That day was a day like no other. The sky was dark and the moon was hung high. There was a feeling in the pit of the Queen’s stomach. The presence of magic…the presence of the magic of old. A magic unlike ever felt before…of a magic thought to be lost.

    It was that presence that had awoken her from her slumber. It was the nightmare that shook her very bones. Her child lay sleeping beside her. Her husband was snoring softly. She smiled down upon his softened features…yet she knew that something was amiss. Touching her child’s face she arose from her bed. The child’s hair was as dark as night with eyes the color of a river that flowed ever so violently.

    There was no time to be wasted. Wrapping herself up in her cloak she moved swiftly. For a moment she felt hesitant. She felt as though she’d be betraying that which had brought her child into this world…yet she knew that it had to be done. One life for the lives of many. That is what she thought as she stole away into the night. Sneaking past the guard proved to be harder than expected.

    The cool air had hit her softly, so that her dark hair was brushed beside her. She fled into the forest. The town was quite. Her kingdom at peace…or so she’d thought.

    Anne made her way through the silent city. Her hood covered her identity; she knew that if she were to be caught, it would be over. She’d have no chance of finding the one who had awoken her. She let her body guide her through the thick trees. In the night they seemed so much more ominous. No longer did they hold the light of day, or the comfort of familiarity. Anne felt a tinge of fear ripple through her tiny body, yet she pressed on. She knew that she must do this. She must do this for her child, a child born under the stars, with power unlike the world would ever see.

    This child was destined to do great things. Her magic would be unrivaled. Her power, that which can never be broken…yet there would be those who seek to destroy her. Those that wish to have such power for themselves. Anne would not let that happen. And so the Purge had begun. Years ago Anne had visited the Seer, the one who knew the secrets of the future. That is how she came upon such knowledge, through the eyes of one much wiser than she.

    Long ago the people of Old had been banished. The people were not welcome; their magic was not of the light of Summer nor the darkness of Winter. Yet the people of Old were feared, feared by the Fae. Since then their memories had long since been forgotten. Anne knew. She had seen them…they were not gone, only hidden.

    Her child was one of them…She had not intended it to be so; she would never have done it if she had known. And now, as she stood in the clearing where the moon hit her face like a ray of sunlight, she knew. She knew that she must be rid of the people of the Old…once and for all. Her child must never find out the circumstances of her birth. Yet another truth then had dwelled on her mind. That she would not be able to harm the father of her child. But the child that had been born only days before, he, she had decided, would have to be dealt with.

    “I know you’re there,” she muttered softly into the darkness. Her voice was like a soft whisper; the only return she received was the rustle of leaves on a nightly wind.

    Standing there, for a moment, she felt foolish. Maybe she was mistaken and her dream was only that, a dream. Her prophetic powers had come from the child. As if her daughter had somehow passed on that power from within her. It was no mistake. Just as Anne had turned to go, to flee from that which she must destroy, there was a voice. The voice of the child’s father…like a gentle melody on the Summer’s eve.

    “Anne?” His voice made her knees feel weak but her heart had been steeled for this. For she’d dreamt a dream no mother should ever dream…She’d dreamt the death of her child at the hand of a creature of Old. She’d seen the thorn throne, seen the King atop it. Yet she’d seen no face. Even with this knowledge, she had no doubts this creature was a child of the Night.

    “Oberon.”

    He stepped out into the clearing; his face was covered by a cloak much like her own. His green eyes held a softness as the sight of her. She felt it within her bones. The love she had for this man; they shared a child. Yet it could never be.

    “What are you doing?” She had asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper. He had taken a step towards her. “Stay back.” She raised her hand above her. Her magic had no power to hurt…she knew this. Her hand could only heal; he knew not.

    “I could ask you the same question. Anne, the child was born yesterday. The one with the mark…” He tried to warn her. Tried to make her see the truth. Anne would not have it.

    “Is he dead?” She had asked. Oh if she had known before what she would soon know, maybe she wouldn’t have been so naïve. Maybe she would have been able to kill them all…Her daughter’s peril would not be by the hands of this Marked child, but by a child nearer to her than she knew. A child descended from the Royal Line.

