《Crescent moon》


 Chapter 1

    I woke up slightly sweaty in a bed that didn''t belong to me, then I remembered that I was at my best friend''s house. Still hungover from last night I got up and started looking for something to wear when Lee came in from the bathroom. "You woke up, good" she said "My mom made you breakfast, let me know if you want something for the headache" "Yeah, that would be nice" I said putting a hand on my forehead. Last night wasn''t anything unusual, we had our Thursday sleepover with a couple of friends after the study group was over everyone had left already and I just drank a little more than I normally would.


    We went over to the kitchen, I sat down on one of the chairs while Lee searched for some human painkillers. I swallowed it with a glass of water then I ate my breakfast while Lee finished her chores that she promised she would do last night.


    I live in the otherworld, specifically in Solace. There are four realms; Elsher, Solace, Corter, and Averill. People who live in Elsher are the elite and the royals. They are the founders, the ''originals'' as they like to say it. They resemble our creator the most, the first fairy. Her name was Magdalene but we usually refer to her as the true mother. Since then most fairies aren''t pure, they usually have some other creature''s genes as well. The people in Elsher don''t like this very much and they don''t miss one opportunity to rub it in your face how they''re the most powerful and how you''re weak compared to them. Each realm has a name for its residents, people from Elsher are referred to as Wixx.


    People from Corter are mix blooded people from all around the otherworld, they could have a mix of Fairy blood with Vampire blood, Werewolf blood, or even Warlock blood. They''re the most liked in the otherworld, kind of like Switzerland, always neutral, never looking for any kind of trouble, just making sure their little realm is safe from any disturbance. They provide us with food and water, so I guess they have the real power, but they''re not too big on using magic, their ways of negotiating or showing power mostly consist of empty threats and trying to make peace between Solace and Elsher. They are called Dion.


    The third realm is Averill they are the protectors. Averill has a gorgeous landscape. It''s located between two mountain ranges and it''s next to the sea. Soldiers go to Averill to study and to train. About two hundred years ago, when the realms were at war Averill was where the true power laid, but now they aren''t really relevant. It''s basically a part of Elsher now, the rich control it. People from Averill mostly have werewolf blood or sometimes warlock blood which makes them incredibly loyal and also pretty strong. People from Averill are called Kane.


    Then there is Solace, that''s where I live. Solace is the most despised realm of the otherworld because the people who live here have mortal blood. Solace didn''t exist until a few hundred years ago when people from the other world started having mortal partners, this resulted in children being born with new magical powers that the realms didn''t want to claim. This is when the uprisings began, then shortly after a war broke out. The otherworld was at war for about four years before they realized that no matter how long they fought, none of them would ever want to share a land with mortal-blooded people. Eventually, Corter offered a piece of land on the eastmost part of the otherworld. Because of this, it''s the smallest realm out of the four, yet it''s the most dense. Solace is by far the most dangerous realm of all, you can find every creature of the otherworld here, every bastard, every single criminal (even some human ones). People here are often alcoholics or junkies, simply because you can''t survive this place sober. We are called Spades.


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    My father is a Wixx and my mother is a Spade, they met when my father was visiting Solace on a military mission about twenty years ago. They fell in love quickly and decided to get married before my father returned so he and my mom could move to Elsher together. They bought a house and had my older sister, Harlow then a year later me. Unfortunately, we had to move back to Solace when I was five. I''m actually not sure why, but after half a year my mother moved to the human world, specifically Chicago without saying anything to me and my dad, and took Harlow with her and since then It''s just been me and my dad. I asked him a few times why couldn''t we just move back to Elsher since mom is gone and even though my grandparents have passed, my aunt and uncle are still alive, but he never liked the idea, ''too many memories'' he said and one day I just stopped hoping for a life outside of Solace.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    I walked home, opened the front door, and stepped inside, my dad is rarely home, he''s usually out working for weeks at a time, so I basically live alone at this point. I make sure to lock the door and double-check it, it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    I discover a letter carefully wrapped sitting on the dinner table, I wonder how it got there since the mailbox is outside and the letter wasn''t there when I left. I immediately grab a kitchen knife from one of the counters and start looking around. My dad gave me really good training on self-defense and fighting in general when I was little, because of how much I was home alone. As I look around I expect to see a bastard somewhere but the only thing I discover is a small black pigeon outside of a barely open window. It flies away as soon as I look at it but at least I now know where the letter came from. I decide to first take a shower and wash my hair before I read the letter, so I hurry into the small bathroom and freshen up.


    I come out of the shower with my hair slightly wet, sit down on one of the chairs, and take the letter into my hand. It has a beautiful signature on it with the letter V, as I turn it around I discover the sender''s name: ''Desmond Vespertine'' my uncle, what does he want? It could be for my father, but that thought gets destroyed quite fast when I see that it clearly says ''Letitia Vespertine''. I go on and open the letter skimming through the lines of it.


    ''Dear Letitia!


    This is your uncle Desmond, I am writing to you because Ramona and I would like to encourage you to live with us in Elsher. We know your struggles in Solace and how you are constantly alone because of your father''s schedule. Ask your father and let us know about your decision.''


    -Love, aunt Ramona, and uncle Desmond.''


    This was the last thing I expected from today. But the idea of living in Elsher and finally feeling safe without having to look behind my back every two minutes sounds like a dream come true. If I ask my dad''s opinion about this I''m about a hundred percent sure he''ll say no, I might even get locked up for thinking about Elsher let alone moving there. My uncle is one of the queens'' advisors and my aunt is the commander. It would be the opportunity of a lifetime to live there but that means that I would have to leave my best friend, the girl I grew up with, along with my


    father no matter how distant he is, behind. I''m not sure if I''m ready for something like this.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    It is now nighttime and I have written two letters, one to my father and one to my uncle Desmond. I have decided that regardless of my father''s decision of not wanting to go back to Elsher, I will. In the letter, I did not ask for permission from him I simply just stated that I was leaving Solace and moving in with my aunt and uncle, I had wasted way too much of my life living in fear. In the one I wrote to my uncle, I said that I would be delighted to go and thanked him for inviting me, I also reassured him that my father wouldn''t mind which Isn''t the truth at all but as long as he doesn''t know that, it''s fine. I mailed them both with flame because I don''t have any bird that could take it to them for me, and It''s faster this way. Now I just have to figure out how I''m gonna break the news to Lee, I can''t help but feel like I''m betraying her by choosing what''s best for me and walking away from this place.

 Chapter 2

    It is now Saturday afternoon and I invited Lee over to try and somehow tell her that I''m leaving Solace for good. I have planned out every word I''m going to say to her and played out every way the conversation could go but I''m still nervous. I know she''ll understand but if I were in her shoes I would feel betrayed, maybe it''s just my abandonment issues speaking. As I am sitting at the dinner table, deep in my thoughts I hear a knock on the door. I can suddenly hear my heartbeat in my ears and feel every muscle in my body move, as I get up I start regretting my decision, but there''s no going back now. I open the door and I see Lee standing in front of me.


    "Hi!" I say as normally as I can.


    "Hi?" She says chuckling.


    "What''s up? You''re acting weird" She steps inside and looks around "Is everything okay?"


    "Yeah, no everything''s fine" I say leaning on the table "So" I take a pause "How are you?" I say with my arms crossed.


    "I''m" She gives me a weird look "Fine? I guess" She puts her bag on the table "What''s going on? You''re scaring me" She says


    I feel a knot starting to form in my throat and suddenly I have the urge to cry.


    "Well, you remember that uncle I told you about?" I say


    "The one in Elsher?" She asks "Has something happened?" she says with a concerned look.


    "Well, not exactly... It''s just that yesterday when I got back from your house I found a letter on the table that came from them." I respond "Lee, they want me to come and live with them in Elsher" I finally blurt it out.


    Lee''s face is neutral, I can''t tell if she''s mad at me or sad. I immediately feel the guilt coming on.


    "And you''re going?" She asks


    "I think so, yes. But if you need me here and if you don''t want me to leave just say it and I''ll stay" I grab her hands "Lee, you''re my best friend and you''re way more important than going to balls or having a bigger house"


    "I''d never hold you back from getting exactly what you deserve" She says "Let, they''re your family, you belong with them. I''m not saying I won''t miss you, I''ll miss you more than anything but this is your opportunity to escape all of this" She says looking right into my eyes. "Also, you''ll need to get a good education and a good job if we ever want to travel the mortal world" We start tearing up.


    "I love you so much" I say hugging her as tight as I can.


    "And don''t forget to write me about all those ridiculous parties you''ll have to go to" Lee says laughing.


    Lee and I talk for about thirty more minutes then we say our goodbyes. It''s 6:55 PM when I look at the clock. She just has enough time to make it home. I quickly lock the front door, double-check it, then go around checking if all the windows are locked and if the blinds are properly closed. The bells ring at exactly 7 PM. They let the people of Solace know that It''s time to hide out for the rest of the day.


    Solace is dangerous on Its own, but after the sun goes down It''s a completely other type of hell. Remember what I said about Solace and how the lowest of the lowest live here? Back in the 1900s, there was a woman in Solace who was born with a weird genetic mutation that didn''t show up until she was about thirty years old. This genetic mutation caused her to have a disease that made her body store excess fluids in her lungs. This eventually caused her to drown in her own bodily fluids, but after she drowned she came back as something completely different than what she was before. As I said before, people who are from Solace all have some portion of mortal blood, this disease somehow made her lose her mortal self, she basically became a rabid animal. When the leaders in other parts of the otherworld discovered this they wanted to apply it to more Spades to test if they could create an army of these monsters, so they did. They killed about 10.000 Spades and eventually other creatures from all around the otherworld this way. Then, when they realized that what they created was so much worse than what they had thought, they dumped all of them back into Solace. How nice right?


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    We call them the drowned. They only come around at night because they are body snatchers. They have their own physical form, but it would be a dead giveaway if they showed up like that so they murder someone, then steal their body until it becomes unusable. The drowned feed off our souls, they use magic to make you feel drunk and then they suck the life out of you. Lee''s father died this way when she was just five months old.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    It is now Sunday at 4 AM and the sun is rising on the horizon, so It''s safe to go outside. The carriage is scheduled to leave in about 15 minutes and I have to admit I''ve probably never been more nervous in my life. Solace is my home and even though I know that in the end I''ll benefit so much from living in Elsher and going to an actual school, I still can''t help but recall that very night we had to leave. I keep thinking of my mother''s words "Bad people are after us", what if those ''bad people are still there? In the last 12 years, Solace has shaped me in a way that I won''t ever be able to lose, I don''t fit into Elsher anymore.


    These thoughts almost make me want to cancel the whole move and just go inside and lay in my bed, but it''s too late, the carriage has arrived. It''s a beautiful silver, shiny carriage and my aunt''s initials are on it "R.R., Ramona Roswell" I read quietly. I guess there are privileges to being the commander.


    I get into the carriage the magic that is enchanted into it helps me place my bags inside as well. The doors shut, and we start to move. As the carriage flies over Solace I quietly mourn the last 12 years and try to mentally prepare myself for my new life.


    The scenery changes from smokey and firey streets to beautiful meadows, sunshine appearing on the horizon, and lots of animals, we are in Corter. I look out the window and I''m instantly in awe by the beauty of their land. Everyone seems happy, children running, people dancing, sometimes I think about why I could never have that, I guess life is just unfair like that. As we fly deeper into the realm I spot a city, divided by a river, full of trees and other plants. The houses are built in a baroque style. Their city is gorgeous.


    About an hour passes before I decide to look out the window again. We are now flying over a snowy mountain range, I''ve never seen snow in my life before, at least from what I can remember. Not shortly after I spot a valley. Blacksmiths, tents, and fighting ranges are mostly all I can see. We''re in Averill. As we progress into the realm I sight the city. A beautiful sanctuary stands tall in the middle of it. The sun rose, so I get to see more of the city. There are lots of Edwardian-style townhouses and shops from what I can see. It''s again, nothing like Solace. How come they get to live like this and I ended up in a shithole.


    The carriage speeds up again and I know It''s going to take a long time from Averill to my uncle''s house, Elsher is huge. I try to pass the time by reading books but it doesn''t seem to work too well until I spot something in one of my books.


