Inside the cave, mage-globes hovered, casting a white glow into all but the left farthest corner. Twining bands of silver glistened in the magically smoothed walls, and woven rugs of scarlet, gold, and black covered the stone floor. Tapestries of ancient fairie kings and queens draped the walls. Tables, chairs, and chests, all intricately carved from richly glowing dark wood, furnished the cave.

In the shadowed corner, runes carved into the stone floor curved outward, and a char-coated brazier stood in their center. It was to this Dirkk led the group. Staring into the brazier's black concave bottom, he muttered beneath his breath. A sickly green ember formed and floated in the darkness. He leaned forward and breathed upon it. Once. Twice. Three times. The ember flared, casting an evil hue upon his face. The flame spread until green fire filled, then danced suspended on the air inside the brazier.

Next to the brazier sat a small, squat bowl, its insides stained a brackish-brown. Dirkk picked up the bowl and faced Thomas. "Your hand."

Thomas cringed, but extended his left hand. Dirkk pushed back the brown sleeve of Thomas's robe, exposing a forearm of newly healing and older, white-puckered scars.

Dirkk flipped the edge of his cape to the side. At his waist, the gold chain leading from around his neck separated into two strands that were embedded in the edges of a hammered gold sheath. Atop the dagger-tooth hilt of the sheathed blade rested an emerald the size of his thumb.

Thomas drew in a sharp gasp and his arm began to tremble.

Dirkk's breath came fast as his fingers caressed the dimpled gold of the sheath. Even in the dim light, the scabbard glimmered dully. Searing heat raced through Dirkk's body and he inhaled sharply. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. This is what it must feel like to summon the Power, he thought. Surely there can be no finer ecstasy than this.

A panicked squeak broke the silence, stirring Dirkk from his trance. Beyond Thomas, Talix hovered, eyes stretched wide in his small, pasty face. A mirthless smile curved Dirkk's lips.

"You have not yet seen the making, have you, my fine fairie prince?"

Talix shook his head.

Dirkk grasped the emerald-topped hilt and jerked upward. A blade, black as obsidian, slid into view. Once the knife was free of the scabbard, Dirkk turned his wrist from side to side. Light danced along the dagger's length.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured. "Formed by the demon Daraodh in the abyss before time." Dirkk grimaced. "Its power incinerates your soul, only to re-form it into a vessel waiting to be filled. To grasp it such, once, is too much, and a thousand and one times, too little."

"What?" Talix stammered, his gaze riveted on the dagger. "What will fill your soul?"

Dirkk laughed wildly. "Daraodh knows its holder's most secret desire, and provides it if the holder can withstand the cleansing purge of flames. If not, the holder ignites and burns until nothing but ash remains, a fine ash to be picked up and danced away on the wind." He thrust the dagger toward the fairie. "You wish to try?"

"No," Talix squealed, darting up to hover just below the cave's ceiling.

Dirkk slashed down with the dagger, etching a fine red line across Thomas' wrist. Thomas screamed as blood welled. Dirkk turned the wrist and guided the blood to the waiting bowl. Minutes passed in total silence as the blood flowed, then Dirkk thrust Thomas' wrist back toward him. "Bind yourself," he ordered.

His lips drawn into a thin colorless line, Thomas fumbled with his right hand, pulling a length of bandage from the pocket of his robe to wrap around his bleeding wrist.

Dirkk held the dagger toward Talix. "Look at the blade." Blood coated the knife and, as they watched, it flared the same sickly green as the still dancing flames, then melted into it. "The dagger has fed; now it will fulfill my wish," Dirkk said.

"You must give it blood?" Talix said.

"It depends on what will be asked of it. For what I desire, yes, it must first drink of a mortal's blood." He pointed with the dagger's tip toward a female fairie. "Bring that one."

Talix flew to her, grasped her hand and drew her forward.

