Prologue Excerpt: Hodfry

     “He’s not beautiful enough.” Icaa croaks the way only ravens can. Her white, pearlescent feathers glinting in the sun as we both stare out the window at the new human walking next to my sister Mareidia. He’s a lanky man with wavy brown hair and an easy smile.

     “No human can match a Shining One in beauty.” I reply absently as I watch Mareidia stealing glances at her companion. I can’t blame her. I myself haven’t been able to stop staring at the man known as Thomas.

     “Don’t you think the cold beauty of the fey is vastly overrated when compared to the warm vitality of humans, anyway?” I glance at Icaa on her perch as she, without turning her head, regards me with her crystalline blue eye.

     “No.” She says simply and cocks her head as the shine of a jewel catches her attention.

     I sigh and rest my chin in my hand while watching the happy couple. It is the year of the Rowan switch and the sovereign of the Third House, my father, chose Mareidia as his heir. As per custom, when one of the Four Houses decides to choose an heir, they are allowed to cut a switch from the Rowan tree and trade it with the human witches for a mate.

     Witches. Just thinking the word causes my skin to crawl. Nasty human subspecies born with the power of Earth’s magic. Wicked abominations, they were the ones who barred us from the human world with their strange incantations and rituals. They are anathema to our kind and if it weren’t for our need of humans, we would never consort with them.

     A kind face turns up to mine from below in the gardens, and I find myself looking into Thomas’ hazel eyes. Mareidia is busy talking to one of the house servants, too absorbed in her task to pay attention to Thomas for the moment.

     A smile touches his lips and he gives me an awkward human wave. I smile in turn, unabashed to be caught staring.

****

     “Thomas? Did you hear me?” Mareidia’s sweet voice pulls me from my musings. I look down to see my blushing bride-to-be looking at me coquettishly through her lashes.

     “Sorry, I was caught up in my thoughts.” I smile at her ruefully. A petulant look pushes her lip out cutely, as she pulls the thick curtain of her dark hair over her shoulder and begins to play with it and sulk. It’s almost laughable to have this radiantly beautiful fey woman sulk like a child over my attention. All the fey are hauntingly beautiful, and despite my desirable human lineage, I have a hard time understanding how an average man like me could even remotely hold the interest of this angelic creature.

     I take her pale, fine hand in mine and place a chaste kiss upon her ivory skin. “Forgive me my darling.” I say, pulling a generic move out of a cheesy romance film. To my utter fascination, I watch a pale stain of blush color her round cheeks. She smiles at me adoringly and I know I am forgiven.

     I never get the chance to find out what she wanted to tell me, because in that moment we are summoned to dinner. She keeps a hold of my hand as we walk to the banquet hall for another bizarre fairy meal of food I’m only just beginning to recognize.

     I stand behind my chair with Mareidia to my left, when she walks in. It’s like all the light is sucked out of the room each time, and the only thing visible is her. Meloridian, the second daughter of the Third King and Mareidia’s sister. I’m becoming a greedy man, I know, because even though I have the beautiful Mareidia as my fiancé, I can’t ever take my eyes off Meloridian. She’s light were Mareidia’s dark. Her hair is a silvery white that almost blends seamlessly with her skin and clothes. The pink of her lips and clear blue of her darkly fringed eyes are a stark contrast of color that draws attention and keeps it. As always her companion Icaa, a white raven, is upon her arm when she enters. With a caw, the bird takes off to perch upon the large antler of a mounted white stag head.

     With Meloridian’s arrival we are seated for the meal and Mareidia keeps me occupied with her gabby nature. It takes considerable effort not to look at Meloridian as she delicately eats little green fruits from her plate and instead listen to Mareidia’s sweet, but constant chatter. The Third Queen suddenly involves Mareidia in a debate with the Third King, and in my reprieve I cannot help but find my eyes pulled to Meloridian. With a thrill I find her already watching me. I try to offer her a polite smile, but I can feel the genuine warmth spreading into it against my will. Her smile in return is brief, but just as warm. We both shoot our gazes away as Mareidia recaptures my attention.

****

     I can still taste my lover’s addictive kiss on my lips as Mareidia plays an intricate jade harp for me. A few months have passed since our first time together, and even though I feel guilty as hell I can’t stop going to Meloridian every chance I get. We’ve been careful as to not arouse suspicion, and even though I can’t seem to pull away from her soft embrace, I have no idea where this affair is heading. I’m in no position in this world of fairy hierarchy to choose my own desires. If we are caught, it will no doubt be dire consequences for us both. Even knowing that, I long to run back to her yielding flesh. I’m a madman. I suppress a sigh as Mareidia blushes shyly at me.  