    A paper folded in half slips onto my lap. It was hidden in a book about the occult history of the realms. I close the book and place it down beside me, then I unfold the paper. It appears to be a page ripped out of another book, but It''s in a language I have no understanding of. However, there is a drawn picture in the lower left corner of the page. It''s a little damaged and half of it is missing but I can see some of it. It almost looks like the branches of a tree.I tried to figure out what language could be on the page but I had no luck. At least I wasted enough time with it and now we are only 10 minutes away from arriving. I can''t help but feel anxious, I think I''m only realizing now that this is happening, I''m moving to Elsher.

 Chapter 3

    I step out of my carriage and find myself in front of the gates that lead into my uncle''s estate. I take a moment to just look around and admire everything. Compared to my old home this is a fucking castle. After about a minute the gates swing open, my bags lift into the air, and a short lady comes out the front door. She makes a motion towards her with her fingers and my bags fly inside. She gives me a weird look.


    "Aren''t you coming in?" she yells from the door. With quick steps, I start walking toward her and I hear the gates closing behind me. The sun is just going down so It''s probably around 5 PM. Seasons still exist in the other world and as we approach the winter months it''s getting darker and darker outside.


    I go inside the house and take a look around. It''s built in a gothic style but still looks kind of homey. It has two levels up and one down. I quickly spot a small staircase going downwards. I''m guessing that''s where the maids and the butler lives. I look to my left and I see the foyer which is right next to the dining room. To my right, there is a small sun parlor that leads to a more normal-looking living space. While I''m observing the house the lady who let me in introduces herself.


    "I''m Mrs. March, I''m the head housemaid here. If you need anything, let me know" She says, and before I could even respond she''s already gone up the stairs with my bags.


    "Letitia darling!" my aunt suddenly says, kissing me on both cheeks. She has a strong British accent which honestly really suits her. She has long silky silver-like hair and her irises are almost black.


    "It''s so good to finally see you again Ramona" I say and give her a hug. My uncle is standing right next to her, smiling at me.


    "Letitia" he says and gives me a half-hug. He isn''t a particularly tall man, I would say he''s even a little shorter than his wife, but at the same time, he somehow looks like he could take down five people.


    Two more people appear on the stairs.


    "You must remember your cousins" my aunt says energetically.


    "We kind of never met" says the girl on the stairs. She resembles her mother in a lot of ways. The lower half of the hair is just like Ramona''s, but hers is much shorter and her roots are dark brown.


    Her cat-like eyes scan me.


    "Hi I''m Tori, you''re Letitia, right?" she takes a few steps towards me and reaches out her hand which I shake.


    "Yeah, thanks for having me" I say smiling at her. The boy beside her steps closer too. I would say he''s taller than the average person but not outstanding. Unlike his twin sister, his eyes look weirdly normal, his hair however is dark but has some lighter stripes in it.


    "Glad you''re here, I''m Finn" he says with a half smile also holding out his hand, I guess it''s a family thing. I shake his hand and smile back at him.


    After meeting my new-old family I got escorted into my room. It''s on the second floor, next to Finn''s and opposite Tori''s room. I think it was used as a guest bedroom or something, it looks kind of boring. It only has a bed, a desk, and a dresser inside. The walls are lined with wood and there''s a built-in bookshelf, along with two big windows. At least I''ll get to decorate it. I unpack my clothes and as I open my closet to put them in I discover that my closet is already full. I don''t even know what I was thinking honestly, this is Elsher I can''t wear my old clothes anymore. Suddenly I feel embarrassed about what I walked through the door in. My new clothes look marvelous, not many bright colors, but instead lots of black, grey, white, some red, and of course silver. Ramona must have picked them out.


    I put my old clothes back into my bags and put the bags under my bed, I hope I won''t have to use them again in the near future. I am absolutely ready to go to bed and I start to make my way toward the bathroom when I see that I also have a couple of books on my desk along with a class schedule. How could''ve I forgotten about school?


    Clearmorth, Academy Of The Arcane


    Is written on the top of the schedule, along with the symbol of the school, a crescent moon. I take it into my hands and start reading it.


    <u>Monday:</u>


    8 AM-11 AM: 1st period - Mortal studies11 AM-1 PM: 2nd period - Ancient languages and their studies


    <u>Tuesday</u>


    8 AM-11 AM: 1st period - Herbology11 AM-1 PM: 2nd period - Debate


    <u>Wednesday</u>


    9 AM-11 AM: 1st period - Magical training11 AM-1 PM: 2nd period - Defense/offense training


    <u>Thursday</u>


    8 AM-11 AM: 1st period - Dance11 AM-1 PM: 2nd period - Art


    <u>Friday</u>8 AM-11 AM: 1st period - History11 AM-1 PM: 2nd period (optional) - Humanities


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    At least I won''t have to be there all day. I go into the bathroom and take a shower. I''ve forgotten how nice a hot shower can feel. I almost want to stay there forever but after about thirty minutes I finally dry myself, brush my teeth, and go back to my room.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    The grandfather clock in the hallway wakes me. I look at my own clock placed on my bedside table, it''s 7:30. I close my eyes for a few more seconds then I decide to just get it over with and get out of bed.


    I brush my teeth and put a few strands of my hair into little braids. I feel pressured to make a good impression here. I hope people won''t despise me at school for being from Solace, but who am I kidding, they''ll probably hate me.


    I put on my clothes which consist of a blue pleated skirt, a white blouse, a black leather jacket, and a plain black tie. It''s gonna take some time to get used to wearing a uniform to school. I also put some black tights on because it''s getting really cold outside and I pair them with regular black docmartens.


    After packing my school bag I open the door to my room and walk out into the hallway where I see Tori.


    "Morning" she says. She sounds like a fifty-year-old chain smoker, which indicates that she just woke up. "Are you nervous?" She asks me as we walk towards the stairs together.


    "Yeah, a little I guess, I just don''t know what to expect" I answer "How much do you think they''ll hate me?" I say chuckling.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, they won''t hate you, or...well at least they won''t hate you because they got to know you, they''ll hate you because they hate spades" Tori says in a sarcastic voice.


    I already like her.


    "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I say tilting my head back as we walk down.


    "Calm down, It''ll be fine you can hang out with me and my friends. I swear they''ll be cool with you not being from here"


    "Well, I kind of am though" I say.


    "You know what I mean" She says


    We finish our conversation as we get closer to the dining table. Finn, my aunt, and my uncle are already eating breakfast.


    "Good, you woke up" Ramona says


    "So, we wanted to discuss some house rules with you Letty, with all of you actually" My uncle says, wiping his mouth with a napkin.


    This already sounds bad.


    "What does that supposed to mean?" Finn says giving his parents a weird look.


    "It means that you won''t be going out every single night with your friends and doing god knows what." Says Desmond.


    "Dad, we''re seventeen" Tori says "It''s not like you can force us to stay home"


    "There will be consequences if you don''t comply with our rules" Ramona says, giving her daughter a fierce look.


    I can''t help but feel jealous. Not of the stupid rules we have to follow, but of the way my aunt and uncle are parenting us. I don''t think my dad ever cared about what I did as long as I came home alive and in one piece.


    "You''re not allowed to bring boys or girls to your room without the door being open, curfew at 10 PM on weekdays and midnight on weekends, you have to have at least a B average, and you need to attend at least one event with us a month" Ramona explains.


    "I don''t know what happened during your sleep, but you''ve clearly lost your minds" Tori says


    "Come on Let" She says to me.


    "Yeah, I just lost my appetite" Finn says.


    All three of us stand up from the table, I grab my bag on my way out and we start walking to school.


    We walk in silence for some time, trying to process what the fuck just happened when Finn speaks.


    "Sorry about that, not the best first impression of our family" He says with an awkward laugh.


    "I swear they''re usually cool, I don''t know what changed in the past eight hours" Tori says.


    "I think you''re forgetting where I lived just two days ago. I''ll survive having to ''go to an event'' I say with a sarcastic laugh.


    We walk on the muddy path that leads from the gates to a brick road where we stop.


    "Why are we stopping?" I ask but as soon as the words leave my mouth a bus with the speed of light stops in front of us.


    "What the hell" I say quietly


    "Come on" Says Tori motioning toward the vehicle


    I get onto the bus, it looks like a double-decker but the top deck isn''t a full one, there are a few seats up there and there is railing on the sides of it. Immediately I notice that the driver looks rather...how do I say it, ogre-like. I look around and spot a few more weird looking faces.


    "Staring is rude, you know" Says a blonde guy from the upper deck. His legs are up on the railing and he''s reading some kind of a book. I just give him a weird look and move on.


    "Sit" says Finn and we sit down to a foursome. Tori has the empty seat next to her where she puts her bag and Finn immediately puts his feet up there.


    I stare out the window. I have to admit, Elsher is gorgeous. It''s October 30th which means the sun comes up pretty late, I can see a city in the distance but other than that it''s all mountains.


    We are still at the bus stop, I study the landscape. I watch as some light peaks over the huge mountain range and the fog slowly starts disappearing from the heat of the sun. Suddenly the doors close and the bus moves. I get jolted into my seat.


    "Is this like in Harry Potter or what?" I say pretty loudly since the bus is so loud I think it might fall apart.


    "What?" Finn and Tori say in union with the calmest voice ever, like we''re not going with 10 lightyears per second.


    The bus comes to a sudden stop. I try to collect myself after this disturbing experience and I look out the window again. The city that I just saw in the distance is now in front of my eyes. We''ve arrived.


    Tori and Finn stand up, I follow them. The bus stopped right outside of our school and I can already see a bunch of people. They''re beautiful, human but just with a touch of magic. Finn spots someone and goes off with him.


    "Clearmorth" I read to myself.


    I''ve never been to a real school before. Back home it was just my study group, and I don''t think the knowledge I acquired there will be of any use for me here. Suddenly my stomach starts to cramp up and I''m getting anxious. Everything happened so fast I guess I didn''t even have time to think about what''s it gonna be like.


    "It''ll be fine" Tori says grabbing my hand with a smile on her face "It was scary for me too at first but you''ll get used to it. After all, you''re from Solace"


    "You''re right" I say smiling back and taking a deep breath.


    We walk through the gate and up the stairs. Some people are looking, some ignore us completely. I look like one of them luckily, they''d never be able to tell that I''m half Spade. I notice one person, the blonde guy on the bus. He''s sitting on a bench with a girl on his lap and talking with a bunch of other people.


    "What do you have first?" Tori asks


    I reach into my bag looking for my schedule


    "Mortal studies" I reply.


    "Ugh, let''s hope you guys don''t do math today, other than that it should be easy" She says


    Me and Tori part ways and I''m left looking for my classroom. The school is huge. I used that adjective a lot these past day but compared to Solace this is a whole different world. As I wander the hallways I think of my dad. How do I tell him that I want something different than what he had planned for me? Maybe I want to pursue art instead of fighting in the army, or maybe I want to study herbs, or maybe, just maybe I don''t want to live in constant fear for my life. I still don''t get why we had left all those years ago and even after one day here, I feel closer to my aunt and uncle than I felt to him all my life. I know he''s hiding something but I just don''t know what it is.

 Chapter 4

    I finally find my classroom and as I try to enter a short man with a tail suddenly appears beside me. I''m guessing he''s the teacher. A huge pile of papers floats into the classroom and falls onto the teachers'' desk.


    "Oops sorry, just passing through" He says. His voice has a high but kind pitch to it.


    He enters before me and I follow him.


    "Haven''t seen you here before dear, what''s your name?" He asks


    "Letitia" I pause "Vespertine" I say finally.


    "You don''t happen to be related to Desmond?" The man asks.


    "Erm, yes he''s my uncle. I just moved here" I say, praying he doesn''t ask from where.


    "Well, Miss Vespertine I look forward to getting to know you" He says with a smile on his face. He reaches out his right hand.


    "I''m Mr Windward" He says.


    We shake hands. I look around, everyone has taken a seat already.


    "Oh, you can just sit with, erm... Mr Sterling, right over there" He points to the far left of the classroom. I spot the same blonde boy. He''s now reading his book again.


