Skylar
"Princess." Puck greets, bowing a little.
"Stop it, Puck. We're alone; no one can see you fooling about with the half-breed." I tell him, leading Orin up beside his summer mare.
"You're not a half-breed," he retorted indignantly. "technically you are quadruple-bred but still-"
"Be quiet, you."
"Are you going to make me, ice-girl? Hurl some icicles in my face? Or maybe you'd prefer to chuck some leaves?"
"The icicles are more tempting, I'll admit."
"Play nice."
"Kidding." I grinned. "Horses, huh? I had a horrible vision of me following a crow through the territories."
"You'd lose me, even ice-boy couldn't track me in my crow form." he snorts, swinging in the saddle of the summer horse. "What's your alternate form, princess?"
"Anything it pleases."
"You're having me on."
"I'm not, I swear."
"Alright, turn into a wolf-dog."
He clearly didn't believe I could do it; I couldn't wait to see the look on his face. Skin changing was easy when you had all the practice. For me, it had become as easy as slipping on a coat. Weaving my summer glamour through, I found myself several feet lower to the ground.
"Okay, you're not joking."
I chuckled, an odd noise coming from a wolf-dog. It made Robin laugh too. I loosened my glamour, as you would stitches on clothes, and I was back to me again.
"That's awesome." Puck admitted as I mounted Orin.
"It has its perks." I shrug. "So where are you taking me?"
"Oh, but that's the fun part, my lady."
"You could be a complete psychopath right now, leading me off into the woods."
"I could be but lets take a chance. You only live once."
We ride through summer's territory, side by side. I know everything there is to know about the wyldwood and my home realm but I knew hardly anything about the Summer and Winter territories and you couldn't deny, the summer realm was simply beautiful. The phrase 'the grass is always greener on the other side' must have originated here. The grass was as green as Puck's eyes. The forest floor was blanketed in delicate wild flowers. Ivy crawled up the tree trunks, mingling with the glossy leaves. The air was warm, a cool breeze slacking the heat off pleasantly. The sky had an orange tint spreading across it, further in the distance the sun was setting, sending veins of orange across the azure sky. The horses' hooves made no noise as we galloped across the soft, thick grass. After almost two hours straight riding, we slow and Puck leads me into a clearing.
The view is breathtaking. The grass is grown up to my kneecaps, mixed with yellow flowers. The clearing is surrounded by dense, looming trees, bathed in the orange light from the setting sun. Best of all, fireflies float around in the space, casting off light like flames on candles. Puck dismounts and stands beside me expectantly.
"It's beautiful, Robin." I breathe, taking his hand spontaneously.
"Thought you'd like it, princess. You're a summer princess after all." he says, gazing up at the fireflies.
He turns to face me and, for the first time, I take in all his features. The pointed angles on his face, his smooth tan skin, his cat-like green eyes with their playful glint, his spiky, crimson hair, his tall, muscular body. He was a handsome man, undeniably. He was older than my father but there's something unacceptably youthful about him. Like a child that had never truly grown up. It was cute.
Robin and I lay in the long grass, stargazing. The constellations in the Nevernever are completely different to the ones in the mortal world. They are much denser, so close that it's almost like the sky is a rug of purple, blue and white diamonds. You had to be raised with faery astronomy. If you weren't you had no chance at all of ever learning it. Dad had taken it upon himself to teach me about the stars. I had always looked forward to those nights. We would climb out of my bedroom window and clambered up on top of my tower. We'd spend the whole night up there, studying all the different stars and planets. My father believed that there was life beyond our own realm, that we just can't see them yet.
Despite the warmth of the night, an ominous chill runs up my spine. Sitting bolt upright, I scan the dark, shadowed trees, searching for any waiting threats.
"What's up, princess?" Puck says lazily, unfolding his arms from behind his head.
"You can't feel that?" I ask nervously, my eyes fixing on a particularly gnarled, tall tree with a exceptionally wide trunk. A pair of red eyes flash open on the trunk. My blood turns to ice.
"Get up!" I hiss at Puck, drawing my blade and smacking the hilt into his ribs.
A wraith. There was to be no doubt about it. The figure, appearing to be a woman, was horrific. It's skin was like wax off a candle, greasy and wrinkly and covered with gross scars and stitches. It had frizzy, dark red hair and it wore a torn wine-coloured dress. It had no fingernails, only long, red claws. I can only wonder how a wraith got into Summer territory.
Balancing myself lightly on the balls of my feet, I prepare myself to dodge its strike. I'm not disappointed. The creature lunges at me, claws aimed for my face. It doesn't really matter if it claws my face off or just leaves me with a single scratch. Wraiths' claws are filled with poison. One little scratch and you're pretty much finished. Only one or two people have ever survived a wraith's cut. You never really want to be on the offending side of a wraith. Dodging the monster, I roll across the floor and jump back into stance, sword positioned over my head. Puck appears at my side, dagger drawn viciously.
"Oh honestly. The one time I'm alone with the princess and a damn wraith decides to pop in. Great; just great." Puck curses. I choose to ignore him.
Hissing furiously at us, the wraith scuttles up a tree, balancing on a thin branch. Its black eyes glare down at us evilly. We stand locked in battle, staring each other down until the wraith leaps from the branch. Puck darts away but I stand my ground. Hauling the blade around, I drive it into the creature's chest. Black blood spurts from the wound, covering me with the foul substance. The wraith scrambles at me viciously as I try to yank my blade from its target in the ribcage but I cannot free it. My nerve earns me three long scratches down my left arm.
