Chapter 3: The Fever's Song

Chapter 3: The Fever's Song

Aria's footsteps echoed in the stairwell as she climbed to their apartment, her mind still reeling from her encounter with Madam Thorne. The weight of the iron pendant against her chest and the jar of salve in her hand were constant reminders of the strange new world she had stumbled into.

As she reached their floor, a chill ran down her spine. The air felt wrong somehow, heavy with an unseen presence that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Aria fumbled for her keys, her heart pounding as she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Mel?" she called out, her voice tight with worry. "How are you feeling?"

A weak groan from the bedroom was her only answer. Aria dropped her bag and hurried down the short hallway, pushing open the door with trembling hands.

The sight that greeted her made her blood run cold. Melody lay tangled in sweat-soaked sheets, her skin pale and clammy. But it was the shimmering aura surrounding her that truly terrified Aria. It pulsed with an otherworldly light, tendrils of silver and green writhing around her sister's prone form.

"Oh god, Mel," Aria breathed, rushing to the bedside. She reached out to touch Melody's forehead, only to jerk her hand back with a gasp. Her sister's skin burned with an unnatural heat, far beyond any normal fever.

Melody's eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glassy. "Aria?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everything feels... strange. Like I'm floating and sinking at the same time."

Aria swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "It's okay, Mel. I'm here. I'm going to help you." She unscrewed the jar of salve with shaking hands, the pungent scent of herbs filling the air. "This might feel a little weird, but it's going to make you feel better."

As she began to apply the salve to Melody's forehead, a low humming filled the air. The shimmering aura around her sister pulsed brighter, as if reacting to the herb's presence. Melody whimpered, her body tensing.

"Shh, it's okay," Aria soothed, her voice cracking slightly. She began to hum softly, a lullaby their mother used to sing. To her amazement, the aura seemed to respond, its chaotic movements slowly settling into a gentler rhythm.

Encouraged, Aria continued to sing as she applied the salve to Melody's hands and feet. Her voice grew stronger, more confident, and she felt that now-familiar surge of energy building within her. The air shimmered around them both, and for a moment, Aria could have sworn she saw glimpses of another world superimposed over their dingy bedroom—a realm of impossible beauty and terrifying wildness.

As the last notes of the lullaby faded, Melody's breathing eased. The aura dimmed, though it didn't disappear entirely, and some of the tension left her body. Aria sagged with relief, exhausted but grateful for this small victory.

"What's happening to me?" Melody asked weakly, her eyes a little clearer now. "I saw... things. Beautiful, terrible things."

Aria hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "You're sick," she said finally. "But I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

Melody's gaze sharpened, a flash of her usual stubbornness breaking through the fever's haze. "Don't lie to me, Ari. This isn't normal. It has something to do with that leaf, doesn't it? The one I found yesterday."

Aria's heart sank. Of course Melody would put it together; her sister had always been too smart for her own good. "Yeah," she admitted. "It does. But I'm working on fixing it. I just need you to trust me, okay?"

Melody studied her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay. But you have to tell me everything when I'm better. No more secrets."

"Deal," Aria agreed, managing a small smile. She brushed a sweat-dampened lock of hair from Melody's forehead. "Try to get some rest now. I'll be right here if you need anything."

As Melody drifted into an uneasy sleep, Aria settled into the chair beside the bed. She pulled out her battered acoustic guitar, her fingers automatically finding the strings. She began to play softly, instinctively weaving protective melodies around her sister.

Hours passed, the light outside the window fading from afternoon to evening. Aria played until her fingers ached, pausing only to reapply the salve or help Melody sip some water. The shimmering aura ebbed and flowed, but never fully dissipated.

As night fell, a tap at the window startled Aria from her music-induced trance. She looked up, her heart leaping into her throat at the sight of a pair of violet eyes peering in at her. The ethereal stranger from the street stood perched impossibly on the narrow ledge outside, their beauty even more otherworldly in the moonlight.

For a moment, Aria froze, caught between fear and fascination. Then anger surged through her. This creature, this Fae, was responsible for Melody's condition. With a courage she didn't know she possessed, Aria stood and marched to the window, yanking it open.

"What did you do to my sister?" she demanded, her voice low and fierce.

The stranger's lips curved in a smile that was equal parts amused and predatory. "I? I did nothing but offer a gift freely given and freely accepted. The consequences of that acceptance are not my doing."

Aria's hands clenched into fists. "Don't play games with me. Madam Thorne told me about your kind. You knew what would happen when you gave me that leaf."

"Ah, you've been to see the hedge witch." The stranger's expression sharpened with interest. "How fascinating. And tell me, little songbird, what else did she share about 'my kind'?"

"Enough to know that I want nothing to do with you or your world," Aria spat. "Now undo whatever you did to Melody."

