Crown of Starlight

Chapter 3

"There is one who can help" a high pitched voice replied.

I sat up straighter "who?" I asked. One eyebrow raised.

The willow wyms chuckled "The dark one...the one who controls the shadows....yes yes the dark prince! I slumped again. Disappointed by their answer.

"I cannot ask him for help. I won't." I slumped back against the tree with crossed arms.

"You must....the ancient one is coming...the lands will be United once more"

"Ancient one? What do you mean?"
The willow wyms only chuckled in response. Peculiar little things.

"There must be another way." I said more to myself.

"Erebus and Hemeria helped each other."
The mere mention of the gods was a surprise.

"What do you know about the gods?" I asked.

"The story is not as it seems. Hemeria and Erebus were not the villains of that story."

"Then who was?" I promoted.

"Hehehehehe." The willow wyms scattered away before answering leaving me with even more confusing thoughts. I shook off their comments they were no use to me and stood to continue strolling through the forest. Slowly weaving in and out of the trees and the various flowers dotted around the grassy ground. I avoided the cave, a place that I used to escape to now tainted with the memory of me and Azra. I paused to peer up at the rising moon. My coronation is in two weeks, the next eclipse is in a couple of months. I need to be able to use this magic before then to reinforce the light realms borders, to protect the light fae. Sighing I peeled my eyes away from the bright circle in the sky and squeezed my eyes shut jumping back to my room in the palace with a whoosh in blink of an eye.

"Ugh! Finally!" Claras voice startled me.
"Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I was...around." I said looking between Clara and Tanner who was lounging on my bed.

"Where's Nash?" I asked. Since he too betrayed me by working with Azra feeding him information and using his light magic to give him access to our realm...to me.

"He's...around." Clara said with a faint smile.

"He's probably scared you're going to kick his ass or banish him to the realm between or something." Tanner added.

"I'm not going to banish him." I said removing my cloak. "I might kick his ass but I won't banish him."

"He's sorry you know. Like really sorry. He's been drinking a lot to numb his guilt." Clara said.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for him? My brother and parents are dead Clara. Thanks to his help." Truth was I did feel sorry for him. I know exactly what Azra is like. The things he would do and say to get what he wants. Nash was nothing but a pawn in his game, as was I.

"Of course not, that's not what I mean."

"Then tell him to stop being a chicken shit and come apologise to my face if he feels so damn bad about what he did." The room fell silent. I hung my cloak in the closet and turned to face them crossing my arms.

"What do you both want anyway?" I asked rather harshly.

"What we want..." Tanner stood from the bed his tall frame towering over me and Clara "is to party with our friend before she goes all strict Queen on us"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you insane? I can't exactly just leave the palace anymore."

"Which is why we will take these" Clara dangled three vials of dark liquid in my face."

"What...is that?" I stared wide eyed at the clinking vials.

"That is how we will get into the biggest secret party of the year." Tanner answered.

"And where is this secret party?" I put my hands on my hips and was well aware of how much I resembled annoyed Yetta right now. Clara and Tanners eyes shifted to one another.

"Well?" I pressured. This time tapping my foot.

"It's in the realm between." Clara said squirming as she waited for my response.

"Are you both forgetting what happened the last time we attended a party in the realm between? I ran into the dark Prince and our friend DIED."

"This party is different." Clara said.

"Why?" I asked

"Because it's Nash's party. On his parents property. Loads of security. We'll be totally safe." Tanner replied.

I raised my eyebrows looking between them both skeptically. I could use a night off from all this Queen in training crap. A night away from this palace. Oh heck what's one night when I have a lifetime of being stuck in this palace ahead of me.

"Fine. Let me change." Clara and Tanner shared an excited smile as I reached for one of my short LBDs hung alongside my mothers dresses in the wardrobe and changed.

For the first time in months I felt like myself, more put together and pretty. On the outside I felt like me but on the inside I'm falling apart more and more with each passing day. I'm a mess. But tonight I can ignore all of that. Put my worries and feelings to one side for one last night of fun. I exited the bathroom and nervously grabbed Clara and Tanners hands hoping I could still jump us all in one piece. To my relief it worked and we landed in front of one of Nash's parent's many properties.

"Wait. The vials." Clara said as she handed one to me and Tanner. We simultaneously unscrewed the lids. A tendril of smoke slithered from the bottle and I had no time to question what was in it.
"After 3?" Tanner said. "1...2...3." And then the three of us downed the dark liquid.