Chapter One: Into the Woods

River Black

River Black stared at her phone’s screen through tear filled eyes, the last text she’d received a watery haze. It wasn’t a surprise, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time. She fought the urge to hurl her phone into the ravine, and tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans and wiped her face.

At least the view was nice. She could see so many stars, so many more than when she was sitting on her roof at night at home in the city. River hadn’t wanted to go on the camping trip with her parents, but they’d begged and pleaded and she just didn’t have the heart to tell them no. Now, she wasn’t sure if she was glad or not that she came.

It was nice to get away from everything. She didn’t even have cell signal. But as they had pulled into the campground, the sun setting, she received one last text before all her bars dropped to one, then to no signal. All she wanted to do was respond.

Jason, her boyfriend of two years had just broken up with her. Over text. She didn’t want to respond to beg him not to, but something. Anything. Now, she was stuck here for three days with no signal, no way of telling him what she really thought. River wanted to tell him she already knew he was cheating. She wanted to have the last word.

Her parents, tired after driving for three hours and after putting up their tents, had already gone to sleep. Their campfire barely smoldered and it was coffin dark outside. River liked it though. She sat on a big, flat rock overlooking a deep ravine that sat at the edge of the woods. There was a soft, cool breeze that carried the scent of coming autumn, dead leaves and wet earth. Closing her eyes, she tried to let it go, let the tension bleed out of her neck and shoulders.

Maybe not being able to respond to that last, shitty text was what she needed. She might have said something dumb and emotional. She didn’t want Jason thinking he’d made her cry (and he had, lots of times).

Struck by how quiet it was, River turned and looked at the tree line of the forest. It looked ominous, yet inviting somehow. She had a strange urge to just walk in. Leave everything behind, like that urge you sometimes got standing at the edge of a cliff. The one where everything in you wants to jump. She felt a little like that and it unnerved her.

The moment she had that thought, something twinkled amongst the trees, a little silver light. Frowning, River squinted. She wore glasses usually, but had taken them off because they’d been giving her a headache. She only really needed them to read and drive at night. Still, maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Standing, she started to take a few tentative steps towards the treeline. Everything was just so still, like all the world was holding its breath, waiting to see what she’d do. The only movement, the only sound was a soft breeze that stirred her long, soft brown hair. She swiped it from her face in irritation and squinted again, certain she’d seen the little twinkle.

All of a sudden, River was struck by how silent the forest became. It wasn’t a typical stillness. Even the nighttime insects stopped chirping. The leaves didn’t shift in the cool, light breeze. She couldn’t even hear the crackle of the campfire.

But there it was again, the little, silver twinkle in the trees. What could it be? Something hanging in the trees, catching the scant moonlight? It was likely nothing, but she couldn’t help being curious. River slowly, cautiously crept closer. For some reason, she felt a little scared. She told herself that was silly. There wasn’t any reason to be afraid. Their campsite was remote and there weren’t any other campers there. It was the off season, late September. They were all alone. No one for miles and miles.

That should have been reassuring but it wasn’t. It was isolating. Creepy somehow. Compulsively, she grabbed her phone and checked it. Nope. She still didn’t have any signal. She expected that. Her parents even told her that they’d be without cellular service or Wi-Fi so she wasn’t sure why it disconcerted her so much.

Still, her curiosity won over her uneasiness. She strode forward now, using her phone’s flashlight. Just as she was about to reach the treeline her phone gave a mournful chime, the light flickering off. Frowning, River stopped and looked at her phone as it died from low charge. Strange, it had been at 81 percent before she’d started her walk towards the sparkle in the trees.

#

Tamsin Eventide

Prince Tamsin Eventide let the maid help him into his ceremonial clothes. His fine suit of navy velvet with moons and stars embroidered with silver thread fit his slender, athletic frame perfectly. His soft, black boots and heavy black cloak completed the look. He wouldn’t let her touch his hair. She’d insist on braiding it or some other over the top hairstyle. He didn't want that.

His sandy blond hair fell to his waist in wild waves and curls. Tamsin simply tied it back with a black ribbon. It was all the effort he was willing to muster for this...farce. If the consequences for staying in the manor weren’t so dire, he would have. He found the entire thing tasteless.

Carmun, Witch Queen of the Wood, let one of her three sons, the Dain, hunt the forest for it’s tithe. The human world tithed once every new moon. And once every new moon, Tamsin had to watch as the Dain devoured some poor hapless fool. It was part of the price he had to pay as Prince of House Eventide.

The malicious Fae, Cinder would lure the human with his faery light and draw them over, across the Veil. There in the heart of the wood he, and presumably his older brother Aelinth, would watch the Dain consume the human, and they would be allowed to rule House Eventide another moon’s cycle.

Before heading out into the dark, Tamsin checked the polished silver mirror. Checked his eyes. Even though he knew it was the new moon, and he was safe from his own curse, he was relieved to see his eyes were still the sea green of his mother’s. The moon was not in his eye this night, it’s silver crescent a mote in his iris, signaling the onset of the curse.

He could feel it, the curse, just under his skin. An untamable beast as bloodthirsty as the Dain. Even as it slept, he could feel it change him. His gentle spirit becoming wild with unending, unseemly appetites. Tamsin closed his eyes and tried to put it out of his mind.

The hunt was about to begin.