       "Yes.” Oberon had said. His eyes swirled with an emotion that Anne could not place. Little did she know this was no emotion…and the fate of the Realm would soon be at stake. All because of the lives left to live.

-

    All was thought to be peaceful that night. Anne had retired to the comfort of her castle. Her husband asleep beside her, her children asleep in the next room and her lover in the deepest pits of the forest. But a thought is not the truth and when the war bells rang…no one was safe.

    Anne stole away in the night. Someone had attacked. Their battle cries could be heard from across the land. She took her children by the hand, scurrying to the throne room. The mirror lie there on the long wooden table. She picked it up. As Anne waved a hand atop the mirror an image arose from the swirl of glass. Her long-time friend Helen’s face had appeared. Deep worry lines were etched in her face as she held her infant child. “You know what to do?”

    Anne had nodded. Her eldest child looked up at her. His eyes were filled with question, “Where are you taking us, Mommy? Can I hold Kaylee?”

    “Hush now Seth,” she had said firmly. Turning her attention back to Helen she felt her stomach form into a knot. “I’ll meet you in the human world.”

    “I have the incantation ready…our children must never know of this world.” The incantation…one which would seal the fates of the children, forever intertwining them with an evil no one had known.

    “Seth will remember…Yet we can keep Eric and Kaylee hidden.” And that was what had been done. They fled from their homes and into the unknown. Little did they know, that by saving their children, they were condemning them.

-

-

-

        The sun had risen high in the blue sky that seemed to be constant in the Seelie Court, Kaylee Black was where she normally went to escape the duty that had now fallen onto her shoulders. She thought that the sun was welcoming at first, but now she finds herself tiring of its unyielding warmth.  She touched the blooming roses softly as her fingers traced over the smooth petals; they reminded her of her late mother, the mother who’d given her life for her and her brother, Seth, only months before. So much had changed since that day and so much change was still to come, and yet, as she stood in the middle of her mother’s garden she did not feel the darkness that would soon encompass each and every one of their lives, darkness that had so little before been a constant and everlasting shadow that loomed over the Royals family.

          Her ladies-in-waiting were sleeping in their quarters, now was the only time for her to be truly alone, she now found herself in the middle of a circle of deceit and betrayal. She had thought she’d be safe, even now as she walked slowly toward the bench, where so little before she’d been speaking to Nate about his parents. She seemed to have a sense of safety in her new home and yet, she’d never quite come to think of it as a home.

          Her true home was here, yet in her young and naïve mind her home was still that world in which the humans resided, she’d always longed to go back there. Even though she’d felt like an outcast there, at least she knew who she could trust. Or, at least thought she could trust.

          Kaylee looked down at her hands and fiddled lace embroidered on the long sleeves of silk shielding her arms from the sun. She’d never thought she would find herself wearing a dress, let alone a ball gown.

          Often she found herself thinking of the young Winter prince. It had been long since the two had spoken, yet she knew deep within her heart that this is what is to be. Yet just because one knows the truth does not mean that they wish to admit it, and Kaylee Black certainly did not wish to admit it. Playing with her raven colored curls she sighed knowing that soon Arwin and Ebony would come calling and that duty would take over her day. But at least she’d be able to see her doting brother. For Kaylee, he was the one thing that kept her sanity intact; if not for him she’d have already burnt half her wardrobe. Quite literally at that. 

          She’d been controlling her powers since she’d fought with Eric Risk’s uncle, Chris, and his son. Her dreams had been plagued by their faces, their betrayals, and even in her waking hours she could still hear his voice, like a gentle whisper on the wind, telling her that he was going to murder her family, should she refuse to become his Queen. He’d already murdered her beloved brother; he’d already shown how heartless he truly was. A shiver seemed to run down her spine as she rose, she straightened her back wincing at the now passing ache her corset always made her feel with each step she took. Then again when she’d first started wearing them she’d wanted to rip it off, she’d even gone as far as to threaten to burn every single one in the entire kingdom. That is, until Seth pointed out that her slouching would not do in such a high class court, she needed to prove herself to her people.

