“Dylan, you are a huge help with the weapons. Who else could teach me how to clean, inspect, and name all of those weapons? I can sharpen a knife better than a butcher now because of you. Besides, your insight on my fighting techniques is amazing since you know what to look for, and you show me how to correct things when I mess up. I don’t think Soap would be as good with that as you.”

“He’s not as good as me in a lot of things, Shade.” Dylan’s lips snarled at the mention of the Teleen Changeling. Bitterness stuck to his voice like thick syrup, making Shade sigh. She felt like she was beating her head on a wall when talking to Dylan about Soap.

“Fine, Dylan, do what you want to do. Your pouting isn’t going to help us any. So get your head on straight before you become dead weight that I have to lug around. I’m doing the best I can, and it really hurts to be dragged down because of your insecurities about things. I’m going to bed. I have a long day tomorrow. I suggest you do the same, grumpy pants.” She swung around and marched back towards the house, not seeing the shock on Dylan’s face as she slammed the porch screen door shut.

Dylan stared back towards where Shade had disappeared. Turning back to the forest that called to him in a sweet caress, he closed his eyes. Life in the city had been intriguing at first, but the forest and its power called to him, singing in his head, and growing stronger. Every day was more intense than the last. He squeezed his eyelids shut and let his head spin with the songs of the trees and lands. He was missing his home in the caverns. He felt a surge of resentment as thoughts of his brother Darren slammed into his serenity. Darren had changed so much since they were children, and watching his brother grow more mischievous and becoming outright evil had been exhausting. His mother had been right to be concerned for Darren and his sadistic mannerisms. He had almost killed Shade, but failed when her untapped magic had trapped him in his own magic mirrors. He had caused Dylan so much grief that he felt almost nothing when he disowned him. Dylan was done covering up Darren’s screw-ups; especially when it involved attempted murder.

Dylan wondered exactly what sort of magic was brewing in Shade that no one else seemed to know anything about. She was unique for sure. He had enjoyed sparring with her, and the occasional touching and bumping into each other had sent a thrill through him like he had never experienced. He found himself wanting to hold her again, to stroke her hair and kiss her deeply, like they had done at the Santiran Fountains. He didn’t even know if she felt the same towards him. She seemed so distracted and busy with her family, her magic, and fight training that it didn’t seem like he could ask her much about it at all. His feelings had grown, burning inside him like the bluish-white fire that flowed along under his skin and flickered with electricity. He doubted Shade even had a clue about it.

Opening his storm-filled eyes, he chanced one more longing stare at the woods before turning back towards the house.

Chapter Three

THE CRACK OF a wooden sword filled the air, as Soap swung hard against her shield. Shade had to back up with each blow as she felt the hits vibrate through her arm. Shielding her face, she attempted to swing her sword at him, searching for his weak spots in her limited vision. She found one and swung as hard as she could, slamming the sword into his left thigh. He winced but did not retreat at all. She flung herself down to the ground. And with her shield, she slammed him behind his knees, sending him crashing down to the ground almost right on her as she rolled away.

Shade hopped to her feet and pointed the sword to his throat before he could regain his position. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking up at her with a grin spreading across his face.

“Winner is Shade! Great job!” Than jumped and clapped from the sidelines, hollering out his praise. Shade smiled down at Soap, her face flushed pink with sweat beading down her face.

“Hey, you got me, how about that? That’s a first. You’re on your way to becoming the next Amazon Queen, heh?” Soap said as Shade smiled. She tossed her shield and sword to the side and held her hand out to him.

“Queen? Not quite. Warrior of some sort? Probably.” She gave him a toothy smile and laughed as he started to pull himself up, but instead he yanked her down onto him, hugging her tight.

“Hey not fair! I’m not heavy enough to pull your heavy butt up!” They wrestled around letting the dirt fly up around them in a bellowing cloud. Their laughs rang through the air until Dylan’s angry and haughty voice rang through the air as he grabbed Soap, pulling him up and shoving him to the side with a thump.

“What the.., hey, watch it man!” Soap had rolled along the dirt and now stood slapping clouds of dust off his leather armor. He glared at Dylan, his green eyes flaring like jewels on fire.

