Kierran

The ball seemed to last forever. All night I had to meet people, introduce them to Electra, and then Electra would order me to get something for her. Through it all Thorn was the only thing on my mind too. Her name seemed to repeat over and over in my mind, and the image of her bleeding from her chest. Could she really die? I kept thinking against my will.

I didn't want to think of a future without Thorn. Even if I wasn't with Thorn I'd be fine as long as I knew she was alive and well. I would be completely content if I was with her though.

Thankfully,when Electra and I got home all she wanted to do is go to bed. She wasn't even rude or fiance-like. I waited for her to go inside, and when the door closed behind her I ran to the stall where all the Iron horses slept. It was a huge building near the castle that the Iron horses slept in, and that was about it. It wasn't very roomy or home-like, but it was fit for sleeping in for horses.

As I began opening the door it creaked loudly. I swore under my breath, praying that I didn't already piss off a horse. Slowly I peeked my head inside and someone touched my back. I turned around swiftly, almost fast enough to make myself fall down, and found an Iron horse staring back at me. I recognized him instantly because he was one of the horses that was pulling the carriage. "What can I help you with, Prince Kierran?" he asked me, sounding generously curios.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" I asked first. With a bow of the horse's head I explained. "I need to go to the Summer court, back to Puck's, to see Thorn. I have to see how she's doing."

The horse seemed to size me up for what felt like decades before he finally turned his side to me. "Get on."

I grinned and did just that. He had no saddle on and my butt just landed on cold metal, but I couldn't careless at that moment; Thorn was still the only thing on my mind. The Iron horse seemed to understand that and was speeding away instantly.

I directed the horse towards a trod I knew that went near Thorn's home. He made no complaints or commands, didn't try to change directions or my mind. I was actually surprised by that fact.

Iron fey were just as judgmental as Winter and Summer were. It was rare to find those that weren't, but I was glad I found one to take me to my Summer love without complaint, even if he didn't approve.

The Iron horse came to a skidding stop, almost knocking me off, in front of Thorn's house. I patted his side as I jumped off. "This means a lot to me," I thanked him without really "thanking him" thanking him.

As I stopped inside, the first thing to grab my attention was a bored gray cat with golden eyes staring back at me. He was on Puck's favorite chair looking more bored—if that was even possible—than usual. "Grim?" I thought out loud.

The caith sithe looked up at me. "Thorn is in her room," he said to get rid of me it seemed.

I hesitated but went to her room to leave him alone. I didn't know anything about Grimalkin other than from the stories I was told as a child and the few times I had met him.

Inside Thorn's room I had stopped right at the doorway, just like when I first entered the house. Puck was in a chair next to her bed, looking shockingly old, and there was a huge wolf at Thorn's feet. The wolf seemed to be sleeping soundly, but Puck was awake and staring.

Puck's eyes seemed to lighten slightly when his green eyes met mine. "Back already?" Puck joked, smirking.

"How is she doing?" I asked.

Puck instantly slumped in his chair. "She hasn't changed..."

I sighed and went to the other side of Thorn's bed. Kneeling down beside her I held Thorn's hand. "Want my seat?" Puck asked me. I looked up at him surprised and he explained. "I need to go and talk to that mangy cat in my living room, but I didn't ant to leave her with him." Puck nudged his head towards the wolf.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"The Wolf," Puck answered and the pile of fur's eyes opened, landing on me.

"From the stories?" I whispered as I met The Wolf's eyes.

Puck nodded as he stood up, looking at the wolf also.

"Why are you here?" I asked the Wolf. Puck looked confused until he realized I wasn't talking to him but the massive canine.

"I'm here to protect Thorn," he answered simply.

"Since when did you two know each other?" I asked.

"She met me after she escaped from Queen Mab."

"After what?" I yelled out.

"You don't know? Mab had your cousins kidnapped Thorn," Wolf started. At my perplexed look The Wolf began explaining what had happened. From when Ion brought her in to Tir Na Nog to her escape to that bitch Hanna's house.

Thorn

I gasped as my eyes opened and I was in a dark room. Though it may have not even been a room but just a space of nothing. I was looking around and slowly stood up. I opened my mouth to call out for anyone but stopped as a gold light began to glow from behind me. I turned to see Kierran standing behind me.

He seemed upset though I couldn't understand why, and before I knew it he was yelling. He sounded utterly pissed off. He sounded as if he was screaming at the top of his lungs at someone. I couldn't see who it was.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" was the last thing I heard him yell before the image disappeared.

Another image appeared to the side of me, but it was a blue color instead of gold. I saw Kiri walking. It seemed she was in the halls of Tir Na Nog. She suddenly stopped when a voice called out to her. The other voice was disoriented and made no sense but Kiri turned around. Her movements were like lightning as she pulled out a knife and threw it. She had a redcap running to her the next moment and the image was gone.

As the image went away and another one appeared I realized they were visions. What's going on? I asked myself turning to the new vision.

The visions kept going, one after the other, showing my dad, Ion, Meghan and Ash. They would show me different times and places. Most of them were awful, displaying the people I loved being hurt or troubled.

