Winter

"Have you come to make a promise?" A sweet voice says. The voice is familiar and I struggle to open my eyes. My body feels tired, and I’m not sure why. When I see the purple trees, and look down at my feet in the yellow grass, I know why I’m tired.

Shoot, I’ve dream called the fairy again. I turn slightly to see her standing at the line of trees a few feet away.

Lily stands looking over at me, in a black dress with a cut out in the middle. She isn’t wearing a cloak today so I can see how she has a perfect body to go with her beauty. All supernaturals have this perfect looking thing sorted. When she tucks a bit of her hair behind her ear, I see the pointy tips of her ears are long.

Her long strawberry blonde hair flutters in the warm breeze. The air even smells nice here; it tastes like sweets as I breathe it in.

"For your help?" I ask turning to fully face her, I go to take a step forward but I can’t move. I brush my hands down the white dress I’m wearing and look at her.

"The demon king will demand the world and only I can help you. What I ask for in return isn't terrible," she says with a slight giggle.

"So, explain exactly what the offer is," I say. I can't say we don’t need the help. I saw first-hand how weapons are useless and it took two wolves to take down one of them. The witches’ powers aren’t going to be useful against demons unless they have weapons that work. The vampires could team up but we don’t have the numbers anymore. There just aren’t enough of us if he has turned even a quarter of Paris. That doesn’t even include the vampires and humans that were in the castle. The angels won't help, not unless they’re sure they’ll win. Well that’s what Dabriel thinks. The dark angel’s power to cause pain when they touch someone won’t help kill the demons when they look like emotionless zombies. We don't have a big enough army with the low birth rate and deaths that have happened because of the wars between the supernatural people.  The witches and angels fought for years and killed each other. Then the werewolves and vampires declared war, and did the same. This is the most vulnerable time for them, for us all and we now have the biggest threat on our doorstep. The demons can’t be killed by silver, but we can.

"I offer you this for a single promise. I swear to send five thousand of my Fray army to your world. They will carry four weapons each and you may keep three of each of their weapons for your own men and women. When the war is won, they will all leave and not come back,” she says.

"How will they get here?" I ask.

"The war will happen on the Winter solstice, we can travel through the dimensions on that day only. The earth is weak on that day and that's why the demon king needs to use it." 

"What will you ask in return?" I ask her, I cross my arms and she smiles.

"In your world, there is a half-fray child. I wish for you to send her to me when you meet her." She smiles.

"How do you know I will?" I ask.

"Your mother told me," she says, and I look away. I don’t know why it bothers me that she had such a good relationship with my mother. I guess I could almost be jealous that I didn’t get that time with her.

"How would I send the child back?" I ask.

"When you make the promise, you will only have to touch her and the portal will open. Ancient magic will take her to me." she says.

"Why can't you just find her?" I ask.

"I can’t risk being in your world long, my soldiers will only stay a day to win the war. Fray do not belong in the human world and half children are rare gifts," she tells me.

"Do you believe in the goddesses?"  I ask.

"Not yours. We have our own." She replies, she looks up to the sky and then lowers her creepy yellow eyes on me.

"Why do you want the child?" I ask. I can’t send any child to someone if they plan to hurt them. Not that I have a clue if Lily is lying to me as she replies.

"She is royalty. There is little of the Royal Fray left." She answers. I watch her closely but she looks like she’s being honest. I feel my back warming up, like it’s burning.

"Make the promise, your mates are calling," she says.

"I promise," I say, and feel a snap around my wrists like shackles. When I look at my wrists, there are two white Lily's in the middle of them both. 

"I promise my side. Thank you, Queen Winter," she says.

"You never told me your name."

"Queen Lily. Queen of all the Fray," she says, and my eyes widen. She is a queen here.

“One more thing queen Winter, the portal to the demon dimension must be closed with the king on the other side. The only way to close it is a death. Not just any death, only one with goddess’s blood may close the portal. I am truly sorry.” She lowers her head to me. Does that mean I will have to die?

“No,” I shake my head; no one can die to close the portal anyway, it’s in the middle of the vampire castle. How would I even get close enough?

“Her saviour will die when the choice is made,” Lily says gently as I feel myself falling.

I blink my eyes as I open them, I'm lying on top of Atti and he’s gently snoring. 

"Atti," I whisper. Wondering how long I fell asleep for this time. The last time was two weeks. Lily’s final words come rushing back to me. The prophecy said my saviour would die and someone has to die to close the portal. Only I have goddess blood, so surely, I would die?

Who the hell is my saviour?

In a way, I’ve been saved by a lot of people I care about. I won’t let any of them die for me, no way in hell. I'll send my grandfather back to the demon dimension myself and make that choice. It’s me that has to pay the price; it was me that opened the portal in the first place. My heart tightens at the thought, but what choice do I have?

"You’re awake, thank god." Atti says, and sits up with me. He kisses me gently.

"What the hell is this?" He asks when he sees my wrists. I glance down and see the Lily marks on both my wrists. The dream was real and it snaps to me what I’ve done and the choices I have to make in the future.

"I made a promise with the Fray queen. She will send help when we need it. I have to send someone to her, a child that is half-Fray. Lily said a portal will open when I touch the child," I tell him. His eyes widen and he shakes his head.