Dylan returned the stare with his even colder steel-grey eyes. “Don’t touch her. You might inadvertently hurt her, you dumb ox.” His face was blanketed like stone, hard and still, daring Soap to return the challenge in his eyes as the Changeling pressed his lips together, wrangling in his fury.

Soap turned towards Shade, who had positioned herself between them. She was hoping they wouldn’t start a brawl with her in between them to take a hit. “Shade, I’m thinking we’re done for the day. You did want to see Ilarial, right? She would definitely be better company than some people we know.” He snickered at Dylan, but he remained planted with arms crossed and narrowed his eyes at the warrior.

“Ya, I think that’s a good idea. Ilarial is probably waiting for me.” Shade glared at both warriors before she headed to grab her backpack lying on the ground nearby. She wiped the dirt and sweat on her face with her towel and shoved it into her pack. She sighed as she stood, turning back to Soap who waited patiently as he gathered the wooden weapons strewed across the training yard. He smiled and nodded at Shade while hugging the swords to his chest.

“I can take you there, Shade. It looks like someone has some junk to put away.” Dylan hissed as he motioned to her, stepping between her and Soap. Glancing over his shoulder, she could see Soap rolling his eyes at him.

“Go ahead, Shade. You don’t need my permission anyways. Seems like someone is getting a bit jealous and needs some of your precious time.” Soap smirked at Dylan’s back, but Dylan didn’t turn to acknowledge him at all. Instead, he waited as Shade shook her head and headed towards the Guildrin mound. Walking briskly, she hoped she’d lose both of them. She didn’t feel like putting up with their bickering today.

She was sick of those two fighting and constantly putting her between their bouts of jealousy. She knew Dylan hated being left out of the training and resented Soap for it, but what could she do about it? Dylan and she were not allowed to spar anymore; obviously the powers of Faerie did not want them in any kind of physical fighting with each other. She didn’t understand it any more than Dylan did. It didn’t bother her so much, but it baffled him enough to turn him into a puffed up heifer.

She dashed to the great Oak Tree entrance of the mound. Reaching over, she chanted the words she now felt the utmost confidence in, and waited as the ground shifted for her to enter the realm below. Stairs formed in the hollowing earth below the tree roots that led down into the darkness of the Seelie Court. She skittered down them, and half ran down the halls until she reached Ilarial’s ancient wooden door. Dylan had kept up without a sweat, and made her slight attempt to escape his annoying presence futile. She knocked on the door and waited until Ilarial’s soft voice bled through the door, telling her to enter. Inside, she turned to close the door behind her, and watched Dylan step back to disappear behind the door to await her in the hall.

She sighed as she leaned against the closed door, relieved to not have to deal with him and his overbearing antics for a bit. She smiled as Ilarial came out of her room and held her arms out to give her a tight and warm hug. Shade felt instantly calmer, as she usually did around the gentle Oracle.

“Shade, I’m glad you made it today. I have so much to talk with you about. Please, come over and sit at my table.” She motioned her over to the sea of pillows that softened the cave’s rough appearance with a blend of shiny soft fabrics. Shade sank down onto the soft pillows and relaxed by the table where Ilarial did her magic. The wooden table was empty except for a mirror that lay in the middle of it, shining like a pool of liquid silver.

Shade stared down and studied the perfect, smooth, surface. She distrusted mirrors now more than any other object she encountered in everyday life. She’d find herself pausing as she walked into public restrooms to inspect every mirror from afar, waiting for a ripple or any unusual movement that would give away any kind of magic that could be lurking in it. Darren ran free because of Dylan’s sacrifice; this alone kept her up at night and on her toes around any kind of mirrors.

Ilarial sat opposite her and waved her hand over the mirror. Immediately a swirl of smoke rippled inside it as it became alive and lit up with a soft glow. Shade sucked her breath as she found herself subconsciously backing away from the fluidity of the mirror.

“It’s ok Shade. This is a looking glass. It allows me to focus my mind and see things that have happened, are happening, or have yet to happen. No need to be afraid.” She waved another hand over the smoky surface and the mirror solidified into the plain glass Shade had first seen.

