Prologue
Two thousand years ago, when magic was still accepted...
Merova sat at the edge of a cliff overlooking the forest below. Several small villages lay in the valley. She’d been born in Faery, but they left when she was still a young girl.
Her clan of Wildling Faeries had been pushed out of their homes by the Earth Kingdom. A smaller clan of the Sylvan Fae came with them, seeking peace.
Every realm in Faery warred with another. Fires had ravaged their homes. They left to rebuild and start new lives away from those who wanted to control the smaller clans.
And still, there were days Merova wanted to run away and leave her people entirely. Her gift was rare and powerful. It helped her people create an entire village in a day and helped the Sylvan do the same.
Ever since she was little, she only had to imagine an inanimate object and it appeared before her. She could imbue each item with magic. Useful as the talent was, too many people wanted to control her. Her family protected her as well as they could, however, she hated feeling like she was imprisoned.
She longed to find love, but she trusted no one. Everyone wanted something from her. Even her family, whom she loved dearly.
Shadows moved off to her right. A man appeared with dark skin and dark eyes. He seemed made of shadow as he strode toward her and took a seat with a smile he probably meant to be warm.
“You are a stunning sight. Your power hums.”
She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the forest below.
“No greeting?” he asked, a hint of malice in his tone.
“I’m tired of people. I came out here to be away from everyone.” She sighed and glanced over. His skin was inky, too dark, like tar from the pits.
“You can have anything you want, and you’re up here, all alone. I think you want to be found.”
She snorted. “No. I wish to be left alone.”
He touched her leg. She jerked back and scrambled to her feet, out of reach. “Don’t touch me.”
“Aren’t you lonely?”
Yes, desperately so, but not enough to trust him. Her skin crawled every time he stepped closer.
“I tire of everyone. Leave me alone.”
“Eat with me.”
“No.”
He lifted a hand and a dazzling shield rose around her, trapping her in with the creature who looked all wrong.
“Let me have some time with you. I wish to make you a deal.”
“No. I want nothing from you.”
He sighed. “I could give you the world for a few small tokens.”
“I don’t think so.” Merova imagined a blade in her hand. One that would change anything to her liking. “I only create out of need.”
“Oh, but I need power, and you have the means to grant it.” He moved closer and she slashed out. A thin slice opened in his chest.
She wished him away from her and he disappeared.
The shield still stood, so she drove the blade into the shimmering surface. Willing his spell away, the sparkling wall broke into dust that the breeze carried away.
Gulping, she placed the dagger by her thigh and the weapon sheathed itself in air, ready to draw at any time. And if she pulled her skirt up, the image of the weapon would be on her thigh.
A man burst through the trees and stopped, his mouth falling open as he took her in. “Are you all right? I heard the distress in your voice and came running.” He spoke the same language they had all adopted when moving. A common dialect of Fae.
He was different than anyone she’d met before. Perhaps he was a mix of different races. The clans intermingled, though most didn’t marry outside of their own people. His magic was wild and mixed.
“Thank you, but I dealt with him.”
“Who?” the man asked.
Shaking her head, she lifted a shoulder. “Don’t know. I’m Merova.”
“Pardon me, Merova, I’m Halstien. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you for checking on me.” Wariness crept in, but hope sparked as well.
Smiling, he held eye contact. “Hungry?”
A laugh bubbled up. “I am.”
“Come, I’ll make you a fresh meal.”
She took a moment to consider her options.
Leave and never see the man again. Merova couldn’t bear that idea.
Or stay and find out if she could trust him. Curiosity won out.
* * * *
Halstien had never seen anyone more beautiful. Her eyes were a pale green that shimmered like precious gems. Her long golden hair hung in waves that called to his fingers.
He’d heard the stories of her power. Knew the clans all wished to use her. No, he wanted nothing from her other than her heart, if she were willing.
One look and he knew she was his other half. He’d never imagined he would find someone for him. And there she was.
The only thing he wanted was to see her smile, and he’d do anything to make that happen. Even take her far from the mountains to find their own place in the world.
Through rifts he’d traveled and found new lands. Though something had always kept him rooted to the mountains. He’d never ventured far for long, always coming back. And now he knew why.
He led her through the forest to the home he built for himself. His parents’ home had been destroyed with spells. After burying them, he moved farther into the forest, preferring to avoid the towns except when he needed to trade. Luckily, he could pass for either.
