Author's Note:

Here's the tenth chapter (insert happy dance). I was going to originally title this Evil Love but I found that Deadly Hope fit better. This is kind of a cheesy chapter, and it's cheesy-ness can be blamed on the cheesy movie I watched last night. However, don't let that stop you from reading. This chapter contains a lot of good information, and, of course, ends with my signature cliff hanger. This chapter has a lot of emotions, even humor. By the way, I changed Seth's hair and eyes in chapter eight. I had ment to originaly say that he has dark brown hair and green eyes that are a few shades darker than Kendra's. Sorry about that, but I think that is how Brandon Mull described them. If that isn't right, it is how I invision them. Also, thank you for all th reviews. I love it. Please, continue to tell me what I'm doing right so I can do more of it and what I'm doing wrong so I can do less of it.

Hope you enjoy... –Evangeline

Deadly Hope

Hope is a funny thing. A person doesn't really have control over it; it's as if the emotion has its own mind. Hope can lift a person to the sky or bury them thousands of feet under. The worst part of hope is that it is love's sidekick. Where ever there is love one can usually find hope. However, for hope to affect love, someone has to wish or dream about it. Oh, but wait, it gets better. When someone gets there dreams and wishes of love crushed and hope is there, it kills the person and attacks there heart with everything it has.

I wish I could have seen the seeds of hope that had begun to grow in my heart. I could blame it on Liz because she had told me over and over that he cared about me. Then again, all the girls who knew both of us had told me that, even some of the guys. Though, I think they just planted the seeds, he added the water and sun. He made them grow. His smug and caring words had manifested themselves into my heart.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid heart, I chastised myself, Idiotic and betraying emotions. I'm a moron for thinking that HE cared and LOVED me. Ugh, I will never be that stupid again. That was one promise that I would keep.

I stood up. I could not take sitting by him anymore. Before I could walk two steps, he grabbed my hand.

"Kendra, wait," his voice made my heart leap and I swore that would be the last time it ever did such a thing, "let me explain." I didn't care that he was begging, my heart was in microscopic pieces and ashes because of him.

"There is nothing to explain," I stated dryly pulling away from him and heading for the door.

He ran up behind me, grabbed my hand, spun me around, and looked me straight in the eyes. "But there is. It's not what you think."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" I was heart-broken and angry, so of course I yelled at him. His words had broken my perfect façade. "Your engaged, how is it not what I think."

"Because I didn't have a say in it. It's an arranged marriage, Kendra. Like I said before, being looked in a dungeon for a couple of years puts one out of the loop. Kendra, I have been fitting this arranged marriage since I heard about it."

I tried to break away, but he held both my arms tight enough so I couldn't pull away without hurting me. He continued, "That is why you haven't heard from me or seen me much at all. The Fairy council arranged the marriage."

I looked at him confused. The Fairy council, I thought. The Fairy council was made up of the royal family, the Queen, King, Bracken, and his four sisters; the leader of each race of creatures of light; the head of the Dawn Angels, the original Knights of the Dawn's new name; five of the most powerful unicorns; and a representative of the five eldest families in the Fairy Realm, not including the royal family who is the eldest. I was now a member because I was the Fairy Queen's handmaiden and represented the humans.

"Why would they do that?" I asked, curse my curiosity for making me ask and curse him for using my curiosity to keep me to stay.

"For centuries, the council has wanted to join the five eldest families with the royal family. Four of the five families have boys that are my sisters' ages and the last has a daughter my age. The day I was captured at Living Mirage, my sisters were also not present at the council meeting and they voted on the marriage. The majority said yes; however, my mother disagreed. She said that if both participants in the ordeal disagree or if someone objects at the wedding ceremony, then the marriage would not go through. She also said that before the wedding could take place the bride and groom had to get to know each other over the course of a year. Bree, Virtue, and Lily all got out of their marriages. For Bree and Virtue it was because their grooms didn't want to get married either. Lily's now husband, Eric, objected and saved Lily. However, Anastasia went through with the wedding because they had fallen in love with each other. I've been trying to get out but Irina wants to marry me."

"Wow," I said, "Maybe, Irina and you will fall in love like Anastasia and her groom did." I had to stay negative so I couldn't hope.

"I don't think that is possible," he said as he moved closer to me.

"Why?" I breathed out as I looked into his mesmerizing eyes.

"Because you can't fall in love with someone, if you're already in love with someone else."

"What?" my breathing hitched and I swear my heart stopped for a few seconds.

"Kendra Sorenson, I'm in love with…"

Before Bracken could finish, I slipped out of his grasp and ran. I didn't even care that Seth was rubbing his head and everyone else stood around pretending to be in deep conversation, I just ran. I ran past them and out the front door. I would have continued to run but what I say caused me to stop, made my eyes water, and forced my voice to let out a horror filled scream.

Next Chapter:

Off We Go