Abandonment is one word to describe Evelyn Ward's childhood.
Known as an orphan freak and paranoid schizophrenic, she was dragged through years of therapy after admitting to hearing whispering voices and seeing creatures and living shadows.
...
Tears blurred my eyes as I watched the sparks dancing like fireflies in the sky. The ethereal voices of those gathered around the pyre swelled as the flames jumped higher, tendrils of smoke mingling with the emerging stars.
My voice was silent amidst their mournful crooning, blocked by my heart lodged in my throat. The heat of the flames brought no warmth to the ice crystallizing my insides. My knees buckled, and I would have collapsed had Zev not caught me against him and lent me his strength.
The last of the day's light fled from the navy sky, giving way to the silver of the stars and the moon that shone like diamonds, a final tribute to the memory of Her Grace Aurora, Queen of the Stars, and my loving mother.
Zev's secure embrace held me together as my body quivered, shaking under the weight of the emptiness threatening to tear me apart. As miserable as my life had been before, I had never known this bitter, aching loss that scarred the depths of my soul.
A wrenching sob tore from my throat as layers of the pyre collapsed inward in a burst of flame that died down as quickly as it had flared.
Hours trickled past, time eating away the flames until only embers remained.
The skirts of my black gown whipped in the icy wind that picked up, scattering the ashes which were all that remained of my mother.
"It's time to go," Zev's gentle voice whispered in my ear. His hands tugged at my waist in a soft urging to follow the others as they departed from the cliffside back to the palace. The chirping of doves alerted me to the fast approaching dawn, and I sniffled, regaining enough composure to place one foot in front of the other and follow the procession.
Somber sadness filled the heavy air in the palace halls as we made our way to the throne room in silence. Zev walked by my side with a hand resting on the small of my back, dressed in the same, black uniform as the rest of the guards clustered around me. A six-pointed, silver star embroidered on the center of the leather vest, laced overtop the longsleeved shirt.
I let my eyes wander down the length of his body, welcoming the distraction he brought from the pain in my heart. My gaze lingered on every inch of his sculpted muscles that were no less defined beneath the leather molded to his body like a second skin.
He caught my open stare with a raised eyebrow that had me blushing as I tore my eyes from him. A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest as his fingers stroked my spine, his green eyes watching me.
My blood heated, and I quickened my pace, stepping into the throne room ahead of him to take my place by the pedestal.
A resounding silence came over the room as Saviel approached me, reaching into the pocket of his tunic and withdrew a small, silver key. Unlocking the glass case, he stepped aside to let me take the luminescent star resting within.
"Evelyn, daughter of Aurora," he called out as I cradled it to my chest. "The time is now for you to ascend to your birthright. Daughter of the Light, Heir to the stars, in this dark hour, do you accept your rightful place as Queen of the Fae?"
"I do."
"And will you swear to uphold the sacred vows of our people? To swear your life to the wellbeing and protection of the Light?"
Keeping my eyes locked on the shimmering star in my hands, I forced steel into my quivering voice. "I swear my life, my power, my soul, to the Light. My strength will be the force to hold back the Darkness from this world and the human realm beyond. This, I swear, the most sacred of vows to uphold, from this day until the end of days."
Saviel nodded, blue eyes twinkling as he began a slow chant. The star in my hands glowed brighter, luminescing a radiant light in reaction to the soft, melodic language flowing from his lips.
His lilting voice faltered as an inky shadow blocked out the moon and stars and a frigid wind whipped through the room, shattering the windows.
Amidst the falling glass, shadows manifested from the darkness, forming into dozens of demons clustered around the room.
"Not so fast, Princess." Horror lanced through me at the sneering voice from behind me. Turning around, I faced Elelas standing at the front of a cluster of demons.
"Elelas." The hurt in Zev's voice pained me. "Why would you do this?"
Elelas focused his condemning smirk over my shoulder. "You couldn't understand, Zev. You're too weak, too soft to possibly understand. Humans are feeble, pathetic creatures and the Fae have turned craven. Complacent in their meek role to protect them. I strive for greatness, for power the likes of you could never even imagine. I want no part on the losing side of this war. You could join us, friend, if you had the guts to do so."
The hulking beast behind him stepped forward. The demon would have looked human if not for its towering height, skeletal wings, and ebony horns protruding from its forehead. "Faerie scum." Its voice, a deep inhuman growl, rumbled through the room, jarring my bones. "You've had your uses but don't consider yourself one of us. We have no more use for your sniveling cowardice."
Elelas' topaz eyes widened in terror a split second before a massive, serrated claw pierced through his back, erupting from his chest in a spray of blood. Crimson spittle bubbled from his lips as he crumpled to the floor. The demon standing behind him snarled, it's coal black eyes glowing with fire. "Kill them all."
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...Did you see that coming? Looking back, do you recognize any signs?
