*Aranelda*It was just after midnight when I woke Stacie up. I could feel her distress through the bond. At least, I thought it was Stacie’s. I rushed to her room, finding her thrashing in her sleep on a tear soaked pillowcase. “Stacie, wake up!” Her sobs flooded my ears. She rolled over onto me, clinging for dear life. “Love, what is wrong? Tell me what is going on? Why are you so upset?”I could barely understand her words, something about Eliza, her not wanting to let go of the bond, that she was in danger. It was that moment that my stomach dropped. Kali was talking about Eliza. I couldn’t worry my mate with that though. I tried to soothe her as best I could while trying to calm myself. It would all be okay. The goddess wouldn’t let Eliza die, would she? “It’ll all be okay.” I promised her. I was promising myself just as much that it would all come to a happy conclusion. ‘Deep breaths in, slow exhale’ I kept thinking to myself, hoping it would calm both of us if I was able to cal
*Third Person*The party was in full swing, the entire world was introduced to the newly christened Duke and Duchess of Faerl. Of course, Stacie wouldn’t stay a duchess for long. Scottie beat Aranelda to the proposal, though. He stepped out onto the dance floor, Lily on his arm, as the DJ turned down the music. “And now, your new Duke of Faerl, Scott MaComb Jr would like to have everyone’s attention.” He held a microphone in one hand, clearing his throat. “So, I’m not good at speeches, so I figured I’d try and make sure I did this first. Sorry, Aran.” A few laughs went through the crowd. “Lily, you’ve felt the mate bond in full force for the last year. I’ve only had the pleasure of feeling it, in its complete glory, for less than a day. I have to say, there is no better feeling in the world than holding your hand. I know for our kinds, this is not the tradition. You mark, and mate, and whatnot. But due to my upbringing, I thought I was a human all along, which I now know is a fairyt
*Elentari*We arrived at the Bronzetail Manor, but we weren’t in a luxurious room as I expected to be. We were in what looked like cells. Eliza laid on a cot, her hand holding her throat as she propped herself up against a wall. The man I thought was her father held a blood soaked knife in his hand and was hurling insults at her. “You’re a worthless wretch. No good comes from having female offspring. Blessed of Raza… what foolishness. You couldn’t get the prince to yourself so now all you’re allowed is death. I have to pick up the pieces from your whorish ways. Loving a woman, are you kidding me?? You’re ridiculous. Worthless.” He spat at her. I raised my hand, freezing his in midair. Hep reached out his hand and retrieved the weapon from his hand. “Mr. Bronzetail.” I spoke aloud, using the full force of my authority. “You are sentenced to death for the attempted murder of Eliza Bronzetail. You will be escorted to the Royal dungeons by Hephaestus. Your act has been witnessed by myse
*Aranelda*I stormed to the dungeons. This person was going to pay and pay dearly. I wouldn’t imagine who could do this to her. She knew it was going to happen too. She did everything she could to make sure it wouldn’t impact us. There was no way it wouldn’t though. My fiancée is laying in a coma. My mate was near death. The ones in the dungeon right now were the cause of it. Apparently my father had beat me down there, but I wasn’t going to be stopped from exacting my own brand of justice. “Apophis, what did you do??” A shrill woman’s voice flooded my ears. “Why are they talking as if you have a different wife and a daughter?” The words were dripping with self preservation. “Why are you pretending you don’t know who my wife and daughter are?” The man spat back. “Dad, who are these pathetic beings that are arguing with each other?” I let the disdain fall from my every word. “This,” He pointed to the woman, “Is a creature that identifies herself as Krysta Bronzetail and insists she
*Elentari*The next day, Selene brought the offenders before Adalith. Such a thing had not been done before. A mere mortal being sentenced by the Creator of All. It was unthinkable. Word spread like wildfire that a shifter tried to frame Apophis Bronzetail for the murder of his eldest child. Krysta was sentenced as an accomplice. The shifter was identified as a servant of Chaos, unworthy of a name. His sentence was to be stripped of his shifter powers, whipped for 365 days, 5 lashes per hour, then executed by Dragon Fire. He would not be allowed rebirth, forever in the void. Krysta was stripped of the name Bronzetail, forced to reclaim Bluewind. Adalith stripped her of her magic and sent her back to her coven to be punished by the coven mother. Selene added to her sentence that Krysta would never be able to bear children or a mate mark. She would never be allowed a partner at all. If she tried to defy this punishment, she would be subjected to Dragon Fire and her soul never to be re
*Selene*She didn’t know it, but she hasn’t been using any of my powers for months. Everything she has accomplished has been under her own strength and goddess powers. She had no idea how strong she had become in such a short time. It made me proud. All of my children were born with their powers, so it wasn’t much of a learning curve for them. But Elentari started from scratch and was thrown into a world of peril, expected to perform flawlessly. She had been asleep for a couple of days. I suspected she would be for a few more days. Bringing someone out of a god induced sleep without direct permission was unheard of. Zeus didn’t fight us, waking him, but he didn’t aid us either. It was the most amazing feeling to be in my lovers arms again. It had been so long. The dream state was nothing compared to the real thing. His kisses made me melt. Our children came to visit, a couple at a time. They hadn’t seen him since he had been placed into his sleep state, so they were naturally taken
