MAERWYNN POVWhile the others lingered outside, waiting so as not to overwhelm the council members all at once, Valen moved with purpose, taking a seat at the table opposite the council. It was predictable—the way the councilmen clustered together on one side, leaving the other side completely vacant for him. Valen, however, didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I could tell by the subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his lips that he was enjoying their discomfort. There was something in the way he observed them—how they cowered and whispered—that made me roll my eyes internally.Father stood and moved to the podium, but even then, most eyes were still glued to Valen until he drew attention by clanging two steel rods together sharply. "I welcome you all, and some," he added, eyeing Valen carefully, "to this meeting."I felt my attention wander, slipping from the tension-filled room to where Adrian and Lorcan stood by the wall, silently observing. Adrian’s gaze lingered on me for a moment to
MAERWYN POVThe air in the room was thick with dread as Caelora’s spell dissipated, her hands falling to her sides with a deliberate grace. The ball of air, which had hovered like a silent predator, dissolved into nothingness, but its effect lingered in the wide-eyed stares and the white-knuckled grips of the councilmen on the edges of their seats. Fear was a living, breathing thing here—clinging to their skin, filling their lungs with shallow breaths.For a moment, the chamber was deathly still. The walls seemed to close in, and all the bravado the council had tried to muster earlier drained away, leaving behind only the naked truth—they were out of time. They had nothing left to cling to but their doubts and fears.My father’s face, once stern and unyielding, now bore the subtle marks of uncertainty. His jaw clenched, the cords of his neck tightening as if he were wrestling with the gravity of what had just unfolded. The council members looked to him for guidance, for reassurance, b
MAERWYN POV“Hard tack?” Edina offered me the stale, unyielding bread—the kind we used to choke down back in the cottage, during the days when life was harder and survival meant scarred hands from hunting to put food on the table.With a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes, I took it from her, biting into the familiar toughness. It wasn’t ideal, but it was part of our past, something ingrained in our routine, a constant during the bleak mornings when we had nothing else. I chewed slowly, each bite reminding me of those difficult days when Father’s pride kept him from asking the townsfolk for help. He was the chief, after all, and in his mind, a chief should provide, not beg.Now, though, things were different. We were better off than most in the town, thanks to Valen and the mysterious magic I had unlocked when I passed the trials. The shift in fortune was surreal, almost disorienting. I couldn’t help but wonder what Ferngrove would’ve become had I failed. Would the famine have drag
MAERWYNN POVThe wind nipped at my cheeks as I rode into the woods, my horse’s hooves sinking into the frost-laden earth with each deliberate step. The familiar path was narrow and winding, framed by gnarled, ancient trees whose branches clawed toward the slate-gray sky. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves lingered in the air, mingling with the crisp bite of winter that threatened to settle in the marrow of my bones.I pulled my cloak tighter around me, its thick wool offering some protection against the chill. But the cold was a constant companion in these woods, the kind that seeped through even the warmest layers. As I guided my horse deeper into the forest, the oppressive silence surrounded me. No birds sang, no rustling leaves disturbed the stillness. It was as if the forest had drawn in a deep breath, waiting, watching.The trees seemed taller here, their skeletal branches reaching toward the heavens like twisted fingers. Patches of moss clung to their bark, a vibrant gr
MAERWYNN POVThe sun was sinking lower, casting the clearing in hues of gold and orange. I stood in the middle, my skin prickling with unease as shadows stretched across the ground. It wasn’t night yet, but the fading light made it feel like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting.Valen and Rhaenan were somewhere behind me, hidden in the dense trees just beyond the clearing’s edge. I could feel their eyes on me, watching, waiting. My role was clear — stand here, alone, and draw out the Algoths. I hated it. My pulse thrummed in my ears, and my fingers clenched into fists, the air thick with tension.A low breeze stirred, carrying with it the distant sound of screeches — faint, but unmistakable. They were close.I shifted my weight, the grass cool beneath my boots, and focused on keeping my breathing steady. The fading sunlight felt heavy on my shoulders, like the last warmth before the storm. My heartbeat seemed to echo the rhythm of the forest, an unspoken countdown to what w
MAERWYNN POVThe silence that followed the battle was deafening. My heartbeat still thundered in my ears, and I struggled to calm my breath. Rhaenan stood a few feet away, his chest heaving, his face pale beneath the dying sunlight. Valen wiped the blood from his blade, his expression tense as he glanced at the remains of the Algoths.I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, still processing the fact that these creatures—the Algoths—had been after me. And even though they were gone, the weight of their malevolent gaze lingered like an invisible noose tightening around my neck.The snap of a branch in the distance pulled me back to the present. Valen's head jerked up, his stance immediately shifting as his eyes darted toward the trees. My body stiffened, but I relaxed a moment later when a familiar figure broke through the foliage.Caelora emerged from the shadows, her silver hair flowing behind her, her violet eyes sharp and searching as she approached us. Her footsteps were swift but measu
EDINA POVDinner time had long passed, and Maerwynn still wasn’t here, despite saying she’d return by now. I busied myself, helping the servants arrange the table. Plates, napkins, cutlery—it was something to do, to keep my mind occupied. Father and Adrian hadn’t returned from the harbor either. I didn’t expect to see them until noon tomorrow at the earliest.“Water pitcher, miss,” Helena, one of the younger servants, smiled kindly as she set the pitcher down, her voice soft. I returned the smile, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes, and moved the pitcher to the center of the table, ensuring everything was perfectly in place.Satisfied with my work, I rubbed my hands together, the ring on my finger sliding smoothly as I turned it absentmindedly. A tight smile etched itself on my lips. I hadn’t expected to grow this comfortable around the Faeries, not so quickly. Perhaps it was because watching Maerwynn with them had made it seem so effortless.She was always so free with them, laughi
As I delved deeper into the dense woods, the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant calls of woodland creatures surrounded me. The cool autumn breeze filled my lungs as I moved with the grace of a seasoned hunter. Hunger gnawed at my belly, and my arms ached from carrying my bow in search of sustenance, akin to a famished predator. The truth is, hunger grips not just me but all of us in Ferngrove.Until two years ago, Ferngrove thrived. Its lands were abundant, and fishermen returned daily with tales of plentiful catches. However, the past two years have been marked by hardship. Famine has become our unwanted companion. The once plentiful fish have vanished from our waters, and the wildlife seems to be in constant flux. Some whisper of a curse upon Ferngrove, but my father, the village chief, insists it's merely a phase. But how long must we endure?I press forward, my bow at the ready, its wood worn smooth by countless hunts. Each step reinforces my duty to provide for my family in