Arranged (Arranged Trilogy Book 1)

by Julia Crane

  I couldn’t put off the inevitable anymore, so I trudged to the front of the house.

  The guards waited for me at the doorway. I wanted to tell them to stay, but I knew it would be useless to argue with them. We walked in silence to the edge of our property. I could hear the spring’s water trickling. Normally it soothed me, but tonight I was so sad, I barely acknowledged my surroundings.

  I turned to the guards and offered them my thanks for their service to me and my mother and bid them farewell.

  Squaring off my shoulders, head held high, I walked toward the portal. Every step I took filled me with dread. By the time I made it to the portal, it took all of my willpower not to turn around and run back home. All I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and pretend like the weight of the world had not been placed on my shoulders.

  As if my mother knew my thoughts, she whispered in my ear, This is your destiny, child. You were born for this.

  That’s what I keep hearing, I muttered.

  Closing my eyes, I called forth the portal. The energy shifted before me. “Take me to Earth.”

  Taking a deep breath I squeezed my eyes shut before I stepped into the wavering air. My stomach lurched as I traveled through dimensions. Even though it was mere seconds, it felt like a lifetime. A rush of air pushed me through, causing me to fall onto my knees. I waited a moment for my head to stop spinning before rising to my feet.

  My mother stood there alone to greet me. Where are her guards?

  “Daughter, I’ve missed you so much.”

  When she embraced me, her energy mingled with mine. I could sense her distress and also her pleasure at having me with her. Her thoughts were one big contradiction, but I didn’t bring that to light. Soon enough I would know everything I needed to.

  Glancing around, I sucked in a breath; the air was so heavy. My mother had not exaggerated. The bright moonlight spilled onto my surroundings, casting light and shadows around me. It was in complete ruins. Buildings were torn down, or burned out, and the thick air made it hard to breathe. There was some sort of grimy film surrounding us.

  “Mother …”

  She placed her arm around my shoulder and started moving us forward. “Hush, we are here to make a change, to bring Mother Earth back to her former glory. It’s going to take time.”

  I nodded my head and blinked back tears. The last time I’d visited this area, many moons ago, it had been alive with beauty. Now it was a mere shell of its former self.

  Coming to an abrupt stop, I dropped to my knees and placed my hands on the ground. What I felt startled me. Mother Earth’s heartbeat was very faint. In that instant I knew without a doubt that the planet was on the verge of collapsing. Closing my eyes, I sent a wave of healing energy to the center of the planet. My energy pulsed and I received a clear thank you in my head. I knew it wouldn’t last long, but at least I gave the mother a short reprieve. She was working so hard to hold the planet together.

  Rising to my feet, I wiped off my dress and gave my mother a curt nod. She was correct. This is where we needed to be. I would do everything in my power to restore this beautiful planet. I felt childish and foolish for my earlier thoughts. My friends and realm would be there when I got back. This was so much bigger.

  “Mother, we did this. They didn’t want magick. Why did we have to force ourselves on them?”

  She laced her arm through mine. “You know that’s not true. We only came when called on, long after the process was set in motion. It hurts my heart, but if they had just allowed magick to return instead of fighting it…” She paused, lost in her own thoughts, before speaking in a hushed tone. “So many lives lost. Senseless. But it was not by our hand; we were called to repair. Faeries did not fight in the wars. It was the other creatures. They meant well, but …”

  Even though we might not have fought in the wars, we’d believed in them. We supported the takeover. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. You’ll hear no more complaints from me.”

  My mother patted my hand. “I knew I could count on you. Now tell me, how is our realm? What have I missed?”

  We chatted as we walked through the debris. My heart lurched at the devastation, but I kept my head held high and my face impassive. I knew without a doubt we would make a difference, but I also knew it would take a lot of time and energy. I was already drained from passing through dimensions, and I’d given what was left of my energy to Mother Earth. I would need to sleep to replenish my reserves.

  “Mother, how many healers do we have on hand?” I asked. My mind was working overtime trying to figure out the exact amount of time it would take to make the repairs and when I could return home.

  I glanced up and saw a troubled look cross her face. “We have over a hundred, but the land is just so vast. We haven’t made a lot of progress, I’m afraid.”

  Her words left me feeling bleak. However, I put on a brave face and said, “Together we’ll be able to progress faster.”

  She nodded, and kept quiet the rest of the way. We walked quite a ways before my mother stopped in front of a large building. It was several stories tall and the outside was crumbling in some parts. It certainly didn’t look like anyone was living there.

  “Why are we stopping here?” I asked, unable to keep the shock from my voice.

  She didn’t bother to respond. Instead, she pushed the front door open and I followed after her.

  Chapter Three

  Once we passed through the doorway I glanced around, startled. The large daunting building was not fit for a queen by a long shot. Let alone a queen without any guards. The walls that were at one time white were a dingy gray and were literally falling in, and the building was filthy. There was even discarded trash on the floors. I couldn’t contain my gasp. “Why are we here?”

  My mother didn’t meet my eyes when she said, “This is where we are staying.”

  “No. I don’t believe it. Mother, you couldn’t have been living here all this time? Please tell me you are kidding.”