*Elentari*I was walking through the galaxy, stepping on thin air. My hair seemed to be made of the stars with nebulas within it. A shimmery glow surrounded my body and my skin became the deep void of the night sky. I felt a strength I had never known. Visions flew around my head. Beings from my life books, voices that felt familiar. Small pieces of knowledge became encyclopedias and volumes worth of knowledge. I saw strange beings with various colors of skin, different types of dragons, fae, vampires, pixies, itches, warlocks, werefolks, and ones I don’t have the words to describe. Each being spent hours pouring information to me. Histories, lore, policies, pantheons and so much more. It felt like weeks without a break. So many thoughts and new things to learn. Raza showed up as well, departing the histories of her people, explaining the blood of Bronzetail. They were the last line of Raza’s direct descendants. It made so much more sense now why she was targeted. Funny enough, no one
*Epilogue* The sleep was deep. It was meant to be. The safety of the subconscious allowed for growth beyond measure. The females would need sleep to aid them, the two tied by their mate bond more than the other. Those two will sleep for no less than a year. The other girl will sleep on and off for a week or two at a time. She doesn’t realize this yet, but it’s what must be done. Some that are to train her can only do so within her subconscious, The new deities will change the entirety of the universe as we know it and those that are unknown. A chilling wind crosses the brow of the sleeping girls, two in the meadow, one in a castle, but they all felt it. Power would be theirs. The power of three. The king and queen-to-be had a lot to learn as well. They didn’t know they would be taking over. Their confidence in themselves was shaking. Hopefully, they would realize they were meant for greatness and not insignificant. The previous generation held worry in their hearts alongside p
*Epilogue* The sleep was deep. It was meant to be. The safety of the subconscious allowed for growth beyond measure. The females would need sleep to aid them, the two tied by their mate bond more than the other. Those two will sleep for no less than a year. The other girl will sleep on and off for a week or two at a time. She doesn’t realize this yet, but it’s what must be done. Some that are to train her can only do so within her subconscious, The new deities will change the entirety of the universe as we know it and those that are unknown. A chilling wind crosses the brow of the sleeping girls, two in the meadow, one in a castle, but they all felt it. Power would be theirs. The power of three. The king and queen-to-be had a lot to learn as well. They didn’t know they would be taking over. Their confidence in themselves was shaking. Hopefully, they would realize they were meant for greatness and not insignificant. The previous generation held worry in their hearts alongside p
*Elentari*I was walking through the galaxy, stepping on thin air. My hair seemed to be made of the stars with nebulas within it. A shimmery glow surrounded my body and my skin became the deep void of the night sky. I felt a strength I had never known. Visions flew around my head. Beings from my life books, voices that felt familiar. Small pieces of knowledge became encyclopedias and volumes worth of knowledge. I saw strange beings with various colors of skin, different types of dragons, fae, vampires, pixies, itches, warlocks, werefolks, and ones I don’t have the words to describe. Each being spent hours pouring information to me. Histories, lore, policies, pantheons and so much more. It felt like weeks without a break. So many thoughts and new things to learn. Raza showed up as well, departing the histories of her people, explaining the blood of Bronzetail. They were the last line of Raza’s direct descendants. It made so much more sense now why she was targeted. Funny enough, no one
*Selene*She didn’t know it, but she hasn’t been using any of my powers for months. Everything she has accomplished has been under her own strength and goddess powers. She had no idea how strong she had become in such a short time. It made me proud. All of my children were born with their powers, so it wasn’t much of a learning curve for them. But Elentari started from scratch and was thrown into a world of peril, expected to perform flawlessly. She had been asleep for a couple of days. I suspected she would be for a few more days. Bringing someone out of a god induced sleep without direct permission was unheard of. Zeus didn’t fight us, waking him, but he didn’t aid us either. It was the most amazing feeling to be in my lovers arms again. It had been so long. The dream state was nothing compared to the real thing. His kisses made me melt. Our children came to visit, a couple at a time. They hadn’t seen him since he had been placed into his sleep state, so they were naturally taken