    I walk to the back and sit down next to him. I look at him for a second contemplating whether I should say hello or say anything but I don''t end up saying a word. I put my back down on the floor and sit back.


    "Oh! Almost forgot" Mr Windward says


    God, I think I know what''s coming


    "We have a new student!" He says


    Of course


    "If you''d all look to the back, Miss Letitia Vespertine has joined our magnificent class!" He says with a big smile.


    Everyone turns their heads.


    "Hi" I say with an awkward tone and a smile.


    God


    Some people say hello, some just turn their heads to look at me. No one really cares. I guess it''s my lucky day.


    The guy next to me chuckles. I turn my head to look at him.


    "What?" I say


    "Nothing, I just found it funny" He says, still not looking up from his book.


    "Glad to be of service" I say with a sarcastic tone. This time he looks at me. He has greyish eyes with long light brown eyelashes. He''s wearing his uniform, which consists of a blue tie, a white shirt, and a pair of black dress pants. I''m not gonna lie, he''s gorgeous


    "Quiet down everyone" Mr Windward speaks "We''ll take it easy today, I know you''re all getting ready for tonight''s celebration, so I thought we could learn a little about holidays in the mortal world" He says


    "What celebration?" I ask the guy, still not knowing his name.


    "Harvest" He says. I guess short answers are his thing.


    "I will be giving you all a list of mortal holidays and you''ll need to talk about similarities between our holidays and their holidays in pairs, then we''ll discuss it together" Mr Windward says. He moves his index fingers and the two piles of paper suddenly move. Two pieces of paper lands on everyone''s desk.


    ''This should be the easiest class'' I think to myself. When my mom was still around she talked a lot about mortal holidays.


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    "What''s your name anyway?" I ask, turning my head to look at the boy.


    "You ask a lot of questions" He says closing his book "It''s Aiden"


    "Okay, erm...let''s start I gue-" I say but he cuts me off


    "No, it''s my turn to ask you" He says fully facing me now. This cannot be good


    "Where the hell are you from?" He asks


    "Uhm, what do you mean?" I answer with a nervous laugh.


    "You asked what we were celebrating tonight and guessing by your last name, you''re not some low-life fraud who just came here to spy on my family" He says


    "That happened before?" I say confused


    "Answer" he says firmly.


    "Listen, I''ve got no clue who the hell you are and I could not care less about your stupid family drama, I''m here to graduate and not so I can listen to psychotic people." I say leaning closer to him.


    "Now, can we start?" I say with a much calmer voice.


    "Fine" He replies.


    After three excruciating hours, the class is finally over. As soon as the huge bells on top of the school''s rooftop ring we both stand up and without even saying a word leave.


    The hallways are loud and packed. I''m not sure which one is worse, the streets of Solace City or the hallways of Clearmorth. You can most definitely find the same type of people in both places. I walk out into the courtyard to get some fresh air during my break.I sit down on a bench and I look at the sky, It''s cloudy, almost raining. I haven''t seen the sky in a few months. Things have been kind of bad lately in Solace, like worse than usual. Crime is at an all-time high, especially since Averill pulled all of their soldiers from our realm. I guess they had enough of protecting the ''garbage'' of our society.


    I spot Tori and Finn in the distance. There''s another guy there who has his hands around Tori''s waist, I''m guessing he''s her boyfriend. A group of four pass by and Finn joins them, leaving Tori and the guy. I can''t help but feel jealous of them again. They had it all from the second they were born. I never had the kind of relationship with my dad they have with their parents. I haven''t even seen my mother in years, it was always the occasional birthday card or maybe if I got lucky she''d send me a box of chocolates from the mortal world.


    My train of thought is interrupted


    "How was your first class?" A sharp voice asks. I turn my head and see Tori and the guy


    "It was fine I guess" I say with a half smile.


    "I''m Wes" The guy says smiling while reaching out his hand


    "Hi, Letita" I smile back, and we shake hands.


    The bells go off again.


    "What do you have next?" Tori asks


    "Uhm" I say while looking for my schedule "Ancient languages"


    "It''s your lucky day" Tori says while she locks arms with me "I happen to also have that class" She says with a huge smile. I smile back at her. I''ve only known her for twelve hours but I already have no clue what I''d do without her.


    Wes leaves to go to his class and we go to ours. The class is held in a huge auditorium so the teacher can''t really watch every single student. We take on this opportunity and talk through the entire thing.


    "Wait, so you got to live alone basically?" Tori asks excitedly "That''s so cool, I''m so jealous of you right now" She says


    "It sounds better than it actually is, believe me" I say chuckling at her reaction


    "You totally have to tell me all about what it was like living here" She says


    We continue talking and getting to know each other. After what felt like forever, the day is over and the bells ring again.


    We stand up from our seats and walk out. Me and Tori decided to walk home since the weather had now cleared. It has turned into a beautiful day, the trees are all in different shades of orange while the sun is shining down on us and there is not a single cloud in sight.


    "So what is this harvest thing all about anyway?" I ask


    "My parents didn''t tell you anything" She says


    "No?" I answer


    "It''s an annual celebration in the otherworld, I guess you didn''t have it in Solace but it''s kind of a big deal here" She says "Like there''s a whole dinner party and everything, it usually lasts for at least six hours"


    "Six hours?" I say with my eyes wide "Tonight?"


    "Yeah, I know" She says laughing "But it can be fun, you just gotta find the right people and stick with them" She says while winking and pointing at herself.


    We continue talking and laughing on the way home. Eventually, we spot the huge gates and walk in.As soon as we step foot into the house Ramona comes running from the foyer.


    Girls!" she says in a harsh tone "Where in the world have you been?" She continues, putting her hands on her hips. She''s fully dressed already. She''s wearing a gorgeous black dress with the tiniest sparkles on it, her hair is tightly wrapped in a bun and she has the family diamonds on, along with her iron shoulder pads that have the flag of Elsher painted onto them.


    "I guess what counts is that you''re here now" She says sighing "Go on" she motions towards the stairs "Mrs March has laid both of your dresses on your beds, be down in an hour"


    Me and Tori take our shoes off and walk up the stairs.


    "Are you nervous?" Tori asks me as we''re walking


    "Should I be?" I say looking at her.


    She shrugs "It''s just, mom and dad can be a pain in the ass at these things, but maybe they''ll spare you since you''re not their precious little child" She says with a dramatic voice.


    I walk into my room and close the door. I spot my dress. It''s a plain black dress, just reaching the ground. It comes with one of those scarves, kind of like the one Princess Diana wore, but it''s a bit more modern. I also spot my shoes, black red bottom heels. I put the outfit on, I look amazing in it, I don''t think I''ve ever looked so good.

 Chapter 5

    Mrs March comes into my room.


    "Fantastic, you managed to put it on" She says. She sits me down onto a chair a does my hair for me. It''s nothing too extra, just a plain ponytail with a few braided pieces. Then Ramona comes in.


    "You look beautiful Letty" She says smiling at me.


    "Thank you" I say smiling back at her "For everything, truly. I can''t thank you enough"


    "Oh, nonsense" She steps closer "This is what family is for." I don''t think I''ve ever heard a more comforting sentence.


    "Here, put these on" Ramona says handing me a pair of earrings and two armlets. The armlets are both plain silver and the earrings are diamond. I look at Ramona and before even getting a chance to say anything she quickly puts the armlets on me.


    "I can''t wait for you to meet our people" She says while looking at me in the mirror.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    We arrive the celebration ball. I look out the carriage window and see an enormous estate. A bunch of people have arrived already and there are lights everywhere. We step out of the carriage.


    "So how does this go?" I ask


    "There''s a seating chart so you three will probably sit with your schoolmates" Says my uncle looking at me "Other than that it''s just a nice evening party, you''ll enjoy it" He pats my back while smiling.


    As we approach the huge archway I spot a few people I saw at school today. We each get our seat numbers and walk further in. The ballroom is filled with round tables and there''s even a grand staircase that leads upward where there are more tables. The ceilings are beautifully painted with mythological creatures and there are huge chandeliers shining down on the room. People are talking and laughing while a band of weird-looking creatures play.


    Tori, Finn, and me walk through the crowd to find our table. It''s 6:57 and they start serving food at 7:00


    "Ugh, I''m starving" Tori says tilting her head back and holding onto her stomach while we walk.


    "When are you not?" Finn asks with an annoyed voice.


    "Hey, I''m a developing individual" Says Tori with an offended voice, looking at her brother.


    "Yeah, you''ve been developing for the past seventeen years" Finn says chuckling "I was born two pounds underweight, wonder why that was" He says looking at me. Tori widens her eyes and laughs while looking at her brother. Tori grabs my hand "You''re my new sister-brother i guess then" She says while side-eyeing Finn. We all laugh and keep joking around while still looking for our table.


    "Oh hell no" Finn says suddenly.


    "What?" me and Tori ask in union.


    "We''re sitting with fucking Aiden" He says. I remember his name from earlier.


    "What''s his deal?" I ask


    "Finn and him used to be best friends" Tori answers "Up until he turned into his true self and hooked up with Finn''s ex then they started dating, and he kicked him off the tiroball team.


    "He''s a real treat" Finn says shaking his head.


    "Tori, Finn!" Says Wes, who also happened to be at the table.


    "Come on" Tori says dragging Finn along.


    We walk to the table and take seats. We were the last ones to get there so there wasn''t much of a seat option. Tori sat next to me and Wes while Finn sat down between two girls. Guess who I sat next to. Of course, It''s Aiden.


    "Hey guys" Says one of the girls sitting next to Finn.


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    "Who''s your friend? I haven''t seen her around school" Says the other one.


    "She just moved here" Aiden says quickly before I could even open my mouth to speak.


    "Oh, from where?" The girl says looking at me.


    "She''s our cousin" Tori says quickly while eating a breadstick. The girl gives her a weird look


    "I''m Letitia" I say smiling, finally getting the chance to speak.I look at Aiden, he''s wearing a simple white shirt with a tie, he has a gold shimmer in his hair along with gold rings on his fingers, his lips look as if he had just eaten a dozen cherries. He doesn''t even acknowledge me, I don''t expect a welcome wagon but come on, you''d think that people in Elsher have some manners. I can''t wait to spend my night sitting next to the crypt keeper.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    As the night goes on we run out of topics we can pretend to be interested in and the occasional two minute awkward silence starts. Aiden still hasn''t even said a word to me, though the others have been nice. I learned that Wes and Tori have been dating for about two years and Wes is living on campus because his parents are serving in Averill. The two girls sitting beside Finn are sisters named Amanda and Alison Whitlock, Amanda graduated last year from Clearmorth and now she''s studying medicine in the mortal world, she just came to visit for harvest. Alison is our age and she''s all about uncovering secrets, she''s the editor of the school paper as well.


    Suddenly someone appears between me and Aiden.


    "I''m bored, let''s go" an unfamiliar voice says. "Where?" Aiden asks. I turn to look at who it is. It''s a guy, I can''t help but make a weird face, he''s wearing a purple tux.


    "I know a much more... entertaining place" the guy says. He pauses "Who the hell are you?" he asks looking at me.


    "Letitia" I say, almost like it''s a question "Who the hell are you?" I return the energy.


    "Lyle Gasper" He says with a weird tone. "Anyway, so you wanna come or not?"


    "You''re not gonna invite us?" Finn says "It''s rude making plans in front of people who aren''t invited" He says sipping his champagne.


    Lyle rolls his eyes "While I appreciate your lesson on manners Grifinn, I''m afraid I''ll have to decline" he says with a half smile. He''s still leaning into Aiden''s face waiting for his answer.


    "Come on Gasper, I''m bored shitless here" Alison says. I take a sip of my champagne finishing the entire glass. I can see Aiden looking at me from my peripheral. Lyle is getting more annoyed by the second.


    "Are you coming or not?" He asks again. "I don''t know, who''s there?" Aiden asks Lyle


    "Your girlfriend happens to be" Lyle says. I wonder if it''s the same girl that cheated on Finn with him. "Oops, sorry is it still a painful topic Grifinn?" Lyle says with a sarcastic voice.


    Finn puts his arms around Alison "Not at all" he says. "On second thought, maybe you should come. Make the night a bit more interesting" Lyle says.


