Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances

by T. M. Franklin

  Esther Anna noted that her meeting with the king, Phillip’s father, was without a queen. He’d made no mention of his mother since they met, but she didn’t think to inquire about it until now.

  “You have no memories of your mother…” He said, matter-of-factly.

  She nodded, sombrely. Esther Anna’s mother passed away in childbirth, though due to her father’s constant praise and glowing remarks about his queen, she grew to miss her just as much. She found it strange to miss someone whom she’d never met. Her mother gave her life so that she could live, and she would never forget that.

  “She died giving birth to me.” The queen said softly, but he already knew that. What he was really asking was how she felt on the matter. That, he didn’t know since the memories didn’t convey emotions surrounding the memories he’d seen.

  Phillip offered a sympathetic gaze and Esther Anna leaned in to hug him. There was an unusual magnetism between them, but it was a thing better left unspoken. She did, after all lose her husband recently, and she hadn’t had the time to properly mourn him. Moreover, the fate of all kingdoms rested solely in their hands, and the defeat of the evil princess weighed heavier than the pull in their hearts.

  Esther Anna was torn. How was she going to prove her innocence? Not everyone had the same abilities as the fairy prince, and right now it was her word against the word of the Tibethian princess, who seemed to have everyone in the kingdoms wrapped around her little finger. She was riddled with such dread, that it made her anxious. There had to be something, a fool proof way of finding the truth.

  “Phillip?”

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t suppose you guys have a magical truth device or something, do you?” The question sounded ridiculous when said aloud, though there was some hope in her tone as she asked.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “I was thinking…about Princess Noelle. The allegations levelled against me are overwhelming and it would take nothing short of a miracle to clear my name. With everything I’ve seen here—the magic—I feel like that could help me.”

  Prince Phillip laughed. He could tell that despite her hopefulness, she didn’t really believe that such a thing existed. It was funny because he’d been considering the same thing the night before and hadn’t been able to tell her about it. “Well, there is…”

  Even though it was the answer she’d been hoping for, she had scepticism written all over her face. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded, but there was a little bit of reluctance in his voice. “It’s called the Lamp of Light. An ancient, mystical device can detect evil. In the presence of the darkness, it lights up with a brilliant white glow. It’s said that the light will prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the person nearby was evil. Many have searched for it over the years, but it has been well hidden by its previous owner. Many believe it’s just a fable, however. Lots of men and women have died searching for it, others think that it doesn’t even exist.”

  She took in his words with wide-eyed wonder. “The lamp…it’s real?”

  “Yes,” He said, “I thought this might be a possibility, an instrument to assist us before, but I don’t think we can…”

  “The lamp is real—then it can help clear my name!” Esther Anna tried to hold back her excitement. The Lamp of Light would help her prove to those who didn’t know her well enough to be able to take her word for it, that she could not have possibly killed her husband. It would also open their eyes to Noelle’s true evil nature. “Phillip, that’s great news! How do we find it?”

  The prince sighed. “Esther…”

  A while ago, Prince Phillip had heard about someone who set out to search for the lamp. That person was in dire need of its power to settle a dispute that threatened the sanctity of his kingdom. They even hired the services of a famed pirate, but the voyage was not fruitful, at least not in the case of the lamp itself. By the time he’d returned, the dispute had escalated beyond saving and that had been the last anyone had heard about attempts to find the lamp.

  Phillip sighed. “There’s a pirate. One who travels the seven seas. He attacks boats that cross over his turf, and steals their valuables. He’s most famous for procuring hard-to-find objects, but the price is steep for his services. Though the price for said skill is well worth it since his track record is as impressive. He’s the person last rumoured to be in possession of the lamp.”

  Esther Anna listened attentively, and was not swayed at the mention of a pirate. Working with a pirate was risky, but desperate times called for very desperate measures.

  He looked at her as they both contemplated the situation. Phillip expected her to shy away from the suggestion of searching for a pirate, because it was a choice no one made willingly, to work with one. Part of him wondered if he should have revealed the pirate, the Lamp of Light, or any of it.

  Finally, she looked up with a serious and determined expression and asked: “How do we find him?”

  6

  Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia. Forest.

  * * *

  Damien had spent most of the day searching for the entry into the fairy land. The fairies seemed to have used a diffuse enchantment to beam their wards back and forth throughout the forest, so anyone who had a knowledge of magic and intended to use it to locate the path would be led astray and potentially give up if unsuccessful.

  Damien was not easy to sway or throw off course.

  Hours later and more than fifty dummy trails behind him, he finally found the right one. On his first attempt of entering, he was thrown like a ragdoll into a collection of trees, and his great form split them in half. He had tried once more, but drew the same, result. A large part of the forest behind him lay in ruin where he had crashed into the trees and trampled on the vegetation. His advanced healing abilities made it easy for him to get up from throws like that unscathed but still there was a limit to how much he could take.

