by Mary Duke
Of The Faye
Box Set
Mary Duke
Copyright © 2020 Mary Duke
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Second Edition
Printed in the United States of America
MIND
BOOK ONE
Prologue
Have you ever had a moment in life where you realize that every decision you’ve made, every idea you had, wasn’t really your own?
Have you ever felt as though you are being pushed down a path blindly and you’re just following the crowd?
I’m in that moment. I’m stuck moving through the motions, pushing through the same routine, marching to the beat with those around me, day in and day out.
For the longest time, this is what I wanted, I wanted to be like everyone else; I didn’t want to stand apart. I know now, though, that that will never be the case. I am not like everyone else. I am not, nor will I ever be.
As I sit atop the highest branch of the tallest tree within our camp, and I stare blindly at the moon, I know something must change.
I can’t live like this. I wasn’t meant to live like this. I was meant for something more, I just wasn’t ready to accept it.
I took a deep breath of the cool spring night air, and slowly let it escape my lips as I tried to calm my racing mind.
We had been traveling for nine days and ten nights, with minimal breaks. We were all exhausted, drained of any energy mental or physical, and though our journey had come without any major excitement, our hearts still ached with worry.
Below me on the forest floor, I heard the bustling of my people as they set up camp. This little dense nook on the foot of this mountain would be where we remained tucked away from the outside world for the next week as we waited for more Faye to find us.
I opened my eyes and studied the landscape that surrounded me. Cast in the silver glow of the moonlight, I traced the mountain edge first to the East, then behind me to the South, and to my left the West. As my eyes drifted over the rocks, small trees, and shrubs, I willed the little energy I had left to create a boundary that would hold through the night, shielding us from those without magic.
Satisfied with the boundary, I leaned back against the tree top so I could soak in the moon’s rays, and I once again closed my eyes.
I was a child of the moon. There was no denying that; not only did I feel alive under its soft glow, the birthmark of the moon’s phases down my arm, illuminated under its rays.
Everything about me revolved around the moon. My energy, my magic, my mood, all of it was connected, entwined together as one
Chapter One
“I could have left you sleeping up there,” Kegan’s rough voice scratched at my ears.
Though I had only fallen asleep for a few minutes, it had felt like hours. “Can we not do the whole talking thing right now,” I responded, steadying myself to make sure I didn’t miss a branch and fall the last thirty feet.
“You are a child of the moon. This,” he said looking up to the moon, “This is your time.”
“This is my time to recharge, which I was doing before you disturbed me,” I scolded him as we walked back towards the camp.
“Did you come to any decisions while recharging?”
I glared down at the four-legged beast that walked beside me, his giant silver eyes reflecting in the moonlight.
“Let’s not start that conversation tonight, I am sure it will be started tomorrow when we convene,” I said, dreading the fact that camp life resumed in the morning.
“It is always best to know what you’re going to say before you say it. There are less misunderstandings that way.”
“There will be misunderstandings and hurt feelings regardless, you know this,” I said stopping and looking around. “How about here,” I asked changing the subject.
“It’s as good as any,” he replied looking to the clearing in the trees above us. “And it has an excellent view.”
I reached into my pack and pulled out the small folded cloth tossing it to the ground. In seconds, the cloth rose and took the shape of a tent.
“Miraculous,” he said sitting beside me. “The magic your world contains is unlike anything in the old realm.”
“It’s just the tent,” I said, patting his head and rubbing the fur behind his ears. “It’s the same tent we’ve stayed in for almost NINE YEARS.”
Kegan’s wolf form stood and his entire body shook, as he again took the shape of his Faye form. “It is the everyday things you take for granted that one day you will miss.” He said as he ducked inside.
I shook my head. This was one of Kegan’s favorite phrases, and though I hated to admit it, it was dead on. Anyhow, in this moment, I didn’t have the energy to think about the tent and appreciate what it truly was: our home.
Inside was everything I’ve ever owned, hell, I think everything my parents ever owned as well.
He tossed an apple towards me as I walked inside, nearly hitting me in the face. “You are slow tonight.”
I took a bite of the apple and replied, “Why don’t you try shielding two hundred people, over a hundred miles.”
“If I could I would,” Kegan retorted as he climbed into his hammock. “Alas, there is not a person in this realm that can do what you can do, not even I.”
I rolled my eyes and tossed my bag to the ground. He was right, I knew that, but it didn’t change the fact that my life sucked. Walking over to the back corner where I kept all my clothes, I caught sight of myself in my mother’s mirror and stopped.
I’d forgotten my hair was this color, I thought, running my hand through the shaggy black mess that laid atop my head.
