

By L.P. Dover

* * * *

Smashwords Edition

* * * *

Forever Fae

Copyright © 2013 by L. P. Dover

Editor: Melissa Ringsted

Cover Artist: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design

Formatting by JT Formatting

ISBN:

All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
Table of Contents

The Prophecy

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Other Extraordinary Authors

Preview of Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis

Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring

Two Courts to Four is what it will bring.

Without the Four the evil will spread,

The Land of the Fae will fall into dread.

The next generation will provide the Four,

The maiden souls and nothing more.

The Power of Four will start with the first,

If he gets the power, only then will you be cursed.

The Power of Four will be drawn to the others,

Their power is strong, the power of lovers.

The moment they become one,

Only then will the change have begun.

Two Courts to Four is what needs to be,

To save the Land, so shall we see.

Taking a deep breath, I sat on my bed and thought of everything that was about to change. Being the daughter of the legendary King Oberon and Queen Tatiana had come with many responsibilities, and ones that I'd come to accept with great honor and duty. However, I had been known to go against the council from time to time, much to my parent's dislike. I didn't get the reputation for being hard-headed and stubborn for nothing. First and foremost, one of my honor bound duties was to accept a guardian on my twenty-first birthday, and today happened to be that day. In just a couple of hours, dignitaries from all over the Land of the Fae were going to be here to celebrate this occasion.

The Guardian Ceremony was a centuries old tradition that was going to be held at sunset to determine who would be my warrior guardian. The warriors chosen will fight one another for the right to be given the honor. I enjoyed watching them practice, and secretly, against my parent's knowledge, I did train with my friend, Merrick. They'd be shocked to learn that I was just as skilled in battle as their warriors.

A knock on my door broke me away from my thoughts. My nurse maid, Elvena, entered the room.

"My lady, are you ready for the ceremony?" Her voice was soft and angelic, always soothing, but now she looked at me wide-eyed and gasped.

"Child, you don't even have your dress on. Your father will skin my hide if I don't get you ready in time," she scolded, flapping her hands in the air while frantically running around the room.

I watched her scramble around and grinned. Elvena was half brownie and half elf, and even though she had elf blood in her, she was still a short woman whereas elves were usually tall. Her curly brown hair hit her shoulders and her eyes were the color of amber. When my parents would travel across the lands on business, Elvena was the one who took care of me and my younger siblings. She also happened to be the one who proclaimed the prophecy that had been widely known throughout the land. Apparently, I happened to be a part of that prophecy, but no one—not even myself—knew how I was supposed to change the Land of the Fae.

"Oh, Elvena, Father wouldn't dare do that to you. You're one of the most important people in this kingdom, and the most sought out prophetess. Your prophecies have helped save our kingdoms for hundreds of years. I would never let him do anything to you."

"That may be so, child, but I still have duties and you're one of them." She sighed. "Now, let's hurry. So many of our guests have already started arriving."

"Who is here?" I asked.

Elvena halted mid-step and narrowed her eyes in contemplation. "Hmm... well, of course you know Aelfric and Rhoswen would be here early, and since Durin couldn't make it, I did see several of his dwarves coming through the front gate before I came to fetch you. All that's left now is the Winter Court fae."

Aelfric and Rhoswen were the leaders of the Elvish Kingdom, and Durin was the leader of the dwarves. Both the elves and the dwarves were powerful allies to the fae, and are our most trusted friends. I'd spent many moons with Aelfric and Rhoswen in their beautiful kingdom, and I looked forward to my next visit with them, which was going to be soon.

"Well, hell, I guess I better hurry then." I laughed. "I've heard Queen Mab doesn't like to be kept waiting when she arrives for something."

Rolling her eyes, Elvena shook her head. She'd never approved of my vocabulary, and of course the quip at Queen Mab definitely had her laughing.

"The words you choose to grace your tongue astounds me, child; although, I do have to say that you'll serve this kingdom well when your time comes. There is no other fae in the land that has the ability to control all of the four elements such as you. Your powers are above anyone's imagination and you will do great things. Only time will tell what those great things will be."

Pausing to stare at me, her hazel gaze showed nothing except pure love for me, but then it turned mischievous. _What is she up to?_

Giggling, she said, "Now let us get you ready for the ceremony. What dress have you picked out for tonight? It needs to be something special so those boys will have something to fight over."

Narrowing my eyes at her, I gave her a playful scowl. She knew I wasn't happy about the warriors fighting over me, but I also knew there was nothing I could do about it. After seeing my facial expression, Elvena laughed so hard she snorted and couldn't stop. I always loved her laugh, and could count on it to bring a smile to my face even in the worst of times.

"Xylia and I travelled to the mortal realm to pick out our dresses for the evening," I told her. Her laughing abruptly stopped, but before she could interrupt I held up my hands and said, "Merrick was with us if that makes you feel any better. We were well protected, and you know very well that I'm trained in battle. Merrick has been training me for years and I'm an excellent dagger thrower. I'm even better than most of the warriors."

By her slow growing smile I knew what Elvena was thinking. The only thing she heard of what I just said was that Merrick was with me. Merrick had been my life-long friend and we'd grown very close to one another. Being around him all the time had definitely made my people speculate the seriousness of our relationship. Only Elvena and my best friend, Xylia, knew about my trainings with Merrick.

"I know what you're thinking, Elvena, and that's not going to happen. Merrick is my friend, end of story," I remarked.

Her smirk told me she thought otherwise. "I believe you, child, but I don't think Merrick will hold up that end of the bargain. Say what you want, but that boy has feelings for you. He watches you when you're not looking, and his eyes show the longing he has for you."

Sighing, I muttered, "I care for him as a dear friend, nothing more. Besides, he hasn't even let on about his feelings toward me. Until he does, I won't address it."

Changing the subject, I pointed over at my closet and said, "If you look in my closet over there, Elvena, you'll see the exquisite emerald dress I picked out for tonight. I fell in love with it and I knew I had to get it."

Elvena huffed and pursed her lips. She knew what I was doing, but she went over to my closet anyway. With a sly smile on her face, she looked at my dress and chuckled. "Oh yes, Princess, you will cause a mighty stir tonight. You won't be able to keep any of the young men away from you once they lay their eyes on you."

She brought the dress over and laid it on my bed. She also pulled a little silver box out of her pocket and handed it to me.

"What do you have there, Elvena?" I asked curiously.

"Open it," she softly ordered. Opening the beautiful silver box, I saw the most amazing gold encrusted ring with a swirling purple stone set in the center. The stone was a deep amethyst color with an iridescent look to it. I'd never seen a stone like it before. The band had words of the Old Fae language engraved in it, but I couldn't seem to make out the words.

"Elvena, what do the words say? I'm having trouble translating," I questioned.

"It says, my child, _Mind, heart, body, and soul... I protect thee._ It's beautiful, is it not? This was my ring as a child, and I decided that since I no longer needed it I'd pass it along to you. It happens to be your birthday and tonight is a special night. I thought you deserved a special gift, and it'll also help protect you when your guardian can't."

"It's beautiful, Elvena. I'll never take it off."

Smiling, she took me in her arms and squeezed me tight. "We need to stop dawdling and finish getting you ready." Elvena quickly pulled back and motioned for me to sit. Her hands moved swiftly through my hair, and in a matter of minutes she arranged it in a beautiful cascade of blonde curls and braids along with a sprinkle of delicate flowers in all shades of color.

"Thank you... for everything," I whispered.

"Anything for you, child."

"Are you sure you don't want to accompany me to the ceremony, Mother?" I inquired sarcastically.

My mother, Queen Mab, had graciously asked if I'd go to the Guardian Ceremony for the Princess Calista. Graciously might not be the word I'd say she used. She told me I _had_ to go.

Lifting one of her eyebrows, she smirked to show me she knew what I was doing. I loved getting her worked up over the Summer Court queen. My mother was a beautiful lady with long, raven black hair and blue eyes. She'd been known to freeze things with a single icy glare.

"No, dear son, I will wait here for your father's return. Your father's the only one who can keep me from ripping Queen Tatiana's hair out of her head. That woman drives me up the wall with her air of arrogance, and with your father not here, I find it in the best interest of both the courts if I sit this one out."

"I think I would have to agree. We wouldn't want to start a war now would we?" I laughed at the mental picture in my head of my mother going head to head with the Summer Court queen. It'd definitely be entertaining, and a fight I knew my mother would win. She was known throughout the Winter Court as being the true Ice Queen; never wielding or showing mercy.

Taking my mother's hand, we strolled together to the throne room where we both took a seat by the large window overlooking our wintery palace.

Sighing, my mother muttered, "No, we wouldn't. From everything that's going on in and around the Black Forest, we need to make sure we stay close to the Summer Court. If something happens, we need to have them on our side and vice versa."

Nodding, I agreed, "That's true. I'm curious to know what the Summer Court has to say about all of this. Has any of their fae gone missing as well?"

"Several have, and that's what worries me. The air feels as evil as it did when the war broke out over a century ago. You can taste the bitterness of it in the air."

"Has Heylfred said anything more about the prophecy?" I asked curiously. Heylfred was our advisor and he had a way of seeing things that none of us could. He'd told me of his speculations about the prophecy, but I was curious to know what he'd told my mother.

Tilting her head to the side, she smiled and tried to hold in a chuckle. "He says he believes that you and the lovely Princess Calista will be the beginning of it all, and that your hearts are destined to be together." _Yep, it was the same as what he told me._

I groaned. "Yeah, that's the same poetic bullshit I hear from him as well. If Calista is anything like her mother, I highly doubt I could stand to be within three feet of her."

"You may be surprised, my son," my mother said with a devilish smile.

Looking out the window, I saw that my army had all begun to gather and were saddling their horses. The time had come for me to leave, so I reluctantly leaned over to kiss my mother's hand hoping she didn't pick up on my sour mood.

"I must bid you farewell, Mother. Warren and Kalen will be accompanying me, along with several of the warriors. We'll be back soon."

My mother kissed me on the cheek and grinned. "Be safe and make sure to tell the Queen I said hello."

"Yeah... right," I scoffed while turning away to head out of the throne room. Her cackles echoed throughout the throne room, and I could even hear them as I made my way out of the palace.

Leaving the palace walls, I headed over to my own house that I have on my parent's property. My mother and father refused to let my brothers and my sister live outside of their grounds. In order to have our own privacy, my brothers and I have our own places scattered across the expanse of the Winter Court.

I had two younger brothers, Kalen and Brayden, and a younger sister named Sorcha. Sorcha stayed in the main palace under the careful eye of my parent's while my brothers were free to do as they pleased. One of these days, Sorcha would rebel against them, and I hoped to the heavens that I'd be around to watch it.

As I reached my house, or cabin like most mortals would call it, I saw that my travelling companions were already dressed and ready to leave. I chose to have my house built to look like a log cabin because I liked the rustic feel of it. I couldn't care less about the amenities of the palace, and over time I grew tired of the incessant pampering.

"Ryder, you need to hurry up, jackass, or we'll be late," Warren yelled, catching my attention.

Warren was my best friend and one hell of a strong fighter. He was a little shorter than me, reaching about six feet, with black hair and eyes so dark they appeared black. He persisted for days on going with me to this ceremony, and I had no clue why. I found it kind of odd how adamant he was on being able to go, but I assumed he just wanted to get a glimpse of the Summer Court.

I hollered back humorously, "What's the matter, Warren, Cinderella afraid of not being able to meet the prince before midnight?"

Warren gritted his teeth and scowled. "Shut the hell up and let's get on the road. I'm not in the mood to hear your wise-ass fucking mouth."

His aggression caught me off guard and my temper rose. I stepped into his space—nose to nose—and demanded to know what was wrong with him.

"Look, Warren, I don't know what your problem is, but if you don't stop this attitude, I'm going to kick your ass all the way to the Summer Court and back. You've been like this for weeks now, and if you're not going to tell me what's wrong, I suggest you suck it up and move on. This cry baby bullshit is going to stop now!" I screamed into his face.

At this time, Kalen made his appearance and chuckled, giving me a fist bump.

"What did I miss? Are you two ladies having a lover's quarrel or something?" He glanced over at Warren and said teasingly, "Man, Warren, you look like you need to get laid or something. Maybe you'll get lucky with a summer chick. I hear they're good in bed."

No matter what kind of situation I was in, I could always count on my brother to lighten the mood.

Clapping my brother on the shoulder and laughing, I said, "Kalen, you never cease to amaze me. If anyone's getting lucky, we know it'll be you, but I think Warren's over his tantrum now, right?" I looked over at him and he nodded, even though it was forced, and left the house.

Kalen smiled the whole time while watching Warren walk away. He liked to joke a lot and never took anything seriously. He looked like our mother with his raven black hair and ice blue eyes. He kept his hair shoulder length while I kept mine short. Even though our hair was different colors and lengths, we had the same shape face and eyes. Anyone could tell that we were brothers, and growing up we were often mistaken as the other, except Kalen liked to flirt with any female that walked, and was a total jokester, whereas I was more calm and collected.

Knowing we needed to be on our way, I hastily ambled into my house and packed a few items to take on the trip to the Summer Court. As I was loading up the carriage, Warren took the time to ride up beside me. I kept my eyes on what I was doing until I heard him speak.

"Look, Ryder, I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I don't know what's come over me these days," Warren apologized.

_I wish I knew, too_ , I thought to myself. I waved him off and said, "Just figure it out is all I can say."

Sullenly, he rode off to the gate, and at that moment a feeling of unease swept through my body. It was a sensation I'd been getting a lot lately, and I couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from.

Shaking off the feelings of unease, I turned to my brother and announced, "Well how about we get going then? Why don't you round up the warriors and meet me at the front gate."

My brother left to assemble the men while I climbed up onto my sleek, midnight colored mare. My parents had given her to me when I turned sixteen and I named her after the Greek goddess, Artemis. I'd always been fascinated with Greek mythology, and I knew my mare would be just as strong of a warrior as me. She definitely lived up to her name as Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt.

As we made our way to the Summer Court, we had to pass through the Mystical Forest first. It was the section of land that separated each of our courts, and it was also the part of the Land of the Fae where many of our creatures lived that held no allegiance to either court. They governed themselves and protected their own. Sometimes they'd come looking for help and we'd offer it, but they always went back to their home. The only other places they could go would be to the elves or the dwarves, but they'd have to go through the unclaimed territories to get there.

I could feel the land changing as we got closer to the Summer Court, and I couldn't stop the groan that came out of my mouth. The air turned thick and the humidity could be felt across the wind bringing in the scent of flowers and grass. The heat was going to be uncomfortable, but thankfully we weren't going to be there for long... _I hope_.

\- Dark Sorcerer -

(Black Forest)

"The plan has been set in motion, Master."

The hideous troll kneeling in front of me said the words I wanted to hear. His name was Gothin. After being cast out of his tribe, he came straight to the Black Forest where I found him. I looked down upon him and congratulated him on the good news.

"Good, good. My time for revenge is well under way, so... what news do you have of the ceremony tonight?" I asked, hopeful.

Gothin lifted his head and grinned, showing off his rotten, pointed teeth. "Our people are in place. No one suspects what we have planned."

Smiling, I walked away from him to peer over at the expanse of land I'd called my home for the past century. _This is wonderful news_ , I thought to myself. Once I had the princess in my grasp, I'd be able to keep the prophecy from coming true. I wished I could just walk right into the Summer Court and take her, but I couldn't. I had to be patient, and then when the time was right she'd be mine.

For the time being, I was safe in the Black Forest. I was the last dark sorcerer of my time, but I really only existed in my spirit form. When the war happened over a century ago, my family were all slaughtered by the courts while I barely got away unscathed. With my revenge planned and my army secretly building, soon I'd be very close to my goal.

No one dared to enter the forest, but if and when they did, they were either killed or forced to join my army. Either way was fine with me. Inheriting my family's power had come with many advantages. My army and minions listened to everything I said and they followed my orders. I'd lured numerous creatures here with thoughts of wealth and prosperity, and in return, I had their full loyalty. Most of my army are traitors to their own kind or thieves that had been cast out of their clans. They were greedy, murderous fiends that were going to help me take over the whole realm.

My family came to the Land of the Fae from the mortal realm. When my people used their magic to find other realms, they stumbled upon the Land of the Fae. Once they crossed over, their magic intensified. The natural magic of the land fueled theirs, and with their arrival the courts were alerted to the change. When my people were told to leave, war broke out because my people didn't comply with the demands. We were told the black magic of our people would corrupt the land. Both courts came at us full force and the fae almost didn't win. Our power didn't have enough time to strengthen before they devastated our numbers.

In present time, the courts are unaware of my existence here in the Black Forest. They might be close to figuring it out, but hopefully my plan for vengeance will be well under way before they have the chance to stop me. My power has slowly gained, and the power I absorb is giving me a body. I can obtain my flesh for a short while if I use the special talisman for energy.

When I take my _true_ solid form, it will be the body I was born with. However, I can change my true form to make me look like anyone a person desires, and that one advantage will come in handy when I have the princess here. When I'm in my spirit form, I take my true form's shape, but I'm not solid. I appear as a ghost, but more corporeal than a ghost. Over time, I will be solid and able to enjoy the temptations of life on my own.

I can take over a fae's body and enjoy things through them, which I've done occasionally, but it takes a lot of power to do it, so I don't do it that often. I've done it several times with my minions to get the inside information myself. As long as they wear the necklaces I gave them, I'd have the power to transfer into them.

I absorb my power through the forest and by a secret way that nobody other than my army knows about. Around my neck I wear a talisman. The gem is a bloodstone that naturally helps to strengthen and lengthen lifespan, and it also helps to steal traces of power from the people in my army as well, so I consider it payment to be able to be a part of my army. The power I steal then gets absorbed into me, making me stronger.

If I were to put the talisman around someone's neck, it'd absorb their power more quickly and kill them in mere seconds. I do this as punishment to those I captured who won't pay fealty to me. Once I take the almighty princess, I planned to steal most of her power. The more power I take, the easier it'll be to persuade her. I don't want to completely drain her because I want to keep her as my queen. There were no lovely women in the forest, but I'd actually been around the princess and seen her exquisite beauty. I could see the light inside of her that only one of The Four possesses. It would soon become mine, and I'd be one step closer to gaining the power I needed and the body I desired.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I turned around to find Gothin staring at me, expectantly waiting on orders. "Prepare the scrying bowl. I need speak to my informant," I commanded him. He left immediately and came back just as fast, setting it up for me to use.

"The bowl is ready, Master," he informed me gruffly before bowing.

"You're dismissed," I replied, waving him off.

The scrying bowl allowed me to contact any of my people through a reflective surface. All that was needed was a drop of blood and the true name of the one sought. Using the power of the talisman, I allowed myself to take my solid form. There only needed to be one drop of blood, so I used the knife on the table to slice my finger. The droplet fell into the bowl and I called forth the person I was seeking. Only a moment went by before he appeared in the bowl, looking a little nervous and apprehensive. I could smell the fear and I loved it, I loved that they feared me.

"Good evening, master. What can I do for you?" my minion asked.

I relaxed back in my chair and answered, "I'm just making sure you have all the information I need. I know you have all the inside details of where the princess will be for the next couple of days."

My informant cleared his throat, definitely nervous, and replied, "I have the information, but remember she won't be alone during these trips. She'll have her guardian with her at all times after the ceremony."

Agitated, I gritted my teeth. _Why do these people underestimate my power?_

"That won't be a problem. Just make sure her schedule doesn't change, and use the gifts I gave to you. Keep the necklace on you at all times. That way I can take your place when I need to see what's going on. Also, make sure you only use the gem I gave you when you're ready to take the princess. It'll only give you the power of invisibility until the magic runs out, so use it wisely."

The informant bowed his head and was clearly ready to end the conversation. "Yes, Master. I will do as you wish and I will not fail."

With a wave of my hand, I cleared the scrying bowl. My plan was in motion and it was such a wonderful feeling to know I was about to have the power I sought and the female I'd been waiting to capture. The thought of her sent my blood boiling throughout my body. Having her here with me and in my bed was going to be worth it once I had her power. My body grew hard with an intense longing thinking about how strong her power was going to make me feel. I wished she was here right now to help me with that, but for now, I had something else in mind.

"Gothin, get in here," I yelled.

He came in and bowed his head. "Yes, Master."

"How many people did our army capture today?"

Gothin counted them off on his fingers. "Ten, I believe."

"I need you to bring me one now," I snapped impatiently. The rush of draining a poor soul of their magic was intoxicating. If I had a permanent body it would feel like a ten hour orgasm, but I enjoyed it much the same when I was in spirit form, only it didn't last as long.

Gothin rushed out of the dwelling and was back in only a few seconds pushing a luscious faerie woman down to my feet. Bending down, I lifted her chin so she'd have to meet my eyes.

"You are a pretty little thing, aren't you?" I said to her.

She had to be about twenty years old. Her body looked ripe and beautiful, and it was a shame I had to take that away from her. I'd noticed that the power I got from females was so much better than the males. The women had purer hearts, which made their power stronger. I placed the talisman around the fae's neck and she immediately began to cry and wail. Rolling my eyes, I blew out an angry breath. _Why do these women have to be so damn weak?_

Grabbing her neck, I forcefully pulled her up off the ground. "All you fae are so pathetic!" I snarled in her face. "I don't see how you all won the war all those years ago."

Tired of her wailing, I squeezed her neck until I heard the crunch of her bones shattering. Tossing her to the ground, I waited for the talisman to finish sucking the life force out of her body. It didn't take long for her body to be drained and disintegrate into a pile of ash.

The bloodstone shone bright red and glowed ominously throughout the room. Excited, I picked it up off the floor and wiped the ashes away from the stone before placing it around my neck. Sitting back, I relished in the feelings of the power coursing through my body, making me stronger. I needed the power of The Four to complete my transformation, and I looked forward to obtaining it with Calista by my side. Her stubbornness was something I would enjoy breaking.

Elvena left a few minutes ago to give me my space before the ceremony. I hadn't talked to Merrick since yesterday, so I had no idea what to expect. Xylia and Meliantha should be here any minute to walk with me to the Great Room where the ceremony and feast would be held. After the festivities, there was going to be a meeting with the council and the different dignitaries from the other territories to discuss the Black Forest, as well as the missing fae and our plans on how to keep our people safe.

I could feel the evil growing stronger. Hopefully, after the meeting, we'd have an idea on what our future plans would be regarding our safety. The leader of the dwarves, Durin, would not be attending, as well as King Madoc and Queen Mab from the Winter Court. Durin and King Madoc were having their own meeting to discuss the production of more magical relics. It'd been said that the magic in the relics made by the dwarves had certain components that have the capability of destroying different types of evil.

Walking through my spacious bedroom, I headed to the space that'd always been my sanctuary... my library. My library was where I liked to relax because reading had always been my escape. The library was connected to my room and it was just mine to use; no one else in my family liked to read as much as me.

When I wasn't secretly training with Merrick, I was in my library or out in the gardens with my sister, Meliantha. I loved to engross myself in a book and imagine I was right there with the characters. Taking a seat by the window, I picked up my favorite book that was sitting on the nearby table. I got it from the mortal realm, and I was reading it for the fifth time. The love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy was simply epic.

It wasn't long before I heard Xylia and my sister enter my bedroom. Xylia and I had been best friends since infancy, and she was also the wildest and craziest girl I knew. Her mother and father had been part of the council for many years and are good friends of my parents. Xylia and I travel to the mortal realm every now and again, mainly so I could get my books and Xylia could get her choice of hair dye. She had put streaks of purple in her dark blonde hair to match the purple dress she picked out for the ceremony tonight. She was also part wood nymph, super skinny and tall like me, reaching about five feet and ten inches. She always said she was jealous of my curves, and I always snapped back and told her to eat more. The trees were her escape and she hated that books were mine because the pages were made from trees. She complained all the time that I needed a new hobby, but I couldn't give up my books no matter how much she whined. She'd just have to get over it.

"Calista, where are you?" Xylia called from the bedroom. "Oh yeah, let me guess, you're in here." Xylia poked her head in through the library door and saw me holding a book. She grimaced, but then quickly switched it to a smile.

"I thought you'd be in here. Happy Birthday, Princess. Why are you in here reading when you have your own story that's about to be made? It's a totally romantic story that doesn't involve cutting down precious trees and involves half naked, hot warriors."

Jumping up and down with excitement, she rushed over to me. "Aren't you excited about tonight? I wish I was a royal and had hot warriors fighting over me. Who do you want to win?"

Leave it to Xylia to think a bunch of men fighting over a person was hot.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Oh Xylia, I don't care who wins because I think all of our warriors are honorable men. I'd be proud to have any one of them by my side. It's just the ceremony part that I'm a little nervous about."

With a sly smile, I glanced at her and asked, "Do you think you'll dance with Conall tonight?"

"Yeah, if Merrick doesn't kill him first," she teased. Conall was one of our warriors and would be fighting for the title of my guardian. Xylia has had feelings for him forever, and I thought he might've had feelings for her as well.

Sighing loudly, Meliantha rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Xylia off to the side. It was kind of hard to get a word in when Xylia was around.

"Sister, I think it's exciting. I can't wait to get my guardian next year. The whole reading minds thing is going to be kind of awkward, but that's one of the ways they can protect us." She came over, leaned down, and gave me a hug. "Happy Birthday, Calista."

I'd pondered over the Guardian Ceremony for days. The sharing of blood will be the final step in the ceremony where all we had to do is take our special dagger and run it across our palms. Once my guardian and I have done this, we join hands and our blood will join together in our bodies and form the special bond. The dagger that'd be used in the ceremony was made by the dwarves. Durin, the leader of the dwarves, had made my dagger personally and I felt honored that he'd decided to do it.

My guardian would always carry the dagger with him after the ceremony was complete. The dagger was magical in itself because it absorbed both mine and my guardian's blood during the ritual and that combination made the dagger a very powerful weapon.

After completing the ceremony, we also received the ability to hear each other's thoughts. There's nothing sexual about the ceremony, but the intimacy of being in each other's head was going to be different. The ritual is very sacred, and we'd followed this tradition for hundreds of years. I was nervous about my guardian being able to hear my thoughts because some of the things I think about could be very embarrassing.

Straightening my gown, I ran my hands down my dress to get the crinkles out. My floor length dress was strapless and emerald green in color. Diamonds were encrusted around the bust with an intricate pattern of silvery thread along the back and down to the train. My train wasn't _too_ long, stretching only five feet. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

"Your dress is absolutely gorgeous, Sister," Meliantha swooned. Her wide-eyed gaze roamed over my dress, and she traced her fingers along the patterns stitched into it. Her eyes then travelled down to my hand and she happened to notice the ring I was wearing.

"Where did you get the ring? It's lovely."

Smiling, I glanced into Meliantha's amethyst eyes and responded, "Elvena gave me the ring. She thought it would be a great birthday present. Your dress is beautiful by the way. I love the pink."

"Why thank you," she cried, gazing down at her dress. Her silky, auburn hair was stunning, but what made her different from the rest of us in the family were her amethyst colored eyes.

We never knew how she came to get that color, but they were strikingly gorgeous. She was only a year younger than me, but I always felt like I had to protect her. Meliantha was timid and very tender-hearted, and her magical abilities were for nature and animals. She loved to tend to the gardens and once she stepped outside all the animals flocked to her, vying for her attention. She was like the Land of the Fae's version of Snow White.

"Do you know what Ariella is wearing tonight? I haven't seen her today. She hasn't been bothering anyone, has she?" I asked curiously, looking at both Xylia and Meliantha.

At the mention of Ariella, Meliantha and Xylia both tried to hold in a laugh by covering their mouths with their hands. _Uh-oh, this isn't good._ Meliantha took her hand away from her mouth and snickered.

"Oh no, she's been bothering people all right. She's been bothering people so much that she's been banned from attending the ceremony tonight." Shaking her head in disbelief, she continued, "Serves her right. Mother and Father were furious with her after what she did today."

Intrigued at hearing what my sister had done, I asked, "What did she do now? Blow down a house with her wind capabilities?"

Xylia and Meliantha both burst out laughing. Xylia answered, "Not only did she blow down a house, but she also blew one of the guardians across the court. Apparently, she asked him to dance with her after the ceremony and he politely refused. Your sister doesn't take rejection very well, does she? Anyway, Elvena will be keeping a watch on her tonight."

My mouth flew open in disbelief. "Yep, that definitely sounds like my headstrong sister and no, she doesn't take rejection very well. Unfortunately, she still has a lot to learn. That poor warrior was probably afraid of her. She needs to learn to control her temper or she'll never find a guy that'll be able to keep up with her. I hate that I'm not going to see her tonight, but maybe it'll teach her a lesson." We all looked at each other and smiled knowing very well that Ariella would never learn her lesson no matter how much trouble she got in to.

"The day she learns a lesson is the day the Summer Court freezes over," Xylia joked as we headed out of my bedroom.

We laughed and cackled all the way down the long corridor until we reached the winding staircase. It felt like I had butterflies in my stomach the whole way down to the Great Room, and once we reached those huge double doors, I paused to take in a deep breath. Xylia was on one side of me while Meliantha was on the other, both enclosing me like protectors.

Reaching for both of their hands, I squeezed them tightly and smiled before the huge doors began to slowly open. Deep down a change was coming, and it was going to begin that night. I just wish I knew what it was.

The huge gold plated doors opened and I stood motionless for what felt like hours. Xylia cleared her throat while Meliantha gave my arm a little nudge.

Xylia audibly sighed and whispered, "Calista, it's time. We need to move forward. It's time to see all of those cute warriors in action." I looked over at her and she winked while gazing at the warriors positioned on the right side of the room. Turning my sight to the warriors, I noticed they were all looking at me with smirks on their faces. They'd surely make fun of me for my hesitation once this was all over.

"I'm ready. Let's hurry so you can get your fill for the night," I whispered back.

We laughed softly and continued down the plush green carpet that lay on the aisle. The Great Room was vibrant yellow and had trees and flowers splayed about, which made it feel like I was walking into a meadow. Except in this meadow, we had two thrones and a dais.

The room was filled with gold plated chairs encrusted with crystals that glistened from the sunlight coming through the windows from both sides of the room. The roof also opened up to let the sunshine beam down, making the temperature a little hotter. Rainbows flittered along the walls and the floor from the reflection of the crystals making the room look absolutely magnificent.

I made my way to the front where my father, King Oberon, and my mother, Queen Tatiana, were seated on their thrones with my brother, Drake, shadowing our mother. My father looked handsome with his bright red hair and eyes that matched mine. He gazed at me with pride written all over his face and it felt good to know I was doing something right. Glancing over at my mother, she smiled radiantly at me. She had golden blonde hair just like me, but her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. She was wearing a lovely yellow dress that made her look angelic, but she was far from it. Her temper was known throughout the court.

When I made it to my seat, my father greeted me, "Good evening, sunshine."

Giving both of my parents a warm smile, I replied, "Good evening, Father, and to you, Mother." My mother smiled and reached over to take my hand; I squeezed hers in return.

"No need to be nervous, my daughter. Tonight is going to be a very special night," she said tenderly.

I didn't respond.

Instead, I looked across the room at the many guests. The entire room was filled with the cheerfulness and brightness of the Summer Court fae. On the right side of the room, all of the warriors were standing at attention and looking regal while the middle area of the room was our guests from across the territories. On the left side of the Great Room were all the council members of the Summer Court and their families.

Gazing at all of the warriors, I couldn't stop myself from finding the enchanting smile of my friend Merrick and giving him a smile in return. He'd grown up to be such a handsome man with his golden blond hair and the brownest eyes I'd ever seen. He kept his hair short, but long enough to see that he had some curl to it. It always looked so soft and fluffy, and every time he was around I couldn't stop myself from running my fingers through it. He stood six feet tall and had the body of a god. Many of the Summer fae women went crazy over him and were constantly following him around.

Looking toward the Summer Court council members I saw Xylia's parents, Raisa and Foster, sitting there amongst the others; they nodded, so I smiled warmly back at them. Occupying the seat next to Foster was Avery. He handled a lot of the court business and was my father's most trusted counselor. I'd never really liked him because I could sense darkness in him. However, when I confronted my father about it he just laughed it off and considered it nonsense.

I'd tried to stay as far away from him as I could. He had hair the color of wheat and sharp facial features that almost made him look cruel. He was a handsome man, but nothing about his personality appealed to me. When he noticed me looking at him, he smirked and bit his lip. Silently groaning, I took my thoughts away from him and continued to look around at my guests.

I smiled at everyone, especially when my gaze landed on Aelfric and Rhoswen. Except, I wasn't prepared for what my heart did when I got ensnared by a pair of piercing blue eyes. Our eyes locked and I couldn't bring myself to look away from him. It was like my universe had stopped and the only people in the room were him and me. He seemed to be feeling the same way, according to his wide-eyed expression.

I could feel my face flushing and my lungs felt like they couldn't get enough air. I really needed to calm down and figure out what was happening to me. The attraction was uncanny. It was ridiculous to feel that way over someone I hadn't even met.

He was obviously from the Winter Court, and gorgeous as hell with his dark, spiky hair and those majestic blue eyes. My goodness, the eyes were going to make me melt. He was dressed in all black with his shiny silver armor glittering in the sunlight. He looked like a sexy dark angel. His lips tilted up on one side in a half smile, half smirk kind of way, and he lifted his eyebrow like he was amused. My reaction was automatic; I smiled back at him. I really wanted to find out who the stranger was.

I was brought back to reality when my father stood up and moved to the edge of the dais. The room fell silent as my father began his announcement.

"Welcome guests, we are here to celebrate the Guardian Ceremony of my eldest daughter, Princess Calista, and her soon-to-be guardian. This is a tradition that has been upheld for hundreds of years. We honor that, and tonight we ask that you join us in this celebration and make it memorable. A feast and dancing will be provided after the ritual in honor of Princess Calista and her guardian."

He turned to the warriors to address them.

"Warriors, if you would take your positions, please." He then turned back to the crowd and said, "To receive the honor of becoming a guardian to a royal, these warriors must fight until they can fight no more. The person left standing will be rewarded the honor."

The room was filled with excited energy and I knew because I was trembling with it. The anticipation of the fight had the warriors on edge and I could see their muscles rippling as they waited for their cue to begin fighting. Merrick had a gleam in his eye and took one last roguish look at me before my father announced to begin.

My father glanced around the room and thundered out the two words everyone had been waiting to hear: "Warriors, begin!"

"What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to hyperventilate," Warren whispered in my ear. "Your eyes bugged out of your head when you saw the princess walk in."

"I don't know what happened," I confessed. "Something just... changed when our eyes met."

Shrugging, Warren snarled his nose and huffed. "I don't know about you, but I definitely wouldn't be getting all hard up over a Summer chick. I much prefer the cold hearts of our Winter vixens. They don't get attached, so it's easy just to plow the snow, if you know what I mean."

Kalen cut in, "On most occasions I would agree with you, Warren, but these Summer girls are hot. Especially the one in the pink dress that came in with the princess. Now she's smoking hot, and I mean that literally and figuratively."

Shaking my head, I explained, "There's just something about her. It's like I'm connected to her somehow."

At my words, it was like a dark cloud settled over Warren. His eyes became dark and menacing.

He turned to me, hissing, "You can't have her. She doesn't belong to you."

Wide-eyed, I stared at my friend and wondered what the hell just happened. One minute he was fine, and the next it was like a demon had possessed him.

Clenching my teeth, I growled low, "What the hell is wrong with you? You have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't say anything about wanting her, and if I did, you sure as hell couldn't stop me."

In all honesty, I did want her, but I wasn't going to tell him that. Fuming, I glared at him waiting for a reply, but he just sat there vacant, like he wasn't even there. A few seconds later he came to and began acting normal again. There was something seriously wrong with him, and I was going to have Heylfred look into it when we got back to the Winter Court.

Hooking a glance over at Kalen, I raised my eyebrows in question.

He shrugged his shoulders and confided, "Ryder, I don't know what's wrong with him, but we need to figure it out soon."

"Yes, we do," I stated. Warren seemed calm so I decided to ask him, "Are you okay?"

Confused, he furrowed his brows and said, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be okay?"

I sat back in my chair, befuddled. "Nothing, I just thought I'd ask." He seemed so normal, but that uneasy feeling of dread had made its way back into my stomach.

King Oberon finally stood to make his announcement about the ritual and the fighting that was going to take place. It was going to be interesting to see how these warriors fought compared to my army. I trained our warriors along with my brothers, Kalen and Brayden; our fighting skills were immaculate.

If I had a guess, I'd say my army could kick their pansy asses any day of the week. As the king started his announcement, I raked my gaze over all the warriors about ready to fight. One caught my eye... he was the one who couldn't keep his eyes off the princess.

_He's going to be a problem,_ I thought to myself.

He stared at her like a love-sick puppy, and it made me wonder if they were lovers of some sort. If they were, they wouldn't be for long. However, if he won, their bond would be unbreakable. The king finally finished his speech and the fighting had begun.

The fighting had started and the clanging sounds of the swords echoed throughout the Great Room, but that wasn't what piqued my interest. I took a quick look at the handsome guest with the piercing eyes and he seemed to be arguing with his friend. He had two males with him, both with black hair. The one on his right looked kind of evil with all of his dark attributes. The one on his left appeared playful and cute in a boyish kind of way; he resembled the handsome stranger so I'd take a bet that they were brothers. _I wonder what they're arguing about._

I decided to think about that later and concentrate on the fight. Merrick was the strongest warrior out there, and he was amazing with his swift moves in sword combat. The other warriors competing were Conall, Gideon, Evan, Finn, and Ashur. They were all wonderful warriors, and I enjoyed talking to them all and watching them train.

At the moment, Merrick and Conall were battling it out, and Xylia was sitting in her chair biting her nails as she watched them. Being best friends, I knew it had to be hard for Merrick and Conall fight each other. Conall was strong, but Merrick was fast. Merrick raised his sword and with no hesitation sliced it down through Conall's thigh. With a look of defeat, Conall fell to the ground. He swiftly got up and moved out of the way so he could be tended to by one of our healers. Xylia wasn't going to be happy.

My father leaned over to asked, "How are you enjoying the fight? I honestly think it'll be between Merrick and Ashur in the end."

I shrugged. "I think this is just a show of testosterone, if you ask me. Whoever came up with this must have had some serious issues with his manhood. It'd be much easier if I could just choose my own guardian and not put them all through this."

He sighed and grabbed my hand.

