Ten

It was cold. Noisy. Feeling returned in increments. First I could wiggle my fingers, toes then my legs. I moaned at the thumping at my temple and tried to bring my hands down to my face. My eyes groggily slid half-open when I realized I could not move them to obey. I looked down my body, now clad in a flimsy black sheath, and saw my legs drawn apart and held down by rough rope. I tried to remember, but the fog was still heavy over me and it was dark. I could smell trees, dirt, and fresh air heavy with smoke and something else, metallic and weird. I recognized this smell was wrong, bad, and yet so familiar. I tried to pull my legs, my arms, but I could do nothing but flail. Gasping, I drew deep and gritted my teeth. I opened my eyes fully and took in my surroundings.

All around me were leaves, thick purple leaves with sharp silver thorns.

Slowly, my mind struggled to piece it together. I shivered, and shook my head as it hit me in flashes. Breandan had been dragged to the centre of the camp and cruelly beaten. Lochlann had been held back, and Maeve had been thrust into his arms, sobbing.

Tomas had been brought forward, snarling and fighting as they bound him.

Wasp had enjoyed slapping the chains around my neck a little too much. I'd been hoisted up to hang from a thick tree bough, and was bound so tightly I'd lost feeling in my limbs. The smell of iron made me retch and heave. Then the pretty fairy had smiled wickedly before she punched me, and I'd lost consciousness.

I was awake now, and wishing she'd hit me harder.

Directly opposite me, my vampire-boy was suffering. Bound with silver, skin red raw where it rubbed against his wrists, he looked furious.

"Next time you listen to me," he said.

I gave him a wobbly smile. "You think there'll be a next time?" A chain slid against my wrist and I winced.

If such a thing was possible, his eyes darkened as he looked over my shoulder. I craned my neck around to see Breandan on his knees, bound in wreathes of iron chains. Maeve had woken and was in front of him, trying to hug him and crying and apologizing. Lochlann stood protectively near them, statue still and head held high. I guessed he could do nothing since he had been defeated. He had no choice but to let Devlin continue with this madness, unless he was rescued.

I decided then that fairy rules were stupid and melodramatic.

I whispered a wish that Conall would be nearby, and that he would save us before anything bad happened.

Devlin shouted something, and his voice drew my eyes to where he stood. Beautiful fairies were gathered around me chanting. The orange glow of a roaring, smoky fire flickered across exposed skins. Creatures with ears pointed and teeth fanged, swayed to a throbbing pulse I could feel vibrating my skeleton. They were like me, my kind. The side of my head throbbed, and I clung to consciousness. Oh gods this was bad. Feet clawed and scaled pounded the ground in a tribal rhythm. The beating of chest, feathered and armored blended into a melodic clamor. Fingers sunk into the earth to scoop bracken from the floor, and heave it into the air with flourish, letting it sprinkle over them like polluted rain. Clothes thin, transparent as the smoke that snaked around them, billowed and streamed in the wind as they gyrated and preened around my bound body. Every beady eye, fluttery lash and arced eyebrow was directed at me, yet the mouths and bodies whined a tune I was too dizzy to recognize. They shrieked and hissed. Leaping and dancing they groped and kissed, smiled and bit. Blood was drawn with screeches of rancor and their lusty whimpers whipped up a hungered frenzy.

I blinked, and focused hard on the centre of the commotion. They danced around something wide, flat and gray, raised from the floor. An alter. The human lying on the stone slab moaned and writhed.

"Alex," I whispered.

She moaned again, and twitched. She was coming too. I wished she would stay under so that she could be spared the horror.

"I call you fairies here to partake in this delight. The night is our master." Devlin's voice, raspy and thick cried out. His words were carried away on the wind into the darkness. He stood at the foot of the dais, handsome and magnetic. His hair flowed like golden corn. Eyes wide and clear as the sky in summer. Face luminous, pale and stunningly angelic. He held a simple curved blade in hands, too perfect to be human. Beneath his ebony robe he was naked, and the moonlight reflected off his pearlescent skin. A terrifyingly evil aura pulsed from within him.

"Our master," murmured the beautiful voices.

"She is pure. We offer her to the night with glee in our hearts, and blood in our mouths."

Devlin took a deep drink from a silver chalice then spilled the rest of the contents over Alex's body. The metallic scent from before reached my nose. A few splashes dripped into Alex's mouth and terror gripped her so hard she screamed, arcing her back. The skin under her bindings tore.