  He stood before the warded path and thought of his next course of action. The option to gain entrance was out, and waiting was filled with too many uncertainties. Waiting could take a very long time, and it wasn’t even a guarantee that she would emerge from the gate he had been guarding. Damien was surprised she had been in there this long, though he was aware of a fairy sensitivity to auras. Esther Anna’s aura was too bright for anyone to ignore and they could probably tell right away that she was not evil and had no rush to send her away.

  Just the thought of her nearly sent him to a frenzy, since he longed for the time their paths would cross again. Damien would finally claim her as his bride in the Black Abyss. He knew there would be opposition once he got his hands on her, but he was ready to face the consequences. Nothing would stand in his way.

  Then he turned his attention back to the fairy kingdom. By now, Esther Anna must have told her story to the fairies. That is, if she’d survived the fall or the scrutiny of the relatively private kingdom. Damien knew of their memory technique, and it was infallible. Its practitioners spent years upon years honing the ability till they could even, at times, sense when fake memories had been implanted. That would play to Esther’s innocence; It would prove that she in fact, did not murder the king. Knowing this, it would only take a quick read of her memory to gain their allegiance.

  Kingdom business wasn’t his primary focus, however. He had his mind on saving the queen, and that was it. The woodsman bared his teeth in a proud smile at the thought of getting her out to a safe place. Dormality, perhaps, where she’d undoubtedly still had friends and loyal people who would take her in. He smiled because this would make his job a whole lot easier. The Kingdom of Dormality might be prepared for a raid by the Tibethian guards and soldiers but they were not prepared for him. Damien would get in with ease, collect his queen, then escape, and they would be none the wiser. They would be long gone, vanished into the Black Abyss, before they realised their queen had been taken. Princess Noelle would probably send other dark warriors after him, but in the abyss, his authority was seldom qu
estioned. Escape from her reach was another plan, and he would cross that bridge if necessary.

  As he watched, he wondered what other outlets they would have out of the kingdom. He was aware that there may have been other ways to escape, though he had no knowledge of their locations. That would take more time than he could afford, and if he was realistic about the matter, it was entirely possible he was already too late. However, Damien was already prepared with his tracking spell, having gained enough of her scent and essence to tune in to her specifically. There was no way she would escape his grasp once she came out into the free world.

  Esther Anna Lapointe you will be mine… He thought. Damien was drawn to her presence even if she was miles away. He had imprinted on her and would follow her to the ends of the earth.

  He felt the stirrings of a summoning and knew right away that it was the Princess Noelle calling on him for a progress report. He had purposely been resisting her summons and he knew that by now, doubts would have risen, though he didn’t care. He had a duty to himself, and that was to get the queen. Whatever it was she wanted, was now inconsequential. The stirrings came again and he took a deep breath, and avoided her call once again since he decided he would go to her at the appointed time. For now, this part of the forest was closest to the queen and he was more than happy to remain here for the entire night. He didn’t need to eat or sleep. All he needed was her.

  Damien took a seat near a fallen tree, vaguely aware of the squirrels that were starting to gather at the scene of his previous two crashes. He had destroyed their homes, but they would find a new one. Such was the way of the forest…which made him think that it was very similar with what had happened to the queen. Esther Anna had had her home destroyed and taken from her. Now it was time for her to replace that home. She would be the light of that shadow realm, as he had a home waiting for her in the abyss. Perhaps with enough constant attacks, he would break through her barriers, and her fear of him.

  Damien sat and waited.

  Prince Phillip’s words stayed with her throughout the day. As they ate at the floating dinner table, plates and self-serving meals were passed around, she was bubbling over with anxious anticipating to implement their plan. The first thing to fetch was a boat, one big enough boat to sail across the rough waters of the seven seas. Their destination: a hunt for the famous pirate who could lead them to the Lamp of Light.

  She finished her meal and watched in slight awe as the dish cleared itself from the table. Esther Anna was sure that the magical occurrences were never going to lose their spark with her; She was so floored by it! It excited her so much that she thought to go and tell Adam…and then her heart sank with sorrow, so much that she had to excuse herself from the table, to retire to her room.

  Once inside, she sat and stared at herself in the mirror. The sadness stretched over her features, and she hoped no one had noticed that before she left since she didn’t want to make them worry about her. Eventually, Esther Anna retired to her bed, but when she turned from the mirror, she caught sight of a shimmer from the looking glass in the corner of her eye.

  “Hmm?”

  She turned back, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It hung there, plainly, in its normal reflective state. It was possible that spending time around all the magic was starting to affect her. First, she’d heard the voices. Now the light in the mirror.

  Then, it happened again, and she saw it!

  Another shimmer illuminated the glass, but this time she realised it wasn’t the mirror at all. It was her necklace. The pendant glowed a brilliant yellow. Esther Anna marvelled at it in a trancelike state, but the moment was interrupted at the sound of a knock at her door. The light vanished immediately, but she ignored the visitor in hopes it would light up again. Unfortunately, her will wasn’t enough to have the light return, so she decided to walk to the door.

