Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
She stuck out her tongue, earning a laugh from both Malcom and me.
“Have you, uh…” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Heard anything about the Fae?”
Both of them froze.
Their eyes locked onto each other.
It was like a moment frozen in time.
And then, with shaking hands, Sarah grabbed me by the wrist, her eyes wide. “Don’t say that word out loud… ever.”
“But—”
“Promise me.” Tears filled her eyes. “Promise!”
“Okay, okay!” I pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry. I was just curious about something—”
“Only those with a death wish talk about the Fae,” came the old Crone’s voice from her rocking chair. How the hell had she even heard us? “I’m old enough not to care if you’d like to hear a story.”
Sarah shook her head no.
Even Malcom had paled, but something in his eyes flickered like he was angry I was asking questions like I should turn around, go home and forget all about this place and how it had stolen my life from me.
His nostrils flared, and something flickered in his fingertip.
“Leave her alone, son,” the Crone said in an authoritative voice. “No harm will come to your Sarah.”
He blew out a curse and continued stocking books while I pulled open the screen door, stepped outside, and sat on the first stair. “You said you had a story for me?”
The Crone’s blue eyes twinkled, making her look younger than she really was. “Oh, I have many stories, but in this instance, I think it’s time to tell you one of my favorites. It’s quite sad, but maybe it will help you…”
“I’d like to hear it.” I crossed my arms over my knees. “If you don’t mind?”
She beamed, her mood completely opposite of when I’d first seen her. “Well, I guess we best start at the beginning, and it starts as most stories typically do—with two people in love.”
I leaned in as she spoke.
“There was once a beautiful young woman. She was the favorite daughter of the Winter and of the Moon. Her beauty was known in all four kingdoms of the Fae.: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Her father was one of the Winter Kings, and her mother was a lesser Fae who lived in the forests of the Spring. One day, this young woman was walking and stumbled across one of the high princes, the heir to the Spring Court. Rumor has it that all it took was one shared look, and they both lost their hearts and souls to one another.” She frowned. “Their love was so strong, so all-consuming in its passion, that they ignored the warnings from their parents not to get too attached. You see, back then, there was a Royal Matchmaker who would unite the different clans and courts in order to keep the Fae bloodline strong. She could look into the future and see every possible outcome, and she knew what was best, and everyone listened. She was powerful, and to fall in love without her blessing was considered insulting—but that was exactly what they did. Days before the Matchmaker’s return, they made sacrifices of the elements to her in hopes that she’d hear their cry to be together—and she did, she heard their cry, and while insulted, she knew it would be what was best for the Kingdoms, to align the Spring and Winter Courts once and for all.”
Memories of Benjamin’s kiss, of fire, of ice, and sadness pounded into my consciousness so hard that my temples hurt.
“Are you okay, child?”
“Fine.” I frowned, my wrists pulsed like they remembered, and my heart pounded like it was finally free. “Please… keep going.”
She nodded her chin. “The day of the ceremony, the young princess stood next to her sister—her very jealous sister—and waited for the Matchmaker to choose. But at the last minute, the Matchmaker was blinded by a shadow, and rather than point at the princess, she pointed at the sister.” She hung her head. “She realized what happened right away, but the damage was already done. For he had already given his heart to the princess. And thus, the Matchmaker, in order to save face in front of the clans, had to curse them for betraying her, and in return, she cursed the sister for blinding her to true love.”
“That’s horrible,” I whispered, my throat tight.
“His punishment,” the crone spoke sadly, “was to forever lose the love of his life. With their every reincarnation, she is destined to die, and her blood will be on his hands until he finds a way to break the curse. He can’t help but siphon her youth from her, and she can’t help but give everything she has, all that she is to him, even when she knows the outcome every time…”
Chills wracked my body as I held my casted arm in my free hand. “And the princess?”