          So even after all of her arguments and poorly worded struggles with Arwin and Ebony she’d given in and let them pull the strings until she could barely breath. It’s definitely an acquired taste, she thought as she made her way into the towering castle. Yet she’d never, ever tell her brother that secretly, she’d slip on her one remaining pair of jeans when the entire court was sleeping and no one would notice.

          No sooner had she reached the castle doors did the two young girls greet her with curtsies and wide, and what Kaylee thought were fake, smiles. Ebony had on her normal long, grey colored attire with her blonde hair slicked back in a long, well-kept braid that ended just below her bottom. While Ebony had always been the more formal one Arwin loved to bend the rules, only if that meant embroidering her grey gown with a thin silver colored thread that wrapped itself along the bottom of her gown. Kaylee smiled at the girls before trying to hold her tongue.

          “Good morning girls, sleep well?” She spoke in a manner that held its own formal tone, there was a guard standing rigid at his post not three feet away from the two of them, Kaylee could not afford to let him see that her relationship with the girls was more than that of mere master-servant.

          The girls nodded. Ebony’s sweet voice rippled throughout the large halls, her voice amplified by the thousand, “Yes, Milady. I do hope you slept well.  Come now, the kitchen has prepared you and Your Grace a wonderful breakfast.”

          Kaylee acknowledged the guard with a simple nod of the head before following the girls through the mess of hallways. She’d memorized each of the guards’ posts in the days spent wandering around the castle halls, and she knew that at this very moment they’d be out of earshot. Arwin’s delinquent smile stretched across her normally delicate face. “You’re getting quite adept in the art of deception Milady,” she said with the tiniest hint of pride in her soft voice. Her jade colored eyes seemed to shine with that spark of life that made Kaylee want to protect these girls, even if at the beginning she’d wanted to rip their delicate, proper, little heads off.

          Tossing her long hair to the side Arwin gestured for them to keep moving, after all, it is unladylike to keep others waiting. As they moved through the last hallway Kaylee stopped at the door to take a moment. The girls paused looking at each other as a silent message travelled through the two of them. Kaylee had always had trouble when ‘acting’ as a lady and the girls had come to realize that it took more than just new dresses and a different manner of speaking to change the young girl. She’d had to become an entirely different person, all the while trying to keep the old, fiery her, alive.

          Kaylee felt the palm of her hands heat and it took her a moment to conceal the fire within her veins. Arwin grabbed her small hands and said, “Think of the ice. Think of all things cool, the fire will retreat, remember that.”

          “Oh and don’t mind Lord Colton, he’s just a pompous ass,” Ebony said in a hushed tone as to not alert the guards to her treasonous tongue.

          Kaylee seemed to crack a smile. “Lord Avery Colton, while a pompous ass, has a lot of money.  Which is why my brother keeps him in such good regard,” she smirked that mischievous smirk of hers, “yet, that does not mean that I have to hold him in such high regard.”

          Ebony shook her braided head and nodded to the door ushering Kaylee into the large dining room. “Now go little flame, and play nice.”

          “Since when does the fire not burn?” Kaylee threw over her shoulder before entering the room with her chin slightly pointed to the ceiling.

          Lord Colton stood from his seat next to her brother at the long, wooden table littered with fruits and bread and jams. He bended at the waist, hand over heart and said, “Morning Your Grace.”

          “Rise Lord Colton, there is no need for such formalities away from the prying eyes of the court,” Kaylee said as she sat on the other side of her brother. Seth’s wicked smile and green eyes held all of his trickery and amusement and yet the words that came out of his mouth were nothing but formal. Only in private did the two share their normal banter and gossips, even in the eyes of one they must keep up their stupid formalities, even the most trusted Lords and Ladies may not see weakness, or what they consider weakness, in their King and soon-to-be Queen.

          “Lord Colton has just finished recounting the event of last week’s hunt; he drove his sword right through a boars heart, didn’t you?” Seth’s eyes were filled with false amusement and Kaylee’s lips held a smile that she really did not want to be smiling. She put a grape in her mouth and looked at the Lord expectantly, immediately he launched into the noble story of how he saved a young Knight’s life from the horrid beast. Kaylee nodded and smiled when necessary and Seth remarked on how well the Lord had done.

