That missing piece of myself snapped into place, tearing the world out from under my feet and sending me plummeting into darkness. Searing light burned from behind my eyelids, and I couldn't stop myself from opening my eyes. The blinding light dimmed, leaving me wondering where the hell I was.
This wasn't a memory of mine; I was sure of it. I stood in the middle of what was once a great forest. I could see the huge tree's that were now little more than lifeless husks. Branches and what looked eerily similar to bleached bones sat scattered throughout the barren wasteland. The scent of stale, putrid air wafted in my nose and I barely managed to suppress my gag before it wracked through me.
Before I could linger any further, I was ripped away from the wasteland by claws like cold steel.
I was lifted into the air, yanked across the sky with speed that brought tears rushing to my eyes. As I blinked back my tears, I managed to make out the world before me. Kingdom's,
As I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up from the hard table, I knew everything had changed. Everything looked sharper, brighter--and I swore I could now see the light flicker of scarlet threads draped over random parts of the house. Through the large window in the living room, I could see that the sun was beginning to rise. It had taken hours--hours to unlock my lost memories. My back should've been sore, but I felt oddly loose and limber. The gaping hole that existed in my mind--in my soul, it had vanished. Where I had once been blindly stumbling through life, I was now running. While I couldn't make much sense of the memories I saw, I knew their presence had unlocked something within me. I was no longer Raelynn, the weak girl who had lost both her Dad and Mom. I wasn't sure who I was now, but I was determined to figure it out."Give her a minute to process everything." I could hear Finn murmuring to a slightly irate Atlas."What did you do to her?" His voice was
“Though I have not stepped foot in the Fae realm for decades now, I was one of the High Lords.” Finn confirmed, the features on his face tightened in what looked like agitation and a hint of pain.“So you weren’t one of the Fae who gave up some of their power?” Atlas asked, distrust still evident in his voice.“No, he wasn’t.” I shook my head. “The High Lord looked just like him though.”“My son, Kalin.” Finn commented, his cinnamon eyes darted over to the fire in the hearth.The flames brought out the golden and orange tones of Finn’s eyes and hair, reminding me of flame in Fae form. The weight in Finn’s voice halted the words on my lips. Suddenly, I wanted to know why Finn was here and not in the Fae Realm. This world held little against the Fae Realm, with it’s otherworldly beauty and magic. Why would anyone willingly choose this place over the Fae Realm? Unless,
Finn became somewhat overbearing after that, though I knew it was more due to the strange nature of my abilities. He insisted that not a single Fae could see magic as a physical substance, and seemed somewhat worried at how easily I had unraveled his heat spell. After explaining what I had done a hundred and one times, I finally managed to escape Finn and commandeer his shower.It had taken a total of ten minutes for my sweat to freeze and dry on my body. I basked in the steaming water of the shower, letting it wash away the sweat and chill from my body. I was sure if I were a normal werewolf, I would've had a cold from the temperature fluctuation by now. If anything, I felt great. Better than great, I felt near invincible. I couldn't help but wonder if all of the other Fae felt the same, gorged on power and enamored by the beautiful light that seemed to shine from beneath their skin. Even as I wiped the condensation away from the mirror and stared at my own reflection, I cou
"When Shen built the bridge between our realms, he needed the help of each of the High Lords. A shred of power from each one to forge the connection." Finn continued, "The Fae Lords often disagree, and it can take millennia to gather them all in one room. You, Raelynn, are the living embodiment of that spell. What the six Fae Lords can do together, you can do on your own.""She can smash open the door between our realms, or seal them completely." Atlas murmured, his eyes darting over to meet my own for just a split second."She is the Fae's salvation, and the Human's doom." Finn nodded morosely.Eventually my exhaustion won and I managed to convince Finn to continue training tomorrow. After a heavy lecture regarding the Fae that were bound to arrive, I retreated up to the spare bedroom. The heat radiating from the fireplace nearly lulled me into a deep sleep before I could stumble over to the bed.My stomach snarled pitifully as I crawled beneath the warm
'If we lose any fingers or toes, I'll never talk to you again.' Lila huffed, but remained quiet as I slid the window open.'It's just a few minutes.' I murmured, taking a deep breath of the icy air as it flooded into the room.'It would've been smarter to master the powers of the Fire Court before sitting out in the ice and snow.' Lila countered, but I ignored the edge in her voice.I pulled myself out the window with ease, letting a shudder run down my spine as the sweat that once clung to me turned cold. I brushed aside a clump of snow on the sloped roof and plopped down. Water seeped into my clothes, but I couldn't bring myself to care.My eyes were instantly drawn to the sky, to the network of stars that hung in brilliant clusters. I had never seen the sky quite like this. The stars in Texas and California were bright, but not nearly as dazzling as they were here. I could make out each constellation, and traced my eyes over the invisible lines connect
Training with Finn started early the next morning. The bitter wind penetrated the thin clothing I wore with ease. I gripped the sleeves of my long sleeve t-shirt and gnashed my teeth together. My toes were going numb, and I wondered if the Fae were exempt from frostbite. My socks were already growing wet and the once beautiful tufts of snow now felt like jagged icicles on my skin.It had been Finn’s idea to come out here, just as it had been his idea to steal my coat and winter gear. He said I needed more motivation, that I needed to be pushed into using my abilities. Nearly eighteen years of suppressing what I was had hindered me in the end. Go figure. I had the magical intellect of a Fae child, but was thrown into a world where six High Lords and their armies would all want a piece of me.It seems Finn hadn’t a clue what happened between Atlas and I last night, as he hadn’t batted an eye when Atlas chose to remain inside during my training. I hadn&r
After nearly burning the house and surrounding forest down, Finn thought it best to take me to the nearby lake. A thick sheet of ice covered the surface of the lake, making it the perfect spot for practice.He had given me enough time to warm up and put some food in my stomach, but picked up training soon after. I hadn’t bothered changing my clothes once I learned where we were heading. I still wore my damp long sleeve t-shirt and sweatpants. While the cold was somewhat miserable, it was also incredibly awakening. The cold lapped at my face and skin, making me feel more awake than I had in the previous months.Finn led me out to the center of the ice, standing back by the edge of the lake. I watched in silence as he melted the ice around me with astounding precision. All that was left was a perfect circle of ice that I was currently standing on. As I shifted on my feet, the ice tilted and bobbed. I felt the rapid surge of heat pulse through me, and knew that if I
“Swim with me.”I had never thought Atlas capable of gentle emotions. Things like compassion, kindness, embarrassment, and even joy, seemed above him. Everything about him reminded me of a block of solid ice. From his genuinely disinterested expressions, to his pale skin and icy hair.You could imagine my surprise when his pale cheeks reddened and those crystalized eyes widened. He ran a hand through his already messy hair, an action I realized was spurred on whenever he felt stressed, overwhelmed or surprised.That flash of surprise and nervousness that crossed his gaze was quickly smothered, replaced by his usual cocky demeanor. His plush lips twitched into a smirk, and his eyes darted over towards Finn.“Enjoy each moment together.” Was all Finn had said, “Danger comes, and there will be little time for these precious moments.”Finn took his leave through the forest, back towards the shimmering smoke that spew