Celine woke after the sun had set and instantly realized Dagan was no longer beside her. She ignored the loneliness that crept over her. Faeries didn’t sleep much, and Dagan must have grown bored lying there. She saw the squirr as she swung her legs out of bed. It was a small creature, with two long, branch-like horns sprouting from the top of his head. No bigger than a squirrel, it had a white belly and chest, with large brown eyes and soft pink fur. Its ears were so large they were used as wings, which were now wrapped around his small body. This one held a piece of paper in his paw.
Perhaps Dagan had stopped intercepting her letters, so this one might be from Caynin, but usually he sent the tammers, from the Everwhite Kingdom, and not pink squirrs. When she took the letter from the squirr, she could tell from the scratchy handwriting that it was not from Caynin.
Princess Celine – he will try to poison you next.
Celine tried to fight the feeling of lightheadedness, followed by a violent beating of her heart. Breathe in... Breathe out...
She crumpled the note. Who was ‘he’? She also had no idea who wrote these notes, but she was not going to ignore it – not after an assassin had attempted to kill her.
Celine put the note in her drawer and took a warm shower to clear her mind before she went to the kitchen, where she got fruit and ate them on her way to her next destination. The library was slightly smaller than the one in the Everwhite Kingdom, its walls covered in plants. In the center a spiral staircase led up into one of the towers, with vines twirling around its railing. On top of the tower was a table and chairs, and it was Celine’s favorite place to read.
She chose books whose titles had something to do with magical wounds, healing, and faeries. The books in the library had taught her so much already, and she hoped she could find something that would tell her how to heal Caynin.
Celine didn’t see any other Fata in the library as she ascended the spiral staircase and sat down at the top of the tower. The ocean roared, and a breeze tangled her hair while dark clouds covered the sky to signal a coming storm. She sat down calmly in one of the chairs and opened the first book.
She read that Fata bodies healed themselves, and they healed fast. They healed so well that if they were powerful enough, they could even re-grow limbs. So why was Caynin not healing?
She found a book on Prenumbras that didn’t tell her much more than she already knew. They were parasites and came from a world called Demtor. The faeries had explored their world and had accidentally let them into Erken.
She flipped the page and paused when she saw a drawing of Erken. Its beauty was unlike anything she had ever seen. If Heaven existed – this was it. There were flowers of shapes and sizes she had never seen, bigger than the ones in Everblossom. The castle was built out of riches – diamonds, rubies, gold, and silver.
A raindrop fell onto Celine’s cheek, as if telling her it was time to go. She should return to the library, but her heart longed to see Erken and its beauty. She should not open a portal, but the temptation was overwhelming. She was well rested and had food in her belly, which meant that her magic was recharged, and she was in control.
She visualized the drawing as clearly as she could until she felt her magic stir. It started to rain harder, but the drops pouring down on her could not distract her. When she opened her eyes, the raindrops were swirling around in a circle. She had opened a portal to Erken.
Celine knew better than to wander into strange worlds. She should close the portal – there was no need to travel to this forgotten world. The Fata had abandoned it for good reason – it was swarming with Prenumbras.
But beautiful pillars made of jewels shone like a lighthouse that beckoned within the portal, and curiosity triumphed over logic. She could not stop herself from stepping though.
Once she was on Erken, the portal closed behind her, and she quickly realized this place was not what she had imagined. It was not a realm of beauty and riches, but one of death and destruction.
She stood where the jeweled castle once was. Broken and cracked, the pillars had fallen over, the walls had collapsed, which had caused the roof to cave in. There was nothing but ruins. The plants were dead, so there was no greenery, and the ground was streaked with black as if its very soul had died. The magic had been sucked out of this place.
Celine looked around but didn’t see any Prenumbras. Had they died, like the rest of the planet, or were they hiding somewhere? Celine was not wearing protective clothing, and the No-Name sword was under her pillow. It was foolish to remain here without protection.
Yet, she wandered the castle like a lost soul, imagining the castle whole, filled with dancing faeries and magic and music. She pictured it before it had been stripped of all glory. Would it ever be the same again?
Did the princes ever miss their lives here? None of them ever spoke about it, and maybe that was because the memories were too painful. As far as she knew, the princes didn’t have any family on Earth. Had they left their loved ones behind on Erken?
As Celine explored the ruins, she noticed a building in the distance that was still standing. It stood out like a tree amid desolation, and she found herself drawn toward it.
Thick clouds loomed in the dark sky, but she doubted it was going to rain. The plants here were crunchy, the ground rough and dry, and it looked like it had not rained in years. The air held no moisture, which suggested the clouds’ only purpose was to hide the light. Did any life remain?
Celine was tempted to shout “Hello!” to find out who would answer, but she didn’t dare to in fear of attracting Prenumbras. Where were they, anyway? She pressed on cautiously and looked back every now to check that no one was following her.