  She smiled slightly. “It’s not so bad. You get used to it quickly. Not everyone is as blessed as we are. It’s a small sacrifice for the larger good.”

  Listening intently, I wanted to argue but bit my tongue. The Earthlings should be welcoming us with open arms. My mother should be on a pedestal not living in squalor. What in the world was going on around here? None of this was adding up.

  My eyes darted all around, soaking in my surroundings. To say it was a far cry from the luxurious living arrangements I’d been used to was a gross understatement. Unable to stop myself, I asked, “Why haven’t you at least had it cleaned up or built something new? With your magick it would be easy.”

  She sighed. “Because it wouldn’t be fair. Plus if anyone were to enter when we were out they would just see another run down building. I am not here as queen, I am here to help repair the planet. I’m sorry, daughter, but while we are here, your lineage is of no importance. We must humble ourselves, just like everyone else that is left. We are equals—it’s the only way to rebuild. I won’t have a tyranny. Magick has done enough damage.” She paused. “Now we must use our powers to restore. And once the planet is restored we will hand it back over to the humans and return to our realm. This is not a mission for accolades. You will find none of that here.”

  Shocked, I just stared at her blankly. All my life I’d been raised as royalty, proud of our history; it would be strange, if not impossible, to put aside my heritage. Shifting uncomfortably on my feet, I spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m a little confused as to what you are expecting from me.”

  My mother drew an exhausted breath. “As I explained to you, I’ve found a human specimen that I wish you to breed with. It’s all very experimental but the humans have very advanced technology. We were able to secure equipment from one of the government facilities. A brilliant scientist survived the wars. He’s here with us and we’ve come up with a course of action to speed up the mating process.” She paused. “It’s really our only hope at this point.
I hate to say it but we really need this to work. I’m out of options. Everyday the planet gets more out of balance.”

  Feeling sick to my stomach, I wrapped my arms around myself and spoke in a low tone. “Mother, you really expect me to breed with someone I’ve never met?”

  Shaking her head she sighed. “No, my dear, I would never ask that of you. Everything will be done with DNA splicing. You will not have to be intimate with the human boy. I know it sounds strange, but it’s truly miraculous. A sort of magick by science.”

  None of what she was saying made any sense, I didn’t even know what DNA was, but I felt a huge sense of relief that she didn’t expect me to truly mate with another. Maybe my reputation wouldn’t be ruined after all. “Okay, well when am I going to meet this being? We should get this started as soon as possible if what you say is true and I believe it to be, so the world doesn’t have long.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know if that is a good idea. A part of me thinks I should keep you separated. It would make it easier for you. You can be very sensitive at times. The last thing I want is for you to grow attached to him.”

  I gave her a give me a break look. “At least tell me what his name is?”

  “His name is Michael.”

  My nose scrunched up. “Michael? Humans have such strange names.”

  “They say the same about us.” She paused as if she was debating telling me something. “We’ll talk more later, after you’ve rested. For now, let me show you your living quarters.”

  I should have pressed her for more, but I was exhausted. Reluctantly I nodded; we’d have time to talk after I got a good night’s sleep. If I could even fall asleep. My mind was swirling trying to process everything at once. I knew Earth was in danger but this was a whole other level. Self-Implosion would happen soon if things were not changed quickly.

  She led me down the dark hallway to a small room; it was empty other than a narrow bed with gray covers. Why did everything have to be so dreary here? A candle flickered in the corner giving off an eerie glow. I could have kicked myself for leaving all of my belongings back home, especially my plants. I never dreamt the realm would look like this. “Sit down and I’ll bring you some tea.”

  My eyebrow rose. In all my years I’d never seen my mother serve tea. This new lifestyle was going to take some getting used to. She floated out the door, and I sat in stunned silence glancing around at my bleak surroundings. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting, but it sure wasn’t this dump.

  Unable to help myself, with a flick of my wrist I changed the bed into something softer and bright green. If I couldn’t have actual plants, at least I could pretend.

  Within moments she returned carrying a tray with a teapot I recognized from home and some kind of square biscuits. Clearly unhappy, she shot me an annoyed glance. “I told you we couldn’t change our surroundings in such a way.”

  I rolled my eyes. “As if anyone is going to come into this room.”

  Mother didn’t bother to respond.

  We sat down on the floor, legs crossed, and drank our tea and ate the sweet hard bread that she called a cookie. The treat was surprisingly tasty.

  “When will I be able to get to work?” I asked, taking another sip of tea.

  She set her cup down, and flashed me a warm smile. “You did as soon as you arrived. I felt the energy shift with your healing of the Earth. I’m very proud of you. You were smart; you went right to the source instead of focusing on individual issues. I should have thought of that myself. Every night we will send healing energy to the great mother, and during the day we will visit the humans that are left, heal them, and also work on the gardens.”

  The idea of a garden perked me up. Thank goodness. I needed to be surrounded by greenery or my soul would feel depleted. I don’t know how my mother could stand being in this drab building for so long. I don’t care what my mother said, the first thing I was going to do was bring a few plants inside to make it easier to breathe, if I could find any. The air was so dense, you could practically cut it with a knife. It seriously felt like I was being choked.