The last thing I remember is the burning and Puck calling.
Ash
There was nothing I hated more than Elysium. The Accords bored me to tears, the celebrations made me feel extremely uncomfortable and having to come face-to-face with my dear mother. Not a pleasant experience to say the least. I hated having to bring Keirran and Skylar to the meet. It never went remarkably well. Keirran's hadn't been so bad, aside from the looks and stares and whispered comments. Some people had challenged me, but that was soon dealt with by some heads rolling. Skylar's was much, much worse; the main reason why Elysium set me on edge the way it did.
We had first brought Skylar to Elysium when she was seven. It had been in winter, in Tir Na Nog and I had been nervous about it. About the way Mab would react with the girl. I had already received a few pointed remarks about her before, but it went smoothly for the first part. Mab did not raise a hand to the little princess but instead set about on winning my daughter's trust. I had followed them and found Mab trying to convince Skylar to leave Mag Tuiredh and join the winter court. I lost my temper there and then; threatened and attacked the Unseelie queen. She was about to put a blade through my neck but Skylar . . did something with her power. In the situation of intense emotion, all three glamours had taken effect all at the same time. It made the moment freeze. Time stopped. I could move and Skylar could move but Mab was halted. It had lasted several minutes before the girl's strength began to falter and time began to flow normally again. Mab had had several things to stay about the ordeal, and none of them were good in any way, shape or form. Skylar had been called a mutt, a half-breed, an abomination. Some of the winter fey had asked for her to be put down, along with Keirran. It was also one of the few times Oberon truly stood his ground with Meghan. Skylar had never been able to work all three glamours at once since. I very rarely allowed her to try. Not only was it dangerous to the other fey, but it was also required a huge amount of strength to sustain for more than a minute. Sitting in the court room, watching the rulers agree on new Accords, when my veins turned to liquid fire. It sourced on my left, upper arm. I tug back the sleeve of my tunic to reveal my pale, unblemished skin. Nothing to see at all. No sign at all that the sharp pain was pinpointed at that area.
The hot, painful, burning sensation spreads slowly up my arm, working its way towards my chest. My mind speeds at a hundred miles an hour, sifting through all different possibilities. Poison, curse, spell, dart, possession.
Knight.
Skylar was in trouble. Skylar, who wasn't in court. I stumble out of the room, ignoring Meghan's call. I reach out to feel for her, but I sense nothing, just pure cold. Dread pools in my stomach. I can hear someone, Puck.
"Come on, you bloody useless fools. Help your princess!" he yelled. I shove past the gathered crowd into the clearing.
Puck stands infront of the parted briars. His face is as pale as mine, his eyes wide in complete hysteria. In his arms he holds a corpse in black. I see the long, curly hair, the pale skin, the slender frame, the star shaped birthmark on her right wrist.
"Skylar!" I call out in a strangled voice, sprinting towards them. He lays her on the ground. Her head flops lifelessly, face ashen.
"Ash, I . ." Puck stutters.
Ignoring him, I press two fingers to her throat roughly. For a few agonizing moments, I feel nothing. Eventually, a slow, faint pulse drums against my fingers. I again feel the raging pain in my arm, I cut away the sleeve of her dress, revealing her horrific injury.
I'd seen plenty of nasty injuries in my time but never anything as shocking as Sky's. The veins in her arms were jet black as though someone had replaced her blood with ink. From her wrist to her elbow, the skin was burnt red and black like a grotesque patchwork quilt. Three, long clawmarks left black trails around her arm. Though I had never seen one myself, this was the work of a wraith.
Meghan is here and screaming but it's all lost in a haze. I let the girl down and turn on Puck, I draw my sword, fuelled by anger, grief and shock. He doesn't move and makes no sound as I bring my blade down across his chest, opening up a shallow but long cut from shoulder to hip. He makes not even a yelp.
"Why? Why her Puck?" I scream at him, pointing my blade at his neck. "She's just a girl. She trusted you. I trusted you and you couldn't keep her safe. Why?"
Puck swallows but he remains mute. I drop my sword from his neck and let it fall to the ground. I pull Skylar's dead-weight into my lap. Meghan is knelt by her daughter's side, stroking her hair. But she's waking up. No. No, don't wake up.
Her eyes flutter open and she gasped, griping at the fabric on her arm.
"It'll be alright, it'll be fine." I whisper, clutching her tight.
"No, no. Put me down. Please."
Of course she would want me to do that. The poison was already racing through the veins in her upper arm. In a minute or two, it would hit her vital organs. It will cripple and burn her insides when it reaches her heart. And it would hurt like holy hell. Letting it get to that point would be cruel.
"I can't."
"Don't make me beg, Put me out of it, please." she whimpers, shaking like a leaf.
"I can't." I repeat.
"Not even for me? I'm done for and you know it. Please . . just end it now."
"Put a sleeping charm on her, Ash." Grimalkin sits solemnly at my feet.
"No. She might never wake up if I do." I stutter, shaking my head.
"She'll die anyway if you don't!" he snaps impatiently, his tail thumping. Meghan flinches horribly.
Perhaps she would. I had dithered too long. The poison had reached her organs. She screamed, arching her back sharply. My mind was off. I wasn't thinking, wasn't comprehending; all I could do was feel her.
"Do it!" Grimalkin hisses and Meghan gives in, mutters the curse.
"No!" Skylar croaks before she goes under.