    Alison stands up "Shall we then?" she says grabbing Finn''s hand and looking at Lyle. Amanda left the table about thirty minutes ago to catch up with some old friends while she''s back, so it''s just the six of us now. We''re all standing already but Aiden looks like he''s still contemplating whether he should go or not.


    "Aiden, come on you can''t avoid her forever" Lyle says dragging him up from his seat.


    "I''m not avoiding her just so you know" Aiden says. We start walking out.


    "Oh okay, what do you think Lydia about not saying a word to your girlfriend for a week and making sure you avoid eye contact with her in the hallway?" Lyle asks me


    "It''s Letitia" I say while we''re walking


    "That''s what I said" He says while basically pushing Aiden in front of him.


    "What did you say your last name was?" Lyle asks me


    "I didn''t" I answer


    "You know, I think you''d really like my friend Aiden over here, he also gives the longest most interesting answers as well" he says pointing at Aiden


    I chuckle "It''s Vespertine"


    "Are you like the lost twin or something?" He says


    "Cousin" Finn answers "You should be familiar with them, if I remember correctly you were actually hooking up with one last year" he says


    "I see no shame in that" Lyle says "And just so you know, I''m always open for business I don''t discriminate between my own or other people''s cousins" he says looking at me.


    I let out a disgusted sound while he laughs, looking like he''s proud of himself.


    "Ugh, gross Lyle. Just shut your mouth until we get there" Tori says.We walk out of the estate and into the garden. Through there, we walk into the woods, I can see a few lights in the distance and I hear music playing. We''re going to a party. Even better, I think it''s a Clearmorth party, just what I was hoping for.


    "Enjoy" Lyle says before dragging Aiden with him and leaving us. We are next to a lake so there''s a boathouse as well. This party must have been really planned, there''s a bonfire and tables full of alcohol. Wixxes are so much like mortals, I don''t understand all the hatred they have towards Spades. Wixxes could pass as mortals better than some Spades in my opinion.


    Suddenly I''m standing alone. Tori left with Wes to find something to drink and Alison dragged Finn into the boathouse, I have a few guesses about how they plan to spend their time. I spot Amanda, she''s talking to a few friends so I don''t want to bother her either. A girl comes up to me."You can''t wear a dress this long here, it''ll get muddy" she says with a concerned look, then with a snap of her fingers she transforms my dress. It reaches just above my knees along with the scarf now, my red bottoms have also turned into knee-high boots. Before I could even thank her or introduce myself, she was gone. I''m once again left alone. ''Shut up and drive'' plays as I wander through the crowd looking for Tori and Wes.

 Chapter 6

    Eventually, I give up and look for a place where I can sit down. I find a table full of jars filled with fireflies. I take one and head towards the lake, where I find an empty boat with a blanket in it. I climb into it and sit on the ground. As I sit down I realize that someone had left a notebook and a pen in the boat.


    I open the notebook and skim through it. It''s filled with weird documents, runes, and a bunch of pages are full. I don''t read them, I just rip out a page, close the notebook, and start writing on the front seat of the boat, facing the water.


    I''m writing to Lee about my day. It was so weird without her, I almost felt empty not having her either beside me or five minutes away. I tell her about my day and about all the people I met and of course the ''ridiculous party'' I had just attended when I hear yelling from behind me. I don''t turn around.


    "That''s fine with me Jules, you go tell your mother we don''t need your family''s pity money"


    "Are you serious? Listen I know you''re going through it right now or whatever but you can''t speak to me like that."


    The voices get closer.


    "Aiden, I know this isn''t the most ideal situation but you have no choice here. You''re stuck with marrying me. We''ll talk when you''ve calmed down"


    I still haven''t turned around, afraid they might see me. At first, I think it''s just the waves but then I hear a voice mumbling to itself. Before I could turn around and look we are already off shore. Please god, tell me I''m not in a boat with Aiden Sterling


    "That''s mine" a voice says from behind me.


    "Excuse me?" I say turning around facing him.


    "The blanket" Aiden says while rowing


    "Are you kidnapping me right now?" I ask with a sarcastic voice.


    "You''re the one who got into my boat" He says


    "What was that about?" I ask


    "What?" Aiden says


    "You''re getting married?" I ask getting up the floor of the boat and sitting down on the seat in front of him.


    "What? You''re jealous?" he says laughing.


    "You''re actually unbelievable" I say "Take me back to shore, now" I demand


    "No? This is my boat, you''re the intruder here" He responds


    Never in my life have I committed manslaughter, but Aiden might just be my first victim.


    "Fine" I say and try to take the paddle out of his hand. I''m now standing so i''m much less stable than him which already makes this fight not fair at all. The boat moves as we wrestle each other for the paddle.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" He asks. The boat shakes even more and I lose my balance. I end up falling head-first into the water along with the paddle the notebook and the letter I was writing.


    Aiden, like the gentleman he is, couldn''t care less and does nothing while i''m basically drowning. I eventually manage to get back into the boat but the paddle has floated away.


    "Thanks so much for helping" I say climbing back into the boat. I was already cold before, imagine now.


    "What did you want me to do? Jump in with the piranhas?


    "WHAT?" I yell


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    Aidan lets out a laugh "I was joking. Heard of one before?"


    "Funny. Where''s the backup paddle?" I ask


    "There isn''t one" He says


    "How can you be so calm about this?" I ask while wrapping myself in the blanket.


    "As long as I''m out here I have an excuse to not think about what''s about to happen in a month" He says


    "Okay mystery boy, now you gotta tell me"


    "It''s my wedding day on November 25th, less than a month away" He responds


    "Wait, I thought you were joking" I say, my eyes widening "Why the fuck are you getting married at seventeen? I mean you don''t seem too excited so i''m guessing it''s not the love of your life"


    He chuckles "There''s just so much you don''t understand" He says "I know where you''re from. I overheard my mom and your aunt talking this afternoon"


    My heart drops for a second. "What do you mean?"


    "You think it''s a coincidence that you''re here? No spade would ever be let into Elsher if it wasn''t for our benefit. The queen herself approved you coming to live with Ramona and Desmond, they want something from you."


    "Do you know what it is?" I ask with a much quieter voice now.


    "I have no clue" He responds


    I look around for a second, not knowing what to say next. Thoughts are running through my head about what they could possibly want from me. I start regretting coming here all over again.


    "You know" Aiden starts to speak "I''m jealous of you" He says


    "How could you possibly be jealous of me?" I say "You''ve got everything"


    "How do you know that? We just met"


    "I guess I just-" he cuts me off


    "Assumed? That I had an amazing life?" He says "Well, hate to break it to you but that''s not the case"


    I don''t say a word, waiting for him to continue, instead, he takes off his blazer and gives it to me.


    "Here, would hate it if people started asking you how you got pneumonia"


    I look at him with a half smile on my lips.


    "Wait" I laugh "Is this the part where you fall in love with me?" I say chuckling


    "That''s it" He says "Give it back, now"


    "Oh no it''s actually quite warm" I say still laughing


    "Okay, how do we get out of here now?" He asks looking around


    "We could...paddle with our hands I guess" I say


    He looks me dead in the eyes


    "No way, no I''m not doing that" he says


    "I don''t think you have a choice" I say tilting my head


    We start paddling with our hands and after a long, excruciating thirty minutes we make out to shore. I''m now wondering whether fairies can get frostbite because I definitely feel it coming on.


    Aiden gets out first.


    "Come on" He reaches his hand towards me. I don''t want to take it at first.


    "Come on, you''re already wearing my blazer, just let me help you, you''re trembling" he says


    I roll my eyes "Fine" I mumble and take his hand. His hands are soft but still extremely cold from the water.


    "I''ve never been more happy to have my feet on ground" I say. I take the blazer off and hand it to him "Thanks" I say.


    "Don''t be ridiculous" he says "At least wash it before you give it back" he says chuckling


    "I don''t like you very much, you know that?" I say as we start walking back towards the woods.


    "Yeah?" He says smiling at me. We lock eyes and for a moment I feel my heart drop, but it doesn''t last very long. We are standing at the boathouse when we hear a girl scream.


    "Amanda!" She yells. I spot people running everywhere and screaming. I look at Aiden, he grabs my arm and starts running towards the bonfire, dragging me with him.


    I spot Alison, Finn, and Tori standing, looking at the fire from a distance. Alison is hysteric and Finn and Tori look as if they''re in shock.


    "What happened?" I yell, but soon enough as we get closer I see exactly what happened.


    There''s a body, torn apart by what seems like twenty bears, fallen onto the bonfire. We walk a little closer and I recognize the dress. It''s Amanda. I suddenly feel like all the air has been sucked out of my lungs. I look around, there are a few people also just staring in utter shock. I see Wes approaching with a group of adults.


    "Everyone, get away from the fire" I hear a familiar voice. I turn my head and see Ramona. "Go back to the estate, this is now a murder scene, you cannot be here" She says.


    People start leaving. I let go of Aiden and walk up to Tori and the others.


    "How did this happen?" I ask


    "I don''t know" Tori says sniffing "One second we were just talking, then the other Alison screamed, we turned around and saw Amanda''s body falling from one of the trees"


    A group of healers have now taken Alison away from the scene and we start walking back towards the estate.


    "So, is this a common thing around here?" I ask not knowing what answer to expect. Murder was a part of my everyday life back home, but I''m guessing it isn''t as normal here.


    "Mom deals with a lot of them, but they''re not like this" Finn says "Did you see her body? It was almost unrecognizable"


    Me, Tori, Finn, and Wes keep walking. Deep in our thoughts, no one speaks. When we reach the estate Desmond is waiting for us with a carriage.


    "Come on" He says motioning for us to get it "Sorry Letty, not the best first day here" he pats me on the back.


    "Can Wes come with us?" Tori asks


    "Fine, but only this time" Desmond says.


    We all get it and the carriage takes off. My uncle is talking to us about how this is a one time thing and he''s sure it''s nothing serious but I don''t think any of us are listening. Second night here and I already witnessed a murder, how ironic.

 Chapter 7

    After thirty minutes of silence and staring out the window of the carriage, we get home. Without saying a word we all walk into the house and start taking off our jackets.


    "Who''s blazer is that?" Tori asks, spotting the extra piece of clothing in my hand. "And why''s your hair wet? Where were you?" She continues to pile me with questions.


    "It''s a long story. I just slipped and fell in a puddle, and then I found the blazer in a boat, so I thought I''d take it with me to keep warm" I respond. I love that I''m already lying, but I wasn''t about to get into how Aiden and I were in a boat stranded in the middle of the lake.


    My uncle walks into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, then he leaves the house to go back to the scene and try and figure things out. The queen has been notified of the murder, so I''m guessing this isn''t something we''ll all just forget in a month.


    I walk into my room and look in the mirror. I feel like an imposter here, pretending to be something I''m not. All night I was sitting at a table where it felt like the people were speaking a different language than I was, they talk about parties and the newest gossip and they make it seem like their hair not looking perfect is the biggest problem the world had ever seen. They make me want to scream.


    I take my jewelry off, brush my hair, and change into my pajamas. I climb into bed and stare at the ceiling for what feels like hours before I manage to fall asleep.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    I''m walking through the woods in a long, silky white dress. My whole body is damp as if I had just jumped into a pool. I look around and spot a bunch of white doves being released into the sky. I walk towards the place where they''re taking off from. I see a bassinet with a newborn inside and four adults surrounding it. I can''t make out their faces.


    "I told you this would happen, I forbid you from having this child, yet you still disobeyed me." a woman says "This child will never be welcome here, and neither will you. I''ll make sure personally that you get what you deserve for this" She says, then disappears along with another person.


    The two other people take the newborn into their hands. The forest transforms and now we''re in a place that looks like a white room, just with no walls. I spot Amanda lying on the ground.


    "Amanda!" I scream, but she doesn''t look at me. She''s wearing the dress she was last night before it all happened. She suddenly looks into my eyes, then out of nowhere something comes running and takes her away. I try to see what it is but I can''t make out anything but shapes.