Smiling, he nodded to his home. “Not much, but it stays warm and it’s comfortable enough.”
“It’s perfect, and thank you. I wasn’t ready to go back to town yet.” She glanced down, clearly nervous.
“Because people ask too much of you?”
Glancing away, she nodded.
As much as he wanted to reach for her hand, he didn’t. Instead, he met her gaze. “I don’t imagine it’s easy to trust, but I will never ask for anything. My parents died because my mother was tired of the demands of both her clan and my father’s. She was Sylvan. He was a mystic. And after they fell in love, the mystics wanted to use her talents against her own people.”
“What happened to them?”
“They warned them not to have a child. They didn’t heed the warnings, and Father took her away the moment he learned she was pregnant.”
“You grew up without either clan?”
He lifted a shoulder. “There are other outcasts in the forest. And I have been in each village to trade, but I am always careful to only display my talents that fit with that village.”
“And the Wildling Fae? Have you gone to our town?”
He nodded. “The easiest to trade with. They don’t ask, but they’re happy to do business with me.”
“What happened to your parents?” she asked again, her gaze unwavering.
“I went hunting ten years ago. I came back to our cabin razed to the ground and their charred husks. An old friend who lived nearby told me what happened. My parents never told the elders about me, and it’s the only reason I’m still here. Neither the Sylvan, nor the mystics wanted a hybrid born. They consider my magic too destructive and would hunt me down.”
A tear slid down her face. “I’m sorry, Halstien.”
He managed a smile. “Not your fault. But it’s why I won’t ask for anything. I understand all too well the burden of those wanting too much from one person.” He moved to the hearth and started a fire. “In any case, you’re welcome to stay for as long as you want. No one will find us here.”
“I need to go back in the morning. My family will worry and begin to search for me if I stay away too long.”
“Whatever you need, I will make it happen. Whatever you want, I’ll do my best to ensure.”
“Thank you.”
“And if you ever need to get away again, I’ll be waiting to bring you back here, or take you far from those who demand things from you.”
She blinked slowly, a smile spreading. “I believe you. I shouldn’t. I’ve heard it all before, but you’re different.”
Dipping his head, he put fresh meat on the fire and sat down beside her. “Tell me all the things that make you happy.”
Frowning, she lifted a shoulder. “Hardly remember what makes me happy. I’ve been pestered for things for so long that I’ve forgotten anything but pushing people away. So, you tell me, what makes you happy.”
“The forest, an ale with my few trusted friends, the wind in the trees, and your smile when it appears on your face.”
Her face lit up. There was nothing in any world that had ever made him feel as good as she did.
* * * *
The next morning, Merova woke in his arms, on a fur blanket by the still burning fire. There was only one place to sleep, so she insisted he sleep beside her.
She was the one who burrowed into his embrace. Against all reason, she trusted him. He never once asked for anything and avoided the topic of her gift the entire night. He provided food, shelter, and companionship. She felt as if she could tell him anything, like the fact she wished she could leave and never come back. That she wanted to travel, to see new sights. To explore.
After meeting him, she would never be the same. She wanted to be with Halstien, but knew her family would never trust him. Still, Merova needed to see her family one last time. He didn’t want to let her go alone, claiming he had a bad feeling.
That should have scared her, but she felt it too. Something big was going to change. Well, other than her falling in love overnight. A threat lingered in the air. Perhaps the man she’d met on the mountain, before Halstien appeared.
Halstien shifted into a ferret who climbed into a hidden pocket in her cloak. Even as a small animal, his warmth chased off some of the fear.
She nodded. “I’m glad you’re with me,” she whispered before opening the door.
Mother rushed forward, tears in her eyes. “We were so worried. Zariha says you were attacked in the hills.”
“Zariha?”
“Yes, we’ve agreed to his proposition. He will give you sanctuary away from a dangerous man who wants to use your talent.”
“What?” she whispered. “What are you talking about?”
“He’ll fend off the monstrosity that wants you to make his every desire.”
She shook her head. “You’re not making sense.”
Her mother gripped her arms. “Halstien will use you.”
She jerked free and backed away. Halstien didn’t want her gifts. No, Zariha did. He’d said as much. And Halstien understood the burden.
Her father came in with the man from the cliff. The one she sent away. That was Zariha?