"Sunshine, you know this is tradition, and we have to uphold it. I wish there was another way, but there's not. Plus, the warriors need to prove they can take care of you."

He glanced at Merrick and looked back to me. "I think Merrick has his heart set on you, my dear. You both would make a fine match, but I couldn't help but notice you staring at the young man over there." He nodded in the stranger's direction and slowly began to smile.

I tensed and sat up straighter. "First of all, I was not staring, and second, why does everyone keep saying those things about Merrick? He hasn't said one word to me about his feelings or anything like that, so am I just blind on the matter?" Pausing, I bit my cheek and debated on if I should just ask the question I was dying to know the answer to.

Averting my gaze, I decided to suck it up and asked, "By the way, who is the young man sitting over there?" I held my breath, waiting for him to answer.

"Yes, you are blind, and I say the things I do about Merrick because it's true," my father relayed truthfully. He searched the room before he pointed to the stranger. "The young man you are referring to over there is Prince Ryder from the Winter Court."

Shocked, I turned my head to look at Prince Ryder. He sure did not look like a prince, more of a Greek god, if you asked me. My heart fluttered just looking at him and the way he stared at me made my body tighten in all the right places. It was like he was trying to devour my body with his seductive blue eyes. I could only imagine what else he could do to me.

He smirked at me like he knew what I was thinking and I quickly looked away, squirming in my chair.

My father looked at me, wrinkling his brow. "Calista, are you well?"

Breathless, I responded, "Yes, Father, I'm fine. It's just a little hot in here." And I wasn't lying about being hot. Watching Prince Ryder look at me the way he did sent the blood boiling throughout my body and it was definitely in a good way.

Closing my eyes, I hung my head and took a few deep breaths. _Stop looking at him you idiot._ When I opened my eyes, I made sure to keep my attention focused on Merrick. My father was right; it was between Merrick and Ashur. Merrick was graceful with his movements while Ashur was aggressive and a little sporadic.

Both warriors seemed tired, but I saw the determination in Merrick's eyes. What everyone said about him having feelings for me pulled at my heart. I guess I'd been in denial about his feelings. _Why was I feeling guilty?_

A few minutes later, Merrick made the final blow and took Ashur down. The fae heal very quickly, so Ashur and the other warriors would be as good as new by tomorrow.

Breathing hard and sweaty from the fight, Merrick came up to the dais and knelt before my father.

"Your Highness, I have defeated my brethren, and ask to be awarded the title Guardian to Princess Calista."

Bowing his head, he waited for my father to speak. My father searched my face for approval, so in return I nodded for him to continue. My father stood and strolled down to Merrick.

"You may stand, Merrick. Congratulations, warrior, you have won the title of Guardian to my daughter, Princess Calista. You are to guard her with your life and put her needs before your own. Once the ritual is completed, you will acquire some unique and extraordinary abilities. Your thoughts will become hers and hers yours. This bond is sacred and special, and you are both very honored to be given this gift. Now go, Merrick, collect your thoughts and clean up. As soon as you return, we will continue with the blood ritual."

Merrick speared me with the biggest grin I'd ever seen, and I couldn't help but snicker. He was cute when he looked like that.

He turned to my father and said, "I understand my duties, Your Highness, and I shall return shortly." Heading out of the Great Room, he strutted down the aisle with his head held high.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I leaned back in my chair.

"I am so glad that's over," I confessed to my parents.

I finally looked over at Drake, who was trying to hold back his laughter; I scowled. Drake was my twin brother even though we looked nothing alike. He had the flaming red hair of my father and cool gray eyes that switched back and forth between normal to that of the dragon. He was revered throughout all of the Land of the Fae as one of the fiercest warriors. No one wanted to go head to head with a fae that could transform into a gigantic beast.

However, around me, he wasn't the fiercest warrior... he was a jackass.

"Sister, you are the most stubborn and strong-willed person I know. I'm sure the warriors appreciate your concern for their well-being, but they wanted to do this. You should've seen them before the ceremony started. I thought they were going to explode with excitement." He paused and lowered his voice. He could see the concern in my face so he sighed and continued, "They didn't care if they got hurt, Calista. You need to stop worrying about them. When are you going to realize that?"

I shrugged as a reply and waved him off. Drake grinned and passed down a beautifully carved wooden box to my parents so they could hand it to me.

My mother took this time to speak.

"Durin made this for you. He took great pride in the metalwork and also with the carvings. He also wanted us to tell you that he hates that he couldn't be here today, but he and King Madoc had important business to tend to in Endelyn." I understood he couldn't be there, and I was kind of glad King Madoc wasn't... because if he was, then I was sure Prince Ryder wouldn't be.

Opening the box, I found the dagger Merrick and I were going to use to complete the blood ritual. It was laid across a purple, velvet cushion, and there were a lot of crystals and gems of numerous colors splayed across the handle. Intricate designs of vines and leaves also wrapped around it. It had to have taken Durin a great deal of time to construct the dagger.

A tear escaped the corner of my eye as I stared at it. Durin definitely made the dagger to appease me. He knew of my love for color, and he made sure there was a lot of color on it. _I wonder how Merrick is going to feel carrying it around._

I laughed silently at the thought of Merrick wielding a jeweled dagger. The look on his face was going to be priceless. Closing the box, I settled it on my lap as we waited for Merrick to return.

While I was waiting, I saw Prince Ryder talking to his friend and I couldn't help but wonder what his voice sounded like. I bet it was deep and sensual, like a caress, and I bet it'd sound even better in a more intimate setting. One way or another, I was going to make it a goal to hear his voice before the night was over. _I will speak to him._

Merrick finally entered the Great Room, looking washed up and clean. He watched me the whole time as he made his way to the front. He knelt down once he reached the dais and my father, mother, Drake, and I all stood as a show of respect and honor to the man who was going to become my guardian. My father reached out and took my hand. He led me over to Merrick, who was still kneeling with his head bowed.

"It's time," my father whispered gently.

Taking a deep breath, I let go of his hand, nodding to let him know I was ready. When I stole a quick glance at Prince Ryder, all I could see was a blank expression on his face. That was definitely a change from earlier. Slowly, I carried the box with the dagger in it and positioned myself in front of Merrick.

"You may rise, Merrick. My Guardian," I announced.

He stood, bowed his head one more time, and then gazed longingly at me with his chocolate brown eyes. A look of nervousness passed across his face, but only briefly. Opening the box, I pulled out the dagger.

Merrick closed the distance and stood even closer. Looking into my eyes, he began, "Princess Calista, do you accept me as your guardian? I vow to keep you safe, to put my life before yours, and forever be your protector. Will you honor me with this gift?"

Now this was the part of the ritual that had me nervous. Reaching for his hand, I turned it palm up. I sliced the blade across his palm, and with all my heart I answered, "I do accept you as my Guardian, always. You've watched over me for as long as I can remember, and it is I who is honored to have you by my side."

Merrick's eyes went wide with my words and I smiled. For once, he was flustered.

Once the blood started to flow, the dagger absorbed some of it into its blade. Now it was my turn. Merrick took the blade gently from my hand and examined it, almost about to burst out laughing with what he saw. I knew he would find it comical and would think it was a girly dagger. Hesitating, Merrick bit his lip and took my hand. I knew this would be hard for him. Even though it'd be a small cut, I could still see the turmoil in his eyes.

Softly, so only he could hear, I whispered, "Merrick, it'll be okay. I trust you."

"I know, I just don't like to hurt you," he whispered back.

I always scolded him for going easy on me in training. I thought at least now he would've gotten used to it. He knew how strong I was and that I could kick some warrior ass. Maybe not physically all the time, but my magical abilities made up for it. Merrick finally stopped hesitating, took a deep breath, and sliced the dagger across my palm. The blood slowly oozed out, and the blade took its small portion.

My father announced, "Now is the time to join hands, blood to blood, and seal the sacred bond."

Merrick and I looked at each other and smiled. When we joined hands, we were immediately thrust into a whirlwind of sensations. I could feel Merrick's mind and soul open up to me, and I gasped with what I saw. He was beautiful and pure. His power flowed through me, giving me extra strength, and I knew my power was doing the same for him. Even though we were sharing power, our abilities would still be the same. He'd still only have his affinity to fire. I was soaking up the joy of our mingling powers when out of nowhere I heard my name... inside my head.

" _Calista_."

My gaze snapped to Merrick's. Did I just hear him say my name?

" _Yes, Cali, you heard me say your name."_

I jumped with surprise. He always called me Cali when he was in a playful mood. It was hard to believe we could talk and no one else would know what we were saying.

" _Oh, Merrick, this is great. How's your hand?"_ I searched over his hand then back to his eyes. _"I saw your hesitation, Merrick. You should never doubt how much I want you to be my guardian, and you should never hold back. How many times do I have to tell you that?"_

" _Cut me some slack, Cali. I think this is the first time I've ever had to draw blood from you. Do you forgive me?"_ he asked with a wink.

" _Of course I forgive you. You're one of my dearest friends, and I'm so glad it was you who won. I always knew you would win."_

His face fell when I said the part about being one of my dearest friends. Maybe there was something he wasn't telling me. I was still searching his hand when he stopped me.

" _My hand is all right, Cali. It was just a scratch. I knew I was going to win too. Those other warriors have nothing on me."_

He laughed as he said it and I knew our guests were amused at what we were doing. They all knew about the connecting of minds when a guardian was chosen.

" _You are such an arrogant ass,"_ I joked, making him lift his chin mockingly.

" _Yes, I am, and now you get to put up with me not only in the flesh, but in your mind, too. Maybe I can find out all your little dirty secrets in there."_ He tapped my temple while saying it, and in return I swatted his arm.

" _Don't you dare go snooping in my head because I can do the same to you. What kind of secrets do you hold, Merrick? I might be tempted to find out."_ He held his hands up in mock defeat.

" _Okay, I give up. A guy's got to try."_

He appeared a little nervous about my playful threat. I really don't want to hurt him if he did have feelings for me. He was a gorgeous guy and a wonderful friend, but I really didn't harbor any other feelings for him other than friendship.

Our hands had stopped bleeding and were mending nicely. The cuts weren't deep, so the healing time was pretty fast, and one thing that helped was the soothing water on the cloths the healers brought out to help wash our wounds. After our hands were clean, I sauntered back to the dais to take my seat beside my father; Merrick took his place by my side.

I noticed everyone smiling as I looked across the crowd, but once I reached Prince Ryder's gaze my smile faltered. His pained expression gripped my heart for reasons I had yet to know.

The fighting was intense.

The warriors' fighting styles were very similar to ours. Their movements were more graceful; ours are more rigid and precise. No matter what, I still thought I was a better fighter than any of them, and I know I would've definitely won. Princess Calista took a quick glance at me when she walked down to meet her guardian, but I kept my expression blank when actually my heart was thundering. I didn't want to see her bonded to another man, especially when that man could enter her mind and feel her emotions. There was no closer bond a person could have other than marriage.

I could see the shock on Princess Calista's face when she first heard her guardian speaking to her in her mind. I'd never been so jealous over anything in my life. I didn't know where the jealousy was coming from, but it was a very strong feeling. They playfully laughed at each other while silently conversing, and all I wanted to do was shove my sword in my gut to put me out of my misery. Or better yet, shove it up her guardian's ass. Now that would've made me feel a lot better.

The princess took her seat by her father while the servants were moving away all the extra chairs and bringing in the food. The band started to play a cheery melody to get the guests in brighter spirits. Not everyone enjoyed watching the fights, including Princess Calista.

Kalen elbowed me in the arm.

"Ryder, I'm going to go check out the food and meet some chicks. There are some pretty fine females here. You want to come with?" Kalen asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"No man, you go ahead. I'm going to take a look around," I responded.

Not believing a word I'd said, Kalen smirked and shook his head. "Yeah, I bet. Taking a look around the princess is more like it."

I smacked him upside the head and pushed him in the direction of the food. "Do me a favor, Kalen, and stay out of trouble," I remarked, laughing.

Feigning innocence, he placed his hand over his heart. "Who me? In trouble? Never," he chimed sarcastically before walking off toward the refreshments.

Still laughing about my brother, I turned to Warren as he was about to walk away. "Where are you going off to?"

Shrugging and sauntering off, he called out over his shoulder, "I'll be around."

That was fine with me. I didn't want him near me when I met the princess if he was going to be a dick. Calista strolled around the room, making her rounds and laughing with her guests while I watched her like a hawk. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her. When she saw me staring at her, her angelic face lit up for a brief second before she turned away.

Her guardian noticed the interaction and gave me a scowl. I returned the gesture in kind with the flip of a finger. My attention strayed from the princess and landed on Warren, who was standing in the far corner talking to the head of the Summer Court council; it was the same guy that Princess Calista obviously didn't like. _What could they be talking about?_

I needed to make a point to ask Warren about it later. King Oberon caught my attention when he waved his hand and called me over. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Princess Calista was with the two friends she walked in with at the beginning of the ceremony. They all three turned to look at me, and it was obvious what they were talking about. Her guardian was by her side... a little too close. _How the hell am I going to talk to her with him following her everywhere she goes?_

Once I reached King Oberon, he greeted me by clasping my forearm in the traditional warrior greeting. "Welcome, Prince Ryder. I trust your journey from the Winter Court was good. How are things there?"

With respect, I bowed my head and replied, "Yes, Your Highness, our trip from the Winter Court was uneventful to say the least. I love travelling through the Mystical Forest. Things in the Winter Court are going as well as can be expected. My father, as you know, is in Endelyn with the dwarves discussing the issues of the Black Forest. We've had several of our fae go missing the past couple of weeks. It's actually been happening for many years now, like it's been happening here, if I'm not mistaken. Have your people discovered anything yet?"

"No, they have not, but I hope we do soon. However, I know we'll be discussing that in the meeting. I hate that your father couldn't make it here today. He always knew how to have a good time," the king chimed humorously, trying to brighten his spirits.

We both laughed.

"Yeah, you both have a way of getting into trouble together."

He smiled. "Yes, we do, but the queens are a different story, aren't they?" King Oberon visibly shuddered, and I was sure it was from remembering some of the tense moments between my mother and Queen Tatiana.

Before I could comment, the queen heard the king's question and scowled at him. "Oberon, stop talking nonsense, I'm not _that_ bad," the queen retorted as she walked past. Incredulously, he shook his head and winked.

"I'll just let her keep thinking that for now," he bellowed. "Thank you for coming to the ceremony. I'm afraid our council meeting will be postponed until tomorrow, if you don't mind, because this party is probably going to last a while. Do you mind delaying your departure until tomorrow evening? You are more than welcome to stay here in the guest wing of the house."

I tried to hide my smile; it was the best news I'd heard all night. Now I had more time to be around the princess without having to have a reason.

Keeping the excitement out of my voice, I insisted, "Your Highness, I would be happy to stay here, and there's no inconvenience whatsoever. I don't mind the meeting being postponed, but my brother has accompanied me as well as one of my closest friends."

King Oberon waved his hand like it was no bother. "Your guests are more than welcome to stay as well. Your guards can stay in the warrior housing on our property."

He paused and scanned the Great Room until his gaze landed on a guy with bright red hair. He called him over, but I knew who he was summoning.

"I want you to meet my son, Drake. He's the leader of our army and a skilled fighter."

Drake approached and his eyes narrowed, sizing me up. I had to admit I was doing the same to him. "Prince Ryder, correct?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

We clasped forearms and I met his strong hold with one of my own. A smile spread across his face and his hold loosened. "Yes, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Drake. I've heard of your skills. Being a dragon must have its advantages," I acknowledged.

Nonchalantly, Drake shrugged and his smile grew wider. "Yes, it does, but I've heard of what you can do as well. I think I would trade my abilities for yours any day. I'm sure I could have some fun." He winked. "It was great meeting you, though. I'm sure I'll see you around."

He clapped me on the back and sauntered away. I thought he was going to be a dick, but he actually wasn't that bad. I turned back to King Oberon and he was smiling.

"My daughter asked about you," he claimed. I could sense a hint of humor in his statement, and I wondered what it was all about.

"Really? What did she say?" I asked blandly, not wanting to show my surprise.

"She asked who you were. She knew you were from the Winter Court, but didn't know who you were, so I told her. Calista had never shown an interest in anyone, so I was shocked that she asked about you. Do you have any idea why she'd be so enamored by you?" he questioned curiously.

Even though I had an idea why she had interest in me, I wasn't going to tell him. I just shrugged my shoulders and lied, "No, I have no idea why she would be interested in me."

The king furrowed his brows at me, but then a sparkle twinkled in his eye when he settled his gaze on something behind me. "Oh well, I guess it's not important. Here she comes, by the way, Prince Ryder. You can finally meet my sunshine."

My heart immediately picked up speed, and I turned to see her walking toward us. Our eyes locked and I could see the curiosity eating away at her. She came to stand beside her father and kissed his cheek.

At last I was able to hear her voice when she spoke, "I've made my rounds, Father. I believe it might be time for some dancing." Her voice was soft yet strong; feminine but laced with a hint of stubbornness.

When she mentioned dancing she looked straight at me. On closer inspection, I could tell her exotic green eyes had gold specks in them and they were so tantalizing I couldn't look away. I felt like I could get lost in the sea of them. If she wanted to dance, however, I would be happy to show her how we moved in the Winter Court.

King Oberon cut in and firmly placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Calista, I would like to introduce you to Prince Ryder of the Winter Court. He's the leader of their army, and son of King Madoc and Queen Mab."

She gave me a smile and curtsied ever so gracefully. "Good evening, Prince Ryder, it's such a pleasure to meet you."

"Please, call me Ryder," I insisted.

She nodded. "Well, then please call me Calista."

She reached her hand out to mine and I grasped it gently. The moment our hands touched, the electricity surged through our bodies and the images came flooding in. We both gasped, still holding on, while the images continued on in a silent movie only Calista and I could watch.

\- Dark Sorcerer -

(Black Forest)

"Master, you have an urgent message from the Summer Court. They wish to speak to you through the scrying bowl," Gothin informed me.

"Excellent, I'm curious to know who won the title."

Taking my solid form, I retrieved the dagger from my belt and pricked my finger. Once the blood dropped, my informants slowly appeared in the reflection of my bowl.

"Good evening, Master. We brought you news from the ceremony," one of the men stated.

I replied, "Very well, continue. Which warrior won the title?"

"Merrick was the warrior who won. His fighting was magnificent and efficient. He's a fearsome warrior and also Calista's best friend. He won't be an easy target to take down."

"I've seen this Merrick. Yes, he's a skillful fighter, and I'll have to figure out what to do with him. Is the princess still planning on visiting the Elvan Kingdom in a few days?" I asked.

The Summer Court traitor nodded. "Yes, Master, she's still planning on the visit and she'll have a contingent of guards with her as well. We have the route she'll be taking and are making arrangements to intercept her. We also have a spy in place in Endelyn with the dwarves. He's taking place in the meetings while King Madoc is visiting there on business."

My other informant interrupted, "I have some news, Sire, that may not be good. Prince Ryder seems to have taken a notice to Princess Calista and her to him. I could practically see the connection there. If they figure out the prophecy, there's going to be no way to stop it."

Anger boiled inside my gut. "Dammit," I hissed.

There was no way in hell I could allow them to get closer; it would ruin everything. Agitated, I growled, "Go back to the party before someone notices you're missing. Do what you can to keep the prince and princess apart. If you find anything else, you better come to me quickly. My tolerance is running thin."

Dismissing them both, I closed the scrying bowl. Only a couple more days and I'd have the power within my grasp. Unable to control my anger, I left the main headquarters and stormed all the way to one of the prisons. The guards at the door moved aside to let me enter and gave me a wide berth; good for them. Gazing around the room, I was happy to see I had about twenty or so people in confinement.

Looking each prisoner in the eye, I asked, "Now which of you would like to join me and which of you would like to die?" Gasps erupted in the room, however, there was a mixture of hands of the people that were willing to stay. Nodding to the guards, they escorted each one of the prisoners that wanted to swear fealty up and out of the prison. I would deal with them later.

When they were gone I was left with one last couple, a man and a woman. Their defiant expressions made me smile; they were going to fight back. Raw excitement bubbled in my chest at the thought of a good fight. I needed it. From the looks of them they had to be husband and wife.

When I reached for the woman, the husband lunged at me. Growling at him, I unsheathed my dagger. With a lightning fast move, I slashed his neck clear through to the bone. _What a fucking moron._

Blood sprayed in an arc across the walls and coated my hands and body with the warmth of his life force. His head fell off to the side and rolled across the floor until he disintegrated into a pile of ash. The wife screamed and tried to reach his body before he disappeared, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Now if you would've just let me take you first this wouldn't have happened like that. It's a shame, really, because I wanted to take his magic, but he made that too difficult. All you faeries are idiots." Sighing, I moved closer. "I guess only _you_ will be my meal for the night, and a good meal I'm sure you'll be."

Licking my lips, I removed the talisman from around my neck and placed it around hers, looking her straight in the eyes and smiling. She hissed as the talisman started siphoning her inner essence.

Gritting through the pain, the woman growled, "You may be able to steal our power, but you're still nothing. They will defeat you, and your body will rot in Hell where it belongs."

Yanking her up by the hair, I brought her up to my face. "We'll see about that," I spat.

Removing the talisman from around her neck, I took my dagger and thrust it straight into her heart. She immediately fell into a worthless heap at my feet. The dagger I used was made of iron, which is lethal and poisonous to all fae kind. Once the iron blade slices through their skin, the poison in it travels swiftly through their bloodstreams and kills them within minutes. It definitely gave me a killing advantage.

A smile crept across my face as the bitch before me turned into ash... into nothing, just like all the fae would soon become.

Falling leaves.

Crisp, cool air and lots and lots of colors. I was surrounded by red, orange, yellow, green and brown. The leaves were blowing in the wind and cascading from the trees. Even though there were hundreds of leaves falling, the trees still looked overly abundant with them. It was magnificent, and I'd never seen anything like it.

I was walking through a meadow hand in hand with someone, but I couldn't really see his face. All I knew was that I felt happy and I felt at home. The place I was in didn't look familiar to me, but I felt like I'd been there a million times.

I reached down to touch the ground, and I could sense the life and the newness of the land. I'd always had a connection to the land because of my affinity for the earth, but this was something more. I also noticed that my body looked different and felt different. My skin was paler and it didn't feel as hot. I could tell that the land was made because of me and the man I was with. We somehow made the land through our magic, but how? Did the land choose us, or could this be part of the prophecy?

The man I was with gently pulled me over to a bed of leaves on the ground and I lay in them with the man beside me. I breathed in the cool, fresh air and listened to the leaves rustling around in the wind. This was my home; this was where my heart belonged. The magic of the land was more vibrant than the land in the Summer Court.

The power here thrummed through my veins and I could feel the same power flowing through my companion. His power matched my own, but I'd never met anyone with the same amount of power as me. He leaned over my body to where he was half lying on top of me and half to the side. His body being so close to mine sent chills all over me and I was silently begging for more.

He trailed a hand down my face to my collarbone, where he stopped to lay a gentle kiss on my neck. My blood boiled and I wished he would kiss me more. He slid his hand farther down my side, lightly grazing my breast, and my breath hitched. My breathing became rapid and my heart was pounding; I could hear it in my ears.

He halted at my waist and put a tight grip on my hip. I could tell he wanted to devour me, but he was teasing me and taking things slow; I didn't want things slow. His other hand cupped the back of my head, while turning me toward him. He leaned down, lips parted. I could feel his breath on my face and I licked my lips in anticipation of his kiss.

His scent was so different... it was intoxicating. It was a mixture of a summer breeze and a winter snow; I couldn't compare it with anything else. His lips were so close, and I couldn't wait to taste him... then our lips connected.

I was thrust out of the vision and back into the Great Room where everyone was staring at me wide-eyed. _What just happened?_

Abruptly, I let go of Ryder's hand and glanced around the room. I was unaware of how long the vision lasted, but it must had been a few minutes because my father was looking frantic, and my mother was running her hands all over me to make sure I was all right.

Merrick was by my side in an instant, trying to pull me away from Ryder. I tried to shield my mind from him so he wouldn't pick up on my feelings. I had no clue if he saw the vision since our minds were now connected.

" _Please don't shield your mind from me. I only want to help you. What did you see?"_ Merrick asked, concerned.

" _Nothing, Merrick. It was a strange vision and it made me a little confused, but I'm fine. Please don't worry about me,"_ I reassured him. His expression was grave, but he took a couple of steps back to give me some space.

"I'm okay, everyone. I promise I'm okay," I exclaimed honestly.

I could tell my mother and father were worried, so I smiled to try and reassure them. My father took my chin in his hand and moved my face from side to side, inspecting me. "Are you sure you're all right? What happened? No one could separate you two when you were standing there."

I recalled the vision, but for some reason it didn't feel like it was the right time to announce to everyone what I saw. I looked over at Ryder and I could tell he felt the same way.

As much as I hated to do it, I lied.

"It was a vision, but it was really blurry and it went by so fast. I don't really remember any of it." Ryder nodded his head in approval when I glanced at him. My father pinned Ryder with his questioning gaze and asked the same question.

"Did you have a vision, too?"

Ryder nodded. "Yes, but like the princess said, it was blurry and it came too fast. I don't remember much of it either."

Releasing my held breath, I bowed my head and closed my eyes. I needed time to process what I had seen, but I wondered if Ryder saw the exact same thing that I had. I was pretty sure he did, but hopefully I could talk to him alone somewhere and see what he thought about it. My father didn't look like he believed a word Ryder and I said, but he didn't say otherwise.

My father leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I need you to talk to Elvena as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

"I will... first thing in the morning," I responded quickly. My father appeared to know more than he let on, but if anyone had answers it would be Elvena.

My father announced to the group that had gathered around me and Ryder, "The meeting with the council has been postponed to midday tomorrow. Prince Ryder and his kin will be staying in the guest quarters." Wide-eyed, I jerked my head in the direction of my father and stared at him with my mouth wide open. I couldn't believe Ryder was staying here for the night and in the palace. My father had never offered to have people stay in the main house.

With a dark and desperate look, Merrick cut in, "Your Highness, don't you think it would be best if they stayed in one of the other houses on the property?" He paused, and quickly added, "That way they would have their privacy."

We all knew that wasn't the real reason Merrick wanted them out of the house. Ryder tried to hide a smile and failed miserably. Agitated, I glared at him hoping he'd stop because provoking Merrick was just going to cause major problems.

My father smiled kindly at Merrick.

"Merrick, they'll be fine in the main house. The house is fully guarded so nothing is going to happen. If its Calista's safety you fear, then you are more than welcome to stay in one of her guest rooms in the south wing."

Ryder's smile vanished while Merrick's smile came back full force. Triumph was clearly written all over his face. _What is my father doing?_ I shook my head in disbelief and stared at my father; his mischievous smile explained everything.

This was absolutely preposterous.

I could tell Ryder didn't like the idea of Merrick being so close to me. Merrick's face was beaming and I turned my dark look to him because he was the one doing the provoking now. Merrick usually stayed in the warrior housing on our property, and I hadn't even thought about how that would change now that he was my guardian.

Merrick sidled closer to me and glanced smugly over at Ryder. He stared at him with a huge grin while he addressed my father, "Good idea, Your Highness. I think I _will_ feel better if I stay closer to the princess."

My father looked like he was about burst with laughter, so he turned his head so no one could see. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and groaned. It was going to be a long night, and it was just getting started.

With a smile on his face, my father leaned down and murmured, "Sunshine, I believe your mother and I will take our leave. Don't forget the meeting is midday tomorrow." He kissed my cheek and squeezed my shoulder. "Enjoy the rest of the night." He winked at me and quickly glanced toward Ryder. "I'm sure there are plenty of people wanting to dance with you." He and my mother both snickered as they ambled toward the entrance to the Great Room.

Now that my parents were gone, I was left with Merrick and Ryder. The tension was unbearable and thank goodness Xylia took that moment to ask Prince Ryder to dance. I spoke to her and my sister, Meliantha, about him earlier, so she knew about the craziness I was feeling. Not being very subtle, Xylia practically dragged him to the dance floor. She looked a little wild with her purple highlights and purple dress, but I liked that about her. I watched them dance for a few seconds when I heard Merrick enter my mind.

" _Will you dance with me, Princess?"_

Giving him a warm smile, I held out my hand. _"You don't need to ask, Merrick. I would love to dance with you."_

He took my hand and we made our way to the floor where we began dancing to the slow melody the band was playing. Pulling me close, he rested his other hand on the small of my back. It was a little lower than what was considered polite, but I got the impression he was doing it for Ryder's benefit... or better yet, to piss him off. Annoyed, I casually lifted his hand up a bit and narrowed my eyes at him.

Merrick's lips thinned to firm line. _"Why did you move my hand, Cali?"_

Exasperated, I peered up at him. _"You know why! It doesn't look good with you practically grabbing my ass."_

He shook his head, clearly not believing me. _"I don't think that's it at all. What's going on between you and ice boy?"_

" _Nothing is going on. I just met him,"_ I snapped.

" _It didn't seem like anything and I really don't like the way he looks at you."_

Merrick was clenching his teeth, and I followed his gaze to where Ryder and Xylia were dancing. Lifting my hand to his face, I placed it on his cheek and moved him so he had to look at me. His expression was serious, so I gave him a goofy grin to cheer him up.

I added, _"You worry too much, Merrick. Are we going to train in the morning before the council meeting?"_

Sighing, he finally gave me a cocky grin.

" _Well, of course. You know I wouldn't miss the opportunity to get my ass kicked by a girl."_

Giggling, I smacked his arm. _"After I talk to Elvena in the morning, I'll be more than ready to kick your ass."_

He held me close, but not too close, while we danced in silence for the next song. I was lost in thought when Avery, the head of our council, asked Merrick if he could cut in. Merrick gave me a pitying look then handed me over to him. I groaned silently, hating the fact that I had to dance with him; I really didn't like Avery.

"How are you enjoying your evening, Princess?" Avery inquired.

I put on a fake smile and responded dryly, "Very well, Avery, how about you? I haven't seen you around in a while."

"I've been around, taking care of some business," he claimed.

I wondered what kind of business it was because he shouldn't have had to deal with anything because of the ceremony. I was still unnerved by the strange vibe I got when he was around. It was like spiders crawling all over my body. There was something not right with him.

I danced with Avery for the duration of a whole song, and I knew I looked miserable the entire time. Finally, my rescuer came.

"Do you mind if I take over?" Ryder asked Avery. His glare at Avery made it more of a demand than a request.

Avery narrowed his eyes and forced a smile when Ryder moved closer to me. Reluctantly handing me over, Avery complied, "Of course, Your Highness, you may take her."

Ryder had a concerned look on his face when he took my hand. He led me away from Avery and pulled me in close so we could begin our dance.

"I could tell you needed someone to rescue you. You looked miserable dancing with him," Ryder stated.

I nodded in agreement. "Thank you, and yes I was miserable. I don't really like Avery, but he's my father's counselor, and a good friend of my parents. It's strange, but I get bad vibes when he's around, and he always looks at me weird. I seem to be the only one who can sense it."

He shook his head. "No, I can tell something is off about him, too. I saw him talking to my friend Warren earlier. I don't know what it was about, but I'm going to find out."

We danced in silence and I knew it didn't make any sense at all, but I felt like I belonged in his arms, like we were made for each other. I breathed in his scent, which smelled like a winter snow, clean and pure, with a slight hint of pine. We all carried the unique scent of our own court and he definitely smelled of winter.

Ryder broke the silence, and with a twinkle in his eye, confessed, "You know, your friend Xylia told me a bunch of things about you. She's quite the talkative type. She happened to tell me of your magical abilities, favorite hobby, your favorite food, which is my favorite as well, and the wonderful things you do in secret every morning before sunrise."

He chuckled at my look of astonishment and my knees almost buckled at the sound of his sexy, deep laugh. His hand caressed my back, and it made me want to feel his hands on other parts of my body. I was definitely going to need to take a cold shower after this. The connection I felt with him was so strong that I couldn't stop from pressing my body against his to get as close as I could.

" _What the fuck?"_

I glanced across the room quickly and saw Merrick watching us. He was the one who screamed in my head. His expression was one of pure anger and hate. Shit, I forgot to shield my thoughts. _How am I ever going to get out of this one?_ I took a deep breath and pretended nothing was wrong when I turned back to Ryder. I'd have to deal with Merrick later.

"One thing about Xylia is that she doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. I love her, though, and we've been best friends since birth. I do like to spend most of my time in my library because I love to read. I'm sure she told you how much she hates it as well."

He laughed and nodded, so I continued, "Yeah, I thought so. Anyway, spaghetti is my favorite food, and I'm shocked it's yours as well. The cooks here won't fix it, so Xylia and I have to travel to the mortal realm to be able to eat it. There's this little restaurant in Italy that makes the best spaghetti."

Speaking of Xylia, I searched for her over Ryder's shoulder and saw her dancing with Ashur. She looked a little disappointed because I knew she wanted to dance with Conall tonight, but the cut on his thigh was really bad. _I hope she can forgive Merrick for it._

Curiosity piqued, I asked, "Now what exactly do you know about my morning secret? What did she tell you?"

He smiled and left me stewing for a few seconds. Xylia knew I didn't want word spreading around about my training, and if she said something I might have to use her for a practicing dummy.

"I hear you are quite the accomplished fighter. You know, I could help you train in the morning so you can see how the Winter Court army trains. I saw how your warriors fight, but we use a few different techniques, and I would be glad to show you."

My heart accelerated with the thought of Ryder training me. I would love for him to show me some moves and I would love to show him some of mine, but I knew Merrick would be livid if I asked Ryder to join us.

"I would love for you to, but Merrick trains me and I don't think he'd appreciate you being there. It would most likely end up with you two fighting each other rather than training me."

With a wolfish grin on his face, a gleam sparkled in his eye.

"I might show up anyway. That sounds like a good time to me." He grinned.

I smacked his arm playfully and he twirled me around the dance floor. We both started laughing and I knew we were drawing attention to ourselves, but at that moment I didn't care. He was an amazing dancer, and I wished I could dance with him all night.

He dipped me low and whispered in my ear, "Oh yeah, and I cook my own spaghetti. You wouldn't have to travel to the mortal realm to search for the best," he admitted, winking.

My mouth dropped open. It wasn't every day that you heard of a man that cooked, especially given that the man is a prince. I was shocked he could actually cook his own food and best of all, he could cook spaghetti. I'd love to be able to cook, but the brownies that prepared our food refused to let me help and they won't make anything from the mortal realm. Brownies were very prideful and they considered it an insult if you tried to help them.

"I am amazed, Prince Ryder, of your cooking abilities. I might have to take you up on your offer someday, but out of curiosity, what are your magical abilities?" I questioned curiously.

He laughed.

"I thought you would never ask. I can control the weather and I can also..." he drawled out slowly, wagging his eyebrows, "... make myself invisible."

Wow.

That was a rare gift and I could only imagine the kind of trouble he had gotten into because of the capability. I wondered if he'd ever spied on naked women with that gift. A feeling of jealousy spiked in my gut, but I let it go quickly. I did _not_ want to know about him and other women.

"Those are some interesting affinities, and I bet you thoroughly enjoy being invisible. You better not try spying on me," I added playfully.

"I wouldn't do that. Contrary to what you might think, I do have a little more respect for women than that," Ryder muttered. The sincerity in his eyes had me believing him.

"Who are the companions you travelled with? I know you mentioned a man named Warren. Is he the guy over there?" I acknowledged with a nod in the man's direction. I noticed him staring at us the whole time we'd been on the dance floor.

Ryder turned to look and nodded. "Yes, that's Warren. He's been acting a little strange recently, and what's even stranger is that he actually told me to stay away from you."

That got my attention.

"Why would he say that? That makes no sense." I turned and glanced at Warren, who was sitting off by himself. He did seem a little odd, sitting perfectly still with a brooding expression on his face.

"That's what I thought, but I'm going to have my advisor take a look at him when we get back to the Winter Court. Heylfred is very good at figuring things out."

I nodded my head in understanding because I considered Elvena to be the same way. I looked around to find Ryder's other companion when I noticed him flirting with my sister. I bet the guy was his brother. They looked so much alike and Meliantha seemed to really like him. He looked like he'd be a heartbreaker, though, and I didn't want Meliantha's heart to get crushed.

"Might I ask who your other companion is that is so graciously flirting with my sister?" I asked.

He inwardly sighed before looking in the direction I was pointing.

"That would be my brother, Kalen. He's a good man, but an obnoxious flirt. I might need to steal him away before he puts your sister's virtue at risk."

I nodded. "That may be a good idea. Well, I guess this is good night, Prince Ryder. I do have other men that I must dance with. You can't keep me all to yourself, you know," I teased.

"I wish I could keep you all to myself, Princess," he whispered, making me take in a sharp breath.

He continued, "We need to talk about the vision. I know you remember everything about it, as do I, but I don't have much time here tomorrow. Is there any way you can meet me tonight? Pick the place and I'll be there."

I would love to spend more time with him, and I knew the perfect place we could meet.

I made sure my mind was shielded when I whispered in his ear, "There's a big willow tree by the lake, and we can meet there. I always go there to think and read sometimes. My kelpies are in that lake and they sometimes come ashore to sit with me, but they don't seem to like anyone else other than my sister, Meliantha, and me. Be careful when you get there and do not approach them. To get there, go around the south side of the house and continue on the path until you reach the lake. You'll see the tree I'm talking about."

Pausing, I bit my lip. "The real problem here is that I don't know how I'm going to get away from Merrick. He'll be so close to my room." He growled at the mention of Merrick being so close to me.

"If I can get away, can you meet me there at midnight?"

"Yes, I'll be there, and I will wait for you." He paused. "I think Merrick enjoyed patronizing me earlier about staying close to your room. You do know he's in love with you, right?"

_Not again_. I took a deep breath and let it out.

"So many people have told me that, but Merrick is one of my dearest friends and I care for him deeply," I explained.

Ryder's face fell.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

I gazed into his steely blue eyes so he could see the truth in mine.

"I don't love him in that way. He would be the perfect person to love. He's strong, caring, loyal, and the sweetest person I know, but my feelings just don't go beyond friendship."

Ryder breathed a sigh of relief and bowed.

"Well, on that note, good evening, Princess Calista. I had a wonderful time and I will meet you by the willow tree at midnight."

I curtsied and replied, "Good evening to you, Prince Ryder, at least until midnight."

