Daphine Forest

Evangeline woke up at the sound of something streaming down the hill. It was so faint that she thought she might have imagined it. She sat still and her ankle was still painful for her to stand up.

Evangeline blinked against the foggy sunlight and the sound came again like a sweet calling for her thirsty throat. She looked sideways, finding Luan was not here beside her.

Where was he? Evangeline thought. His grey hoodie was draping around her shoulders and tentacles of worry flooded in her chest. She could see Melian was still sleeping and she discarded the thought of waking Melian up.

The sight of Luan missing made her scramble to her feet. She walked down the hill limply, moving past Melian as she did.

There was still heavy mist lingering everywhere and the sun pierced through it like arrows in several places, creating a glowing white veil that she could see through only in patches.

"Mr. Winterlight?" Evangeline called softly. "Mr. Winterlight where are you?"

Evangeline caught the sound she heard it before again, and now it was clearer. She walked toward the sound of fluid bubbling over rocks and around three roots and believe it or not, walking with her ankle swelling was the worst nightmare for her.

There was a stream, bisecting the valley between the two low hills, but the water was not like any water. It was emerald green and translucent. The Althea Stream. She has heard about this stream before. Rhea told her there was a stream with emerald green color that it could look like sprawled of dust jewels in a glance but no one knew what the stream was about.

"You can soak your feet in there." Said a soft voice and Evangeline turned to face her. There stood a long-haired lady with a long light blue dress clung on her body. Her hair was blonde and it shone under the streaming sun. Evangeline could not hide the shock from escaping her face and the blonde-haired lady giggled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine." Said Evangeline.

The blonde-haired lady cocked her head to the side. She pushed her blonde bangs covering her eyes back and her eyes flickered to her swollen ankle. "I notice that your ankle was swelling pretty badly there." She pointed her index finger to the bruises on Evangeline's ankle.

Evangeline followed her gaze down to the blue bruises formed around her ankle. "Yeah."

"That stream over there called The Althea Stream." She said and Evangeline looked at the emerald green water, streaming down the two hills. When the sun shone, it sparkled like jewels. "It can heal your injury in a split of second." She added.

Evangeline frowned. "It is?"

The blonde girl nodded genially. "Try it yourself, honey."

Evangeline moved to the edge of the emerald green stream limply and sat on one of the big rocks over there, taking off her black boots. She soaked her feet in the water. "Hey, thank you..." She trailed off and paused as she turned around only to find the blonde-haired lady disappeared behind the foggy mist.

Now that the blonde-haired lady has gone, Evangeline stared blindly out at the sunshine bounced off the water of the stream. She gasped in astonishment, looking down her feet. The bruises formed around her ankle has faded and she felt her feet light as a feather.

Across the distance a shadow cut across the forest, moving fast. Evangeline scrambled to her feet and her eyes squinted. She put on her boots back and stalked to the forest. She followed the mysterious shadow far into the forest and Evangeline's eyebrow knitted together. The trees were grown into a hook shape, bending and curving.

The sound of the crispy dead leaves cracking behind her snapped Evangeline out of her reverie, she turned and looked at the shadow disappeared behind the trees. "Mr. Winterlight?" She called his name. "Is that you?"

Instead of a clear response, Evangeline was greeted with an eerily silent. There was no one there behind the trees yet she could feel the presence. She walked pass the hook looking trees and went deep into the forest. There she could hear music; the sound of a flute, the thang of a harp string and the sound of a loud crashing steels. She strained to listen more but halted when a soft whisper brushed her ears.

“Don't go there.”

Evangeline spun, looking behind her and there was no one. Only the sound of the wind rustling and the leaves swirling into a big wave was visible to both of her auditory and visually. Evangeline pulled her dress down, eyes closed as the harsh wind stung her eyes.

Luan. I need to find him. Evangeline thought, thinking of Luan with a tinge of worry and her heart began to pound. She stood there with her feet firmly pressed on the ground, her hand pulled her white lace dress down for a full minute. The wind slicing through her sleeves, making goose bumps rise on her skin.

Eventually, Evangeline opened her eyes and then the harsh slicing wind was gone, leaving her upper arms slightly bleeding.

"What's wrong, Evangeline?" She turned and saw him just behind the tress. Drazhan. His hair flying like sheet of metal hammered thin. Her hands were shaky and her heart lurched, feeling a pull of far more insistent than the mesmerizing music before.

It can't be. No, it can't be.

Drazhan moved toward her. His expression wistful. "Eve?" The sun ray down through the rustling trees, lighting his hair to rich waves of frosty. Evangeline clenched her hand tightly, refusing herself from hugging him and bury her face against his chest. She knew this was wrong, she knew it was only her desire of wanting him but her racing heart was exploding and she could not stop it.

All of the strength in Evangeline’s legs were giving up, and she could not hide her feelings of wanting him more. Not when Drazhan was here stood before her eyes with the eyes of longing. "Why?" Evangeline spoke, her voice shaken.