She gulped as she nodded, reassured by Ilarial’s explanation. Shade watched the Oracle repeat the steps, and the looking glass swirled into a storm. Ilarial’s face stared down into the fog as her eyes became a reflection of the mirror, becoming lost in the world she now seemed to walk in.

Shade waited, first waiting on Ilarial for any clue of what was going on. Leaning forward, she glanced down into the rippling glass. The smoke seemed to float out of it and swirl around her face, and around the room. Flashing lights like lightning sparked around her as the storm swirled and gained momentum. She darted her eyes around at the smoke and realized she was no longer in Ilarial’s room, but someplace else.

A room emerged, white with black silk draperies that flowed around with an invisible breeze. A dais rose in the middle made of flashing diamond and hard granite. There sat a woman, hair black with red streaks throughout, like drips of ruby. Her long flowing gown was also silk, a deep purple with sheer strips of shiny silver streaming down in flowing ribbons that clung to her thin, curved, body as she stood and paced the room. She seemed lost in her thoughts as she hugged herself, one of her hands rubbing her pointy chin incessantly.

Shade stood in the middle of a throne room and watched her. She was wide eyed in shock. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her hands flew to her throat as a bewildered panic flashed across her face.

The lady stopped and looked up towards one side of the room. She straightened, and her arms left her face as her expression morphed from worried to hard and cruel in an instant.

“What is it now? I told you to not bother me unless it was extremely important!” Her voice matched her now icy glare. Whoever was at her mercy cowered slightly.

“Forgive me Your Majesty. It could not be helped, I assure you. I have news that Prince Lotinar has been negotiating with Queen Zinara and moves to become allies. Our sources say he will soon expect a visit with her or her advisors.” Shade shifted to peer around the pillar that stood between her and the guard. He knelt on the floor just inside the throne room, head bowed and submissive. The Queen shook her head, apparently seething at his news.

“What of the girl? Any sign of her? I want that girl now. I should have had her here already. She holds the key to our ascension. Why has it been so difficult to track her?” The Queen’s voice hissed across the room.

“Your Majesty, I am sorry. She must have help to elude us so well, both in the mundane world and in Faerie. We have found no trace of her since she left the Santiran Mountains. I have all my trackers on it as we speak. We shall find her soon, I promise.”

The woman shook her head and resumed her pacing. Her furrowed brow crinkled her forehead in such a slight way that it almost made her look more human. Shade turned back in the Queen’s direction and noticed her eyes. They shined black as oil with no whites to be seen; like two sunken black holes in her face. Shade sucked her breath in at the sight and knew immediately that she was not human at all. Nothing but a Faerie could have eyes like that, and a Fey Queen at that.

“What of her grandmother, has she been discovered? Has she been hidden well?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. She remains in exile, undiscovered.” The guard did not budge from his position.

The Queen smiled, a sinister grin spreading across her face. She dismissed the guard and turned to sit on the dais, closing her eyes against the pain that throbbed behind them. Shade couldn’t help but stare at her. She wanted to ask this dark Queen what she had meant about her grandmother when the room suddenly swirled and jerked her back into the dark cave of Ilarial’s abode.

She breathed in, slowing her heart’s frantic race as she moved her eyes up to the Oracle who now watched her with curious eyes.

“What just happened? Who was that woman, and why is she looking for me? That, Queen or whatever she is said I had a grandmother. Ilarial, what does she mean by that?”

Shade felt her stomach fill with dread. She felt confused and didn’t like it. She had had her share of fear and confusion for a lifetime already, and she wasn’t ready for more. The vision made her skin crawl, and the shudder that ran along her skin was like a wintery gust stealing her warmth. She turned and slumped on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as she began rocking the cold away.

“Shade, what exactly did you see? It can feel disorientating when you first scry. I didn’t know you would be so sensitive to it, or even be able to do it yet for that matter. Just breath slowly. Here drink this draught, it will help with the chill.” She moved about the room, then returned to the table, pushing a cup into Shade’s hands and encouraging her to sip the warm liquid.