“Jessamine!” My brother called for me.
I remained crouched behind the fallen tree, nestled among the twiggy branches, determined to never go home again.
“Jessamine,” Draydyn called again, closer, as he crunched over fallen leaves. “I know you’re here, sister. Please come out.”
“No!” I yelled, pouting where I still hid.
He chuckled and sat upon the log, his grass-green hair shining brighter than usual among the golden and red autumn foliage.
“Come out, Jessa. You know I’m your friend.”
I stood up, fuming, tears streaking my cheeks. I was only twelve, but I was already terrified of my future fate. “It doesn’t matter if you are. You can’t stop Father.”
He sighed and gestured for me to sit next to him on the log. Stepping through the fallen limbs, I climbed over the log and sat beside him, both of us facing the wide meadow, yellow instead of green at this time of year. From here, I couldn’t see the sea on the other side of our castle, its spiky turrets pointing toward the sky, but I could still smell the salty air. The scent gave me comfort as I sat quietly next to Draydyn.
He wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulder. “We all have our duty to our kingdom, Jessa.”
I sniffed and wiped my face with the lily-embroidered white sleeve of my day gown. Nurse would be angry that I’d gotten it dirty.
“You mean to our father,” I snapped angrily.
Draydyn sighed and hugged me closer. “He only does what he thinks is best for us. And for our kingdom.”
“Like sell Ada to that awful lord from Hellamir? He is a disgusting oaf. And he only wants Ada because of her magick.”
My brother remained quiet for a moment. “Ada is a gifted willoden. Lord Cardyn is the highest lord in Hellamir, which is a port town. A very important one for the trade-waters. Adawill help him by controlling the waters and keep his merchants and fishermen safe. He’s also very rich.”
“Yes, I’m sure Father will enjoy the gold he pays for Ada,” I spat angrily.
“That’s not what I meant.” He squeezed my shoulder again. “He will keep Ada well-protected and give her a good life. He has also shown nothing but kindness, no matter how big of an oaf he is.”
“But,” I whined, “he’s so ugly. And she’s so beautiful. How could she possibly want to go with him?”
Draydyn laughed. “From what I’ve seen during these past few weeks of their courtship, he has won her with his gentle and kind ways. Ada may not mind his ugliness, because his heart is good.”
I thought about that for a moment. “If Ada is happy, then I am happy for her.” Then I snapped my head to look up at him. “But I never want to be sold off to a man like that.”
My brother looked down, his expression sympathetic, “We all have our roles, little Jessa. You have the gift of a nendovir.”
I had another gift, but I was still keeping it a secret. It frightened me.
“That would come in handy for any lord of land near lakes or the sea,” Draydyn added.
“Why? So I can tame the naiads for him? So he can build on their riverbanks and eat all their fish?”
Draydyn chuckled again. He did that often with me. “You only think of the worst when your temper is hot. By having the gift to speak to naiads, you could be their ambassador, bringing peace between the fae who live near their watery homes. That is a positive gift and would be an asset to any lord near the seas.”
“I’m not doing it,” I told him emphatically, “but I’d rather live near the seas. Or a lake would suffice.”
“I know it’s hard for you to understand,” he said, “and I know Father is harsh sometimes. You are right when you said he didn’t give Ada a choice. He rarely asks our opinions.”
“Never, you mean.”
He hugged me closer. “Don’t worry, Jessa. I won’t ever let him marry you to someone you don’t like. I will always protect you.”
I snapped out of the memory, colder than I was before. Draydyn had lied, not that he’d meant to. When he died last year in the war against the wraith fae, Father decided it was time I was put to use. Me and my gift as a syrenskyn, which I was unable to keep secret as a grown woman, was auctioned to the highest bidder. And the bidder who came calling had very specific plans for me. I ran away from home the next day.
I stumbled into a small clearing, the snow thick on the ground. My toe caught on a branch hidden beneath the snow and I fell sideways, knocking my head.