The moon hung in the top corner above my head, its light illuminating our entire tent. My mother’s words came to me, the same words Kegan had told me tonight. “You, my darling Sno,” she would tell me, pulling me close to her before looking up at the night sky. “You are a child of the night and the daughter of the moon. There is no one in this realm like you. Take pride in who you are. The chosen are not chosen on a whim.”
I stared a moment longer at my reflection before I shook my head. The person who stared back at me didn’t look like me at all.
By falling in line with those I respected, I had become a leader to my people, but I had lost myself in the process. In truth, I was no leader. In truth, I didn’t know where I was going… I didn’t know where I was leading the people who followed me…and that terrified me.
I squared up, facing the mirror head-on. “Who are you?” I muttered under my breath. “What is your purpose here?” I tightly closed my eyes, as if the answer would magically appear on the glass when I opened them.
Fully aware that I was talking to myself, which anymore was a normal occurrence, Kegan answered my question. “I am Kegan Thynia, Ancestor of the Juniper, creator of the Faye. I am here to protect the chosen Daughter of the Moon, as her life choices guide her down her fated path.”
His words angered me, as it was the only answer he would give me when I would ask him who he was. I turned to him and willed the water off the damp grass that covered the ground into a single orb.
Kegan’s eyes darted from the Orb of water that hovered just above the hammock he laid in back to me. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I slowly lowered my hand, the orb mirroring my movement. “I am in no mood for your shit.
I don’t have the time to listen or think about your word circles.”
“Again,” Kegan responded, trying to climb out of the hammock without falling on his face or bursting the orb. “Time is what you make of it. If there is something that needs your time, it is up to you to will your life around that. If you do not make the choice to take the time,” his speech grew faster, as the orb followed him from his bed. “If you do not take the time to find out who you are, you will spend the remainder of your time lost.”
I clenched my hands into fists and the cold water fell, soaking him as it made its way back to the ground.
After letting out a heavy sigh, he stood and looked back over at me. “It is time for you to find out who you are, Sno. You owe it to yourself and to these people.”
“I can’t just leave them,” I yelled.
“Why?” He asked calmly.
“They rely on me; they’ve gathered together because of me.”
“They’ve gathered based on what they’ve been told you will do, because of who they believe you are,” he reminded me. “They’ve been gathered with false words.”
Having no answer for him I turned towards my own hammock, unwilling to accept yet again that he was right.
“Though it is no secret I do not enjoy these people, I do believe you owe it to them, to be honest. As of late, you’ve been hiding who you truly are like a coward.”
I interrupted him, “I am many things, Kegan, but a coward is not one of them.”
He paused, collecting himself, knowing the words he chose next needed to be chosen wisely. “The facts are facts. The truth does not lie: however, facts can be changed. As of this moment, you are filled with countless excuses as to why you can’t take the time to find out who you are and what you want to do. As of right now, you have not given Jadea or any of the Elders an answer as to whether you will fight for them when the time comes. You know what they expect of you, and inside you know you can’t do what they want. Mass murder is not who you are.”
I turned away from him, pulling the blanket over my head, as a tear slid down my cheek.
CHAPTER TWO
“Sno,” Rowan’s voice called to me.
“Meh,” I moaned, rolling over, not wanting the day to start already.
“Don’t make me tip the hammock.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I said rolling back the other way so I could see him.
“If it shut Jadea up, I just might,” Rowan laughed trying to sound sarcastic, though I have no doubt it was the truth.
Rowan’s face flushed red, and he ran his hand through his long golden brown hair and half smiled, before turning away.
Looking down to see what made him blush, I realized I had somehow managed to slip halfway out of my shirt in my sleep.
“Are you ready to protect the perimeter?” Kegan asked, pulling Rowan's attention off of me as I tried to find the armhole of my shirt, though it was nothing he hadn’t seen before.
“Yes,” Rowan replied to the large silver wolf that had just entered my tent.
“Good. I did some scouting this morning and noticed a few trails to the west that appear to be well traveled.” He said, his tone mirroring the same one he used with me when I agreed on this site for our camp.
“Did you see anyone,” Rowan questioned, “or anything?”
“I did not,” Kegan answered. “Nor did I sense any magic.”
“Good,” I said stepping into the conversation, now that I was dressed.
“Ready?” Rowan asked me, his voice eager.
“Yup,” I said. I never understood why Rowan was so afraid of Kegan. I mean I could see why others feared him. For some he represented the unknown, for others he represented all power, though to me he was just my friend and at times a pain in my ass, and Rowan has been around me long enough to know that.
Kegan reached out to me telepathically through his bond with me as a guardian. “You keep that boy in line, or he will have a real reason to fear me.” He chuckled.
I huffed. “Stay out of my head, Kegan. It’s too early.”
Rowan followed me from my tent and out into the crisp spring air.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, as there were no tents in sight.
