When she tries to enter the Earth’s atmosphere, her light begins to fade. He speeds up and begins whirling around her, enveloping her in his protective heat. As the inferno surrounds the blue star, she whispers, “Faster brother, faster!” Together they burst across the night sky.
Caderyn runs with her bare feet skimming the dewy grass, and she tries to keep up with the stars. With her face lifted to the heavens above, she smiles watching them as they break through. The concussion sends a shock wave, echoing through the night and blowing Caderyn from her feet, just before she reaches the Vale.
The Fae are ready. They’ve waited a millennium to meet the new Fae Queen. They watch in awe as the stars separate and race towards their people. A hush falls over the crowd as the twin souls try to enter the Vale. Never before in the history of time, have a King and Queen been sent at the same time! Her brother senses the danger and just before they strike the mist, he wraps his soul around hers, protecting her from the poison. She breaks through the barrier, screaming in agony as she feels his soul ripped from his body. The Fae fall to the ground in reverence, and then watch as she runs and captures his spirit in her hands. She turns intending to save her brother’s body, but she’s too late. His last act of protection was to prevent her from crossing through to the other side. She stands with her long red hair flowing around her shoulders, the color of the flame that protected her. The sorrow in her soul rips through the crowd and they all rise and join her in grief.
He steps from the darkness, laughing at the sorrow on her face. The Fae Queen stands with mourning in her purple eyes and watches as the betrayer picks up her brother’s body.
“I offer a trade, Fae Queen. Pardon me! Let me come home, and I will give you your brother’s body. He will rot without his soul. Although, I’m sure I could find a suitable replacement. There are always shadows, in need of a body.”
Caderyn moves silently to the cover of a large tree. She stares at the body and feels the pain radiating from the Queen. He was protecting his sister, and now he’s a pawn in this sick game, played by this monster.
“BRADWR!” The queen rages and her purple eyes flash silver as she attacks him through the Vale. She cannot pass through the barrier, but her magic can. With a flick of her immortal wrist, the orb of light hits him like a cannonball, blowing him from his feet.
From the shadow of the tree, Caderyn watches the Queen strikeout, and the Kings body falls to the ground skidding to a stop only a foot from where she stands. Caderyn sits in shock, looking at the beauty of the fallen King. His long blonde hair covers his face, and she finds her hand reaching out to touch him. Her fingers itch to explore his muscular body, but just before she makes contact, a roar of fury splits the night air. Her heartbeat is pounding faster now, and she prays the monster cannot hear it. If only she could pull him to safety, but she knows she’s not strong enough. The King is motionless as he awaits his fate, and she is powerless to help him.
“You dare call me Betrayer!” He screams at the Queen. “I shall keep his body as a reminder of how truly cold the Fae are. You shall watch as his spirit dies, may his death be on your conscience forever, Fae Queen!” he spits at her.
In silence the Fae stand, joining their queen and turn their backs on the betrayer. What was to be a celebration of life, has now become a funeral. The Queen’s eyes meet Caderyn’s just before she turns. Panic fills Caderyn’s mind as the shadow closes in on the Kings body. She has to save him!
“How, how can I save him!” she thinks. When the creature picks up the body and begins moving away, she follows slowly, one step at a time. Careful not to make a sound, she inches her way through the woods, guided only by the light of the moon.
He moves quickly, and she loses sight of him. Her cheeks are damp with the tears of failure, “I can’t lose him, he needs me!” she tells herself. Determined to find him, she starts to run and trips falling to the ground. Caderyn jerks awake as she falls to her bedroom floor. She does not move for a moment, trying to clear the confusion from her mind. Her hands and knees sting from the impact, and she stands slowly. With a hand to her pounding heart, she feels the tears on her cheeks and tries to convince herself it was only a dream. As she gets into the shower, the blue mist returns unnoticed to its resting place.
Caderyn moves all her supplies for the miniature garden to her greenhouse. The house was small, but the back yard is her oasis. She added the greenhouse after she moved in and surrounded it with an overgrown secret garden. She added a gravel walkway, with multiple paths lined with roses and hydrangeas. In the center of her yard is a small waterfall. A river runs along a meandering path with a bridge leading to a private gazebo. It was one of her favorite spots. No time to play, she thinks as she walks inside quickly and heads to the workbench along the back wall.
A sound from behind her has her spinning in fear. With a spade in her hand, she moves to check it out. Caderyn pushes open the door and steps outside, when a shape to her right catches her eye, she jumps screaming and raises the spade to strike.
