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Chapter 1
Rose
Murder has never been my favorite way to pass the time.
Killing demons, vampires, and yeah, even hunters is something that a lot of dark fairies enjoy, but not me. To me, it’s always been one of those negative perks that comes with the job. Like, hey, I’m really sorry to be killing you right now, but you know, our kingdoms are kind of at war right now.
It doesn’t really seem fair or right, but that’s how it goes.
I learned a long time ago that “fair” and “right” are two words a fairy doesn’t get to think about too much. Despite our powers, we’re viewed as being lesser beings. We’re viewed as being dangerous or evil or mean. The reality is that most fairies are none of those things, but our reputation precedes us.
So sometimes, we have to fight.
I slink through the darkness on my way home, trying to avoid being seen. If I’m spotted, I’m going to have to fight, and I don’t want to fight. I always win, anyway, so that’s just one more reason I don’t want to deal with it. If someone attacks me, I’ll kill them quickly, easily, and as painlessly as possible.
I’d rather not kill them.
I’d rather just go home.
I make my way through the dark city streets, careful to avoid detection by the charmed birds that flutter down the streets. They can’t see everywhere at once and with the cloaking spell I put on myself before I left, I should be good to go. Unless I happen to step right in front of one, they won’t see me. Not today. Not this time.
It’s a good thing because damn if I’m not tired of fighting.
Carefully, I sneak down the streets and make it to the little house I share with Tulip and Daisy. My sisters are all I have left and together, we do little more than survive.
“How is she?” I ask, stripping my cloak and tossing it on the floor in a heap. Daisy sighs and moves behind me to pick it up. She grimaces as she hangs it on a hook on the wall. Water drips from the fabric and creates a little puddle on the floor.
Daisy hates puddles.
?
?The same,” she says. “Did you get the potion?”
“No.”
“Rose,” she says, shaking her head. “We don’t have much time yet. Maybe a week.”
“I know,” I say, and I look helplessly toward the bedroom. It’s not fair what happened to Tulip. None of this is fair. “But the pharmacist didn’t have anquan potion. Neither did the herbalist. Neither did the witches I visited.” I run my hand through my hair helplessly.
I had begged tonight.
I had gotten on my knees and begged the coven for help.
They had been sad to turn me away. I could tell they had wanted to help me, but they couldn’t. They couldn’t give me what they simply didn’t have. No matter how much I needed it. No matter how much I wanted it. They simply didn’t have the only potion that could save Tulip.
“The bite,” Daisy says. “It’s hurting her.”
“We’re out of options,” I tell her, whispering. “I’ll leave at dawn.”
“Rose, no,” Daisy says, realizing what I’m saying. “You can’t go.”
“I don’t have a choice, Daisy. If I don’t go to the capital city and get the potion, the demon bite is going to kill Tulip.”
“Nobody is going to blame you if you don’t go,” my sister says.
“I’ll blame myself,” I tell her. “She’d do the same for me.”
“No,” Daisy shakes her head. “She wouldn’t.”
“Maybe not, but that’s not what this is about, is it? It’s about doing the right thing, Daisy, and you know this is the right thing.”
“But the king...” Her voice trails off and I know what she’s thinking. Dark fairies are banished from the capital city. Dark Falls is known for its zero-tolerance policy. If I’m caught when I go there, I’ll be executed within days. Maybe hours.
It’s a risk I’ve never been willing to take until now.
“I don’t want you to leave,” Daisy whispers. “What if you don’t come back?”
“I’m going to come back, Daisy,” I tell her. “I always come back.”
“Maybe there’s another option.”
“Like what?” I know what Daisy is trying to do. She’s trying to find any reason, any idea, any solution that will prevent me from traveling to Dark Falls because the risk is seriously incredible. If I go, and I’m caught, then Daisy won’t just lose Tulip. She’ll lose me, too. She’ll lose two sisters for the price of one and wouldn’t that just be ironic?
“The coven,” she starts to say.
“I was there tonight. They didn’t have it.”