          When the Lord asked to be excused both of the Blacks were happy to see him leave. As soon as the iron doors shut they were finally alone. Kaylee tried to slouch in her seat but the corset prevented her from doing so. Seth just shook his head. “Seriously sis, I’m pretty sure that little stick of a Lord would be running in the opposite direction.”

          Kaylee laughed a little thinking about the scrawny Lord in combat. “Well, maybe he’d be good for killing pixies?” Pixies were little firefly like creatures that seemed to liter every corner of the Wildwood.

          Seth shook his head and a flower popped out of his hand, he gave it to his sister smiling. “I actually think they’d probably pummel him with their tiny little fists.”  Seth’s laugh was something that was like music to his sister's ears and she couldn't help giggling along with him.

          “Aw, come on, I don’t think he’s that useless.”

          Seth stood up adjusting the collar of his gold trimmed shirt. “The only thing useful about that man is his pockets, and even those seem to be wearing thin. Kay, I talked to Nate the other day.”

          Kaylee’s back immediately stiffened at the mention of her former friend’s name; she hadn’t spoken to him since she’d told him she loved another man. “And?” She asked, trying to keep her face blank. Seth could see right through that mask, and yet he said not a word.

          “Just that he’s alright, and not to worry. Run along sweet sister, time for your training, and don’t forget to act like you’ve got a stick up your arse. It’s what a Princess does,” said laughing as he walked out of the room leaving Kaylee by herself.

          Kaylee sighed thinking, yeah, stick up my ass, that’s exactly what it feels like. It hadn’t been easy for either of them when their mother had died; they’d gone through the tiring process of ascending to the throne. To their disarray there were those who wished to tell the people the Kaylee was not ready to take the throne, that she did not know the people of her country, and how could the people trust a foreigner. And that is how her brother had volunteered to stand in her place until she came of age and seen the realm for herself. She’d begun studying the creatures, which were far greater in number than she thought, and the cities of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, after all, a Queen must know the land of her enemies. She had to memorize the Lords and Ladies of each House and region. It was tedious and very, very, tiring. Kaylee had spent hours learning the difference between an Ivy, and a Dweller, or the boundaries between Farenforth and Summerset. Every waking moment she spent either in the study or with her new instructor, Ennis, with whom she did not have a kind relationship since she seemed to burn him during each lesson they shared.

          Kaylee took this moment to be alone with her thoughts, to think about the ice, and the piercing blue eyes of the boy that had left an aching hole in her heart. If she thought really hard she could still feel his lips on her skin and his voice whispering in her ear, but yet that was a time that seemed to be so far away. It’d been six months since she’d seen the Winter Prince she’d fallen in, and still is, in love with. Although she’d never admit it, she did still love Eric Risk. She also knew that it could never be, yet sometimes, when life here got hard, she’d remember how he made her feel and suddenly the world was a brighter place. She never once thought she’d feel the same way again.

          After training, Kaylee made her way to her chambers, where the girls would be waiting for her after a long day of cleaning and preparing for the next day. And yet when she opened the door and tossed her cream colored wrap on the armchair beside her door she did not see the girls, yet she saw her brother, just lying on her bed as if he owned the damn thing. Annoyance ran through Kaylee’s veins, all she’d wanted was a long talk with her servants and to sleep a nightmare-filled sleep, instead her brother showed no sign of leaving.

          “And what the hell do you think you’re doing?” She put a hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows.

          “I’m lying down on your bed, which is quite comfortable might I add,” Seth said smirking. “Seriously, mine is like a rock, and this,” he picked up a pillow and said, “This is pure perfection.”

          “Get your own pillows, because you aren’t stealing mine,” Kaylee said pulling the pillow out of Seth’s grasp. If there was one thing the young princess was sure of, it’s that her brother would, in fact, steal her pillows if he had the chance, and Kaylee happened to love her pillows, she’d sworn to protect them with her life. “Get off my bed now, thanks.”

          “Oh, aren’t we feeling a little sassy today sis? I just came here to tell you something very important,” he said. Kaylee narrowed her eyes slightly at her older brother. “But I guess you don’t want to hear it.”

