Pulling one after another. I sent my feathered white tipped arrows flying. Aiming directly at the center between their eyes. Right against the large red dots on their foreheads.

Who knew these hairy black ten-foot beasts could be brought down with one mere arrow right at their center.

Haha! Who's the bigger boss now, bitches.

Smirking, I felt proud of myself, until I saw the five other werehounds Eli had killed to my three. I frowned knocking another arrow. Jumping up to avoid a bite to my calves I twisted midair. The cool breeze of the forest howling against my face as I launched an arrow at the beast behind me.

Wait, I wonder. Maybe, I should try two arrows at a time. That would be much quicker.

So I did. And man was I good with an arrow. I was just zipping them through the air at lightening speed. One after the other.

Two more hounds fell on my count. Just as I spotted Eli lunging for another. His movements were like a wolf on the prowl as he pounced at his prey. Ducking to avoid the werehound in front of him just as another was coming from behind him as he bobbed up to stab at the underside of the Werehound's belly. All the while his blond hair shone like the mane of a lion against the candescent glow of the full moon.

What Eli did wouldn't kill the monster but it would wound it enough for him to aim for the center spot between its eyes. Where normal Fae might struggle with these beasts. Me and Eli handled them with ease only because we had more magic storage in our system.

You know I sometimes think that red dot at the center of their heads is like their third eye or something. But whenever I mention it to Eli he just frowns and sneers his nose at me.

Prim prick.

But he didn't refuse the thought.

So, did that mean he just hated the idea but agreed with it?

Closing my left eye to center my focus so as to not nick Eli. I let the arrow loose with an exhale of my breath. Opening my eyes I watched the wooden sharped stick flying across the air. Beaming as I watched it land its mark.

Bullseye!

I'd practiced shooting my bow with just my senses a few times since meeting Eli. I also did nick him a few times. Only because he was being such a prick. Always telling me what to do and how to shoot MY weapon.

To be honest with you, this is the first time I haven't nicked him. Bad, for me. Good for him. I did ever so enjoyed the small little victories I had over him.

Catching my arrow and yanking it out of the were hound as he slammed the other werehound in front of him down he turned and gave me a nod.

Ek, ya I did it! I finally did it! Yes!

Can't quite use my magic to recall my arrows yet but hey, I'm getting there, I think. Also it not that I wanted his praise. But well seeing him acknowledge that I'm actually good at something. Well that's a victory.

Boomshakalaka! Two pts mwa, one unfortunate point Eli.

I was all but happy for two seconds until a quick breeze flew past me. Spotting a small fleck of golden hair falling to the ground I turned back to glare at Eli who'd thrown the dagger, never mind that it hit a werehound, my hair! Asshole! He did this on purpose. The guys didn't even dare to look back at me. He definitely did that on purpose.

I glared daggers toward the back of the said blond head. This wasn't over yet. I didn't even nick him this time. How unfair!

Turning back around I took out my anger on the werehound behind me launching one arrow after another before tossing the bows and arrows aside and going head-on with my small leather wrapped daggers. It's black coloring battling with the sharp white pointy side in the starry night.

I wasn't made for close combat but that didn't mean I wasn't good at it. Jabbing the damn thing against one werehound I launched towards another one behind the one I was currently injuring. Using my foot to unhinge the knife from its belly I launched myself back standing atop one werehound and plunging the dagger right into the bullseye.

"Fuck ya!" I hollered just as the last one standing fell with a flick of another arrow.

I turned around only to frown. The bastard just had to one-up me.

"I hate you," I muttered glaring at the boy in front of me as he ripped up his dagger from the werehound lying dead at his feet.

"Yes, yes, never mind that just grab one and help me skin them," Eli said as I rolled my eyes.

What would be nice is if I could just use magic to store all these Werehounds that way we wouldn't have to go hungry all the time. Plus, eating berries gets tiring, and they're not very filling.

