Aella

My breathing was still unsteady after running through the forest, transforming had never been easy for me and my back still ached where my wings had shot through. I was soon in the small clearing where my mistress hid in darkness, away from prying eyes. She stood before a crackling fire and wisps of smoke came up around her as she waved her arms around slowly. I could hear her chanting under her breath and her eyes remained closed even though she sensed my presence.

“Why are you here? I wasn’t expecting you back until nightfall” she muttered, her arms still moving fluidly.

“She’s back” I said plainly.

Her eyes flew open wide and her arms stopped. “I can’t believe it,” Desdemona said, “She’s finally back after all these years of waiting?”

I nodded, keeping my eyes to the ground, “yes, I saw her with my own eyes… she still remembers me well enough.”

“You have spoken to her?” she asked while moving closer to me.

“Yes, she was thrown out… I found her on the forests edge” I said.

“Of course,” she began with a finger tapping her chin. “The trees are calling her home… she must be nearly eighteen and soon all the enchantments that have been used to protect her will be broken…”

“I don’t understand?”

“You were probably too young to remember, the reason why she was banished from the house the first time… her parents put a spell on the guardian.”

“The old lady…” I murmured.

“Yes, the old Mrs Harris had a spell put upon her… She believes that Aella is truly her Granddaughter, and she is constantly repulsed by her presence. Which is why she sent her away, she is merely a puppet, a marionette and my idiot brother is pulling the strings. It’s what he wanted you see, for his precious baby girl to be sent as far away from me as possible.”

I gulped at the mention of her brother, the King. “But when she turns eighteen?” I asked hesitantly

“When she turns eighteen she will see everything as it truly is and Mrs Harris will look upon her as a stranger.”

“But what about the other girl? The human?” I asked.

“She was young when they sent Aella to live with them; I don’t think she needed any enchantments to believe she was her sister so her memory of her should not change. Nevertheless if she discovers the truth about our race like I have always feared, she too must die.”

“So what are we going to do?”

“What we were always going to do Braeden, kill the heir to the throne. When are you seeing her again?” She asked suddenly.

“She wants to see me tomorrow morning…” I replied.

“Good, keep her close. Don’t let her out of your sight, who knows how many protectors the King has around that house. If you slip up and they discover you are working for me… well… I’d hate to think what the consequences would be.” She returned to the fire and bent down to stoke it; her back was turned to me so I could see the gaping scars where her wings once were through the slits in her dress, the sight of it made me feel uneasy.

“I understand,” I said. “And then what?”

“We will wait for her eighteenth birthday when all the enchantments protecting her are broken. If she fails to reach the forest in time for the Wakening her wings will fail her and she will be ours for the taking, and then I will finally rule like I was born to.”

“What if she makes it in time?” I said as I tried to clean my hands on my shirt.

“She won’t because you won’t let her, do whatever it takes. With the King on his deathbed he won’t be any aid to her.”

“I won’t fail you, my lady,” I said darkly, I knew what the cost would be if I did.

“Good, Braeden…your father would be proud…”