After sprinting down busy streets and narrow alleys for several minutes, Eva at last broke free of the buildings and came to the edge of the Faerie Woods. Propping herself up against the wall of a small yard, she took a few moments to catch her breath and eye the trees in front of her. Only a few steps separated her from them, and she could easily see the top of the Mother Tree towering over them like a ruler watching over her subjects. In reality, there were few places in Elysia where the enormous tree could not be seen. After the battle with the Banished almost two hundred years ago, the city had been built around the sacred tree, keeping it safely protected behind the city's walls.

Shrugging off her musings, Eva pushed off of the wall she'd been leaning against and headed into the woods. The trees stood proud and tall on either side as she passed among them, reminding her of sentries silently standing watch. She had to duck several times to avoid low-hanging, moss-covered branches while weaving her way closer to her destination. Years ago, a park area had been made further to her east with a path for people to use, but since there was no underbrush to slow her, Eva hadn't bothered to travel the extra distance to reach it.

The sun had just disappeared below the horizon by the time Eva reached the clearing around the Mother Tree. The last rays of fading light cast ethereal shadows along the ground, adding to the otherworldly feel of the hour. As she came to a stop at the edge of the tree line, her gaze wandered a few feet in front of her to the ring of mushrooms that grew in a circle all the way around the base of the massive tree and its roots. Overhead, dozens of faeries flitted between the branches. Each one emanated a distinct glow of color about him or her, and no two were the same, although some hues were strikingly similar.

Pulling her eyes away from the dazzling scene above, Eva gave a faint smile and nod to the Capital Sentry guards who had noticed her arrival. A watch was kept at all hours over the tree and its inhabitants, ensuring no harm ever came to the friendly creatures. The guards acknowledged her subtle greeting with a slight incline of their heads before resuming their watch.

With the light growing dimmer by the second, Eva anxiously scanned the perimeter of the clearing for any sign of Cade. Her first sweep revealed nothing, but on a second, closer inspection, she caught movement between two trees across from her. Focusing on the shadows there, she saw the glint of a small blade reflecting the dusky light back at her.

He must really enjoy creeping through the shadows, she thought with a shake of her head.

Moving swiftly and silently, the young woman slipped back through the trees before walking in a wide arc around the clearing. When she reached the place where she'd seen Cade's signal, all she found were the footprints he'd left behind. She glanced around in confusion, uncertain as to where he'd gone and why he hadn't waited for her.

I know he saw me. So where in the kingdom is he? Letting out a frustrated breath, she looked around once more and at last saw him climbing over a large, fallen log deeper in the woods to her left. Just as quickly as she saw him, though, he had disappeared from sight again. Eva drew her eyebrows together and a frown formed on her lips as she set off after him. This better not be a waste of my time, she fumed, because if this all turns out to be for naught, I just might strangle that man.

After following his trail through the dark forest and only catching glimpses of him here and there, she finally caught up with him at the boundary wall of the city. He was standing with his legs planted shoulder width apart and arms crossed over his chest looking up at the two-story stone structure. His shoulder-length hair was pulled back at the base of his neck with a leather thong, and in the dark, his hair looked almost black.

"Would you mind telling me what the purpose of that lovely trek was?" she asked once she was even with him. "I hate to sound ungrateful, but I've seen this wall thousands of times, although admittedly never from this exact spot."

His only response was to gaze at her with a cocked eyebrow and a bemused smirk before bringing his finger to his lips in a request for silence. Eva's ire was momentarily forgotten, though, as soon as she met the clearest blue eyes she had ever encountered in her twenty years. The color was so clear it reminded her of ice on a frozen lake but, at the same time, of the sky on a clear spring day. Mesmerized, she simply nodded her understanding to his voiceless request. Her response seemed to satisfy him for he promptly turned his attention back to the wall in front of him, effectively severing her connection with his eyes. She blinked rapidly at suddenly being thrown back into reality and scrambled to collect her thoughts into some form of coherency before he could notice her dazed state.