Suddenly a white box appeared in front of me. Well, not technically a white box more like some portal thingy. I smiled already knowing what it was. Lately, my magic has been coming back to me rather quickly. I think it's because I'm closer to my other half, but whatever it is I'm just happy. The same could be said for Eli. I smiled at the thought. So what do I do? I boast about it in front of him.

Touching each werehound with my magic box. Dragging the process out as much as possible. I watch the simmering anger hidden behind his oh-so-annoyed cold blue eyes. Also calling this magic box sounds a lot better than "the magic portal thingy". I mean who'd wanna call it the magic portal thingy?

I just hope the werehound meat stays fresh. I don't want my magic box to be stinking of rotten werehound corpses. Oh well, I'll find out sooner or later. What matters now is that Eli was glaring at me with green envy.

Mwah Ha ha ha ha! I could make this magic box and you caaaaan't~

That is what I wanted to say but I found myself unable to. No, like literally. I physically couldn't say anything. My mouth wouldn't move.

"Mmhwa (What the)?" I moaned behind my closed lips, glaring as I turned to a smirking Eli. It was as if my lips were glued shut. Shrugging back at me as if to say, he could do magic too.

"You're not the only one with new abilities, darling. Maybe if you spent more time actually studying instead of drinking your life away, you would have discovered this little thing." Eli said, waving a book the size of a journal outwards at me.

Flinging the worn leathered thing towards me I clasped it between my palms not mere inches from my face.

Wait never mind. This was not made of leather! I repeat it is not made of leather!!!

The pages were glued together in this nearly soft mushy texture of a book cover. It was cool yet warm to the touch almost like...

Holy shit! Was this made of skin and tissues?! Like the tissues of body. Not like the paper tissues made from tree. But like whoa. So cool! Who ever thought of this is a fucking psycho but also so fucking genius.

The wrapping of the skin/tissues were like how a regular leather bound book would look like. Except of course the multiple spider web like stitches connecting each chunk of flesh together to make the cover.

Again so cool!!

Opening the book I skimmed through a few of the notes. There were spells upon spells of ruins and scribbles until finally I spotted the hex for shutting one's lips os uhcaptionem (Ohs capchulam): Et clausa est motus habenda Avertat faciem. Growling, I turned my face towards a smirking Eli.

"Magic, you know, isn't the be-all and end-all of this world," Eli said coming over. Pointing down toward the small seal under the book I frowned. What did that mean?

''You could try and undo seal I casted on you. Or-." Eli said as I turned back toward the front of the book.

Ya I stopped listening bc to him as soon as he said Magic isn't the 'be-all end-all'. I mean seriously we live in the Fae realm. To magic's if it isn't the 'be-all end-all'.

Well, whatever. I could learn more spells and ruins now with this book.

Eeek!!

Ruins you see are like spells but you'd need to physically draw symbols on some type of surface flat or bumpy, doesn't matter. But spells on the other hand you could just chant out loud and it would be cast so long as your gift and affinity matches the type of spell. Ruins, however, are a lot stronger than a spell and thus require a lot more magic.

Then you have a Fae's body which can only produce a certain amount of magic before it needs to replenish its supplies.

No doubt the title read 'Contracte Caster I'. It was ironed into the skin of the cover. Almost like a white pinkish tattoo against the rubbery warmish coldish brown tint of the flesh. The odd thing, besides the whole fact that the cover was made of skin and tissues, was that the name of the author was scratched out. Hmm. I wonder why that is. I rolled my eyes.

Well, whatever I got a book, yay!

"Where did you find this?" I couldn't help but asked knowing that caster books and spell books in general were all believed to be highly guarded. Even such simple spells as these.

As if reading my thoughts, Eli started to speak," You know, Everetta, spells are crafted from the very essence of nature. Since magic is the life force we harness within ourselves. There is a distinct disparity."

I rolled my eyes cutting him off, "I know that," I said back to crossing my arms in front of my nonexistent chest as I trailed after him.