"We offer this human child. We give thanks to the night that blesses us with sex, blood and death."

"This is not happening," I said loudly.

"Rae?" Alex choked and squinted, trying to make me out in the low light. Her eyes went wide and she started to thrash around. "Help me, oh gods, what's happening?"

Devlin slapped her across the face. Alex kept shouting for me and pulled harder on the rope that bound her. I had nothing to help her. I didn't even have any words to soothe her. I tried to reach to the Source; I could feel it all around me, calling to me. All I had to do was touch it. I panted, and grunted, and tried to extend my influence past my own body, but the iron was overwhelming.

A cloaked figure stood in the m�l�e, utterly silent and composed. A deep cowl was drawn over his head, and I could see nothing but the gleam of calm and cold eyes peering at me. I got the greatest sense of danger from him, so I looked away and struggled harder. My wrists burned and chafed, but I kept writhing.

"My brothers, sisters. The Tribe protects you and pleases you with fresh meat." Panting, I continued to struggle. I just needed one arm free, just one leg. "A body to drink revel and break." Devlin's voice clotted with lust.

A new fear shot through me hot and hard.

He wouldn't dare.

His mouth trawled over Alex, and she convulsed in disgust as his clawed fingers dragged leisurely across her skin. Wasp was beside him and laughed throatily. My eyes stung, and the salt in my tears tasted bitter as it slipped into my mouth.

"The night is our master, our lover our warrior. The night is our master." Over and over and over they chanted, rising and falling in tempo.

Hair red as blood, a female threw back her head and shrieked at the moon. A bare-chested male with yellow jewels for eyes rocked on his heels and bared his teeth. Snarly razors filled my vision. He was smiling at me, and those eyes, those glowing eyes snuck into my mind and stoked the fires of my hysteria. I stared back in mute horror as he jumped onto the altar by Alex's head, and let out an undulating cry.

I looked up into the sky, through the dark shadow of trees and succumbed to fear. I stopped struggling.

"She can't die like this."

Wasp's hand slid down Alex's chest and cupped her breast, squeezed.

"Please," I begged, clamping my eyes shut as Alex's screams increased as her dress was pushed up her torso, and the wailing from the fairies got louder.

"Look at me Rae." Tomas' voice was urgent. I tore my eyes away from Alex to him. "Don't watch," he whispered.

"Do something," I sobbed.

He looked stricken and tried to free himself. Like me was held by chains that drained his strength and mental abilities, and there was nothing he could do. The clear dark that followed him around was a frazzled gray.

"Rae," Alex said quietly, so calm and collected it reached me through the chaos.

"Don't look away, I want to see your face."

My tears streamed as I turned to her. "You're going to die."

"I love you." She smiled and the blue runes on her check crinkled. "You my best friend. I don't know what you are or who you are, but that don't change the way I feel, y'know?"

I nodded frantically and braced myself. "I love you too." It was the first time and last I would ever say those words. They were hers and hers alone.

Another hand, smaller with razors for nails trailed down her stomach, across her hip. Alex cried out in pain as the cries of anticipation shattered the night. The noise and clamor reached peak as Wasp fisted her hand in Alex's hair, drawing her head back, almost in tenderness. Devlin lifted the blade high above his head, and the wicked sharp edge flickered with light. Then he

Another scream erupted from me so loud a blood vessel burst in my eye. My scream cut off, no more air in my lungs to carry the sound.

The figure cloaked in black threw back his hood.

Conall.

My heart crashed in my chest as screams, sounds of death and violence surround me. I was too terrified to open my eyes. All I could see was Devlin's dagger sinking into Alex's throat and the gush of blood. The bonds at my hands went slack. My feet were free and I kicked for all I was worth. Screaming. Too far gone to fight properly, I lashed out like a wild animal. Firm, but gentle hands lifted me up and held me close. I kept my eyes pressed shut in defense against whatever torture I was to be subjected to.

"Be still Rae, I will not harm you," a calm voice commanded.

The voice was singsong, not raspy and seductive. It hinted of magic and light. Still, I pushed, and shoved, and bit with my teeth. I yelled and screamed.

"She can take no more, Lochlann," Maeve's high chine sounded sad. "Leave her."

