The Forbidden Secret - The Story of Jolie Ruewen

Prologue

Flames. There were flames everywhere. They destroyed everything that Jolie Ruewen knew and loved.

They climbed up the table cloth that Jolie and Brant had shared so many meals on, consumed the sofas where they used to talk for hours, and found the picture of the soon-to-be wed couple standing outside Foxfire during their sixth year. The leaping flames seemed to dance as they burned every memory that Jolie had left, but she could do nothing except watch.

Her pale blonde hair clung to her sweaty forehead and her lungs were filled with the smoke of the rising flame, but Jolie didn't seem to care about the danger that was creeping towards her. In fact, she appeared to be numb to all of it. The only image that rolled through her mind as she awaited her doom was that of her parents. She could easily recall the way Grady embraced her and stood up for her when she was in danger, and how Edaline would always stroke the hair out of her face when she was going to sleep and talk to her when she needed a friend. Jolie was sure that she could name off millions of things she took for granted before to keep her mind off of fading away, but an unwelcoming sound sliced through her thoughts like a knife.

Footsteps. Footsteps of an unwanted visitor. 

Jolie's eyes burned as she lifted her head and stared out at the living nightmare, but she saw nothing. Nothing except for the bright orange colors surrounding her and the embers that spun through the air. But Jolie knew what she heard. He was here.

At first, all she saw was a faint outline of a man through the thick smoke. It was only a mere silhouette flashing in the dim light. But as she watched, the figure began to grow more and more clear until he was standing before her with the smoke curled up around him. 

Brant.

His once handsome face was splotched with red and covered with more scars than she can could count. His jet black hair almost blended in with the ash-covered walls, but his grayish blue eyes pierced through the shadows surrounding his face. There were so many things that had changed about his appearance during the fire, but the one thing that stood out to her was the symbol on his clothing.

The white eye of the Neverseen.

She had often spotted this symbol on the clothing of the many of the Neverseen members, but she never thought that the one man she was in love with would one day be standing before her with this very design sewn onto his attire. There were so many things that Jolie wanted to say to him, but only three words escaped her lips.

"How could you?"

Brant glared down at her, and for once in his life, he looked completely evil. There was not even a glimpse of hope left in his lifeless eyes.

"You don't understand," he hissed. "You had everything, Jolie. Friends, family, people who accepted you for who you are... but me? I had nothing. Nothing except..."

"You had me."

For a moment, Jolie thought that she saw a tear rise up in his eyes, but he quickly turned and walked away before she could see if it was true.

"Brant, wait! Please!"

Brant stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her, the scowl still visible on his face.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she said. "But I hate seeing you waste your life on this. They're using you, and you know it!" 

"Using me? Oh, Jolie. You've got it all wrong." He crouched down next to her. His face was so close to hers that she could somewhat smell his rancid breath. "They helped me. On the other hand, the Black Swan used you to hurt me, didn't they?"

When she didn't answer, Brant through back his head and let out a shrill, deranged laugh. "Jolie, Jolie, Jolie... if only we had come to an agreement earlier. Maybe you wouldn't have had to keep such an important secret from me, I wouldn't have to do this." A wicked smile crossed his lips. "A /forbidden/ secret."

For once in her life, Jolie Ruewen felt a twinge of an unfamiliar feeling down in her gut. It was an emotion that no elf had ever been able to stand before.

Guilt.

Guilt because of how Brant turned out. Guilt because of the pain she would cause her parents. Guilt because of not fulfilling her duty in the Black Swan. Maybe Brant was right. If she would've told her parents the secret, everything would've been okay...

Right?