I really didn't want to have to ignore another one of his lectures. Man acts as if he know everything when I don't think he does.

Peaking a glance towards him I started to read through the book. Five pages in and I wondered if there was a spell for reading through this book faster. I could ask Eli but he doesn't need any more of an ego boost than what he already has. No doubt, my admitting that I need help from him of all Fae would make him feel so much more snobby than he already is. And if there was, I'm sure I'll find it. Five more pages in and I was about to ask until the guy suddenly stopped.

Bumping my nose against his back I frowned up at Eli, wondering what the hell was the hold up. What was there another werehound attack?

Sensing the air I didn't feel anything different. No change in energy. The wind was howling its normal chilly air. Not the deadly silence winter winds that came along when werehounds were a foot.

"Well stop here to rest for the day," Eli said, sitting down with his things in the middle of the clearing.

"Are you serious, right now? Here? On the ground? We couldn't just rest back at the fucking inn?" I gawked at the guy while also managing to give him my most fiercest glaring down. Pointing a thumb back towards where I think we came from.

I mean seriously the inn had beds. Beds for magic's sakes!!!

Eli rolled his eyes pulling out a blanket from his pack.

"This is far safer," Eli said as I rolled my eyes but I settled down my things as well. Hey as long as we get to finally rest I'll take it. Who knows when the next rest period will be? Plus constantly casting that spell to help prevent us from needing sleep was getting a little tiring.

Unhinging the bag from my shoulders-

Wait, I could put this in my box! This way I don't have to lug around a heavy ass bag.

I smiled doing exactly that. Earning a glare from Eli. So worth it.

"Fine." I mean, I knew what he meant we'd be better at not being noticed here than in the inn but, this wasn't really any safer. I mean we had werehound to look out for especially on a night like this. It'd be a miracle if we don't get scented out within five minutes.

As if sensing my thoughts Eli shot a narrowed gaze at me,'' We will be taking turns on the night watch. So your first since I was first last time, I'll have you know."

And with that, the fucking asshole just went to sleep. I gawked at him glaring at his back as I started to ruthlessly skin the werehound I'd stored in my magic box.

"Just so you know I'm getting more of the meat," I said but Eli only waved a hand at me.

Guess the guy was tried. I didn't even know he could get tired. Either way he was still an asshole.

Within five minutes I've skinned the werehound into a nice neat pile. Good thing to not the meat I skinned seemed to still be fresh. I smiled, good now we won't have to starve anymore. And eat good meat too. I do love me some werehound meat.

Makes me thankful that I found Eli as quickly as I did because now my magic is coming back in great succession. Hmm, I wonder if I'm able to perform more magic now does that also mean I have a greater supply of life energy in my system? Hmm I wonder would it be possible for me to sense my own energy? If I recall sensing someone else energy is simply focusing your mind on the person you want to see the energy of. Then you'd focus on your general environment to get the scope of the energy around you. Right now sensing energy is like a second skin to me. So maybe if I focus on myself.

Closing my eyes I tried to close off the sounds around me.

Focus. Focus. Focus. There!

A bright globe illuminated the core of my being. It was as if I was outside of my own skin as I stared at my life energy. I noted the abnormality of it all. It was larger than the others I've seen so far. Does that mean the larger the life energy the greater the magic one would be able to perform?

I bite down on my lower lip, well it does explain why I could do more magic than others. But how exactly does one's life energy or magic grow? I moved ready to stir Eli awake to answer my questions.

Screw feeding his pride and one upping him! I needed my answers!

But then I remembered the demon I'd summoned the last time I woke him. I mean those eyes it was like he was striking me down with his lightening blue thunderbolts. The way he was glaring at me. I am by no means a coward but let's just say I am not poking that bear again.

Then again wouldn't answers be worth the risk? I can just say it was his turn to stand guard. I looked over at the crest moon. High in the sky, shining the brightest against the millions of stars. A pale white against the midnight blue sky. No, he'll know. The moons barely moved since I took the position. One look up and he'd know I was just saying it so he could actually take my place. It wouldn't be a lie that it was his turn if he actually takes the position.