He left to save my sister and I laughed when his brother scowled at him. The rest of the evening was spent dancing with several of the warriors, council members, and carrying on with Xylia and my sister. My mother and father didn't come back to the party, which was not uncommon. They missed their own parties all the time.

I saved my last dance for Aelfric, the leader of the Elvan Kingdom. We talked about my upcoming visit to his land in a few days, and all the wonderful things he and Rhoswen had planned for us to do. The elves were wonderful people and I enjoyed my visits there so I made it a point to visit any chance I got.

The night was winding down and the party was finally over so I bid farewell to all the guests. Merrick escorted me to my room and also to the new quarters he would be staying in since he was now my guardian. The entire time we were walking I tried to figure out a plan to get away from him without alerting him of my absence.

"Did you have fun with Calista's sister, Kalen?" I asked humorously.

Chuckling, Kalen replied, "Oh yes, brother, she's an amazing girl. Her ability is for nature and animals. I told her of my pack of white wolves we have in the Winter Court and she was totally fascinated about it. We spent the whole time talking about animals. She's the only girl I've ever talked to that has loved talking about animals."

My brother loved his animals, but he'd never been fortunate enough to find a girl that had a love for them, too. I was glad he could share that with her, but I didn't want him screwing with Calista's sister.

"We need to find Warren and settle in for the night," I informed him while searching around the room.

"Sounds good to me."

Kalen cleared his throat and when I glanced over at him he had a sly grin on his face. "I saw you with the Princess. It was looking kind of hot and heavy there for a while. Is there something you're not telling me?"

I tried not to smile, but failed. "I plan to meet her tonight, but I need you to make sure that Warren doesn't find out. He's been acting strange, so I don't want him to know. I'm going to get Heylfred to check on him when we get back. I trust you to keep this a secret."

"Of course, Ryder, whatever you need me to do, I'll do," he insisted.

Clapping him on the shoulder, we then began our search for Warren. We found him talking to Avery, the counselor for the Summer Court. When they saw us approach, Warren averted his gaze quickly, like he was guilty of something.

Glaring at him suspiciously, I asked, "Are you ready to retire?"

He walked away from Avery and didn't look back. "Yes, I'm ready. It's been a long night."

"Good, Kalen will show you the way to our rooms. I have a few things I need to do first." _Like finding Xylia before everyone leaves for the night,_ I thought to myself.

Warren pierced me with a skeptical look, but I kept my face blank. I couldn't let him know what I was doing. The outburst he had about the princess had me very cautious around him. I didn't want to have to hurt my oldest friend, but I would if I had to. Kalen and Warren both left, so I was free to find the one person I needed. Once I spotted her and got her attention, she came right over.

"Is there something I can help you with, Prince Ryder?" Xylia quipped.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Can you do me a favor?" I whispered.

"Depends," she said, smiling. "Will there be stealth involved?" Darting her eyes back and forth, she rubbed her hands together in anticipation. She reminded me of Kalen with his sense of humor and spunky personality.

Laughing, I answered, "Yes, there will be lots of stealth involved."

She winked. "Then I'm in, sweet thing."

Leaning in closer, I whispered in her ear, "I'm going to meet Calista tonight and I need you to make sure Merrick doesn't come looking for her if he suspects she's missing."

Her face fell.

"Do you realize how much he's going to hate me if he finds out? Not to mention the amount of trouble I could get into?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could do it." I looked around quickly to make sure no one was listening, and then I glanced back at her. "Please, I really need to speak to her in private. It's very important that I talk to her."

Huffing, she bit her lip and smiled. "Okay, I'll make it happen. But if I get in trouble, I'm placing all the blame on you. Got it?"

"Deal," I agreed, holding out my palm. We shook hands and she was off.

Everything was going as planned. I had one hour to kill before it was time to meet Calista. _What is there to do in this hour?_

Merrick and I finally reached my bedroom door, and it felt like an eternity walking all that way in silence, but I was trying to plot my escape.

"Which room would you like to be yours, Merrick?" I asked him.

"Whichever one is closest to you," he chimed with a slight grin.

"I don't think you'll approve of that room because the closest room to mine is the pink one." I laughed, imagining what he would look like taking residence in the pink room. The other warriors would never let him live it down.

Giving me a sly smile, he laughed. "I know it's pink. Remember a few years ago when I refused to help you paint that room because of it?"

Raising his eyebrows in question, I laughed thinking about that fun-filled day. Xylia and I tried so hard to get him to help paint the room. She even offered to flash him if it would get him to help, but he still refused.

"I just wanted to see what you would say about me taking that room. I'll stay in the blue room down the hall."

That was actually the only room he helped paint. I called it the "blueberry room". The whole room was a mixture of shades of blue. There was a king size bed that'd be perfect for him, and a huge bathroom that could shower the whole army at the same time. I guess he knew a long time ago that the room would be his someday; he could be so arrogant sometimes.

"Calista."

Turning my attention to him, his face took on a wary expression and his voice sounded unsure. He grabbed both of my hands and looked down at the floor while I waited on him to speak.

He finally lifted his head and asked, "Do you mind if I come in and we talk for a little while?"

"Sure," I drawled out, unsure of what to expect. When I opened the bedroom door, I ushered him inside. "What do you want to talk about?"

I had a feeling it might not be something I wanted to hear, but I had a little bit of time before I had to meet Ryder. Once Merrick was inside, I shut the door behind us. He strode across my bedroom to stand in front of the huge bay window. The sprites were in full force tonight with their twinkling lights floating and flying everywhere. Sprites were tiny fae creatures that were about the size of large insects.

At night, their bodies glowed like fireflies, and sometimes I'd watch them for hours. They always helped Meliantha out in the flower gardens by eating the unwanted pests and plucking the weeds from the flower beds.

Unfortunately, thinking about sprites wasn't going to help the sinking feeling I had in my stomach. Merrick was being unusually quiet and I couldn't see his face because he had his back to me. He was dressed in his warrior gear and golden armor. He looked like a golden angel, whereas, Ryder looked like a dark angel.

They were two different men from two different worlds. Merrick's shoulders moved up and down with his breathing and I knew he had to be tired from going through so much tonight. I sidled up behind him and put my arms around his waist. He still hadn't answered my question about what he wanted to talk about so I asked him again.

"Please, Merrick, tell me what's bothering you."

He let out a deep breath and whispered softly, "Why are you shielding your thoughts from me? We're supposed to be connected, and I need to know how you feel in order to protect you. I'm here for you and..."

He sighed and said the rest silently, _"I want you to need me."_

Holding him tighter, I squeezed my eyes shut. I could hear his heart pounding in his chest while laying my head against his back. He placed his arms across mine at his waist and lightly ran his fingers across my hands.

"Merrick, I do need you. You're my guardian now and we've been the best of friends for years. You've always been there for me, and I for you. I will always need you."

He unfastened my arms so he could turn around to face me. His gorgeous blond hair was thick and swept across his forehead where it partially covered his right eye. Lifting my hand to move the hair off of his face, he grabbed it and held it to his cheek. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, but when he opened them, his gaze bored into mine and I couldn't look away.

" _I love you."_

Closing my eyes, I hung my head because those words were what I feared I'd was going to hear. I didn't want to hurt him because to hurt him would break my heart. I just wished I could love him like that.

" _I heard that, Calista."_

"Dammit, now do you see why I shield? I didn't want you to hear that," I snapped as I turned to walk away. He grabbed my arm before I had a chance and turned me back to face him.

He held me in place and stared into my eyes.

"I'm going to say this again. I love you, Calista, and I always have. You can't tell me you didn't know."

Peering at him with tears in my eyes, my voice shook when I muttered, "I assumed you did, but I didn't want to face it. I do love you, but not in that way. You're my guardian now and we can't complicate things like this."

Sighing, he took both my hands and kissed the palm he had to slash in the ceremony.

"If you would just let me love you," he began as he moved closer so our bodies were touching, "it would make me the best guardian in history. I could watch over your body day..." he lifted my chin and moved his lips closer to mine, "... and night."

His lips closed over mine in a gentle caress. I was shocked by it and I wasn't sure what I should be feeling. I felt no passion to reciprocate the kiss, so I stood there hoping he'd pull back, but instead he grasped me closer to him, making me feel trapped. His kiss became frantic and possessive as his emotions came at me full force.

The love and longing he'd felt for me all these years was blasting through my mind. It was too much and it was making me dizzy with all of his thoughts plaguing my mind. He still wasn't letting me go, and his lips grew more aggressive. I tried to pull away, but he held on tighter. Starting to panic, the anger began to ignite in my gut. Even though I knew he wouldn't hurt me, it was starting to go too far.

" _Merrick! Please let me go. I don't want to do this. I do love you, but you have to let me go. Now!"_

My pleading and angry outburst broke the trance and immediately he tore away from me. Bowing his head in shame, he knelt on the floor and frantically began to apologize.

"Calista, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Our connection is so strong and the emotions just got too much to handle. I thought there could be a chance for us now that I'm your guardian." He paused. "Please tell me you'll at least give me a chance," he pleaded.

A tear escaped his eye and my heart ached for him. Kneeling down to him, I put his face in my hands. Breaking the tension, I tried to lighten the mood now that my anger was slowly dissipating.

"Don't worry, Merrick. We still have training tomorrow morning. I can kick your ass to pay you back," I teased, hoping he'd cheer up. He tried to smile back, but I could tell it was forced. He got back on his feet and wiped the tears off his face with the back of his hand.

"Yes, you can. I'm so sorry about tonight. All I ask is that you please think about what I've said." Before I could comment, he put his finger to my lips to stop me. "Please, don't say it. I know you don't feel as strongly for me as I do for you, but one day you might."

His expression looked hopeful and I couldn't help but feel guilty because I knew my feelings wouldn't change. "We're going to be together for hundreds of years... well, if nothing happens during that time. But we'll be side by side. If you don't choose me, I'll eventually get over it, but please give me a chance."

He let his finger slowly leave my lips before he kissed me on the cheek. I was speechless and had no clue how to break it to him gently that giving him a chance would never happen. Walking toward the door, he turned to glance at me once more, and without saying the words, I heard them.

" _Goodnight, Calista. I'll see you in the morning and will not bother you any more tonight. Remember, I'm just across the hall if you need me. Sweet dreams, Cali."_

Smiling warmly at him, I uttered, _"Sweet dreams, Merrick, my guardian."_

He gave me one last smile, opened the door, and then shut it silently. Leaning against the door, I stood there, totally confused as to what happened. _Did I actually let Merrick kiss me?_

I did try to pull away, but I also knew I didn't put any force into it. I didn't want to give him the wrong idea, but I just blew the hell out of that one. What was I going to tell Ryder? Or better yet, should I tell him? The kiss didn't mean anything to me, and I could honestly say I didn't kiss him back; I just stood there in shock.

A knock on the door broke me from my silent scolding, and I opened it to find Xylia there jumping up and down with excitement. Rushing into my room without an invite, I glared at her like she'd lost her mind.

"What are you so happy for?" I asked.

Prancing around my room, she said in a sing song voice, "Guess what I found out tonight? I found out that my best friend is having a secret rendezvous with a certain Winter Court prince. Am I right on that?"

I shut the door quickly.

"Be quiet or Merrick will hear you, and yes I'm meeting Ryder tonight," I hissed. "How did you find out about that?"

"Ryder pulled me aside and told me. He said he might need my help for a distraction, but it looks like you don't need me. What happened to Merrick?"

Groaning, I flopped onto my bed. Xylia joined me, and we laid in silence for a few minutes.

"Was it that bad?" Xylia asked.

"You have no idea. He finally confessed his feelings tonight and told me he loved me." Xylia didn't seem surprised; I should've known she wouldn't be.

"He kissed me, too. I mean he really kissed me, and I had to make him stop," I added sadly.

Xylia jumped off the bed and went straight for the door.

"Are you kidding me? How dare he do that to you? What the hell was he thinking? I'm going to take his greasy lips and yank them over his head," she screamed. I grabbed her before she got to the door and turned her around.

"It wasn't like that, I promise," I squealed, trying to calm her down. "You know very well I can take care of myself. I'm stronger than you, Xylia, remember?"

She huffed out a breath and came back to the bed where we laid down beside each other. Sighing heavily, I explained the situation to her.

"He had so many emotions built up inside of him and he just let them go. The passion was unbelievable, and it was overwhelming. I just wish I felt that way in return."

Xylia interrupted me and asked, "Is he a good kisser?" Knowing she would ask me this, I hit her upside the head with my pillow.

"Ah!" she cried, flipping off the bed and landing with a loud thump, laughing the whole way. She sat up rubbing the side of her head, and hiccupping from laughing so hard.

"Ow, you're supposed to beat up on Merrick, not me."

Leaning over the side of the bed, I smiled at her. "See, I told you I could take care of myself," I teased.

Smirking, she replied, "Yeah, yeah, I'll get you for that."

Winking at her, I laid back on the bed while she climbed back up to join me. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt him. He's going to be with me for as long as we live and if I choose another man, he's going to be right there witnessing it all. I'll feel guilty, always."

Xylia reached over and grabbed my hand. "Merrick will move on one day. It may take a while, but eventually, he will. I've seen you with Ryder, and watched you two dancing tonight. I can visibly see the connection between you. It's weird and it's sudden, but I see it."

I sighed, remembering what it felt like to be in his arms. I loved dancing with him because it gave me the chance to get close to him. I really couldn't wait to see him without all the prying eyes of our people.

Sheepishly, I glanced at Xylia. "There's something I need to tell you. When Ryder and I touched tonight, I had a vision ... and I remember it."

"I thought you said you couldn't remember what you saw?" she said in disbelief.

"Oh no, Xylia, I remember everything and so does Ryder." She waved her hand for me to continue, so I did.

"When he told me he remembered what he saw, we both decided to meet in private to discuss it. We haven't even talked about it with each other yet. In the vision, the leaves are all different shades of color. Not green like it is here and definitely no other place I've been. The air is breezy and cool and I'm with somebody. I'm holding his hand, but I can't really see his face. I'm almost positive it's Ryder. The land feels different when I touch it, but it also feels familiar, like it's mine. The love I feel for the man in my vision is beyond anything you could ever imagine. His power matches mine and the land belongs to us. It was such a strange vision."

Appearing shocked, Xylia stared at me with her mouth wide open.

"You have to talk to Elvena about this. Do you think this has something to do with the prophecy?" After shrugging my shoulders, she continued, "I hear my parents talking about the Black Forest all the time. The evil grows, and if we don't have the magic and strength to fight back, we're doomed. We all know you're the start of saving our land, and it looks like Ryder is the one who helps you. The prophecy says you will be drawn to one another. It has to be Ryder."

"I don't want him to want to be with me because of the prophecy," I murmured. "I want something real, Xylia."

Her face fell as the realization dawned on her.

"I'm sorry, Calista. I didn't think about that."

The thought of him only being drawn to me because of the prophecy was disheartening. I wanted him to be drawn to me because of who I was, not because of some prophecy and saving the Land of the Fae.

"What time is it? I have to meet Ryder at midnight."

Xylia looked at the clock.

"Well, honey, you have three minutes to get there. I suggest you hurry. Before you go, I have something to tell you." Bouncing up and down on the bed, I looked at her questioningly. "Conall and I kissed tonight," she squealed.

I squealed back, "Xylia, that's great. I'm so happy for you. I guess he started feeling better after the fight?"

She waved me off and said, "I will tell you all about it later. I just couldn't keep it a secret any longer. You have to go or you'll be late."

"I can't go out my door or Merrick will hear it. What am I going to do?" Searching around my room for an escape, I finally figured out my game plan. I could always go out the window.

Xylia eyed me curiously. "You know, we're a few stories high off the ground. If you're thinking about going out the window, how are you going to get down and back up in that dress?"

I smiled. "Watch and learn, my dear friend."

Opening the window, I leaned over the edge. Calling upon the wind to embrace me, it lifted me up out of the window, and glided me down to the ground. The feeling of the magic surrounding my body caressed me like a soft blanket making everything feel warm. I guess you could say it felt like being high on faerie dust, except this high was on magic.

Once I was down on the ground, Xylia called down to me, "I'm going to wait here in your room until you get back. That way, Merrick will think we're still in here having girl time. I also want to hear all the juicy details when you return. Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do." She winked at me and waved her hands for me to move on.

"Keep the window open for me, will you?" I whispered loudly.

She nodded her head, smiled, and gave me the thumbs up sign. Groaning, I realized I was going to be a few minutes late, but he said he'd wait. Heading to the path, I made my way to the lake. _What am I going to tell him?_

Will he think differently of me if I told him Merrick kissed me? What if he was the guy in the vision? _If he is, how will I know if what we feel is real?_

Witnessing the Kiss

After leaving the Great Room, I decided to spend my time taking a walk before meeting Calista by the lake. When I walked around the south side of the palace like Calista instructed me, a lone figure in the window caught my attention. Merrick was standing there with a pained expression on his face.

He didn't see me, but I made myself invisible to make sure I was completely hidden. I saw Calista come up behind him and put her arms around his waist. _What the hell is this?_ She said something to him, and he closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. He finally spoke and I wished I knew what they were saying.

He unfastened her arms and turned around. She lifted her hand to his face, holding it there. _I really don't think I want to see this._ She told me she didn't care for him in that way, but what I was seeing didn't appear that way.

He must've said something that made her mad because she tried to turn around and walk off, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. She was crying and he bent down to kiss her palm. The anger boiled inside me as I watched him move closer like he was going to kiss her. Snow began to fall around me, and the air had turned electric and frigid with the unleashing of my power. It was hard to control when my anger took over.

Moving in for the kiss, he grasped her tightly. She tried to pull away, but he didn't let her go. _That's it, I can't take anymore._ Merrick was going to get his ass kicked and it was going to be by me, and that time was now. He was supposed to be protecting her, not her needing protecting from him. Starting for the vines outside of the palace, I began climbing up to her room when a sound behind me made me freeze.

"I wouldn't do that, Your Highness," the angelic sounding voice called out. Hearing the voice, I turned visible again.

"Who are you?" I asked, looking around for the person who had spoken.

A short, curly brown-haired woman stepped out of the shadows. She looked like a brownie, but only not.

She spoke again, "I am Elvena, Calista's nurse maid, and the Prophetess of the Summer Court."

Bowing, I lowered my head to show my respect. The snow stopped falling around me and melted quickly on the ground.

"Forgive me, but Calista needs my help," I snapped frantically, trying to head back to the vines.

Elvena laughed and that gave me pause. I turned back to scowl at her, clearly letting my anger be noticed.

In between laughs she remarked, "Calista doesn't need help, child. She's a strong woman, and can handle herself." She pointed to Calista's room. "See, take a look."

Taking a few steps back, I glanced into Calista's room. Merrick was gone and now Xylia was in there. I wished she would have gotten there sooner. It looked like Calista was probably telling her everything that happened.

Giving Elvena a dark glare, I retorted, "That may be the case, but I think Merrick needs a lesson on manners. He shouldn't have done what he did, and he's lucky I haven't killed him."

Elvena shrugged.

"He's in love with her, what did you expect? He always has been. He could feel her slipping away from him when she met you. Merrick has longed to be with Calista, and he wanted to let her know before she gave her heart to another man. He's her guardian and he's going to be very close to her for the rest of her life. It might take him a while to move on if she decides on another man, but he's still going to have to watch her with someone else for the rest of his life. Can you blame him for wanting to take the chance?"

No, I couldn't blame him. I couldn't imagine seeing the person I loved with someone else. Seeing Calista with him about killed me.

"I still wouldn't have forced her to kiss me. He's supposed to protect her, not cause her more pain." I paused, wondering how Elvena knew I was there in the first place.

"How did you know where to find me?" I asked curiously.

Smirking, she admitted, "I have my ways, child. King Oberon sought me out after leaving the party. He told me what happened between you and Calista and he wanted my advice. You had a vision, am I right?"

I nodded. "Yes, we both did."

"Did you both have the same vision, or were they different?" Elvena inquired.

"I'm not sure, but we've planned to meet tonight to discuss it."

She smiled like she already knew that.

"I'm pretty sure it was the same vision. Do you mind if I take your hand?"

I found the question odd, but I put my hand in hers anyway. She closed her eyes while holding my hand, and murmured words of the Old Fae language. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, and abruptly stopped, opening her eyes. Tears fell down her cheeks and she had a radiant smile on her face.

"What did you see?" I asked.

"I saw the answers, child. The answers we need are within you and Calista. I watched you both secretly tonight and I should have known then. You and Calista _are_ going to be the ones who help save the kingdoms." She glanced up at Calista's room and then back to me.

"I must go, there is much to think about," she whispered, giving me one last meaningful look before turning away and walking toward the palace. I wonder what she meant about saving the kingdoms. I was assuming it had to be about the prophecy.

"Wait!" I called out, halting her.

She turned around and gazed at me with love and respect in her eyes.

"How do we save the kingdoms and what are we trying to save them from?"

Elvena waved me off.

"Go to Calista. The answers will come to you in time. I have no doubt that you both will figure it out. In the meantime, go easy on her about Merrick. She didn't plan on him falling in love with her. Her heart belongs to you, it always has. No matter what happens with Merrick, you need to trust her." She began to back away. "That is all I can say for now. I've planned to speak to her in the morning. I trust you'll make sure she gets to her room safely?"

Bowing my head, I added, "Yes, Prophetess, she will return safely."

Vanishing into the shadows, Elvena was there no more. I had only a few short minutes to make it to the lake. Heading toward the path, I made my way to the big willow tree. I knew I would beat her there because she was still in her room when I made it to the path. Sliding off my armor, I found a nice, soft spot of grass under the tree.

Needing to clear my thoughts, I decided to lie under the canopy of the tree while I waited for Calista to arrive. I needed to calm down before she got there, but I didn't see it happening. The kelpies were nowhere to be seen, so hopefully they wouldn't try to come out and eat me. Calista seemed very fond of them so I would hate to have to kill them to protect myself. _How am I going to deal with her and Merrick?_

I wished the anger would go away, but thinking about him with his hands on her made me want to kill him. He was obviously not going to let her go without a fight. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he was going to get.

I was a few minutes late, but I could see Ryder lying on the ground under the willow tree. My heart started to beat erratically again, and my palms began to sweat. _Why am I so nervous?_ I paused to gain my composure. I'd never been this crazy over a guy before, and what was worse was that I didn't even know if the feelings were real. He looked over and saw me heading his way. Getting up from his place on the ground, he opened a path through the leaves so I could walk through.

Fiddling with my hands, I uttered, "Thank you, and I'm sorry I'm late. I got held up a bit." It was a rare occasion that I got nervous, but something in his eyes had me wary.

He gave a small laugh and shook his head.

"Yeah, I know how busy you were, Princess. In fact, I saw through your window how busy you were." Frozen in place, I stared at him wide-eyed and speechless.

So that was what was wrong with him. Silently, I groaned and hung my head. I ruined Merrick's heart and now I was going to ruin Ryder's. _Why didn't I just stay in my room?_

His tone had me a little defensive. If he had seen the truth of what happened between Merrick and I he wouldn't be acting like that.

"What exactly did you see?" I asked.

Tension rolled off of him in waves.

"I saw enough. I saw so much that I almost crashed through your window to kick your guardian's ass. If it weren't for Elvena, I might have caused some serious damage."

My mouth flew open. "Wait, Elvena was there? What did she say?" I asked incredulously.

He took a deep breath and averted his gaze, visibly trying to calm himself down. "She watched us tonight at the ceremony. Your father told her of our vision so she secretly watched us together tonight. She stopped me from coming into your room after I saw Merrick kissing you. I don't understand why I feel this strongly about him touching you, but I didn't like it."

He paused and met my eyes. "Elvena took my hand, did some weird mojo stuff, and watched the vision through my mind. She had some pretty interesting things to tell me after that."

"Do you think our visions were the same? What did you see?" I asked him, turning around to peer at the lake.

Ryder walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Yes, Calista, our visions were the same. It was of me and you."

I knew deep down his vision was of us, but things were different between us in the vision. Turning around, I rested up against his chest with his arms folded around me. It was nice to be able to feel his hard muscles and the tightness of his chest. I knew my skin probably burned him as he touched me, but he didn't seem affected by it, just like the coldness of his didn't bother me.

"What does the vision mean? If it's me and you in it, where are we and why does the land feel different?" I whispered against his chest.

My head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck and I couldn't stop from breathing him in deeply. He still smelled like a winter snow and pine, but there was something else. It wasn't exactly the scent of him in my vision, but very close. It was strange that his scent had changed. I peered up at him, still waiting for a response.

He sighed. "Elvena wouldn't give me any answers. She says that you and I would be able to figure it out together."

He pushed me back a little so he could look at my face and into my eyes.

"She also said that your heart belongs to me, and it always will. After I saw you with Merrick she told me I needed to trust you. I saw you with Merrick and I know you care about him, but I need to know what you feel for me. If what I saw in the vision is real, we have a deeper connection than I could have ever imagined," he murmured softly while rolling wisps of my hair through his fingers.

"Ryder, I don't know how or why it's happening so fast, but my heart does feel like it belongs to you. When I saw you tonight, I felt it. The connection is there and I see it now, but what if it isn't real?" I pulled away from him to walk closer to the crystal blue water of the lake.

"Why wouldn't it be? It feels real to me," he said while making his way toward me. He was getting closer and all I wanted to do was run into his arms and feel his body surround mine. That was what my body was telling me, but how would I find out if that was what my heart truly felt?

Shrugging, I replied, "I just think we might feel this way because of the prophecy, and if so, then what we have isn't real." Wrapping me in his arms again, he tilted my chin up so I had to look into his eyes. He was worried and I could see the tension around the lines of his mouth.

Shaking his head, he let out an exasperated breath.

"Why are you trying to fight this, Calista? Whatever we feel is between me and you. No prophecy or any amount of magic is going to change the way I feel in my heart." Cupping my face in his hands, he brought his face closer to mine so our foreheads lightly touched.

Breathing lightly against my cheek, he whispered softly, "My heart tells me this is real, and if we can't believe in our own hearts, then what can we believe in?"

We stood there frozen in place. The only sounds I heard were the rippling of the water in the lake and our erratic breathing. Just his touch made me yearn for more, but do I trust what was in my heart?

Lowering his hand to rest over my heart, he brought his face forward like he was about to kiss me. Closing my eyes, expecting the kiss, he placed his lips gently on mine before pulling back.

When I opened my eyes, he confessed, "I trust my heart, Calista, and you need to do the same. The heart won't steer us down the wrong path. A wise lady told me not too long ago that I would find the answers through you. How about we find them together?"

After letting his words sink in, I leaned into him, pressing my lips to his while letting my feelings take over. The kiss began slowly and then gracefully moved into a sensual rhythm like our dance earlier where our bodies swayed to the music. Ryder's arms tightened around my waist and he pulled me closer. I could feel his heart beating against my own chest.

Breathing hard, he broke away from the kiss. "I believe I might be falling for you, Princess."

Not giving me a chance to respond, he took my lips again, only that time in a deeper, harder embrace. A moan escaped my lips as I relished in the feel of his body so close to mine. My lips were swollen from his feverish kisses, but I welcomed the feeling with open arms. I ran my hands down his back and slowly moved them around to his chest. His heart was beating fast and mine was beating to the same tune. I felt lightheaded with the intensity of our kisses, and if he wasn't holding onto me I was sure I'd have fallen to the ground.

Ryder slowly moved to the soft planes of the land below, pulling me with him until we were lying on a pile of soft, green leaves. He laid down half on top of me and half to the side just like our vision. The weight of his body felt so good beside mine, but I wanted more. The intense feeling of longing spiraled through my body and all I wanted was to be closer to him, as close as any two people could get. Gripping his shirt, I pulled it over his head. His muscles flexed and rippled under my touch when I ran my hands over his smooth, creamy skin. His arms made me feel protected with them wrapped around me.

Separating my legs with his knee, he positioned himself between them, making my dress fall back, exposing my bare thighs. I could feel the heat of his arousal pressed against my body so I wrapped my legs around his waist to pull him closer. He groaned into my mouth and tugged on my bottom lip.

Kissing his way to my ear, Ryder whispered, "You're killing me here. I'm starting to feel like I'm going to have no control when I'm around you."

"Well then don't," I moaned breathlessly, gripping my legs tighter.

His breathing picked up and he began to move his body against mine, trailing his hand down my bare leg. I moaned in pleasure because the sweet taste of orgasm was making its way to the surface.

His hand travelled down my face to my dress, moving it down over my breasts, exposing them. Trailing his nice warm hand over my breast, he massaged it gently. My eyes flashed open and my body froze.

Wait.

He had warm hands and his body was warm. _That's not right._ I stopped kissing him and gently pushed him back so he could see my face. He looked at me questioningly and sat back so I could sit up.

That was when things began to change. It all happened at once and both of us sat there shocked and wide-eyed as we stared at each other. The usual chill that inhabited his body was gone, and his skin had taken on a golden glow. It wasn't the sun-kissed glow that the Summer Court fae had, but somewhere in the middle between his Winter Court heritage and the Summer Court. Looking down, I saw that I had the same skin tone. My normally tanned skin had become paler in comparison to what it was. _What is happening to us?_ He reached down to grab my hand and our skin felt the same as well. I was no longer hot to the touch like I was before, but I still felt warm.

Mystified, I said, "Why is this happening to us? This is the way we look and feel in the vision." Staring at my body in amazement, I soon began to feel anxious with what this development was going to entail. Groaning, I laid my head in my hands.

"What's everyone going to say to us tomorrow when they see?"

Ryder shrugged apologetically and sighed. "I don't think there's anything we can do about it now. Obviously this is the way it's supposed to be. All I can say is that it's happening for a reason. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

Moving closer to him, I leaned my head on his shoulder. Merrick was going to be heartbroken when he found out about it. How was I going to explain this to him? I didn't even know the full extent of what was happening. Elvena better have some answers for me in the morning.

When I stood up to brush the leaves from my hair and back, I was met with another shock. The leaves that fell from my hair were in all sorts of different colors. I saw red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves scattered across the ground. Ryder saw them, too, and gave his own gasp of excitement and shock. I bent down to pick up the leaves and marveled at their beauty. We didn't have leaves that color in the Summer Court.

"We're going to cause a mighty stir tomorrow, Ryder," I remarked apprehensively.

He leaned over to kiss my head.

"Yes we are, Princess, but I'll be with you every step of the way."

"I'm going to talk to Elvena first thing, and I hope she gives me some answers." Waving my hands up and down my body, I cried, "I need to know what to do about all of this. The council will see us this way at the meeting and we have to know what to tell them. I still have training in a few hours as well, and I don't know how I'm going to explain it to Merrick."

Ryder flinched at the mention of Merrick's name. He may not like him, but Merrick still meant a lot to me. Talking to him was going to be the hardest thing of all.

Tilting his head to the side, Ryder asked, "Were you not planning on telling me what happened between you and Merrick?"

I looked him in the eyes so he could see the total honesty in my words.

"Ryder, I didn't know what to tell you. I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me again if you found out that Merrick kissed me. I could've used my magic to push him away, but I didn't. I didn't want to hurt him." Taking his hand, I placed it against my face. His skin felt perfect against mine. "I want you to know that my feelings for Merrick have never been romantic. He's always going to be my guardian and he's always going to be by my side. I don't know how we're going to get through this because he's going to be so angry, but not able to leave my side. He's stuck as my guardian until one of us dies, and it breaks my heart to know that he'll be watching us together for as long as we live. I'll constantly feel guilty putting him through that."

Closing his eyes, Ryder nodded. When he opened them they were full of understanding.

"I know, and we will find a way to work this out. After the meeting, I still need to head home to the Winter Court and speak to my parents and the council. I don't know what all of this is going to mean for me and you being together, but we'll figure it out." Looking at our skin, he whispered, "I'm not sure where we fit in now."

Gazing up at the sky, I noticed that it was lighting up a bit on the horizon.

"The sun will be up soon, Ryder. We probably need to head back."

Ryder took my hand. "I agree, Princess. We have a busy day tomorrow." He shook his head, laughing. "I mean today. We have a busy day today."

As soon as he said that, I heard the water sloshing about in the lake. I looked over to see my little pride and joy making his way over to me. The little black kelpie walking toward us was born a month ago. The one thing that was different about him was that he had a white spot on his forehead in the shape of a star. I called him Styx, and he was the sweetest thing, but I knew he'd be fierce when he matured.

"Come here, Styx, you sweet little thing."

Ryder laughed, but didn't move, remembering my warning from earlier. I was unsure of how my kelpie was going to deal with a stranger. Styx came up to me and nuzzled my face, leaving a wet trail down my cheek. Giggling, I wiped it off.

"How are you, boy? I've missed you so much," I cooed, rubbing his tiny back. He was the size of a goat and still very small, but in a few short months he'd be a little larger than the average size of a mortal horse.

"Where's Mom and Dad, Styx?"

He huffed out of his nose and motioned his head toward the water. I saw the large, black head of his father and the white head of his mother looking out of the water. Ryder kept his distance, but I motioned him over with a nod of my head.

"Ryder, I would like you to meet Styx. This little hellion is my favorite kelpie. His parents are over there," I informed him, pointing to the massive kelpies in the water. "The black one is his father and I named him Poseidon. The white one is his mother and I named her Athena."

Ryder appeared astonished. "So you named them after Greek gods?"

"Of course, the Greek gods were magical beings and I've always been fascinated with the mythology. I don't think the kelpies mind," I teased.

Ryder had a huge smile on his face when he replied, "That is so odd because I've always loved Greek mythology, too. I also named my horse after the Greek goddess Artemis." I stopped petting Styx to look excitedly at Ryder. I couldn't believe he liked Greek mythology as well. Who would have thought we'd have that in common? Maybe there was more to us than just the prophecy.

Styx nuzzled me to get my attention and huffed at Ryder. I petted him for a few more minutes before he made his way back to the water. I loved being with my kelpies, but they could be very dangerous to be around and have also been known to eat other fae creatures. I watched Styx and his parents swim away before disappearing under the water of the lake.

When I peered back at Ryder he had the hugest smile on his face. I could look at him all day while he had his shirt off, standing there all roguish and handsome. I bet the Winter Court girls went crazy over him.

Not wanting to think about that, I shook my head to clear the thought. "I believe it's time to get going," I mumbled regretfully. I wished our rendezvous at the lake could last longer.

Ryder grabbed my hand, and we made our way up the path back to the palace. Before we reached my window, Ryder pulled me close and gave me one last heart-stopping kiss. I loved the taste of his lips and I couldn't wait for them to be all over my body the next chance we got.

"Goodnight, Princess." I saw the hesitation in his eyes like he wanted to say more, but there was something holding him back. There was plenty I wish I could say to him, too, but it didn't feel like the right time.

"I think goodnight is way past. I believe it would be good morning now," I teased.

Kissing him quickly, I backed away and called upon the wind to lift me to my room. The wind embraced me like a blanket and carried me up to my window. Looking down, I saw Ryder standing frozen, open-mouthed and astonished. I gave him an arrogant smirk and blew him a good-bye kiss before closing the window.

As soon as I entered my room, Xylia jumped off the bed and ran to me as I was pulling the shades. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head when she took a good, long look at me.

"What the hell happened to you?" she squealed.

If only she knew.

Deciding to tell her everything, I pulled her over to the bed and explained. She sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed like a fish the entire time. She couldn't get over the body change differences, and she made swooning noises when I told her about our intimate moments. Xylia was very supportive and kept telling me not to worry about what everyone else thought, especially Merrick. She said he couldn't come between fate and that Ryder was my destiny.

Xylia and I talked for the rest of the early morning hours, which wasn't long at all, and she was able to finally tell me more about her visit with Conall after the ceremony. She seemed so happy and carefree and I found myself being envious of her. Her love could be easy and uncomplicated, whereas mine was full of complication.

When she left, I decided to take a shower to wake my body. Hearing a knock on my door, I threw on my workout clothes so I could answer it. I was pretty sure it'd be Elvena on the other side.

Opening the door, I found a not-so-surprised look on her face. She was holding a tray with my favorite breakfast food: pancakes with a lot of butter and maple syrup, and a glass of orange juice. Setting the tray down, she tried desperately to hide her smile.

"Well, well, child. Don't you look different this morning? Did you put on a new outfit?" She tried to hold in her laugh, but failed. She doubled over laughing and snorting like she always did in humorous situations.

Annoyed, I grunted, "Leave it to you to joke about something at a time like this."

Elvena stopped laughing, wiped away her tears, and slowly began to turn serious.

"This is your path, child. Live it, and embrace it. Your people are going to depend on you to follow through with your path, and I know you don't know what that path is yet, but you will. I met with your father this morning and he already knows what's going on. He's been excitedly waiting to see you." She paused for a second and quirked her eyebrow.

"I saw Prince Ryder earlier as well," she confessed.

Well, of course she had. She can be such a nosy woman sometimes. Sitting down at the table, I stared at my pancakes. My stomach growled from having been empty for so long. I just realized I hadn't eaten a single thing at the ceremony last night.

Elvena stared at me, waiting for me to speak. She was obviously excited to see what I had to say about the change.

"So many things changed last night and my emotions are everywhere right now." I rubbed my hands over my face and over my eyes. They felt heavy and tired from lack of sleep.

I continued, "My skin tone changed and even my body temperature changed. How am I going to face Merrick like this? I not only turned him down, but seeing me like this is like rubbing salt in his wounds. I have nothing to say to him that will make him understand. To top it off, I'm falling in love with someone that I'm drawn to, just like the prophecy says, and I don't know if those feelings are real."

I started to eat my breakfast and wished that I could enjoy it, but the weight of everything was heavy on my shoulders. Pushing the pancakes out of my way, I decided to drink the orange juice instead. Elvena came to sit with me at my table and she started to fidget with one of my napkins. She only fidgeted when she was nervous about something, just like I did. I must have learned it from her.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked, "You know what's going on, don't you? You might as well spill it."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. Letting it out slowly, she opened them and began to speak.

"I know you're worried about the prophecy and what it entails, and I know you're probably worried that your feelings might not be real... is that correct?" I nodded, so she continued, "But that's not it at all. There is no magic in the prophecy. The prophecy is just words, so anything you feel or what your heart desires is all you, my child."

Letting go of the breath I'd been holding, I sighed in relief. If I had known that earlier, things probably would have escalated further with Ryder.

"So you're saying my feelings and his are real?"

She shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you would ask that. Calista, my child, your heart is your own. You make the choices yourself. You and Ryder were connected long before the prophecy ever came about."

