The buck lets out a harsh snort, followed by a wet, wheezing breath. It’s a warning.
“Hush.”
Her voice is the softest I’ve ever heard it. The animal continues to grunt while it struggles to rise, but Iris isn’t deterred. She sinks to her knees at its side.
“I will not harm you.”
With a steady hand, she pets gently along the buck’s neck. He thrashes (or tries to) until Kalix leans in, pushing the large beast’s heavy frame down with surprising ease. One hand grips the antlers, pinning the sharp tines away from Iris.
“Rainbow, he smells off,” Kalix murmurs, eyeing the buck with a calculating intensity.
“He’s hurt. Do you have my tools?” Iris extends her hand expectantly, ignoring his warning.
Without hesitation, Kalix reaches into his coat and retrieves a deep velvet pouch and a silver hammer etched with intricate carvings. She snatches them from his hand so he can resume holding the buck steady.
Iris opens the pouch. Inside, silver nails, thick as mini stakes, gleam unnaturally in the moonlight.
She inhales deeply.
On her exhale, the markings on her back begin to glow. Vibrant green light blooms through her thin gown and pools onto the dirt road beneath her. The hammer glows the same hue and the nails shimmer to match.
A wave of magic hits me. It doesn’t just pass, it slams into my senses, like cold water over raw nerves. It stirs the Nightmother inside me; shenoticesthis power.
She is strong.
Iris’s nails begin to float in her palm, suspended and pulsing with that emerald light. I dismount, drawn closer, needing to see.
One by one, the nails rise, drifting on unseen threads. They position themselves above the buck—one over its heart, another at the neck, and the last just above its skull.
Then—
The hammer comes down.
The impact doesn’t just crack the skull, it sends a ripple of magic through the surrounding air. It shimmers like moonlight refracted in water. I swear I see fractals—fractures in the very air around her. My fingers tingle with the urge to touch the invisible curtain.
The buck stops thrashing.
The next calm strike drives a nail into its throat. Then its heart.
When she finishes, she rises. Arms lift to the sky. Her head tilts back.
“Vita Nova,” she breathes.
The words barely reach me but Ifeelthem.
The buck inhales deeply; its eyes snap open.
A heavy presence suddenly settles over the space. Something new has arrived, and it feels…off.Is this normal?
I watch intently.
“Easy,” Kalix warns, slowly withdrawing his hands.
The buck stands, finally finding purchase. The nails clink as they fall to the dirt, and yet no wounds remain. Not even a scratch.
Kalix retreats and the buck tenses. Iris steps forward, lowering her head and outstretching her hand.
After a long pause, the buck presses its muzzle to her palm.
