Page 1 of Battle of Evyndral

Chapter 1

Elledan

2062 – The Fae Realm

The midday sunshone on Elledan as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and notched it. Drawing the string back, her fingers hovering close to her ear, she exhaled and let it fly. The arrow hit the target dead center as it did every time she aimed. A raven she had named Novus sounded his approval with a loudgronk. The bird was her constant companion whenever Elle was outdoors. She figured he would become her animal to call on as she grew into her other powers. When she wasn’t learning to fight, Elle focused on her ability to blend in with the shadows. It wasn’t a true elemental power like the other light fae possessed, but it came in handy when she wanted to hide. When she wasn’t training, she tended the garden with her mother. At least she had until her mother was found dead three sun cycles ago. Elle enjoyed planting a seed, watering, and nurturing it until it grew into some type of fruit or vegetable.

Her older siblings, Yaricelan and Thrandyr, sparred close by with swords, training for the dragon guard trials, which were held on the first new moon of the sun cycle. One would think creatures as threatening as the winged ones wouldn’t need protection, but the dark fae had weapons that could paralyze a dragon. It was an honor to be chosen as guardians for thedragons of Evyndral. Elle wanted to be a guardian too. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with the magnificent creatures, even if it meant putting your life on the line?

One couldn’t be considered for the royal family’s protection detail until they were at least one hundred, the age when a fae was considered an adult. Elle was only twenty-five, a mere child in her world. The twins had reached the age of maturity several full moons ago and had been training for the royal guard since they were Elle’s age. She would miss them once they were chosen because they would be among those the royals picked. Elle knew it in her heart. Even then, she would continue her training so one day she could join them.

When Yaricelan yelled, “Hah!” Elle turned to see that her sister had bested her twin. Yari was everything Elle wanted to be when she was older – brave and fierce yet maintaining her sense of humor and compassion. While most females worried about securing a mate, Yari focused on becoming the best sword wielder in the realm. Thran pushed the blade away from his throat, but he was grinning. They were competitive while still being each other’s biggest champion. Elle learned much from her siblings. Although she was young, they never overlooked her when she tagged along. Thran taught her the ways of the blade, whether a sword or dagger, and Yari instructed her with a bow. Her mother had taught Elle about incantations, portents, and sigils. Elle rubbed her chest over her heart. She missed Lorhana deeply.

The ground shook as horse hooves beat with each step. Their father pulled back on Dorcan’s reins, and the large beast slid to a stop. “Where is Elledan?” Ballymar demanded as he slid from the furry creature’s back. Their father was an imposing male with white hair flowing around his broad shoulders. His lavender eyes sparked with derision. Elle skirted behind a tree, drawing on the shadows to hide her from view. She couldn’timagine why he was angry with her. The tone of his voice was something she’d never encountered.

The twins lowered their swords, and Yari approached. “Father, what’s the matter?”

“Grevolus of Winterhaven is claiming Elle is his daughter,” Ballymar seethed. Elledan fell onto her backside. No. Ballymar was Elle’s father, not some Und?nthú from the winter court.

“What?” Thran stepped up beside Yari. “That’s preposterous. She’s our sister. She looks just like Yari.”

Ballymar’s ire turned to sadness as his shoulders hunched. “That she does, but your sisters both resemble their mother, whereas you are my spitting image. He’s demanding to approach the elders to prove his claim.” Elle slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. It had to be a mistake.

“But that would mean…” Yari didn’t finish her thought. She didn’t have to. If what the dark fae claimed was true, it meant their mother had a dalliance with this male. Elle wouldn’t believe it. Lorhana had adored Ballymar. They were mates for the goddess’s sake.

“I know what it means. I don’t want to believe it either, but your mother isn’t alive to ask. The only way to prove his claim false is to involve the elders.”

Yari sheathed her sword. “Why wait this long? Mother’s been gone three sun cycles.”

“Because Elle is twenty-five. Her powers will begin manifesting soon,” Thran answered.

Her powers had manifested a few years ago, but her siblings didn’t know she had been honing them all this time. Elle pulled the shadows closer, hiding her from the others, and crept through the forest until she was far enough away to run. If they couldn’t find her, then the dark fae couldn’t prove anything. With Novus flying overhead, Elle ran fast and far.

Ten Sun Cycles Later

“Odette, get yourass in here and help your mother,” Grevolus yelled.

“She’s not my mother,” Elle hissed under her breath for the thousandth time. Asherah would kill Elle if it weren’t for the fact that Grevolus told her she couldn’t. She and Tovin, her half-brother, made her life miserable, and Grevolus didn’t stop them. Then again, he was an Und?nthú, so she held no hope he would ever have a kind word for her. He was evil after all.

Tovin stuck his head in her door. “Move your ass, Odette. Now.” Speaking of evil… Elle shoved her clothes in the small satchel and fastened the button. She had been renamed once the elder council confirmed she was indeed the offspring of Grevolus, but in her heart and head, she would always be Elledan, daughter of Ballymar of Summerland, one of the best D?nthúlú who ever lived.

Another change made was to her appearance. Elle had to leave her pretty clothes behind. The light colors weren’t allowed in Winterhaven or Autumnvale. Her white hair had been dyed black, but it wore off quickly; her roots offering proof of the better half of her parentage, so Grevolus insisted she use a glamour. The first time Elle removed it, he had beaten her within an inch of her life. It took weeks before she could get out of bed. Each day, Tovin taunted her for being weak. Asherah wasn’t much better since Elle wasn’t able to help with the cooking and cleaning. Elle could understand Asherah hating her since she was another female’s daughter, but that wasn’t Elle’s fault. That lie with Grevolus.

Instead of being allowed outside to practice with her bow, Elle was relegated to being nothing more than a house maiden. She was tasked with scrubbing their small cottage daily. She was also used to cleaning house with the wave of a hand. Grevolusinsisted she do it the hard way. Back in Summerland, Elle had been used to a larger home with more amenities, like an indoor chamber pot that was situated above a system in the ground that led waste away from their home. Here, their chamber pot was in a wooden structure outside, and making the trek in the cold wasn’t pleasant, but it did get her out of the cottage for at least a short while.

Elle was also tasked with cooking three meager meals daily. There were few vegetables that grew in the rocky soil, but Elle managed to coax the few seeds Grevolus traded for at the market into producing with a kind word and a silent spell. Novus was there, in the trees, croaking his displeasure at what she assumed was being in the colder clime of Winterhaven. “Me too, my friend,” she would whisper.

The dark Queen wasn’t as generous with her fae as the light Queen, which meant their cupboards and larder held little to work with. Elle almost offered to hunt for meat, but she didn’t want Grevolus to know she was skilled with a bow. She would have needed to borrow Tovin’s since Elle had left hers on the ground of the training field the day she tried to run. The only knife she had access to was the one she used while cooking. She was tempted daily to use it for other means, but with three against one, her odds weren’t good.

When she reached the parlor, Asherah snapped her fingers. “Get a move on, girl.”

She held up her satchel. “I’m ready.”

Asherah drew her arm in an arc, gesturing to the messy parlor. It had been tidy earlier. “You’ll be ready when the cottage is picked up.”

Elle eyed the mess. “I thought we were in a hurry.”

“We are, so you’ll need to be quick about it.”

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