Dirkk slashed across the fairie's palm and pale-pink blood flowed. He turned her hand over and watched the blood drip into the bowl. Curling her fingers closed against her palm, he released her hand. She did not drop her arm, but held it before her until Talix forced it to her side.

Dirkk inserted the dagger up to its hilt in the blood and slowly stirred the pink into the red. Closing his eyes, he muttered guttural words long forbidden and thought dead. The blood smoked and bubbled, then calmed into a glassy surface.

"Inside and drink," Dirkk ordered.

The female fairie flew to the bowl and lowered herself inside. For a moment she stood on the still surface and then, inch by inch, allowed her body to sink into the blood. They watched in silence as her head disappeared beneath the surface.

"She will drown," Talix squealed. He darted nearer and stared avidly down into the bowl with glittering silver eyes.

"I think not." Dirkk reached and pulled the fairie free. The blood coating dripped from her naked frame. He sat her before him. "Now watch and listen."

From the fairie came an anguished shriek. A popping, like whole eggs left too long on the fire, made the air vibrate.

"What is happening?" Talix cried.

"Watch," Dirkk ordered.

The fairie's torso first lengthened and broadened, followed by the arms and the legs. The neck and head were the last. The neck stretched, growing upward, and the head swelled as if air was being blown into it. The shrieking and popping stopped, and a new four-foot being stood before them. A fine red pelt covered the still clearly female form. Wings sprouted from the fairie's back.

"Watch," Dirkk said. He grabbed Thomas' hand and touched his finger to a wing's edge.

Thomas screamed and Dirkk laughed as he showed Talix Thomas' finger. It had been sliced by the slight touch.

"As sharp as the best honed blade," Dirkk said. "And look at this." He held the fairie's hand toward Talix. The fingers ended in two-inch, dagger-pointed nails. The fairie's slanted, pupil-less eyes stared outward, unblinking.

"She does not see," Talix said.

"She sees," Dirkk said. He turned and barked an order to the fairie. "Get me another."

The newly formed fairie creature whipped around and sprang toward the remaining eight. She plucked one up by his wings and brought him forward.

"You wish to eat him?" Dirkk asked, and she smiled, her elongated canines gleaming in the dimness. "You cannot. I have not enough to spare." The fairie's full, sensuous lips formed a pout and Dirkk caressed her furred shoulder. "You will feed. I will see to it." Dirkk faced Talix. "So what do you think of my etain'daman?"

"Fairie demon," Talix said. "An apt name." He flew close and hovered before her. "The females are well endowed." Lust lit his eyes.

Dirkk lowered his hand and caressed one of the fairie creature's full breasts. She purred beneath his fingers. "Indeed, and they do all I command without complaint."

Talix arched an eyebrow, but remained silent. Thomas stepped between Talix and Dirkk. "But we need more. Only nine," he said contemptuously.

Talix flapped his wings. "Perhaps humans would suit you better." His voice was laced with sarcasm. "You breed like rabbits. A few hundred or so of you would not be missed."

Thomas reached out and clapped his hands in front of the fairie's nose. Shrieking curses, Talix darted upward as the etain'daman crowed laughter.

"Enough," Dirkk said, amused satisfaction in his eyes. "You," he pointed toward Talix, "must return home. I want to know who Tessa sent to look into your little problem. And you," he said, facing Thomas, "see what Rourk's lad can tell us." He rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "I tire, but the forming must be completed. With the dragons gone, Daradawn will be much easier to grind beneath my boot heel. Now go." He turned his back on them and clutched the emerald dagger once more.

"Do you wish me to take the female to the others?" Thomas asked.

Dirkk's gaze slid over the etain'daman. She rumbled softly in her throat and rubbed her cheek against his arm. "Leave her. I will take her to the cages myself."

In silence, Thomas and Talix turned and walked away. At the entrance of the cave, Talix glanced back, a knowing smirk on his lips, but Dirkk's attention was on the fairie he lowered toward the bowl of blood.