  I took a long, hard look at my mother. Even in the candlelight I could tell she’d aged since she’d been on Earth. When she’d left she was young and vibrant. Of course she was still breathtaking, but I could see lines that weren’t there before. This realm was not good for us. I really hoped we could do our work as quickly as possible and return to our homeland. I didn’t want to age quickly, and I sure didn’t want to lose my mother earlier than expected. I would work day and night if that’s what it took.

  More than a little impatient, I asked. “Mother, is it like this everywhere? Please tell me there are some areas that are showing signs of rebirth?”

  Her gaze met mine and a slow smile spread across her face. “We have some havens were the grass grows wild and birds still sing. They are just few and far in-between.”

  A rush of relief flooded my soul. So all hope was not lost. “That’s good, I was worried.”

  My mother smiled sadly. “I wish there was another way. However, this is all we could come up with to speed up the process. Now that you’ve seen for yourself you must understand the urgency.”

  I nodded, in agreement. The matter was urgent. Plus, I wasn’t about to argue with my mother. If there was one thing I knew, it was my mother did nothing idly. As a queen, I knew she’d given every available option the same weight and came up with the best course of action. I knew she would never do anything to put her only daughter in jeopardy unless there was no other way.

  “I trust you, Mother.” I drank the rest of my tea and set the cup back on the tray.

  Suddenly, I felt impossibly tired, I could barely keep my eyes open.

  My mother sensed this and stood up. “Crossing dimensions is exhausting. Get some rest and we’ll get to work tomorrow morning.”

  I gave her a hug before sliding under the covers. I felt like I could sleep a week straight. Everything about being here felt off, like I was missing part of the bigger picture, but I decided to think about that later and instead drifted into a deep slumber.

  When I slept, my dreams were filled with shadows and darkness. I woke up in the morning with my heart pounding as if I’d been chased. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up to sitting and waited till my eyes adjusted to the dark room.

  Hopefully, my dreams were not a sign of what was to come.

  Chapter Four

  Still feeling a bit groggy, I flung my legs over the bed, stretched my wings, and stood up while rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Something had been bothering me all night, but I was too surprised yesterday to allow it to register in my thoughts. I needed to speak to my mother right away.

  I hurried down the hallway in search of her. The building was large and I had no idea where I was going. After a few wrong turns, I closed my eyes and spoke telepathically to her. Mother, we need to talk.

  Where are you? I was just in your room looking for you.

  Wandering around lost. I sighed, stopping in my tracks.

  Okay, stay where you are and I’ll come to you.

  Just moments later I felt her energy approaching before I heard her footsteps. “I should have given you a tour last night. I was just so happy to see you it slipped my mind.”

  Tilting my head to the side, I asked, “Why are we really hiding away here? The real reason.”

  She blinked, the only outward sign of disturbance. “You always were too smart for your own good.”

  “Like mother like daughter,” I said wryly.

  Lacing her arm through mine, she led me down the hall. “There are people that do not want us here. A rebellion of sorts is taking place amongst the thirteen percent of the population left. Not all of them, but there is a small sect that does not want our help and they have been killing off magical creatures in great numbers. So it’s best if we do not bring attention to our status. I refuse to hide who I am. We will not glamour ourselves. However, we should also not flaunt our station
.”

  Inwardly I groaned. What she said made sense, but I didn’t like that we had to hide who we were, royalty. Yeah, maybe that made me stuck up, but it was something I’d been raised to be proud of my whole life. It seemed wrong to downplay ourselves. “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right to me.”

  My mother shook her head. “I’ve had many attempts on my life since arriving. I’ve had to move several times. I assure you, if word got out that you are the next in line for queen, you might as well put a big red target on your back. I will not allow you to be put at risk like that. You are the last of our bloodline.”

  Speechless, I stood staring at my mother, my mouth agape. “You never told me.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t want to worry you. Like I said, this is the best plan I’ve been able to come up with.”

  Unconvinced, I glanced around. I couldn’t believe how vulnerable we were to an attack. Not only were there broken in windows, we had no protection. Crossing my arms I raised a brow. “Mother, where are your guards?”

  There was a long, silent moment, my mother turned and looked off in the distance.

  “They are around, they’re just hidden.”

  “Cloaked?” I asked, surprised. Cloaking so many people would put a large strain on her energy storages. It’s no wonder she was starting to age quicker. There was no way she was going to be able to continue like this, not for long anyway.

  She nodded her head.

  Even though it was weird to think we were surrounded by guards that I could not see, it did make me feel slightly better knowing they were around if needed. I just wished it wasn’t necessary to have them hidden. We should be showing a strong force.

  Obviously, my mother had made up her mind. And over the years I’d come to learn when she was set on something, she was unmovable. I resigned myself to go along with her plans, at least for now. Hopefully I could figure out a way to accelerate the healing process. My mother and I were both incomparably strong in our powers, but healing was my strong suit. I could bring life as quickly as I could take it. All I needed was free reign to make a difference.