Page 4 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

“I have something for you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box.

“That’s really not necessary,” I say, giving him a playfully scolding look. I take the box from him anyway and open it to find a golden chain with a small, raw amethyst hanging from it, a luxury item that must’ve cost a fortune.“Papa… it’s beautiful.”

“I feel like yesterday you were just a baby. And now, here you are… a strong, fearless young woman with the world at your feet.” His eyes glisten with tears as he holds my face in his hands, just like he used to do when I was younger. I used to have nightmares constantly, but I could never remember what they were about. I would wake up screaming for my mother, but it was always him who would hold me, cupping my face and staring into my eyes to remind me to breathe.“Happy Birthday.”

His deep brown eyes flash briefly with unease, but the expression is replaced instantaneously with his normal warmth. As he’s aged, his brown hair and beard have started to gray, and the wrinkles around his eyes have been etched deeper in more recent years. Maybe from the stress of raising a teenage daughter who is infuriatingly tenacious.

I look at my mother, and can’t help but notice she’s pretty much the exact opposite of my father; while he’s tall and stocky, she’s short and petite, her blonde hair also having turned more silver recently, in this last year especially.

“We are so proud of you.” She pulls me in for a hug, her voice strained as if she's holding back tears.

I step away from her embrace and say,“I love you both, so much.” My own eyes well with tears, an extremely rare occurrence.

I clear my throat, and my father takes the necklace out of the box. I turn my back to him and lift my braid off my neck so he can fasten it. I’m about to thank him again for the gift, but I don’t get the chance.

“Aurelia, please be careful tonight,” my mother says as I turn back around to face them.

I glance between them, sensing some unspoken tension.“I’ll be safe. Promise,” I say, attempting to reassure whatever concerns they have.“I’ll probably stay with Briar tonight though.”

Before my parents can express any more hesitation, I run out the door, excited to see what the night will bring.

Chapter Two

Iwalk the quarter mile to the town center, stepping more carefully than usual to avoid getting my dress dirty. As I near the central courtyard, I head toward the blacksmith to find Cedric, my part-elf childhood friend. I hear the clang of metal on metal and smell hot iron as I approach the smithy. I can feel the forge's heat from several feet away and instinctively stay back a few paces. I spot Ced in the back, inspecting a short-sword for any errors. I’m about to call his name when Ed, the master blacksmith who Cedric is apprenticing under, catches sight of me and stops hammering, letting out a low whistle.

“Jem bless me! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress,” Ed calls upon the god of art and music, setting down his hammer. I give the burly man a warm smile, knowing that was his form of a compliment.

“Wow, Auri… You look amazing.” Cedric clears his throat behind Ed as his wide eyes scan over my body. He takes a step toward me and extends his hand, before thinking better of it, black grime thick on his palms. He hastily wipes his hands with a dirty rag while I follow him through the shop, gathering my dress close to my body so it doesn’t snag on anything sharp. Cedric leads me out to the garden that’s beside the smithy and takes a seat on the stone bench where we sometimes eat lunch together with Briar.

“You look beautiful,” he says, fiddling nervously with his hands.

I take a seat beside him, feeling awkward receiving such a direct compliment.“Thanks, Ced.” I quickly change the subject.“Are you coming out with us tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiles at me sweetly and I return it, taking in his appearance. His fair skin is flushed from working near the fires as he runs a hand through his red waves, brushing the hair off his slick forehead. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and I know he has feelings for me, but he’s never voiced them. The elvish part of him tends to be more reserved, and besides that, he’s always been shy. I’ve never really seen him as more than a friend, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an amazing male. He’s thoughtful and sweet and would make a good partner, but I don’t know if I feel that spark that all my romance novels talk about.

The Word of the Mothertalks of the Divine Connection, an increasingly rare phenomenon in which the gods determine one's perfect match. It’s an incredibly powerful anomaly, often resulting in dominant offspring and bloodlines. It’s more of legend at this point since there hasn’t been a Divine Connection in centuries.

“So… you wanted to see me?” I ask, rubbing my sweaty palms over the fabric of my dress.

“Oh, yes.” He laughs nervously.“I made you something.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.“Oh?”

Cedric reaches into his apron pocket and pulls out a flat parcel wrapped in leather. I eye him suspiciously and pull the cord holding the worn leather wrapping in place. The cloth falls away to reveal a six-inch dagger, the hilt tightly wrapped in leather so purple it almost looks black. The metal glistens in the late afternoon sun, highlighting the exquisite detail in the blade. I look at Cedric, my eyes wide with shock. I can’t believe that he would make me something so stunning, and it just goes to show how well he knows me, gifting me a dagger on my birthday instead of flowers or something equally useless. My mother will be beside herself, and the thought of her freaking out over the gift makes me smile.“Ced, this is beautiful!”

“Well, see how it feels.” He picks it up and hands it to me, grip first. It feels like it was made for my hand, which I suppose it was, but I have no idea how Cedric did it.

“It’s perfect,” I say, balancing the knife on my pointer finger.

“Here.” He hands me a sheath for my leg. I part my dress around the slit just enough to secure the sheath snugly around my thigh and add the dagger. I catch Cedric watching me and he quickly averts his eyes, swallowing thickly. I stand up to make sure the dagger stays put and he follows me off the bench. I wrap my arms around his waist and put my face against his chest, and he tentatively wraps his arms around my shoulders.“Thank you, truly. Let me pay you.”

We pull back from the brief hug and he scoffs, shaking his head.“Don’t be an idiot. It’s a gift. I needed the practice anyway.”

“If this is the kind of quality you’re producing, I doubt you’ll be an apprentice for much longer,” I say, knowing he doesn’t give himself enough credit for the pieces he creates.

“Yeah, well.” He shrugs shyly.“Anyway, I’ll meet you guys at The Pig?”

“Great.” I back up a few steps before turning away from him, feeling a tension between us that hadn’t existed before. I smile to myself, Cedric’s dagger a new but comforting weight around my thigh.

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