          “Spit it out,” she said moving so that she could get comfortable, which was damn near impossible with the corset constricting her breathing, which is why she needed Arwin and Ebony to help her get out of the treacherous thing.

          “Maybe if you’re nice to me I’ll tell you tomorrow at breakfast.” With that her brother walked of the door leaving Kaylee to wonder what it was that he wanted to tell her. She thought it couldn't be that important if it could wait for tomorrow. If it was urgent he would not have tried to bribe her into giving him her pillow, which is exactly what he meant when he said ‘if you’re nice to me’ for arguments sake, Kaylee thought, I’m not nice.

           She stood as the girls entered her room scurrying to her side. Arwin was the first to speak. “Sorry Kaylee, Your Grace insisted we leave the room.”

          “You know you don’t have to call him ‘Your Grace’ when you’re with me,” Kaylee stated sighing with relief as they loosened the strings so that she could once again breathe.

          “Sorry Milady, err, Kaylee.”

          Ebony’s laughter filled the room as she folded the end of her linens so that she could climb under her covers as soon as she was released from the corset. “It’s hard to let go of all the formalities when you’re raised to think you’re the lowest of the lows Kay,” Ebony said blandly. Kaylee felt a rush of shame flood to her cheeks, reddening them.

          “Well, with me, you guys aren’t low at all, you’re the same as me,” she said letting the dress drop to the floor. When the girls had first begun undressing her without her consent she felt utterly embarrassed and completely ashamed, but now after six months of them seeing her nude she did not seem to care any longer.

          “Oh, but we’re not out there,” Arwin said nodding to the door and handing Kaylee her thin, white, nightgown. Slipping it on, Kaylee lied down in her bed feeling her eyes heavy.

          “But not in here,” Kaylee said pointing to her heart and smiling as Ebony pulled the sheets over her tired body. Ebony’s voice was the last thing that she heard before falling into a deep sleep that trapped Kaylee in a hazy dream, a dream that soon, shall turn into a nightmare.

          “If only all of the Lords and Ladies were as kind as you.”

          The girls left, and as the young girl slept someone, like a thief in the night had entered the young girl’s room. As Kaylee slept the creature moved towards her bed and looming over touched her long, raven hair. The creature smirked and blew a thick, purple powder over the Princess’s face and as she breathed it in she started to toss and turn. Knowing the potion had done its job the creature again crept past the guards, as if she had never been.

        Kaylee Black rose forth from her bed and yet her subconscious was not entirely there, the seeds of magic had stuck their nails deep within her mind and there was nothing anyone could do, even if they knew.  Her piercing eyes were glazed over as she made her way towards the door.

          Outside the castle walls stood an old woman, she held a crystal within her crinkly hands. That crystal shone a light shade of purple. Joy ran through the old woman’s bones as the image of her young princess became visible in its shiny surface. It was then that she knew it had worked. The woman left, leaving no trace that she had been there, nor would she ever return. She had places to go, she had to meet her master, and he never did quite like her being late.

          Kaylee’s body seemed to move on its own, she walked past the guards, past the closed door of the kitchens and sleeping quarters, she walked until she felt the cool midsummer’s breeze that seemed to always fill the air hit her body. As she stood for a moment outside the protection of the castle walls she felt as if something had trapped her, as if she’d been walking out of someone else’s accord, and not her own. And yet, the young girl kept walking. Some may wonder how the princess was able to make it through the castle defenses, even out of the city walls, and some will think that maybe there had been magic involved. Yet the common belief will most likely be that the young girl had simply had enough of the ways of a world she simply did not belong in, her death would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

          Even as she walked through the night with the moon hanging high in the sky she could not stop, and it was at that moment that the young girl realized that there definitely was something wrong with her. She could not think properly, nor could she control her body, somehow it all felt like a dream, as if at any moment she’d simply wake up to her two servants smiling faces. The truth of the matter was that she would not, and that this was no dream, it may seem as though it was, but it was not.

          She did not know her destination and the little part of her that understood the events that were unfolding did not recognize this part of the wildwood, she did not know where she was, and she knew that if she made it out of this then she’d not know the road back.

