A Court of Shift and shadow

XXVI

Katies POV:

We landed in a field of golden wheat, the afternoon sun starting to set. And a summer evening breeze passed by, making the wheat dance. Galad stood by my side, his hand in mine. Tarquin Winnowed away, leaving us alone. The house in front of us was so orderary. No manor or mansion, no small half standing cabin. Just a simple one floor house, a small area of grass grew around it. A maple tree stood at its side. I was still in the dress from the meeting.

"Are you looking for someone?" A male voice said behind us. I turned and looked right into a pair of green eyes. A warm summer tan over his skin, red blond hair like mine. The face, soft, not hard like Tamlins. But the structure was similar.

"Yes..." I said. "I am looking for Irma..." The males face hardened, but not like Tamlins.

"Who are you?" He said before I could answer something hit the ground. I turned and a Fae female was standing in the doorway. A basket at her feet. Her hair was just like mine, and my brothers.

"You..." She said, walking toward us. "You..." A hint of sadness was in her voice.

"Hi..." I said. Galad, still at my side. "I am Katie..." The words were hard to say. The female, my mother, started to cry.

"I never knew..." She said, raising a hand. Scars at her wrist, similar to mine on my hands. "I never knew..."

"Casandra told me..."I said as my brother walked up to her "I can come back another day..." I took a step back. This was too much, too much in one day... Galads hand squeezed mine.

"Caspan, this is you sister..." Irma said, taking a deep breath. "Does he know?"

"No, he doesn't know, I left Spring." I said.

"And you are?" The question was not targeted to me, Caspan was talking to Galad.

"I am Galad, of the Night Court."

"And my mate." I said. For the first time outloud. "Galad helped me leave Spring."

"I am so sorry..." My mother walked towards me. "Casandra is she?..."

"She is dead..." I said, tears falling down my cheeks. "The last thing she told me was about you, what happened. How she only had magic for two." I could see how Caspan put two and two together.

"Is he..." Caspan said.

"He is alive, and in Spring, not knowing anything about you."

"Katie... Casandra knew what name I was thinking of." My mother smiled. "How... Your powers, how great are they?"

"I have yet to find the boundaries on my shifting ability, Air shields and galmuring are not fully explored. But no Winnowing, not yet." I said back.

"Then I Guess that this means that I am the Heir." Caspan said.

"That day is still far off." I said back. "How great are yours?"

"Shifting like yours, air way more than just shields, Galurring the same as all others. Winnowing. I have not dared to test outside of the Summer Courts borders." Caspan said.

"You can go up to the Night Court and test." Galad said. "The aliens between the Courts will protect you from being seen."

"I will remember that." Caspan said.

"How bad was it, before you could leave?" Irma said, her hand took my free and examined the scars.

"Bad, but these scars are from the cell he kept me in, and Casandra..." I said.

"Come in, it is soon dark." Irma took the lead and we walked into the house. And I told them my story, from the first time I shifted to the day I left. Parts I hadn't told Galad before, and things I never had seen as bad... When I told them about the cell, Galads hand almost broke the table as he held on to its edge.