by L. P. Dover
The flowers grow as far as the eyes can see, making the land shimmer in rainbows of color. I’ve never felt more at home than I do now amongst the flowers and nature. The leprechauns have joined our court as well and have brought a massive amount of knowledge along with them. They are old and wise and I know their experience and skills will help us grow and flourish.
Bayleon and Bastian of the Tyvar have kept in touch and have sent me several gifts over the past few months which I have absolutely adored. Explaining to Kalen of my time in the Tyvar territory was not a pleasant experience, but I had to tell him the truth of what I did to get out of there. He wasn’t happy in the least, but he was thankful I made it out of there in one piece. I also informed him of Breena’s fate and that I left her there. He said he understood and that she deserved everything that came her way. I agree, but I think I would have rather killed her myself so I could see her suffer. I don’t know what it would have been like to stay trapped with the Tyvar but I sure am glad that I will never find out. Kalen only respects them now because they let me go.
The one thing Kalen has had a severe problem with is my promise to the Redcaps. They have sworn fealty to the Spring Court and I refuse to go back on my promise to them. I will protect my fae to the best of my ability. Shamus, the clan leader of the Redcaps, has kept true to his word by sending a messenger to retrieve their supply of blood from me. Grishom is always the one to come, and I’ve grown very fond of him in the process. He says I remind him of the lass he fell in love with centuries ago, and he always makes me laugh every time he says it.
Finn, of course, has stayed in the Summer Court and has now taken over Ashur’s place in training the warriors with my brother, Drake. I haven’t seen him since that last day in my room when I had awoken from my slumber. I was told just recently that he’s very happy and in love with a beautiful Summer fae woman. I wish him all the love and happiness in the world.
My Guardian, Ashur, is happily bonded with Elissa and they live in a nice little house on the palace grounds. It works out great for them because Elissa is usually with me and so is Ashur because of his guardian duties. They are both happy and have just found out they will be expecting their first child in a few months.
So far all is right in the Land of the Fae, or at least until the dark sorcerer strikes again. There are still many things we have yet to learn on how to destroy him. I just hope we figure something out soon before it’s too late.
We’re lying in the tall grass surrounded by the colorful array of flowers. I’m propped up on my elbows while Kalen is beside me running his hands lovingly down my lightly swollen belly. He has no clue that I hold twins inside my womb. I’ve decided to keep it a secret, but it never stops him from asking.
Kalen kisses my belly and looks at me pleadingly, “Why won’t you tell me, love? I want to know if we have a little Kalen in there or not.”
I shake my head and laugh, “I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise.”
He huffs playfully, and then continues to caress my belly in silence with a huge smile on his face. Actually, we do have a little Kalen in there, but we also have a little Meliantha as well. Elvena checked on me the other day and told me that my twins are a going to be a girl and a boy. I have been floating on a cloud of joy ever since. Elvena was also able to tell me what they would look like. I was shocked when she told me they would be born with amethyst-colored eyes, and that one will be red-headed like me while the other will be dark-headed like Kalen. I will no longer be the only fae with purple eyes, but able to share in this rarity with my children.
A new magic is at work in the Land of the Fae, and I know it’ll be strong enough to get us through the dark times ahead.
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Chapter 1
Lilly rolled over and looked at her alarm clock, 3:29 a.m.
“Ugh!” she muttered. It’s always the same time every time she wakes up. She knew she could forget about going back to sleep. She got out of bed and walked to the kitchen to get herself a drink of water. As she walked through the living room, she could hear her best friend and roommate, Amy, snoring so loudly that she sounded like a buzz saw. Must be nice to be able to sleep like that, Lilly thought as she smiled. One of these days I am going to record her just so she can hear what she sounds like.
In the kitchen she grabbed a glass from the cabinet then walked to the faucet and filled it. As she held the glass to her lips she happened to glance out the kitchen window. She gasped; there in front of her stood a figure cloaked in darkness, standing only feet from her window, staring at her. Lilly dropped the glass and screamed a blood curdling scream. Amy woke with a start and ran to the kitchen.
“Lilly, what is it? What happened? Are you all right?” She asked with panic in her voice. Lilly didn’t want to frighten her friend any more than she already had so she nodded.
“Yeah, I’m so sorry, Amy, I had another nightmare. It’s no big deal. I just came out to get something to drink.” Amy looked at her suspiciously.
“What aren’t you telling me, Lilly?”
Lilly knew she couldn’t keep anything from her best friend; they had been through too much together. She leaned against the sink to get her bearings.
“OK, it’s just that I could have sworn I spotted someone lurking outside in the courtyard. It’s probably nothing. I was most likely still half asleep. I am just so tired.”
Amy walked over to her and touched the back of her t-shirt as she said, “Geez, toots, it must have been one hell of a dream. Look at your shirt.”
