“My queen. You know that I never wish to bug you during these hours, but there’s something on the horizon. I thought I should notify you at once.”

Jules, the small fairy bowed to the floor. Her beautiful, emerald and gold wings tapped the marble floors of the grand castle. Her vibrant heart beat quickly against her chest. It always caused her extreme anxiety to step foot in the marvelous room.

The queen brushed her auburn hair from her eyes. She frowned, knowing the news she was about to receive was terrible. “It’s okay. You know I value your insight, Jules. Please, sit down. What’s on your mind?”

“It’s the brotherhood,” she said.

The queen’s eyebrows rose. She leaned back against her worthy throne. “The shifters in the Pines? What mischief have they got themselves into now?” she asked.

Jules sat down and folded her hands together with worry. “It’s not about what they’re doing. It’s more about what we need them to do.”

“I see,” whispered the queen. She had been watching that shifter group quite carefully, for some time. Logan, Jackson, Jonas, Freddie, Tristan, and the rest of the family were admirable to her. They all exhibited a specific discipline and self-respect.

“Go on. You don’t need to hold back when you speak to me, Jules,” the queen said.

Jules cleared her throat. She never liked being a messenger of bad news. The fairy knew that it made her look bad amongst her peers. Still, she couldn’t hold back. She was far more loyal to the queen than the rest of her group.

“A darkness has spread around the forests. The trees are dying. All of them are rotting from the inside. Their energy is distorting. If the darkness spreads to our queendom, we will lose the light we hold so dear,” Jules said, gulping loudly.

“Has it spread outward yet?” the queen asked.

Jules nodded carefully. “Yes, ma’am. In the southern regions of our world, there was a sighting. A black pond was found near someone’s front yard.”

The queen stood up and walked toward the massive window. It overlooked the light-grey clouds. She enjoyed staring out of those windows, for it helped her think.

“The southern regions? Isn’t that where Tristan, the sly fox moved to after he helped Freddie and Jonas?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jules croaked. Her throat was dry from anxiety.

“Stop calling me ma’am, and calm yourself,” the queen said.

“Sorry, Rhiannon,” she muttered.

A confused smile formed on Rhiannon’s face. She liked being the queen among such a peaceful group of people, but she never quite enjoyed feeling like royalty. The fae had a complex set of social rules, but she wanted to break them down.

“Tristan has sharp senses. He may not know it, but he always seems to go where he’s needed,” Queen Rhiannon said. “Though, the question remains. Is he equipped to handle this next quest?”

Jules smiled confidently. She had been watching the brotherhood for a while, as well. Tristan had already been through so much, but she knew he could handle this.

“He is near his fated mate,” Jules said.

The queen nearly jumped for joy, squealing. “Oh, yes! But under such terrible circumstances. Oh, well.”

“I believe he can get through this. But only with the help of his mate can he sweep the darkness away from our luscious forests,” Jules said.

The queen walked back to her throne. She ran her finger along the jagged, gold edges. “And have we found out where the darkness is coming from?”

“No, ma’am. Err, I mean Rhiannon,” Jules said, wincing from her mistake.

“The goddesses, maybe. Or the fate sisters. They’re always trying to prove something to the world. I thank the heavens for the outer realm, Jules. You know that as much as I. They have kept our lands hidden for quite some time, but they create many problems, too.”

Rhiannon sat back down. She was starting to feel restless. Tristan was a gem, but others toyed with the fox too much. She was worried about this journey. She knew he was already close to giving up.

“I can arrange a meeting, but I can’t promise you that they’ll receive the message well,” Jules said, timidly.

The queen laughed at the proposition. “No, no, no. That’s not needed. The inhabitants of the outer realm have their issues, and they’re not going to change anytime soon. We’ll just have to fair on without their help.”

“So what do you want me to do?” Jules asked. She felt as if she had run out of options.

“Your thoughts are correct, as usual. There’s nothing we can do. If the darkness kills the forests, our civilization could end. We will have another great war. Life as we know it will be changed forever,” Rhiannon said.

Jules thought about all of the newly born babies of Frisky Pines. There was so much joy there now. “But there is hope, still. There’s hope in love, isn’t there?” Jules asked.

It was a question that Rhiannon asked herself constantly. The fae didn’t give themselves to “love.” They believed in honor and sacrifice, in following a strict set of guidelines. They had different methods for childbirth, more scientific and magical in nature.

Jules smirked, but it annoyed Rhiannon. The queen spoke. “Don’t laugh. I’m jealous of them. They get to experience something most beings won’t ever have. Love. Childbirth. I envy them.”

“Forgive me, your highness,” Jules said, bowing.

“There is nothing to forgive,” the fae queen said. “Deliver a message to Gorbins, as quick as you can. We’ll be in need of his services.”

Jules nodded and quickly ran to the giant doors. Before she could exit, the queen yelled, “Oh, and Jules! One more thing. No more toying with Gorbins. He has been a good enough friend to us.”

“But he has sided with the goddesses,” Jules whispered, turning a dark shade of red.

“He is our friend too. You must remember,” Rhiannon said.

Jules nodded, knowing her place. “We’ll do our best to alert him of all the discrepancies,” she said.

But the queen knew better. As the giant doors shut, a dark, brooding feeling had entered the center of her chest. This journey was not going to be easy, and life on all fronts could change forever.