"Put up your hands, Fawies. Now." His little voice was little no more. Although it still sounded childlike, it boomed and echoed through the room. It sent chills down my spine and an absurd sense of pride to my soul. My son would be able to take care of himself.
A magical blue mist slithered through the ballroom and wrapped the Fairies in its thrall. It was wild and untamed and laced with the scent of sunshine and wind—the scent of Samuel. It was young yet ancient. Hells Bells, we really did have a cluster on our hands.
The Fairies no longer resisted my child. In unison they raised their hands with palms facing out. Samuel giggled and wobbled around the stage with glee.
"Sweet baby Satan in wedge heels and a thong," Jane choked out proudly. "Our boy is a fantastic fucking freak show."
Martha grunted her agreement and did some lewd hip rolls that made me gag. They were crazy, but they had a point. Samuel was something that we had no real understanding of, but today was not the day to find out all the neat and life threatening things he could do.
"Hey, little man," I said as I swooped him up in my arms. "What's the point of this?"
"Watch," he said as he scrunched his eyes shut and chanted in a singsong language I didn't understand.
Shrieks and startled screams were torn from the Fairies mouths as their hands lit up in royal blue flames. I gasped and worried that Samuel thought this was a game. Debating my next move, I prepared to reprimand him and send him backstage, but the flames died out as did the crying and wailing.
"Lookie, Mommy," Sammy whispered. "Now you can see the bad Fawies and the not so bad Fawies."
He was correct. It was crystal clear who had evil in their souls and who could be potentially redeemed. The hands of the evil were now a shiny lacquered black and the hands of the others were a dull glittering gun metal gray. That's what The Reggie had said…The ones that had only partially crossed to the Dark side were gray. He believed they would have no place in the new Xanthia, but I was putting my money down that he was mistaken. The ability to change had everything to do with willingness and desire. Well, having your life threatened helped a bit too.
"I want you to go play with Martha and Jane backstage, okay?" I hugged him and got poked in the eyes by his wing. "Um, can you go back to being Sammy?"
"Yes, silly Mommy. Of course me can!" In a blast of varying arrays of blue glitter he morphed back to my little boy. I buried my face in his curls and thanked all my insane immortal relatives for answering the prayers I had thrown their way.
Martha and Jane took Samuel away. When I was sure he was safely out of sight I turned my attention back to the travesty that hung twenty feet above my head.
"Astrid, time is of the essence," Ethan said as he watched the Fairies like a hawk. "Some are regaining mobility."
He was correct. This was bad. I only wanted to eliminate the Dark, but if they all came at me at once they would all have to die. With a wide sweep of my arm I separated the good from the evil. The Fairies with the glittering gray hands were blown to the left side of the room and hung limply. There was very little fight in them—most of them were fearful and scared. However, the ones left in front of me hissed with a vengeance that made me ill.
"Who of you can be redeemed?" I shouted over the gnashing of teeth and grunts of rage. "Who of you will go to the Light?"
The answer was unanimous and unfortunate. Two hundred Fairies with black souls spewed their venom and fought like Demons to free themselves. A chorus of no's rang through the room and echoed off the ornate walls.
"Well," Susu said as she patted me on the back. "You tried. I would have just offed and eaten all of them. I think you are being beyond fair."
"Thank you," I said.
"Astrid. Now," Ethan commanded as the Dark Fairies broke loose of the magic binding them and came at me like an army from Hell.
Black glitter covered my body and flames jetted out of my fingers. I raised my arms in the air and screamed. I screamed for the lives of the Dark that were about to die and I screamed for the lives of the Light that had been senselessly taken. From deeper inside myself than I had ever pulled I found the strength and the compassion to do what had to be done. To do what was right. That didn't mean it didn't suck.
The explosions came fast and the spectrum of brilliant color made me shield my eyes. Fires of pink and lavender burned as spurts of blue and orange glitter shot through them, making the entire ballroom look like a kaleidoscope on acid. They popped like fireworks on the Fourth of July and the gray Fairies watched in terror.
"Fucking righteous," Huhu squealed as she flitted around wildly.
"You are insane," Lulu added as she watched in awe.
"Amazeballs," Susu gasped.
I dropped to the floor and put my head in my hands. This was never going to be easy and I supposed I didn't want it to be. If I ever lost the ability to feel empathy, even for the damned, I would be lost. Each time I killed, it took a small piece of my soul.
"We need to finish this and go," Ethan said as he knelt beside me.
I nodded my head and took his hand as he helped me to my feet. All I wanted was to fall into his embrace and forget everything. Not gonna happen. As I approached the Grays, they observed me with wide and uncertain eyes.
"Are you going to kill us?" one asked with his head held high.
"No. No, I'm not. You will be dealt with by the Light Fairies and your True Queen. They shall determine your fate. I've have enough of playing my Uncle God today."