ice exploded outward, a wave of frost freezing the ground and extinguishing Lung's fire. The chill spread rapidly, forcing Glaistig to leap back.

But Glaistig was unrelenting. She gestured sharply, and Gray Boy's specter appeared, creating shimmering fields of temporal stasis that began closing in on Rose.

"Tempus Fragor!" Rose shouted, spinning in place. A pulse of magic burst outward, shattering the temporal traps before they could solidify.

Glaistig tilted her head, her smile growing. "Impressive. But you're only delaying the inevitable." With a wave of her hand, she summoned multiple specters at once—Dauntless, Triumph, Velocity, and several others.

Dauntless's spear crackled with lightning as it streaked toward Rose. She dodged narrowly and countered with a blast of dark energy. "Tenebrae Fulgur!" The shadowy lightning struck Dauntless's specter, but it only staggered him momentarily.

Triumph's sonic roars shattered the air, sending Rose stumbling. Velocity's specter blurred around her, striking with impossible speed. Rose screamed in pain as a strike connected, and she retaliated with desperation.

"Fulmen Divinum!" she cried, summoning a bolt of divine lightning that tore through Velocity's specter.

"You're tiring, my sorceress," Glaistig said, watching with an unsettling calm. "You can't win."

Rose refused to yield. Her eyes blazed with determination as she pointed her wand directly at Glaistig. "Avada Kedavra!"

The killing curse surged forward, but Dauntless's shield intercepted it. Rose cursed under her breath, her desperation mounting.

Glaistig raised her hands, her voice cold and commanding. "Enough."

A surge of spectral energy exploded from her, slamming into Rose like a tidal wave. Rose was thrown to the ground, her wand slipping from her grasp. She struggled to rise, but Glaistig's power pinned her down.

The Fairy Queen knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from Rose's face. "You fought well, my little sorceress. But you're still mine."

Rose glared up at her, her defiance unwavering despite the pain. "You'll never own me."

Glaistig smiled faintly. "We'll see." She stood, her specters retreating into the shadows. "For now, I'll allow your rebellion. Let's make it a game, shall we? If you win, I'll do whatever you wish. But when I win… you'll be mine in every sense."

As Glaistig walked away, her voice echoed through the room. "And don't disappoint me, my sorceress. I expect a worthy challenge."

Rose lay on the ground, her body battered and her spirit burning. She knew she had to act. Glaistig's obsession was spiraling out of control, and the city wouldn't survive her ambitions.

For the first time, Rose felt a spark of determination. She would gather allies, grow stronger, and stop Glaistig—no matter what it took.