Lilly didn’t know what she was talking about, so she grabbed the back of her shirt. It was shredded at the shoulder, as if someone grabbed hold of her and pulled. With a strange feeling of trepidation, Lilly realized that it was the same spot where she had been grabbed in her dream.
“I must have caught it on something; I am not sure what happened.”
Amy looked at her suspiciously, but Lilly assured her she was all right. Lilly then quickly cleaned up the broken glass and smiled at her friend.
“I’m all right, really. I’m just gonna go back to bed. Everything will be better in the sunlight.”
Lilly had tried to confide in Amy as much as she possibly could without making it sound like she was completely crazy, but deep down she knew that she couldn’t tell her everything, not yet anyway.
Amy was hesitant to leave her friend and return to her room. She had known about Lilly’s vivid dreams, or rather nightmares. She’d been there to bear witness to Lilly waking up in a sheer panic only to have no recollection about it. She tried not to make a big deal out of it for fear she would shatter Lilly’s psyche. She figured she would wait patiently for Lilly to open up on her own.
The two of them had been best friends since before either of them could even remember. Their parents were friends and therefore introductions were not necessary.
Lilly’s parents were killed in a mysteriously set house fire six years earlier, when Lilly was only twelve. She was the sole survivor. They only thing Lilly recalled
about that horrid night was that angels saved her by carrying her to safety. Amy’s parents were named her legal guardians with the stipulation that when Lilly was old enough she was to be enrolled in the prestigious boarding school Plymouth Academy for the Arts.
Lilly’s dreams worsened after the fire. She would often dream about the fire itself. In her dreams, she would see creatures lurking around her house, searching for something, or someone. She could hear them speak in tongues, a language that didn’t make any sense to her. In the dreams, she watched her parents as the fire consumed them and their flesh burned. To her it felt as though she were watching through someone else’s eyes. She knew it wasn’t really her, but in the dreams she became someone else.
The police concluded that the fire was started with an accelerant, which meant it was set on purpose. They never found the party responsible for igniting it.
Lilly was forced into therapy twice a week following the fire. Dr.Collins, her therapist, believed that he could fix her with Lexapro, an antidepressant for post-traumatic stress disorder. He felt the dreams were her mind’s way of releasing the trauma of her parents’ deaths and from being the sole survivor of the ordeal.
Lilly never took the pills though; she knew the dreams were more than just dreams. After five years of being in therapy, Lilly continued to see Dr. Collins once a month for follow-up visits. She learned along the way to no longer tell him about her dreams and how they progressed over the years. She didn’t want him to treat her as though she was crazy or still traumatized. She knew it was something she’d have to deal with on her own.
Her parents’ case grew cold. There were no leads, no connections and no other crimes in the area that fit the circumstances.
Yet she was still forced to go to the appointments once a month. She listened to Dr. Collins drone on and on about how she needed to continue on with her life and not be kept trapped in the past. ’Blah, blah, blah,’ was all she heard when she was in his office. Lilly learned it was easier to keep a smile plastered on her face and pretend that everything was nifty until the fifty minute session was up and she’d leave the office feeling no better than when she started.
The dreams weren’t always horrible. Sometimes she dreamt of another place and time where she felt and smelled everything going on around her. The scenery always felt so familiar to her. It left her with a hollow ache inside when she woke up, as if she didn’t really belong where she was.
Then there was him. She didn’t know who he was, but she felt as though she’d known him for an eternity. His piercing, sapphire eyes haunted her very soul. Lilly’s heart raced every time she peered into them. She found herself lost and longing to be near him. The dreams would suddenly take a turn to darkness and fire. She would hear screaming that would haunt her. Strange symbols would flash before her eyes and she wouldn’t understand what they meant. There would always be a whisper in the background, ’Remember, Lilly. Remember who you are.’ That’s when she would wake, feeling lost and lonely like there was something missing in her life.
Amy gave Lilly a hug.
“Try to get some sleep, Lilly, we have a few more days before spring break and trust me when I tell you that you need your beauty sleep.” Lilly cracked up laughing at her friend’s blatant way of telling her that she looked like hell.
“Thank you, Amy; I can always count on you to tell it like it is.”
“That’s what I’m here for, sweetie.”
Lilly shook her head as she dropped the contents of the dustpan into the trash. She once again looked out the window into the darkness. She no longer saw anyone or anything standing outside. She grabbed the trash bag out of the barrel and tied it up then opened the door leading out into the courtyard and stepped out into the darkness. She stood there rubbing her hand up and down her arms, hesitating.
Come on Lilly, all you have to do is cross the courtyard and get to the dumpster. You’ve done this a million times, she tried to reassure herself.
She passed over the place she thought she had seen someone standing, watching her. She slowed her pace as something caught her eye. She bent over and picked up a cigarette butt that was still smoldering. She tossed it and stomped on it. Now she knew she wasn’t hallucinating. There had been someone out there. She ran the rest of the way to the dumpster and tossed the bag inside.