Shaking her head, she backed away from Zariha. “I won’t go with him.”
“He’ll keep you safe from the man who murdered his own family.”
Lies, they believed the lies.
Merova slipped through the door and cast a ward to keep them in, then ran. Didn’t matter where, she wasn’t thinking. She ran into the forest, then someone yanked her from the trail, to somewhere else.
The trees were old, thick, towering. She spun around and found Halstien.
He caressed her face. “I heard everything. What do you want to do?”
“Leave. I was wrong to come home. I thought—I hoped they would accept you. They think you murdered your family. They were going to send me away.”
“If it helps, your family didn’t want to send you away. They want you safe. Only they don’t know they played into the enemy’s hands.”
“Who is Zariha?” she whispered.
“He feeds off those of us with magic. I’m not sure if he wants you for your magic or to feed from you.”
“We leave then. Go far away.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to see them again?”
She nodded. “Extremely.”
He pulled her in another direction, taking her farther into the strange forest.
“Where are we?”
He bobbled his head. “Nowhere, really. This rift spans the space between the Sylvan Forest in Faery and is placed throughout our new world. The rift is large, and one entrance is where we started. I’ll take you to another land, far away, near the ocean. There are people there. Many different kinds. They won’t know your magic or mine. You never have to be used for what you can do again.”
“Take me. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
* * * *
Nineteen hundred years ago…
At times Merova missed her family, but she’d made her own with Halstien. Their daughter Babette was almost two. And lately her skin crawled every time she thought about her family believing the lies Zariha told them.
Halstien wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder. “She’s getting so big.”
Laughing, Merova nodded. “I love you.”
“Love you more than anything,” he murmured.
And still, she felt evil creeping up on their lives. The foreboding grew worse with each passing day. The shadows seemed darker lately.
As she stared off into the distance, the shadows moved closer, forming an unnatural figure. True fear rolled through her.
Merova dashed forward, scooped Babette into her arms, and ducked inside. Halstien followed, casting the spell to lock the rift around their home. No one would get in.
“What did you see?” he asked.
“Zariha,” she whispered.
“Then we’ll go tonight, move to another place. You and our darling little one will be safe.”
* * * *
Five hundred years ago…
Merova stared out at the lighthouse she’d spent the last decade in with Halstien. Their children had grown and moved away over the centuries, and they were safe.
Halstien had helped the town’s builders create the beautiful structure. And since then, they’d lived happily, watching over the people.
People started dying the month before. They called the creature Homme d’Ombre, but they knew it was Zariha feeding off the people.
They needed to find a way to stop him for good. For centuries, they would make a home and be happy for a time before Zariha found them. They’d escaped each time, but the cycle had to stop.
Halstien appeared before her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Can’t find him. He’s hiding too well.”
She touched his hip and closed her eyes, willing a magical weapon to be there, within his reach whenever he needed it.
His hands tightened on her shoulders as his muscles jerked. “Don’t need anything,” he muttered through clenched teeth.
“A weapon, an ax. You’re good with them. And this is imbued with the power to fully destroy Zariha.” They had tried many times before, but he always reformed. No, she needed to create something that would finish him forever.
He captured her face and pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you, but you know I’ve never wanted anything but your love, which you give me freely.”
“I love you,” she whispered. “You’ve given me freedom I only ever dreamed of.”
“We’ll ensure your freedom.”
“More concerned with the people we’ve accepted as ours. My freedom lies with you. Always has.”
“We will stop him.” He slipped into another realm, leaving her seemingly alone.
Screams echoed through the alleys. Zariha formed before her, rising out of the shadows on the ground. “Finally, you’ve stopped running, Merova. Does that mean you’ll finally grant me your power?”
He no longer wanted her to make the items for him. He’d learned how to steal the magic from a person and retain it. He showed new kinds of power every time they encountered him.
Halstien appeared behind Zariha and brought Endringsblad down, nearly severing the right side of his body from the rest.
Zariha whipped around and latched his hands around Halstien’s neck, drawing energy.
Halstien threw his hand out, sending a wave of force at Merova, who went slamming back into the rift that took her to the lighthouse. Then something shattered and she tried to slip back through to reach Halstien before Zariha killed him, only she slipped far away, across the world.
Grief overwhelmed Merova as she collapsed on the bed in a cave they had once made their home, away from people. Her creations lined the walls at the bottom of the cave.