"Oh, Elvena, you have no idea how happy this makes me."

She paused. "That's not all of it, child. You and Ryder are destined to save the kingdoms, but your change isn't fully completed yet."

"How do we complete the change?" I asked curiously while taking a gulp of my orange juice.

With a sly smile on her face she expressed, "You have to consummate the relationship, child."

Choking on my orange juice, I spewed it out all over the table and on Elvena, trying to cough it out of my lungs. She made a disgusted look and retrieved a towel to help clean up the mess.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that, but are you saying we have to have sex to save the kingdoms? Don't get me wrong, having sex with Ryder would be amazing, but how could us doing that be so powerful?"

She smiled her motherly smile while I sat there feeling embarrassed. Having never slept with a man before, talking about it with Elvena was a little weird. Don't get me wrong, I've had my fair share of men over the past few years, but I never slept with any of them. Merrick pretty much scared them all off, and now I understand why.

"Oh, child, you underestimate the power of love. Leave it to you young folk to think I was just talking about the sex. It's not just the sex that's powerful, but the bonds of marriage as well. You and Ryder are two of the most powerful fae in both courts. Your brother and sisters and Ryder's brothers and sister are just as powerful. They play a part in this, too, but it's not their time. The prophecy involves all of you from both courts, but you are the beginning of it all. Once combined, the love you and Ryder share is going to bring about a whole new world. Four courts, Calista. If you don't do this, the evil will spread and we won't have the power to defeat it."

I tried to contemplate all she had said. How were we going to make four courts? She broke me out of my reverie by tapping me on my head.

"Think, child."

Letting out an exasperated breath, she took my hand. Once Elvena's hand closed on mine, the vision came back at me full force. I saw Ryder and his magnificent ice blue eyes, and we were in the meadow again. Our bodies were changed just like they were now. The vision came quickly and more clear, and this time it left me with the answers I needed to know. The Land of the Fae was depending on me.

"Thank you, Elvena. I don't know what I would do without you," I cried.

She smiled. "You would be lost, but you would eventually find your way." She took my hand and looked adoringly into my eyes. "I know you realize your path now and the importance of it, but when all things are said and done, I will follow you."

Tearing up, I hugged her tight.

"I know, and I love you so much for it."

"And I you, Princess. Now go, Merrick will be waiting for you. Your training will most likely be extra hard today," she teased with an amused smirk.

She was probably the only person who found that funny, other than Xylia. Elvena left my room and I was left to ponder everything in silence. My future in the Land of the Fae had finally been revealed to me. Not only will my power be important to fight evil, but to achieve my full power I must bond with the man I was falling in love with. _I think I can live with that._

My hair was still wet from my shower so I threw it up into a messy ponytail. Checking the time, I saw that I had about five minutes before Merrick would be coming to fetch me for training. I decided to finish my breakfast, which had grown cold, but was still delicious. Looking down at my body, I noticed that my little tee and yoga pants just weren't going to work. My newly turned skin was too exposed and Merrick would definitely ask questions. Keeping my sports bra on, I decided to change into a long-sleeve shirt and put some powder on my face and neck to hide my slightly paler skin. Maybe this way it wouldn't be such a shock to Merrick if he noticed anything.

I was brushing my teeth when he knocked on my door.

I mumbled loudly, "Come in." In reality, it sounded nothing like that.

He opened the door and peered in. "Excuse me, but was that English?" His lazy grin made my heart flutter.

Laughing, I waved him in with my hand. Toothpaste dribbled down my chin so I ran to the bathroom to wipe it off.

"Now that's sexy, Princess," he teased.

Since I couldn't talk, I did it silently so he could hear me in his mind.

" _I know, right?"_

When I left the bathroom, I noticed that he was dressed in his usual training clothes: a pair of black running shorts, a blue T-shirt, and sneakers. He looked so normal when he wasn't wearing his warrior gear. I smiled really big so that more toothpaste foamed out of my mouth. I was trying to keep the mood light so maybe it'd keep his mind off of last night.

He shook his head.

"That is so nasty." He looked down at his watch and motioned for me to hurry.

"You need to hurry up so we can finish training and get back in time for the meeting."

Running to my bathroom, I spit out the toothpaste and wiped my mouth.

I yelled from the bathroom, "I'm hurrying. I had a late start this morning because Elvena came by to chit chat." It was partly the truth, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

He nodded his head in understanding and opened the door for me.

"After you, Princess, it's time to go kick some ass."

Playfully elbowing him in the side, I teased, "Your ass, if I'm not mistaken."

His face fell and I silently cursed myself. I didn't mean to say it to throw it in his face, but he actually did deserve an ass kicking.

" _I know, Calista. I do deserve it."_

Damn it, I didn't mean for him to hear that. I really needed to remember to shield. Leaving my room, we headed through the palace. I saw Warren, Ryder's friend, leaving the council room looking a little strange. _Why was he in there and who would he have talked to?_

He didn't seem like he would be a friendly guy, and it made me wonder how Ryder could ever be friends with him. When he saw me looking at him, he winked at me and gave me a bone chilling smile as he continued down the hall. The laugh I heard echoing off the walls made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. It was a sound of pure evil.

Merrick and I walked outside toward the path and to the field we always trained secretly at. The heat flooded to my cheeks as we passed the willow tree. Thinking about what happened there last night sent my heart racing. I couldn't wait to talk to Ryder. My kelpies were nowhere in sight, so we continued on. Merrick carried the swords that we trained with while I carried the daggers. I was a skilled dagger thrower and I could hit my mark with my eyes closed.

I always offered to help carry the long swords, but Merrick never let me. He said he would hate it if I tripped and fell on one, but in all honesty, he'd be the one who would be most likely to fall on one. I wouldn't die if I got stabbed, but it sure would hurt like hell. If it was an iron blade, I'd be wounded, but just your typical sword wouldn't do enough damage, unless it was my head that got cut off.

Once we reached our designated spot, we began to stretch. Glaring at Merrick across the field, I silently sent him my thoughts.

" _Let the ass kicking begin."_

Before Training

The time had almost come for Calista to train with her guardian. I figured it'd be the perfect time to teach him a lesson once I found out where they trained. Looking at the huge bed in my room with its satin red sheets, I could just imagine Calista being a nice addition to it. I could also envision her long, blonde hair fanned out across the pillows, and the way her body would feel against mine as I made love to her.

_Soon,_ I thought to myself.

Once I left tomorrow and handled my affairs in the Winter Court, I'd be back to make her officially mine. I was sure Merrick would be a problem, but I was going to make Calista my wife one way or another. I hadn't told her I loved her yet because it felt like she was holding back, but I wasn't going to wait any longer. I planned to talk to her first thing to see what she thought about it, and if she said yes, I'd ask her father's permission in the meeting today in front of everyone. The news would definitely spread fast throughout the kingdoms.

It was going to take some time to get accustomed to my newly changed body. The magic it took to change things this drastically had to be phenomenal, and the changes weren't even over yet. I couldn't wait to see what my brother had to say about all of it, although, I wasn't looking forward to seeing Warren.

After taking a shower, I changed into a black T-shirt and a pair of running shorts. I needed to be comfortable when I showed off my warrior skills to Merrick. A knock at the door stopped me and when I opened it, a smiling Elvena was standing there holding a covered tray.

"I brought you some breakfast, Prince Ryder." She looked me up and down and smiled. "I see you and the princess must have had some interesting times last night."

She tried to hold in the laugh as she set the tray on the small table by the bed. The food smelled wonderful.

Smirking at her, I pointed out, "It was definitely life-altering."

She reached over to touch my hand, and lingered for a second.

"Yes, I can tell. You do look _and_ feel like a new man." She laughed again and let my hand go, making me smile in the process. She had a way of making things humorous in a tough situation.

"I plan to ask King Oberon for his permission to marry Calista," I blurted out.

Elvena beamed, "So you finally figured out the role you play in the prophecy?"

"I'm not doing this because of the prophecy. I'm doing it because I love her," I said whole-heartedly.

She smiled, and by the look on her face I would say she was testing me to see what I'd say. It looked like I passed. Prophecy or no prophecy, I still loved Calista and wanted to be with her more than anything. We just needed to figure out where we belonged.

"Good answer, child. On that note, I will take my leave. I need to speak to Calista before she goes to training."

She turned to leave, but I stopped her before she reached the door.

"Do you mind telling me where Calista and Merrick train?" I really hoped she'd tell me so I didn't have to go sneaking around.

Shaking her head, she wagged her finger at me. "Don't you dare tell the princess I told you. She'll be so mad at me if she finds out." She paused, and it looked like she wasn't going to tell me, but then she let out a deep breath and continued, "They train about a half mile past the lake. I'm sure you remember where the lake is?" She turned her head and snickered. I just smiled at her and shook my head. She sure did love to joke.

"Yes, of course I remember where the lake is. Thank you for telling me."

As Elvena was leaving, Kalen walked through the door. He looked at me and did a double take.

"Do I have the right room?" he asked, looking back and forth from Elvena to me.

He gave me a knowing smirk, and then looked at Elvena. "I'm looking for my brother, have you seen him? He's tall with long, spiky brown hair and pale skin."

His chest bounced up and down with the laughter I knew he was waiting to belt out. When I flipped him off that was when the laughter finally burst free. He laughed so loud he'd probably woken everyone in the palace. Elvena chuckled, and waved good-bye before leaving me to my brother.

Kalen sauntered over to inspect my newly changed skin.

"Ryder, why do you look like that?" he asked as he pointed up and down my body. "Did you go to the mortal realm and lay in a tanning bed?"

Kalen loved to joke around, but I shook my head at his ridiculous question.

"Tanning beds don't work on us. Remember when Sorcha tried that last year?"

"Yeah, that was funny," Kalen said, laughing.

My younger sister, Sorcha, went to the mortal realm and discovered tanning beds. She looked like a lobster for a week, and then her skin went right back to being pale. We heal very quickly, but for some reason the tanning bed really messed up her skin during that time. She never did it again.

Sitting down at the table, I removed the cover from my breakfast tray. Kalen joined me and stole a piece of apple bread from my plate.

While chewing his food, Kalen opened his mouth to speak and sprayed crumbs on my arm when he asked, "Seriously, Ryder, what happened?"

Exasperated, I glowered at him while wiping the crumbs off my arm. He seemed oblivious to his atrocious manners.

"Apparently, Calista and I are bound to help save the kingdoms, and this is just the beginning," I explained, taking a bite of the apple bread before my brother ate it all. "Calista has changed, too. It wasn't just me, and what's weird is this..." I reached over to touch his hand and he gasped in surprise.

"Oh, wow. This is some crazy shit. Where do you go from here?" he exclaimed.

I rubbed my hands through my hair and down my face. "I don't know, but I plan to ask Calista to marry me."

He whistled, clearly astonished. "Wow, Ryder, you have it bad and you haven't even slept with her yet." He creased his eyebrow. "Or have you?"

"No, we haven't slept together yet, but we probably would have if we weren't distracted by our bodies doing this," I clarified, holding up my hands. "I'm in love with her, Kalen, and it kills me that I have to leave today because she'll be alone with her guardian," I confessed worriedly.

"She's always going to be alone with her guardian. That's just something you're going to have to get used to and get over," Kalen said.

"He pushed her to kiss him last night and he wouldn't let her go. I saw it through her window." Kalen gave me an exasperated look. "And before you say anything, I was not snooping. I happened to be walking by and saw the whole thing. I was so angry I started a blizzard out there where I was standing. Elvena stopped me before I was able to charge through Calista's window and beat the shit out of him."

Worried, Kalen furrowed his brows. "I'm glad she did. Can you imagine the uproar it would have caused if you attacked a Summer Court fae in their court?"

I would never be allowed back if I did that, even if Merrick did deserve it.

"I wouldn't attack him unprovoked. I know of the repercussions I would face. When we get home I need to tell Mom and Dad of my plans to marry Calista. I also need to get Warren back to see Heylfred because he's not acting normally, and I'm hoping he can use his magic to tell me what's wrong with him."

"Speaking of Warren..." Kalen started, "... he wasn't in his room this morning. I have no idea where he would have gone so early."

_This isn't good_ , I thought to myself. If he's unstable, there was no telling what he'd do, especially since he'd become more violent. I needed to find him before he did something stupid.

Getting up from the table, I brushed the crumbs off my shorts. "I'll take a look around and find him."

Kalen eyed me suspiciously. "Can I ask why you are dressed like that? You don't plan on going to the meeting looking like that, do you?" Looking down at my clothes, I glanced back up at him with a devilish smile on my face. No, I didn't plan on going to the meeting like this, but I didn't want to tell him what I was hoping was going to happen. A little training wouldn't hurt anyone... much.

"I plan on doing a little hard core training with a live mannequin," I teased, winking at him. "But the real question here is: why are _you_ dressed like that?" I pointed at his ensemble for emphasis.

My brother was dressed in a nice blue, short-sleeve button down shirt and khaki pants. This was the first time I'd ever seen him try to dress nice. He always wore nice things to the Winter balls and other festivities, but I couldn't help but wonder why he'd try so hard here. Who was he trying to impress?

"I just wanted to look nice for the ladies." He straightened his shirt, and gave me a look indicating I better not say anything else. I knew he really liked talking to Calista's sister so I figured she had to be the one; I decided not to say anything about it.

Looking at the clock, I noticed that it was time for me to go. I didn't want to arrive early for Calista's training, but I did want to hang back to see how she fought.

"Do us all a favor, Ryder, and don't hurt her guardian too much. He's the one that's supposed to protect her, and he can't do that with a broken neck," Kalen joked.

"I'll try, but he deserves a lot worse than a broken neck," I emphasized, clenching my fists. Kalen followed me as I headed for the door.

"Have fun, brother."

The anticipation of a fight had me all worked up. My muscles were tense and ready for action. Giving my brother a wolfish grin, I said, "Oh, I plan to."

I clapped him on the back before we went our separate ways. Now it was time to find Warren, and then head to the field where Calista and Merrick would be training.

At the grand staircase, I saw many of the servants milling about, getting things ready for the day. The meeting was going to be held in the Great Room where the ceremony was held last night. I glanced around the room and as soon as I turned around Warren was standing right behind me.

"Good morning, Ryder."

"Good morning, Warren. What have you been doing this morning? Kalen went to check on you earlier and you weren't in your room." Looking down, I noticed some red, splotchy stains on his pants. It looked like blood. I lifted my eyes to his questioningly and he averted his gaze, trying to cover the area with his hand.

There was an evil glint in his eye when he spoke, "I was out and about this morning taking a look around. I even saw the princess leaving with Merrick." I flinched at the thought of them together, but I knew they are on their way to the training ground.

"He's her guardian. They're always going to be around each other. They're just friends, nothing more," I hissed.

Warren shrugged and said in a sing song voice, "That isn't the way it looked to me. They looked awfully comfortable with each other. I would say they had a pretty good time this morning."

If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to goad me. He didn't want me with Calista, but I wondered what he had to gain by it. I also couldn't help but wonder if he spoke the truth. Calista did tell me that she didn't completely turn him down last night. She just said she didn't love him in that way, but that she did love him. Surely she wasn't going to give him a chance, especially not after what we shared last night.

"Ryder, you're being completely naïve if you think you can compete with their bond. He feels her every emotion and he can get inside her head. He'll always know what she wants and when she wants it." I turned my head away, wishing he'd just shut the hell up. I didn't want to hear this shit, but he continued, "It's every guy's dream to be able to know what their woman wants and be able to please them. You don't stand a chance with her, not completely. They've known each other for years and you've only known her for one day." He paused and the evil gleam was back. "I also saw them kissing, and all over each other. He had his hands in some pretty interesting places from what I could see. I don't think there's anything 'just friendly' about that."

That got my attention, so I twisted my head to look at him. His expression was blank so I couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not. My heart pounded and my head spun. The air around me started to change, which meant I was about to lose control. Turning away from Warren, I headed outside to gather my thoughts.

When I got to the willow tree the colored leaves were still on the ground where Calista and I were last night. Taking a seat on the leaves, I watched the kelpies swimming and frolicking in the lake. I didn't mind fighting for Calista because I loved her, but if she did have feelings for Merrick I wasn't going to sit by and watch. I refused to share the woman I loved.

As I sat there, the anger kept building. I wasn't going to be able to rest until I had answers. I walked the half mile to the field and I sat, watching silently. Calista's moves were amazing and graceful. Watching Calista stretch her limber body was so erotic I bet she didn't even realize what she was doing. _I'm sure Merrick loves that_. I hissed under my breath.

I noticed him checking out her ass when she bent down to grab the daggers, and that settled it for me. He was going to have two huge black eyes for that, and definitely some broken bones once I'd finished with him. I couldn't hear what was being said, but she pointed a dagger at him. About twenty minutes passed and I couldn't get over my amazement at how skilled Calista was with her daggers. Every time she threw one it hit the target right in the middle. They trained with daggers and with the long swords, but it looked like they were about to get to the hand to hand training, the part I didn't want to watch.

I didn't want to see Merrick putting his hands all over her body. I could tell from a distance that Merrick loved every single minute of being able to touch her. Calista got a few good hard hits in, and even Merrick landed some as well. They grappled for a few more minutes and then Merrick took her swiftly down to the ground. I couldn't see what was going on because of the tall grass in the field, but a few minutes rolled by and I still couldn't see them; they were still on the ground.

"What the hell," I hissed angrily.

My power expanded over the field and the snow began to fall as I made my way to where I saw them land on the ground. My steps were heavy and thunderous, and I was surprised the ground didn't shake because of the forcefulness.

Steadily, I got closer. When they came into view, I could see them on the ground with Merrick on top, one hand on her waist and the other one holding her hands in a vice grip above her head. All I saw was red at that moment. How was I going to get through this without killing him?

In an ice cold voice, I snapped, "Well, well, what do we have here?"

\- Dark Sorcerer -

(Black Forest)

"What news do you have for me?" I asked, peering into the scrying bowl.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Master, but I have some news," the fae said.

"What is it?"

The fae smiled and continued, "I have done as you wish. The seed of doubt has been planted and I don't think we have to worry anymore about the prince and our precious princess."

The news brought a smile to my face. Jealousy and doubt could do wonders to the heart. The lovely Calista will need someone to fill that void in her heart and I could make her see that I was the one who could do that. Once I took most of her power, she wouldn't be able to fight the compulsion. I could make her believe that I was the one she'd been searching for and she wouldn't know any better. _She_ will _be mine._ I will have her every day and every night to suit my needs and she will love it.

Once I have her, the prophecy won't be able to be fulfilled; the taste of victory is in the air.

"I do have other news, Master, and it's not exactly bad news, but it isn't good news either," the fae claimed sheepishly.

Giving him a menacing look, I gestured impatiently for him to continue.

"I was speaking with your other informant in private about certain matters, but we were overheard by a couple of the Summer Court council members. They put up a fight; we had no choice but to kill them. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I don't think their absence will be fully missed until after we're gone. With Ryder in displeasure with the princess, I'm sure he'll want to leave quickly once the meeting is over."

Roaring with menace, I yelled, "You ignorant fool! How could you kill someone in the palace and think they won't be missed? We need a change of plans, _now_! The princess needs to be taken today so you better find a way to figure that out. Our plan can't wait until tomorrow because if King Oberon finds out about the death of his council members there's no way he'll let his family out of his sight."

Frustrated, I walked away and took a deep breath. _What a fucking idiot!_ If I didn't need him to carry out my plan I would've all ready killed him.

Returning to the scrying bowl, I growled angrily, "I can have arrangements made for someone to assist you once you pass the edge of the Summer Court territory. If you fail in this I _will_ rip out your entrails, shove them down your fucking throat, and then I'll tie you up with iron chains and happily watch while the iron dissolves your pathetic body inch by inch. Are we understood?"

Terrified, the fae nodded in agreement. "It will be done. I should be able to get away with the princess. I heard that she secretly trains with her guardian every morning about a mile past the palace. Maybe I can get her alone then use the gift you gave me to get close to her undetected."

Fuming, I gritted my teeth. "Make sure you figure it out, because if you don't you'll pay the consequence."

Dismissing the fae with a wave of my hand, I closed the scrying bowl. Soon they'd all be bowing down to me. If everything went according to plan, the princess would arrive in the Black Forest by nightfall. She was going to make a nice addition to my army when I take her body and make her mine.

Beginning of Practice

We reached the field and set up the targets for dagger practice, which happened to be what I was excellent at. I'd won a lot of treasures by challenging the other warriors to contests. Most of them thought it would be easy to beat me since they believed I had no real practice. I showed them though, and I won their respect as a fighter.

Merrick and I both stretched to get our bodies ready. I promised him an ass kicking, and that was exactly what he was going to get.

"All right, Princess, it's time for the dagger throw." He sat back and watched me, maybe a little too intensely, as I bent down to grab my daggers. While bending down, I silently sent Merrick a warning.

" _You better not be staring at my ass. I have two daggers here and I'm not afraid to use them. I'm sure your body could make do with one less appendage."_

Merrick guffawed.

" _To get to that appendage I would have to drop my pants. Is that what you wish? I would be more than happy to oblige."_

He grabbed the waist of his shorts and started to slide them down. Pointing one of my daggers at him, I yelled for him to stop.

"No, I was kidding! Don't you dare drop those shorts. If you do, I'll use this blade and I don't think you'll be laughing then."

He backed away and lifted his shorts... smart man. With a dagger in each hand, I turned to look at the targets. I threw them at the same time and smiled when I hit them both straight in the middle. The targets were placed fifty feet down the field and I nailed them.

"Damn, you're good. Now, this time do it with your eyes closed," Merrick commanded.

Grabbing two more daggers, I lined up with the other two targets. Closing my eyes, I could picture them in my mind. I released a slow breath and counted to three in my mind. One... two... three... throw. I opened my eyes and what do you know? Bullseye, both times.

"I seriously can't get over how amazing you are at that," he uttered. Silently he added, _"You're amazing at everything."_

"I know I am," I said, brushing off my shoulders. To change the subject, I picked up my long sword and pointed it at him.

"Pick up your sword, guardian, and let's see what you've got."

He picked his sword up and circled around me. We continued like that for about a minute; I knew he'd never attack first, so I gave him an evil grin and charged. He dodged my attack and we continued this dance for a while. When he started running toward me, I decided to bring my magic into the mix. At the last minute, I used the wind to help me jump in the air and over him. I landed behind him, kicking his feet out from under him where he landed flat on his face. Stifling a laugh, I placed my hand over my mouth.

I turned around so I could laugh, but I froze in place when a fireball hit me in the back. _Did he just do what I think he did?_ Turning around slowly, I gave him a surprised look which then turned menacing. His eyes widened when he realized what was coming next. If he wanted a fireball match, I'd give him one.

One after the other, I threw fireballs at him. He dodged and hid while throwing some back at me, some hitting and some missing. With an affinity to fire, the wielder of it could determine how lethal they wanted their fire to be. Merrick and I just used a slight amount of heat with ours so nothing in our fireballs could hurt the other.

Merrick put his hands up in defeat and yelled, "I forfeit!"

With a grin on my face, I met him back in the middle of the field. "I knew you would give up, but you started it in the first place."

"I know, I know, and it was my mistake. I can't believe you made me land on my face like that. It almost broke my nose."

Narrowing my eyes, I stared pointedly at his nose. "Breaking it probably would have helped it. It looks kind of crooked," I teased, laughing so hard my vision started going blurry with tears.

Scowling, Merrick shifted on his feet and got back in his fighting stance. With a gleam in his eye, he challenged me. "Very funny, Princess, let's see how you do with hand-to-hand combat today. I'm not holding anything back on you, either."

Before I could catch my breath from laughing so hard, he came after me, but I crouched low and swung out my leg to trip him. He jumped over my leg and rolled across the ground, feigning my attack. He was up in second and came back at me. I landed a hard punch to his jaw, and he reciprocated with a kick to my side. The air was knocked out of me, so I bent over to get a breath. He was right about not taking it easy on me. _Well, let's see what else he can do._ Standing up and smiling at him, I motioned with my hands for him to bring more.

We went back and forth, dodging each other's blows, when finally Merrick took me down to the ground with a lightning fast move. He landed on top of me with one hand on my waist and the other one holding my hands above my head. When I regained my breath, we were both breathing hard from exertion.

Being in that vulnerable position made me uncomfortable, and the way he was looking at me didn't help matters. I was hoping he'd understand that I wanted him to get up, but he made no effort to move.

" _You can get up now, Merrick."_

" _I know, but have you given any thought to what we talked about last night? You know I love you, Calista, and all I want is for you to please give me a chance."_

Narrowing his eyes, Merrick touched my skin with careful hands. He hadn't had a chance to notice my skin temperature until that moment. Using his free hand, he pulled down the part of my shirt at my wrist to feel more of my skin. His eyes went wide and it took all the strength I had to keep eye contact with him.

" _Please don't freak out on me, Merrick. I need to explain. A lot happened last night after you left and some things have changed. You may not understand just yet, but please don't be mad when you see. I'll explain everything. I just don't want you to get hurt."_

His gaze was frantic with worry, but before he could open his mouth to speak, the air around us turned electric and snow began to fall. The power circling around us was strong and suffocating, and from the snow raging around us I knew who it was approaching. Because of the tall grass, I couldn't see where he was, but that was when I heard his voice. The bitterness and the icy tone sent a chill through my body. The thought of him seeing me in this position with Merrick on top of me made my heart ache. I knew the way it was going to look to him, and if the snow falling wasn't a clear indicator...

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Merrick turned his head to glare at Ryder and then down at me. His confusion slowly dissipated and turned into anger. He jumped to his feet and held a hand out to me.

"I could ask you the same question, asshole," Merrick snarled with venom in his voice.

Quickly, I cut in, "Ryder, this isn't what it looks like. We were just training and he took me down. You have to trust me."

Shaking his head, he peered at the ground, clenching his teeth. When he lifted his eyes, I saw the hurt he must be feeling at my supposed betrayal, but it vanished.

"See, that's the thing. I've watched you both train for the past hour and that isn't how I see things at all. Then I find you both on the ground with him between your legs. Did last night not mean anything to you?" Ryder snapped.

I started to speak, but Merrick interrupted with fire blazing in his eyes, "Last night? What happened between you two last night that was supposed to mean something?" He looked back and forth from me to Ryder and then kept his gaze on me. "Why is he talking about you as if you're more than a friend, like you two are together or something?"

When he trained his eyes closer on Ryder his eyes went wide when he noticed the changes to his body, just like mine. Through gritted teeth, he yelled. "Oh, bloody hell! I want to know why you both look like that. I want answers, _now_!"

"Yes, Calista, why don't you tell Merrick what's going on," Ryder spat.

Breathing hard, Merrick turned his venom to Ryder. "Don't you dare talk to her like that. She doesn't deserve to be treated that way, especially not from an ice-cold dick like you."

"Like she deserved the way you treated her last night?" Ryder roared back. The anger in his voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He actually sounded very scary, and I was starting to worry how far things would escalate if I didn't do something about it.

Merrick froze and turned to me. "You told him what happened?" Instead of waiting for an answer he said to Ryder, "It was a mistake and I didn't mean for it to go that far. I'm not going to kiss her again without her permission."

Ryder laughed sarcastically. "Well, aren't you just the gentleman?"

This had gone far enough. Pushing them apart, I laid one hand on Ryder and the other on Merrick. "Guys, stop it! Let me explain," I yelled to get their attention.

"I think the only explaining that's going to happen here is me beating the shit out of lover boy over here," Ryder shouted while pointing at Merrick.

Merrick took a few steps back, ripping his shirt off and exposing those tanned muscles that he worked out every day. He motioned for Ryder to come to him. "Well... what are you waiting for?"

Ryder grinned and took his shirt off as well; his body was magnificent and he wasted no time in charging after Merrick. They landed punches here and there, and all I could see were blurry outlines because they were moving so fast. Thankfully, they weren't using weapons. I didn't even get to explain anything to either one of them. _Why do men have to be so stubborn and pigheaded?_

Gathering up my energy, I let the fireballs fly, hitting both Ryder and Merrick with the strong blast, hoping it would break up the fight. I didn't put much heat on them, but I did send them with force. They both got right back up and started at each other again. I had time to see that Merrick had two black eyes and Ryder had a gash on his forehead that was bleeding down his face.

I couldn't take any more.

Reaching down to touch the ground, I drew upon the magic of the land. I could feel the roots travelling in the soil, twisting and turning, trying to do my will. Closing my eyes, I concentrated and directed the roots of the nearby trees to where I wanted them to go. I envisioned them wrapping around both Ryder's and Merrick's legs and pulling them to the ground. A few seconds later, the roots shot up from the ground and wrapped around the guys. They both shouted and landed flat on their backs, breathing hard and bleeding from different areas of their bodies. I gave them a second to cool off and was thankful they were too far away from each other to reach.

I approached them slowly to stand in between them while they were still lying on the ground. Shaking my head, I looked back and forth between them. They grimaced when I made the roots tighten on their legs. One way or another they were going to know how pissed off I was.

"I can't believe you two are doing this. You didn't give me any time to explain to either of you what's going on." Looking at Ryder, I said, "Ryder, I have never given you a reason to doubt me. Yes, you may have caught us in an odd position, but it was totally innocent and nothing happened. Nothing was going to happen either. You obviously don't have any trust in me and it breaks my heart. Last night meant more to me than anything in this world."

Ryder opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, "I don't want to hear another word come out of your mouth. I'm done talking to you right now."

Taking a second to catch my breath, I then looked over at Merrick and spoke, "Merrick, you're my best friend and I do love you, but not in that way. The changes that have happened are because of the prophecy. Apparently, Ryder and I are going to bring about the changes in the kingdoms. Or at least we _were_." Ryder gasped and I glanced at him quickly before turning back to Merrick. "He's my destiny," I whispered softly to him.

The hurt and longing in his face was agonizing, but Merrick broke down and turned his head away from me first. That was what did me in. There comes a breaking point, and I think I just hit mine. Putting my head in my hands, I fell to my knees and cried. I let all the emotions, and all of the heartache, pour out of me in that instant.

"Calista, don't cry," Ryder said soothingly.

Agitated, I screamed, "Shut the hell up and don't say another word to me right now or I'm going to make these roots really latch on and take your legs off."

Hurt and understanding passed across his face, and I think he realized how childish he'd been because he actually nodded and kept his mouth shut. I felt so lost and I had no clue what to do. Merrick still wouldn't look at me, so I spoke silently so only he could hear.

" _I'm so sorry, Merrick. I wanted to love you, but I can't. I'm falling in love with Ryder and I don't think that will ever change. Except at this moment I could beg to differ, but the fates of our land depend on him and me."_

" _You just met him. How can you say you love him? You've known me your whole life, and look what he's done today. He doesn't even trust you,"_ Merrick retorted.

I sighed.

" _That may be true, but I have to believe there was a good reason for his doubt. It couldn't have looked good with you on top of me. You have to admit that."_

" _I agree, but I don't think I can sit around and watch you and him be together. I can't do it, Calista."_

" _What are you saying, Merrick?"_ I inquired nervously.

Ryder cleared his throat to get our attention.

"You know, the whole mind to mind thing is getting annoying. It would be nice to know what you're both saying." The jealousy in his tone was palpable, so Merrick and I both turned to scowl at him.

Merrick then spoke aloud, glaring at Ryder first, and then settling his gaze on me.

"What I'm saying, Calista, is that you have to choose. Prophecy or not, I can't help the way I feel about you and I can't sit around and watch you two have a happily ever after. I want you to choose which one of us you want in your life."

Ryder turned his head sharply to Merrick and yelled, "How can you make her decide that? Do you not realize how selfish that makes you? You're unbelievable. I can't believe you would actually make her choose between her best friend and the man she loves. What kind of best friend are you?"

"Enough! I'm done dealing with you two! Do me a favor and leave me alone... _both_ of you," I screamed, circling around them. "I'll release the vines in a little bit. Maybe that way you two can wallow in your own stupidity for a while."

As I turned to walk away, they both yelled for me to stop. I raised my eyebrows, prompting them to continue speaking. Nothing they said was going to make me release them.

Merrick pleaded, "You need to let me come with you. I'm your guardian and I've sworn to protect you with my life. I _have_ to be with you."

I laughed sarcastically.

"Oh, Merrick, I'll be perfectly fine on my own. I can take care of myself and you should know that. Once you both get your heads out of your asses I might consider talking to you." The looks on both of their faces were a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and love. They both meant so much to me and I hated having to subdue them.

Sighing, I gazed down at my guardian. "Good-bye, Merrick."

When I turned my attention to Ryder his piercing blue gaze looked frantic. I knew he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut. A tear escaped from the corner of my eye and I hastily wiped it away. "Good-bye, Ryder. I hope you enjoy your journey home to the Winter Court."

Turning my back to them, I ran down the path back to the palace. All I heard as I continued on my way was the echoing of Ryder yelling my name and the breaking of my heart.

How could Merrick ask me to choose between them? If they both loved me like they said they did, they wouldn't make me choose. The solution was simple. If I was going to be with Ryder, Merrick had to learn to live with it, and Ryder needed to learn to live with the fact that Merrick was my guardian and would always be with me.

Their yells had grown silent, so either I was too far away or they'd given up. The silence was welcoming. Spending time alone was definitely a treat since I didn't usually get time alone. The lake lay just ahead and so did the wonderful willow tree where my life had started to change. I felt so alive yesterday, and now all I felt was loss and heartache. Walking toward the tree, I heard a rustling sound off to the side. "Styx, is that you?" I called out, looking around. "Come here, boy, it's just me."

When he didn't come, I listened harder trying to figure out where the sounds were coming from. Merrick and Ryder couldn't have gotten out of the vines yet because I hadn't released them. Shrugging my shoulders, I sighed and chided myself for being paranoid. It must have been the wind.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I doubled over in pain. _What just happened?_ I could feel the blood oozing down the back of my neck while my surroundings spun out of control, making me nauseous. The blood was hot and sticky as I reached to touch the back of my skull. My mind seemed to be slipping from consciousness. Glancing around, I found no one there that could've hit me.

"What the hell," I groaned, falling to my knees.

My vision began to fade and the last thing I heard before darkness took over was the sound of a man laughing. _This can't be good,_ I thought to myself. Recognizing the evil laugh, I knew it wasn't coming from a friend of mine. Taking one last shaky breath, the world slowly faded into blackness and then... Silence.

"Calista!"

I yelled her name over and over, but she still ran away and didn't look back. _Why was I such a jackass?_

"If you love Calista so much, then why were you being such a dick to her?" Merrick asked, breaking my thoughts.

"As if you don't know. I heard about your little make out session this morning, and it didn't look like she was in a hurry to get up from you being all over her," I hissed angrily.

Confused, he looked at me.

"I wish that was the case, but you have _no_ idea what you're talking about. Nothing happened between us this morning at all, and when we were on the ground she told me to get off of her, but I stayed there while we were talking." He tapped his head and raised his eyebrows to let me know it was a silent conversation. "With the way you're acting, I wish something would've happened. I'm not going to lie, I think about her all the time, and yes I want to be with her. I'm in love with her just as much as you are, and I was hoping to convince her that she belongs with me."

Frustration sent me over the edge and I screamed, "Damn it! That bastard told me nothing but lies. When I get out of here I'm going to find his sorry ass and beat the fuck out of him."

"Who?" Merrick questioned, confused.

Huffing from anger, I explained, "Warren. He told me he saw you and Calista together this morning being a little more than friendly. He's also been acting strange for a while now and saying weird things about me staying away from Calista. I'm going to make him see our counselor when we get back home to find out what his problem is."

Exasperated, Merrick stormed, "And you brought him here? Why would you do that? If he's that unstable he could be a threat! How stupid could you be? I guess the ice in the Winter Court has frozen your brain."

"Just like the sun here has fried yours?" I retorted.

Merrick sighed in frustration. "This isn't getting us anywhere. The meeting will be going on in about another hour. We need to get back. Do you have any suggestions on how to get out of the vines?"

We pulled and twisted, but nothing happened. We did that for about thirty more minutes, and when we were about to give up the vines slowly unraveled around us and slid back into the ground. Merrick and I both lay on the ground dumbfounded and shocked that Calista would let us go so quickly. I figured she'd leave us there all day to teach us a lesson, and I was prepared for that. After a few seconds, I decided to get up slowly and brush the dirt off my clothes. Merrick gathered the weapons and we both headed back to face the wrath of Calista.

I was going to kill Warren with my bare hands when I saw him. How could I even believe he was telling the truth? I was such an idiot and now Calista was furious with me. Why did I doubt her? Elvena told me to trust her and I let my jealousy get in the way. She wasn't going to forgive me and I deserved it.

As we were walking back, Merrick revealed, "You should have never doubted her. Calista is the most honest and trustworthy person I know, and she's also a loyal friend. We both have a lot of groveling to do when we get back."

"I know. I just hope she forgives me," I uttered somberly.

Merrick threw his head back and laughed.

"I wouldn't count on it, ice boy. She's more stubborn than a mule, but I guess you would know that if you'd been around her as much as I have. She'll forgive you when she's ready. I'm her guardian, so she has no choice but to be around me. I'll be stuck with the attitude when you _leave_."

That stopped me cold. "That's the thing, Merrick. I don't want to leave. I want to take the marriage bond with her. I was going to ask her today and now she's probably going to tell me no. Last night, when we were _together_ , some things had changed."

Merrick jerked his head in my direction and his anger escalated, making his eyes blaze with fire. The fire built around his hands and he reached for his dagger. Outraged, he shouted, "When you say you two were _together_ , do you mean you had sex with her?"

Narrowing my eyes at him, I looked down at his hand that was gripping the dagger. "What do you plan on doing if I said yes?" I asked, raising my eyes back up to his.

"Just answer me," he growled.

"Calm down... the answer's no. You wouldn't be able to control what she does anyway. You see how she got away from you last night and you didn't even know it."

"That's not going to happen again," he promised. "Where were you two when you got together last night? How come I didn't know about her meeting you?"

"We planned for it to be a secret so we could discuss the vision we had. We met at the lake."

We walked in angry silence until we reached the lake. When the willow tree came into view, I saw that the colored leaves were still lying on the ground. When I opened my mouth to speak, Merrick turned around to face me.

Bending down to grab a handful of the colored leaves, I held them up to Merrick. "The vision was one of us together in a new land. Things are going to be different in the Land of the Fae when we come together. These leaves changed last night while we were lying on top of them."