"No," I said hoarsely. "I won't be fooled. You're all evil. Demon monsters!" I thrashed about, hoping to drag an eye out and to my grave with me.

"Watch. Your brother avenges your friend as you bawl like a baby."

My yelling stopped and my eyes popped open.

Conall had become a phantom figure, massacring the bewildered fairies prancing in the inner circle. A blur, he ripped and tore the beasts to pieces like crepe paper. There was nothing but a whisper of sound as death claimed those who'd held us captive. He disposed of any lingering survivors with a snap of the spine, or blade through flesh. Headless bodies tottered and fell as hot guts spilled onto the cold ground. Then it was done and he was still.

Clad in snugly fitted pants, and soft boots he was tall and sinewy. His dark hair was ponytailed, resting loosely across board shoulders. His skin glowed like a beacon and his ears had the distinctive point of fairy. With competent ease, he wielded his sword in one hand, and saluted to Lochlann with the other. Leather hilted the shiny steel of his sword was drenched in what looked like red paint. Chest splattered in blood and gore, clutched in his other hand was the dismembered head of a fairy. Savagely lifting it high, he laughed boomingly and blood dribbled from the ragged hole where the neck used to join to the body. He tossed it indifferently and it landed with a squelch to roll and gather the pine leaves on the forest floor.

Orchard, the fairy wyld was littered with mutilated fairy bodies and I felt nothing but bone deep satisfaction.

I scrambled over to the dais, and sank to my knees over Alex's body. Her eyes were wide and starring, mouth slightly parted. Rocking back and forth, I wound my fingers into my hair and wailed. She was dead. Gone. I could never laugh or joke with my friend again. She had lost her life for my mistakes, my foolishness. I couldn't bear it, and nor would I have to.

I placed both my hands on her eyes and called magic to me. It came reluctantly, already forming into something dark and unnatural. As I stood in the way of natural order, my nature rumbled with discontent. I was meant to bring balance, not perversion. I didn't care, so I ignored my instincts.

I did not have time to think of the ramifications of what I was doing. I couldn't let her go, and I hoped in time she would forgive me, and understand why I did what I did. I muttered the name of one who might take pity on her.

Her body twitched beneath my hands as if I had zapped her, and I said it again, louder this time.

"What is she doing?" someone asked sharply behind me.

"Loa!"

Her eyelids fluttered.

If this could work, if I could call on the voodoo deity and call back someone from the grave, it would be Alex. She was the daughter of powerful mambo, a voodoo Sorceress who ran wild in demon territory, and battled against witchcraft before the Clerics hunted her down. But Alex had been spared. The Clerics had taken her to the Priests for judgment as a child and they had declared her human, believing the spark had missed her. I could sense something within her. A glimmer of the magic her mother could touch and manipulate. I had never taken her roots seriously the few times she had spoken of it, and all that time I'd known her, in her own way she had been asking me to believe in her.

There. I had it under control. Her life force was trying to depart, but I tethered it to her body.

"Forgive me," I whispered in her ear. All I had to do was lock her soul within her body and she would wake.

A heavy pressure at the base of my neck shocked me still.

Mercifully, it went black.

*

Before I opened my eyes, I smelt him. His mineral and damp earth smell. I opened my eyes and concluded it had all gone to hell. Tomas was burning. Whorls of smoke rose from his skin, and his head drooped forward. The silver hung him from a tree and bit into his skin cruelly.

It felt like a sack of bricks weighted down each of my eyelids, and my bones slid around inside me.

"Let him down," I croaked.

Lochlann's glacial gaze fell on me, and his face was hard. "He has taken a life," he said stonily. "By fairy law he dies."

I shook my head. It felt spongy and full of empty space. "What life? Uh, the Cleric was going to kill me. He saved me."

"He has killed a fairy. He faces the sun."

"You're wrong," I said, fuming he was bold enough to try and take Tomas' life with such an outrageous claim.

He couldn't have killed anyone; he hadn't had the time to.

"We found her body, Rae," Conall said and knelt down in front of me. Maeve was a step behind him, her eyes wide and sorrowful. "Her throat was mauled and her blood drained."

"There are shifters around. The fairy wylds border a Pride, don't they? And the blood, if she was mauled she would have bled out."

"His trail led from her body to the place in the Wall Breandan took you. We guess it is here you met him?"