Eventually, she reached the building and took a moment to observe it. These walls were not made from jewels like the rest she’d seen. They were dull and had been constructed using large, heavy stones. The gate had been ripped off its hinges and was big, spiked, and clearly intended to keep someone or something inside.
Celine pushed past the gate and entered the darkness of the interior. She allowed her eyes time to adjust, wishing for Fata-like eyesight. It did not take her long to realize that she was inside a prison, where the thick, strong walls were meant to keep monsters inside. Cells contained shackles and chains, and she wondered how many faeries had been locked down here. The Fata were not forgiving, yet she could not help but pity the ones who had been left here. She doubted they had been fed or cared for. From what she had read, prisoners were often tortured or forced to duel for others’ entertainment.
Celine went through the prison instead of going back or opening a portal home. She was not looking for anything specific, she was merely exploring the world she had heard so much about. When she had tried to imagine what the original Fata home should be like, she had not pictured this. The building seemed to be rectangular, with rows and rows of cells built into the three levels. Stairs led up and down, but they looked unstable.
A chain being dragged on the stone floor made her jump. Then it was quiet. Had she imagined it? She thought it sounded as if it came from behind her, but then again, sounds bounced off the walls, making it hard to tell where they originated. She headed down the hall from which the sound had come and almost cried out when she saw multiple Prenumbras in the cells. They turned their expressionless faces toward her when she appeared at the end of the long hall. Celine’s first instinct was to run, but she stopped once she noted the iron cuffs around their wrists.
Prenumbras didn’t have much interest in humans since they didn’t possess magic. But Celine was not a normal human because she possessed the magic of the Egress Key. Could the Prenumbras sense that, and would they attack her?
The hallway featured cells on either side, and in each was one or more Prenumbras. She was not sure if they were trapped there or if they were too bored to leave, too purposeless with all the Fata gone. She did not doubt that they had once been living, breathing Fata murdered by the Prenumbras when they attacked Erken. This confirmed what Caynin said – once a Fata is killed by a Prenumbra, they also become one.
None of them spoke, but they turned their white eyes toward her. The endless whiteness chilled her, and she slowly backed away. She had to get out of there but feared opening a portal would draw their attention. They were faster than the Fata and would be upon her within seconds. She doubted the shackles would hold them. She could only guess that they hadn’t broken free in all these years because no magic remained to drain on Erken. They stayed there, without purpose. And why had they been locked up? Had these former Fata committed crimes?
She headed away from that hall and down a different one. Her heart was hammering in her ears as she realized that coming here had been a mistake. What had she been thinking? Nothing good remained here, and that was why the Fata had abandoned it.
Celine thought the hall she was walking down was empty, as most of the cell doors were open. So, when something moved to her right, she instantly shied away from it in shock. While doing so, she knocked her shoulder against the bars of the cell on her left. She had made too much noise, and her shoulder had gone numb. She wanted to start running – to get away from whatever it was.
Then the Fata in the cell to her right sat up. He was not a Prenumbra and had sad purple eyes and hair so filthy it looked as if it had never been washed. There was dirt on his face, too, and Celine realized she had never seen a dirty Fata before. They were always so elegant and classy. Yet, this Fata wore clothes embroidered with flowers which suggested they had once been nice. Now they hung on his body in tatters. Celine was sure even if they had been washed a thousand times, they would still not be clean. His face looked old – she hadn’t imagined Fata could look old. He was also incredibly skinny, perhaps weighing half what she did. Was he starving down here? The iron shackles around his wrists had burnt his skin red and raw.
Celine started and couldn’t help but flinch when he spoke with a raspy voice. “Are you real?”
She nodded. “Are you?”
He smiled. “For a moment I thought I was going crazy.” The Fata sounded relieved.
She bent down so that she could gaze into his purple eyes. He looked incredibly weak. Could he stand up?
“How long have you been here?” she asked.
“I’ve lost track of the years.”
“Are there other Fata here?” she asked. “Are they alive?”
He shook his head, the brokenness obvious in his eyes. “They have all turned into Prenumbras.”
“How come you haven’t?”
What was different about this Fata? He looked like a broken male who had lived too many lives.
“I don’t know,” he confessed. “The Prenumbras don’t acknowledge me. When they attacked the city, they killed everyone, but they wouldn’t even fight me.”
Celine glanced at the shackles. “So, it was not the Prenumbras who put you here.”
He shook his head. It must mean that he was a criminal, and the other Fata had locked him up.
His next words caught her off guard. “I shackled myself.”
“What?”
“I shackled myself because this is where I deserve to be. I failed the kingdom. I couldn’t protect anyone. My children are dead.”
That was more emotion than she had expected from a Fata. In all the time she’d known and loved Caynin, he had never showed his emotions like that before. And Dagan hid behind his invisible wall so that she never knew what he was feeling.
Celine regarded the sad Fata, wishing she had water or food to give him. All she could give was words.
“I am so sorry,” she said.
He gave her a weak smile. “I have no one but myself to blame.”