Merrick clenched his teeth and glared at me before turning around and storming off. I knew he was angry, but he had to know he wasn't her destiny... I was.

When I got back to the house, the servants were milling about, getting everything ready for the meeting. I decided to try and find Kalen first before I tried my luck with Calista. Getting to his room, I knocked on his door and he answered it still dressed in his nice clothes. When he looked at me and noticed that I was disheveled and bloody, he howled.

"Well, Ryder, don't you look handsome? I think all the blood will get the ladies swooning. I trust Calista's guardian is still up and moving?" He pulled me into his room and slapped my back, making me wince. My body was sore from fighting Merrick, but it should heal up soon. Aches and bruises typically only hurt for a couple of hours.

I slowly sat down in one of the chairs before I responded, "Unfortunately, Merrick is fine. I came by to see if you've seen Warren. He told me a bunch of bullshit this morning that may have cost me Calista. She's furious with me and I need to see him so I can kick his worthless ass and send him home packing." I paused to look at Kalen with a serious expression. "He can't be here anymore."

Kalen was bewildered. "I haven't seen him yet, and I don't know where he would be."

"Will you look for him while I try to find Calista? I really need to speak with her."

"Sure, brother, I'll head out now to find him." Before I left he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, things will work out."

I sent him a slight smile and nodded before leaving his room. When I got to Calista's room, I knocked on her door. Nothing. Putting my ear to the door, I heard no sounds coming from her room so I knocked again. Either she wasn't in there or she didn't want to see me. Leaning my forehead against her door, I took in a deep, calming breath.

"Please let her forgive me," I whispered to myself. I had to believe she'd forgive me. She'd be at the meeting, so that was where I'd corner her and make her speak to me.

When I headed down to the main floor of the palace the sight before my eyes had me worried. The servants were running around and there were people everywhere here and there crying. I saw Kalen in the corner talking to Meliantha, Calista's sister, so I ran over to see what the deal was.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Worried, Meliantha explained, "Something bad has happened. One of the servants found a necklace on the council room floor along with a trace of ashes." At my questioning gaze, she continued, "The necklace belongs to one of our council members, Xylia's mom, Raisa. No one has found her husband either. We believe him to be dead as well. If what we believe is true, we have a traitor among us." She gazed back and forth between Kalen and me.

Grabbing Kalen by the shoulder, I revealed, "It has to be Warren. I saw him this morning leaving the council room. He had blood on his pants and he tried to cover it up, but I didn't say anything. I also saw him talking to Avery last night."

Turning to Meliantha, I asked, "Has anyone checked to see where Avery has been? Calista told me of the bad vibe she gets when he's around and I felt it as well. I know it's not my place to request this, but can you please get someone to check him out?"

Meliantha nodded. "Of course, I'll get one of the warriors to take a look in his chambers, and Elvena as well. By touching the ashes, she'll be able to identify who it was." Pausing, she put her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. When she opened them they were full of tears and sadness. Sneaking a glance at my brother, I could tell he wanted to console her, but he kept his distance.

Her voice quivered when she spoke, "We haven't told Xylia about her parents yet. We'll wait for Elvena to come to the council room and take a look around. If you see Xylia, please don't mention any of this."

"We won't," Kalen assured her.

"We're going to look for Warren for a few more minutes until everything gets settled. If you see Calista, will you please tell her I need to talk to her before I leave?" I pleaded to Meliantha.

She narrowed her eyes, looking a little confused. "But I thought things were going so well. Elvena told me what has happened," she said, pointing at my newly changed skin.

"They were going well until Warren told me a bunch of lies that wasn't true and I accused Calista of betraying me. I doubted her trust and now she won't speak to me."

"That sounds like Calista." Her eyes showed pity, but she gave me a small smile. "She'll come around. She's stubborn, but eventually she'll realize she won't be happy without you," she claimed.

She squeezed my arm and sent Kalen a long, lingering gaze before walking off. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her retreating form yet, so I waved my hands in front of his face and that snapped him back to attention.

"You seem to have it bad, too, little brother," I noted teasingly.

Laughing, Kalen shrugged. "Me? I don't think so. I do _not_ see myself settling down any time soon." He thought that now, but I couldn't wait to see what he said when he found the one he was supposed to be with. From the way things looked, it appeared like Meliantha was tugging pretty hard on his heart strings.

Not believing him at all, I remarked, "Okay, I believe you. Now let's find Warren."

We looked for what felt like hours searching for Warren, but we never found him. When we searched his room most of his stuff was gone. There wasn't a trace of him there at all. When and where would he have gone? The sinking feeling in my stomach let me know that something was seriously wrong, and that it needed to be figured out quickly.

I awoke to the sound of horses galloping and the swaying of the carriage. Slumping over, my head rested on the hard wall inside the carriage. It was definitely not a comfortable position. The blindfold around my head was knotted tightly, and my hands were tied behind my back while my feet were bound at the ankles.

Someone was in the carriage with me; I could tell because I heard them breathing. Pretending to be asleep, I kept perfectly still as to not alert my captor that I was awake. I was trying to listen for any clue as to where I was going or whom I was with. The carriage was moving awfully fast, and I was assuming it was to get away from the Summer Court as quickly as possible. If what my gut was telling me was right, then we must be headed toward the Black Forest.

I couldn't tell how long I'd been unconscious, but it must have been a long while. I was hungry, thirsty, and I could really use a bathroom break. I wondered if anyone at home had noticed I was missing. Once I was knocked unconscious, the vines should've loosened up on Ryder and Merrick. Hopefully, they were out looking for me.

The carriage began to slow down and I heard a gravelly voice yelling for the horses to stop. Most trolls had the same sounding voice, so it must be a troll driving the carriage. My captor got out, and I heard bits and pieces of the conversation going on outside. I heard something about setting up camp and getting some food. Food would be welcome, but I wouldn't trust what they gave me to be safe. _I wonder if Merrick can hear me from where I am._

" _Merrick! Merrick, can you hear me?"_ I called frantically, but I felt like my mind was blocked somehow. It was as if a wall had been forced up in my head, disconnecting me from him. How was I going to let my people know I'd been taken?

The door to the carriage swung open and my captor lifted me out. I kept my body as limp as possible, but then I heard a door opening and then another. I was placed on a bed and my captor unbounded my wrists and ankles before leaving and locking the door. _Where the hell am I?_ I stayed still for a few more minutes, making sure no one was coming back in before I decided to move. The blindfold was left on, but I swiftly took it off so I could view my surroundings.

Wow.

I was in a huge bedroom with a large, four-poster, king size bed; the room was painted in blacks and reds. The sheets were black satin with a scarlet red comforter and pillows. The room was immaculate, but why would they put me with all of these nice things if I was their captive. It didn't make any sense. The only thing that concerned me was that the room was laced with dark magic. I could feel the dirtiness of it as it swirled around me.

Getting off the bed, I headed toward the bathroom and turned on the light. A selection of shampoos and soaps were lined across the counter and there was even a toothbrush with toothpaste. What the hell? Groaning, and against my better judgment, I stripped down and got in the shower. Blood was caked in my hair and my clothes reeked of dirt and grime. Quickly, I washed up and slipped the robe on that was hanging on the back of the door. Pressing my luck, I walked back into the bedroom and headed for the closet. _Would there be clothes in it?_

When I opened up the door my mouth fell open. There was an abundance of clothes, or better yet, scraps of clothes in there. I picked a dress that would at least cover up some skin and put it on. It was better than the bloody clothes lying on the bathroom floor. Once I'd completely changed, I settled into the black leather chair in the corner of the room to wait on my captor.

My head no longer hurt from the blow I took, but now I needed answers. There were no windows so the chance of escape through one wasn't going to happen. I could still feel the wall in my head that was blocking all communication from the bond with Merrick; my own powers were blocked. I was starting to believe the stories about the dark sorcerer that roamed the Black Forest. The magic in the room felt exceptionally stronger and more powerful than mine, and like nothing that originated in the Land of the Fae. _All I know is that I have to get out of here._

Sitting in silence, I heard footsteps coming closer. The lock turned in the door and surprisingly I wasn't shocked to see the man that was now standing in the doorway. He was carrying a tray of food and my stomach betrayed me by grumbling.

"Hello, Princess," he crooned with an evil smirk.

I scoffed. "I wish I could say the same to you, Warren."

"Now, now, Princess, there's no reason to be hostile." He strolled over to me and set the tray of food beside me on the table. He didn't seem to be bothered at all that he'd taken me against my will, and was keeping me captive. Standing up from the chair, I met his glare dead on.

The anger and hatred boiled out of my voice when I spoke, "You haven't seen hostile yet, Warren. Unfortunately, this room is contaminated with the stench of dark magic so when I get out of here, I'm going to show you just what I mean when I rip your damn head off and kick that evil smirk off your face." I paused to let _my_ evil smirk show through. "Unless Ryder gets to you first and does a whole lot worse."

He laughed and shook his head.

"I don't think Ryder will be caring what happens to you. I did a pretty good job filling his head with nonsense. I told him some pretty convincing lies about how you and Merrick were being a little more than friendly this morning, and he ate it all up."

My face fell and all traces of my smile were gone. So that was what was wrong with him. The lack of trust hurt, but Warren had been his best friend for years and he'd only known me for two days. Could I really blame him? No, but the lack of trust still pained my heart. I would never doubt him like that.

Confident, I remarked, "Someone will come looking for me. I have no doubt."

"They can try, but once we reach the Black Forest it'll be a hopeless attempt. My master has been waiting for you a long time, and he's not going to let you go without a fight," Warren insisted.

How are my people going to save me in the Black Forest? I needed to find out as much as I could because if no one could save me, I had to save myself.

"Who is this master you speak of?" I asked.

"You'll meet him tomorrow, but if you want to know, he was the sole survivor of the war between the sorcerers a century ago. His name is Alasdair and he's been building his army and his power slowly during his time in the Black Forest. He needs your power to speed things along."

"What can my power do?"

The more I knew the better chance I have of thwarting this sorcerer's plans.

"He needs your power to help fulfill his. You are the beginning of The Four, and he must start with you. I'm sure he'll explain everything." Warren motioned to the food impatiently. "You need to eat. We have a long day of travelling tomorrow and the master doesn't want you starved." Before he turned to walk away, he gazed my body up and down and smiled. "The master will love you in that dress." Disgusted, I scoffed and flipped him off. Warren simply winked and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Tearing the dress off, I put on the robe that I was wearing before I put the dress on. I made my way over to the food and pulled off the cover. What I found surprised me. On the plate was a mound of spaghetti, a bowl of salad with ranch dressing, and garlic bread. _How did Warren know this was my favorite?_

As much as I wanted to eat it, I didn't. My body was tired and my eyes started to feel heavy. I felt weak from malnourishment, but I couldn't bring myself to eat the food. If I wasn't going to eat, the only thing I could think of to do to get energy back was to try and get some sleep.

I laid there for what felt like an eternity knowing very well I wouldn't be able to fall asleep, but then I sensed a pull dragging me down into blackness. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier to the point where I couldn't fight it anymore. The first thing I heard as I was falling under was the sound of Ryder's voice.

"Calista."

Kalen and I searched for Warren until right before the meeting was supposed to start, and we ended up being the last ones to enter the room. The King and Queen were in their respective thrones while the council members were arranged around the table in the center of the room. The Elvan leader was here, along with his wife; the only council members missing were Avery and Xylia's parents. Merrick was not yet in the room and neither was Calista. I knew she wouldn't miss a meeting, not unless she was that pissed off at me, but I couldn't see her neglecting her duty because of that.

Kalen tapped me on the shoulder. "How long do you think it'll be before they find out if it was Xylia's parents that were killed?" he asked.

As soon as he said it, Merrick and Elvena walked through the Great Room doors looking grim.

"It looks like we'll find out now," I responded.

They both had a look of anguish and heartache on their faces when they somberly walked toward the front where King Oberon and Queen Tatiana were seated.

King Oberon stood and announced, "What have you seen Elvena? Is it true about Raisa and Foster?"

Elvena was teary-eyed, but that didn't stop the strength from coming out in her voice. "It is true. There were two traces I found of ash. One was Raisa's, and the other was Foster's." Her lip trembled and she averted her forlorn gaze to the floor. "Xylia must be told about her parents."

King Oberon nodded. "I agree. She needs to be told." Sighing, he turned his head to the warriors that were lined up against the wall.

"Conall," he called out.

Conall was one of the warriors that fought in the competition to earn the title of Guardian to Princess Calista. He approached the dais and bowed before the king. "What do you need me to do, Your Majesty?"

The King looked sorrowful and apologetic when he responded, "I need you to find Xylia and speak to her. I would ask Calista to go with you, but she's not here yet, and I fear the longer we wait the worse it'll be for her. I know Xylia thinks highly of you and she'll need you there to comfort her. Please tell her we will do everything we can to find who is responsible." Conall bowed to the King again and fled the Great Room in search of Xylia. I could see it in his eyes as he passed that it pained him to have to give Xylia the news of her loss.

King Oberon's voice sounded determined when he announced, "Raisa and Foster will not be forgotten, nor will their deaths be in vain. They were loyal council members and dear friends to the Queen and me. Once things have settled, we will hold a memorial for them and honor them the way they should be honored."

Elvena took that time to speak. "There is more, Your Highness."

The King nodded, prompting her to continue.

"I hate to say it, but Avery is missing as well. Meliantha came to me and asked for a favor. It appears that Princess Calista and Prince Ryder had some reservations about him and I was asked to look around his quarters." Elvena glanced around to make sure everyone was listening to her. "It appears that not only is Avery missing, but he had traces of dark magic around his room. It's the strongest magic I've felt in a very long time."

The room fell silent.

With Avery and Warren both missing, it was starting to look like they were in this together. I did see them talking at the ceremony and if it was true then Warren was definitely a traitor. He was my best friend, but even that wouldn't save him from the punishment of death.

"What does this mean?" King Oberon asked. "Are you saying we've had a traitor beside us this whole time?"

Hesitantly, Elvena nodded and answered, "That's exactly what I'm saying, Your Highness. The magic I traced is the same magic of the sorcerers I felt a century ago. I believe it's what we have suspected all along." She paused, and with a grave expression she revealed, "Another dark sorcerer is in the Land of the Fae."

Commotion exploded at the mention of a dark sorcerer being alive, and the voices echoed loudly from the walls of the Great Room; it was a deafening sound. We all speculated there was a chance a dark sorcerer still lived, but no one really wanted to believe it. I heard stories growing up about the dark times in the Land of the Fae.

The King was obviously irritated by the chaos in the room because he yelled above the crowd, "Silence!"

The room fell quiet again and I could tell he was thinking of an appropriate response to what Elvena had disclosed.

"We need guards searching the Summer territory for Avery in case he hasn't escaped yet. When he's found he will be executed. We need to be on our guard fully," the King commanded.

He turned to Elvena and asked, "Do you know what the sorcerer wants?"

Closing her eyes, she nodded.

"He wants power, and as we all can assume he's most likely the evil the prophecy speaks of. He needs the power of The Four, and the power of The Four involves Calista, so she'll be his first target."

Startled, the king turned to Merrick. "Where is she?" His voice was laced with fear and worry, and I didn't blame him because I was feeling the same way. Calista hadn't shown up and I couldn't help but fear that something was wrong.

Merrick looked at me, and then turned to bow his head to the King. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but she ran away from Ryder and me this morning. She subdued us both and left us in the field."

"Why would she do that? Did she beat you up as well because you both look like hell," the King said worriedly, glancing at both of us.

I decided to jump in and explain.

"She left because we both..." I pointed to Merrick and then back to myself, "... acted like complete jackasses. She got pissed at us and brought the force of her power down on us." I paused for a second before saying what needed to be said next. "There's something else you should know as well. Warren, my friend that accompanied Kalen and me, has disappeared, too. We searched his room and found most of his things missing. He's been acting oddly since we arrived and I saw him talking to Avery yesterday at the ceremony. I believe he has turned on us."

Worried and full of angst, the King stood and barked off commands, "I want guards watching my family at all times and do not, by any means, let them out of your sight." He pinned his lethal stare at Merrick, who dropped his gaze to the floor in shame. I could honestly say I felt somewhat bad for him because he let Calista get away, but then again... so did I.

"Elvena, please go and find Calista," the King pleaded.

"Yes, Your Highness." Bowing, she turned to walk away, but not before giving me a questioning glance. Shrugging my shoulders, I shook my head so she'd know I had no clue where Calista was. _I wish I knew._

Elvena left in search of Calista and everyone in the Great Room spent the time talking about strategies and preventive measures. I was beginning to get worried, and I could tell that Merrick was looking agitated and worried, too.

"Can you hear her... you know, in your thoughts?" I whispered to him.

Furrowing his brow in concentration, he closed his eyes for a few seconds but then deflated. "I've tried, but I can't hear her. It doesn't feel like her usual shield, but there's something there physically blocking me from entering her mind. I've tried all afternoon, but nothing happens."

The doors to the Great Room burst open with a loud thud, and I glanced up to see Elvena and Meliantha running down the aisle.

Sobbing hysterically, Meliantha screamed, "She's gone! Calista's gone! We've searched everywhere, and Elvena can't sense her anywhere here." _No_ , I wanted to scream, but I kept my hysterics to myself. Whoever took her was going to die a slow and painful death. Merrick met my gaze and his anger was just as palpable as mine.

Sinking to the ground, Meliantha held her face in her hands and rocked back and forth. Out of all of Calista's siblings, I could tell that Calista and Meliantha were the closest. Kalen left my side to go and comfort her, but Queen Tatiana ran toward her and took Meliantha into her arms, holding her tight. Kalen backed up slowly and returned to my side; he really wanted to be the one to comfort her. The queen guided the crying Meliantha down the aisle and out of the room.

"Meliantha is right. I can't feel Calista anywhere near here," Elvena claimed. Turning to Merrick, she asked quickly, "Can you feel her or sense her?"

He shook his head. "I've tried to contact her, but I'm being blocked by something."

Elvena sighed. "It's the dark magic. She has to be surrounded by it, but she can't always be, so when you feel that tension let up, try to get in touch with her again." Merrick nodded in understanding.

"There is, however, a way for us to contact her in the meantime," Elvena revealed, grabbing everyone's attention. "If I use the magic within me combined with the bonds she has with both of you..." she explained pointing to me and Merrick, "... then there is a way we can contact her. The only catch is that she has to be near sleep in order for this to work."

Impatiently, I exclaimed, "It's evening now so we have a good chance at contacting her! What do we have to do?"

Merrick came up to my side. "I'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

Pulling one of the chairs away from the table, Elvena sat down and took a deep breath. She motioned for Merrick and me to pull up chairs around her, forming a triangle.

Elvena began, "In order for this to work, you have to clear your minds and focus only on Calista. I need you to picture, in your minds, the bond that pulls you both to her. Think of it as a string that physically connects you to her, and follow it until you connect with her soul."

Grabbing both of mine and Merrick's hands, Elvena held them tight and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"Now, close your eyes," she commanded softly. We both followed her orders and closed our eyes.

"Where do you want the setting of the dream to be? If she's in distress and needs comfort, the place should be where she finds peace," Elvena pointed out.

"The lake!" I exclaimed.

I could tell, even with my eyes closed, that Elvena was smiling at the suggestion and Merrick was scowling. Merrick took in a deep breath and huffed it out angrily.

"The lake it is then," Elvena said.

She took another deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking the magical words in the Old Fae language. The Old language wasn't spoken often anymore except by the elder fae. When the fae started travelling to the mortal realm centuries ago, the English language made its way here, along with other languages. Since we travel to and from the mortal realm it became essential for us to learn their languages.

Elvena continued her chant and I made sure to focus as hard as I could on Calista and our bond. It wasn't hard to concentrate on her. I could still remember the way her hair smelled, the glitter of gold in her bright green eyes, and the way her body felt underneath mine by the willow tree. The pressure around my body built until it felt like I was going to explode. Slowly it began to dissipate, but when everything went quiet, I opened my eyes to see I was standing by the willow tree at the lake in some sort of dream world. Looking around, I noticed that Merrick and Elvena were there with me, too.

"Now what do we do?" Merrick asked while peering around at the surroundings.

Elvena answered, "We wait for Calista to join us. It might not be a good time to tell her about Xylia's parents. Let's wait until she's safely home and has us all to lighten the burden."

Agreeing, we all sat in silence, hoping and praying that the plan worked. If it didn't, the hope of finding her would be slim. I didn't care what happened, but I did know that I'd search for her the rest of my life, even if it killed me.

Looking around at the dream setting, I was amazed at how real everything looked. I saw the spot where Calista and I had our little tryst, and there on the ground, were the different colored leaves; the same leaves that changed when we were so close to losing control. The memories were strong in my mind and I wished I could turn back the time and change things.

If I hadn't have doubted her, she wouldn't have ran away. _This whole thing is my fault._

The water of the lake looked so calm... like glass. There were no ripples or anything until I saw a reflection appear across the lake. As soon as I looked up, I saw her.

She was wearing a bathrobe, looking exhausted and weary. She was standing by the lake on the other side so she was still a good distance away. _Why the hell was she in a bathrobe?_ Worrying about that could come later, all I wanted to do was hold her and tell her I was sorry. Not wanting to wait any longer, I yelled out her name, "Calista!"

She circled around looking confused, but when she saw me she halted in her tracks.

"Ryder?" she shouted questioningly.

Running as fast as I could toward her, she realized I was real and began running toward me as well. I couldn't wait to have her in my arms and explain how wrong I was. The distance felt like miles, and the seconds it took to reach her felt like hours. Closing the distance, she jumped into my arms, sobbing. I scooped her up and held her tight, as tight as I could. I kissed her with all my heart and soul, and she responded with as much love and force behind the kiss as me. Not knowing how much time we had, I had to tell her how I felt before it was too late.

"I love you so much, Calista. I was wrong and I should never have doubted you." Burying my head in her shoulder, I breathed in the wonderful scent of her hair and her body. The chill bumps formed all over her flesh as I kissed her neck, making her shiver.

"Where are you?" I demanded softly. "We need to know what's happened to you and how to get you back home."

Calista gazed up at me slowly, all dreamy-eyed, and whispered, "Is this real? Are you really here?"

"Yes, I'm here, and so are Merrick and Elvena. This is a magical dream that we pulled you into. We don't know how much time we have so do you have any idea what's going on?"

As if the fog lifted, Calista shook her head and opened her eyes wide. "Oh my God, Ryder, so many things have happened. Warren's the one who took me!"

I flinched even though I knew Warren had taken a part in her abduction. I suspected it, but it was still hard to accept. He was going to pay the ultimate price for his betrayal.

I nodded. "I figured he'd played a part in this. When he went missing I knew." Her eyes grew solemn when she saw the hurt that must've shown on my face. "There's so much to tell you, but I'm sure Merrick and Elvena would really like to speak to you, too." Smiling, she nodded and took my hand. We began walking back around the lake to where Merrick and Elvena were waiting.

"Warren told me the lies he told you about Merrick and me. It was all part of his plan to separate us and then find a way to take me," Calista confided.

I sighed. "Yeah, I found that out a little too late. Merrick told me that nothing happened between you two. Please forgive me, Calista. I shouldn't have doubted you, and I'm so... so sorry."

"It hurt that you didn't believe me. I was so angry that I was actually going to let you go and never see you again. There's no way I'm choosing between my best friend and the man I love. There has to be a way for me to be with you, and still be friends with him. He's my guardian, and he's always going to be with me."

Pulling our clasped hands to my lips, I kissed her knuckles one by one. "It'll all work out, my love. Right now we need to focus on getting you back."

"I know," she whispered.

When her gaze landed on Merrick and Elvena, she let go of my hand and went straight into Elvena's arms. The sobbing came again, and Elvena just held her, trying to calm her.

"It's all right, child, we _will_ find you and get you home."

Calista cried, "I know. I have complete faith in all of you."

Calista then lifted her head and found Merrick who quickly pulled her into his arms. _Was it ever going to get easier watching another man console the woman I loved?_ No, probably not.

"I can't hear you anymore. I've tried to push through, but I can't. Have you tried as well?" Merrick asked her.

Calista nodded. "Yes, I've tried. The place I'm in is surrounded by dark magic. It feels like a wall is put up in my brain and I can't get through."

Elvena cut in, "Do you know where you're at and who you're with?"

Calista looked to me and then back to Elvena.

"Warren took me and I know there are other people, but I haven't seen them yet. He locked me in a room, but what I don't get is that this room is amazing. I'm a prisoner, but yet I'm not being treated like a prisoner, other than being locked in. Warren told me that tomorrow I'll meet the dark sorcerer, his name is Alasdair, and that he wants my power to fulfill his. He wouldn't give me all the answers because I would find them all out today. From the vibe I'm getting, this sorcerer wants a little more than just my magic."

"Oh, hell no! No one's going to lay their hands on you," I roared. To Elvena, I said, "We have to get her out, now! What can we do?"

Elvena sighed. "I have a plan, but it won't be able to happen until tomorrow. We just have to stay strong."

Calista peered up at me, and I knew she could see the worry all over my face. She wrapped her arms around my waist and held me tighter. "I'm strong, Ryder, and I promise I'm going to get out of this perfectly fine with my virtue intact," she whispered softly. I pulled her to me. The thought of knowing she'd be leaving me soon and in the hands of the dark sorcerer was terrifying and aggravating.

"There's something else you should know. Avery went missing and Elvena found traces of dark magic in his quarters. I believe you may be seeing him soon."

Her body deflated against mine and she groaned angrily.

"I can't believe he would betray my father and our kingdom. I haven't seen him yet, only Warren. There are no windows in my room so I can't escape. Once I'm taken to the Black Forest, how are you going to get me out?" she asked, looking back and forth between us.

Elvena offered reassurance, "I have some ideas to get you out, but it involves some serious magic. However, there's something I must tell you first before we go." Elvena took Calista's hand and pointed to the golden ring on her finger with the purple stone.

"This, my child, is a very special magical ring. This ring will protect your magic. The dark sorcerer must not find out about it, so whatever you do, do not draw attention to it. Make sure you keep it on at all times." She raised her eyebrows at Calista and she nodded back, letting Elvena know she understood.

"What happens if he notices my ring?" Calista questioned.

"If he notices your ring and takes it, he will have full access to your power. The ring will _help_ keep the dark sorcerer from taking it all at one time, but eventually it will start to siphon your energy slowly. He needs your power first, according to the prophecy, and once he gets yours he will move on to the next," Elvena explained grievously.

Calista's eyes went wide. "Who will be next?"

Elvena shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, child. It could be either one of your sisters..." She then looked at me and said, "Or it could be yours. I know who The Four are, but I don't know which one will be next. I have speculations, but it's too soon to tell."

"When did you figure all this out?" I asked angrily. "How could you not tell me that my sister was a part of this?"

Elvena huffed. "I hadn't figured it out until now, but we can't think about that at the moment. The dark sorcerer's focus is on Calista, and we need to concentrate on getting her rescued. We'll worry about protecting the others later." Elvena stopped to take a breath, and grabbed hold of Calista's hands.

"I'm afraid, my child, that I cannot tell you what plans I have for your rescue and before you ask why, I'll go ahead and tell you. Dark sorcerers are powerful; they were very powerful a century ago and I don't know the full extent of this one's power yet. I'm scared of what he'll do if he finds out we made contact."

Calista waved her hands in the air. "Well... Warren thinks Ryder won't come to my rescue because of what he told him about Merrick and me, so it'll be easy to pretend that I'm heartbroken over him and not expecting him to rescue me."

Elvena nodded her head in approval.

"Good, child, that's excellent, but there is something else you will probably have to endure and you're not going to like it." Elvena's regretful expression made us all groan. I could already tell I wasn't going to like what she had to say, and neither did Merrick.

Calista rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky. "Why does the bad shit always happen to me?" she exclaimed.

Elvena dismissed Calista's comment with a grumble. "The dark sorcerer needs to believe he is taking your power, which he actually will be, but only very small traces of it. During this time, he may try to overpower you and make you see things or do things you don't want to do."

Merrick and I both yelled at the same time, "Hell no!"

Furious, I continued, "What if he tries to force himself on her or make her do other things? There's no way she's going to pretend through that."

Elvena rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air, clearly agitated. "I was not suggesting she let him force himself on her, but I _am_ suggesting she stay strong and play it off for as long as she can. She'll be in his domain and surrounded by his power. If he uses his influence and she resists, he'll know something is wrong."

Calista started to look pale and began swaying on her feet. Holding her hand over her stomach, she groaned. "You guys, I think something's wrong. I'm starting to feel funny."

I reached out to steady her, and to be closer to her before she disappeared. I was going to go out of my mind wondering what she was going to go through. I knew she was strong, but I didn't want to think of all the vile things that could be done to her.

Frantically, Elvena grabbed Calista's face in her hands. "I think someone is getting close. We need to hurry, there's only a couple more minutes left. We will rescue you, child. Do not doubt that, even if you feel lost and helpless, just know we will be there to get you out. I promise."

The promise from a prophetess was a very powerful vow. I had full confidence in Elvena and her plans to help rescue Calista. I didn't know what those plans were yet and I didn't care. I'd go through the fires of hell and back again to rescue Calista. Elvena kissed Calista's cheek and passed her to Merrick.

Merrick hugged her hard. "Be safe, Cali. I'm going to get you out of there."

Calista reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. Jealousy spiked in my gut, but I quickly let it pass.

"I have faith in you, Merrick, my guardian." She kissed his cheek, hugged him one more time, and then ambled over to me. A tear was on the verge of escaping her saddened eyes, but I quickly wiped it away before it fell.

Taking both her hands in mine, I pulled her to me and whispered quietly in her ear, "I love you, Calista. Whatever the plan is, I'll be there. I promise. Stay strong for me, my love."

"It's almost time, you two," Elvena said softly.

Not wasting any more time, I quickly pulled Calista over to the willow tree so I could tell her what I had to say in privacy. Moving a tendril of her beautiful, blonde hair from her face, I gazed lovingly into her eyes. "I have something I need to ask you," I told her.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"First, I want to do this." Leaning down, I claimed her lips with mine. All of my desperation and need for her came out in that kiss. Circling her arms around my neck, she ran her fingers through my hair and gripped me tightly. I felt no hesitation coming from her so I deepened the kiss and relished in the feel of her body.

We both knew that it could be the last time we got to see each other, so we took advantage of the time we had. My hand travelled up her back to the nape of her neck. I held her in place up against my body while my tongue circled hers with a raging passion. I needed her like I needed air to breathe. Without her I was going to be lost.

Reluctantly, Calista broke away from the kiss. "Ryder, I'm almost out of time. I can feel something pulling me back."

Looking at her face, I took in every inch of it, from her mouth, her nose, and lastly to her gorgeous, bright green eyes that captured my heart from the very beginning.

With all the love in my heart I finally revealed, "You know the truth of our path and where it's supposed to lead us. We've both seen it and lived it in our vision and it was amazing. My life will have no purpose without you. When we find you and you're safely home, will you fulfill the marriage bond with me?" Kissing her softly, I said the last part in a whisper, "... And take your place beside me as my wife, lover, and queen?"

Her wide tearful eyes twinkled and she forcefully planted her lips on mine with determination. The strength I saw in her eyes when she looked at me was so powerful; she'd make a magnificent queen. We embraced one last time before the pull of being dragged back to reality took me away from the dream world. She hadn't answered my question yet, but the last thing I heard before the dream disappeared was the words I so desperately wanted to hear.

"Yes... Ryder, I love you."

I woke up right away with joyfulness in my heart. The way Ryder looked at me when he asked for me to accept him in the marriage bond made my heart melt with a flooding of warmth. If we had been alone last night, I had no doubt I would have given myself to him in the dream world just to complete the bond. My body craved his with such longing.

I knew it was just a dream, but it felt great to be in Ryder's arms, and to see Merrick and Elvena. The sound of the door being unlocked broke me out of my reverie, startling me. Keeping my eyes closed, I pretended to still be asleep when the person who walked in sat on the bed beside me.

I felt the bed dip down with the person's weight and it jostled me a little. I had a feeling it was going to be either Warren or Avery. I was betting on the latter considering he hadn't made an appearance yet. Whoever it was, I could feel them moving closer.

"Good morning, Princess," Avery greeted mockingly.

My eyes bolted open and darted around the room. When my gaze landed on Avery I tried to appear hopeful, and clueless as to why I was there.

With a trembling voice, I pleaded, "Please tell me you're here to rescue me, and then it'll be a good morning."

He shook his head and sneered, "Not exactly, Princess. I plan to take you somewhere special this morning."

Keeping my face blank, I asked, "Where exactly would that be?"

In a sharp tone, Avery replied, "Don't play dumb with me, Princess. I know you've suspected things of me, so quit the little trembling act because I don't buy it."

My body went tense and I knew my face had turned blood red. I guess there went my cover. Digging my nails into my palms, I clenched my teeth together to try and keep my anger tamped down. It didn't seem to be working with Avery smiling at me the way he was.

"Well, in that case, you can go to Hell, and I already know where we're going so you can save all your lies for someone else," I snapped. Glaring at him straight in the eyes, I made sure to make mine as cold as possible.

"Why did you turn on us? What was so bad that you had to betray your friends and your court? You had a great life, recognition, and anything you could ever want. How could that not have been enough?"

Avery moved closer to me and I flinched back. The last thing I wanted was for him to be anywhere close to me. He reached up and grabbed a lock of my hair, turning it around and running his fingers through it. My body recoiled and I couldn't shake the bitter taste in my mouth. I had never wanted to kill someone as much as I did then.

"What is every mutiny about, Princess?" he asked.

"Power," I answered flatly, rolling my eyes.

With an arrogant smile, he winked. "You're correct... power. I've been promised a phenomenal amount of power once I hand you over to the dark sorcerer. I won't be easily defeated once I obtain this power, and I'll be a leader when we take over the Land of the Fae."

Giving him a scornful look, I curled my lip in disgust. "You make me sick. You're nothing but a pansy ass prick that likes to kiss ass," I hissed.

In a lightning fast move, he slapped me across the cheek and grasped my face, squeezing tight. The ferocity of his hold was bruising, but the anger I felt dimmed out the pain. He turned my head sharply so I had to look at him straight in the face.

"I've told him how feisty you are and how stubborn, but you will learn obedience. The roles have switched, Princess, and it'll be you bowing down to me. I could do whatever I want with you right now and no one will stop me, but the master wants you unharmed and in one piece when I bring you to him," Avery snapped.

Jerking my face out of his hands, I lifted my chin defiantly. "I will never bow down to you. You can do whatever you want to me, but you'll never get the satisfaction of me on my knees." I meant it both literally, and figuratively, and he seemed amused by it.

Avery laughed. "One thing I can say is that I've always loved your mouth." Licking his lips, he gazed longingly at my mouth. Turning my head away, I scoffed. "I would love to have you on your knees in front of me, but unfortunately, I must wait until the master is through with you."

_What the hell?_ There was no way any part of him was going anywhere near my mouth. _I will cut that son of a bitch's protruding parts off if he so much as wags it in my face._

"That's nice, Avery. You claim to be all powerful and such, but you're still the lackey of someone better. You have to _wait_ on him to be done with me before you have a shot. That's pretty pathetic if you ask me, you might as well wipe his ass and kiss it while you're there," I retorted sardonically.

Fuming, Avery reared back and slapped me across the face again... hard.

"You bitch! Don't you ever say anything like that to me again." He quickly maneuvered himself so that he was straddling my waist before I had a chance to move. He held my hands by my sides, locking me in place. The anger I felt was overwhelming, and I wished I could use my power because he'd be gone in a heartbeat. I never would've considered the thought of killing someone, but being around this kind of evil made it easy to think that way.

He leaned over until he was right up in my face. "You know, you're beautiful when you're helpless. I think I could stare at you all day like this, but we must get going. Get dressed and be ready in five minutes. We will leave then."

He quickly got off of me, letting his fingers linger over my breasts, before sidling off the bed and out the door. Breathless and infuriated, I laid there with my cheeks burning from the slaps and shaking from the rage. I needed to think of a way to get out of there, but I didn't know where 'there' was. I knew I was headed to the Black Forest, so I must've been somewhere in between.

Since I only had five minutes to get dressed, I quickly went to the bathroom to wash up and then over to the closet to find something to wear. I picked out the first dress I saw and hastily put it on while wrapping the bathrobe over the top of it. _Let's see how they like this._

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I only had about one minute before my time was up. This time when the door opened it was Warren. He took one look at me and shook his head, amused.

"Very funny, Princess, but I'm afraid the master will be quite eager to see what's underneath that bathrobe. Enjoy it for now because you won't be wearing it much longer."

I scowled at him, but I kept my mouth shut. Sometimes it was better to stay quiet. As we made our way to the front door, I held my head high and my chin up as he took my arm. When we walked out I was able to see our surroundings. I was blindfolded when coming in, but now I wasn't. From the surroundings I could tell that we were on the outskirts of the Mystical Forest and when I turned to look at the house... it was gone. Gasping, I blinked twice, but that wasn't what really got my attention. A weight felt like it'd been lifted off my body, and to my advantage my connection to Merrick opened up. Immediately, I tried to speak to him.

" _Merrick, I have to do this quickly. We just left a house that disappeared before my eyes and I'm getting ready to get into a carriage that I know is surrounded by magic. We're on the outskirts of the Mystical Forest, and are headed through the valley to the Black Forest. Please hurry, Merrick. I love you all, and if something happens to me please know that I don't blame anyone other than myself."_ Sighing in relief, I was glad I had time to get all of that out.

I tried to keep my face blank so Warren wouldn't know what I was doing. Warren glared at me, and then back to the area where the house was just a few seconds ago.

He said, "Can you believe the house remained invisible the whole time we were in there? I never knew dark magic could be so powerful."

Rolling my eyes, I turned my head and ignored him.

" _Calista! Oh thank the gods, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"_ Merrick asked frantically.

" _No, Merrick, I'm fine. I'm about to get into the carriage, and then I won't be able to communicate. Avery came to me this morning and it didn't go over very well. He sure can be a complete dick, but he's here now with Warren and we're on our way to the Black Forest. There's also a troll here that's driving the carriage."_

Merrick sighed, and hesitated before asking, _"Did Avery do anything to you?"_

" _Nothing I can't handle, Merrick. Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine. My time's up,"_ I added quickly.