*Elentari*The next day, Selene brought the offenders before Adalith. Such a thing had not been done before. A mere mortal being sentenced by the Creator of All. It was unthinkable. Word spread like wildfire that a shifter tried to frame Apophis Bronzetail for the murder of his eldest child. Krysta was sentenced as an accomplice. The shifter was identified as a servant of Chaos, unworthy of a name. His sentence was to be stripped of his shifter powers, whipped for 365 days, 5 lashes per hour, then executed by Dragon Fire. He would not be allowed rebirth, forever in the void. Krysta was stripped of the name Bronzetail, forced to reclaim Bluewind. Adalith stripped her of her magic and sent her back to her coven to be punished by the coven mother. Selene added to her sentence that Krysta would never be able to bear children or a mate mark. She would never be allowed a partner at all. If she tried to defy this punishment, she would be subjected to Dragon Fire and her soul never to be re
*Aranelda*I stormed to the dungeons. This person was going to pay and pay dearly. I wouldn’t imagine who could do this to her. She knew it was going to happen too. She did everything she could to make sure it wouldn’t impact us. There was no way it wouldn’t though. My fiancée is laying in a coma. My mate was near death. The ones in the dungeon right now were the cause of it. Apparently my father had beat me down there, but I wasn’t going to be stopped from exacting my own brand of justice. “Apophis, what did you do??” A shrill woman’s voice flooded my ears. “Why are they talking as if you have a different wife and a daughter?” The words were dripping with self preservation. “Why are you pretending you don’t know who my wife and daughter are?” The man spat back. “Dad, who are these pathetic beings that are arguing with each other?” I let the disdain fall from my every word. “This,” He pointed to the woman, “Is a creature that identifies herself as Krysta Bronzetail and insists she
*Elentari*We arrived at the Bronzetail Manor, but we weren’t in a luxurious room as I expected to be. We were in what looked like cells. Eliza laid on a cot, her hand holding her throat as she propped herself up against a wall. The man I thought was her father held a blood soaked knife in his hand and was hurling insults at her. “You’re a worthless wretch. No good comes from having female offspring. Blessed of Raza… what foolishness. You couldn’t get the prince to yourself so now all you’re allowed is death. I have to pick up the pieces from your whorish ways. Loving a woman, are you kidding me?? You’re ridiculous. Worthless.” He spat at her. I raised my hand, freezing his in midair. Hep reached out his hand and retrieved the weapon from his hand. “Mr. Bronzetail.” I spoke aloud, using the full force of my authority. “You are sentenced to death for the attempted murder of Eliza Bronzetail. You will be escorted to the Royal dungeons by Hephaestus. Your act has been witnessed by myse
*Third Person*The party was in full swing, the entire world was introduced to the newly christened Duke and Duchess of Faerl. Of course, Stacie wouldn’t stay a duchess for long. Scottie beat Aranelda to the proposal, though. He stepped out onto the dance floor, Lily on his arm, as the DJ turned down the music. “And now, your new Duke of Faerl, Scott MaComb Jr would like to have everyone’s attention.” He held a microphone in one hand, clearing his throat. “So, I’m not good at speeches, so I figured I’d try and make sure I did this first. Sorry, Aran.” A few laughs went through the crowd. “Lily, you’ve felt the mate bond in full force for the last year. I’ve only had the pleasure of feeling it, in its complete glory, for less than a day. I have to say, there is no better feeling in the world than holding your hand. I know for our kinds, this is not the tradition. You mark, and mate, and whatnot. But due to my upbringing, I thought I was a human all along, which I now know is a fairyt
*Aranelda*It was just after midnight when I woke Stacie up. I could feel her distress through the bond. At least, I thought it was Stacie’s. I rushed to her room, finding her thrashing in her sleep on a tear soaked pillowcase. “Stacie, wake up!” Her sobs flooded my ears. She rolled over onto me, clinging for dear life. “Love, what is wrong? Tell me what is going on? Why are you so upset?”I could barely understand her words, something about Eliza, her not wanting to let go of the bond, that she was in danger. It was that moment that my stomach dropped. Kali was talking about Eliza. I couldn’t worry my mate with that though. I tried to soothe her as best I could while trying to calm myself. It would all be okay. The goddess wouldn’t let Eliza die, would she? “It’ll all be okay.” I promised her. I was promising myself just as much that it would all come to a happy conclusion. ‘Deep breaths in, slow exhale’ I kept thinking to myself, hoping it would calm both of us if I was able to cal
*Stacie*The spa day was wonderful, but having to spend that much time with your “ex” is exhausting. I don’t care who you are or how much grace you have within you. I took the day in stride, but I hoped tomorrow would be a better day. Heading out of the spa and back up to my room, I felt the all too familiar presence of the most beautiful woman in the world behind me. “What do you need, Eliza?” I asked without turning around. If I looked at her I might just crumble. “Need?” She repeated quietly. Her tone was different, somewhat alarming. I felt her still, even though we rejected each other. I wasn’t supposed to be able to feel her, but here we are. Her grief and guilt floods over me. “I’m not sure what I need. I don’t know what to do. Have you ever been so dedicated to someone that their wants always came before your own and you never truly thought about yourself, or your own happiness?” Her question hit a cord with me. “I hid who I am for far too long so I wouldn’t have to be in th