“I don’t know anything about Fray but how can we know to trust a promise from her?” he asks.

"You shouldn't make a promise with Fray," Jaxson says coming into the room. He sits next to Atti and me. I turn slightly to look at him as he takes my hand in his warm one.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I don't know lass, but Lucinda talks to plants remember?" He asks and I nod. I once saw Lucinda on pack lands, with both her hands on a tree and she was glowing slightly yellow. Jaxson was with me and explained about her power to talk to trees and most plants. I was shocked that they spoke at all, I know after everything I’ve seen I shouldn’t be shocked but I was. It was only a few weeks later that the jewel trees sang with me. Weird shit happens.

"I told her you had been dream calling a Fray and that's what the plants told her when she asked them for me. Not to make a promise with a Fray," he says, and a cold sweat fills me. That can’t be a good sign. Why do I feel like I’ve just made a huge mistake?

"I made one with the queen," I say quietly. Jaxson looks up at the ceiling, his jaw ticking and his grip on my hand tightens.

"We will work it out,” Jaxson finally says.

“The last fight is today,” Atti says.

"I don't even remember going to bed, we were dancing at the summer solstice and then…” I drift off when I realise I don't have a clue what happened. I vaguely remember the queen's friend speaking to me about the fight and then that’s it.

"Then you were poisoned." Jaxson finishes and I can't remember it. Is that why I feel so tired? I felt tired before I went to fairyland, but now every part of my body is aching like I’ve been working out with Leigha for a week.

"The grape juice had poison in it, only yours. Dabriel saved you." Atti says. His voice tense and full of anger. I bet the guys had to stop him from killing someone for poisoning me.

"Where is he so I can thank him?" I ask.

"With Wyatt at the castle. A few vampires where attacked last night by demons in the next town. They just walked into the bar and went straight for them. The humans ran away and there were only ten of them but everyone has been called to the castle. Dabriel needs to heal them and they lost five vampires. Only three survived and just barely. They said the demons were too strong," Jaxson says, and I know why I feel so worried and sad. I'm picking up on Wyatt’s emotions even this distance away.

"Oh no," I say quietly.

"You need to eat and get ready; I'm here to be a snack. I’m the only one you haven't fed on and you need any help you can get in the fight," Atti says and Jaxson stands.

"I’ll get you some normal food, too, have fun," He smirks at my shocked face and walks out.

"You sure?" I ask as I look at Atti and he laughs. Atti pulls me onto his lap and turns his head to the side.

"Are you kidding me? I've been fucking waiting for this for months," he says, and I laugh. My laughter drifts off as I smell him. He smells so sweet and I'm powerless to stop myself as I bite into his neck. He tastes better than anything I could think of and he groans, pulling me closer with every second. I moan when Atti's hand slides down my stomach and even lower to my core, as I feed on him. The pressure is crazy and I let him take me over the edge as he slowly moves his hand against me. When I stop and pull away, he removes his hand and smiles at me. I wipe the little bit of blood off my lips and he watches. It used to freak me out, drinking blood, but it doesn’t anymore.

"Winter, all I want to do is lie you down and make love to you," he says making me turn bright red. I’m such a dork.

"I want that too, I feel incomplete without you," I tell him honestly.

"Soon." He whispers and kisses me.

We eventually leave the bedroom and I shower. I find my leather outfit and my daggers folded up with a chocolate bar on top of them. That has Alex all over it and it makes me smile. I decide to plait my hair into the same bun as last time.

When I'm all dressed I come down the stairs and nearly walk into Jaxson’s back when I see Esta by the door.

"What the bloody hell is she doing here?" I ask a little harshly. Esta is dressed to fight, wearing tight black leggings and a short leather top that looks like it’s trying to replace her skin. There are guns strapped to her arms and thighs. She also has a large silver sword on her back. Jaxson told me that a lot of supernaturals don’t use bullets; it’s rarely enough silver to kill, so it’s useless. The only good thing is that if you fire enough, it will slow them down and give you time to make a final kill with a sword or something else. Esta doesn't bother looking at me as she speaks.

"I may not like you my queen, but I have amends to make. Anna is a sister to me and begged me to help you. Katy is too young and Lucinda too old, so here I am; I have the power to move extremely fast, so fast you can’t see me. I will help you in the fight for Anna but I can’t shift. I can’t move as fast as a wolf, and it’s useless to you anyway," she says, and I turn to look at Jaxson.

"If I could help you I would," he says quickly, and hands me a plate with a sandwich on it. I eat it quickly.

"I don’t know, you are a big enough girl to maybe trick the queen into letting you fight," Atti says, and Jaxson turns to glare at him.

"Fucking asshole," Jaxson says and Atti laughs.

"You have us confused, bro," he says and I snort a little in laughter, Atti isn’t wrong. Leigha comes into the room, dressed like a leather loving warrior princess. Two swords on her back, a load of daggers all over her outfit.

It's a wonder how she doesn't manage to stab herself when she sits down or hell, just moves.

I would. 

"Time to leave," she says, and I look over at Atti, it’s time to win this for him.