Seemingly unaware of Eva's inner turmoil, Cade closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he summoned his magic from within. Suddenly, he snapped open his eyes and violently stomped the ground in front of him. Eva gave a small start as the wall gave a loud crack then began to open in front of them. Starting at the bottom, stone by stone began to separate and pull back out of the way until a sizable hole had been formed. After gesturing for Eva to proceed, he waited until she was through before stepping through himself. When both were on the other side of the wall, he stomped the ground once more and the stones replaced themselves in their original positions as if they had never been disturbed.

Eva looked at him with her brow creased in question as if to ask why they were now outside the city, but he just shook his head to her unspoken question and started walking further into the trees. Left with little choice, she fell in behind him and followed in his footsteps over rocks, under branches, through spider webs, and across fallen logs. They walked in silence for quite some time, making their way deeper and deeper into the woods. Occasionally, Eva would spot a faerie here and there peeking out between leaves and around trees at them as they passed, and after a while, she began to hear what sounded like voices and music.

As the music and laughter and singing drew closer, Eva's curiosity came near to consuming her. Just as she was opening her mouth to ask what was going on, though, Cade abruptly stuck his arm out and stopped her in her tracks. Peering around his broad figure to see why they had stopped, Eva glimpsed light up ahead on the other side of some large trees. Cade glanced back over his shoulder at her. The gleam in his eyes told her they had reached their destination.

Excitement immediately bubbled up in her chest at the prospect of finally discovering the secret behind this midnight outing. It must have shown on her face too, because he suddenly flashed her a genuine smile before turning and taking the last few strides to slip around the cluster of trees and out of sight. His smile had been so unexpected and then had vanished so quickly, however, that Eva was left stunned and wondering if she'd really even seen a smile or if she'd just imagined it.

After a moment of standing frozen to the spot, Eva at last managed to shake herself free of her shock and timidly stepped forward to peek around one of the larger trees. What she saw caused her mouth to fall open as she gasped in astonishment. Faeries were everywhere. Thousands of them were singing, twirling, laughing, and dancing. Moonlight streamed down through an opening in the branches, washing everything in a silvery-white radiance, and the little faeries, men and women alike, seemed to sparkle and shimmer in the heavenly light.

She wasn't sure how long she stood staring wide-eyed at the festive display before a hand on her elbow jarred her from her trance. She glanced down in momentary confusion at the scarred and calloused hand she found there before her gaze traveled up the muscular arm attached to it and found a familiar smirk on Caden's face. "Well, was it worth the trouble?" he asked in a low voice.

"Without a doubt," she breathed in an awestruck whisper. "What is it? Why are they all dancing?"

With his arm still on her elbow, he urged her on around the tree she was still partially hiding behind and helped her lower herself to the moss-covered ground before he settled himself to her right. "It's a full moon," he answered simply.

Eva raised an eyebrow in question. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"They are celebrating the full moon," he explained patiently. "It's like a ball or festival of sorts. They play instruments," he pointed to a branch where a handful of faeries were playing flutes and harps, "dance, and eat and drink the night away." The last part was said while gesturing around at those holding little cups that looked no bigger than a thimble and others holding small pieces of fruit.

Eva took it all in like a child experiencing her first Christmas-full of wonder and awe. "How do you know this?" she thought to ask while never taking her eyes off the graceful forms overhead.

Shrugging, Cade brought his left knee up and rested an arm on it. "When you're scouting in these woods, sometimes the fae people are the only source of conversation. And believe me," he added with an exaggerated shake of his head, "some of them can talk quite a bit."

A small giggle worked its way past Eva's lips as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position at the base of the tree they were under and leaned back against the damp bark. "Somehow, you don't strike me as the talkative type."

Cade let out a low, resonating rumble that could almost pass as a chuckle. "No, I didn't say I did much of the talking, but that didn't seem to deter them," he said while pointing to the glowing figures above. "Makes it nigh on impossible to sneak up on anyone or anything."

From his vexed tone and his accurate description, Eva could easily picture him slipping through the woods attempting to remain unseen and unheard with a chatty faerie sitting on his shoulder talking about festivals and nature without any concern for how loud she was being. The mental image caused a large smile to blossom on her face. "I imagine that would be quite... frustrating," she commented, trying to hide the amusement from her voice. She'd wanted to say "entertaining" but had thought better of it at the last moment.