    I hear my name being called from every direction, I look around to see the origin of the sound but it''s everywhere. I feel so overwhelmed I just start screaming.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    "Letty!" Tori shakes me awake "What''s up? Are you okay?" She asks, sitting down on my bed


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Nightmare" I respond sitting up and facing her.


    "I think we all had one after last night" Tori says "Hey, I don''t know how you''re feeling but we''re all gonna go and see Alison later today, so if you''d like to join you can"


    "Sure, when do we leave?" I ask


    "Forty minutes" She responds


    "Works for me"


    Tori leaves my room shortly after and I start getting dressed. School was canceled today due to the ''overwhelming, horrible events of last night'' so at least that''s out of the way. After I take a shower and wash my face I go up to my closet and pick out an outfit. This is my first time picking out an outfit all on my own since I moved here so I''m a little nervous. I end up wearing a pair of riding boots with a black mini skirt and black tights. On top I''m wearing a grey turtleneck knit sweater and a long trenchcoat. I debate wearing a hat, but end up putting on a black wool beret.


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    I walk down the stairs to find Tori, Wes, and Finn sitting in the foyer, waiting for me.


    "Ready?" Finn asks me


    "Yeah, let''s go" I respond


    They get up and we all walk out the door, through the gates, onto the brick road.


    "So where we going exactly?" I ask


    "Polis" They say in union


    Polis is the main city of Elsher. We live close by so it shouldn''t be a long way there. I used to live in Polis when I was little and still a resident here, if I remember correctly it resembles old New York City a lot.


    Our carriage arrives and we get inside.


    "What will we even say to her?" Finn speaks


    "I don''t think there are any words we could say that would make this easier for her" I say "I guess we just let her know we''re here for her"


    "I think she''ll really appreciate you coming along Letty" Wes says looking at me "You''re someone who actually gets what''s it like"


    "What?" I say confused


    "You know, losing a sister" Wes says


    "But my sister is-" I try to explain that Harlow''s just living in the mortal world, but I''m interrupted by the doors of the carriage opening. We''re here.


    I get out and look around. Polis really is something. It''s now raining so we get umbrellas from the carriage and open them. We start walking towards our destination.


    "Where are we meeting her again?" I ask


    "There''s this caf¨¦ we like to hang out and study at." Finn says "It''s called the buried hatchet"


    "Huh, is that prime Elsher humor?" I ask sarcastically


    As we''re walking through Polis I spot different creatures. People in Solace look mostly normal you could say. How ironic that the lowest of the otherworld gets the most everyday-looking creatures. Even back at the house, we''re pretty isolated from seeing people who look different from us, at school I''m pretty sure Mr Windward is the weirdest looking one. But oh boy, here in Polis I immediately spot a person with green skin and scallops, he looks like a dragon in full business attire. On the other side of the street, there''s a cat woman walking into what appears to be a strip club.


    We keep walking on the cobble stoned path, our shoes clicking on the road. After a few minutes I spot a sign that reads ''The buried hatchet''


    "You really weren''t joking about the name" I say


    We walk inside and take our coats off. I look around and spot Alison sitting at a table. She''s not alone, Lyle is already sitting beside her. We walk up to the table.


    "What''s he doing here?" Wes asks Alison


    "Don''t worry Weston, I can assure you that i''m not here out of pleasure" Lyle says


    "Oh really?" Finn says


    "Calm yourselves, I''m simply here to offer my condolences since it was my party that caused this" he pauses and puts his hand on Alison''s back "Horrible tragedy, as we know"


    "Are you done?" Tori asks crossing her arms. We''re still all standing in front of the table.


    "Guys, it''s okay" Alison looks up and speaks with a low voice. Her eyes are red from crying and she looks like she''s been up all night "I asked him to come"


    "Ali, what''s going on?" Tori asks while we all take a seat.


    "I''m just trying to figure out what happened, okay?" Alison says "Don''t think that I''m siding with the enemy here or something"


    "That''s a bit harsh" Lyle says


    Tori gives him a look and he rolls his eyes at her.


    "I''m just trying to put the whole thing together" Alison says


    "What even happened?" I ask "I mean all I heard was you screaming out of the blue"


    "She left the estate before us with her friends and went to the party. When we got there I thought about looking for her because she had my notebook in her jacket and I was afraid she''d forget to give it back to me before she left and went back to the mortal world. It was full of research I was doing for a project so I really needed it. I didn''t end up looking for her and me and Finn went into the boathouse" Alison says


    "Okay we can skip that" Tori says with disgust on her face.


    "After we left the boathouse I told Finn I had to go look for her and that''s when he went to find Tori and Wes. I was looking for her for at least twenty minutes but I couldn''t find her anywhere so I gave up and sat down on a bench that was looking over the lake. I heard some leaves move behind me and looked around but there wasn''t anyone there, but I managed to creep myself out so I started walking back to the bonfire. Amanda came speedwalking into the woods towards me. She grabbed me and told me that the notebook was gone and she''s sorry and has no idea where it went. We decided to split up and look for it separately. She went to the lakehouse to see if it was there and I kept walking towards the bonfire to ask if anyone had seen it. I asked a few people and maybe five minutes had passed when her body just fell from one of the trees onto the bonfire. It wasn''t the fall that killed her, she was already dead."


    "What was in the notebook?" Finn asks

 Chapter 8

    "Swear you won''t tell anyone if I tell you" Alison says


    "Ego sum ligatum hac lingua ligatum" Tori says a spell.


    Everyone else chants in union "Ego sum ligatum hac lingua ligatum"


    They look at me, as if expecting something. I try to recite as best as I can, I''m still new to the whole fairy spell thing.


    "I''m doing some research on something" Alison leans closer "Something huge. About six months ago, me and Amanda discovered something while we were searching for family records in the royal archives. The queen made an exchange with one of the leaders of the lower courts of Averill. The year the deal was made, a prime was born here in Elsher."


    "Prime?" I ask


    "A true fairy, whose blood is not ''poisoned'' by any other creatures" Lyle responds.


    "She gave this child to that court so they could raise it to be their leader. It''s how Elsher wanted to achieve more military control because there was growing concern about the drowned situation in Solace and the leaders of Elsher wanted to ensure they were on good terms with Averill so that no matter what Elsher would remain in power." Alison continued "I took a few of these documents from the archives and stuck them into a notebook. I kept going back to look into this more because I was sure that if Averill had a prime we would''ve already known this, I mean it''s been almost twenty years since the alleged exchange, and still no word of a prime leader rising to power."


    "So you think that people found out Amanda knew of this and they killed her?" I ask


    "I don''t think it, I know it" Alison responds "Amanda forbid me from going back or doing any more research because we were finding out things we knew we shouldn''t know. So she continued looking into it in the safety of the mortal world. They couldn''t get to her there"


    "But as soon as she returned" Finn says


    "Yeah, here they could get to her" Alison says looking at her lap. "Amanda found out that seven years after the exchange the child was kidnapped and no one has seen it since. This morning I opened the drawer where I kept additional documents and photos that prove this whole thing and it was empty."


    How do I tell her that I''m highly suspicious I''m the one responsible for the disappearance of the notebook that possibly killed her sister, and it''s at the bottom of a lake now and all of the research in it is probably unusable by now.


    I don''t end up saying a word, I''ll just figure something out and get the notebook back somehow.


    "Guys, I''m scared" Alison says "Whatever killed Amanda is coming for me next"


    "Listen" I say "I don''t know how much comfort this gives you, but if they haven''t tried killing you yet, they probably won''t. This is gonna sound horrible but I think they were just sending a message with her" I put my hand on Alison''s back and give her a reassuring smile.


    "Have you talked to your father lately" Lyle asks while taking a sip of his scotch "Lydia?"


    "It''s Letitia" I say


    Finn and Tori give each other a look.


    "Why?" I ask


    "I hear your old man is a fugitive" Lyle says


    "What are you saying?" I ask distraught


    "Running away to Solace, don''t you think it''s a little basic?" He says "It''s been a pleasure" he says and stands up "But I have some business to attend to" He says with a half smile and walks out.


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    "Solace?" Wes asks looking at me


    "Yeah" I say slowly while fidgeting with my sweater


    "That''s where you moved from?" Alison asks


    "I kind of moved back. We left Elsher when I was five, and a few days ago Tori and Finn''s parents asked me to come and live with them" I explain


    "That must''ve been hard, leaving like that" Alison says. I can''t believe she even cares a little bit about what''s going on with me while her sister just died twelve hours ago. Maybe I was wrong about the people here... well only some of them.


    "I''m getting used to it" I say with a chuckle.


    "Guys, we need to find that notebook" Tori says


    "If it''s even there. How do you know someone hasn''t taken it?" Finn says


    "True, but better to look everywhere and find nothing than have someone else find it." Wes says


    "Let''s meet at the estate at seven tonight, and we''ll look for it" Tori says


    "Won''t they see us? Especially Lyle?" I ask


    "Lyle really isn''t as bad as he seems." Alison says


    "Sure" Finn rolls his eyes


    "I''m serious. And it doesn''t really matter, he can''t say anything, he''s bound by the spell" Alison says


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    We have gotten home now and we''re taking our shoes off. Wes went back to his dorm so now it''s just the three of us.


    "Finn!" Says my uncle "Come here, let''s talk" He calls him into the living room


    Me and Tori are putting our shoes away so we get to hear a small part of this conversation.


    "How serious are you about the Whitlock girl?"  Desmond asks


    "The good old marriage talk" Tori says as we start walking up the stairs


    "Why the hell do you guys have to marry so young anyway?" I ask


    "If I knew" She answers


    Me and Tori sit down on the beanbags located at the top of the stairs. There''s a little corner there, kind of like an indoor balcony.


    "I actually wanted to talk to you about something, I just didn''t want to do it in front of the others" I say "I lied earlier, last night I wasn''t just alone at the boathouse and I didn''t find that blazer. I was with Aiden, and I found a notebook, but I don''t have it, it fell into the lake." I say as quickly as I can.


    "What the hell were you doing with Aiden?" She asks


    "I was sitting in a boat writing a letter to my friend and he was fighting with some girl and then he just jumped in and paddled us into the middle of the lake, then I fell into the water with the paddle and the notebook and we had to use our hands to paddle out. I swear I wasn''t hanging out with him because I so desperately wanted to." I say


    "Whatever. I don''t even care if do want to hang with him, but you have to tell Alison. We have to get that notebook" Tori says


    "Maybe we should just go and look for it now, there''s no time to waste" She says


    "Go where?" Ramona comes walking up the stairs


    "To school" Tori says immediately


    "Yeah, I forgot a book there yesterday and we have a pop quiz tomorrow" I say, participating in the lie


    "Well" She takes a sip of her tea "Before you go anywhere maybe we should talk about why you thought it was a good idea to leave the party without talking to us and putting yourselves in unnecessary danger"


    "But what about Finn?" Tori asks


    "Oh don''t worry, your brother will get his punishment" Ramona responds


    "I''m so sorry Ramona, Tori just wanted to show me around and help me make some new friends, we didn''t intend to put ourselves in any danger or cause any problems" I say


    My aunt takes a pause before responding "Don''t make a habit out of it" She says and walks into her office.


    "You''re good" Tori says smiling at me.


    "So how will we do this? How are we gonna get it back?" I ask


    "I don''t know. I''m not entirely sure Alison even needs to know of this. Maybe we could just quickly grab it and give it to her."


    "Grab what?" Finn walks up the stairs and sits down on a beanbag.


    "Guess what" Tori says "Letty knows where the notebook is."


    "What did Desmond want to talk to you about?" I ask, avoiding further questions about how I know where the notebook is.


    "He wants to marry me off to Alison" He says


    "Will you?" Tori asks


    "Tori" he says "i''m seventeen and in school, I''m not even dating her" he tilts his head back "Why don''t you get asked when you''ll marry? Why is it just me?"


