by Alexia Purdy
The crackle of fire snapped and popped, echoing in the dark forest. Shade stood in the center of what looked like a ring formed from fallen logs crossed end over end. She spun around, looking about her. She had the feeling she was being watched. Gulping, she hoped she was dreaming and silently prayed for her spirit guides to come and keep her safe.
The moment she wished it, Elaby, Astrid and Duende appeared, floating within the circle in their ethereal gowns and flowing black hair. The three sisters were identical in every way—even in voice—as they peered down at her with peace and calm written across their faces.
“Shade, you have summoned us.”
“What can we do to ease your soul?”
The sisters’ simple dresses seemed to ripple in an unseen breeze as Shade tried to muster her courage. Their presence was calming, but she still felt watched, and the forest beyond the circle was dark and foreboding.
“I wanted to ask, why did Lana have to die? I feel like nothing I do makes anything better than it was. In fact, things are worse now than ever! That legion of things… whatever they were, there were so many of them! How could we possibly defeat such an army of dark creatures?”
She pulled in a breath as she paused, her heart still fluttering in pain as she remembered her grandmother. “If I give up now, will they eventually enter the human world? I need to protect my family, but I feel so insignificant. Why do I even have to be part of this?”
The three sisters watched her with sadness in their eyes which seemed to grow as they listened to her rant. Shade gulped back her tears. She sighed, knowing it probably wouldn’t do any good to cry here. It was only a dream.
“Can you tell me where Dylan is? Why hasn’t he returned? We are bound. How can he just leave me like that?” Her voice cracked, remembering the horror of seeing Dylan’s pain flash across his face because of Soap. Shade had never meant to hurt either of them, especially Dylan. Her heart felt like it had been ripped out with his absence. She wondered if the sisters even knew how to answer her, as their silence persisted.
Finally, one of them spoke. “Shade, some things cannot be known. The future is murky and unforeseeable. Only with your determination can Faerie hope to defeat a takeover of the dark powers of the Earth.” Elaby smiled slightly at her, even though her face filled with pain for Shade. Their hearts felt everything she felt.
“Dylan is far from here. But do not fret Shade. You will see him again soon. That is all we can tell you. Some things should never be known of the future, for these are the things that will not change, no matter what you do.” Duende’s head hung down, her hands over her heart as Shade quivered with sadness, despair choking her breath.
“The one thing we can say is if you do not continue your journey to save Faerie from Queen Aveta, the war will spill into the human world, and many will die.” Astrid’s tears glistened on her pale cheeks as she spoke, beckoning Shade closer to them.
“What of my family, must I leave them exposed? I should be home with them. How do I protect them if Aveta and her armies hunt us down? I get a feeling that Corb will stop at nothing to get to me, even hurt the ones I love.” Shade’s panic replaced the melancholy rippling across her chest as her desperation grew.
“Yes, Shade. He will go after your family to get to you. Corb will stop at nothing to attain you for the Queen. But you mustn’t worry too much for them. Your mother is taking the correct steps to guard your sister and brothers well. Now that Benton has come into his powers, he will help her. You must not underestimate them. You must finish this, or we are doomed.”
The sister’s voices harmonized into one as they slowly drifted back, out of the circle and into the dark of the forest. Shade called out to them, but they didn’t answer back. She gulped, hugging her arms around her as a sudden chill passed through. The desolate night seemed to hover around and choke out the air. Shade’s fear grew as she stood alone, making her close her eyes. She silently prayed to wake up from what was now turning into a nightmare.
