Coffee was Raven's lifeblood. She poured her third cup a little after noon and settled back into her chair. There wasn't much to do be done, really. The facility was pretty self-reliant. From time to time she was called out to mend a wounded fey, but more often than not it was a scientist coming to her with a papercut that needed a bandage. Easy money, really, but that wasn't why she did what she did. The only thing that kept her going was the burning need to protect the imprisoned.

Prison was the best way to describe the facility. The fey were captives, restrained twenty-four hours a day with little to no ability to move. So far, the banshee was the only one she had seen with a full cell, and that was only because the only thing she ever tried to do was murder everyone, and so far traditional soundproofing measures such as earmuffs and earplugs were not enough to stop the effects of her wail.

In the month since she had received her promotion, Raven had seen some wild things. There was a creature rather like a minotaur on level three with human-like eyes, a bogeyman with a top hat and fingers as long as Raven's face, and a long-haired cat in a cage, though the cat was nearly the size of a cow. She never failed to marvel at their majesty. Every fey was unique and stunning and horrifying in their own right.

In her limited interaction with the fey, she was always cautious. Not all of them were as civil as Amethyst, and some spoke in a language so beautiful Raven could hardly begin to understand it, but appreciated it nonetheless. That said, she was certain whatever they were saying was far from pleasant, but it sounded nice.

In every spare moment of every day, Raven found herself thinking of Amethyst, of her stunning face and powerful body. She knew better than to indulge in those thoughts, but they came anyway. Amethyst was a fighter. She was polite, mostly, when Raven tended her wounds, and absolutely mystifying. She wanted to know everything there was to know about the faerie but saw little hope of that ever happening. Amethyst wanted nothing to do with her, she only latched onto the small measures of kindness Raven had to offer. It was all there was to come by in the facility. None of the researchers gave two shits about their captives.

Raven sighed, setting her coffee down too hard. It sloshed onto her desk and stained the paperwork she had been working on. Sighing, she grabbed paper towels and mopped it up. She had to stop thinking about Amethyst. Nothing could ever come of her fascination. Amethyst was a prisoner here and would be forever. There was nothing she could do about it.

Or, if there was, she hadn't thought of it yet.

The phone rang, jolting her from her reverie. She paused the podcast that had been playing in the background and answered on the fourth ring. She wasn't prepared for whatever it was they needed of her this time.

"Hi, Raven, how are you?"

"Good thanks, yourself?"

"I'm good, thank you. Could you come down to 385 please? We're conducting an MRI and would like to have you on standby, just in case."

"In case of what?"

"Well, we can't restrain it to run the test, so just in case it lashes out and hurts someone."

Lovely. "I'll be right down."

Raven hung up and retrieved her bag from the cupboard. A walk would be nice, at least. With any luck she would just stand there and look pretty and nothing bad would happen.

Ten minutes later she was in the lab where the MRI machine was located. She hadn't been there yet. As with the rest of the facility, the room was spotless and sleek. Raven joined three researchers behind the partition as a figure was dragged into the room. He, too, was gangly, his skin a greenish-grey to match his hair. Mint green wings were tattered scraps on his back, not unlike the rags he donned. Raven's heart ached for him.

He was dragged over to the MRI machine and forced onto the table. One of the researchers near Raven took a syringe from a tray and brought it over. Whatever it contained, it was injected into the poor fey, who went limp almost instantly. Raven's stomach churned. The tray was then wheeled out of the room and everyone took their positions.

"So, you're the new nurse, then?" one asked from her left.

Raven glanced up at him—very far up, he was significantly taller than her pocket-sized height. "I am. My name's Raven."

"Jonas. Is it everything you hoped for?"

"And then some," she lied. "Not as busy as I was expecting, though."

"Easy money."

"You could say that."

"It's a good job. The previous doctor was here for over twenty years."

"Why did they leave?"

"Passed away, old age." Jonas shrugged. "He loved his job, though. We called him the Mad Doctor."

"Why?"

"He started our research, actually. He's the reason we're as advanced in understanding fey as we are. He also loved to run experiments."

Raven's stomach dropped. "What sort of experiments?"

"Anything, really. It was before my time. I've heard his favourite experiment was grafting limbs and organs, he liked to see if they can accept donations the way humans can."

"And?" Her stomach was roiling.

"They can, but not as well. We're still working out what sort of blood typing they have, if they have it at all. So far inconclusive. We have no idea why they can accept some donations but not others."

"Fascinating," she lied again.

Oh how she wanted to be back in her office. Of course she knew terrible things happened there, but hearing about it in detail made her want to throw up. What horrors had Amethyst been subjected to? How long had she been there?

"You're our new resident mad doctor!" Jonas laughed as the machine whirred to life.

Raven didn't respond. Jonas seemed a little put out by it, but let her lapse into silence anyway. The poor faerie slid into the machine and the test began.

When at last it was over, it wasn't a moment too soon. It ended without incident and Raven grabbed her bag and dashed for the safety of her office. She still had to check in on Amethyst, but she was waiting for later in the day to do that. It gave her something to look forward to before going home. She really shouldn't be looking forward to tending Amethyst's wounds, but she was anyway. Guilt roiled. She pushed into her office and flung herself into her seat, and cried.