  To her surprise, it was the prince. His shimmering wings retracted behind him, and he seemed a tad worried behind his smile. “Hi. I noticed you weren’t looking yourself when you left the table, so I figured I’d make sure everything was okay.”

  Esther Anna waved him in. She offered him a seat and she got settled into her own before she responded. “It’s… my brother, Adam.”

  The prince nodded. He knew that her brother Adam died when she was just four years old, and his passing had greatly affected her. He was her only sibling, and she grew up without her own mother as well, so keeping his memory alive in her mind was a way of coping with that loss. She’d referred to him as her imaginary friend at first, and for a time he accompanied her, played with her, and was her happy thought within otherwise gloomy days.

  Phillip wondered about Adam and why she held onto his spirit as much as she did…

  Twenty years ago. Kingdom of Dormality.

  * * *

  Esther Anna laughed aloud, since Adam said something funny. He always made jokes, even when things were entirely serious. It was one of the things she loved about him most.

  There was a strange sound outside, and as curious as ever, Esther Anna went to investigate. She wandered out onto the corridor, and was surprised to find the guard posted by her door didn’t move when she went to investigate the source of the noise. She rounded a corner and as she took a few more steps, she heard the sound again. The princess made her way through the empty hall, until she saw someone. It was a young boy, one close to her age, playing by himself.

  Esther Anna screamed at the sight which alerted him, and he darted away from the area. She took off in the opposite direction, tripping over the cracks in the stone floor as she did, until she ran into the smiling face of her brother, Adam.

  Only this time, he was wearing the clothes that the other was wearing.

  She stared at him, puzzled, even as the feelings of happiness slowly crept back into heart. Hesitantly, she reached up, and realised that she could touch him. Her excitement was interrupted as she a guard raced toward her, the same guard that had been stationed at her door. Apparently, her scream alerted him. Esther Anna was terrified that he would find Adam and arrest him, or make him vanish forever, but when she looked again, Adam was still there. The guard couldn’t see him. She accepted the escort back to her room, and Adam followed close behind. She was thrilled that her imagination had brought him back to her, even if he’d just been resurrected by her imagination.

  Adam stayed with her after that day. He promised to stay as long as she wanted.

  It was a promise he had kept.

  Present time. Fairy Kingdom of Fandrela.

  * * *

  Prince Phillip’s reverie was broken when he heard Esther Anna’s voice. “Huh—Sorry, what did you say?” he asked, embarrassed for having zoned out in mid-discussion.

  “I was asking if you were listening to me.” She said.

  His shoulders slouched with guilt. Phillip’s intent was to come and console her and he felt that he’d not been doing a good job of that so far.

  “I wasn’t, I’m sorry. I was thinking of Adam—the day you met him. Do you remember?”

  A shadow of an expression passed across her face, and it faded quickly. The queen shook her head, a longing and listlessness in her eyes. “It was a long time ago, Phillip. I was only a child then, but I remember how happy I was when he came into my life. He’s my imaginary friend… and my brother. I imagined playing with him for so long, so you can imagine just how happy I was when I finally could, and physically as well. He used to tell me jokes and would comfort me when I felt sad or had injured myself playing. Aside from my dad, he is the most constant factor in my life, and when he probably needed me most, I abandoned him…”

  Prince Phillip nodded. “But…didn’t it strike you as odd when others couldn’t see him?”

  She looked at him as if he had asked the most obvious question in the world with an even more obvious answer.

  “It didn’t. He is imaginary. That’s what that word means isn’t it? That I’d be the only one who could see him?”

 
He realised that she was being evasive and technical. Whether she was doing it on purpose or subconsciously, he couldn’t tell and thought perhaps they could save the questioning for a later date. “It’s not your fault…Adam going missing. It’s not your fault.”

  “But…I-I should have searched for him.”

  How could one search for an imaginary friend? Phillip wondered. Weren’t they always ready, in your mind, to appear at will? The situation was more complex than he could comprehend so he let it go. He opted to sit beside her, and he drew her into his arms.

  The tears came then.

  She was crying for many reasons, ones that she had compartmentalized but had now lost control of them. That, on top of the nerves to find the fabled pirate and his crew were clearly getting to her.

  Phillip didn’t say anything, he just let her cry until she was done. He offered her a napkin and she took it gratefully, and she dabbed her eyes and nose. He hoped that this would help her feel a bit better to release all that pent-up anxiety.

  While she expelled herself of the stress through her tears, his mind drifted. There would be a stir in the kingdom if anyone found out how he felt about her. He barely admitted those feelings to himself, how could he explain or justify them if he didn’t understand it? The attraction was there, and her aura was simply too bright to ignore.

  As the prince and heir to the throne of Fandrela, he was regarded as one of the kingdom’s highly eligible bachelors. The fairy maidens were always after him. It was flattering and fun at first, but as he got older, he grew tired of that constant attention. For a while, he couldn’t be seen in town without a flock of women fluttering after him. They overwhelmed him with the same questions, over and over, and asked for favours that could have easily been done themselves.