    "You do know you don''t HAVE to marry her right?" I ask


    "They won''t hear of ''such nonsense'', our parents married at sixteen so we are actually overdue if you think about it" Tori says


    "I never thought I''d be grateful to not be from Elsher" I say


    "Oh don''t you worry" Finn says "I''m sure my dad is already looking for someone for you"


    We joke around for a few more minutes then we get up and each of us go into our rooms, preparing to get the notebook. I''m not sure if I did the right thing by telling Tori. Maybe it''s safer if we keep it at the bottom of a lake, at least no one would find it. I look out my window, the sun is going down it''s about five in the afternoon. I put my hair in a ponytail and get my bags from underneath my bed. I get a few old pieces of clothing that I won''t mind getting dirty. I get dressed and walk into Tori''s room. Finn is already there.


    "Ready?" Tori asks


    We climb out her window and land in the garden. It''s safer than getting asked a million questions about where we''re going in full spy attire.

 Chapter 9

    We managed to somehow get out of the house and also get on our horses without being noticed. We didn''t wanna take the bus or use a carriage because we were afraid it would draw attention to us.


    "Guys I''m nervous" Tori says as we''re getting closer and closer to the estate "Someone literally got murdered here last night and we''re actively looking for the thing that was probably the reason for her death"


    "Just don''t think about it" I say


    "That helps a lot"


    The estate has a few lights on but other than that we don''t see anyone. We tie our horses to a tree and decide to watch from the bushes for a bit.


    "So what exactly is the plan?" I ask


    "We can use a spell to find the notebook" Finn says "You touched it right?"


    I nod


    "You''re gonna walk a few steps into the lake then you''ll say the spell and it should fly into your hands" He says


    "What if it doesn''t?" I ask


    "It will, don''t worry" Tori says


    "Okay, I think it''s clear. Let''s go" Finn says and we quietly walk out to the lake.


    I stand in front of the water, waiting for an instruction


    "You''re gonna put your arm out towards the water and say inveniam viam ad me, then the notebook will come flying to you" Tori says


    I walk into the water and do as she says. I reach towards the center of the lake and say the spell. At first, nothing happens but then a few pieces of paper fly into my hand. The papers are drenched and some of them aren''t even in one piece.


    "Guys" Finn says and we turn our heads.


    "Someone''s here" He says whispering


    We quickly hide in the bushes. I can hear footsteps approaching the lake. They suddenly come to a halt and I hear a few sentences of a conversation.


    "You better get that notebook. My son will not be responsible for this I can assure you of that"


    "Yes ma''am"


    As they approach I can see them now too. It''s a woman with what I suppose are two warlocks.


    "Come on" Finn whispers holding out his hand.


    Me and Tori take it and we''re transported back to where we left our horses. Without saying a word we hop on them. I shove the pages in my pockets and wherever I can fit them. We take off and get home safely.


    "What now?" I''m the first to say a word as we''re putting away our riding equipment.


    "We''ll talk inside" Tori says.


    We climbed back inside the house through the window we climbed out. Tori peeks out her door to make sure her parents aren''t nearby.


    "I don''t think they''re home" she says.


    "Were those two people warlocks?" I ask as I take a seat on a chair by Tori''s bed "With that woman"


    "Probably" Finn responds "But that woman is the queen of Elsher. And on top of that she''s Aiden''s mother"


    "Oh no" I say standing up "She probably thinks I had something to do with Amanda''s murder"


    "I doubt it" Tori says "You just got here. How could you have to do anything with a murder like this"


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    "I''m sure she''ll find an explanation if she wants to" Finn says.


    "What do you mean?" I ask.


    "Don''t think for a second that the she''s looking for the one who''s responsible for this out of the goodness of her heart. The monarchy is weak and she can''t risk an uprising" Finn says.


    "He''s right." Tori says "Things have felt different in the past year. And the queen feels it too. She''s clinging onto whatever power Elsher has left"


    I reach into my pockets to pull the soaking papers out and Tori takes them from me. As I try to be as careful as possible not to rip any something falls from my hand and lands on the ground.


    "What is that?" Finn asks pointing at it.


    "It''s a necklace" I say picking it up. It''s a silver chain and on it sits a rather large pearl wrapped with more metal to protect it.


    As I''m looking at it I feel like I''m almost transported to another world, it''s nearly hypnotizing.


    "Letty?" Tori says my name and I snap my head up.


    "Was that in your pocket the whole time?" Finn asks.


    "I must''ve accidentally grabbed it while I was shoving the papers into my pocket" I say


    Ramona suddenly opens the door.


    "Give them to me" she says looking at Tori''s hand.


    "What?" she asks.


    "Give me the papers Victoria" she says, more demanding and aggressive this time.


    "Mom you have no idea what these are" Finn says.


    "Conspiring against the leaders of this world is a crime" Ramona says "I thought you were all aware of that. Now give me them"


    "We weren''t conspiring. This is a huge misunderstanding if you''d just let us exp-" I say but I am cut off.


    "Give them to me now" She says taking a few steps toward us.


    "No" Tori stands her ground.


    "Desmond!" she yells as four Elsherian soldiers and my uncle enter the room. Three soldiers grab us and one takes the papers from Tori.


    "I''m sorry it had to come to this"


    "Let me go!" I try to move but my hands are already tied. "Why are you doing this? Arresting your own children" I ask looking at my aunt and uncle.


    "Dad?" Finn says looking at Desmond but neither he nor Ramona say anything, they just stand by and watch as we''re taken downstairs and out onto the yard. We get shoved into a carriage without seats or windows and we take off somewhere.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    A few hours pass and I desperately try to find a clue that could tell me the time but there''s none.


    I watch as Finn tries to cut the rope around his hands with the tiny metal accessory on his belt.


    "It''s not gonna work you know" Tori says leaning back, eyes barely open.


    "Well at least I''m trying" Finn responds "Where the hell are they taking us? We''ve been in here for hours"


    "Averill" I say


    "Are you certain" Finn asks


    "That''s usually where prisoners go" I say "They make you build fortresses and clean and cook for soldiers in training. Then after a few horrid years, you''re released"


    "How do you even know that?" Finn asks


    "My best friend''s dad was imprisoned there for some time. He never made it back but he wrote to his family frequently about the horrors"


    "Great" Tori says.


    The carriage comes to a sudden stop. We all freeze and try to pick up at any sounds we can hear. The door to the carriage suddenly opens.


    "Thank god" says Alison and jumps in to untie us.


    "Four is my lucky number" says Lyle.


    "How''d you know we were getting taken away" Tori asks as Alison works on the rope around her feet.


    "I couldn''t sleep all night so I went back to the lake to look for the notebook but Lyle found me and informed me that he had seen you three sneaking away from there and he thought you might''ve already taken it so we thought we''d go to your house." she answers.


    "We decided to walk and as the sun started coming up we saw these soldiers everywhere in Polis. They were shoving random people into the back of carriages and then we saw the queen and your parents talking at a servant''s entrance to the palace." Lyle continues.


    "We hid behind a wall and listened to their conversation. Neither of them sounded like themselves." Alison says with a concerned look on her face "They were talking about Finn and Tori as if they weren''t their children."


    "We quickly figured out what they did to you then did a tracking spell to narrow down your whereabouts" Lyle says "We have to hurry. We''re near Stalgrunn"


    "We''re at the border of Solace?" Finn asks. "How is that possible? We''ve only been traveling for a few hours"


    Alison and Lyle look at each other.


    "It''s been a week Finn" Alison says. "They must''ve given you something"


    "Hurry, someone''s here" Lyle says and we jump out of the carriage.


    "Go" Alison says pushing us behind a large rock. It is only now that I notice that all there is I can see is dry dirt and rocks.


    "What happened here?" I whisper as I look around "This used to be the most fertile land of the otherworld"


    Lyle puts his hand over my mouth and motions with his head to the side. At least a thousand people pass by us on the road. They are all silent. I examine their appearances. Warlocks, halflings, and fairies. They arent Spades. If I had to guess almost ninety percent of these people are from Corter, Averill, and Elsher.


    "Are they under a spell?" Tori asks.


    "Come on" Alison says.


    We follow after the group, staying about fifty meters behind them just in case. After about ten minutes of walking, we spot something. It looks as if the ground has caved in. There is a huge firey pit which only seems to be getting larger. I spot creatures with deformed and burnt faces working on weapons, and fueling the pit. But there is another thing. As the carriage arrive, like the one we were transported in they drive straight into the pit without thinking for a second. As the group we were following reaches the camp of these creatures every single one of them jumps into the pit.

 Chapter 10

    A set of familiar eyes look at me. It''s Wes.


    "Down" Alison says and we all lay flat on our stomachs praying that no one discovers us.


    "What''s he doing here" Tori asks.


    "Look" Lyle says "It''s not just Wes. That''s Mr. Windward there"


    Mr.Windward, Ramona, and Desmond, the girl Aiden was arguing with at the lake, and I even spot the queen.


    "Lee" I gasp. I spot Lee and her mother in the crowd.


    "They''re being sent to their deaths" Finn says.


    I feel something burning my thigh and I wince.


    "What is it?" Alison asks.


    I pull the necklace with the pearl on it out of my pocket. I completely forgot it was there.


    "What is that" Lyle asks.


    "I don''t know" I say "I accidentally pulled it from the lake when we were looking for the notebook.


    "Keep that safe" Alison says "We''ll figure it out later"


    "We have to do something" Tori says almost standing up but Lyle keeps him on the ground "I won''t just watch my parents and Wes die" she says, now almost hysterical. "Finn?" she looks at her brother with desperation in her eyes.


    "Ali?" Finn looks at the girl, tears are forming in his eyes. She shakes her head.


    "These people are dead already" she says "Those people in the three carriages we stopped before yours" she takes a deep breath "They were gone. Bodies robbed of their soul"


    "No, you don''t understand" Tori sniffs "When our parents shoved us into those carriages they weren''t like this"


    "The drowned" I say looking at Alison "Do you think it''s possible that there''s been an attack going on against Elsher that no one even noticed?"


    "This would be an excellent way to take Polis and get control over the otherworld" she responds "But then why kill the queen? Or Ramona? Surely they need her to command the Averillian armies. How could they rule without a huge army"


    "Maybe they don''t need the Averillian armies" Lyle speaks "They''re making their own right in front of our eyes"


    "Cynhaef y caeth" Alison whispers.


    "What''d you say?" I snap my head to look at her.


    "You speak sengaritan?" she asks me.


    "My father taught me" I respond.


    "What does it mean?" Tori asks.


    "Haverst of the slaves" I respond.


    "The second stage of doom" Alison says.


    "What''s the first stage" Finn asks.


    "A changeling" Alison responds.


    We watch as they fall into the pit one by one without hesitating. The smell is horrible. Burnt flesh mixed with the smell of rotten fish lingers.


    "Finn we have to do something" Tori looks at his brother hyperventilating "Please"


    Finn doesn''t respond. We all know there''s nothing that we can do to stop this. If we dared to get close and intervene we''d end up in that very same pit. I watch as Desmond falls in. He doesn''t hesitate for a second. Then Lee''s mother and eventually Lee herself. I try to look away and keep my tears to myself. Not shortly after Ramona and the queen follow.


    "No" is all Tori says as she and Finn fight their hardest not to scream with tears.


    "We have to move" Lyle says


    We manage to scrape Finn and Tori off the ground somehow and we quietly get further away from what we just witnessed.


    "Okay, so what do we do?" I ask.


    "Follow me, keep quiet" Alison says "We''re near Darolf, we''ll get shelter there"


    "How do you know it hasn''t been taken over by the drowned" I ask.


    "That necklace that you found" Alison says "The pearl on it is one of many. The original necklace was made entirely of them and it belonged to our creator Magdalene. The pearls were found a few thousand years ago. Then when the drowned turned up the union of the arcane tried to use the magic in some of the pearls to get rid of them but ultimately failed. Before that, the other few were used by the kings and queens of the realms to try and gain power over the otherworld. That''s how the Sterlings came to rule Elsher. Only one pearl was left by the end of these experiments and they decided that using them for power was ultimately wrong and agreed to enchant the last one so that it indicates that some type of darkness is growing" she says


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    "So it found me because something is wrong?" I ask


    "That''s my guess" Alison says "And it burned you because the darkness was nearby"


    "What were those things?" Lyle asks "With the deformed faces"


    "I have no idea" Alison responds.


    "That can''t be good" I say.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    We walk for nearly four hours before reaching the foot of the mountain Darolf is located on. The once fertile and beautiful Corter is now just dust and dry rocks.