****

     The Third King puffs up his chest like a pouter pigeon, his face a frightening shade of puce.

     “What did you just say?” His voice is low and dangerous.

     “The baby is mine.” I repeat louder, all my bravado in my voice alone as I will my knees not to give out on me. A high keening cry plays as a horrible background song to the Third King backhanding me across the face. Blood spills down my chin and I find myself on the floor staring at Mareidia’s sobbing form and Meloridian’s horror stricken face as we both watch our nightmare play out.

     Mareidia’s tear coated face contorts into something dark and evil as she looks from me to her sister’s pregnant belly. Mareidia screams madly and pounces on her sister, tearing and beating at the child within her. Acting on an instinct as old as time, I jerk forward and restrain Mareidia from my lover and child. She twists in my hold and begins savagely attacking me, raking her nails down the side of my face and biting me. I weather it stoically, knowing I deserve this and more.

     “DON’T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER YOU FILTH!” The Third King pries Mareidia from my arms and passes her to her mother. As soon as his hands are free, he hits me again. My head whips to the side and it takes me a moment to orientate myself.

     Meloridian sits on the floor pale and shaking, holding on to her pregnant stomach. Her parent’s haven’t acknowledged her once since they found out. To them it was like she no longer existed. I longed to go to her, but I knew it would only make it worse. I haven’t been able to comfort her for a long time now.

     “Take the boy to the cells. I want him wrapped in chain.” The Third King dismisses me like dirt upon his rug, as guards grab me and haul me away. Meloridian locks eyes with me sorrowfully, but neither of us blames the other.

     “And you.” The Third King addresses his second daughter. “You are dead to me. To this family. This is no longer your home.”

****

     “Thomas, wake up!” Seeing Thomas dirty, gaunt, and pale, wasting away in chains, I knew I was making the right decision. The gentle weight of my new born daughter in my arms galvanizes me. I carefully tuck her soft blue blanket more securely around her, before I bend to shake Thomas awake. There isn’t much time.

     “Thomas, please wake up!” I whisper urgently, while shaking his shoulder harshly. Slowly, as if waking from a pleasant dream he doesn’t want to leave, he opens his eyes. For a moment he just stares at me dumbstruck, and then I see life flair in him.

     “Meloridian?!” He rasps in shock. He looks around, gauging his surroundings. “How?” He asks, not yet noticing the bundle I hold carefully in my arms.

     “The guards have been well paid, but they won’t turn their heads for long. We must leave now, while there’s still time.” Icaa patters over to Thomas and regards his chains with her keen raven eyes. With a snip of her beak they break, not made to withstand her enchanted strength.

     Thomas leaps to his feet with surprising agility for a man so undernourished. With a strangled gasp he finally notices our baby nestled in the safety of my embrace.

     “Is that…?” Thomas trails off looking at his daughter for the first time, his eyes misty and strange.

     “Later.” I insist, grabbing his arm and dragging him through the cell door. I lead Thomas through the planned route adeptly, coming out into the forest where I have two fairy steeds waiting in the shadows for our escape.

     I whistle low for the horses, deciding to let Thomas have this respite before I urge him on again. Up against a tree he sits with his head tossed back gulping greedily at the fresh air. I look on him tenderly, even in his sorry state. Neither of us is in love with the other, but there is an undeniable passion and affection that time will never steal. I crouch beside Thomas as the horses nicker softly behind me and hand him our darling daughter. As he carefully accepts her into his arms, I take this last moment to engrave them both into my essence.

     Taking hold of his chin, I place a sweet kiss upon his lips before turning my attention to our daughter. I smooth her supple young forehead with my hand and give her a kiss imbued with my everlasting love. I place a witch’s clover in her blanket to conceal her fairy nature in the hopes that she can go to the human realm.

     “You must take her and disappear.” I tell Thomas gravely.

     “And where will we go?” Thomas queries solemnly. “Would she not be happier with you at the Second House?”

     “The Second House is full of evil machinations, she will never survive there. They do not treat humans as kindly as the other Houses; she will be nothing more than a tool for power there. Such horrors would await her future, that as her mother I cannot abide by it.” Thomas can see how sincerely I mean it. 

     “The only reason the Second House offered me asylum was to get their claws on my child. It served my purpose for the pregnancy, but I knew once she was born I had to take her away. You must go to the witches and beg them to let you return to the human realm. There you will both be safe.” I can’t stop the tears from leaking out for the life I will miss with my child.

     “What about you?” Thomas asks, taking my hand in his long, thin one.

     “I will return to the Second House.” I hold up a hand before he can object. “They will be vexed there is no doubt, but they will honor their word and allow me to stay.” I swallow hard and mount my steed. “This is the only way.”