I closed my eyes, sighing. Well, I guess I can try and find the answers in this book. I said picking up the tattered book. Just as I did, a small note slipped out. Unfolding the piece of paper I noted nothing on it, I frowned. What the? I was about to toss it aside if it hadn't been for the worn-out angles of the paper. Not to mention its small tanned skin. It was old, and from the feel of it very old. But why was it kept for so long if it had nothing on it, and why hidden in the pages of the book? Could it be that it was just left in this book?

Examining the paper again I noticed the folded and unfolded wrinkles on the paper. "A hidden spell?" I thought out loud as I tried examining the paper again. Maybe this time I could find a crack or something within its surface.

I sighed, shaking my head, no I'm such an idiot it's spelled so maybe there is some key to it. The key as in a magic counter spell. Ok, so the words are spelled to be covered, like how a mask covers a face. I wonder.....

I flipped through the journal remembering that in the few pages I've read, there was something about unraveling a meaning or truth behind a lie. Well if one was masking something it's the same as covering something with a lie right. So in theory telling the truth would bring it to the surface, right? Or at least I hope so.

Hey! I am doing the best I can with what I have so, don't judge.

Ah, here it is. "Secundum veritatem mendaciis Unravel". I beamed, staring at the paper to see if anything was appearing on the wrinkle-aged paper. Nothing. Hmm. I wonder.

Now if instead of saying lie maybe mask? Also, I wonder. If Eli didn't need to speak his spell to cast it then maybe I don't either. I thought about recalling his silencing spell on me. And how he maybe did it. Perhaps chanting it in my head and picturing how it would work out? Cause he definitely didn't say anything.

"Sub specie veri Unreavel" I thought hovering my fingers over the empty paper. I peeked open one eye but nothing. I sighed ready to try something else when suddenly the words started peeling onto the page. Letter and after letter faded on to the book. Starting from the edges of the book to the center. Almost like a circle.

I smiled widely as I looked over to Eli to boast about my triumph. Fuck, he was still asleep. But this was so much more important than sleep. Plus the sun's almost up. Huh, who knew the time had passed so quickly? I swore the moon was still right above the skies. Had I really been reading this book for so long?

"Eli, wake up! Look at what I just found!" I said holding the paper in front of him partially in hopes that he wouldn't be angry with me for waking him if he found out that I just discovered something great, then again I don't know. I didn't even look at it.

Shit maybe I should have looked at it before shoving it at his face. Who knows it could just be a secret recipe for scones.

"What the, it's a map." Eli marveled, sitting up and taking the paper from me as I stared at him befuddled at his sudden curiosity. "Really?" I asked scrunching up my nose before realizing my mistake.

"I mean ya I found a map." I said smiling and beaming over at his scowling face as if I totally knew what I was showing him.

Rolling his eyes no doubt having caught my false confidence because I didn't even know it was a map until he said it was.

But wait, a map to what?

Looking over Eli's shoulder I stared down at the map.

"Quinque regnum decoris occultatum (Unus)" It read before several snake lines spread through the map with one small dot centered at the corner of one end. Eli frowned before taking out his own map. "The Five Gems of the Hidden Kingdom?" I read blinking in wonder.

What the hell did that mean?

I turned to Eli who was now fully awake I realized.

Aaandd~ he's not mad! Yay!

He was moving like a madman on a hunt. Placing his map on the ground, and setting the new one atop it he suddenly shouted" Aha!" Eli exclaimed as he moved, allowing me to spot the alignment of the paper and the map.

"Finally! Fucking finally! I finally found them." Eli said, smiling like a madman as I took a small step backward from his maddening haze.

"Ok? What are the five gems? And what's the hidden kingdom?" I asked my voice, hesitant and squeaking just a little at the end.

Just a little. Because the guy looked like he might pounce on me with that look in his eyes. Plus that dagger was way too close to him for comfort.