Drazhan frowned faintly. "What do you mean, Eve?" He asked, taking a step closer. Close enough to touch her.

"Why did you do that?" She asked. "Why did you leave me?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Evangeline." Drazhan said. He looked at her with wide pained eyes. "I'm sorry." He reached out for her hand.

"Drazhan, don't." She said. Evangeline did not know what she was asking exactly but another voice bellowed in her mind. Don't hold my hand. Don't get close to me. ‘Don't look at me like that, I can't bear it. Don't be everything I want and at the end I can't have you. Don't made it harder for me to forget about you.’

Drazhan put a hand against her cheek, his other hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He bent down and his lips on hers. Evangeline's eyes widened at the size of dinner plate. Her whole body contracted, her heart racing, veins thrumming with blood and energy. Drazhan let her go and he caught her up against him, small and strong in his arms.

Evangeline gasped, unable to breathe and for a brief moment she could taste the sweet sharpness of blood. Then, another voice bellowed in her mind; Don't make me forget you're dead.

That's right, Drazhan was dead.

Evangeline's eyes flashed and she raised her head up, looking into his eyes. His metal steel eyes bored into hers and she could not taste Drazhan anymore, the familiarity of him and the scent of him was disappearing. There was no longer the sweetness of sun warmed-skin, of the scent of steel and citrus like the essence of Tavish.

"Wake up, Eve. Don't get lost in here." He said and Evangeline could see her own blood on his teeth. "Look around, this is Daphine Forest known as The Desire Forest. It gives you what your heart most desire of." A small smile tugged at the edges of his lips.

"My gosh, you cause me to bite your lips for you to regain your conscious. What will you do without me?" Drazhan took a step closer and planted a soft kiss on her temple. "I love you." Was all he said before disappeared along with the frosty mist.

Evangeline stood with her hands at her side and her body aching because she could not touch him. She could not touch him anymore. With that, she fell to the ground instantly and could feel the splinter in her sternum.

She watched in horror as he disappeared in a blink of her eyes. Evangeline was almost screamed as something warm touched her shoulder. She scrambled to her feet and whirled. Evangeline saw Luan in front of her, holding his hands up as if to ward her off. She jerked her head up.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Luan said.

"Mr. Winterlight." She breathed and then paused. "Are you Luan Winterlight? You're not an illusion, don't you?"

Luan cocked his head to the side. His ash-brown haired fell across his head. "There is no illusion as dreamy as I am, my lady."

It was one of the first things he had ever said to her.

"It is you." She said, exhaling with relief. "Thank goodness you're okay." She murmured and her legs instantly gave up.

"Hey." Luan's eyes widened and he fell in front of her. He reached his hand out and his palm against her cheek. "What's wrong?" His blue eyes flashed with worry as he eyed her.

"Give me a second, Mr. Winterlight." She said and gasped, touching her forehead. For a brief moment Evangeline was breathless, gasping for air. The sight of seeing Drazhan again has made her whole body ached. Evangeline’s eyes were shining. She dropped her hand from her forehead and scrubbed the back of her hand across her face.

Luan fell into silent and his eyes never leaving hers. "My lady-" He began and broke off with an intake of breath. He looked at his grey hoodie clung on her body. "There's blood in your sleeve. Are you alright?"

He came closer to her, taking her wrist in his hand. Evangeline glanced down on her sleeves cut and saw to her surprise that he was right - there was scarlet stains on both of her sleeves of her dress. She frowned. "It must be because of the wind earlier."

"The wind?"

"Yes - when I was looking for you, I got lost and there was a harsh wind came toward me-" Evangeline jerked her head up. "Wait, what are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping?" Evangeline expected Luan to let go of her hand, but instead he held her wrist for a long moment.

"I get lost in the sound of the music. Did you hear it too?" He said and Evangeline could hear the music once again. It was very loud and clear sounds of woodwinds, fiddles, the sound of dancing along with laughter, and the stamp of feet.

"You shouldn't be here. You need to have enough rest if we are to arrive to the Queen by the moon rises.

"Same goes to you as well. Why are you here? You can't go around with your swollen-" He paused. He pulled her leg gently and taking off her boots. His eyes morphed with surprise at the disappearance of her bruises overnight. "What happened?"

"I found the Althea Stream. It can heal any of your injuries in a split of second."

"Really?" He echoed in disbelief. Luan glanced up as Evangeline got on her feet. "Where are you going?"

"To the revel." Evangeline said, putting on her boots.

"You can't. Let's go back to Melian. Revel is dangerous." Said Luan.

"I have always wanted to see a revel." Lied. Evangeline needed a distraction. She needed to get Drazhan out of her head. Her body was too aching for him.

Luan shook his head. "No." His voice was firm and stern. "I heard it from the frosty haired man that the revel is dangerous. Once you are joining in their dance, you won't be able to get out."

A surge of rebellion went through her. "I would like to go closer." She said and whirled around, plunging on toward the music.

"My lady, don't." He sounded breathless and Evangeline could hear Luan swore but still following after her.