She stuck her hand through the bars to place it on his. He looked at it, and for a moment she thought he would pull away. Comfort and condolences were human things to give.
“You are human,” he said.
She nodded. “I’m from Earth.”
“Earth,” he repeated. “I have heard a lot of it, but I never went there myself. I was never much of a traveler, not like my son, Wodlav.”
“Your son traveled to Earth?”
He grunted. “My son discovered Earth.”
She didn’t want to ask the male too much about his family because she feared he might get even more emotional.
“There is something magical about you, human,” he said.
Celine didn’t trust him enough to tell him that she possessed the magic of the Egress Key. Maybe he would want to wield it against her.
“How did you travel here?” he pressed.
“That doesn’t matter.”
He smiled bitterly when she didn’t say anything else. “Will you at least tell me your name?”
“I’m Celine. And you?”
“Tybalt,” he responded.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” she decided.
He pulled his hand away from hers. “Leave me be.”
Was it the loss of his family that crippled him? He did not want to die; he just wanted to suffer. He felt like he deserved to rot here, all alone. Celine wanted to help him, but she was not sure how. She’d have to find a way to unshackle him. She could force him through a portal – he didn’t look strong at all. But then again… she was a weak human.
“I’ll come back for you,” she said.
“Don’t bother,” he said. “No one else did.”
Did Dagan, Caynin, Bolt, and the other Fata who had fled Erken know Tybalt and his son Wodlav? They must not care for them or think that they were dead if they had never returned.
Celine looked up when she heard footsteps, and her heart instantly began beating faster.
“Get out of here,” Tybalt warned. The fear in his voice was obvious.
“What is it?”
“The majority of the Prenumbras have white eyes. They never come here – to my cell. But the two with the purple eyes do. One of them – he is the Prenumbra King.”
“What does he want from you?” Celine asked.
“I don’t know since he never speaks to me. He just stands in front of my cell, for hours and hours, and stares at me.”
“Has he never spoken?”
“The only thing he has ever said to me is his name. He says it over and over again – Valdow. He says it as if it is supposed to mean something to me.”
“Has he never tried to drain your magic?” she asked.
“No, but he is, without a doubt, smarter than the other Prenumbras. He brought them here, and he would not hesitate to lead them to Earth.”
Valdow, the Prenumbra king, appeared at the end of the hallway. He was the most terrifying thing Celine had ever seen. In his swirling purple eyes, Celine felt small and weak. He was tall and slender, and his mouth gaped, making her fear that he would sink his long teeth into her neck and kill her. His ears were pointy, like a devil’s horns. Celine was not going to wait to find out what he would do to her.
She immediately opened a portal behind her and stepped into it. The portal closed. She was inside her room, in the Evergreen Kingdom, and her heart was beating frantically. Her room door opened, and Dagan entered. In his one hand was a bottle of champagne and in the other were two glasses.
“I thought we should celebrate how much progress you’ve made with your magic.” His smile faded when he saw that she was shaking. “Celine, what’s wrong?”
She drew a deep breath and ran her fingers though her hair. “Let’s go outside. I need some fresh air.”
She didn’t hesitate to push past him and head to one of the many patios that overlooked the ocean. This one had a roof that shielded them from the rain, under which Celine paced as Dagan took a seat. She hated how he was always calm and in control.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he opened the bottle of champagne. The cork flew off the patio and landed next to a Fata on one of the lower levels. He did not pay it much attention, as he was sitting alone, reading a book. Celine could not see his face because he was wearing a hat.
Dagan poured the champagne into the glasses.
“I went to Erken.”
Dagan put down the bottle and slowly met her gaze. “You did what?”
“I went to Erken,” she said loudly. “I didn’t plan it. All the faeries who were left behind have turned into Prenumbras.”
“How could you go there without telling me? Do you realize how dangerous that was? Do you realize how big a risk you took? If the Prenumbras got a hold of you, they will use you to open a door and come here. You were reckless andselfish .”
Dagan had never scolded her before, and she felt her cheeks flush. Would he force her to stay on Earth in the future? No. He had never forced her to do anything; he had only ever tried to persuade her.
“I know,” she said. “There is a Prenumbra king on Erken.”
“All the more reason to never go there again,” Dagan growled.
“But I have to go there,” she objected.
“Why?”
“There is one Fata left in the prison cells. Dagan, you should have seen him! He looks terrible.”
“Why isn’t he also a Prenumbra?” Dagan asked.
“I don’t know,” she said.
He groaned. “Why do you always want to save everyone?”
“Not everyone,” she objected. “Just Tybalt.”
The color drained from Dagan’s face and was replaced by a kind of horror she had never seen before. He had let down his wall, and it wouldn’t take long before he put it back up again. Had Tybalt done something terrible to make Dagan fear him? If Dagan was scared, should she also be?
“Tybalt is alive?” Dagan looked like he was going to throw up.
“Yes, how do you know him?” she asked.
“Everyone knows him,” Dagan said. “He is the King of Erken.”