" _Stay strong, Calista. I love you."_

My chest tightened at hearing him say it, but the connection broke as soon as he said those three words. In a way I was glad I didn't have time to comment on it, but if I'd have said it back he would have taken it the wrong way. I did love him, and he knew I did, but not in that way. If I ever did get rescued, I wasn't sure how I was going to handle the guys when I got back.

Stepping into the carriage, I saw that, thankfully, I was going to be by myself. Avery rode up on his horse and snarled at me before passing by the carriage. Politely, I gave him the finger when he rode off. Warren was also on horseback, and riding behind the carriage. If they were in here with me, I'd probably try to kill them with my bare hands, except I didn't think I'd come out unscathed.

The journey to the Black Forest took about half the day, and I spent most of that time impatient and restless. Never having been to the Black Forest, I had no idea what to expect. All I could say was that it definitely lived up to its name. Looking through the window of the carriage, I could see the entrance to the forest closing in.

As soon as we entered, the light diminished as if it didn't exist. It was scary and depressing being surrounded by blackness. The feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach and I found myself actually afraid. Wiping my sweaty palms on the dress I was wearing, I closed my eyes and took slow, calming breaths. The darkness of the forest felt like it was eating away my courage, and replacing it with defeat.

"I must stay strong. I must stay strong. I must stay strong," I chanted over and over quietly.

The farther we got into the forest, the more I got the feeling of being watched. The hair standing up on the back of my neck and the chills racking my body were good indicators. Once we got further in, I noticed the trees had grown darker. The trunks look rotted and the leaves and limbs looked like they were spilling oil. The entire place reeked of violence and death.

Not being able to see anymore, I sat back in the carriage and closed my eyes. Visions of my family and Ryder popped into my head and I let the peace they brought my soul consume me. I reveled in it for the last few minutes I had left.

When the carriage finally came to a stop, my heart rate sped up and my breathing quickened. Looking through the window, I saw that we'd entered a village of some kind. There were different types of house scattered about the area. Some were made of wood, some of clay and some of bricks; there were also houses up in the trees.

Warren opened the carriage door and Avery was there to take my arm. As soon as I was out of the carriage, I felt my link to Merrick open back up. Keeping my expression blank, I snuck glances at both Avery and Warren and they both glared at me with smug expressions. I would do anything to be able to slap the smug looks off their faces.

There were different fae creatures everywhere. When they saw me, their eyes sparkled and they bounced up and down squealing, singing, and chanting as loud as they could. Keeping my expression blank, I continued walking through the village with Avery and Warren keeping hold of my arms. My insides were in turmoil with the raging emotions I was feeling. I was furious, scared, humiliated, sad, lonely, and I just wanted to be at home.

" _Calista, are you there? I can feel you_. _"_

" _I'm here, Merrick. We made it to the Black Forest and now we're making our way through the village. There are fae creatures everywhere and it's like a parade right now. They're all jumping up and down and celebrating that I'm here,"_ I said, disgusted.

" _Just hang in there. I can't tell you of our plans, but just know that you won't be there long,"_ Merrick claimed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I kept my head high, ignoring everyone and everything around me. No matter how I felt, I couldn't let them know how scared I truly was. I had to be strong for my people and my family. Up ahead, it looked like we were headed to a huge tree that resembled a small redwood. It was a monster of a tree with a door carved into it.

" _How is everyone?"_ I asked, even though I really didn't want to know how crazy everyone was at the moment.

" _They're all worried about you. Ryder is sitting here fuming because I'm talking to you and he's not. His face is all red and everything. He has a dagger pointed at my chest. Is it bad that I love provoking him?"_ He laughed. _"He says that if I don't tell you that he loves you, he will rip off my balls and shove them down my throat."_

" _Stop being childish, Merrick, and listen to me. We're headed to a huge tree toward the back of the village. There's a door carved into it. It's the only one I've seen in this village."_ The pins and needles feeling I got when I lose my connection was coming back. Quickly, I said, _"Merrick, the connection is about to fade."_

The connection dropped before I was able to finish what I was going to say. I didn't remember everything on the walk through the village, but at least talking to Merrick helped keep my mind clear. Stopping at the door to the tree, Warren and Avery both turned to acknowledge me.

With a satisfied smirk, Avery—still holding onto one of my arms—guided me through the door of the tree. The space inside was hollow with a long staircase reaching toward the top. My hands started to sweat and my mouth went dry; I was nervous. I was about to meet the most powerful person there and I had no magic to defend myself. I hoped I could get through it, but I was tired from all of the travelling and from lack of food. I seriously wanted to kick myself in the ass for not eating because I could really use the energy.

My muscles screamed at me and my body ached while walking up the winding staircase. It felt like tiny daggers stabbing me in the legs, and my lungs felt like I was breathing acid. I'd always been in perfect shape, but the events of the past couple of days had worn heavily on my body. I was also still wearing the bathrobe and sweating like crazy. Avery clearly saw my distress, and continued up the steps with an arrogant sneer.

"This is the dark sorcerer's dwelling. He wants you to stay here with him where he can keep his eye on you, among other things."

My feelings of dread doubled. I had to eat, sleep, and do everything under the watchful eye of the dark sorcerer _and_ try to fight off his advances. Not to mention he was going to be stealing my powers the entire time. It seemed like there were certain places that had the strong binding magic that kept me from connecting with Merrick, and some places that didn't. I surely didn't have the capability in the tree.

When we reached the top of the steps, Avery knocked on the door. Warren had curiously remained quiet during the entire ordeal today so I could honestly say it was perfectly clear that he wasn't second in command.

After only a few seconds, a voice called out for us to enter. I could only assume it was the dark sorcerer, Alasdair. _This is it_. Taking in a deep, shaky breath I let it out slowly before meeting the man that wanted to destroy the Land of the Fae... my home. We walked into the room and the dark sorcerer was there with his back to me.

He was standing in the dark, so I couldn't really make out his shape because he blended into the shadows perfectly. Avery pulled my arm and made me move to the middle of the room. He backed away, leaving me standing there alone. I had never felt more helpless in my life, and I needed to remember to comply with whatever I was asked to do. The magical ring was snug on my finger, and I could feel it trying to protect me even then. Clasping my hands behind my back, I gripped them so tight that my hands were going numb. My pulse thumped wildly at my wrist.

"Take off the robe," the dark sorcerer said sternly, his back still to me.

My head jerked to attention. He hadn't even looked at me, so how did he know I was wearing a robe? His voice was deep and very masculine. It sounded full of arrogance and menace, which told me that the man was nothing but cruel and deceitful. Yet, somehow, that voice sounded oddly familiar. Slowly, I began untying the robe, letting it fall to the floor at my feet. I stood there motionless, waiting for him to turn around. As if he read my mind, the dark sorcerer turned around, and as he did I squeezed my eyes shut. His footsteps were hard and determined as he made his way toward me. The closer he got, the harder it was to breathe because of the thickness of his magic in the air.

Feeling his hot breath on my neck, he leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Open your eyes."

Inhaling deeply, I let it out slowly. He moved back, giving me a little more space, and I was thankful for that. When I opened my eyes, I saw someone I wasn't expecting to see. The blood drained from my face and my eyes widened with shock. He stood there with a slow smile spreading across his face. My thoughts were scrambling around in my head and I was trying to understand what I was seeing. _How could this be possible?_

My hands fell loosely to my side and my breathing stopped. He started to reach for me, but I quickly stepped back, not wanting him to touch me. My body began to shake and the feeling of losing control was so strong I couldn't stand it any longer. The world fell out from beneath me and I was taken into the dark labyrinth of a nightmare. The dread and confusion poisoned my mind and the only thing I remembered saying as I succumbed to the darkness was the name of the man standing before me.

"Ryder?"

Before the Plan is Set

The plan was simple: head into the Black Forest undetected, and rescue Calista. Arguments were spewed within the Great Room on who would be the ones to rescue the princess. Warriors volunteered left and right, obviously wanting to be the great hero. The bantering back and forth was getting us nowhere, and becoming a waste of time. This was my task, and no one was going to go after the princess except me. She was mine, and it was my job to fight for her.

Marching to the center of the room, and with great authority, I announced loudly so everyone could hear, "I'm going to the Black Forest to rescue the princess!"

Glancing around the room, everyone went silent. Looks of understanding and sadness circulated through their eyes since what I was doing was most likely a suicide mission and they all knew it.

King Oberon's expression was one of grief and adoration. "Thank you, Prince Ryder. This is a very grave mission, and there's no way I can repay the debt of your courage and love."

"Actually, Your Highness, there is," I informed him.

King Oberon raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"When I bring your daughter home, I want to fulfill the marriage bond with her. I love her, and I want to be with the woman who has the other half of my soul, because without her, I'll never be complete. Our lands need us, and Calista needs me to complete _our_ court."

Admiration flashed across the king's face and he nodded in agreement. He must've already known I would ask this. "Very well, Prince Ryder, I will grant your request."

Merrick stormed to the front with his nostrils flaring and his hands clenched. "No! I'm going with Prince Ryder to rescue her, and it _needs_ to be made clear to her that she has a choice on _whom_ to marry. I'm not going to stand by and let her marry someone because of some prophecy."

Before he was able to speak again, he froze in place and narrowed his eyes in concentration. I'd seen him like that before when he was talking to Calista. Strong emotions floated across his face, everything from rage to despair, and I stood there anxiously waiting to hear what he had to say. Especially since his last outburst had the king fuming.

The king stomped his foot angrily to get Merrick's attention.

"Watch yourself, Guardian. You can go with Prince Ryder to help rescue Calista, but you of all people know that Calista has and will always make her _own_ decisions."

Merrick bowed his head apologetically.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but Calista just spoke to me. The connection is gone now, but she says she's okay and they're headed through the valley to the Black Forest. She also says that Avery was there and their meeting was not a friendly reunion. I think he might have hurt her, but she wouldn't tell me. Her voice sounded defeated and tired when she spoke." Merrick turned his head to look at me and then back to the king.

"She also wanted me to say that she loves us all and that she doesn't blame anyone for what happened to her."

Merrick bowed and sheepishly walked back to stand by the wall with the other warriors. The feeling of helplessness was not something a warrior welcomed because it wasn't in our nature to feel like that. Elvena made her way to the front and spoke to the king privately. When they finished, King Oberon dismissed everyone from the Great Room except me, Merrick and Elvena. My brother stayed behind, waiting to find out my next move.

"I need you to get your things and head home," I said to my brother who came to stand beside me.

Kalen nodded somberly. "What do you want me to tell our people?"

"Tell them about the dark sorcerer and that I've gone to rescue the princess. Explain to them everything that's happened since we've been here. Our court needs to be prepared in case something happens."

"Do you think you can get her back?" he asked.

"I have to believe I can. I can't afford to think otherwise."

Kalen grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me tight. "Be safe, brother, and go save your queen."

Kalen sighed and swiftly left the room, not looking back. The only people left in the Great Room were me, King Oberon, Elvena, and Merrick. We made our plans for the rescue and decided it was going to be just me and Merrick. Taking a huge army would draw attention and cause more bloodshed. Once everything was planned, Merrick and I set out to the stables to get our horses ready for departure.

Loading my belongings onto my horse, Artemis turned her head and nudged me in the side, making me stumble. I chuckled while taking her head in my hands, and placing my forehead against hers.

"You always knew how to cheer me up, didn't you, girl?" I said while running my hands down the long mane of her soft black hair. "This is going to be a hard journey we're facing, Artemis. I need you to be swift and ride like the wind. Our princess is waiting for us and we cannot fail her." Artemis huffed out a hot breath, and shuffled her feet excitedly to let me know she was ready and nothing would stop us.

"That's my girl," I murmured.

Merrick came up beside me, already on his majestic white horse looking irritated and impatient. After mounting Artemis, we started to head on our way, but Elvena took that time to run out of the palace doors to stop us.

"Wait!" she yelled. "I have something for you."

When she walked up she headed straight for Merrick. Looking at us both she said, "I have something that'll help you both out when you reach the Black Forest." She unfolded her hand and in it laid a silver locket.

Merrick gasped, "Why do you have that?"

Elvena smiled and handed it to him. "It's for you. I conjured a spell that'll help you turn invisible when you go into the Black Forest. Ryder has the ability naturally, but you'll need to go unseen as well in order to help him rescue Calista."

"How does it work?" Merrick asked, securing the necklace around his neck.

"All you have to do is place one drop of your blood inside the locket, and it'll turn you invisible as long as you keep the locket on you. I don't know how long the magic will last, so once you activate it, get in and get the princess out."

Merrick nodded. "We will... thank you. We'll bring her home."

"I know you will. Be safe, both of you." Climbing up the palace steps, she gave us one last heartfelt glance before disappearing inside the palace walls.

"I noticed the way you looked at the locket. Does it mean something to you?" I asked curiously.

Merrick gazed down at the locket and then back up to me with a hard expression on his face. "Not that it's any of your business, but I gave it to Calista when she turned sixteen." Before I could reply, he snarled impatiently, "Let's go, ice boy. I don't want to talk anymore. Our princess is waiting."

"I'm not completely an ice boy anymore if you haven't noticed, and when I find Calista and bring her home everything will change. You need to get over yourself and accept the fact that she chose me, not you," I growled, agitated.

He briskly turned away from me, and I could've sworn I heard him mumble the words 'I know' before riding off. I would actually feel bad for the guy if he wasn't such a dick. I knew he loved Calista and I loved her, too, but no amount of his bitching and complaining was going to change anything.

Heading out on our way, we rode full out for a few hours before we decided to stop. We were most of the way through the Mystical Forest when Merrick froze and closed his eyes.

"I've got her," he exclaimed.

He went back to being quiet and furrowed his brows, trying to pay close attention to what Calista was saying. He smirked at me a couple of times and kept a wide grin on his face the entire time; it was pissing me off. Merrick seemed to enjoy the fact that I couldn't speak to her and he could. Riding up beside him, I pulled out my dagger and glared at him.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears and I clenched my hand so tight around the dagger I was probably going to have indentations in my skin for a week. I pointed it at his chest, only an inch away, and warned him, "You better tell her that I love her, too. I know you're spouting how much _you_ love her and what not, but if you don't tell her that I do as well, I'm going to cut your balls off with the dullest knife I can find, and shove them down your throat until you choke."

Laughing, Merrick flipped me off.

"Calm down, ice boy, I told her what your cold heart had to say." Hearing him laugh only fueled my anger even more.

Before I could act on my rage his smile suddenly changed to a look of anguish. "She also just told me that she's now reached the Black Forest, and that they're parading her around the village. She was about to enter a huge tree that had a door carved into it when the connection was lost."

I nodded, but I couldn't stop the fire inside my blood demanding that I seek retribution. Merrick had pissed me off for the last time.

"What is your problem?" he asked with a smart ass smirk.

" _You_ are my problem!" I exclaimed.

Clenching my hands into fists, I reared back and slammed it into Merrick's jaw. The sound of my fist hitting his flesh, and the cracking of his jaw, was music to my ears. I put the full force of all of my emotions into the punch, and it felt good to be able to release it onto Merrick. He fell off his horse and landed with a hard sounding thud.

His armor made a clinking noise as he landed on the ground. My inner self was smiling for its victory, except I couldn't bring myself to feel that way on the outside. In all reality, my hand hurt from smashing it into Merrick's face, and I was mad because he was acting childish about the whole ordeal with Calista. It was infuriating and not making the situation any better. It must be his way of coping with the loss, but if he didn't watch it, he may be the one not making it home.

Merrick climbed back up on his horse slowly, and gave me the most evil grimace I'd ever seen. His body was stiff, and I knew that fall had to hurt just as much as the punch. I didn't feel sorry for him at all. We rode hard for another couple of hours until we decided to camp for the night. It'd probably be the last night of rest before we charged into the Black Forest.

Merrick was quiet for the rest of the evening, and didn't speak to me at all while we ate and rested. He fell asleep quickly after he'd finished his meal, and the quiet time gave me the space I needed to think clearly and strategize our plan to rescue Calista. I wished I could see her in my dream, but I knew that it wasn't possible. I couldn't imagine what she was going through at that moment. We only had a few hours to rest before we made the journey through the Black Forest. While Artemis lied down on the ground, I leaned up against her warmth to rest my head. It wasn't long before I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

\- Dark Sorcerer -

(Black Forest)

The princess in my dwelling was a welcoming sight. I gazed at her through another person's eyes and all she saw was her precious prince staring back at her. I could see her trembling, and when I stepped toward her to steady her, she took a step back with a look of revulsion on her face. I couldn't have her looking at me like that, could I?

When I get my full corporeal body I'd be irresistible to women, but until then I had to use my power to make my real body solid or else transform to someone else. Taking over someone else's body worked, but in this case I thought I'd shake the princess up a bit.

It'd been too long since I'd taken a woman to my bed, and now I had the princess to have any time I wanted. The way Calista's body looked in her dress, with her breasts begging to be touched, didn't help the growing erection I had pulsing down below.

When I stepped closer, her face grew paler and her trembling intensified. I could tell she was going to pass out way before her legs gave out from beneath her. Catching her in time, I was amazed at the electric jolt that rushed through my body at the contact with her flesh. Her power was so strong I could actually see it pulsing throughout her body. I could already imagine the high I was going to get when I took it away from her.

"Do you want us to take care of her?" Avery asked, licking his lips and staring down at the princess with lust-filled eyes. Clenching my teeth, I let my power fill the room. He had no business looking at her like that.

"No," I growled. "What I do want you to do is get the hell out of here."

Avery narrowed his eyes. "What are you going to do with her?" he asked boldly.

"I can do whatever I want with her. Now get out!" I shouted.

I stayed on the floor with the princess in my arms until they left the room. She was passed out cold, and it didn't look like she was going to be waking up anytime soon. Picking her up, I carried her to my bedroom. I laid her on the bed and crawled up beside her. Her skin had changed, but I'd been warned about it, and her temperature had tapered off a bit from the normal heat of a Summer Fae. I was glad I got her just in time because if she and Prince Ryder had sealed the deal I would've been too late. No one was going to have her now, except me. Being the Fall queen wasn't going to happen for the beautiful Calista now, and Ryder would be lost forever when I made her my Dark Queen.

Now that I had the first of The Four here, I'd take her power and merge it with mine. Her power alone would make it easier to obtain the other three princesses of the prophecy and take over the Land of the Fae, weakening both courts.

I ran my hands up and down Calista's body slowly, tracing the mounds of her breasts that were deliciously spilling out the sides of her dress. My fingers ached to touch her in other places, but I was going to make sure she was fully aware of my intentions, and enjoyed the feel of me giving her pleasure and vice versa. When I took her power she would succumb to me in every way and enjoy it.

Taking the talisman off, I slipped it over Calista's head knowing that it would be easier to do it while she was asleep instead of forcing her while she was awake. The moment I put the chain around her neck, the bloodstone of the talisman lit up the room; it was siphoning her power. With her being as powerful as she was, it would take a lot longer to drain her of her essence. I was patient though. Once she woke up, the talisman will have taken more of her energy, and she would be ready to succumb to me. The hard part was done with—getting her to the Black Forest—so now I could sit back and wait for the power to come to me.

I felt a pillow beneath my head, and my body was lying on a soft, comfortable mattress that felt like a bed of clouds. I must be home. I bet I'd open my eyes and see my purple walls and the beautiful flower arrangements that Meliantha put together for me. Slowly lifting my eyelids, my spirits deflated. I wanted this to be just a nightmare, but it was looking like I wasn't going to get out of it. Glancing around the room, I realized it was the same room that I'd slept in at the invisible house. _Am I back at that house again somehow?_

Sitting up in the bed, I could feel a cold weight swinging between my breasts. Lifting it up, I noticed that it was the talisman that... that Ryder was wearing before I passed out.

Ryder

How could that be? I remembered seeing his cold blue eyes, and the evil grin that sent chills of pure terror racking throughout my body before I passed out. It couldn't be him, could it? Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I slowly got to my feet. I was lightheaded and my heart felt like it was about to pop out of my chest.

I tried to walk a couple of steps, but my legs were sore and aching from travelling. Slowly, I finally got to the door and twisted the knob... it was unlocked. Opening the door, I peered out into the rest of the place. As I looked back and forth through the small hallway, I couldn't see around any of the corners.

"Shit, what do I do now?" I hissed, speaking to myself. I rounded the corner slowly, and as I did, I saw the dark sorcerer sitting in a chair with his back to me. The memories of the last time I saw him came flooding back, and the realization hit me. It wasn't Ryder that I saw, it was the dark sorcerer pretending to be him. _How could I have been so stupid as to believe that?_ What I saw now was the shape of a man, except he appeared to be nothing more than a dark shadow.

His voice startled me and I gasped. "I will tell you everything, my future queen, but first I want you to come here."

_Future queen?_ What the hell was he thinking? He still hadn't turned to look at me, but I had to remember that I had to do as he said so he'd think the talisman was working. I took a deep breath in, and let it out to calm my nerves. My stomach growled from being hungry and the energy loss from no food had taken its toll. _I might not have to pretend too much._ I walked over behind his chair and around to the front of him. The smile he gave me was terrifying, and coming from a shadow made it even more eerie. If he had a normal body, I'd say he could be quite handsome, but I couldn't seem to get over what he was. My hands were clasped behind my back so I could keep the ring out of sight.

He motioned to the chair behind me. I took a seat and kept quiet until he decided to speak, covering my ring by holding my hands in my lap. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I tried to look drawn and distant.

"How are you, Princess? I hope you like your sleeping arrangements. You looked very lovely laying there in my bed, and soon when I make you my queen, I'll enjoy the sight of you in it every night flushed with heat and sweaty from me fucking you," he suggestively taunted.

I kept my face blank, but my insides were screaming. My palms began to sweat and my throat tightened up, making it hard to swallow. I could feel the tears prickling the backs of my eyes, trying to make their escape, but I had to hold them back. The thought of being stuck here to endure that man forever made me sick to the core.

I got the feeling he was testing me, so I continued with my charade and said truthfully, "I am tired and hungry because I didn't eat before travelling here. There's a slight pressure in my mind that feels kind of strange. It's like my life force is disappearing."

I made sure not to say anything regarding the part of his comment about the nights. I may have been able to pretend right then, but there was no way I could pretend that I'd enjoy him taking over my body every night.

The dark sorcerer grinned. "That slight pressure you feel, my future queen, is the talisman taking your powers. Once I have enough of it, I'll take it off you and you will never have to wear it again because you won't need it. Your body will partly become my slave."

"Why would you want a slave as your queen?" I asked.

It would be great to find out what he had planned for me. Warren said I'd find out everything from the dark sorcerer, so I guessed the time had come.

"Your power is stronger than anyone else's power in the Land of the Fae. You are the eldest of The Four and I have to begin with you. Once I have your power, I'll seek out the other three and take theirs. Once all the power is combined, my body will become solid and I will have the power to defeat both courts. If you would have spread your legs for your precious prince, then we wouldn't be here right now. Your joining was going to make you King and Queen of the Fall Court, but not anymore. I hear he's pushed you off to the side because of your relationship with your guardian."

Flinching, he saw my pained expression, and leaned over to grab my hand.

"But that's why I'm here. I'm going to help you forget about him and you'll be happy here as my dark queen. You can seek your vengeance on him when we storm the Winter Court, where you can shed his blood and everyone else's over the ground."

Sitting there motionless, I felt like I was going to be sick from him holding my hand and touching me. His hand had a slightly solid feel to it, but it was cold and clammy. I thanked the bright stars that he grabbed the hand without the ring. Touching him made me feel dirty, and all I wanted to do was take a shower and scrub my hand a million times.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Can you not stand to look at me or touch me like this? Your face shows indifference, but your body is saying something else. I can taste revulsion a mile away." He averted his gaze when I heard his voice crack and he immediately tried to cover it up with a cough; I caught it though. He may be the big bad sorcerer, but he seemed weak. Using his weaknesses could come to my advantage. Refusing to give him my body, I decided it might be best to work on his mind. I'd probably feel like vomiting the entire time, but it was something I had to do to buy time.

Mentally preparing myself, I took a few deep breaths and relaxed my face. I had to pretend his influence was affecting me; I could sense the strain on my mind pulling me toward him. _At least I can still think for myself... for now._ Giving him a lazy smile, I leaned forward, making my breasts squeeze together and push forward. He licked his lips and his breathing accelerated.

In a low, seductive voice I began, "I'm sorry if I seem affected by your appearance, but seeing you like this is different and a little overwhelming." Taking my hand out of his, I rubbed it up and down his arm in slow caresses. The feel of him was revolting, but I was working through it and trying to give off the scent of desire. I parted my lips and took deep breaths in and out to make my breasts move up and down, hoping that would distract him.

"I would prefer you to be in a real body because that way..." I slid my hand up his arm and down the side of his body, then down to his waist and over his groin. Closing his eyes, the intake of his breath was sharp and he groaned, pulling me closer.

"Not yet, Princess... but soon. I don't want to take the talisman off you yet, so instead of me using my real body I'll use... Avery's."

I froze.

I wanted to groan out loud in disgust at the thought of pretending with Avery's body, but at least it was better than the dark sorcerer's oily black outline of a man. He noticed my hesitation and continued, "That way, you can touch me all you want and when you call out my name I want it to be mine not Avery's. I want to hear my name cross your sensual lips while I devour your body."

The sinking feeling in my stomach was back, and I was desperately trying hard to keep a smile on my face. I could tell the talisman was taking some of my power, but thankfully, it wasn't enough to do damage. _I wonder when he'll take it off of me._

He motioned toward the imp in the kitchen. She quickly picked up a tray of food and flew over to where I was seated. Genuinely smiling, she laid the tray in my lap. The food smelled wonderful, and the feeling of hunger took over all rational thought. I couldn't fight it any longer. Fresh bread, fruit, and cheeses were scattered across the plate in a colorful arrangement that only an imp would think to make.

"Thank you," I whispered to her. She nodded her head and flew off.

Imps were small and very creative creatures that lived in the forest, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing with the sorcerer. I sensed no evil in her at all. She was a beautiful creature with short, green spiky hair and a green body. She had to be about a foot tall with golden shimmery wings that were absolutely lovely.

The dark sorcerer noticed me staring at her and raised a brow.

"If you're wondering, her name is Nixie, and I took her from an imp village in the Mystical Forest. She was stronger than anyone in her clan with some amazing capabilities and I could sense it. Her magic is one of a kind, so I took her in the middle of the night and brought her here. She was just a child then, so I knew I could get her adapted to the ways of life here."

He paused and glared back at Nixie. "I also threatened to take out her whole clan if she ever decided to betray me and leave."

Nixie flinched and turned her back to us. Her shoulders slumped and I saw them shaking in a silent sob. If I was ever rescued, I was determined to get her out of there. She gazed back at me through the kitchen door and I spied a golden tear staining her cheek. I tried to send a message to her through my eyes to let her know I understood and that I'd get us help.

She did a quick flap of her wings, and I took that as she got my message loud and clear. I continued to eat, but the dark sorcerer was staring at me again. It made me very uncomfortable, and I couldn't stop from fidgeting. _I seriously hope I don't have to do this for long._

"Nixie," Alasdair called out.

Nixie poked her head to the side of the door. "Yes, Master?"

With a gleam in his eye, the dark sorcerer grinned at me, but spoke to the imp, "I want you to fetch Avery for me. It seems my soon to be queen would like a warm body tonight."

Nixie hesitated for a second and tilted her head to the side, looking straight into my eyes. Her brows were drawn together, and I honestly thought she could see the anguish inside me. The expression she gave me was full of sorrow and worry.

She sighed. "I will fetch Avery for you, Master." Before she left, she stopped at the door and gave me one last lingering glance before leaving to fetch Avery.

"Now that that is taken care of, I have something for you to change into, and then we're going to go down to the village," he informed me, getting up from his chair.

"Very well, Alasdair," I replied in a low voice.

Closing his eyes, he groaned at the sound of his name coming from my lips. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I didn't. Coming toward me, he placed his cold, clammy hands down on my bare shoulders; it took everything in me not to flinch.

Tilting his head to rub against my hair, he brought his lips closer to my ear and whispered, "Oh, Calista, if I was solid right now, I would be hearing you scream my name."

He couldn't see my face, but I bit my lip hard to keep from screaming. My heart was thumping wildly, and I was seriously close to vomiting. _Please let Ryder and Merrick get here soon._ I didn't want to blow my cover and then really have my power taken from me because then, all hope would be lost. Getting traces of it taken away was enough, and I really didn't want to know what it felt like to have it all taken.

Once I was done eating, Alasdair took my hand and motioned me toward the bedroom. He said he picked out something for me to wear, and I could only imagine what it was. Reaching the bedroom door, I saw a pair of brown leather pants and a brown leather halter top that looked like a bikini top, but a couple of sizes too small, on the bed.

_Really... this is just what I need,_ I thought sarcastically. _Why don't I just go out naked?_ It looked like it'd barely cover my nipples. It was one thing to wear a bikini, but to wear that flaunting around was disgusting. It took all I had not to lash out at him. If I had my magic I'd blast him across the room and be out of there in a second.

When I felt a cold finger grazing my shoulder, I started to jerk away, but slowly moved back.

"Is there something wrong, Calista?" he asked, slowly undoing my dress in the back. Trying to cover my mistake, I laughed it off. "Oh no, it's just your hand was cold, and it startled me."

He removed his hand and stepped back, sighing. "Very well, I will go and see if Avery is here and then I can come back and help you dress."

Biting his lip, he trailed his gaze over my entire body, lingering a little longer on my breasts before meeting my eyes again. "I will be back," he promised.

He walked backward out of the door, never straying his eyes from mine. As soon as he shut it, I broke down. Falling to my knees, I wrapped my arms around my stomach, rocking back and forth.

"I have to do this, I have to do this, I have to do this," I chanted over and over sadly. The tears burned my eyes, but I kept them at bay.

A light rapping noise on the door caused me to freeze. Terrified, I looked up as the door opened and I reflexively grabbed my chest in distress only to sigh in relief when it was just Nixie. She flew in and fluttered up to me at eye level. "I felt your distress, my lady, and I wanted to make sure you're all right."

My eyes went wide. "You could sense me? I didn't think our magic would work in here being surrounded by the dark."

"I'm an exception," she confided. "But yes, I could sense you. I have a special gift and I think you have the same attributes. You could sense the goodness in me as soon as you saw me. Intuition is a strong gift in itself, and no amount of magic the master gives off can stop us from feeling it. Even with the talisman on, you could sense these things, and that shows how powerful you really are. You shouldn't be able to do anything with that talisman on because most people die within minutes."

Her voice had a twinkling sound to it and I immediately started to feel better with her company; the distress I was feeling a few minutes prior were subsiding. Turning away from her, I undressed as fast as I could before Alasdair made his way back. The leather pants were so tight they felt like a second skin, and the top was so small it only covered half of my breasts. The talisman weighed heavily on my neck, and when I tried to take it off it wouldn't budge.

"Only the dark sorcerer can take off the talisman," Nixie snickered, peering down at my clothes.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I snapped, "I'm glad you find this funny, Nixie, because I sure as hell don't. I'm sure you wouldn't find it so hilarious if you were the one wearing this shit."

"You're right... I would hate it. Let's just hope you don't have a wardrobe malfunction." She laughed again, but then calmed down when she saw my death glare.

She cleared her throat and turned serious. "Oh yeah, and speaking of special gifts, you pretend very well, Princess. I'm shocked the master hasn't picked up on it yet. You're doing well, but I'm wondering what you have planned." She leaned in close to me and whispered as quietly as she could in my ear, "I can help you escape, but I require two wishes to be granted upon your return home."

My eyes went wide. Wishes were taken seriously with the fae, as well as promises. They were held as a sacred vow that must be fulfilled no matter the circumstances. One must not go into that kind of deal lightly. Narrowing my eyes, I studied her. She seemed genuine and I still wasn't able to detect any evil at all from her.

"Tell me of your wishes and if I can fulfill them, I will," I insisted.

She squealed and flittered across the room in excitement. "I'm sorry, but I've heard so much about you and the prophecy, and I know you'll have the power to grant my wishes. I'm just a little excited that you accepted. I know I can get you out of here." She paused and took a deep breath. "My family had talked about the prophecy for years before I was taken, so I know kind of what's going on. When you return home, you plan to be with your prince, right?"

Nodding my head, I prompted her to continue.

"I know what happens when you and Ryder take the next step. I see already that you've started the change, but have not completed it. It takes more than the power of words to make this change so when you and Ryder become one, the Fall Court will appear from the magic of your union; you will become the queen of your own court. Your court will be a safe haven for those who seek shelter, and since many fae creatures don't really belong to the Summer Court or Winter Court, they can belong to yours. You can unite us and make us stronger."

Furrowing my brows in confusion, I remarked, "I understand that, but how does this help you?"

She flapped her hands in the air. "I was getting to that, Princess. My first wish is to let me come with you. All I want is to be taken away from here and protected. For the second wish, I want you to let my family take refuge in your court... the Fall Court."

"So, out of all the wishes you would want, you want me to keep your family safe?" I asked just to be clear.

She nodded. "Yes, more than anything that's what I want."

Placing my hand over my heart, I vowed, "I promise, Nixie, to keep you and your family safe when Prince Ryder and I form the Fall Court."

She gasped and sobbed with golden tears of happiness streaming down her face. She flew over to me and hugged me around my neck. "Thank you, Princess," she cried. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Smiling, I wrapped my arms around her small body. "You're welcome."

Curiosity got the better of me, and so I asked, "How do you plan to get us out of here?"

Beaming, Nixie let me go and floated before me with her golden streaked face. "Your prince isn't going to let you stay here so I know he'll be making a rescue attempt, and when he does, I'll be there waiting to give you a hand. Face it, Princess, coming here is a suicide mission. I can guarantee your exit out of here so just make sure you stay close together when he comes. Our window of time will be very short."

Nixie didn't have any more time to elaborate because Avery walked through the door as soon as she finished speaking. I could tell he wasn't the real Avery with the amount of evil emanating off of him. Staring at his face I knew I'd seen that evil look before, a long time ago in my court. My eyes went wide as the realization dawned on me. I finally figured out why Avery was acting so odd all those times before.

It wasn't really Avery in that body, but the dark sorcerer. At that time, we didn't know the kind of evil we were facing, but now I did. There was no telling how many times he'd spied on us and done things behind our backs.

Nixie left the room and the fake Avery gave her a smile. He turned to look at me, lips parting with a lustful grin. Gliding toward me, he let out an appreciative sigh. Taking my face in his hands, he leaned down to crush my lips with his. Having to play along, I kissed him back with a forced eagerness. His tongue intermingled with mine while his hands caressed my back and cupped my ass. He squeezed tightly and pressed me up against his growing erection. A groan escaped my lips, and I meant it as a groan of annoyance, but he took it as one of passion and deepened the kiss.

Think, Calista! You have to stop this before it goes further!

Feigning arousal, I pushed against his chest and made my breathing sound frantic, like I was turned on, but actually I was disgusted with myself. I had to get him away from me. "I thought you had plans to take me into the village tonight," I asked.

Annoyed, he stepped back and released a heavy sigh. I had to keep pushing. Bouncing up and down with excitement, I plastered a fake smile on my face. "I really want to go into the village. It would be nice to meet some of the people. Please take me out there." I ran my hand down his arm and cooed softly, "What kind of queen would I be if I didn't take care of _our_ people?"

Narrowing his eyes, he slowly lifted his hands up in defeat. He smiled, and seeing the evil smile on Avery's face was just disturbing. "Okay, you made your point, but we have a stop to make at the prison first. I want you to see how I work, and I also have a surprise for you."

Gazing down at the talisman resting between my breasts, he touched it tenderly. "By the way things are looking I should be able to take that talisman off of you tonight. Your power is going to make this night magical for us; it'll be one you will never forget. Think about it... it'll be the ultimate orgasm and since you've never been bedded before it'll be even better, for me at least."

I don't think so.

Winking, he bent down to give me one last possessive kiss. Both of his hands grabbed my face in a fierce grip as he captured my mouth and forcefully took what he wanted. When he let me go, I breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to walk out of the room, expecting me to follow and as I did my smile quickly diminished. He said he had a surprise for me, but did I really want to know what kind of surprise it was? No, but unfortunately I had to find out. Grabbing my hand, he guided me to the door.

"This will soon all be yours, Calista. After tonight, when I take you to my bed it will all be yours."

My throat tightened, but I forced a smile and said, "Can't wait."

Please let this be the end tonight.

Merrick and I arrived at the Black Forest by sundown. Neither one of us had spoken to each other yet. The entire journey there I could tell he was deep in thought with his brows furrowed and his mouth in a constant frown. Turning my gaze back to Artemis, I saw that she had her head lowered and she was looking down at the ground. With her head being low she knew what I was going to ask her to do, and I knew she wasn't going to like it.

Gently caressing her neck, I reached over to scratch behind her ears. She let out a throaty huff and I knew it was the equivalent of a laugh. In all seriousness, I said, "Listen to me, girl. I want you to stay here until I return with the princess. Do _not_ follow me in there." I pointed to the oily dark trees of the Black Forest. "If you hear someone coming, run as fast as you possibly can out of here. Are we clear?"

Raising my eyebrows, I tilted my head, waiting for her to answer. She blew out a puff of air that definitely told me she wasn't happy, and then she lifted her muzzle up and down to accentuate that she understood and she'd obey.

"Good girl," I murmured softly.

After kissing her muzzle, I patted her back. I left her to walk over to Merrick, who had Calista's silver locket resting in the palm of his hand and his guardian dagger in the other. His red, watery eyes met mine for a quick second before he turned away.

His shoulders slumped, and his voice broke when he spoke, "I spent this whole journey in denial. I've loved Calista ever since we were children, and I knew it was never going to be enough. When you came along, the pieces fell into place and I knew then that I had lost her. I just wanted to hold on for as long as I could."

Staring down at the locket, his chin trembled.

"I hated you for taking her away from me and I still do, but you both have an important role to play for the survival of our lands and I can't come between it. I see that now, but I _am_ her guardian and I will _always_ be there for her. I will protect not only her body, but her heart, and I know it belongs to you," he sadly replied.

He gazed at the locket for a little while longer, and then his face contorted into a smart ass expression. "You may have won the girl, but I'll be there every second I can to bust your balls," he taunted, grinning wickedly.

_Leave it to Merrick to make something like this funny._ He reminded me so much of Kalen; they both liked to joke and play around.