    "How long has this been going on?" Tori asks.


    "Can''t be that long" I respond "I flew over Corter on my way to Elsher and it looked fine.


    "Or you were made to think it looked fine" Lyle says "Do you think your aunt wasn''t aware of this? Or that your relocation was just a coincidence?"


    "You think Ramona knew?" I ask him.


    "If she didn''t then she would''ve left you in Solace" he says.


    As harsh as that sounds, he''s probably right.


    "Look" Alison says.


    A small city well protected by huge stone walls emerges on top of a mountain close by.


    "Is that Darolf?" I ask.


    "We''re almost there" Alison says "Come on"


    After about ten minutes we reach the city. We knock on the large wooden door located at the end of one of their bridges that leads inside the city. A rather unpleasant-looking man peeks out.


    "What do you want?" He asks.


    "We''re looking for shelter for the night" Alison responds "We''re meeting someone early in the morning here"


    "And who might that be?" he asks.


    "That''s our own business" Alison says.


    "Very well" he says "Come on in" he quickly lets us through the gate and then closes it shut again.


    We walk on the narrow streets of Darolf for some time. The people of Corter live a much more humble life compared to Elsher if you know what I mean. We are given a few weird glances from people. Especially Lyle, you can tell he''s not from around here.


    After some time we reach an inn. There are drunk men sitting out front but they don''t look dangerous. Not after what we witnessed.


    "Who are we meeting anyway?" I ask Alison.


    "You''ll see" she gives me a vague answer.


    We walk into the inn. There''s hardly any space for us to breath, it feels like all of Corter is in here. Alison and I walk up to the bar.


    "We''re looking for Sir Arkyn" she shouts hoping the bartender heard her over all the noise "Have you seen him around?"


    "Sir Arkyn?" the bartender looks at us "How may you know him?"


    "Have you seen him?" she repeats, clearly not wanting to answer his previous question.


    "He''s around" he responds "Try the tables in that corner" he points into the crowd.


    "Thank you" Alison says.


    "Come on" she calls on the rest of the group to follow us.


    We walk to the back of the pub.


    "Do you see him?" I ask.


    Alison looks around "That''s him" she says then points to a man. He''s wearing clothes that look ten years old, has a beard that''s blonde at the bottom but grey at the root, and a pipe is hanging from his mouth. Promising.


    "Sir Arkyn?" Alison looks at him.


    He nods.


    "Alison Whitlock" she reaches her hand out which he doesn''t take. "This is Letitia, Tori, Finn, and Lyle sir. Do you have a moment for us?"


    He motions for us to sit and we do "What does this concern?" he asks in a strong Irish accent.


    "The pearls of Magdalene" she says.


    His eyes widen.


    "No" he says "Has it emerged?" he asks.


    I pull the necklace from my pocket "From a lake" he examines it with his eyes "In Elsher"


    "I know you were one of the wizards who enchanted this" Alison puts her elbows on the table and leans closer to Sir Arkyn "Something is going on, people are getting kidnapped and they are aimlessly jumping to their deaths. Please tell us something"


    "So it begun" he says then takes a puff from his pipe.


    "What has begun?" Lyle asks.


    "Leodor" Sir Arkyn responds "He was part of the union. We worked together to retrieve all the pearls that were left after the rulers of the otherworld tried to take advantage of them. But he became greedy. He did this" he raises his left hand, it''s a wooden stick "He cut my hand off when I didn''t agree to commit mass murder. He wanted to slaughter all our companions who were helping with finding the pearls."


    "But you did" I say "Find them all, right?"


    "Yes, eventually. We left him in the ravines of Solace and went on our way. We were sure he was dead but somehow he managed to get his hands on a pearl. Are you familiar with the story about the drowned and how they came about?"


    "I think we all are" Lyle says.


    "It wasn''t just some rare genetic mutation" he says "Leodor kidnapped that poor woman. The drowned are a product of black magic. And now he enters stage two. I banished him to the coal mines of Solace. He''s too weak to get out on his own but with the help of the caeth anything is possible.


    "What do we do with the pearl?" I ask.


    "Keep it safe, hidden. Don''t tell anyone about it. We shouldn''t be talking about it, not even here. You never know where the wall has ears." he responds. "You all look tired. Get some rest. I''ll meet you tomorrow at the gate at seven thirty in the morning and we''ll discuss this further."


    We only get one room. The inn is completely full. We learn from the housekeepers that people from nearby villages are seeking refuge in Darolf because their farms turned to dust within the course of one night and their water supplies are gone.


    "Cozy" Lyle says as we open the door to our room. Four bunk beds are all that is inside.


    "It''ll do for one night" Alison says "Will you be alright?" she asks and turns to Tori and Finn.


    Their eyes are empty like there''s no soul behind it. An expected reaction after watching ones parents and boyfriend get brutally murdered.


    "Eventually" Tori says and lays down on one of the beds.


    Finn climbs to the bed above Tori''s and lays down without saying a word.


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    We wake up to the housekeeper knocking on our door.


    "Seven o''clock" she says and moves along the hallway to wake up the other tenants.


    We quickly get out of bed. There''s no time to waste, we have to meet Sir Arkyn at the gate in thirty minutes.


    Sir Arkyn is already at the gate when we arrive.


    "Good morning sir" Alison says.


    "Ah" he looks our way "Good morning, follow me"


    He leads us out through the gate and we walk down to the mountain a little.


    "Go on"   he opens up a door to a hallway that looks like it leads to a cave inside the mountain.


    He hands me a lantern and I take the lead and walk through the door first. The cave has huge pearly white crystals in it and I can hear water splashing. As I walk further and enter the main cave I spot a fountain. It''s rather small, especially compared to the size of the cave. It''s as if the entire mountain was hollow.


    "Do you have the pearl?" Sir Arkyn asks me.


    "I do" I dig it out of my pocket and hold it in my hand so he can see it.


    "Drop the necklace in the water" he says pointing at the fountain.


    I put the lantern down and kneel in front of the water and drop the necklace. The pearl is shining in a turquoise color and lights up the entire cave.


    "Now put your head under that water and tell me what you see" he says looking at me.


    I do as he says and emerge my head in the water.


    I see what I saw in my dream once again. Same forest, same dress. The doves are being released and I see the four people again. This time I can see their faces. The queen is talking to a man and a woman. I don''t know them. But someone else is there. Standing beside the queen is my mom.


    I''m once again in the white space but this time I don''t see Amanda, I see Harlow instead as a child.


    I can''t stay underwater for long and the vision stops. I emerge my head from underwater.


    "Well?" Alison asks "Did you see something?"

 Chapter 11

    "I''ve had this dream before" I said gasping for air "I''m in a forest, doves are being released then I spot four people and a child in a bassinet. The queen is there with my mother the other two I don''t recognize. They''re arguing and then suddenly I''m transported to a white space. In my dream, I saw Amanda there but this time it was my sister Harlow"


    "I was told Amanda Whitlock died" Sir Arkyn says "That is correct?"


    "Yes" Alison responds, her voice breaking slightly.


    "My condolences" Sir Arkyn says then turns to me "Is your sister well?"


    "I haven''t seen her in years" I respond.


    "This might just be the time to start looking for her" he says "I don''t mean to alarm you but if I''m correct then your sister is in the limbo" he looks at Alison "Along with yours. Not dead nor alive. Their souls linger between here and the other side"


    He grabs the necklace from the water and hands it to me "This pearl came to you for a reason. Channel the power it''s blessed with and find your sister"


    "How?" I ask.


    "Haven''t you had magical training" he asks.


    I shake my head.


    "Find your own strengths within your soul and connect them with the pearl" he says "I have a feeling you excel at clairvoyance. I met your mother, she was no halfling. Pure witch blood flowed through her veins."


    "Whatever it is that''s brewing in Corter right now will spread to all parts of the otherworld if we don''t come up with something to stop Leodor"


    Sir Arkyn starts walking out of the cave and we follow after him.


    "So what do we do?" Finn asks. We all turn to him.


    "I think you should find your mother" Sir Arkyn looks at me "She was in on the kidnapping of the changeling"


    "You know about that?" Alison asks.


    "I was still part of the union back then" Sir Arkyn responds "I quit right after but yes, all of us knew"


    "What do you mean she was ''in on it''?" I ask.


    Sir Arkyn''s horse is walking towards us from the stables.


    "You''ll have to find her and ask her that" he responds "Meet me at the inn in three days. I have a friend who lives in solace. Me and him used to be in the union together and he was close to Leodor before he was banished. I''ll see if he can help us with anything."


    "But I don''t know where my mother is" I say quickly as he jumps on his horse.


    "You have magic, don''t you?" he asks and I give him a small nod "Then use it" is all he says as he rides off.


    "If a lifetime wasn''t enough to find her" I say "How will three days be?"


    "There''s no time to waste" Alison says "Come on" she says and starts walking back inside the cave.


    "Are you sure it''s a good idea to use the pearl?" I ask.


    "Like Sir Arkyn said" she says "It found you for a reason."


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    "Ali it''s not working" Lyle says after about five hours of me dunking my head underwater and trying to see something.


    "Are you sure you''re not seeing anything?" Alison asks me.


    "Nothing" I respond


    "Well, how''d you do it the last time?" Tori asks.


    "I don''t know" I say "I just did it"


    "That''s helpful" Lyle says.


    "Try to channel the pearl" Alison says.


    "We''ve been doing this for five hours" I say "What do you think I''ve been doing"


    "We could try a locator spell" Finn says.


    "No way" I respond "It''ll never work. My father has been looking for them for ten years and he had found nothing." I take the necklace into my hands "This is quite literally our only option"


    As I hold the necklace in my hand and close my eyes, I start seeing flashing images behind my eyelids.


    It''s a place by the ocean. I spot a few shipwrecks. There are huge rocks and mountains so large that there''s snow on top of them. There''s a small village with only women living in it.


    I open my eyes. Alison is looking at me.


    "What did you see" she asks me.


    "It''s a village" I respond "By the ocean. With tall mountains around it and there are shipwrecks."


    "Sirens" Lyle says.


    "Sirens?" I ask "How do you know?"


    "My father loved sailing all his life" he says "One day he and his best friend were sailing in Averill and they never came home. I found out years later what really happened"


    "I''m sorry" I say.


    "I know where that village is" I tracked them down years ago"


    "How do you know it''s not another siren village that Letty saw" Finn asks.


    "I''m sure this is the one where my father went missing" Lyle responds "Trust me, I know what I''m talking about"


    "Well" Alison stands up "There''s no time to waste then"


    ? ? ¡¤ ?


    We grab five horses from the stables and we hope no one notices that they''re gone. We ride as fast as we can, trying to get the most out of the little daylight that''s left. The past few days have been darker than usual. This could be a sign of a fast-approaching winter or that the dark days are at hand.


    After about seven hours of silence, Tori is the first one to speak. "Maybe we should stop soon" Tori says "Give the horses some rest too"


    "We have to keep going" Alison says "At least until midnight. If we are to find Letty''s mother, talk to her, and make it back in time to meet Sir Arkyn then we need to minimize the time we''re resting"


    "Look" I say.


    As we''re riding through the dried-up fields of Corter a few mountains in Solace are still somewhat visible. I can hardly see that far but the mountain is in flames and what I presume to be at least fifty thousand caeth are all working on demolishing this one mountain.


    "What are they doing?" Finn asks.


    "They''re opening the ground" I respond.


    "For Leodor" Alison continues "Let''s go. We must hurry or there won''t be an inn to return to"


    We end up riding all night and by first light, we reach Frialdo which is a city in Averill that lies directly before the border with Corter.


    "We should find someplace where we can sleep for a while" Alison says.


    "In Frialdo?" Tori asks.


    "I think it''s best we stay outside the city" Alison responds "Don''t want anyone asking any questions"


    And so we find a nice protected area a few hundred feet from the city walls. We tie our horses to a tree and let them rest as well.


    "We shouldn''t stay too long" I say "Three hours max. We need to make it to the village by late afternoon."