Denial at Conall's explanation died on my lips when Tomas' own words came to me as a distant echo. "I have already eaten, a skinny girl, bitter." Was I really to believe a starving vampire would come across a lone fairy and not bite her?

It didn't matter. The thought stoked the fires of my anger, and I rolled onto my hands and knees. It didn't matter because he was mine. I gained my feet and ignored the fact the floor rippled.

As I spoke, I staggered forward. "I am sorry for your loss, but you need to let him go."

"Bind her," Lochlann ordered.

Chains appeared in Maeve's hands, which I now saw were wrapped in cloth, and she looped one around my neck and snaked the other around my torso. I dropped like a stone. Was I really so predictable they had prepared the one person who I would never see as a threat with chains? I stared up at her, horrified.

She looked away in shame and turned her back on me. "I'm sworn to him, Rae. I have no choice."

I looked to the east and saw the tip of the sun kiss the sky. We were still shaded by the trees. There was time.

Conall was still on his knees, trying to comfort me, but he preempted my plea, "I too am oath sworn to Lochlann, and I do not think this creature should live."

I looked him in the eye. "You say you're my brother."

"Always."

"Then help me," I said. "Just take him down so he can hide."

He looked away. "I cannot."

My eyes spun round, but even as I thought his name, I realized the folly of my hope. The fairy-boy I was bonded to, and supposed to mate for life with would save the vampire-boy who I had a blood tie to and who shared half of my heart? Still, I looked to him. Hoping he would find some compassion for a fellow demon and save him. Breandan was no longer bound to Lochlann's will and could act as he chose. He avoided my gaze and turned his back to me. No word or other gesture could be so bold a statement.

The first rays of the morning warmed my arm and splayed across my face. I locked gazes with Tomas, who breathed hard, eyes wide.

"I am not afraid," he told me. "But I regret-" He groaned and gasped in pain.

I battled with the chains, tears of frustration and pain sliding down my cheeks at the realization I could not break them on my own.

"Be still, Rae," Conall urged. "Can you not see the evil you have tied yourself to? This is for the best, little sister."

I couldn't do it. I could not watch another person die for me. If I had listened to him we never would have been captured, and I never would have watched Devlin steal the life away from the most beautiful and vibrant person I'd known. I closed my eyes against the coming horror. Gods, give me strength. A prickle of power radiated outwards from my chest. The amulets! I had forgotten all about them. Maeve had made a mistake. The iron around my neck and torso drained my strength, but this time I could move my arms and legs.

Sunlight touched Tomas face and he started to burn. His fangs ran out and his eyes glazed over black. His skin looked awful in the light, translucent. As the daybreak grew it blackened and peeled away.

It was a struggle, but I stood, keeping my eyes on Tomas. He needed me, now was not the time to be weak. I slipped my hand into my pocket pulled the amulet of protection out.

Lochlann lunged for me and I sent him flying with a pulse of energy. He landed on his feet, but seemed winded. He hesitated before trying again. Good, because I didn't think I had much control left in me. The next people to get in my way were in for a rough ride.

"Stop her," he commanded.

Maeve came next and I dodged her easily enough, she wasn't even trying. Conall tried to grab me, but the look I sent him had him over-shooting his aim by a mile. Lochlann went for me again, but Breandan wheeled round to plant himself between his brother and me.

"Move," Lochlann said. "You risked everything by defying me, and I allowed it because you are my brother. I will not let you unleash another danger upon our kind."

"This has nothing to do with you anymore. You may not touch her."

"Young fool. She chooses another and you stand by and let her."

Breandan shrugged and the defeated slump of his shoulders was heart wrenching to see. I didn't have time to reassure him, or thank him.

I pulled the amulets of wisdom and power that hung from the leather cord around my neck, and slipped the amulet of protection into the last place. The air stilled and then crackled with a zing of electricity you could reach out and touch. My hair was swept up in a cyclone of wind, and I breathed in the scent of soil and sunlight that reminded me of Breandan. He was close and he was on my side. His strength and dedication to me helped me see who I really was. I was Rae. The last pure fairy who could wield the power of the key and who was destined to be a Priestess. It was my purpose to lead these demons from the darkness.

I was not afraid. I was strong and I had magic.

