Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster

Author:Alex Aster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2020-01-22T00:00:00+00:00

The Pelilargas

Once upon a dark kingdom, there was a ruler who longed to marry a woman with long, beautiful hair. “I shall fill her locks with my treasures, to keep them safe,” he declared.

The town crier announced this news to the townsfolk.

In response, a maiden inquired: “Is he kind?”

“He’s a king, madam,” the crier responded, shocked at her question.

She blinked back at him. “I asked if he is kind,” she repeated.

“Of course,” he replied. “He is a good man. A man of honor and a fair ruler.”

At that, several women instructed their hair to grow, eager to meet such a king. Five springs passed, and the women arrived at the palace at last, hair so long their sisters walked behind them, carrying the rest of their locks in baskets.

But the king was not the man that had been promised. One look at his suitors and he declared, “I cannot decide. No matter—I have enough treasure to take all of you as my brides.”

Their hair began to be filled with gems of every shade: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and jade. And the women realized they had been deceived—for this king was not kind, just, or good.

“When it is dark, we will run away, and take the fool’s treasure with us,” one of the women told the others. And they agreed it was a good plan.

That night, the women fled—not only the castle, but the kingdom, afraid of being caught by the king’s army. They escaped into a jungle, hair wrapped around themselves to keep the gems in place.

Angry at the deception and pleased with the robbery, the women decided they did not wish to stop. They went from village to village, stealing treasure from foolish men.

They stole until their hair was heavy with jewels. More than enough to buy their own palace, far away from the king they once knew. But they wanted more. The gems had seeped into not only their hair, but their minds, filling them with an insatiable greed.

The women’s power grew and soon they could steal more than treasure—they were able to steal a person’s soul. They first targeted a group known for harming the jungle they often inhabited. Next, a man who had betrayed his entire family for power. The more tainted, the better.

Souls made their hair grow longer and stronger. Made them more powerful than gems ever had. They retreated into the mountains, leaving a trail of glittering stones as bait for unsuspecting travelers.

So the first pelilargas came to be.

Beware their hair, which they use not for holding treasure—but as weapons. And do not stare into their rotting eyes, two charcoal holes. For they see the darkest parts of a heart, before piercing through a soul.

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