          Surely, she thought, her brother would send out a search party, he would not just let her disappear without a word of question.  That tiny sliver of herself left awake seemed to be fading as she drew nearer to her destination. The forest was eerily silent as she walked past the tall oaks and thick pines; there was not a creature in sight. The birds seemed to sleep in their nests, rabbits confined to their holes and squirrels in their burrows. When the sun descends and the moon hangs high the creatures of the night stir and wake, they rise and wait, until some poor unfortunate soul gets stuck in their trap.

          Not far off from where the young princess stood was a girl with long sinewy blonde hair and in those thin, long locks were tiny shells. Around her neck was a silver necklace shining in the light. The girl touched the necklace and a smile played upon her lips, she knew the cost of the necklace, but taking lives were simply what her kind do. Little did she know that there was someone walking happily bobbing their head and whistling as they went along through the night. She stayed in her hiding place looking at the water; the moon’s reflection warmed her cold heart.

          As Kaylee approached the lake her body did not flinch at the sight of a young woman walking out from behind a tall willow tree by the shore. Kaylee did not seem to acknowledge the girl as she walked out into the water, the feel of it cool against her skin yet she did not mind. She did not mind anything, should she have been truly there she would have screamed, maybe ran, to be truthful should she have been in her right state of mind she would not have gone there in the first place. She’d still be in bed, maybe she’d be asleep, or maybe she’d be plagued by another one of her gut wrenching nightmares. 

          The woman before her wondered what Kaylee was doing but, reminded of the promise she’d made, looked down at the silver necklace and turned it to the moon, the necklace shone with such light and in place of where the woman stood, was a brilliant white horse. Its hair blew softly in the wind and Kaylee reached her hand out to touch the mare. Its hair was filled with little shells that Kaylee ran her hands over before turning back to the sky for one last look at the moon. The horse made a little sound before bending so that Kaylee could mount it.

          A sudden rush of doubt filled the young girl’s mind but that was soon gone, and that little part of her that felt doubt, was overcome by the spell. Soon what would happen would not only effect the realm, but everything that ever was and ever will be again, for the fates of the young girl, and the young boy that stared up at the sky smiling were not insignificant, in fact, you could stay that they were vital factors to the universe. Should one die, well then, that essential balance to the world would crumble, but that is exactly what he wanted, but how he knew this fact tis not certain, and yet he did. The power of knowledge is the greatest of them all, and unfortunately for the two naïve and ignorant teens, that is exactly what they lacked.

          As Kaylee mounted the white horse its smugness was visible in its eyes, its task was almost done, it had the young princess in its grasps and soon, it would have what it wanted, mortality. The mare would no longer have to live in fear, fear of what it wanted most, love. For the curse of such a creature is not kind, the curse of any creature is not kind, and yet, somehow being cursed to kill those you come in contact with, well, that is a curse that anyone with the right mind would want to be rid of.

          The boy with hair the color of warm sunrays drew nearer and nearer as the mare drew nearer and nearer to the water, soon, he’d be too late. Kaylee’s head was immersed in the water and yet, she felt no terror, no pain, and as she gripped the mare’s hair, cutting her delicate fingers on the shells entwined in her hair, the boy stepped into the small clearing. His eyes did not glaze over the seemingly calm water and yet his companion seemed to swoop down to its surface, and as his sweet voice called for it to come it did not. Annoyance had rolled through his stomach as he called out to the beautiful creature, when it did not come closer, he walked towards the shore.

          Beneath the water, just under the surface, Kaylee had lost consciousness, and her heart slowed. He had taken a step closer to the surface, willed to see what was below. His eyes had closed, his hands hovering over the water, and he’d spoken the words, “Revela.”

          His sapphire colored eyes shone with a light, turning silver, as soon as his hands dropped to the side the image beneath was revealed. Kaylee’s black hair rose, the surface bellowing around her as the girl held her under. The boy’s eyes widened as his companion cawed. Closing his eyes once again he spoke once more, “Volentibus mortem íntulit.” Three times he spoke the words, knowing that only one would survive. Pulling the young princess out of the water frantically he raised her head above the surface and onto the lush green grass of the forest floor.

