Prologue

Never do that again." My father warned.

His sword had a residue of oily black liquid, the blood of a vampire he just slew.

My mother wasn't around. She had joined the other important faes for the alignment.

My father faced me again. His eyes burning red with fury. It wouldn't be long before he gave me a piece of the hot coal I deserve.

"And you took your sister with you, Do you want her dead?!"

His voice was wickedly domineering and I cowered a little.

"I'm sorry Father."

"I don't think you are Valerie."

I could tell he was not done scolding me.

"If your sister died in the hands of a bloody demon, what do you think would happen?" Before I could speak, he continued, "it's not like a demon will cherish your blood. Puddled blood."

His words burned me but I kept my smile at least for my sister. She was already regretting that she forced me to join her in the hike that got me into this mess.

"She's not at fault." My sister tried to defend me but my father cut her off.

Kristy was always in the habit of defending me and my father would have none of it.

"Never defend her Kristy."

Kristy obeyed like the sweet innocent daughter that she was.

The road back home was cold and awfully quiet. Kristy was locked in my father's arms as they giggled and made petty talks. It was something I craved for but it was hopeless for me.

I couldn't even gain his love. Why? Because I was a powerless child. There was nothing special about me. Krista however was the complete opposite. Right from her birth, The Fae queen had prophesied that she would grow tremendously in power incomprehensible to others. True to that, at the tender age of sixteen, she had the ability to manipulate the weather and heal wounds. 

All I managed to get was a next to useless premonition I hardly trusted.

Sometimes I wished I had Kristy's life but that was just me being selfish. Kristy hated being treated like a doll especially by Father but that was life for me.

I recognized our house from far off. A small square cottage in the heart of the forest where we lived separated from the human world. We usually took routines just to get supplies and sometimes to get what was going on in the open world. Other than that, we were trapped in the peeling walls of our crumbling cottage.

The house smelt like baked bread. 

Mom had to be around.

I was lost in my thought so much that I didn't see the door coming for my face.

The door was swift but luckily my leg saved my face. It wasn't painful but I felt a slight pang.

My father had a malevolent grin on his face. He was the culprit. Who else enjoys torturing me for intangible reasons.

I wonder if he was really my father?

Father let Krista's hand go and she quickly backtracked to meet me.

"Is your leg ok?" She asked. Her face had an example of pure virtue.

"It's just a scratch." 

The mark I sustained was bleeding slightly but sincerely that was all.

Krista however was having none of it.

"It could get infected." She acknowledged.

"And hopefully I'd die from an infection."

Krista stared at me in shock, mouth agape.

"Why would you think that?" She inquired, full of fear.

I burst into a small laugh and punched her.

"Just kidding."

She gave me a friendly smile before literally dragging me to the kitchen.

As I predicted, Mother was in the kitchen busy working her magic.

He turned for a brief moment to see who can in.

Her bright lavender hair, my only inheritance from her. Krista got all the goodies.

Green eyes and ethereal beauty that would make men reel and human girls question their so-called beauty.

"I see you've returned from your little adventure." My mother commented, steam from her cooking forming beads of water on her smooth face.

"Not until a demon tried to hunt us down. It makes me even wonder why we stay in a breeding ground fir monsters."

My mother stopped her cooking and faced me fully, her small body now monocratic.

"I see your father talked to you."

My mother could read me like a book. It was no new thing that I turned on her whenever my father did the same thing to me and each time my mother would talk to me. She couldn't change her husband but she could mold me.

She sat down and pulled me closer while Krista busies herself trying to find disinfectant and bandages to dress my wound.

"It's for your good. You and your sister are very special..."

"Me and Kristy?" I raised an eyebrow. 

There was no use lying to myself, Krista was the special Child and I was the mistake that came with her.

"Yes!" My mother assured cupping my face in her hands."You are just as special as your sister."

My senses tingled.

"That's a lie Mother," I stated, thanking my premonitions for catching the small lie.

" I wonder how you do that?"

I had never revealed to my mother the little gift I had. What was the use of an almost useless gift? I had almost mentioned it to my father once when I learned what I could do but he shrugged me off and I never brought it up again, Not even my Mother.

"In magic, you are not but you have a big heart and you love your sister just like yourself." My mother said craftily.

"Well," I sighed, "I wish I had the latter."

My mother sighed trying to find the right words to say.

"You might not be magical Valerie but I know you and Krista share a bond I cannot compare. Promise me you'll always protect her, No matter what."

Her eyes were urgent and I couldn't refuse her.

"I promise you, Mother."

That night I made a pact, One that could never be broken. Maybe my premonitions knew something was going to happen that night but I couldn't read the lines.

One thing was sure, I kept my word.