Page 5 of Chaos and Destiny
‘Beyond The Mists’ the voice had told me. No one went to The Mists unless they wanted to die. The journey to get there was treacherous enough. I couldn’t think of one time someone had traveled there and returned. Not only did that thing want me to travel to them, it also wanted me to meet them on the other side. I’m not sure how, but I knew it was Nealla. I had felt the truth of her when she’d spoken into my mind.
Exhaustion like I’d never known crept through me. I stumbled through the room and dragged the prince’s blankets back to his bed. I didn’t care if someone came in. I didn’t care if I’d have one single chance at escape. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into that massive feather bed and sleep until the world was a brighter place.
The storm that commanded the sky beyond rumbled its concurrence, so I settled into the warmth of the thick blanket around me, trying not to think of the last person who had slept there. The crackling of the fireplace snapped in tune to the rain pounding the window, and I fell asleep easier than ever.
Chapter 3
TEMIR
“Why are your horns so long, Temir?” the stable boy asked as we sat on the old dock, throwing flattened rocks across the frozen lake.
“I’m letting them grow.”
“But why?”
“Listen, no one will ever accept us for who we are if we can’t accept ourselves.”
“But why are we different?” He reached to the side and plucked a flat rock from the ice-cold mud beside him.
“When you look at Gaea, what do you see?” I threw the rock in my hand and glanced at him. His face twisted as he considered what might make her different. The innocence of children always beguiled me. He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. Naturally, we were all the same in his eyes. “I have horns, some call them antlers. She has feline eyes. And you?” I reached over, poking the blue markings on his face. He pulled away and giggled. “You have these handsome markings and longer ears than I do. The lesser fae are still fae, boy. We just share features with the animals of Alewyn.”
“But our hearts and souls are the same?”
I wrapped an arm over his shoulder and he scooted closer. “Exactly the same. Though some would say our hearts are even better. Have you thought about what I asked you?”
“I have, but I dunno. It’s hard.”
“I won’t call you ‘boy’ forever. You’ll have to come up with something eventually.”
“Alright, if it’s such a big deal, you do it.” He threw the last rock he had found.
I waited for it to chirp across the ice before I responded. “You want me to name you?”
“I don’t know nothing about namin’ boys,” he mumbled.
“Alright, how about,” I lifted my finger to my chin as if I were really thinking hard, “Rock?”
He laughed, and it made me smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done that.
“I don’t wanna be called Rock, Tem.” He turned his face to mine, and the blue ice faerie markings along his cheek shimmered like a spackling of glitter.
Where did he really come from? How did he come to be a stable boy? He just showed up two years ago, barely walking and stumbling around the barn.
“Well then, whatdoyou want to be called?” I threw my own flat stone.
“I already told you, I don’t know.” He smirked. “Let’s ask Gaea.”
He had grown a crush on her, and he, in return, was her new favorite person. I certainly wasn’t. I had other things to worry about, though, so I didn’t push her.
“We can ask her tonight at dinner.” I patted his shoulder.
I was certain the boy was enjoying his newfound freedom, but I was equally confident Marte was working him harder for it. Though I had threatened him severely, some dogs just never learned. It wasn’t within my power to pull the boy from the stables forever, but I allowed him to join us as often as he could. The lonely life of a stable boy could crush your spirit if you weren’t careful.
“Time to get back, Rock.” I ruffled the nearly white hair behind his elongated ear. “I’ve got a council meeting to get to.”
“That’s not my name, Tem.” He pushed my arm away.
“Better think of a good one then!”