Drawing deeply on the Source, filling every nook of myself with power and energy I called to the forest then flung myself at Tomas. I crashed into him and the tree bough cracked, almost like it gave way for me. It seemed like we fell forever, entwined, gazes locked. The tree groaned and swept down, its branches twisting and curling into a shroud around us. We landed hard, me straddling him, and the ground rumbled and shook in a tumult. In an explosion of mud tree roots shot up from beneath the earth to surround us. I glimpsed the bright and beautiful dawn as the tree roots and boughs smashed together, encasing us in a living tomb. Then it was dark.

Tomas trembled beneath my body. He felt hot as I ran my hands over his face, and I winced. It was cracked and rough. He smelt foul like, well, burnt flesh and I gagged. Easing off him, I steadied myself and placed my wrist over his mouth.

"Tomas," I said, breathless. "You have to feed before you die for the day."

He didn't move. I rubbed my wrist over his mouth and then instinct took over. His teeth sunk into me and I lay there as he drank himself better. It was not long before he moaned and then his head hit the floor with a solid thunk. I ran my hands over his face. He felt cooler and his face smoother.

"Was that enough? Will you wake up again?"

He was quiet for a moment. "I believe I will."

I touched his cheek and the skin slowly healing blackened under my touch. I jerked away. "I'm hurting you. My skin, it's glowing, I-I think it's sunlight."

At any other time or with any other vampire, sunlight seeping through my pores would be crazily fortuitous, but my voice was horrified. Eyes closed, his fingers searched for mine. Again his skin burned the moment he touched me, and I tried to pull away, not understanding why I was causing him more pain. There was no off switch, and though my light was dimming, I didn't want to risk hurting him.

"Don't pull away from me. I will heal."

My skin looked dark next to his. He looked deader than usual and it scared me. The glow of my skin had cranked it down a notch and he held on tighter.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes," he said slowly, and sounded like if he had the energy to make fun of me, he would. "Rae, promise me something?"

"That depends. The last time I agreed to something before knowing what it was, it caused me a lot of trouble."

He coughed and laughed. It was a wet, horrible sound and I grimaced.

"Go ahead then, tell me."

His eyes sparkled like shiny rocks before the lights in them went out, and they slid closed. He died for the day.

"Tell me," I said loudly, panicked.

It was in vain. He was beyond me now and would not be within my reach until the sunset. I watched as my blood healed his body, faster than if it had been human blood. For once I felt relief that I was fairy, being this way had helped him survive.

I was tired and sad, but the silence and stillness was not welcome. I was worried about what would happen when I stepped from the living shroud. I ran my palm over the earthen roof above me, and blinked when dirt fell in my eyes. The walls and floor were soft and hard. A mixture of leaves, mud and bark. There was a root dug into my back and I shifted closer to my slumbering vampire-boy. He was cold again and though it made me shiver, I scooted closer and rested my head on his chest.

The best thing, I figured, would be to wait for sunset. Tomas would hopefully be better and he could have more of my blood if he needed.

Breandan was going to be mad.

The thought alone was enough for me to want to be entombed there for the rest of my days. In the end, he had helped me save Tomas, but I knew he was not happy. I could feel he was not happy. He was also close by, so close if I was to stand he would probably be sitting less than a few paces away. Guarding me. I was proud that he had chosen to do the right thing, even though he knew it might mean losing my love to another. It made me love him more. Gods, how selfish was I? I loved Breandan but was too afraid to tell him. He was already crazy possessive and I was not okay with that. I was bonded to him by magic and that was commitment enough as far as I was concerned.

A further problem was that Tomas was a part of my being now. As much as I needed air to breath, I knew I would need him around. Just being next to him was dangerous. He was a starving vampire who was disconnected from his humanity, and unscrupulous in his belief he had to kill to survive. Yet I found him endearing and worth saving.

Conall would be pissed too, not that he had a right. I was going to have words with that brother of mine and none of them were going to be nice. He had failed me. I could understand why he could not save Alex; his main concern was recuing Lochlann and Breandan so they could fight.

Tears I thought I had already cried out ran down my face as I thought of my friend. She had been so brave, in the end. She had not looked at me with hate and disgust, but told me she loved me. Gods, as much as I hated it, I could accept it because she did. I had tried to save her, to reanimate her body using the voodoo practices of her bloodline, but it hadn't worked. I'd been stopped. There was nothing else to do but take her body back to Temple and back to Ro. He would hate me too, for he was smart and would figure it out. The easy thing would be to bury her out here so no one knew of her death, but I couldn't do that. Her life deserved to be celebrated. All I could do was try to explain and hope Ro could forgive me, as she did.