With an hour left in her shift, Raven gathered up her bag once more and made her way down the hall to 214. It was a challenge to moderate the speed of her walking. She shouldn't be this excited to see a patient, and yet she was. Embarrassed, she powered on.

The door slid open and Amethyst's dark eyes slid up to meet her own. There was no familiarity there, no warmth. Her feelings were definitely one-sided. Heart sinking, Raven made her way over and ignored the two researchers who were going about their usual business at their respective computers, and they did the same.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked in a hushed voice.

"Like I'm dangling from my arms."

Raven cracked a small half-smile. "Are your wounds bothering you?"

"No."

Raven peeled back one of the bandages and examined the scabbed-over cut. "You're looking really good. I should be able to remove the bandages now, they're nearly healed."

Amethyst didn't respond. She just watched as best she could, eyes glittering. Even guarded, her face was beautiful. It nearly took Raven's breath away. She flushed slightly as she worked removing the bandages.

"We should go get lunch," said one researcher suddenly, drawing Raven's attention over.

"We can't leave her alone with the creature," said the other.

Elated, Raven chimed in. "By all means, go. I'll be fine. What could she possibly do to me restrained like this?"

"You'd be surprised," the second said, but seemed undecided anyway.

"Come on, let's just go. She says she's fine."

The second turned to the first and shrugged his lips. "Fine, let's go. But trust me, stay away from her mouth, she bites."

Raven felt herself flush at the thought, but they seemed to take it innocently. They got up and left in a hurry, and just like that, Raven was alone with Amethyst. Her heart raced as she turned back to the woman.

"We can speak freely for once," she said, smiling a little.

"Why would you want to speak with me? I'm just a filthy creature to you lot."

"I don't consider you a creature at all. You're smart and well-spoken, are we really so different?"

Amethyst gave a dry laugh. "We are different species, young one, a creature is exactly what I am to you. Just as I am to them."

"I don't think of you that way."

"Maybe you should."

"Why are you pushing me away? You don't have any friends here but me."

Amethyst's eyes dropped. "I suppose you're right."

"Thank you. Have they been treating you okay?"

"No worse than usual. These two aren't bad, the weekend shift on the other hand is unbearable. They call me names and poke at me to get a rise out of me so they can punish me. I try not to succumb but it's hard when they're stabbing you with pencils."

"That's horrible."

"It is my life now."

"It shouldn't be. This place is awful."

"So why do you continue to work here? You can leave whenever you want."

Raven blinked a few times. "I can't just turn a blind eye to what's going on here. This is unacceptable."

"There's nothing you can do about it. Just go, be free and forget what you've seen here. There is no hope for my people."

"There has to be something we can do, anything. I have to help."

For a long time, Amethyst only stared, piercing black eyes boring into Raven's very soul. She didn't turn away. Amethyst was looking for something, but she didn't know what it was. Would she find it?

"There may be nothing we can do, but there is something we can try. Are you familiar with the graveyard on the northern edge of the city, just off the highway?"

"No, how do I get there?"

"Take the highway out of the city and take a left onto County Road 6. Drive for a while, until you see a white barn on a hill. Take a right at the next street. The graveyard is a ways down there. Once you're there, you're looking for a ring of mushrooms."

"You're pulling my leg," Raven sighed, folding her arms. Mushroom rings? How gullible did she think she was?

Amethyst's gaze became intense. "I have never been more serious in my life. Find the ring of mushrooms. Walk it three times widdershins-"

"What?"

"Counter-clockwise," Amethyst sighed. "Next, you'll need to burn a smudge stick of lavender and heather, and wait. If we're lucky, someone will find you."

"Someone?"

"You'll see."

"You're being incredibly cryptic."

"You would be too in my shoes. Please, trust me and try."

"Where would I even find a smudge stick like that?"

Amethyst shrugged her hands. "Try an occult shop, or make one."

"I don't know where to find either of those things."

"Then I guess you're going to have to get creative."

Raven sighed, put out but not put off. "I'll figure something out. Okay, I can do this. I'll get you help."

"Good. Be prepared, though, they may not wish to speak with you. If that's the case, well, there's not much else we can do. I don't even know if they can help me. Help us."

"We've got to try. This is unacceptable."

Amethyst actually smiled. Just a little, a small upturn of the corners of her full lips, but it was more than Raven had ever seen from her. Her heart fluttered a little. Personal interest aside, Raven was determined to do what she could to help the fey. She couldn't just let them continue to be tortured like this.

The two returned then, the door sliding open with little noise. Amethyst averted her gaze and the smile faded at once. Raven gathered her bag from the floor, then the abandoned bandages.

"You're doing well, your wounds should be healed fully in a few days. I'll keep checking on you until then."

With her back to the two who took their seats once more and got back to work, Raven winked. It was the only thing she could do to show her solidarity. There had to be something she could do to help. As out-there as this method seemed, she would do anything she could. Even if that meant looking like a fool in a graveyard walking around a ring of mushrooms.

Back in her office, Raven got to work researching occult shops in the area. She messaged a few to see if they could make anything like what Amethyst had said she would need. In an hour, one got back to her with an affirmative answer. Heart racing, Raven gathered up her things to go home. Not once had she managed to go home without feeling like she was letting them down. At least this day she had a small ray of hope to hold onto.