“Everyone set up camp on the base of the mountain,” Rowan answered.
“All of them?”
“Surprisingly, yes. They’re all packed in there,” he said.
“I would suggest finishing there then. I can’t seem to be seen lately without creating a crowd and pissing Jadea off.”
Rowan chuckled, “Jadea is just jealous. Her people have put their faith in you.”
“I did not ask anyone to put their faith in me,” I snapped, turning towards Rowan.
“Calm down, I didn’t say you did.” He tried to backtrack, knowing he had pissed me off. “Anyways, she is just a power hungry control freak.”
I muttered under my breath, “She’s something all right.”
We walked the wood line, securing our camp in silence, though I could tell that there was something Rowan wanted to talk about.
Knowing I would regret it, but unable to dodge it any longer, I broke the silence and asked him what was on his mind.
“I don’t know,” he began. “Nothing really.”
“Oh come on,” I said. “It’s obvious that there is something, now tell me what.”
Rowan sighed. “I feel weird complaining about this to you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. “You do know I could make you tell me, right?”
“I don’t feel like myself anymore, Sno,” he said. “It’s hard to explain. It is almost like I’m watching myself go through the motions, but I’m not the one in charge. Sometimes I end up places, and I don’t remember how I got there. Or a thought will run through my mind, and it’s not mine… I don’t know. I think that I’ve been pushed down this path, and it’s turning me into someone else… not who I am, not who I want to be.”
The pit I’d had in my stomach for as long as I could remember sank, reminding me that it was still there. I nodded. “I could relate to that.”
Rowan rubbed his jaw with his hand. “I know. That’s why I hate bringing this up, but I don’t think anyone else here understands. Most of these people have no problem following Jadea, because in their eyes not only is Jadea keeping them safe, she is their greatest bet on staying alive.”
“Only a fool leads a blinded crowd,” I said with a chuckle.
He turned his head and looked at me. “Kegan?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Sometimes his little quotes fit in life perfectly. Most of the time though, I think he’s just muttering nonsense to hear himself speak.”
“It’s just, well I mean, have you ever stopped and taken a moment to see where you are? To see what is really going on around you, only to realize who you are and who you want to be doesn’t fit?”
I swallowed the pit back down from where it had risen in my throat. “I don’t follow…” I replied. Though I knew exactly what he meant.
“Now don’t get me wrong, I love what I am doing here. Working under you, learning so much about the magic that was barred from my life for so long. Knowing that I help protect all these people, it’s indescribable, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity, but it doesn’t feel like it is what I’m supposed to do… I still feel empty.”
“Do you feel weighed down by your responsibilities?” I asked a question I heard often.
“No, it isn’t that,” Rowan said watching the far tree line. “As I said, I like what it is I do, I just feel like I’m not doing enough. I know I sound like I’m ungrateful…it’s just hard to explain it.”
I took a shallow breath, holding it in for a second. “It’s like you’re stuck repeating the same mundane things, over and over, to the point where even though it’s a great thing it no longer feels that way.”
Rowan nodded but before he could reply, the piercing sound of children’s screams ripped through us. In an instant,
they were visible. Covered in blood they came running towards us, a middle-aged boy, carrying a toddler, trailed by a young girl slightly smaller than him.
Rowan scooped the girl from the ground, as howls from a pack of hunters escaped the woods behind us.
With one hand, I grabbed the little boy from the oldest boy’s arms and cast a cloaking spell around the five of us, just as the gnarled creatures emerged from the woods.
A pack of large Hellhounds emerged from the tree line, and to my surprise atop their backs were members of the elite demon guard.
My hand slid silently over the mouth of the little girl I held in my arms, as the beasts walked directly towards us, and I whispered to the children that we could not be seen.
“Did you idiots lose them?” a man yelled, as he too came out of the woods.
“They came this way, they had to, there was nowhere else for them to go,” one of the guards responded.
I knew that voice, where had I heard that voice, I wondered to myself.
Rowan placed his hand on my shoulder and mumbled “It’s not the time, we’re outnumbered.”
Before I could ask him what he was talking about, my eyes focused in on the last man that had left the cover of the trees, and everything around me froze.
Rowan tightened his grip on my shoulder and leaned in closer. “We should head back. If we’re found it could give away the position of our camp.”
I didn’t want to leave, I didn’t want to cower away. The last time I had laid eyes on that man I vowed his death and swore I would be the one who ripped his soul from his body. However, Rowan was right, there was no way I could take all of them, not without risking the lives of these children.
Slowly we backed away from the men and made our way back to the camp, undetected.
As we made our way down the mountain, it was obvious something was off. There were no children running through the trees, no voices carried in the air, everyone and everything around within the camp was silent.
