“Indra,” I said to the elder, “Liam is my soulmate, whether you choose to believe it or not.”
The crowd gasped and I heard a few mutter “black wings” and “Dark Fae.” “He helped me get these crystals, and we will work as a team from now on, getting the rest that are needed … but youmustallow him to live here, with me. He’s one of us.”
Beside me, Liam made to speak, but I shushed him.
I held my chin high. “It’s that or I leave Faerie.”
Everyone behind me gasped, but it was Indra I was watching, her gaze roaming over Liam like he was a snake.
“Come in and we’ll certainly talk about it,” she cooed, giving the crowd her best smile.
“No,” I said immediately. “He stays or I go.”
“Lil—” Liam tried, but I shushed him again.
“No. Theycan’ttreat you like this.”
“If Lily says they are soulmates, I believe her!” I recognized Maye’s voice call out from behind me and forced down a sob of relief. Everyone started to echo Maye, the village baker. “I believe her. Soulmates shouldn’t be separated. He’s one of us.”
Indra sighed, resigned. “Alright.”
My body relaxed at her words.
“He’s clearly proved useful today,” she said, “If he continues, I don’t see why not.”
“Lily,” Liam whispered, pulling me towards him. I turned to him with a smile on my face.
The second I saw the pain in his expression, the sheer agony, my stomach dropped.
“What’s wrong?” I looked to his now healed wound, wondering what was causing him so much pain.
“You and I are from different worlds. I … have to go home. I need to bring this to people who count on me.” He held up the crystal.
My throat constricted so hard then that it was physically painful not to cry. “Well, bring it to them and come back here.”
Reaching out, he brushed his fingers across my bottom lip. “I can’t. Where would a fish and bird live together? I’m sorry … I’m out of time.” Leaning in, he brushed a quick kiss to my lips and then he was … gone. The last memory I would have of would be his retreating black wings, smoking inky tendrils wafting through the bright blue sky of Faerie. It was like a sinister reminder from the gods that he didn’t belong here with me.
I wanted to run after him, to beg him to stay, but my mother had taught me a very important lesson when Owen Jaspers broke up with me at age sixteen: “You shouldn’t need to chase love. If you do, it’s one-sided.”
My heart tore in two and I kicked myself for this moment, the one I knew was coming since we made love. It seemed so long ago … but it was only last night. How had I gotten here?
Having my heart ripped out in front of the entire town.
I was Violet Wren’s daughter and I would show my village just how strong I could be. The entire crowd had fallen into a hush. Indra stared at the ground.
Wiping my eyes, I reached down and pulled the cool blue crystal into my hands. Then I turned and faced my people.
“The elders and my mother have kept you all in the dark in an attempt to give you a sense of security.”
“Don’t do this,” Indra warned sharply behind me.
I looked back at her, cutting her with the cruelest glare I could manage. I didn’t trust her anymore. Something was off, and I was going to find out what.
“But I won’t do that!” I yelled as loud as I could. Liam was probably at the blue door now, leaving with Mara and his crystal. Gone from my life forever.
Raising the crystal high for everyone to see, the sun shone on it and everyone gasped. “These are soul crystals. They are what keep Faerie standing, the power of the Tree of Life. And as a seeker, it is my job to retrieve the remaining four of them from Earth, where they are being hidden by Winter King Cypress.”
Rumbles and cries started throughout the crowd. Parents covered children’s ears and I nodded.