The stranger laughed, the sound like crystal bells in the night air. "So demanding. So sure of your own righteousness. But think, little one. Did I force the leaf upon you? Did I command your sister to touch it? The Fae cannot lie, remember. We simply... present opportunities. What mortals choose to do with them is their own affair."

Aria faltered, doubt creeping in. It was true; she had accepted the leaf willingly, and Melody had picked up the one she found of her own accord. But surely that didn't justify this?

"Please," she said, hating the note of desperation in her voice. "There must be something you can do. Some way to help her."

The stranger's expression softened slightly. "There is always a way, for those willing to pay the price. Tell me, Aria Blackwood, what would you give to save your sister?"

Aria's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't given the stranger her name, and yet they knew it. The power in that knowledge made her shudder. "Anything," she whispered, then caught herself. "But I won't make any deals without knowing the terms. Madam Thorne warned me about Fae bargains."

A flicker of respect passed through those alien eyes. "Clever girl. Very well. I offer you this: I will stabilize your sister's condition, easing her pain and slowing the leaf's drain on her life force. In exchange, you will owe me a favor, to be called in at a time of my choosing."

Aria's mind raced. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would buy her time to find a more permanent cure. And yet, the open-ended nature of the favor terrified her. "What kind of favor?"

The stranger smiled, revealing teeth that were just a little too sharp. "Nothing you are incapable of giving. I give you my word on that."

Aria glanced back at Melody, her heart clenching at the sight of her sister's pain-wracked form. She thought of Madam Thorne's warnings, of the dangers of dealing with the Fae. But what choice did she have?

"Swear it," she said, turning back to the window. "Swear that the favor won't harm me, my sister, or anyone else I care about. Swear that it won't compromise my morals or force me to do anything against my will."

The stranger's eyebrows rose, clearly impressed. "My, you are full of surprises. Very well, I so swear. Now, do we have a bargain?"

Aria took a deep breath, steeling herself. "We do."

The words had barely left her mouth when the stranger reached out, pressing a cold finger to her forehead. Aria gasped as a surge of energy coursed through her, wild and ancient and terrifyingly beautiful. For a moment, she saw the world as the Fae must see it—a place of endless wonder and possibility, where the laws of nature were mere suggestions.

Then the sensation faded, leaving her dizzy and breathless. She stumbled back from the window, watching as the stranger glided to Melody's bedside. They placed a hand on her sister's brow, murmuring words in a language that made Aria's ears ring.

The shimmering aura around Melody pulsed once, twice, then settled into a steady, gentle glow. The lines of pain on her face eased, and her breathing became deeper and more regular.

"It is done," the stranger said, turning back to Aria. "She will sleep now, and when she wakes, she will be much improved. The leaf's power is contained, though not eliminated. You would do well to continue your musical protections."

Aria sagged with relief, tears pricking at her eyes. "Thank you," she breathed, then quickly added, "I mean, I appreciate what you've done."

The stranger's lips quirked in amusement. "You're learning. Good. You'll need every scrap of wit and knowledge in the days to come."

"What do you mean?" Aria asked, a chill running down her spine. "What's going to happen?"

"Change, little songbird. The barriers between our worlds grow thin, and you stand at the crossroads. Your choices will shape the fate of both realms, whether you will it or no."

Before Aria could demand more answers, the stranger was gone, leaving behind only the scent of wild roses and a lingering sense of otherworldliness. She rushed to the window, peering out into the night, but there was no sign of her unearthly visitor.

With a shaky sigh, Aria turned back to Melody. True to the Fae's word, her sister slept peacefully now, the fever's flush fading from her cheeks. Aria sank down onto the bed beside her, absently fingering the iron pendant around her neck.

What had she gotten them into? And more importantly, what was she going to do now?

As if in answer, a melody began to form in her mind—something wild and beautiful, a song of two worlds colliding. Aria reached for her guitar, her fingers finding the strings without conscious thought. As she played, she felt that familiar surge of power building within her, stronger now than ever before.

The air shimmered around her, and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, Aria caught a glimpse of a vast, twilit realm just beyond the veil of reality. Countless eyes turned toward her, drawn by the sound of her music. Some were filled with wonder, others with hunger, and still others with an ancient, unknowable intelligence that made her soul tremble.

Then the vision faded, leaving Aria alone in the darkened bedroom with her sleeping sister and the echo of an impossible song. She knew, with a certainty that terrified her, that nothing would ever be the same again.

As the last notes faded, Aria made a silent vow. Whatever came next, whatever challenges the Fae realm might throw at her, she would face them head-on. For Melody, for herself, and for the music that now sang in her veins with a power she was only beginning to understand.

The game had begun, and Aria Blackwood was determined to play it on her own terms.