He moved closer, checking my body for wounds. Butterflies flipped in my stomach at his closeness. I could see the worry in his eyes, even though he tried to play it off.
“You should’ve seen this nasty-ass male nymph squeezing my ass,” I said, smirking. “How dare that crusty little punk put his hands on your lil’ pussy fairy?” I teased, just to watch him squirm.
He froze, jaw tight, the vein in his neck throbbing. Tried to laugh it off, but I could tell he was pissed. “He’s dead, so ain’t shit I can do about it now,” he muttered.
I rolled my eyes at him, and he just grunted, but I caught the way his eyes lingered on me—like he was making sure I was really still standing.
His men appeared all at once, about forty of them. They picked up the bodies of their fallen brothers. Hex13 wasn’t who Charmden painted them out to be—they had way more structure. I watched them wrap a dead warlock in a satin black, glowing sheet.
Out of the blue, the ground shook and the trees blew. The warlocks immediately lined up, weapons drawn and sorcery spiraling around their hands. The scent of sweat, blood, and burning wood permeated the air. A portal opened, and twigs and tree branches grew out of it, twisting together to form a bridge. My heart raced—it was warriors from Charmden entering the forest.
Crane emerged from the portal on the back of a double-headed, enormous unicorn, the beast rippled in muscle. The unicorn’s hooves slammed against the bridge, sending dull thuds through the ground. Behind him came an army of elvesand fairies, all of them ready for battle. The Charmden warriors were dressed in brown dashikis, gold arched headpieces shining on their heads, looking like they were ready to cast away the entire forest. Grim stood next to War with a shotgun in his hand, the thing looked like it came from a different dimension with spinning gears and shadows of silver twisting around it.
“I know y’all little Peter Pan, leprechaun ears ass niggas are tired of coming here to die. Where is your master?” Grim shouted out to Crane.
“Our master isn’t supposed to be battling with his army unlike yours. We protect him! Maybe you and your spell-binding thugs need to take notes and stop sending your master to do your dirty work!” Crane shouted back.
“Come on now, dummy! You know I’m a master that doesn’t mind getting in the field. I’m putting chain to all of y’all asses!” War said to Crane.
Crane’s unicorn carried him off the bridge; there were at least sixty of them. They had Hex13 outnumbered. Steel clanged. Chains rattled. The forest echoed with the sounds of a blood bath brewing and buzz of sorcery.
“I let you go the last time, but this time you won’t see the light of day!” War said.
“We will see about that!” Crane seethed.
Crane grimaced at me as I stood next to War. “Eboenia no longer has any ties to Charmden! She’s a traitor—a whore who broke the seal that protects Charmden and let those demons into our realm. Because of her betrayal, many of our people were slaughtered! Bring me her head and wings!” Crane told his men.
War chuckled, his menacing chain appearing around his wrist, almost blinding me when it flashed, his eyes burning with a fiery glow, his gears tattoos coming to life and sounding like a fan.
“Step back, Eboenia. You fought enough today!”War’s voice shouted inside my head.
“Where do you want me to go?”
“Head south and you’ll see our portal. Do not stop for anyone! Just keep going!”he said.
I transformed into my fairy form as the two clans collided. The air was buzzing with blue and gold flashes lighting up the forest. I flew past a warlock slicing off a fairy’s wing—blood sprayed, almost blinding me. My wings buzzed, fighting to keep me steady as bodies crashed and spells—no, sorcery—whipped through the air. The forest floor shook with every stomp and clash.
I looked over my shoulder, heart pounding, as War’s chain ripped mercilessly through the bodies of Charmden’s warriors, twisting and striking with brutal precision while he dodged Crane’s air attack. The horrific blood curdling screams of the dying echoed throughout the hollow forest. For a moment, I couldn’t move—my eyes locked on War. He was my captor, my curse, the one who bound my soul to his own. And yet, a part of me ached for him—longed for his presence, and I no longer tried to deny it.
Was it real? Or just another cruel trick of the soul-binding spell he forced upon me? The line between my own heart and the curse was so blurred, I could barely tell where I ended and the magic began. I accepted the longing, even if I didn’t understandit. I wanted to run to him, to fight at his side, but I didn’t know if it was love or just another chain.
The people of Charmden—once my home, once my kin in spirit—had turned against me. They called me traitor, spat my name like poison, never knowing I was cursed, not complicit. I decided to continue on my journey, heading in the direction War commanded. All I could do was survive—and hope that one day I’d know the truth of my own heart.
Iwas sitting on a bench in the park, feeling like I’d just crawled out of a nightmare. Blood and mud were plastered all over me, a grim reminder of the fight I’d just escaped. The sun was coming up, but I felt cold and stuck, my feet glued to the ground. The portal that had brought me here had vanished hours ago.
A woman jogged by, her phone pressed to her ear, coffee in hand. She stopped when she saw me, eyes wide with shock. “Hey, are you okay? Do you need me to call 9-1-1?” Her voice was filled with concern, but I could hear the fear in it too. “I think this young woman killed someone,” she whispered into the phone. “These addicts are getting younger and younger…”
Panic shot through me. I couldn’t let her see me—couldn’t let her call for help. What if I left this spot? Would War come after me, punishing me for even thinking about escaping?
“Excuse me! Hellooooo! Are you okay?” The woman waved her hand in front of my face, her concern turning into alarm.
I jumped up, feeling trapped under her gaze. I turned and bolted behind a nearby tree, heart racing. With a burst of magic, I transformed into a black butterfly with golden patterns. I took to the sky, desperate to get back to my sisters—the only familyI had left since my exile from Charmden. But doubt crept in. Would they still want me after everything? What would I do if I lost them too?
Damn you, War, for ruining my life and turning everything upside down!
When I finally arrived at our home in the quiet neighborhood, I landed on the porch, nearly losing my balance as I shifted back to my human form. The door swung open, revealing Lune, who must’ve sensed me. Overcome with emotion, I pulled her into a tight embrace, tears streaming down my face. "I missed you soooo much!" I sobbed.
“You had me so worried!” she exclaimed, sounding startled. She pulled me inside and shut the door. “Where are Jinx and Blair?”
