A Court of Blooming Light

Prologue

I feel cold hands push me hard, harder than I've ever been pushed before and all of a sudden I'm falling. I'm falling down down down. It feels like an eternity. I'm not ready to die. I'm not ready to give up my life.

Graysen. His eyes and his hair and his crooked smile flash across my eyes. Graysen who I am to marry, Graysen whose father is a known fae hater, Graysen who I so dearly love and who loves me back. Will he still want me after this? Will he be able to look past this? Me. Changing into something I'm not. A creature created from the deepest shadow, after I've been thrown into a cauldron the size of a carriage, this can't be real. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. This can not really matter to him. He loves me and I love him. That can't change. And then I feel the water, ice cold at first. So cold I start shaking. But then just as I'm about to give up and just sink to the bottom a hand reaches for me. A hand made of light and mist. I grab on for dear life. It warms my body. Just like Graysen used to. Graysen. My dear sweet Graysen. Not only will I lose my body, myself, but also the love of my life. No. It's not possible, Graysen will still love me. I had it all planned out.

Our wedding would be outside in the garden surrounded by light pink peonies and lovely rose bushes. My father walking me down the aisle. Saying our vows to one another. Our wedding night. And later, our wonderful kind children. Him attending his duties and me teaching our sons and daughters the secrets to tending a garden. I see them, our children, eventually growing bored. I see myself joking around with them and then taking them to the town to meet Nesta. Nesta who protects my children as if they were her own. I imagine strong hard arms wrapping around me and Graysens lips on my cheek. His mouth right by my ear whispering sweet nonsense as we go back to the cottage. Eventually we grow old together. We become two people simply enjoying one another's company. I see it so clearly. What should have happened. But not anymore. Now I only see that hand. Reaching for me. Caressing my skin. Where Graysen's mouth once whispered in my ear is a new voice. It's not gentle. It does not send shivers down my spine. No. This voice tells sentence after sentence of things I don't want to hear. Of things I refuse to accept. No. I am still human. Please please let this thing have gone wrong. Let me be able to go back home. To the cottage, to my father and to Graysen.

I'm being hauled out the deep dark cauldron and let onto the hard stone floor. Thousands of voices invade my mind and I cannot think clearly. I've forgotten where I am and who I am. All I hear is the waves crashing against the surfaces, the birds chirping, people no not people faes breathing. Insects bugging and once again the slimy disgusting voice I heard under the water. I try to move but I cannot. My legs are not my own. My body is not there. It has been replaced by something new, something created from mist and fury. I am no longer a person. Just a lonely soul in an empty shell hearing a thousand sounds all at once. I think I'm going crazy. A tear escapes my eye and slides down my cheek, I want to wake up and realize that this is all just one dream. Just as I look up I make eye contact with the one who abducted me. Who helped me become undone. I want to scream to hiss at him. I want to throw myself at him and rip out his beautiful stupid red locks for what he's done. For taking my future away from me. But before I can do anything of that sort he lets out a small whisper "She's my mate." And just like that the world goes quiet.