          Looking up at the hawk he said, “Look after her Eros, I’ve got bigger problems at the moment.” Looking at the creature he knew what it was, and he knew that there was only one way to kill such a creature, a creature of changing skin. Staring into the water his keen eyes narrowed in on the necklace resting on her neck, and knowing that life still filled her body he did not near, but instead again called upon the power. “Ad manus mea.”  His eyes once again turned silver as the necklace flew into his hand. Shaking his head he walked over to the young princess, who stirred softly in her slumber, raising the necklace over her head he closed his hand on it, crushing it in his grasp. There was a light emanating from the body of water, and he knew they were out of danger.

          The night sky seemed to clear as if responding to the pair. All seemed to be right in the world again and somewhere, deep within another realm, stood a man overtop of a bowl filled with water scowling onto the image of the pair, knowing that his plan was once again foiled.

          Kaylee was close to rising, that the boy knew, and yet when he called his companion to come, the hawk did not move. Instead, it stayed, perched upon the girl’s shoulder with its head tilted to the side. “Seriously Eros, you know we can’t let anyone see us,” he said running a hand through his shoulder-length hair. The hawk remained where it was and Kaylee’s eyes started to flutter open. As soon as her ice colored eyes focused on the boy’s face a scream echoed throughout the forest.

          Scrunching his face the boy held his ears. “Ouch! What are you a banshee? Geez.”

          “Who are you? Where am I? Oh my god, did you kidnap me?” Kaylee jumped up, her nightgown was heavy from the weight of the water, throwing her off balance. The boy simply laughed and called his bird to his shoulder, and for once, the bird obliged.

          “I don’t kidnap people that serve no worth,” he’d said smiling as he turned to walk away. “Are you going to be okay getting back? Or do you need to be saved again?”

          Kaylee scoffed and anger rippled through her cold body. She didn’t quite know what was going on, but she did know that she wanted to be as far away from this boy, whom she thought to be a total and complete ass, as possible. “I think I can handle myself thanks.”

          Cocking an eyebrow he had put a hand on his hip, looked to the bird and said, “Eros, did it look like she was handling herself?”

          The bird squawked and Kaylee jumped a little narrowing her eyes at the two of them. “Great, I’ve been saved by a psychotic idiot who talks to birds, how wonderful.”

          “I think you need to take your head out of your ass and stop acting so superior to everyone, because maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be such a proper bitch,” the boy said shaking his head and turning to walk away; Eros took flight. “Honestly, whoever you are, you need to stop thinking of just yourself. I bet what’s going through your head right now is ‘oh my god! My dress!’” Kaylee just stood there her marks starting to show as her anger boiled up.

          “Screw you, you don’t know me,” she’d said waving a hand down her body, in an instant her wet dress was now dry. The boy’s eyes widened a little bit before he heard his companion calling him.

          “I know enough to know that you probably always need saving, and that’s just too much effort for me. See you around, but preferably not. I’m sure we’ll run into one another again,” he said with narrowed eyes as he took off into the trees where the bird had gone flying only a moment before.

          For a moment, Kaylee stood there with her hands clenched into little fists as she looked around wondering where in the world she was. A range of different emotions were going through her, anger, confusion, but most of all she knew what the boy said was the truth. That she did always need saving, or at least, in the past she had always needed saving. Narrowing her gaze she knew that what he’d said was no longer true, she knew how to defend herself, and she didn’t need anyone to save her, she could save herself.

          But then, she thought as she walked in the direction the boy had gone, why didn’t she know what had happened to her. She was so caught up in trying to figure it out she didn’t notice the body in the lake, nor did she notice that in fact, the boy hadn’t gone anywhere.

          Eros was perched on a branch a few trees from where Kaylee stood, the boy was following close behind the bird, annoyance once again rolling through his empty stomach. Damn stubborn bird, he’d thought as he followed what he knew would be trouble. “Eros!” He whispered harshly at the bird. It only looked at him sideways.

          “But Cal,” the boy said in a mocking tone, “She's going to get eaten if you leave her.”