Suddenly another vision appeared before me, looking almost silver before revealing Kierran. He was angry again—many of the visions he was in he was mad—Ion was with him. Ion's face was blank but his eyes were bright with furious fire. What are they doing? I wondered.

"It was your fault," Ion said through clenched teeth.

"How was it my fault?" Kierran growled. His glare on the Winter was deadly.

"If you had just let her go she would still be alive today!" Ion abruptly yelled.

"I was one of the only people who tried to save her!" Kierran yelled back.

They continued to yell at each other, but the more they continued their banter the more pain I felt in the middle of my chest. I didn't understand it and tried to ignore it, but then Ion yelled something unimaginable.

"Thorn would still be alive if it wasn't for you!"

I couldn't breath. My chest burst with so much pain that I collapsed to the ground. When I went to hold my chest warm liquid instantly covered my hand. I looked down seeing blood covering my chest and hand.

I looked up at the boys, now fighting with swords and all, back down to my bloody hand. I'm not dead, I'm dying. I thought horrified. But how? Nothing has happened to—My thought process stopped dead as a memory came to mind.

While running from Kierran a vision took over my mind, though I didn't stop running since I knew nothing but snow was in front of me. The vision was very unclear with more images than usual images. Somehow I had still made sense of it enough to figure out a wyvern was going to attack, but I didn't know I was the one being attacked.

I had stopped and was going to turn to Kierran to warn him. I thought it was him since it was a Winter wyvern, but when I stopped I saw the blue wing from my vision. It wasn't until the wyvern was right over me that I realized who my vision was for.

I yelled as more pain shook my body. The wyvern had stabbed his tail into my chest. I wanted to cry as more visions surrounded me. I'm going to die!

Kierran

When Wolf had finished explaining everything that had happened to Thorn since I left, I was more amazed than anything. I never imagined Thorn to run around with two Winters, a caith sith, and a giant wolf to see me at a Winter ball. I especially never expected her to ever go to a Winter's house—even though she didn't have much of a choice.

"So, uh, your Thorn's guardian?" I managed to ask.

"Until the day she dies," Wolf answered.

"And it's your job to prolong that?" I asked. Wolf nodded. "Do you detest Thorn for that?"

"No, nor do I resent her mother," Wolf answered.

"Her mother?" Wolf never mentioned anything about Thorn's mother. "You know Thorn's mother?"

"I knew her, yes."

"Oh," I said looking away.

Our conversation died from there. I had always hoped that Thorn would find her mother alive. I felt horrible that she would never talk to her, get to know her, and have a real mother figure to look at.

I looked down at Thorn and sighed. I sat there, holding her hand, for hours just watching her and thinking before I fell asleep.

I didn't know how I would survive without Thorn. I knew I wouldn't be able to function without her. She was my first and only love, how would I go on without her?

In the morning I was woken by my mother's voice just like the first I was found sleeping at Thorn's house, yelling at Puck and all. She was asking him what happened but sounded hysterical—probably because I was involved. "Where is Kierran?" she finally asked.

Before they could into the room to disturb Thorn, or The Wolf, I walked out of the room silently.

My mom and Puck were face to face, Mom looked upset and Puck looked as if he was trying not to laugh at her. My dad was closer to the door I just came through and was the only one to notice me. His face was reserved as usual and not even his ice colored eyes would hint what he was feeling.

"Mom, will you stop yelling?" I asked tiredly. I stood by my father as I looked at her.

"Kierran, what the hell are you doing here? I was told this morning that you had never came home!" No wonder she sounds hysterical, I thought annoyed.

"Calm down sweetie and let our boy explain. You're going to overwhelm him," Dad stepped in.

"Thorn was in an accident at the Winter ball last night," I hurried to say as soon as my mom looked at my dad in silence.

"Puck told us that, but what happened to her?" Mom insisted.

Puck spoke before I could, though he was hesitant at first. "A wyvern," he started, "attacked her at Tir Na Nog last night."

"A wyvern?" Dad looked up at Puck with intense eyes. Puck only nodded though.

Mom was starring at the two men as she whispered, "Like Ariella." It wasn't a question but Puck nodded again.

"From Dad's stories?" I found myself asking.

Dad nodded. "Yes, she was my first love, remember?" He glanced at my mother with sad, but his voice was cold.

I understood what was happened. Dad loved another woman, but she was murdered by a wyvern and he blamed Puck for it. He still was mad about it even though she explained what happened when she gave her soul to my dad. He also must feel guilty for loving another person other than my mom, even if she was dead.

I remembered something from when I brought Thorn to Puck. He had said, "Just like her mother." Didn't he?

I looked up at Puck and saw everything written on his face. My dad wasn't the only one who felt guilty. Even though my dad was in love with Ariella Puck had a child with her. Does my dad know that? Does Thorn know she's half Winter? Wait, does that mean Thorn is actually older than me by hundreds of years?

"Where did she get attacked?" Dad asked suddenly, turning his eyes to Puck.

"Ask your son, he's the one who saved her," Puck replied.

My parents turned to me expectantly. I gulped as I said, "It was right outside the castle..."

"Right outside?" Dad sounded shocked.

I nodded. "It was a Winter wyvern...it was like it came out of nowhere," I had started. "But...it think Thorn knew about it."