I felt a stirring of anger. Lochlann, he was a problem. I thought he was going to be the good guy. He would continue to try and justify his actions by saying Tomas had killed a fairy. I would not let him take his life. Tomas had to make amends for the life he had taken - I was not sure how I would get him to do it, but I would - and I did not give a damn what power Lochlann thought he had to condemn my vampire-boy to death.

Breandan's reluctance to go to the Grove made sense now, as did the fairies reaction to news that we were bonded. The fairy Priestess were usually the life-mates of the fairy-lords. Lochlann was trying to overthrow Devlin, who definitely needed overthrowing, and that would make him High Lord of all fairykind. The Priestess kept the spiritual balance and the High Lord kept physical order. Breandan had not wanted to see me, because he knew we would be stealing his brother's future mate. Yet, he could not help but seek me out, knowing that the white witch had seen we were to be together.

Anger became rage as Devlin, skewering Alex, flashed across my memory again. He would die, and I sent a fervent wish it would be by my hand. I was going to become so powerful just hearing my name would stop his heart. I would find him and destroy him, laughing as I did so.

Guilt I would never be able to shake, crept over me and memories of Alex bombarded my vision. I sobbed. Again, I tormented myself with the depth of my failure. It hadn't worked. I had tried to save her, and it had failed miserably.

I lay down beside my vampire-boy, the one I had been able to save, and cried for the one I had lost. Lying in the dark with death itself had me wallowing and sinking deeper into a place I did not need to be. I needed the sunlight. I needed Breandan.

Tomas was going nowhere, and this shroud was nice and tight. I called on the Source and asked the forest to bury him deeper. The ground rumbled and more roots emerged from the cool earthen floor to wrap around his lifeless body and cocoon him. Happy he would be safe from the sun; I dug a small opening for myself and crawled out. A hand gripped my forearm tightly and pulled. I emerged from the shroud and blinked rapidly at the bright sunshine.

I looked around tentatively, on guard for any attack, but the camp was empty. The fire was now a smoldering pile of ash, and the only evidence of the nightmare at dawn was the fresh trails in the undergrowth. My gaze settled on the stone slab, still awash with blood. I trembled.

"Where is she?"

Breandan rubbed my arms, soothing me. "Maeve is tending to her body. We are going to burn her, a queenly funeral."

"No. I want to take her back to Temple."

The soothing caress stopped. "You know how the humans will react." His voice was calm, as if he knew that was what I had wanted all along.

"It's the right thing to do. I won't burn her like a dirty secret."

"Alright."

We were quiet for a while. He seemed serene and I could sense no anger bubbling under the surface.

"You don't hate me?" I blurted, unable to contain myself.

"Never. Though, I wish you were simpler."

I snorted and rubbed some mud out of my hair. I flexed and extended my wings and sighed in relief.

"Where did everybody go?"

"Back to the Grove. Lochlann cannot stay here until he is High Lord. This wyld is for the ruling family."

"Where has Devlin is gone? Will we be able to track him and his followers?"

Yes. But he is still High Lord. There are rules, Rae. Devlin must be tried against the laws of our people and the lordship removed from him by popular vote. Only then can a new High Lord be chosen."

I sighed, hearing between the lines. "For Lochlann to rule, Devlin must live."

"Oh yes. That is the way it must be. At least, until the power has been transferred."

"I will kill him," I said bluntly.

"And I'm going to stop you."

Again, we were at opposite ends of the spectrum. The truth was, I didn't care what he wanted, or what Lochlann wanted. I wanted Alex to be avenged. Nothing was going to get in my way.

"He murdered Alex, and for what? She was an innocent."

"I know you are grieving." Breandan stroked my face temple to jaw. "I will help you to heal."

I went into his arms then and let him hold me. The hurt in me was an ocean I thought would never run dry. All I could do was protect what I had, and avenge what I had lost. There I stood, in the arms of my fairy-boy, standing over the resting place of my vampire-boy, and worried about what I was to do.

Conall stepped from the trees, cradling a girl shaped bundle wrapped head to toe in leaves and flowers.

The body twitched.

Letting Breandan go, I set my two feet apart and spread my wings until the golden tips were in my line of sight. They shone a brilliant gold, and felt glorious in the sunlight.

I readied myself for the day to come.