"Life is better on the other side of the Wall!" Anwyn argued. "We could survive there. Evren could survive there."

    "As slaves! I would rather starve to death here than spend my life serving those cursed Fae. I will not see my daughter serving them either," Dritan spat. "Don't mention this to me again."

    "You're not listening!" Anwyn grabbed her husband's arm. Her sea green eyes sparkled with conviction. "The Children of the Blessed have opened my eyes. Not all Fae are wicked and evil. I want to see Evren grow up. We won't have that chance here. She will starve or be taken by disease."

    "The Children of the Blessed are religious zealots who sell themselves for crusts of bread." Dritan slumped into a chair, shaking his head. "Anwyn, please. I know you mean well, but I can't go along with this."

    Evren huddled closer to the doorframe, listening intently. Anwyn swallowed and crossed her arms. "Fine. I'll go alone. When I have a safe place for us to live, I'll come back for you and Evren."

    "You can't leave!" Dritan lifted his gaze to hers.

    "I can and I will. There's a group of Children leaving for the Autumn Court tomorrow. I'm going with them. Either you come with me now, or you wait until I return for you."

    Dritan stood and stormed out the front door without answering. Evren ducked into a corner as her mother passed her hiding spot. She crept towards her parents' bedroom as Anwyn entered it. Her mother opened a drawer in the dresser and pulled out a dagger with a long slightly curved blade. It was one of a matching set. Dritan owned the other.

    Anwyn began to move about the room. She grabbed a satchel and folded up several pairs of clothes, placing them inside. Evren stood and hovered near the door. "Come in," Anwyn said, spying her.

    Evren sat down on the bed and Anwyn continued to pack. "What are you doing?"

    "I'm..." Anwyn hesitated. "I'm going away for a while. I think I've found a place where we can live happily. Your father isn't as certain as I am, so you'll stay here with him while I investigate. When I've found a place for us to live, I'll come back for you both."

    "In the Courts of the Fae, right?" Evren asked. Anwyn arched an eyebrow. "I overheard you and Father arguing."

    Anwyn sighed. "Yes, beyond the Wall. I believe things will be better for us over there."

    "How do you know?" Evren asked.

    Anwyn hooked a finger beneath her chin. "Because Fae aren't the monsters everyone thinks they are."

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

    Morning dawned and Evren woke to the sound of slamming drawers. She stumbled out of bed, rubbing her eyes wearily. She made her way to her parents' bedroom. Dritan had his dagger strapped to his hips.

    "Father?" Evren yawned. "Did Mother leave?"

    "She told you?" Dritan dropped down on one knee beside her. He rested a hand on her shoulder. Evren nodded. "Yes, she left. I'm going to get her and bring her home. Stay here. I'll be back soon." He kissed her forehead and brushed out the door.

    Evren returned to her room and pulled on her clothes. From the window, she could see her father walking towards the Wall. The Wall was not visible to mortal eyes, but Evren had been told that Fae could sense it.

    I can't let Father go by himself, she thought. He might need help. She ran down the stairs and chased after her father.

    Evren kept close to him, but not close enough for him to see her. If he did, she knew he wouldn't hesitate to send her home. They drew closer to the Wall. Evren felt as though she could almost sense it. The air crackled with energy.

    Her father reached a small silver marker. Evren blinked and the next moment, her father was gone. She ran to the marker and read the words engraved on it.

Blessed are they who enter here.

    The Children of the Blessed must have put this here, she thought. So they could find their way through the Wall. She held her breath as she stepped beyond the marker.

    The next breath she drew smelled of roses and honey. She was in the Spring Court. Her eyes widened with awe. It was beautiful. Everything was vibrant and lush. A figure moved in the distance. Evren raced after her father, still maintaining a healthy distance from him. Her heart raced with exhilaration. Maybe her mother was right! Maybe they could live here.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

    The hours began to drag on. Evren's feet ached and her stomach growled. Still, she followed her father. By the time night began to fall, she could see the colorful treetops of the Autumn Court.

    Evren stiffened as a scream filled her ears. "Anwyn!" Her father shouted. He sprinted towards the sound. Evren followed.

    Her father crossed the border to the Autumn Court and skidded to a halt. Evren crashed to her knees beside a tree. Children of the Blessed ran and screamed as several Fae warriors tore into them. Her mother was bent over one of the acolytes.

    "Anwyn!" Dritan called again. Her mother lifted her head.

    A tall male appeared behind her. His features were hard, as though hewn from stone. His brown eyes swept over the scene. Anwyn was trembling. The male strode towards her.