Extending my hand, I grasped his forearm in the traditional warrior greeting. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. She cares for you and I know she wants you in her life. Other than me, no one could protect her better than you." Respect shone through his eyes and he nodded, grasping my arm. _Maybe things will work out after all._

"Now let's go rescue our princess," I commanded, averting my gaze to the Black Forest.

Shaking his head, Merrick looked at me and corrected, "It's time to rescue our _queen._ "

I grinned. "Our queen," I repeated.

Taking his guardian dagger, Merrick hissed when he pricked his finger, drawing a drop of blood. He opened the locket and the drop of blood fell silently inside it. Merrick closed the locket and clasped it around his neck.

"I wonder how long it takes," he asked curiously.

"I guess we'll find out."

A few seconds passed before his form began to fade; it didn't take long at all. When he completely vanished, I called upon my magic to become invisible as well. Turning invisible was very easy for me because all I had to do was imagine it and it happened instantly; it felt like feathers floating across my skin. Against my parent's wishes, I'd used my talents and scared numerous people in the mortal realm with my tricks. It was something I did every Halloween.

"Ryder, are we ready?" Merrick asked impatiently.

"I believe we are. Stay close and stay quiet," I answered back.

Our steps were silent as we made our way through the Black Forest. It was completely dark, but because we were fae, we could see pretty well. It'd been eerily quiet other than the sounds of our breathing. The smell of death and decay burned my nose, making it hard to breathe, and the stench made my stomach churn. We continued on at a fast pace for about an hour before we finally saw some light; up ahead had to be the village. We got a little closer and saw little dwellings and different types of houses scattered around the grounds and in the trees. The biggest tree lay ahead, toward the end of the village, and I knew that had to be the place we were supposed to go.

We walked along the outskirts of the village to avoid the various fae creatures. The dark sorcerer's army consisted of thousands of trolls, brownies, red caps, giants, and even different types of animals that I'd never seen before in the Land of the Fae. I could see the various Summer and Winter Court Fae that were either traitors or were forced to join. Everyone was scattered throughout the village, celebrating and enjoying a massive feast, which had to be in celebration of the princess being there.

Most of the people looked like local villagers from the courts, but there were some that looked like warriors as well. The villagers I imagined were forced to follow, but the warriors had to want to do it. Any honorable warrior would have sacrificed his life before following the evil of the dark sorcerer. They would be dealt with later, but for the time being I had to concentrate on getting Calista out safely.

Merrick broke the silence with a whisper, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

I let out an angry breath.

"Yes, unfortunately, I see what you're seeing, but we can't think about them right now. We need to get to the big tree and get Calista before I turn all ice boy on these traitors."

Merrick laughed quietly.

"I see I'm rubbing off on you, huh? Ice boy." He couldn't see me flipping him off since we were invisible, but I did it anyway.

The second we reached the big tree, the door opened and I saw Avery walk out with Calista in tow, holding her close.

"What the fuck?" I hissed. Merrick returned my feelings by growling low, and when he did that Calista paused like she'd heard us.

Did the connection to Merrick work out here? Why the hell was _Avery_ holding her hand like that and where was the dark sorcerer?

So many questions I wanted to know the answers to.

I also wanted to know why she was in those clothes and walking around half naked. Turning my eyes away, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I needed to stop overthinking things and stop letting jealousy cloud my vision. Elvena said to trust her, and since I almost lost her to doubt I wouldn't do it again. I had to believe that she knew what she was doing, even though it was painful to watch. All I knew was that I was dying to rip out his fucking throat.

Merrick shuffled beside me and he whispered as quietly as he could, "She's talking to me, Ryder, but once she gets into one of the dwellings she'll lose the connection. Apparently, our magic works outside of the dwellings, but not inside. The dark sorcerer is inside of Avery's body. It seems that he can take hold of other people's bodies somehow. I told her to stay outside as much as possible to give us more options on how to rescue her."

_What?_ The dark sorcerer was in Avery's body? I wondered how often he'd done that and if he'd ever done it with Warren. It would explain his odd behavior at times. Merrick went still while I watched Calista walking through the village. She was smiling and talking to the various people as she walked by us, and I knew it had to be hard for her to do it. I knew she was strong, but having to endure what she was going through took great courage. When they disappeared into a scraggly looking building, I turned back to Merrick.

"What else did she say?" I asked.

"She says she's sorry for us having to see her like this, but it's all an act. The ring Elvena gave her is protecting some of her magic, but not all because she can feel the talisman draining her essence. I told her earlier that we were invisible and we plan on getting her out. She also made an imp friend called, Nixie, who's going to help with the rescue."

"That's right!"

Startled by the outburst, I jerked around quickly.

"What the hell?" I hissed quietly, but then realized I was staring at the imp Calista must've been talking about. She was green with green spiky hair and wings fluttering so fast I couldn't even tell what color they were. She held her hand over her mouth to keep a laugh from escaping.

"How did you know we were here?" I questioned skeptically.

"I have my ways," she giggled. "My name is Nixie and I'm the one who's going to help you escape. I knew you would arrive sometime to save the princess so I kept my senses open to find you."

The imp couldn't see my look of suspicion since I was invisible, so I asked, "Imps don't freely offer their help or magic without some sort of payment. What did Calista promise you?"

Her smile faded and she turned serious. "The princess has promised to take me with her, and my family will seek refuge in the Fall Court when you both rule it. She's also promised to keep us safe, and that is all the payment I need. We'll be safe with you and the princess under the protection of the Fall Court. She'll be an amazing queen, just like you will be an amazing king."

She fluttered in the air a few more minutes before I responded, "Thank you, Nixie. If Calista trusts you then so will I. What do you suggest we do?"

"Your power works out here, but once you enter one of the dwellings your power will stop. The power is too strong surrounding the buildings so it's basically a prison when you're in them. I suggest you make your move outside, and somewhere out of the path of the village and the other creatures," she suggested.

Merrick cut in and said, "Calista knows about the magic and I told her to get outside as quickly as possible. Once she's out I can tell her to take a walk with the body snatcher and get her to separate from the village so they can be alone."

Quirking a brow, Nixie nodded her head in concentration. "That might work, but I think he'll get suspicious of just taking a walk. You both aren't going to like this, but he's extremely vulnerable when it comes to Calista and her... body."

At my sudden hiss, Nixie raised her hand to cut me off. "Calm down and listen to what I have to say. Calista's had to do what's necessary, and no, she hasn't been hurt physically, but emotionally she's hanging on by a thread. The princess is strong, but this has worn her down greatly. Not to mention he's stealing more of her power each minute she wears the talisman. She won't be able to get that power back once it's gone, but once you come together and form the Fall Court, she'll be more powerful than she is now because your power will help her gain all she's lost. Most people die within minutes of wearing the talisman, but she's been wearing it for over a day now. The sorcerer has already succeeded in gaining the essence of one of The Four through her, and now he plans to make her his dark queen. Once he completes this, he's going to start planning ways to capture the others of the Four."

"If we destroy the talisman he won't get Calista's power. Do you know how to destroy it?" I asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, she answered sadly, "No one knows, but many have tried and failed. The talisman could be thrown in a pile of lava and it wouldn't be destroyed."

"Well, shit, there goes that idea," I snapped. "When we get back home we need to research on how to destroy it and how to kill the dark sorcerer."

Nixie fell silent as her focus shifted to something in the distance. Calista emerged from the building, covered in blood and smiling. I could tell the smile was forced and I could also see the trembling of her body and the sadness in her eyes. She was doing good pretending, but she must've had to do something awful because by the way she looked, it had to have been brutal.

The Avery body snatcher had his arm possessively low around Calista's waist and he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. He pulled her in tighter to his body and ran his tongue along her neck. She feigned a giggle and pushed him off; he was so dead after that.

Grabbing my attention, Merrick whispered, "I have her guys, and Ryder I need you to calm the hell down. It's hard for me to see this shit, too, but we have to because it's all part of the plan. I told her what to do and she says to follow her and we can go from there. She also says that whatever you see, do _not_ interfere."

Nixie slyly pointed out, "She's smart and she's very good at manipulating him, so I know she can get his guard down."

I hated to see what she had to do to get his guard down. If anything, she'd literally be getting his guard up. I was already being pushed to the limit with the rage taking over my body and I'd been shaking so bad I didn't think I could even walk straight. I just hope I could keep my anger in check without blowing our cover.

"All right, guys, let's go," I growled angrily.

With Merrick and I still invisible, we silently made our way to follow Calista. She headed to the side of the village and began walking through the woods. We walked a good distance behind them and while my vision wasn't perfectly clear, it was clear enough that I was able to see the dark sorcerer's hand on Calista's ass the whole way through the woods. Closing my eyes, I gripped the handle of my sword in anger.

When I open them there was only one thing I saw... the color red.

Before the Blood Bath

The dark sorcerer and I headed down the many flights of steps in the tree and he held my hand the entire time. It was actually Avery's body, but I was curious to know how it worked. "Does Avery have _any_ control when you take over his body?" I asked.

He seemed amused.

"No, he doesn't, and I know he despises it. I block him out when I take over his body. I don't like to hear his incessant whining."

"Tell me about it," I responded, knowing exactly what he meant by that.

Reaching the door, he opened it to reveal the outside. It was still dark, of course, but the lights of the dwellings gave off a faint glow across the village. I heard a noise in my head and I paused. Was that Merrick? I didn't think that'd be possible with the talisman still around my neck, but I could feel the connection open up.

" _Merrick?"_

" _I'm here, Princess. Ryder and I are both here. We're off to your right hidden in the trees. Actually, we're both invisible hiding behind the trees. Why are you with Avery and holding his hand like that?"_

" _The dark sorcerer is inside Avery's body. He can take over certain people's bodies and when he uses his own body he can appear as anyone. He appeared as Ryder when I came to him the first time and I just about lost it, Merrick. I almost died of heartbreak thinking it was Ryder because I thought he'd betrayed me. Also, our powers don't work inside the dwellings, they only work outside. I hate that you have to see me like this, but I'm only pretending. This was the only way I could think of to distract him."_

" _Well, Ryder is right here with me and determined to get you to safety. I don't think he likes what you're doing, though. Well, neither do I. The clothes are a little distracting if that's what you mean by distracting the dark sorcerer. Whatever you do, try to stay outside as much as possible to give us more chances for escape."_

" _I will."_

I was trying to talk to Merrick and talk to the villagers and some of the fae in the army at the same time, which wasn't very easy. We were headed to the prison, and I already had a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about what I was going to see in there. The dark sorcerer said he had a surprise for me, but I didn't know what kind of surprise would be in a prison. I had about two minutes before we reached it, so I continued to fill Merrick in on what had been happening.

" _I am so sorry you have to see me like this, Merrick. Apparently, this jackass likes to pick out my clothes, and let me tell you, they're a little too small if you can't already tell. The ring Elvena gave me for my birthday is helping protect me from me being drained, but I'm starting to feel some effects from the talisman. This man is one sick bastard, and he's taking me to the prison to go do who knows what."_

There were two guards at the door and both of them were trolls. The dark sorcerer had a lot of trolls there and a lot of fae from both the Summer and Winter Courts. It pained me to know that we had that many traitors. I wondered if there was a way to distinguish who was loyal and who wasn't when I got back home, or rather _if_ I got back home.

The trolls bowed their heads and stepped aside. I walked through the door and the first thing I wanted to do was squeeze my eyes shut and put my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. Instead, my eyes stayed open and I tried not to focus on one particular thing. The visions of what I was seeing would stay engraved in my brain for eternity.

Blood was spattered all over the walls and ashes were scattered throughout the cells. The air was thick with the smell of death and pain. Bile rose in the back of my throat and the burning sensation felt like it was ignited over my entire body. I was appalled at what I was seeing and saddened to think of all the fae that had lost their lives there. From the amount of blood stains everywhere, I'd say these people suffered a great amount of torture, but what I didn't understand was that the prison was empty.

"Why are we here, if you have no prisoners?" I asked.

He just grinned and taunted playfully, "Oh, you'll see, it's the surprise I have for you."

My body started to sweat and I felt suffocated in the tight brown leather of my clothes. The leather straps of my top felt like they were squeezing my lungs, making me unable to draw in a deep breath. I wished I could run and hide so I didn't have to see what my surprise was. My feet felt like they weighed a million pounds and moving them was becoming harder and harder as we made our way past the cells. The dark sorcerer had a huge grin on his face and motioned for me to take a look in the last cell. Slowly, I turned my gaze to see what lay behind the door, and I was shocked to see what was there.

Raising my eyebrows in question, I asked, "What is he doing in there?"

"He's my gift to you, my queen. This is going to be a special night for us both and I thought you would like to seek vengeance on the one who killed your best friend's parents."

"What did you just say?" I shouted. "Did I just hear you right? Are you saying Warren killed Xylia's parents?"

The dark sorcerer smiled and nodded his head. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Just imagine how your friend feels right now. She's lost her parents and her best friend all in one day. Why not seek the vengeance you know is eating away at your heart right now."

I turned my back from Warren to give myself time to think and process what I'd just heard. I knew without a doubt why the dark sorcerer brought me there... he wanted me to kill Warren. My world turned to black and I felt like I was falling into nothingness. The emotions were too much. I felt pain and grief for Xylia, heartbreak and sorrow for the innocents that lost their lives in this horrid prison, disgust for the man that had claimed so many lives and had turned the land to poison, and most of all... _rage_.

The anger and rage spread through every square inch of my body and intoxicated me with its heady pleasure. I hated the man beside me, but I really hated the man in the cell. The man who killed two close friends of my family, the parents of my best friend, and who also betrayed the man I loved and his court. All rational thought had left me and I'd decided what to do. I'd kill him for Xylia, for my court, for myself, and for Ryder.

The coldness of a blade entered into my hand, but I couldn't see it. The only thing I saw was the red, hazy cloud of rage blocking my vision. I heard skin tearing and the gurgling of someone trying to breathe. A hot, sticky substance sprayed across my neck and chest and the metallic smell of blood filled my nose; it didn't bother me. My breathing accelerated as my grip on the blade tightened. The last thing I remembered hearing before my vision cleared was the sound of Warren screaming and choking on his blood.

I came around to the sound of Avery's voice, even though it wasn't actually Avery. He walked up behind me and put his hands on my hips.

He breathed against my ear and whispered to me, "Very nice, my queen, your body has me completely turned on." He pressed his groin up against my ass and pulled me in tighter as he continued speaking, "I didn't know you had that amount of rage built up inside that voluptuous body of yours. How about we leave and fulfill your destiny as my queen?"

Licking his lips, he devoured my body with his gaze and I knew what he had in mind. If I knew I could get away, I'd run away from there as fast as I could and never look back. I'd killed for the first time in my life tonight. It saddened me, but Warren deserved it, and if it wasn't me doing it, I knew Ryder would have been the one to do it. I saved him from having to kill his best friend that not only turned traitor, but killed innocent people in my court. It still hurt to know that Ryder was going to be devastated when he found out.

"I need some fresh air," I said as I turned to walk out of the prison.

The dark sorcerer followed me and I could feel his lingering gaze caressing the backside of my body as I walked. I had to get him away from the village and I think I knew the way to do it. _Why does this have to be so difficult?_ I just killed someone and now I had to pretend to be turned on. I decided that what I was about to do next needed to happen before walking out of the prison; I didn't want Ryder or Merrick seeing.

Before we got to the door of the prison, I turned to the dark sorcerer with a hooded gaze. Parting my lips slightly, I ran my tongue over them while running my fingers down his chest. I rubbed against him slowly as I whispered, "I believe it's time to have some fun, don't you think?"

He bit his lip and released a deep groan from his throat. Rubbing his body against mine, he let me know he was up for the challenge.

He groaned. "What do you have in mind?"

"Follow me," I said, trying to sound as sexy as possible.

Walking out of the prison, he wrapped his arm around my waist. He bent down and murmured in my ear, "I'm going to make you scream tonight. When your legs are wrapped around my body you will finally learn what it's like to be taken by a real man." He then trailed his tongue slowly down my neck and back up.

I will be taken, but it won't be by you.

Giving him a giggle, I pushed him away. The urge to kill him was so strong, and it took all I had not to try. When I got home, I was going to have to shower for a year to get his stench off of me. Ryder had to be fuming. _Please don't let him do anything stupid._ The whole time I lead the dark sorcerer away from the village and into the woods he had his hand on my ass. He thought I was going to have sex with him out there so I needed to come up with a plan quickly before we got too far. We were about a half mile out when he halted and took a look around.

"I think this will be good," he suggested while inspecting the ground.

"Are you sure? Because I'm sure there's a better spot somewhere else," I remarked expectantly.

He smirked. "If I didn't know any better, my queen, I would say that you're nervous."

"No, I'm definitely not," I chided, trying to keep my voice from quivering. He walked over to me with a curious look on his face and glanced at the talisman, narrowing his eyes. His fingers trailed down my collarbone and across the mound of my breast to the talisman. He moved it back and forth and gazed expectantly in my eyes.

"Let's take this off and see what happens."

Removing the talisman from around my neck, he placed it around his. The bloodstone of the talisman began to glow, and underneath Avery's body I saw the ghostly outline of the dark sorcerer absorbing the power he'd taken from me. Now that the talisman was off, I could feel the loss of what it took. I leaned back against one of the dark oily trees of the Black Forest and the sticky residue of the tree left a slimy film on my back, which felt disgusting.

I shook my head to clear the fog and, thankfully, I didn't feel empty, but I felt the void inside my body where the pieces were missing. The ring helped him to not take all of my power, but it took a great deal. Without Elvena's ring, I'd probably be dead. I still had power and I could feel it coursing through my body, but I didn't know if I'd be strong enough to fight him off.

I had no clue where Ryder and Merrick were at until I heard a whisper at my ear and felt a soft caress down my cheek.

"I'm here, Calista."

"Ryder," I whispered.

My heart skipped a beat at his touch, and I'd never felt more alive than I did at that moment with him near. I looked at the dark sorcerer and the glowing had stopped, but now he was staring at me with an evil glint in his eye. It made my skin crawl and a fear I'd never felt began to take root in my soul. The talisman had changed my pure, clean magic to something twisted and evil and it'd taken over his body. His arrogant strut as he made his way to me let me know that the time I'd spent there had been nothing but easy, and now the real fun was about to begin. He pushed me up against the tree with a painful force, and the impact was so hard my head bounced up against the bark and my teeth rattled.

With pure evil and hate laced in his tone, the dark sorcerer growled, "You know, my queen, betrayal is punishable by death. Did you think I was stupid? I could sense the treachery in you the moment you awoke in my bed."

Closing my eyes, I sagged in defeat as the realization clicked in my brain. I couldn't believe he knew I was pretending the whole time. My look of surprise brought a smile to his face. He grabbed me around my neck and squeezed so tight I started to see spots. Gasping for air, I brought my hands up instantly to grab onto his arms and pull him away from me, but he was too strong. I scratched my nails down his arms as hard as I could, making his blood flow down in rivulets. His face was so close to mine and I tried to turn my head, but his grip was so tight that I was stuck there. He pushed his body against mine, grinding me into the slick, oily tree. He bent low and slowly traced his tongue along my jaw.

"I love pain, Princess, and all you're doing is turning me on even more. This isn't my body so I don't care what you do to it. Scratch, bite, you name it. I enjoy it all," he taunted. He thrust his hips hard into me so I could feel how turned on he was. "Nevertheless, I can assure you, I _will_ enjoy this as if it was my own body about to take you."

He laughed, low and seductive.

"I enjoyed every minute of your betrayal. I pretended right along with you, making you think I was blind with lust. Believe me, I am, but not enough for you to trick me. You have an amazing body and I'm sure you could bewitch the best of men." He moved his face away to send a long, lingering gaze down my body. He took his hands away from my neck and I coughed to draw in a much needed raspy breath.

He smirked. "Nice plan, though, luring me out here to seduce me like a siren in heat. But I think we need an audience, don't you?"

Turning away from me, he yelled out into the forest. "I know you're out here somewhere and if you don't show yourself now, I'm going to put her through ungodly pain each second you decide to waste."

I shook my head, hoping Ryder and Merrick would see. If they stayed invisible they had an advantage.

Much to my dismay, Ryder appeared first. My eyes began to fill with tears, but I refused to blink and let them fall. Our situation was too dire to think of anything other than getting out and staying strong. Nixie should be around somewhere and hopefully about to help us. I peered around for her, but I didn't see her. If she was there, I hoped she had some magical plan to help us get out of here some time soon.

"Ah, Prince Ryder, it's nice to finally meet you. Might I say, you're looking pretty dapper in that tanner skin. Thank you for joining us on this special night because I'm sure you'll find the festivities rather... unappealing." My heart sank because the last thing I wanted was for Ryder and Merrick to see what that bastard did to me.

"Don't you dare touch her, you worthless piece of shit!" Ryder yelled. He was fuming and moving closer, and his stance told me he was about to attack any minute.

"Oh, I plan to do a lot more than just touching her, Prince Ryder," he provoked with menace.

Ryder bolted toward the dark sorcerer, but was stopped by an invisible force. Merrick appeared in front of Ryder, holding him back. I noticed a silver locket dangling from Merrick's hand and I recognized it as the locket he gave me for my birthday. _What was he doing with it?_

Alasdair was amused at Ryder's anger and clapped his hands when Merrick appeared.

"Now that was easy. I'm surprised, Guardian, that you would stop him. Killing Ryder would put you next in line for her heart, now wouldn't it? Isn't that what you've always wanted? To have her love?"

"I already have her love, but your cold, dead heart wouldn't know anything about that," Merrick spat at him.

The dark sorcerer put on a mock frown, and on Avery's face it just looked evil.

He shrugged. "Well, that may be the case, but I plan on enjoying her love while you two watch, and then I plan on killing you both while _she_ watches."

In that second, the oily tree roots rose from the ground and bonded both Ryder and Merrick to the trees behind them. Their eyes grew wide with shock and they both gasped for air after being knocked against the tree.

The dark sorcerer smiled and turned to me. As I moved backwards, he took larger strides forward. Ryder and Merrick were trying desperately to get free of the roots, but I knew they wouldn't succeed. I was going to try to get them out once I could concentrate and connect to the ground. I gave Ryder a reassuring look to let him know I'd be fine.

Merrick stopped his struggling when he heard me silently say, _"I'll be fine, Merrick. I'm going to get you both out of those roots and then we'll attack. Just give me a little time."_

" _Please hurry, Calista. I can't bear to see him touching you."_

Nodding at him, I quickly explained, _"When I release you from the roots I'm going to use as much magic as I can. I want you to hit him full force with your fire. That should distract him enough for us to attack."_

" _Oh yeah, Nixie is here as well. She says she's going to help us,"_ he informed me.

Relief washed through me, but I didn't have time to answer back because the dark sorcerer lunged and took me down to the ground. A scream escaped my throat, but the impact of the fall left me breathless. He pinned me to the ground, driving his body down on top of mine, and I could feel the mud squishing beneath me. His weight had me struggling to breathe, but I knew I had to concentrate no matter if I could breathe or not.

"What do you say, Princess? Is it time to start the show?" he teased darkly.

I didn't even reward him with a response; I just stayed quiet. If I yelled at him or threw around my temper, it'd only fuel his determination, and I might not be able to escape from that. I just stared at him with a blank expression, which brought a frown to his face.

"Where's the feisty and stubborn princess I've heard so much about? I thought you would be more fun and put up a fight."

_Just wait, dickhead, you haven't seen me fight yet,_ I thought. I was going to go at him full force when I got off the ground.

I heard Ryder and Merrick screaming in the background, but I couldn't see them because the dark sorcerer was on top of me. I just had to play helpless a little while longer. Taking a deep breath, I laid my hands flat on the ground beside me. I let go of everything going on and concentrated on the ground and the roots that were holding my men hostage. The dark sorcerer was oblivious to what I was doing and slowly glided his hand down my body, over my breasts to the laces of my brown leather pants.

_Concentrate,_ I said to myself. He started to undo my laces.

_Concentrate._ The laces were undone.

_Concentrate._ His hands were reaching down inside my pants and cupping me with his long fingers. I clenched my hands and gritted my teeth; all I wanted to do was fight him off, but it wasn't time yet. I had to be strong. It was hard to be strong when you were being touched by a psychotic, magic-wielding prick that wanted your power and your body.

"I'm going to make you want me, Princess. How does it feel with me touching you?" he growled in my ear.

"Calista!" Ryder yelled.

The power of the Black Forest fought my magic, trying to block me, but there was an invisible push that I felt helping me along. _That's weird, I wonder where that's coming from._ I really didn't care because whatever it was was helping the roots to unwind.

" _We're getting out, Calista. Hit him hard and I'll follow with mine. Ryder is going to attack being invisible."_

" _Okay, Merrick, here I go."_

I called upon my fire magic and put as much emphasis on it as I could. It might not be as potent as before with my power being taken, but it would definitely do some damage. I let out a guttural scream that hurt even my ears, and I let my power fly. Throwing the power straight at his face, he quickly climbed off of me, shouting, "You, bitch!"

I crouched, getting into my fighting stance. I didn't train all that time to sit back and do nothing. "You want the feisty and stubborn princess? You got her!" I yelled with venom in my voice.

Merrick was free from the vines, but Ryder was nowhere to be seen; he was invisible somewhere. The dark sorcerer had his back turned so Merrick sent a fireball straight at him. The dark sorcerer fell to his knees with a grunt, but got back up swiftly. Ryder appeared behind him with his sword drawn and took a swipe, but he ducked and dodged the blade. Fear washed through me when I noticed the dark sorcerer reaching for the dagger in his belt; it was the iron blade.

"The blade is _iron_! Don't let him get too close," I hollered out to them.

With the blade being made of iron, it could kill one of us very easily. The sorcerer could hold the blade because he wasn't fae, but if we were to hold the blade it would melt the skin off our hands. We'd heal from it, but if we were to be stabbed with the blade, we would die.

All three of them were going hard, moving left and right, trying to get in a good hit. Ryder and Merrick were moving great together, but the sorcerer was averting every single move. They were moving so fast I couldn't get a good visual to attack. I felt so damn helpless just standing there.

" _You're not helpless, Calista. We want you to stay back so you don't get hurt."_

As soon as he said that, my world came to an abrupt halt. Everything happened in slow motion and I couldn't seem to grasp what I was seeing. The soul-searing scream that escaped my mouth echoed the scream in my head. Putting my hands to my ears, I fell to my knees hard. The scream in my head was piercing and filled with the sounds of agonizing pain and fury.

The tears began to fall as I crawled my way to the warrior on the ground. The fighting was still going on around us, but my focus was on the man that I was now pulling into my lap. His breathing was coming out raspy and he reached over slowly to clasp my hand, hissing along the way from the pain. I sat behind him with his head in my lap and I held him tightly.

Brushing the blond hair off his forehead, I kissed him there softly. My tears were making it hard to see, so I angrily wiped them away because I didn't want to lose those precious minutes by seeing a blurry outline of the man that had been my friend for all the years of my life, and the guardian that was sworn to protect me. The gash across his stomach was oozing blood, and I could see the poison of the iron blade spreading across his abdomen. _How am I going to live without him?_

" _You will live because everyone needs you. Ryder needs you and so will your court. You're going to be an excellent queen. I just wish I could see it. Oh yeah, and tell Ryder 'you're welcome' for me protecting him with my body."_

I burst out crying and laid my forehead against his. Even in death he could still be a smart ass. I rubbed my hands all over his face and body because I knew very soon he wouldn't be there and I'd never get to touch him again. My throat felt tight and I was glad we could talk silently because I didn't think I could get my voice to work if I tried. I held him tighter while rocking back and forth. Rocking back and forth always seemed to help me, but not today. It was useless because nothing was going to change. My Merrick was going to die.

" _Merrick, please don't leave me. I am so sorry about hurting you and anything else I've done to cause you pain."_

Leaning his head back, he gazed at me with tear-filled eyes.

" _I love you, Calista. I will always and forever love you. I've accepted that you and Ryder belong together because he is your destiny, just like it is my destiny to die here today with you."_ He reached up to touch my cheek.

" _We will see each other again in the Hereafter. I'll be waiting for you there."_ He closed his eyes and opened them back up slowly. I could tell he was slipping away.

" _My essence will be in you now. When I leave, it will go to you. So you see, we will always be connected_ _and I will always be here."_ He put his hand over my heart and said, _"Forever."_

" _I love you, Merrick, my friend, my guardian... always."_

Bending down to kiss his lips, I sent all the love I had for him pouring into the kiss to take with him to the Hereafter. He kissed me back, but then pulled away ever so slowly. His face was peaceful when he looked at me, and smiled.

" _Good-bye, my love."_

" _Good-bye, Merrick."_

A beautiful white light escaped his body as he began to dissolve into the ash that all fae became after death. The light floated in front of me, flickering and twinkling like a star. It moved closer to me and then absorbed into my body over my heart. The instant it connected to my body, I felt a jolt as a warm sensation spread. The hole I felt in my heart before had been filled with the power of that light, and that was when I sensed him... Merrick. He was there. His essence was in my heart and soul. The loss saddened me and it'd hurt for a long time, but the presence of him inside me gave me the power to do what I had to do.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I looked at Ryder still battling the dark sorcerer. He was tired, but he was still trying. He went back and forth between being visible and invisible. I would assume it was because his concentration was failing. He needed my help, but I needed to lay my guardian to rest first because his ashes didn't belong there amongst evil and death. Taking a deep breath, I called upon the wind to carry Merrick's ashes away.

I asked the wind to carry them to our special field; the field where we trained every morning and the place we played as children. The field was a special place for Merrick and me, and it'd continue to be for as long as I lived. I felt the wind circle around me, and it smelled fresh and clean. It wasn't the nasty rancid air of the forest, but the warm, sunlit breeze of a summer wind. I sat there and watched as the remainder of my friend was swept away and taken to our special place.

My silver locket lay on the ground along with Merrick's guardian dagger. Before I picked up the dagger, I placed the silver locket around my neck. My eyes began to burn and my throat tightened up as I stared at the dagger. I lifted my hate-filled eyes to glare at the man who took my guardian away from me. He was bloody from wounds across his body and he had a sneer on his face while he circled Ryder.

This ends now.

Ryder had sweat pouring down his face and his breaths were coming fast. His muscles were shaking from the strain and exertion of wielding his sword, and I knew he'd continue fighting until there was nothing left.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep steadying breath to clear my mind while gripping the dagger tightly in my hand. This was all for Merrick and everything the dark sorcerer had taken from me, and the people I loved. All the hate and rage I had in my body built and built until I became consumed in it. Once I opened my eyes, I let the dagger fly with as much force as I could muster. The next few moments went by in slow motion as everything came to a halt.

The fighting came to a stop and the dark sorcerer stood frozen and wide-eyed, staring at his chest. I had hit my target. Running straight for me, Ryder took me into his arms and held onto me tightly.

Breathless and tired, he said quickly, "Oh Calista, I'm so sorry about Merrick. I love you so much, and I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't gotten here in time." He embraced me hard and kissed me fast.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I cried, "but we need to get out of here."

The dark sorcerer fell to his knees in Avery's body; his face was furrowed in pain as he removed the dagger and threw it on the ground. Letting go of Ryder, I reached down to quickly grab the weapon and walked away.

Coughing and grinding his teeth, his voice sounded laced with evil when he spat at me. "This isn't over, Princess. You may have wounded me now, but at least I succeeded with you. I took a piece of you and now you can't get it back. I _will_ find the others, and when you least expect it, I'll be there."

Letting the anger and rage guide me, I stormed over to him. The adrenaline pumped through my muscles and the sweet taste of vengeance was sharp on my tongue. The dark sorcerer peered up at me and opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't give him the chance. I slashed the dagger clean across his neck, cutting through tendons and bone in one quick swipe. His blood splattered on us, but I didn't care. Now there would be one less minion for the dark sorcerer to take over. I'd killed two people in just one day and I didn't feel sorry for their loss at all. Their betrayals had cost numerous people their lives, and I avenged them all. The dark sorcerer emerged out of Avery's body like a black cloud while Avery's form disintegrated into ash.

"Until next time," he sneered.

"I'll be ready!" I hissed at him. "You're going to pay for all you've taken from me."

Everything went quiet when he disappeared and I knew that he was hurt because his form was almost see-through when he emerged out of Avery's body. He had my power now, but for some reason my guardian blade had an effect on him.

"Princess!" Nixie called out.

"Where have you been? You were supposed to help us," I snapped.

She turned her head for us to look behind her and she pointed at something coming from a distance. Galloping toward us were two horses. I recognized Merrick's white horse, Storm, and the other horse must've been Ryder's.

Nixie smiled somberly. "I did help, and I still can, but we need to get you out of here. _Now_! You may have wounded the dark sorcerer, but it won't take him long to come back for you. When we reach the edge of the Black Forest, I can use my magic to take you home."

Ryder and I quickly embraced and he kissed me hard and feverishly. He climbed on his horse and whispered something in her ear while I climbed onto Storm.

Leaning down to rub Storm's neck, I began to cry. "I'm so sorry, Storm, but I lost him. He's never coming back, boy." Storm huffed and bowed his head. Giving him a little nudge, I demanded softly, "Let's go, Storm. Fly like the wind and take us home."

Both horses were agile and fast as we raced our way through the forest. Nixie flew along beside us the whole way. I was so glad she'd brought the horses because there was no way we could've made it out of the forest without them. We reached the edge of the forest quickly and the adrenaline that had fueled my escape had now left me exhausted and weak. All I wanted to do was sit down to cry and break down over the loss of my guardian, but I knew I couldn't do that until I got home. Getting home was the most important thing at that moment.

Exhausted, I turned to Nixie and asked, "Now what's your plan? You said you could help when we got to the edge of the forest."

With a gleam in her eye, she lifted her chin proudly. "I did, didn't I? Give me your hands." Nixie floated between me and Ryder and took both of our hands. "Where do you want me to take you?"

Ryder spoke up, "Take us to the Summer Court."

I nodded in agreement when Nixie tilted her head at me. The second after that, we were thrust into a whirlwind of colors and it felt like we were floating in the air. I'd heard of this before, but I'd never seen it. Now I knew why Alasdair wanted her so much, and it was because she could port travel. It was a very rare gift and only imps had the capability. Most fae creatures could travel to the mortal realm, but it wasn't the same as port travel. Nixie could travel to any part of the Land of the Fae in a matter of seconds, and take whoever she wanted with her.

The colors began to fade and slowly we found ourselves at the willow tree by the lake in the Summer Court. A sigh escaped my lips as I looked upon my home, and of the place that became the beginning to mine and Ryder's change. I was home or at least my home for now, but I was missing one other person that was part of my home as well. The tears began to flow and it wasn't long before I was in Ryder's arms with him holding me tight.

I peered up at Nixie floating in the sky. "Thank you, Nixie, for bringing us home. I'll keep you safe and we'll search for your family soon. I will hold up my end of that promise."

Nixie smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you, Princess. The pain will ease over time of your lost guardian. I know it hurts, but he's still with you, even if it's only in spirit."

Burying my head in Ryder's chest, I let the sobs take me. "I know," I whispered.

"I love you, Calista, and I'll help you get through this," Ryder promised.

He took my face in his hands and tilted it back so he could place a soft, gentle kiss on my lips. Sighing, I gazed into his loving blue eyes and smiled. "I know you'll help me, and I'm going to need that help, but right now we have a lot to do. We need to get back."

Before Ryder could kiss me again, Nixie interrupted us. "So when's the wedding?" she asked with a sly smile on her face.

We both turned to her and then back to each other. Even though we hadn't known each other long, our souls had been together before the beginning of time. We couldn't delay fate and our fates were ready for the next step.

Glancing back up to Nixie, I answered her softly, "Soon..."

Five Days Later

The night we arrived back to the Summer Court palace, the place went into an uproar. The people were happy and excited to have the princess back home safely, but were grieved with the news of Merrick. A passing ceremony would be held in his honor as well as Xylia's parents, Raisa and Foster. We explained to King Oberon and Queen Tatiana everything that had happened, even down to the violent details.

Calista sobbed when she had to explain how she killed both Warren and Avery. She apologized to me about killing Warren because she was afraid of how I'd feel about her when I found out, but I reassured her that it had to be done and she saved me from the heartache by actually doing it herself. I told her that I was extremely grateful to her and that Warren's death was going to happen no matter what.

Calista and I had decided to wait a week until the wedding. The week was almost up and I'd soon be able to have my queen.

Arriving to the Winter Court palace was humorous at best. Every single person I passed took a double take look at me. Since my skin color wasn't pale anymore, it was a shock to my people and my family. Kalen had already filled them in on the changes, but it was still a shock to see. To a Winter Fae, the change was a drastic one. I explained to my family what was going to happen when Calista and I were joined in the marriage bond, and believe me, saying they were ecstatic was an understatement. We also held a meeting asking the entire Winter Court to attend. My parents agreed that if anyone wanted to follow me to the Fall Court, they could. If the Fall Court was their true home, they'd go through the change just as Calista and I had.

The Land of the Fae claimed all owners of the land, and it appeared that the unclaimed territory by the Winter Court was where the Fall Court would begin. Calista said she felt the land calling to her and that was where we needed to be. Only the rightful owners could claim a territory. That was why the dark sorcerer wanted the power of The Four so he'd be connected to all of them, and his power would be matched with ours. Meetings were going to be held soon after the wedding to map out our plans for keeping our people safe, and Elvena was looking into the reasons why Calista's dagger had such a major impact on the dark sorcerer.

As I headed back to the Summer Court to meet Calista, I passed through the land that would soon be ours. Thanks to the magic of both courts, our palace had already been built with magic; it was pretty simple to build homes in the Land of the Fae. With Calista having an affinity for the earth she could build a whole palace in minutes. It was actually an extraordinary ability, but we ended up having many of the fae from both courts add their magic to our new home. It made the place feel more special knowing that my people and her people came together to make the place ours.

The true essence of the Fall could not be seen or felt yet since the bonding hadn't been fully completed. I'd changed the weather through my magic and made the cool crisp air that Calista and I dreamt about in our vision. It was a temporary fix until the true magic took place. Various trees and shrubberies had been provided for the landscape to make the wedding more beautiful.

Our wedding was going to be held there so that everyone could witness the magic taking place when the Fall Court formed. Then once the marriage bond was complete, Calista and I could retire to our room and complete the more anticipated part of our bond. It was going to be one hell of a night, and one that was long overdue.