A growling sound came from behind her. Slowly she turned and was met by the snarling snout of a wolf. Lilly took a step back and bumped into the dumpster. She stepped on a discarded water bottle and it made a loud sound that only made the wolf growl even louder. She knew the beast was going to attack her, she was trapped. She considered her options. She could run for it, but she knew the wolf could run five times faster than she could. She could scream, but the beast would probably only lunge at her. She slowly looked at the dumpster behind her. Oh God, I don’t even want to think about it, she thought to herself.
The wolf stepped closer to her. She knew she had to jump into the dumpster. It was her only option. She slowly filled her lungs with the cold March air and before she had a chance to think her way out of it, she jumped and pulled herself into the dumpster. The wolf leapt and nearly caught her foot as she pulled the lid down on top of her. She could hear the beast growling and scratching at the side of her metal prison. Her heart pounded in her chest. She sat waiting, hoping the creature would leave.
Everything fell silent. She could no longer hear the wind outside. Then there was the sound of deep, chilling laughter. The hair on her arms stood on edge, but then the laughter faded and she was left in a dark silence again. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to be sure whatever was out there was gone. After what felt like an eternity, she cracked the top of the dumpster open and listened. There was nothing. Whatever had been there was gone. She quickly crawled out and ran back across the courtyard as fast as her legs would take her. She threw open the door, slammed it shut behind her and locked it. She stood with her back to the door, willing her heart to slow down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t know how she would explain what she had just experienced outside. When she felt calmer, she walked to her room and grabbed clean pajamas and hurried to her bathroom. She took a quick, hot shower to wash off the debris from her dumpster dive.
Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her. As she wiped the condensation off the mirror, an image appeared on the foggy, cool surface. It was a lightning bolt. Lilly quickly wiped the mirror clean, grabbed her stuff and ran to her room.
She closed her door and sat on the side of her bed. It felt like she was going insane. Everything had been strange for her lately; she had been hearing and seeing things that no one else appeared to hear or see. Her dreams seemed to linger over into her waking hours. Quickly she threw on her clean pajamas and tried to put it all behind her.
Turning on her laptop, she Googled, ‘lightning bolt’ to see if she could figure out what the symbol meant. She scrolled through many websites until she came across the exact symbol she’d seen on her mirror.
“Hmm, danger associated with power and energy. Great, what is that supposed to mean, look out for power lines?” She asked aloud.
She switched screens and logged onto Facebook to check for messages since she knew sleep was out of the equation. An instant message popped up on her screen. It was from her boyfriend, Keith. She and Keith had been dating for almost a year. To Lilly it was nothing too serious. Up until she had met Keith, she had no interest in dating anyone. Keith had been persistent until Lilly finally caved in and accepted a date with him. Now, almost a year later, they were joined at the hip and she didn’t think she’d ever make it to a class on time if it weren’t for Keith. He was on a football scholarship at Plymouth Academy. At 6’3”, with his shaggy blond hair and green eyes, he fit the image of the typical Californian surf god. Lilly had to admit he was definitely hot, but she couldn’t quite explain it, he just didn’t give her butterflies when they were together. There was just something missing that she
couldn’t put her finger on.
The message read: Can’t sleep either, huh?
Lilly stared at her keyboard and began to type. ‘Yeah!’ She replied. She didn’t want to scare him by telling him about seeing someone lurking around outside her dorm. He would be at her door in five minutes, and she didn’t want that.
He typed again. ‘Well I can come over and keep you company…’
She smiled despite her mood. ‘As tempting as that sounds, I think I am just going to try to force myself to try to go to sleep. Besides, it’s after curfew and you’ll get in trouble if you get caught,’ she typed.
There was a pause before his response. ‘Ah shucks! OK! I’ll come over in the morning before class and bring caffeine. I love you.’
Lilly stared at the screen for a moment and then signed off without responding. She hated not saying it back to him. She really did care for him and she’d be lost without him always getting her butt in gear every day, but she just couldn’t get herself to say those words unless she was absolutely sure she meant it. She turned off the monitor and her bedroom fell into complete darkness, except for the rays of moonbeams shining through her window. She hopped back into bed and watched the moon. She felt strange, almost jittery. She had a feeling of apprehension that couldn’t quite be explained. She pulled the duvet cover up over her head and forced herself to fall back to sleep.
“Make your choice, Lilly. What will it be?” The voice yelled at her.
Lilly looked around her unfamiliar surroundings. She was in a forest encircled by hooded figures.
“I don’t understand. What choice do I have to make?” She asked.
“Will you save humanity, Lilly? Or will you choose love?” A cloaked figure took a step closer. Her heart raced.
“I don’t understand. Why must I choose?”
“It is your destiny, Lilly. Choose to save the realms or damn them to eternal darkness for an eternity of pain and suffering.”