the Maiden

prologue

She was nothing when it happened. Well...I'm not sure if nothing is the right word for it. Perhaps I should tell you, she isn't quite essential to the story yet. You see...everything happens because of her. She's essential, yes, because the people need her.

But they haven't realized it yet.

And it's quite boring for me to see, really. I get bored easily. They bore me with their songs and worship. The little prayers–or whatever they do. The ones that they believe will make me happy and grateful.

Oh, praise you Geiya. All the land sings your name. Take these offerings.

Every. Damn. Day.

Can't a being get rest in this universe?

So I decided to plant a little seed in a faerie named Searii Selvaggio. She's a goddess of the land. Celestia, the realm she heads over, is composed of three subsections: Eris, Renok, and Neomenia. For now, they're all fae. All of them. Down to the giggling babies and the viscous toddlers. Even the hormonal academy children had a secret. And Searii's was...

She's a seer.

Not many faeries have abilities like that. Up until Searii and her hodge podge group of friends came along, there had only been elemental magic.

Which is exactly why I did it.

Searii leaned away from Ryiao and smiled. He was gorgeous. His amber eyes glinted in the rays of sunshine, and the breeze tangled softly in his dark brown hair. Wow, she thought to herself. He's mine now.

Ryiao had just asked her out. It was their last day at Eloria's Academy of Sorcery and Arts, and Searii was a little annoyed he hadn't just waited a week or two.

"So..." He looked around excitedly. A group of fey in dark trousers and blazers chatted nearby, pretending they weren't listening in on their every word. "What do you say we get out of here? Ditch academy? There's this restaurant in town I want to take you to."

More than a little annoyed.

She rolled her eyes. "Academy is over for the year, Ryiao–there's nothing to ditch."

He blinked at her in confusion.

Xaedri LaGuardia sauntered by, and her raven hair flowed behind her like a veil. She winked at Searii as she turned and walked backward. "Should I expect you at the mirror, Searii? We're holding a fun little party to celebrate our last day stof our second year. Sunset." She finished with a flick of her hair and left. Ilsegh and Rosetta were by her side; Rosetta giggling into her palm, and Ilsegh grinning with his hands in his trousers.

Searii watched them leave. "I should join them," she whispered, looking back to meet Ryiao's eyes. "Dinner before?"

There was a wild glint in his eyes as he agreed. They parted with a kiss goodbye. Searii to rush after her friends, and Ryiao to his boys. Of course, they didn't know what I had planned for them that night. But they would find out soon enough.

The night of Xaedri's Dance. None of them knew the weight that day would bear. It was the day it all began. She became something.

It was June. The night was warm in Eris, Celestia. Peripatetic will-o'-the-wisps dashed around dinner plate dahlias, Turkscap lilies, delphiniums, cockscombs, and wisterias. The sweet aroma helped usher in the cellist set up on a flat stretch of rock. A violinist sat beside him, playing a romantic melody. She grinned beneath the light of the full moon.