"Mmm," he agreed with a grunt. "That's one word for it." Reaching to his side, he grabbed the water skin that he had brought with him and pried the cork out of the opening at the top. From a pouch tied to his belt, he produced two wooden cups and proceeded to pour the dark liquid into each one in turn. "Here," he said while passing her the first.

"What is it?" she asked even as she accepted the offered drink.

"Elvish wine, made from their own vineyards."

"I've never had wine from the elves before."

"This should be an interesting night, then," he said with a smirk.

Eva cast him a wary, sidelong glance before taking a tentative sip. As soon as the mysterious liquid touched her tongue, it sent a tingle of heat all the way through her, from her core out to the tip of each limb. She closed her eyes, completely enraptured by the sweet and tangy taste that enveloped her mouth and drove all other thought from her mind. Like most people her age, Eva was no stranger to the taste of wine or its potential effects. Just last night, she'd enjoyed a glass or two at the Victor's Banquet, but never had she sampled anything like what she held in her cup tonight. It was intoxicating.

Without hesitating a moment, she tilted the cup up and emptied its contents eagerly. Once she was sure she'd gotten every last drop, she finally brought it away from her lips and looked to her watchful companion in delight. "That was good."

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her, obviously pleased by her reaction. "I think that might be a slight understatement. Would you like some more?"

"Yes, please," she replied with a nod.

Cade stared on in silence as she once again drained the cup he'd just refilled. With an amused shake of his head, he emptied his own drink in one gulp then set it aside to fish around in the pouch again. After a moment of searching, he pulled out something wrapped in a light cloth. Eva watched expectantly as he pulled the corners back to reveal a type of bread she was unfamiliar with. "Elvish sweet bread," he answered before she could ask.

"Are you sure you're not part elf?" she teased.

"No, I've just developed a taste for elvish food thanks to some friends."

"As you say," she conceded with a shrug of one shoulder.

Using great care, Cade broke the bread into two fairly even pieces and then handed her one half. Once more, Eva's senses were overwhelmed and caught unaware by the sweet assault on her tongue. She moaned happily in response but then blushed scarlet at her behavior. Mother would scold me to no end if she saw how I was carrying on. Looking a bit ashamed at her outburst, she gave Cade a sheepish smile. "I think I might be developing a taste for elvish food as well."

Then, the rarest of miracles occurred right in front of her. Cade laughed. Her eyes grew wide in shock as his warm voice rumbled around them, effectively rendering her speechless. With the self-assured way he carried himself and the hard set of his jaw, she would be willing to bet that laughter was not something he shared in often. "It happens to the best of us, melethril," he replied after his mirth subsided, choosing to ignore her look of surprise.

"Who are you?" she finally managed after regaining some of her composure.

Her question gave him pause as he considered how to respond. "I am Caden, son of Tyrion and Adarin and a Captain of the Boundary Patrol."

His answer sounded very automatic and mechanical to Eva's ears and left much unsatisfied. "That is not who you are," she countered while he poured her yet another drink. "That is your social and military status. What I am asking is what do you like to do when you have nothing to do? Who are you when no one is around? What makes you who you are?"

Caden took a moment to down his second drink and think before he spoke. "Why do you want to know?" he asked with his head slanted to the side, taking in her earnest expression and absorbing every detail of her features.

"Well...," she stumbled, trying to come up with a logical answer, "because I want to know more about you. That's what people do when they're friends-they get to know each other better. That's how relationships are built. Otherwise, we'd all remain complete strangers." In an effort to cover her sudden nervousness, Eva threw back her third drink and finished it in one go. By now, the warm tingle she had felt in the beginning had grown to a buzzing heat throughout her entire body, and she was faintly becoming aware of a humming noise resonating in her ears.

"Friends...," he mumbled to himself. Taking her cup from her, he refilled it once more and passed it back. "Why don't you go first?" he suggested casually.