    "Who are you?" She lifted her blade.

    "Beron Vanserra, High Lord of the Autumn Court." He gave her a cruel grin. "It's so kind of you to provide some sport for me today."

    Anwyn's eyes widened and she screamed. Beron knelt and slit her throat without even flinching. Evren clapped a hand over her mouth. Her mother convulsed, blood gurgling out of her mouth. The front of her dress turned crimson and blood spilled onto the acolyte beneath her.

    Dritan screamed again and lunged at Beron. "You monster!" He roared.

    Beron merely watched Dritan approach. Dritan paused and his dagger fell to the ground. The Fae warriors had begun to dig. Dritan was the only Human left standing.

    He touched his face and doubled over. A broken cry tore from his lips. Evren gasped as his flesh began to blister and split before her eyes. Blood welled up along the fresh burns. Beron's smile grew. Her father gasped for air until he fell next to her mother, dead.

    The Fae warriors began to throw the corpses of the Children of the Blessed into the pit they'd dug. Evren stared at her parents' bodies. Without thinking, she jumped out of her hiding place. She screamed, racing towards Beron.

    He laughed and caught her by the wrist. "You must be their pathetic offspring, I imagine?"

    "Let me go!" Evren demanded. Tears blurred her vision and she struggled in his grasp. She lifted her leg and kicked his shin.

    Beron threw her to the ground. "Let's teach this child a lesson in respect."

    One of the Fae warriors approached. A whip dangled from his grasp. Evren tried to wiggle away, but two more warriors grabbed her. She screamed as they tore the back of her shirt open. She kicked and thrashed but it was to no avail.

    The tongues of the whip tore through her thin flesh. Evren threw her head back and wailed in pain. Beron only laughed. The warrior whipped her again and again. The pain scorched through her until her limbs shook with it.

    Beron held up a hand and the warrior fell still. He pulled a blood soaked cloak out of the mass grave. Evren sobbed silently as he wrapped her in it. She felt herself being carried somewhere. Evren dropped onto a pile of warm softness.

    She managed to free her fingers from the cloak. She touched something. Evren pulled the object towards her, then began screaming anew. She held a hand. They'd thrown her into the pit.

    Evren tried to thrash again, but the cloak was wrapped around her too tightly. She could barely move. Something thudded onto her back. She smelled the freshness. She recognized it. Dirt. She was being buried. She was being buried alive!

    Evren screamed and pleaded. The Fae above were deaf to her cries. Dirt fell until it pressed around her on all sides. She couldn't move. She could hardly breath. She was going to suffocate down here amongst the corpses and the worms. Blood from the cloak soaked into her clothes and the blood on her back continued to flow.

    Evren sobbed and screamed, still trying to move. "Please let me out! Please!" She screeched. "Don't leave me down here!" Already, the air felt thin. Evren couldn't make herself stop crying. She couldn't stop wasting air.

    She couldn't move. She couldn't breath. She was trapped beneath the soil. No one would know. No one would find her. She would suffocate. That male had murdered her parents. He'd had her whipped and laughed. She would kill him. She had to kill him. She couldn't move. Darkness pressed around her. Evren gave one last scream and gave in.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

    A sharp pain spiked through her leg, waking her. She no longer felt like she was being pushed down. Strong arms grabbed the cloak and lifted her. The folds of the cloak were parted and she blinked in surprise.

    A middle aged man leaned over her, holding a bloody stick. "Are you alive?"

    Evren nodded weakly. "Who are you?" She glanced at her leg and saw fresh blood running down it. His stick had injured her as he'd dug her up.

    "Cadoc. I saw those bastards throw you in the grave." He kicked the cloak aside. "Are you coming with me or are you staying here?"

    Evren stared at the bodies in the grave. They were covered in mud, thanks to a mixture of dirt and blood. "Mother? Father?" She whispered. They didn't answer. Their eyes were open but unseeing. She'd never seen such empty gazes.

    "They're dead, Girl. Last chance. Are you coming or staying?" Evren stood on shaking legs. The man, Cadoc, lifted her onto his horse. "Here." He handed her two familiar daggers. Evren took them wordlessly.

    Cadoc returned to the grave and began to kick dirt back into it. Evren watched as her parents' faces were hidden from view once more. At last, Cadoc mounted the horse behind her. He dug his heels into its sides and they started back to the Mortal Lands.

    I'll be all right, Evren told herself. I'm safe now. I'm safe.

But she wasn't.