Chapter One
Forevermore an outcast.
The words echoed in Kelty’s mind as laughter drew her gaze to a human family among the visitors of the park below. Resentment and longing burned in her chest at their smiling faces, yet she could not look away. Landing with light feet on a branch high above the field, she folded her wings to her back as a long sigh escaped her lips.
The sun shone upon on the woods of the human world, casting a brightness upon the leaves. But despite the brilliant green, the fresh air, it paled in comparison to the world of Faerie.
Kelty took a breath as the homesickness hit her. Sinking into a crouch, she reached inward to the magic at her core and sent some of it through her bare feet into the rough bark. Connecting to the ara, the life energy within the tree, she used the steady, soothing presence to ground herself.
The ara of this world was weak, but it was starting to respond to her. Nurturing and caring for the energy of the land was all she knew how to do in this place of banishment. What little life existed in the plants, trees, and soil now glowed brighter, healthier to her vision. She was doomed to be its only champion.
Kelty’s eyes followed the two human children, a boy and a girl, as they squealed and chased each other around in the lush grass. Their movements were a little awkward given their small stature, but their fun continued regardless. Two adults watched the children attentively from a picnic blanket, looking on with indulgent smiles.
To see such joy at the simple connection with the world around them, proof that not all humans were entirely apathetic and destructive, should have inspired relief in Kelty. This day, the sight only served as a reminder of the life she lost, the future now out of reach.
The comfort she drew from the ara of the tree drained from her, the memories she worked to keep down surfacing despite her efforts to forget.
Forevermore an outcast.
The family blurred as tears clouded her vision. The judgment decreed by none other than her father, Baron of the Night, haunted her to this day, as did the pain of knowing she did nothing to deserve her banishment. Bitterness filled her as she recalled her mother’s anguished face, the pain in her eyes. Her father’s expression was nearly blank, as if distancing himself from the words he spoke. They knew of her innocence, yet they could do nothing to stop her from being cast out of her home. Her actions were unforgivable.
Kelty blinked away the last image she had of Faerie, forcefully wiping a hand across her eyes. She exhaled in an attempt to ease the painful knot in her chest.
No. I will not dwell on it. There was nothing to be done now except wait and maintain her distance from humankind, the warning from the stories her parents told her always at the forefront of her mind.
Contact with humans drains faerie magic.
Strengthening the ara of the wood and keeping watch on the humans from far above kept Kelty’s magic strong and hope alive within her heart. Her mother would clear her name in Faerie and come for her. And when she did, Kelty would be waiting.
It would happen. It had to.
A shrill laugh brought her out of her thoughts. Kelty focused back in on the family just as the young boy caught up to the girl, giving her a tap on the arm. The girl squealed in what seemed to be delight at the game, though she lost her balance and toppled over onto her backside.
No… Kelty flinched, a hiss coming to her lips as the action triggered a different memory. Phantom fingers clutched at her arm as a face of blue swam before her eyes, devious smirk a sign that he knew he had her trapped. This hadn’t been an innocent game. Their contact broke the rule, the one that must never be broken.
Partnership between those of the Night and those of the Day was banned after one such couple sought to combine their opposing magic, causing a backlash of power that killed all the members of both courts and nearly destroyed all of Faerie. The Silver Dusk.
The blue one carefully crafted the trap that resulted in Kelty’s banishment. He was of the Day and she of the Night. Though it was the first time she ever laid eyes on this faerie, the touch of his magic within her left no question of their involvement, a perfectly crafted illusion that they intended to enter into a partnership that echoed that of the Great Destroyers, the ones responsible for the Silver Dusk.
Kelty had no time to react to the violation, the rulers of Faerie happening upon them just after he grabbed her arm, speaking the words that would awaken his magic within her. There was nothing she could say that would prove her innocence as she was examined and declared traitor by The Glorious, leader of the Day and the most powerful of the spirit-users, the faeries who could sense the magical bonds between potential partners.
His magic was cleansed from her, their potential bond dissolved, but nothing could erase the damage to her name. The unforgivable cannot go without strict punishment, especially for the heir of the Night.
Forevermore an outcast.
Kelty’s heart pounded and she pressed her lips into a hard line as the memory taunted her. She did not know what became of the blue one. The Day took him away to pass their own judgment on him. But if she ever saw him again, he would suffer for taking everything from her.
The leaves around her rustled in an unsettled whisper, as if a breeze were present despite the stillness of the air.
Kelty took a breath and unclenched her fists, withdrawing her magic back into her core so that the trees would no longer feel her anger. She stood then, wings twitching with an overwhelming need to fly, to get away from the painful reminder of what she was: a fallen star.
She spread her wings as she turned from the human family, but just before her feet left the branch, Kelty paused as an uncomfortable sensation caused her to shiver, like that of eyes watching her.
The girl sitting on a bench at the edge of the field looked down hurriedly as Kelty’s eyes zeroed in on her, bending her auburn-colored head over a book that was open in her lap. She wore simple garments in typical human fashion of pants in shades of blue and a white top. By her smallness and delicate features, Kelty guessed she was young. Unremarkable.
A quick glance of the area revealed that no other human eyes were looking up at her. Some of the tension left Kelty’s body as she exhaled. The magic that concealed her from human sight was present in a soft caress against her skin.
Turning away from them all, Kelty vaulted into the air as if she could escape her fate.
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