    "The bells will go off at ten AM" Finn says "That''s when military training starts for the day so all of Averill is notified"


    "Perfect" Alison responds "Good night until then"


    Just as expected the bells ring at ten sharp. We get up from our makeshift beds that were mostly made up of dry leaves, our cloaks, and grass.


    "Do we have any food?" Tori asks.


    Alison reaches into her bag and pulls out some suspicious-looking thing and tosses it towards Tori "Here"


    Tori pauses and examines it.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "Oh come on" Alison says as she starts getting our horses "It''s just caramelized berries"


    "Why are they so flat?" Tori asks.


    "They do look a little questionable" I say half laughing as I go up to my horse and untie him from the tree.


    "Let''s just go" Alison says trying to look mad. The rest of us just share a look as we get on our horses and ride off.


    We ride for a few hours and it''s after mid-day now. We are about two hours away from the village and there are lots of tarns because most of the mountains melted down during the summer so we stop for a quick water break. We let the horses into the water so they can drink and cool down a little.


    I go up to the water and sit down on a rock overlooking the small lake.


    "You doing okay?"


    I turn around to see Lyle walking up to me.


    "Yeah" I respond "Why?"


    "No particular reason" he says "Just making sure"


    I turn back around to look at the lake "Are you?" I ask


    "What makes you think I''m not?" he asks.


    "I don''t know" I respond, matching his energy.


    He chuckles "I was just asking because I can imagine how strange it must be to know that you''re gonna see your mother for the first time in what? Ten years?"


    "Twelve" I respond "It is kinda strange now that you mention it" I say "But a family reunion is the last thing on my mind. Is it weird for you? Because of your dad?"


    He sits down beside me "I''d lie if I said it wasn''t" he says


    "I''m sorry" I say "It''s tough losing a parent like that. I know my mother is alive but sometimes it feels like she and my sister both died the day we left Elsher all those years ago"


    "Sorry for being a jerk that night at the estate" he says.


    "I''ve met worse people" I respond giving him a small smile.


    "Lydia" he says chuckling.


    I laugh, and then I look back at the lake "Are you scared?" I ask in a serious tone.


    "What do you mean?" he responds with a question.


    "I know our leaders tried to hide it but the dark days have been upon us for some time" I turn my head to look at him "We''ll find my mother and then what? There are so many of them Lyle, we don''t stand a chance against the caeth, especially if they manage to ''resurrect'' Leodor"


    He looks at me with concern in his eyes.


    "Letty, Lyle" Alison shouts from a distance "Let''s go"


    We get back on our horses and continue riding deeper into the Averillian mountains. The roads are foggy and we can barely see anything.


    "Are you sure this is the way?" Finn asks.


    "According to the map, we should be able to see the ocean soon. We''re about an hour from the village" Alison responds.


    I see something in the corner of my eye and apparently, my horse does too because he gets scared and jolts in fear.


    "Woah" I say holding the reins more firmly.


    "Maybe we should get out of here, I''m getting a little spooked" Tori says.


    We hear a whooshing sound and our horses grow more and more scared.


    "Go" Alison says "Hurry"


    We all start galloping in one direction, hoping that the ocean is close by and that whatever is in here won''t kill us.


    We eventually start hearing waves and the fog clears almost completely. Then we spot the water.


    "We''re almost there" Alison says "Look" she points to a village that''s about five minutes from where we are "Is that the village you saw?" she asks me.


    "It is" I respond "Let''s go, there''s no time to waste"


    We ride into the village. It''s pretty small and isn''t protected by any kind of walls or anything but it looks nice.


    "Should we ask someone if they know where to find her?" Finn asks.


    I spot a friendly-looking lady. I get off my horse and I ask her "Excuse me, do you have a minute?"


    "Can I help you?" she asks eyeing the five of us.


    "I''m looking for Ingred" even saying her name feels weird "Do you know her?"


    "Ingred?" she asks "What is this about?"


    "I''m her daughter" I say. I''m ready to tell her some sob story about how I''ve been looking for her for years if it means she''ll take me to her.


    "Amanda" she says, almost in awe.


    I give her a weird look and turn my head to look at Alison.


    "Letitia" I say correcting her.


    "Well" she says hesitating and taking a long look at us again "Follow me then"


    We first take our horses to the stables so they can have some food and rest. The houses are almost entirely made of stone except for the doors and windows. The lady leads us to what I presume to be my mother''s house.


    "This is it" she says.


    I take one more deep breath and I knock on the wooden door. My mother opens the door.


    "What can I do for you?" she says with a small smile on her face.


    She seriously doesn''t recognize me? I was five the last time she saw me but come on. I open my mouth to say something but suddenly all the air is sucked out of my lungs. She gives me a weird look.


    "These youngsters asked specifically to see you, Ingred" the lady says, not revealing my identity.


    "Is that so?" my mother asks.


    "Yes miss" Alison says but clearly doesn''t know how to finish that sentence so she pauses for a second "uh, my friend is interested in your work and she was wondering if she could ask you a few questions" she says looking at me.


    "Oh, my work?" my mother asks me.


    "Yes" I clear my throat "Do you have a few minutes?" I ask.


    "Sure, come on in" she says.


    "We''ll just stay out here" Alison says.


    "Just such a beautiful day you know" Tori adds while Alison gives her a look.


    "Okay then" my mother says "This way" she motions for me to step inside.


    We walk to the small living area and I take a seat. The house is pretty rustic with a lot of plants and small details. It''s nothing over the top but it''s cozy.


    "Would you like some tea?" she asks.


    "Sure, that would be nice" I say.


    "I never got your name" she says as she walks into the kitchen, waiting for me to answer.


    Even though I wish more than ever to just stand up from my seat and run out of the house I gather all the courage I have within me and decide to tell her "Letitia"


    She puts the kettle down on the kitchen table and turns around. Without any serious effort or trouble, she sends me flying across the room and pins me into a corner with her powers.


    "Who are you?" she says firmly.


    "I told you" I try to speak but I feel like my throat is closing up "I''m your daughter, Letitia"


    "What''s going on?" Finn and the rest of the group open up the door.


    "What do you want from me?" she asks, still not letting me go.


    I realize that if I don''t get myself out of this corner somehow then I''ll choke within seconds. I try to channel the energy of the pearl and focus on nothing but saving myself. Two seconds later the roles are reversed and my mother falls back as I break free.


    "We''re not here to hurt you" I take a deep breath to try and regain all the oxygen I just lost.


    "We just want to ask you a few questions" Alison says "About your time in the union of the arcane"


    My mother gets up from the ground "It emerged hasn''t it?" she looks at us "The last pearl of Magdalene"


    We look at each other.


    "Can we trust you?" I step closer to my mother "Please, we really need your help"


    "Close the door" she instructs "And follow me"


    Finn closes the door and we follow my mother. She leads us down to the basement which is far bigger than the entire living space itself.


    "What is this place?" Alison asks looking around in awe.


    The basement is filled with weapons, piles of paper that reach up to the ceiling, herbs, huge bookshelves, and what I presume to be magical artifacts from different parts of the otherworld.


    "This is my life''s work honey" my mother responds looking around "So, how can I help you exactly?"


    "I have the pearl" I say "It found me"


    "I see" she responds "Don''t tell me Arkyn sent you here"


    We look at each other.


    "Of course he did" she says with a sigh and leans against a table "He''s been trying to get in contact with me for years" she looks at me "Did you use the pearl?"


    I nod.


    "And I thought your sister was the powerful one" she says in an impressed voice.


    "Harlow?" I ask "Do you know where she is? Dad always said she was with you"


    "Harlow is here" she says "But that''s not the sister I''m talking about"


    I give her a confused look. Could my father have another daughter? "What do you mean?" I ask.


    "Follow me" she says.


    She leads us through a door to another room. There are two large stone blocks next to each other. To my surprise, with a small movement of her hand, she opens the blocks up like coffins.


    "Are they dead?" I ask, my breath getting caught in my throat. My dad is in one of the coffins and Harlow is in another one. I hadn''t seen her in twelve years but I could never not recognize her.


    "No" she responds while looking at them "You could say they''re asleep"


    "You could say?" I ask in a slightly harsh tone.


    "I''m cloaking their energies" she responds "So no one can find them"


    "What did you mean when you said that Harlow wasn''t the sister you were talking about?" Alison asks as she steps closer to my mother.


    "Alison Whitlock, right?" my mother asks.


    Alison nods.


    My mother takes a deep breath "You sister was my daughter" she says.


    Alison, who always knows what to say suddenly looks like she''s at a loss for words "So does that mean that I''m-"


    My mother cuts her off "Oh no" she responds letting an awkward smile creep onto her lips "No, you''re not my daughter" she says.


    "What do you know about a changeling?" I ask in an aggravated tone "You do the math"


    "Maybe we should sit down" she closes the coffins and walks us back to the main room to a table.


    Everyone takes a seat except for me.


    "So" my mother says "Tori and Finn huh" she gives them a small smile "I haven''t seen you since you were this litt-"


    I cut her off "Don''t" I say "We don''t have a lot of time mother" I walk closer to her "Did you do it? Did you kidnap the changeling?"


    "Why do you think I haven''t said anything all those years?" she matches my tone "I''m trying to protect you Tisha!"


    I haven''t heard that nickname in years.


    I let out a sarcastic laugh "That''s funny. What better way to protect your daughter than to leave her rotting in Solace for twelve years"


    My mother stands up "You may not see it right now but all I ever did was protect you" she says.


    "So how come you took Harlow with you?" I ask "Was she prettier? Enlighten me, please because I just can''t seem to understand why you couldn''t take both of your daughters with you"


    "It''s not that simple" she says.


    "Explain it then" I respond.


    "Harlow isn''t technically your sister" she finally spits it out.


    "Excuse me?" I respond.


    "You don''t know anything, Tisha. Why do you think we left Elsher? I know you''ve been having visions"


    I don''t respond, I just look at her "How could I ever know anything if all you ever did was lie to me?" I ask her.


    "This isn''t just about you" she responds.


    "No, it''s not" I say "It''s now about Alison too"


    My mother looks like she''s finally about to give in "Fine" she says "Sit down at least"


    I quickly pull an empty chair out and take a seat at the table.


    My mother takes a deep breath "Before I had met Letitia''s father I was seeing a man" she looks at Alison "Your father. It went on for about four months and then he met his wife, Alison''s mother who he got married to rather quickly. At this point, I already knew Gregory, Letita''s father and we were thinking of marriage ourselves. I found out I was pregnant two weeks before our wedding and I told him. The kind man he is, he said that he didn''t care and he''d love this child like it was his. Shortly after Amanda was born Alison''s parents announced that they were expecting a child of their own. This would''ve been fine if Alison''s father hadn''t figured out that Amanda was his daughter."


    "Wait" Tori says "I thought Alison didn''t have any other sibling besides Amanda"


    "She wasn''t supposed to" my mother continues "When the queen found out she was furious. It turns out that siphons run in the Whitlock family"


    "Siphons?" I ask.


    "People born with no magical powers" Alison responds " It''s one of the curses of Adelaide. They have to suck magic out of other things or beings"


    "Who''s Adelaide?" Finn asks.


    "Adelaide''s husband fathered a bastard child after they had married and had a child of their own" Alison responds "Adelaide cursed her own son and the bastard daughter and took away their magic. As the children grew they were slowly siphoning small amounts of magic and then one day Adelaide made them turn on each other. She was hoping that her son was stronger and he could siphon all the magic and life from her husband''s bastard daughter but to her surprise, her son lost"


    "So who was the daughter?" Tori asks.


    "Magdalene" I respond.


    "Siphons are always half siblings" my mother says "When the queen found out that Alison''s mother was pregnant she was furious and forbade her from having the child. Alison''s mother didn''t listen to her and she had a daughter, Harlow. At this point, the only thing they could do was send one of the sisters as far from each other as possible"


    "So they created a changeling" Lyle says.


    "Exactly" my mother says "The only thing wrong with this plan was that neither me nor Alison''s mother wanted to send our daughters away. Eventually, it was decided that the bastard child a.k.a Amanda should be the one who gets sent to Averill. Elsher promised them a future leader who would grow up to be powerful in battle because of her siphoning capabilities."


    "But why didn''t Harlow stay with her actual parents?" I ask.