Eli rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember the stories your parents used to tell you?" Eli asked, but I just shrugged.

I mean what? Shaking my head I shrugged " I have no clue what you mean, dude."

Eli sighed, having seemed to compose himself, if only a little. Because let's face it he's always mad, in both crazy and anger wise. "The Five Kingdoms used to be Faedom." Eli said as I nodded then frowned.

"But, don't we only have four?" I asked confused my brows drawn together.

It didn't make any sense if the five hidden kingdoms were our land why do we have four now?

"Back then there were five, the Griffins, Wolves, Phoenix, Serpents, and Dragons. Until one day the Royal family of each kingdom just disappeared." Eli said, unsure of that part himself.

"That's when our current rulers, the Winter King, Summer Queen, Spring Princess, and Fall Duke came to rule. But no one quite knows how the current rulers came to power. It was believed that they were the Royal family's right-hand persons, and well, actually no I'm not quite sure. There are rumors about them being close to the Royals but that's all there was. No one's quite sure what position they actually had. Anyway, each kingdom had one of these special books called gems. These gems possessed great power that people believed if we used them we could bring back the Royal family, that had disappeared. And here we have a possible map to find the gems." Eli said the madness creeping back into his eyes as his thirst for power gleaned through the rising morning as I frowned.

What he said I do recall hearing the stories about the five courts and how one came to fall. But not of these books or gems? Or exactly how the fifth kingdom fell.

"But Eli, what about the fifth? What happened to the fifth kingdom?" I asked, stopping Eli from his happy glow over the map.

Pausing Eli seemed just as stumped as I was. "I-I'm not quite sure, it was assumed that the current rulers just split the land."

I shook my head, with what he just said. That just made no sense. I mean if the Royal family's so-called right-hand person took over then shouldn't the fifth kingdom also have their right-hand man or woman take over? Eli must have been thinking the same thing as he said,

''But the fifth kingdom should also have had their own ruler now too, shouldn't they?" Unless perhaps they were overrun by the current rulers? I frowned, pressing my lips together into a thin line. Something didn't feel right. No, not at all.

"No, some things are definitely not right." I said voicing my thoughts as I looked over at Eli as a sudden memory stabbed into my brain causing me to cry out.

A woman's hair as bright as the sun and eyes so golden as if they could outshine even the brightest star peered at me horror and pain covering her face as she spat out blood covering the smirking women above her, the image blurred. "You will not get away with this." Someone said before the memory went dark leaving me panting for breath. "What the bloody hell?! Everetta! Are you alright?!" Eli asked cursing for the first time since I met him as he hurried over to my paling face.

I shrugged. "I-I don't know. Some- some images just popped in my mind, I- I don't." But something was not right with that folktale Eli told.

"Eli, something tells me the throne is gonna be fucking hard to take back," I said as the shadows underneath my skin crept in.

"What are you talking about?" Eli frowned his worry present on his face as he used his ice magic to help calm my mind.

He's been doing that a lot. Using his cold touch to soothe my mind whenever these images pop into my mind. I had wondered if they were my memories but Eli's always just passed them off as my imagination.

"I don't know but I don't think they were simply just handed their crowns." I frown at my words as even I was confused by what I was saying.

How the hell would I even know? Didn't Eli just say they were given their thrones by the past rulers? Or he might as well have. He made it seem like the past monarchs just up and left.

"Perhaps you're right, I had heard rumors of some dreadful things occurring in the other courts, all except Winter." Eli said as we looked beyond the forest to the rising peaks of the creeping heat that was the Summer Queen's castle. If what I saw was supposed to be the Summer Queen dying, something told me the current Summer Queen wasn't all too friendly. Like she definitely wasn't going to simple roll out the red carpet for us to get back our Courts.

"Eli, do we have to save that girl?" I asked, sensing something terribly wrong ahead. As I stared out at the darkening dead trees and black grass looming beyond.