          From below he watched the beautiful girl spin on her heel and sigh; she looked like a fish out water, like she’d never been this deep into the woods before. The bird squawked causing the girl to look up at the tree where they were hidden. Cal gave the bird an accusatory glance as he looked to the rising sun. “You just love making me suffer, don’t you?” Again, the bird squawked. “Thought so.”

          Kaylee saw only the silhouette of someone in the tree, thinking that is was a predator she closed her eyes, and launched her fire straight at the boy in the trees. As the tree burst into flame, the hawk took flight and that’s when she realized that indeed she did not hit someone wishing her harm, but someone who only moments ago had saved her life. “Well, shit,” she said as she heard coughing. And then she heard something different, a language she did not understand, and her flames were gone, just like they never were.

          “Are you trying to kill me?” Cal screamed as he waved the smoke out of his face. Squinting and blinking fast he walked out of the smoke and sat down at a nearby tree. “Seriously, I’m contemplating feeding you to a different Kelpie.”

          “A what?”

          “My Lord, you’re clueless too, that’s just great. Don’t they teach you all that book stuff back at the castle? Or are the Duchesses and Dukes just a bunch of idiots sitting on their asses eating all day?” He chuckled. Kaylee, needless to say, was not amused as her lips formed a thin line. She tried to ignore the boy as she looked around, but there was nothing to see, only thick trees and greenery, as the sun rose so did her eyesight, and all that showed was more, and more, and more green. She felt a little more than frustrated as she picked a direction to walk in.

          “Now you’re going to ignore me?” She didn’t answer as she walked through the forest, he didn’t follow. Instead he chuckled that annoying chuckle of his and said, “You do know the castle is the other way, right?”

          “Of course I know that,” she said turning around and walking the opposite way. She wished he’d just go away, or she could just disintegrate him, although she knew that wasn’t really an option. For once she really wished she had her bow and arrows, which she’d been learning to use along with various other combat weapons. She could just stage an accident, but that wouldn’t do much for her ‘winning over’ her people. Kaylee thought, that if they didn’t like her now, some trip across the Court wouldn’t do much.

          She was an outsider, for the love of God; she couldn’t even get home from here. Cal didn’t leave her alone either; he barked directions as his hawk flew overhead. Kaylee didn’t say anything knowing she wouldn’t get back without his help, although she wished she could. As they walked she thought of what might have led her here. She no longer thought Cal had anything to do with it; he wouldn’t be helping her now if he had. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep…and then choking on water. That was not much to go on.

          Turning on her heel she looked at Cal in a way that made him stop his stupid whistling and look at her with a confused face. “What?”

          “Do you know what happened to me?”

          Cal shrugged and looked up at the sky, thinking. “Well, I mean, it did look like there was magic over you, if you’re a fire element than the water elements probably wouldn’t affect you as much, or at least the Kelpie would have had coaxed you into going in,” he said as he fiddled with a symbol on his necklace. “So I think you were enchanted.”

          “Like those powdery things, and spells and shit?” Kaylee was more than a little confused. She’d read in most of her history books at the library that magic had not been around for ages, or at least the sorcery type of magic.

          “No, I mean Dark Magic. It’s not elemental, nor is it limited to just powders and spells. Look, I don’t have the energy to be explaining this all to you,” he said shoving his hands back into his pockets and continued to whistle. Kaylee continued walking until he told her she was going in the wrong direction again. Eventually she figured out that he was just following the bird, and so she too began to follow the creature.

          Once they reached a familiar area of the wood, she heard voices, and they did not sound kind. They were harsh, large footsteps that seemed to shake the ground. Eros dove quickly out of the sky as if to stay hidden. That bird was a lot smarter than most, and Kaylee was becoming to realize that.

          Cal grabbed her by the waist and pulled her behind a tree putting a finger to his mouth. He motioned for her to stay on the ground. The voices grew closer and Kaylee started to formulate a plan, she was not going to be the damsel in distress any longer. Cal climbed the tree to get an aerial attack and view of the guards.

          Once the footsteps drew close she jumped out and fire burst from her hands. Cal’s gentle whispers in a tongue she did not understand could also be heard over the screams. As she listened, she felt a sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach…she knew that scream all too well.