Holding the wooden cup with both hands, Eva leaned her head back against the rough bark and stared up at the faeries who were still completely absorbed in their festivities and paying no attention to the two humans sitting below them. The elvish drink was having more of an effect on her than she'd originally thought, though, because she soon noticed the dancing faeries seemed to have a double image spinning along with them. "I like to read," she began simply. "Mostly histories of the various races and their home countries. When I have the time, I enjoy sparring with my best friend Marissa, Rissa for short. I love listening to music even though I can't play a single instrument. I do sing, though," she added with a quick glance in his direction. "My mother taught me to sing. She has a beautiful voice."

"What about your father?" he interrupted.

Eva's eyes lowered as a sadness washed over her and she turned her gaze to the drink in her hands. "I have no father... at least, not in the real sense of the word. Mother never told anyone who he was. I was an accident, you see," she said without looking up. "A mistake."

Reaching out to gently cup her chin, Cade slowly brought her gaze up to meet his. "I have a hard time believing you have ever been called a mistake. No one in their right mind could say that."

The young warrior looked incredibly vulnerable at that moment as she smiled appreciatively up at him through tear-brimmed eyes. "You're right. Mother has never said that, but I was never meant to be all the same. And ever since I was born, she has had to make sacrifice after sacrifice for me."

Against her will, a tear escaped from a blue-green eye to make a wet trail down her pale cheek. Never glancing away from her eyes, Cade used the thumb of his free hand to carefully wipe away the errant tear. "You were worth it," he whispered.

"How do you know?" she asked just as softly.

"Because I've never met anyone like you," he answered with a small smile.

"You hardly know me," she challenged halfheartedly.

"Perhaps," he conceded, "as far as length of time goes, but there is more to knowing a person than memorizing a list of facts about them. I could tell from the moment I saw you walk onto that beach yesterday that I had never met anyone like you before."

After searching his eyes, Eva could see that he spoke the truth. He wasn't simply saying that to try and make her feel better. He truly meant what he had said, and it touched her more deeply than she cared to admit. "Thank you."

Cade only smiled before withdrawing his hand and leaning back against the tree again. Suddenly feeling a bit silly for her emotional confession, Eva returned her attention to her drink and finished it off like the ones before it before setting the cup to the side, deciding she'd had enough.

"I like to fight," Cade said unexpectedly, and seeing the look of surprise on Eva's face, he added, "I mean with other warriors. Most are Ataran, but some are elves. Dwarves don't usually take part. No magic is allowed. You only have your weapons and your hands to rely on. People place bets and the winner gets some of the money."

"So...," Eva began skeptically, "in your spare time from being a soldier in the Ataran army you like to fight. That's it?"

"It's all I've known," he replied with a slight shrug while staring off into the dark. "It's how I was raised. My mother died in childbirth so my father raised me by himself. Being a high-ranking officer, he taught me what he knew, which was fighting and battle strategies."

"Wait. High-ranking officer? Didn't you say your father's name was Tyrion?"

He nodded in the affirmative.

Taken aback, Eva's eyes grew wide for the second time that night. "You mean your father is Officer Superior Tyrion of the Boundary Patrol?"

Cade grinned in amusement at her stunned expression. "Didn't see that coming, I'm assuming?"

"No, not really," she admitted with a chuckle. "But I guess it fits. It definitely explains the confident air you have about you."

"Confident, huh?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Looking over at her, he noticed her eyes were beginning to take on a glazed appearance, the result of a few too many drinks.

"Yes," she said with her brow furrowed in serious contemplation. She nodded to further confirm her statement. "Like you could take on the world without so much as flinching."

"Sometimes looks can be deceiving," he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked a little too loudly.

"Nothing," he covered quickly.

"Oh."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence then as they rested their heads against the tree trunk and watched the happy faeries twirl faster and faster with the rise and fall of the lilting music. The whole performance had a mesmerizing effect on them as the softly glowing figures circled in intricate patterns and weaved their way in and out of the canopy of leaves above. After what felt like an eternity of watching the spell-binding show, Cade felt a soft pressure on his shoulder and glanced down to see Eva fast asleep, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

Shaking his head with a small smile, he lightly brushed a strand of hair from her face and let his hand linger on her soft cheek. "No," he said in a low whisper, "you are definitely not a mistake."