Greyvale's Gift

CHAPTER ONE - THE WOODSMAN

"Greyvale Stormshroud, you aren't worth Zephyr's time." Mabbina's angular face twisted into a leer as she spat the words at me. "Everyone knows humans don't exist." Her black eyes rolled as she unleashed a deep throaty laugh. "Your childishness proves Zephyr needs more." Her hands moved along her voluptuous curves, suggestively. "Than a hatchling."

That conversation was so explosive that our sister, Thalia, had to pull us off each other - as usual. Deep claw marks bled down Mabbina's shins from my talon-tipped toes raking down them.

No one tells me I'm unworthy of anything.

There are three things near and dear to a dark fairy's heart: magic, mayhem and mystical secrets. I've waited for winter solstice, and the first light of dawn, to penetrate the ancient stone halls. Hidden among the crevices of the primordial cave, a void is all that separates our magical realm from the mundane humans. The few days of convergence should be more than enough to gather proof of their existence.

As the first rays of sunlight uncover the black membrane, I know the portal opens, merging our world and the human one for a short time. But, nothing penetrates the inky nothingness. I dip a clawed toe into the murky depths, my throat tight while I hold my breath, waiting for some sensation. The void provides no feedback to my body. Closing my eyes, I jump through.

A slow smile curves my lips as a few moments of nothingness bring sudden light and frigid air. Freedom from spying fairy eyes makes my black heart beat fast. I race through moss covered Alder trees. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when I prove I was right.

Flitting through the glossy holly leaves, the crisp cold air strikes my senses. I will find the humans and keep the secret of how I did it, forever wiping that stupid smirk off Mabbina's face. Sister or not, she has no right to speak to me that way.

My older sisters have always put Zephyr Firedust on a pedestal. It's hard not to. One of the hazards of being a Lord I suppose. He's always bragging about all his family's knowledge, so high and mighty. Well, my discovery trumps them all. I can't wait to see the shock on his face when I prove what I did.  But what gift should I bring back to Zephyr as proof?

I roll through the spine-covered briars, my translucent wings folding just in time to fall through their dead winter clutches. Emerging on the other side, I unfold them just above the long frosted blades of withered grass. 

There must be a path through the forest for the clumsy humans to use. Pushing myself faster, pumping my wings in a blur, I race to find my prey. Through the branches I burst into the sky and peer out across the distance. Smoke rises along the shore of the midnight sea, sprawling out into the horizon.

I can break all the rules, and no one will know. 

A sharp crack echoes among the statuesque trees. I rein myself back into the brush to wait and watch. The sound shatters the stillness of the forest and I swallow hard. For all the tales of the human, I've never actually seen one. A leaf moves above me, and a small spider peers out.

I hold my finger up to my lips to shush it. "You wouldn't tell on me, would you?" The creature can't speak. Odd.

The crunch of footsteps approach and I pull back. Disguised by the pattern of overlapping leaves, a giant figure walks past. All my waiting for this moment and I'm hiding? I purse my lips and blow the stray lock of honey hair out of my eyes.

The sound stops.

Sunlight glints off a chunk of metal mounted atop a stick of some sort. It seems out of place leaning against the ancient mossy trunk. I step out further from the leaves and still nothing.