Wedding

I gazed out the window of my new home at the soaring landscape of what would soon be the Fall Court. The land called to me, so Ryder and I'd put a claim to it. The magic of the Land of the Fae had always been a mystery, but when the land wanted to be claimed it would let you know. I was sitting in my new library in the palace Ryder and I would share, and it brought me just as much peace as the one in my Summer Court home brought me.

Everything was going to be so different when the Fall magic was unleashed. It would be just like the vision. The trees would be nothing but shades of red, yellow, green, orange, and brown and the air will have the crisp smell of autumn and pine; it'd also feel cool grazing along my skin. Closing my eyes, I could imagine it all, and once tonight came it'd all be different.

I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't hear that my room was now filled with the giggling sounds of women. Hearing them lightened my heart and brought a smile to my face. I'd missed the sounds of Elvena and Xylia laughing. Meliantha and my headstrong younger sister, Ariella, were out there as well.

Today was my wedding day, and yes I was nervous with the fluttery and nervous stomach and all, but I was also exuberantly happy. I turned around and laughed at them as they carried on, acting crazy. I'd decided that each one of them would wear dresses in one of the Fall colors, and they all looked amazing in their gowns. My dress was made in the Land of the Fae and I had it laced with magic. To go along with my love of Greek mythology, I had it made into a toga style that flowed gracefully down to the floor. Not being able to decide what color to go with, the magic enhanced on the dress helped it to change colors. It may seem ridiculous to some, but I wanted to enjoy every single color of the Fall.

Ariella's loud and boisterous voice caught my attention. She was forbidden to come to my Blood Ritual with Merrick because of using her magic to do destructive things. She was a beautiful girl with the hair the color of snow and twinkling blue eyes. The red dress I put her in made her look amazing; along with the red lipstick she was wearing to match. She was totally trying to look like a siren. Ariella was several years younger than me and had gotten into twice as much trouble, which I thought would've been impossible.

"I hope you plan to stay out of trouble today, Ariella. Fae creatures from all over the Land of the Fae will be here. I trust you to play nice," I teased, laughing.

Ariella rolled her eyes and grinned at me slyly. "Oh, Calista, you worry too much. When do I ever cause trouble?" She winked at me and turned to leave the room. "Okay, I said my hellos, so now I'm going to go down and look at all the hot Winter men. I'll see you down there, sis," she said flippantly.

"Remember... no trouble," I hollered after her. I could hear her cackles as she made her way down the hall.

Meliantha approached me, crying softly with a tissue in each hand. Gripping me tightly, she pulled me into a hard embrace. "I'm so happy for you, Calista. I was so worried about you." She looked down at the ground. "I know I can't tell you enough, but I'm so sorry about Merrick. I know you miss him."

I nodded. "I do miss him," I whispered, laying my hand over my heart, "but he's in here and he always will be."

She smiled. "Yes he will. That boy was always destined to be in your heart."

Meliantha kissed my cheek and left the room, crying the whole way. My two favorite ladies were the only ones left in the room with me now. Peering at Xylia, I wasn't surprised to see that she had a different color in her hair today. I was assuming it was to match the green gown she was wearing. She lost her parents while I was captured, and when I came back we had a passing ceremony for them, as well as one for Merrick. We were all suffering from grief and loss so we decided to honor them all and made the night a joyous occasion.

Sauntering over to her, I wrapped her in my arms. When I let go to look at her face, she bit her lip and averted her eyes. "Xylia, what's wrong? Is there something you need to ask me?" I questioned.

She let me go and began to pace the room. "I was nervous because I didn't know what you would say, but would you mind if..." She looked to Elvena for support and Elvena nodded her head for her to continue. "Would you mind if I joined you here in the Fall Court? You're my best friend and the only family I have left. I don't know what I would do without you. Will you please accept me?"

Wide-eyed, I stared at her for a second before I burst out laughing. Grabbing her by the wrists, I swung her around the room until she joined in on the laughter.

Beaming, I exclaimed, "Oh, Xylia, of course I accept you. I love you and I wouldn't know what to do without my best friend here. I'm so glad you're going to stay here with me."

Elvena clapped her hands and pulled Xylia away from me. "Okay, ladies, time is almost up. Xylia, go downstairs and get in your position. I need time with Calista, too."

Xylia embraced me one last time. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

I squeezed her tight. "You're welcome."

Xylia left the room with a bounce in her step, while Elvena came over and took my hand. It was the same hand that held the magical ring.

Elvena fiddled with it on my finger and sniffled. "If you weren't wearing this ring I don't think you would've made it out."

Taking her face in my hands, I murmured softly, "But I did, Elvena. I'm home and I'm safe. Your ring helped me more than anything, and I'm so thankful that you gave it to me."

She smiled at me and then averted her gaze to my necklace. The heart-shaped locket Merrick gave me would always be close by my heart because I was never going to take it off.

"You should've seen him, Calista. Merrick was so lost when he couldn't sense you, but he was determined to find you just as much as your prince. That boy would've searched the world for you."

"I feel him, Elvena. He's here inside me, so I know he'll never be far away. He saved Ryder for me because he knew how much I loved him."

Elvena nodded. "I know, child. What he did was the most courageous and unselfish thing I've ever seen anyone do and he will always be remembered for that."

We held each other for the longest time until I heard the music playing outside.

Elvena peeked out the window, and peered down at the guests. "We need to get you downstairs. Your king will be waiting for you. Everyone is seated and ready for you."

She turned to leave the room, but then glanced back at me one more time before disappearing. Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before getting the courage to leave the sanctuary of my library. I had someone waiting for me, and that someone was a man that had forever changed my life.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I was surprised to see that my soon to be husband and king was standing at the bottom of the steps. His back was turned to me, but I could tell his body was relaxed and calm.

At least someone was calm.

He was dressed in a black tuxedo, which wasn't a surprise since he liked black. I tried walking down the steps silently, but he heard me and turned around. Watching me glide down the stairs, he bit his lip and shook his head. Swaying my hips, I gave him a sultry look as I caressed the banister walking down. Completing the bond had been the one thing we'd both been longing for all week.

I stopped on the next to last step so we'd be eye to eye. Wrapping my arms around his neck, he circled my waist and slowly slid his hands down my bare back to rest on my ass, pulling me closer.

In his deep and sexy voice he began, "Why don't we hurry this up so I can..." he leaned into my neck and laid kisses all the way down to my collarbone, "... ravish your body and taste every inch of you..." he raised one of his hands to cup my breast, "... on the inside and out."

"Soon, my love. Only a couple more hours," I muttered, breathless.

His kisses and soft caresses with his hands made me ache to feel him all over my body. Even his simple words had me wet and trembling between my legs. I wanted to feel him inside me... I craved to feel him inside me.

He groaned. "That's too long. One hour... tops."

"We had some pretty heated moments last night, did we not? I'm sure you can last a little while longer."

His hooded gaze reached mine and he smiled. "Of course we did, but I want to be inside you," he said, pushing his hardened groin up against my body.

Reaching down, I glided my hand across his growing erection, which was hard and pulsing, and sighed. He definitely wasn't lacking down there, and the thought that soon he was going to ravish my body made my core tighten. In that moment, I wished we could just spend the rest of the night in our room, but I knew it wasn't possible.

Reluctantly, I tried to move away. "We have guests waiting, Ryder. We need to go. Trust me, I want this more than you... believe me."

He groaned. "Fine. I'll stop torturing you."

Taking his hands away from my body, he glanced down at his pants and winked at me. "You're going to have to give me a minute so that our guests can't see what you've done to me." We both laughed, and I made sure not to touch him while he calmed down.

When everything was back to normal, Ryder's eyes softened and he leaned over to whisper in my ear, "You look very beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, and you look very handsome with your black tux and your..." My eyes went wide and I gasped. Looking down at his tie, I was shocked to see that it was exactly like my dress. "Your tie changes colors just like my dress. Who told you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and responded sheepishly, "Elvena told me about your dress and I thought I would surprise you with doing the same with my tie. It's embarrassing, but I did it for you."

Shaking my head, I giggled. "It's amazing! I love it, and I also love you. Thank you for doing it." He shrugged and held out his arm for me to take so I folded mine around his.

Leaning over, he gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. "Well, let's go, my queen. Our court forever waits."

We reached the giant doors and headed outside to our awaiting guests. The sight of everyone was amazing, and they were all standing and waiting for us to descend down the steps. Ryder squeezed my hand and I let out the breath I'd been holding. I wasn't nervous about the wedding, but I _was_ nervous about everything that was going to change. The dark sorcerer was still out there and he was going to be after my family and Ryder's family. Keeping them safe was going to be a top priority.

Ryder elbowed me in the side and mumbled, "We need to walk, Calista. You were daydreaming again."

"Oh, my goodness... sorry," I responded, the heat rushing to my cheeks. Smiling, we continued down the stone staircase at the front of our house and down to our guests. My mind had been wandering lately with all the things that had been happening.

My family was seated to the left of me as we strolled down the aisle in the middle of the grounds. My father got up to stand on the dais with Elvena, a great amount of pride and love written on his face when he looked at me. My mother stared adoringly at me while my brother just looked bored. Inwardly, I laughed... thinking to myself that when he found the one he was supposed to be with he wouldn't be looking that bored. My sisters and Xylia were waiting for me at the dais standing in as my ladies in waiting.

Ryder's family was seated to the right of us and I realized that I hadn't met the king and queen of the Winter Court; it'd be nice to finally meet them. His brothers were standing at the front waiting on us as well. Kalen was up there with his goofy smile and his other brother, Brayden, was up there, but I hadn't met him officially yet either. Brayden didn't look anything like Ryder with his short, chocolate colored brown hair and serious brown eyes. He looked stiff and intimidating standing up there, and he definitely didn't seem very friendly.

Glancing around at the other guests, I saw a combination of the fae. We had the Winter fae with their creamy colored skin and the Summer fae with their bronzed golden skin. They all stood out against one another and I never really paid attention to how significantly different we all looked from each other.

Durin, the leader of the dwarves, was there along with some of his fellow dwarves. Aelfric and Rhoswen from the Elvan kingdom had attended as well with several of their guards. It was a beautiful sight to see everyone together, and they all smiled as we made our way through the center.

When my dress changed color, I heard the ladies in the crowd gasp with surprise. I knew it would be a hit. I couldn't decide on just one color so I went with them all. The dais we were going to be standing on was made and carved by Kalen with the help of my lovely sister, Meliantha. It looked like a gazebo with vines and intricate flowers carved onto it. Meliantha had arranged flowers everywhere with the help of the sprites, and she also grew trees along the pathway that we'd walked through to get to the front. When we reach the dais my father and Elvena were standing there waiting.

My father spoke above the crowd, "Good evening, everyone. We are here to witness this special occasion: the joining of my daughter, Princess Calista, to Prince Ryder of the Winter Court, in the bonds of marriage. May this be a glorious occasion filled with love, laughter, and happiness."

Kissing me on the cheek, he whispered, "You look amazing, sunshine. I'm so proud of you." Before he went to sit by my mother and brother, I hugged him gently. Ryder took both of my hands in his as we both faced each other. He squeezed them softly, and I squeezed back.

Elvena took over and her voice boomed across the crowd.

"Princess Calista has asked me to oversee this union. I am deeply honored to be up here celebrating in this special time. Love is a precious gift and we are all very lucky to have it. These two were born to love each other. Their destinies had been intertwined since the beginning of time and their love is going to begin a new change in the Land of the Fae. This land you see here..." Elvena motioned around to point out the land, "... has chosen these two to claim it. Once they say the sacred words in the Old Fae language, their bond will be forever sealed. This land will come alive when they become one and they will no longer be of Summer and Winter, but of a new court formed by their love." Her words sent chills all over my body and it felt like the magic in them were caressing my soul. She smiled at us both and motioned for us to continue with our part of the ceremony.

Ryder went first, as was custom for the males. We didn't share rings or trinkets in our marriage bond ceremonies, only the sacred words were shared. Ryder gazed deep into my eyes and into my soul. I could feel the love floating off of him in waves and I drank it in. My eyes began to burn with unshed tears so I let them fall without shame.

Ryder's voice was low and soft when he began, "Calista, my love. I know we have not known each other long, but our hearts recognized one another way before we even met. You are all that I will ever need. Your soul completes mine and now I'm whole. You have made me into a new person, and I look forward to our journeys together in our new court. You are my queen, my love, my friend, and my wife. _Amin mela lle ilyamemie ar' ten'oio."_ (I will love you always and forever.) He let out a deep breath and gave me the same charming smile that won me over in the beginning. Saying the sacred words in the Old Fae language bonded him to me and now it was my turn to say them to him.

With as much love and heart as I could muster, I put them in my words. "Ryder, the moment I saw you my world changed forever. I had full claim over my heart until you came along. I give it to you freely with all the love you could ever think possible. You have claimed my heart, body, mind, and soul and I trust in you to keep those safe. I will always and forever be yours, my love. _Amin mela lle ilyamemie ar'ten'oio."_ The words had been said, and now the bond had been completed.

Ryder and I were both lost in the moment while all the emotions and all the excitement came together in one big rush. Planting his lips onto mine, he circled my waist with his arms, holding me tight against him. The kiss was amazing and magical. His tongue caressed mine gently and the sweet taste of him had me wanting more. I heard hoots and hollers while we were lost in our kiss and I didn't feel embarrassed at all. The feeling of powerful magic swept across my body. Suddenly, the crowd gasped and fell silent.

Ryder and I pulled apart slowly to take a look around at everyone. They were all staring wide-eyed at us and that was when I noticed something different about my body. I touched the top of my head and there laid a crown that felt like it was made of vines and leaves. I couldn't see it, but I felt the weight of it on my head. I could see Ryder's crown and his must've be the same as mine with a bundle of vines and fall colored leaves with tiny berries scattered throughout.

The crowns were amazingly beautiful and natural. As far as I knew this had never happened with anyone else of the courts. No one had ever been crowned by the Land of the Fae. In awe, we both stared at each other and then slowly turned to face the crowd; they all bowed their heads.

Elvena shouted triumphantly, "I would like to announce King Ryder and Queen Calista of the Fall Court!" Everyone stood and the crowd went crazy with yells and shouts of laughter and celebration. The sensations were amazing and I knew my face was beaming. I looked over at Ryder and he appeared the same way. He was going to be a good king... my King.

We walked through the center of the crowd holding hands, and as we did, the trees to our sides began to grow and the leaves began to change colors. I stopped to take a look around and I stared in wonder at the changes occurring right before my eyes. Bending down to touch the ground, the power made my fingers tingle with electricity. The change was not fully complete, but it would be soon.

The rest of the night was spent dancing and feasting with our guests. I met Ryder's family and they accepted me with open arms. I took great joy watching the celebrations and the people dancing together. Everyone looked happy, at least for the time being. I reached down to touch my locket and thoughts of Merrick passed through my mind. A tear rolled down my cheek and Ryder reached over to wipe it away.

"I will _never_ forget what he did for me," Ryder vowed. "He will always have my love and respect." His eyes spoke the truth and I knew he was grateful for what Merrick did to save him... to save us.

My throat tightened up. "I know, and I will always be grateful for it." I guess he could see the sadness creeping its way back to me, so he gave me a reassuring smile.

Playfully, he bumped me in the side. "Yeah, I will definitely miss his smart ass comments. He sure knew how to use them."

That made me laugh. Merrick was known for his witty comebacks and I loved him for it. We spent a few moments in silence while watching the crowd slowly die down and leave for the evening.

Ryder put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in tight. "It's getting late, my queen. Maybe we should retire?" His lust-filled gaze lingered on my mouth and the heat off his body poured into mine.

Biting my lip, I lifted up to whisper against his lips. "Why certainly, my king."

We walked through the house, stealing heated kisses in the hallways before making it up to our room. Our room was immaculate and painted in a variety of fall colors. It was decorated to resemble being in a forest with falling leaves. Candles were lit around the room and the bed had an abundance of colored leaves scattered throughout. Most people like roses, but I liked leaves. I'd fallen in love with fall. This was my home and I was with the man I loved and in the court I belonged.

Standing by the bed, I ran my hands up and down the silky red sheets. Ryder came up behind me and pulled me to him.

"Are you ready, my queen?" he whispered in my ear.

"More than you know, my king," I replied.

He swayed me back and forth, and hummed in my ear. His voice was so sexy and his breath on my neck sent chills down my spine. He kissed my neck and trailed his lips down to my shoulder. Moving aside the strap of my dress, he gently glided it off my shoulder and down my arm. I felt him hard and ready up against my back, and I ached to reach around and touch him.

My breathing was now ragged, so I closed my eyes to concentrate on the feel of his hands taking over my body. Everywhere he touched ignited the burning feeling over my skin. He was still behind me, but he glided his hands slowly up my stomach to over my breasts and massaged them gently. He leaned down so I could reach my hands up to his face and run my fingers through his hair. I gripped a handful of his soft tresses as he kissed and bit tenderly on my neck. He then took my dress and pulled it down to expose my breasts. His hands grew more urgent and a moan escaped my lips in response.

My dress fell to the floor, and all that was left on me was my sexy red lingerie. I'd never been with a man before, but I felt comfortable with Ryder and I knew he'd take care of me and take things slow.

He turned me around so I was facing him and his passion-filled gaze searched over my body. He lifted his hands to my face and held me gently while pulling us together to lock ourselves in the intimacy of a kiss. Our tongues connected and our bodies were in flames. As we were kissing, I unbuttoned his shirt. He yanked it off hastily and tossed it to the floor.

Ryder then unbuttoned his pants and slid them off while gently pushing me toward the bed. We moved across the mattress, never separating our lips, as he laid his body on top of mine. He ground against me and it made that delicious ache between my legs heighten.

Breaking the kiss, he gazed lovingly into my eyes. "I promise to go slow, baby. I know this is your first time and I promise to be gentle. You can trust me."

"I trust you," I whispered softly against his lips. I did trust him and I knew it was going to hurt at first, but I was prepared for that.

He reached down to slide my lingerie down my legs. My heart rate picked up because the time had come and it was actually going to happen. Standing up, Ryder slowly took off his boxers, revealing his bare body. He gazed at me long and hard, tracing his eyes over every square inch of me. He leaned over onto the bed and started to crawl toward me, kissing along the way.

He glided his tongue up the inside of my thigh and he moved my legs slowly apart. Positioning his mouth between my folds, he entered me with his warm tongue, exploring me generously and moaning while gripping my thighs. The tingling sensation of orgasm was so close and about to send me over the edge.

Moaning loudly, I gripped his head with both hands to hold him in place.

"Don't stop, Ryder. Please don't stop." He picked up his pace while I moved my hips along with the rhythm of his mouth. The feelings were building and at last a scream ripped from my throat as the orgasm racked my body. His mouth was amazing and I think he knew that I was thinking that because he looked up at me with an arrogant smile; his eyes were hooded and his lips wet with my desire. He watched me the entire time he kissed his way up the rest of my body.

"How did you like that?" he teased.

Breathing hard, I replied, "It was amazing. Now when can I return the favor?"

He bit his lip and leaned down to glide his tongue across one of my nipples. "Soon, my love, but tonight is all about you." I would love to be able to explore him with my tongue, but I wasn't going to argue.

Taking a taut and sensitive nipple into his mouth, he rolled it around with his tongue. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I squeezed him tight, trying to pull him closer to me.

"Please stop teasing me and make love to me," I groaned impatiently.

He growled and answered me back by sucking harder on my breast. I swear it felt like I was going to explode with all the sensations taking over my body. Another orgasm was building, and if he kept on sucking on my breasts he was going to send me over the edge... _again._ His cock pressed against my opening so I wriggled to try to get him in position.

He released my breast and laughed. "You're so impatient," he teased chidingly.

I'll show him impatient.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I reached down to grab his pulsing erection and I gripped it firmly in my hands. He sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes, moaning. Running my hand up and down his erection, he moved his hips along with me. Sweat broke out on his body and I wanted to lick it up with my tongue.

The feel of his hardness in my hands made me want to attack him and go for it myself instead of waiting on him to stop teasing me. He lifted up to kiss me deeply, entwining his tongue with mine while positioning himself between my legs. I released my grip on his shaft to wrap my arms around his body, pulling him close.

I could feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest because it was beating in tune with mine. He eased himself inside me, slowly and gently, and I flinched at first with the feel of him entering, but the sensations all over my body took the pain away and I was left with nothing except the desire for more of the man I loved.

He continued to move gently, but the need inside my body didn't want it slow, so I picked up the pace with my hips and moved harder against him.

"Harder, please, Ryder. I need more."

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you, baby."

"I'm sure," I groaned feverishly.

Instantly, he complied and moved more vigorously, thrusting deeper and harder. Moving my hands to his back I couldn't refrain from digging my nails in to show him how much he was torturing me. I had to hold on tight because of the pace he was devouring my body at. His body was pumping deeply into mine, and I moaned with the pleasure of another release coming.

When I gripped my legs tighter around him, it fueled him even more. He gave a few more thrusts and we found ourselves releasing our pleasures together; him releasing his seed inside of me. He collapsed on top of me while we lay there to catch our breath. He kissed me tenderly and trailed his kisses down my neck.

It sent goose bumps down my body and I could tell he was still hard and ready inside me, stretching me and filling me fully. He looked up to my face and I could tell by the fevered expression in his eyes that he wanted more. Smiling, I bit my lip, but that was when we noticed the magic swirling around the room.

Our bodies were now one and the magic of our union had been unleashed and spread all around us. The room took on a sensual glow and the magic swirling around caressed our bodies as we laid there looking around in awe.

Ryder took my chin in his hand and turned me to face him. "I love you, Calista... my queen."

I smiled adoringly at him. "And I love you, Ryder... always."

The intensity of the magic was so great that it fueled our extreme hunger for one another to a heightened level and we spent the rest of the night basking in the joys of making love and enjoying the feel of our bodies moving together. The feeling of being satiated sent a warm glow throughout my body, and for the first time in my life I felt utterly and completely whole.

The morning after the wedding and after a night of wonderful bliss, the power of our court had been completed. When I looked out the window that morning everything had changed. Rolling meadows and trees were scattered as far as I could see. A lake was off to the side of the house and I went teary-eyed with joy knowing that my kelpies could join me there. The Land of the Fae knew our desires and it must've known I'd want my kelpies. The land was beautiful with the leaves fluttering in the wind and a palette of colors painting the trees.

One thing that had made me really happy was that Elvena was now here with me. Elvena grew close to me over the years, more so than my brother and sisters, and had always taken good care of me. I grew to depend on her and I loved her just like a mother. I cried for days when she asked if she could join me and live in the Fall Court.

Needless to say, the land took to her immediately. She was welcomed with open arms here, and she said she could be of help when Ryder and I decided to have little ones of our own. The thought brought a smile to my face and made my heart feel light. I would love to be a mother and carry Ryder's children. He would make a wonderful father, and I looked forward to the day we brought more life to our court.

Xylia had come to stay with me as well. She'd asked before if I would accept her, and I had with my whole heart. She was excited when her body took on the change to become a Fall fae. She jumped around with joy and excitement for many days afterward until the novelty wore off. Xylia said she looked better with paler skin.

Conall even decided to join the Fall Court. He was very close to Merrick and being here with me and protecting me was something he felt that Merrick would want him to do. I could also tell he wanted to be near Xylia, but he didn't admit it at the time. Conall and Xylia were now courting and enjoying their time together. I was very happy for them both and would love to see them take the next step one day.

Nixie and I found her family in the Mystical Forest and it was just the reunion I was hoping for. Her family recognized her immediately, and there was nothing but crying, celebrating, and talking for hours that night. We explained the risk of them being unprotected in the forest and they accepted my request to move to the Fall Court. They built a little village in my forest, and I visited them regularly. There had also been other numerous fae that had come to pledge their loyalty and were now are a part of our court. We had fae from both the Summer and Winter Courts, and even creatures of the Mystical Forest.

Ryder and I had been in meetings every single week for the past month. No new attacks had occurred, but we all knew it was just a matter of time. Extra warriors had been placed around my family, especially my sisters and around Ryder's sister. The power of The Four was only in the maiden souls of the next generation and that would be my two sisters, Meliantha and Ariella, and Ryder's sister, Sorcha.

None of them were allowed to travel until we got more ideas on how to defeat the dark sorcerer. Nixie took me to see my sisters through port travel. Ever since I saved her family, she had offered to take me to see my sisters any time I wanted.

Today Ryder and I had decided to take a break from everything and walk to the meadow in our vision. The vision was what started it all, and that was where we planned to go today to get some peace and quiet, to just concentrate on ourselves. We were walking hand in hand with the wind blowing against our faces and the colorful leaves dancing in the wind as he strolled through the meadows.

I let go of Ryder's hand and twirled around the meadow, letting my silky, red dress flutter in the breeze. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I breathed while laughing.

With a wolfish grin on his face, Ryder remarked, "It is, my queen, but I know how we can make it better."

His tone had me stopping in my tracks; I knew what that tone suggested. I'd already been feeling the need to have his body joined with mine, and now his tone had me falling over the edge. Biting my lip, I turned to gaze into his lust-filled eyes. "Oh yeah, how so?"

Cupping the nape of my neck, he firmly pulled me forward and claimed me with his lips. My heart accelerated and my body screamed with need. We'd made love every day since the wedding, but my desire for him had only gotten stronger. I didn't think it could ever be possible to get enough of him.

"You are one naughty vixen, but I like it," he teased. Glancing around the meadow, he furrowed his brows. "Are you sure about this? What if someone sees?"

Ryder couldn't care less about that, but he knew I did. Smiling, I stood back from him and lowered myself to the ground. Touching the ground gently, I asked for the land to do me a favor. The land was excited to help and it wasn't long before the magic began. With my hand still on the earth below, I lifted my head to watch the magic take place. The ground rumbled for a second and then it rose up to form an alcove of shelter and a bed of soft leaves. Ryder stared at it wide-eyed and turned a radiant looking smile my way. _I love to impress him with my skills._

I smirked. "Will this do?"

He scooped me into his arms and kissed me fiercely. "You are amazing, love."

I poked him in the side with my finger. "Just as long as you remember it."

We spent the rest of the afternoon hidden away in our alcove making love and exploring each other's bodies like we'd done every night since the wedding. I knew I'd never get tired of it, and I looked forward to spending every night wrapped in his arms. He was forever mine and I was forever his. Our love had made us stronger and with that love we'd defeat the evil that plagued our land. It may not be soon, but the dark sorcerer would meet his end.

\- Dark Sorcerer -

They think they'd won for now, but they couldn't be more wrong. I was there at the wedding and no one had a clue. I'd been watching and waiting, observing the next girl whose power would soon be mine. I could see the glow throughout her body that indicated it was almost ripe with the power of The Four. She was a magnificent beauty and I was going to have her power just like I had Calista's.

That bitch might've injured me, but that wasn't going to happen again. I was going to let them think I was holding back, but in all reality, I was coming back at them full force. I had my new minions in place and we were observing everything. My plan would take place soon, but until then I was watching everyone and everything for when the right time came. Then, when they least expected it... I'd strike.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

She loves to write, but she also loves to play golf, go on mountain hikes and white-water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.

Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children's book with her youngest daughter, but her favorite to write is romantic suspense. However, she has found a new passion in romantic comedy, especially involving sexy golfers. Who knew the sport could be so dirty and fun to write about.

L.P. Dover can be found at:

www.lpdover.com

Email: authorlpdover@gmail.com
Other Titles by LP Dover:

BREAKAWAY SERIES

Hard Stick

Blocked

Playmaker

Off the Ice

FOREVER FAE SERIES

Forever Fae

Betrayals of Spring

Summer of Frost

Reign of Ice

SECOND CHANCES SERIES

Love's Second Chance

Trusting You

Meant for Me

Fighting for Me

Intercepting Love

Catching Summer

Defending Hayden

Last Chance

Intended for Bristol

GLOVES OFF SERIES

A Fighter's Desire: Part One

A Fighter's Desire: Part Two

Tyler's Undoing

Ryley's Revenge

Winter Kiss: Ryley & Ashley [A Gloves Off Novella]

Paxton's Promise

Camden's Redemption

Kyle's Return

ARMED & DANGEROUS SERIES

No Limit

Roped In

High-Sided

Hidden Betrayals (Winter 2018)

CIRCLE OF JUSTICE SERIES

Trigger

Target

Aim

In the Crossfire (Coming Soon)

SOCIETY X SERIES

Dark Room

Viewing Room

Play Room

R0YAL SHIFTERS SERIES

Turn of the Moon

Resisting the Moon

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS SERIES

It Must've Been the Mistletoe

STANDALONE TITLES

Love, Lies, and Deception

Anonymous

Going for the Hole

CHILDREN'S BOOKS – MOONLIGHT AND ALEENA SERIES

Moonlight and Aleena: A Tale of Two Friends

***

Keep reading for a sneak peek at Turn of the Moon by L.P. Dover

### TURN OF THE MOON

Chapter One

Bailey

"I'm sorry but there's no other way, Bailey. We gave you a whole extra year to come to terms with this," my father grumbled.

I quickened my pace toward the meadow, my jaw aching from clenching too hard. "I was hoping you'd come to your senses, but obviously not. I can't believe you did this to me! I'm not going to agree to this . . . I won't."

"You have no choice, Bailey. We did what we thought would keep you safe. You're of age now, and mating with Kade will keep you safe and pass on our bloodline."

Actually, I _did_ have a choice. My father was alpha of our pack, but my loyalties remained my own. I didn't feel the pull that everyone else did when it came to following orders. While they had to follow them; I didn't. Growing up, I had often wondered if there was something wrong with me. But as I got older, it all began to make sense. I had a gift—I was a rare female alpha—and it needed to stay hidden.

"Keep me _safe_? You've got to be kidding me. I've kept myself safe my entire life. Maybe I should've left when I had the chance." They both tensed and hung back while I took the lead.

They were angry, yet it was almost as if they were scared of fighting against me, afraid I would leave and never return. I wanted to do what was best for our pack, I really did. But mating with Kade wasn't the answer. I was basically being given away like a mail-order bride.

There was a time when I lived for the pack, when I would do anything to save my people. The white wolves were slowly reducing in number, and now everyone was desperate, struggling to make ends meet before we were wiped into extinction. I was twenty-four years old, and a daughter of the Northern pack alpha. It was my duty to continue my lineage. The only problem was, there were no other unmated alphas around other than my best friend, Sebastian, and the supreme douche, Kade Whitemore.

There was no way in hell I was going to alliance myself with that rat bastard. He was alpha of the Yukon pack, violent, and an overbearing ass who'd rather see me on my back with my legs spread open than being his equal. I'd rather die than be forced to be his mate for all eternity. Why couldn't I mate with Sebastian? Thinking of fucking him gave me the willies, but anything was better than Kade.

Anger racked my body and I sat there, seething . . . until I felt him. He was coming for me; I could sense him drawing near. The closer we got to the meadow, the more I could smell Kade and his excitement—his lust. Hopefully, he could smell the rage and disgust coming from me.

Wolves mated for life; it was a sacred union. It wasn't like a human marriage where you could end it by signing a piece of paper. Our unions weren't something you did lightly. It was also not a decision I was going to let my parents make for me. The only way to escape would be to kill him, and the last thing I wanted to do was start a war between packs. There had to be another way.

Up ahead, in wolf form, Kade kept his stare dialed in on me. He was large—like all alpha males tended to be—but I wasn't impressed. He could smell my indifference and in return growled low, challenging me. I glared straight at him, not backing down, nor lowering my head. No one would ever make me submit.

Shifters needed the magic of the moon to change into their wolf form, but the strongest of our kind could transform at any time of the day. Most of the wolves in our pack had that advantage, except on the nights of the new moon. Only alphas had the ability to change on those nights. Tonight, there was no moon, so being the arrogant jackass he was, Kade decided to show up as his wolf. _Figures._

Everyone backed away except me and my father. Kade sidled up to us and brushed his body against mine, marking me. Next, he pushed his nose between my legs and sniffed. Anger consumed me and I was close to shifting, but held back. "You do that shit again and I'll have me a nice, white fur coat for the winter."

His lips pulled back in a wolfish grin before he transformed into his naked, human self. "I was only getting a taste of what's mine."

Most white wolves had similar traits—light colored hair and blue eyes, with the occasional exception of green. My parents both had the bright blonde hair and had passed it down to me, along with their crystal blue eyes and immaculate strength. However, their strength wasn't with them today which made me wary. My father didn't even attempt to defend my honor.

Raking my gaze over Kade, he had platinum blond hair, striking blue eyes, and a body that even I hadn't seen on the men in my pack. He was much larger, in more ways than one, and one of the youngest alphas in the country, most likely in his late twenties by the looks of him. Fortunately, when his gaze found mine, I didn't see my future mate in those eyes.

Crossing my arms at my chest, I stood stock-still, waiting on my father to get done talking to him. I only wished he'd take heed of my loathing and leave. I wasn't going to go with him. Everyone else got the choice of who they mated with and I'll be damned if I didn't get the same luxury.

Back and forth the men conversed heatedly, the tension filling the cool night air. The moment my father's blue eyes met mine, I knew something was wrong. _Please, don't let it be so._ He clutched my face in his hands and kissed me on the head. "Say goodbye to the pack. By sunrise, you'll be on your way with Kade to your new home."

"What?" I shouted, pulling away. "You're supposed to be our alpha! Are you really so spineless?"

Our pack sucked in a collective breath at my daring words. Kade smirked and I made sure he could feel every ounce of my hatred. I pushed my power so hard at him, he stumbled back.

My dad was working hard on biting his tongue. "To ensure the survival of our packs, and to keep you safe, there's no other way. We have to honor our promise."

"Fuck your promise, and fuck you," I hissed. "It was yours, not mine."

"It was the packs, Bailey. There's no way around it."

_There's a way around everything._ My power roiled but I couldn't unleash it . . . yet. It wasn't the right time. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and huffed. "I'd like to speak to my intended for a moment, alone. I'll say my goodbyes to everyone once we're done."

My father nodded in agreement and walked away, looking back at me once before turning his back. My pack followed close behind him, along with my mother who had tears streaming down her cheeks. The Yukon pack, however . . .

"Your people need to go," I demanded.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kade nodded to his second in command and they disappeared through the trees.

When they were out of earshot, I pursed my lips and spat, "Out of every single pack in the world, you came to this one to claim me. Surely you could find someone who'd be glad to take you."

"True, but I wanted _you_."

"What makes you think I'm going to leave with you tomorrow?"

Kade laughed and sauntered over, leaning close so he could smell me; I stood my ground and didn't waver, even when he brushed up against me. I could rip his heart out in the blink of an eye. He moaned and grew hard between his legs. "You're mine, Bailey," he growled, circling around behind me. "You were promised to me, and I'm not leaving without you."

"You don't even know me."

Pushing his cock against my ass, he reached around and placed his large hands on my thighs, holding me to him. Wolves were physical creatures and we loved touch, but I didn't want him touching me.

"So help me God, if you don't back up, I'm going to rip out your goddamned throat."

Instead of letting me go, he held me tighter and chuckled in my ear, rubbing his scent all over my body. His hands gripped my breasts, and then one slid down into my pants so he could cup me with his palm. "I'd like to see you try, sweetheart. I love a good fight. The more you resist, the harder I'm going to fuck you."

His pheromones were extremely high, choking me, and with that I could smell his need to mate, to claim me. I needed to do something fast without unleashing my power. I struggled in his hold, but the more I moved against him, the wilder his scent grew. He wanted the fight, and I couldn't give him what he wanted.

Taking a deep breath, I swallowed back the bile and leaned into his touch, putting one of my hands over the one he had down my pants. I had to make him believe I didn't want to fight. All I needed was a little bit of time.

Rubbing my ass against his cock, I took hold of his fingers and pushed one inside me, and then another. I gasped as his growl deepened and he bit down hard on my neck, drawing blood. _Fucking bastard._ Biting your mate was an intimate act only to be done when you're actually mated.

"Now everyone will know you're mine," he whispered gruffly in my ear. "I'm going to fuck you until you scream. I've waited long enough to get you, and now that I have you, there's no escape."

"I tell you what," I rasped, slowly trying to pull away, "why don't I go tell my family goodbye, and then you can do whatever you want with me."

Gripping my arms, he turned me around and ripped my shirt off my body, making me gasp. He lowered his mouth to one of my nipples and sucked hard while pushing his fingers back inside of me. "Actually, I have a better idea. How about you put that mouth of yours around my cock and then you can say goodbye. You need to start acting like my mate and do as I say."

Gripping me around the waist, he forced my pants down and knocked me backward onto the ground. The breath whooshed out of my lungs and I choked, struggling to suck in a breath as he put his weight on top of me. "Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll enjoy it."

Immediately, I could feel my fangs lengthen behind my lips and my body temperature rise. I was so close to shifting. As alpha, my fangs were longer, sharper. I could be in human form and still rip someone to shreds with my teeth.

I refused to be a victim for the sake of my pack _._

"Kade," I moaned, opening my legs for him. "Take me now." All I needed was a clear shot to his neck. I had been with human men before, but never another wolf. I'd heard it was the best sex ever, and I planned on experiencing it one day . . . but not yet.

Chuckling, Kade lifted his head and I hid my fangs behind my closed lips. "Begging me already? I'm disappointed, little wolf. I thought you would put up more of a fight."

When he lowered his mouth to my breasts, I could feel the tip of his cock pushing on my opening. The tension in his body elevated and I knew I needed to act fast. Before he could thrust inside, I opened my mouth wide and locked them on the inside of his neck. In one quick move, I ripped out as much flesh as I could. His blood ran warm down my throat, making me gag. I spit it out, along with a giant mound of flesh from his body.

Falling over to the side, he grabbed his throat and gurgled, choking on his own blood. I refused to be a slave to him when I was more powerful. Holding the wound on his neck, he growled as his eyes started to change into that of his wolf. He tried to shift, but it wasn't working.

As I jumped to my feet, Kade grabbed a hold of my ankle and I fell to the ground.

"You're going . . . to pay . . . bitch."

I needed to get away before the packs could hear our struggle. Luckily, I wriggled out of his hold and kicked his hand away. Knowing he would be dead in a matter of minutes, I summoned my magic and let the force shimmer around my body. Kade's eyes went wide in disbelief. Letting the magic overtake me, I shifted into my wolf form and took off. I never once looked back. I didn't want to leave everyone behind, but they left me no choice.

I would never see my family again.

