Charmden was a majestic forest where treehouses soared to touch the sky. Our world was enveloped by cascading waterfalls and towering flowers that could serve as plush beds. Some of us roamed Charmden in our human form, while others flutteredby in their fairy form, no larger than pigeons. Sin squeezed my hand as we passed a group of children kicking a ball, their laughter echoing through the trees.
“I don’t understand why you like that filthy city so much when you come from a place like this,” Sin remarked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“Why does it matter anyway? It’s my last night out.”
We ventured deeper into the forest, where Hoax, Sin’s father, stood upon a rock, his army encircling him. He spoke with fervor about the warlocks, his staff tapping angrily on the stone.
“Every day, as soon as you wake up, I want you all to leave this realm and hunt those useless piles of shit for attacking our people! We are stronger! We are the true guardians of nature, and they are nothing! Just humans who practiced our way of life!” Hoax bellowed.
The dragon head engraved on his staff opened, unleashing a powerful red flame. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Hoax; my fingers twitched with the urge to choke him and rip his throat out. He looked like a demon, with a long face, a white matted beard, silver locs, and pointed ears that curved like buffalo horns—he was a grand elf. One of his eyes was black while the other was white. His long black hooked nails and black vine-like branches wove in and out of his skin. Despite his tall, slinky frame, many feared him because of his staff. Fire was our kryptonite, capable of dismantling our magic and devastating the forest.
“Eboenia! My daughter-in-law to be! Glad to have you returned to your kingdom instead of roaming the human’s world like a city rat!” Hoax called out to me.
His troops turned to stare, and I moved closer to Sin, hoping for his protection. But he stepped away, leaving me alone to face the judgment of dozens of male fairies and elves.
“And what is that you’re wearing, eh? You want to live like a human woman? Your mother had class, Eboenia! She would never leave this realm without her mate!” Hoax shouted.
He floated over to me, landing in front of me. Hoax slipped his hand between my legs, and I went frigid, wanting to attack him but knowing my wand was no match for his staff. His eyes were filled with lust as he violated me, slipping his finger inside while Sin watched.
“Father,” Sin whispered, his voice barely audible.
Hoax withdrew, sniffing his fingers as tears filled my eyes. “Well, at least we know she’s not laying down with a human when she leaves this realm. Leave it to me to do your job!” Hoax yelled at Sin.
“Yes sir,” Sin replied in a low tone.
“If I had a beautiful wife like Eboenia, she’d never leave my sight. Be a warrior!” Hoax commanded, punching Sin in the chest.
“Can we go now?” Sin asked, his voice subdued.
“Go ahead,” Hoax replied, sniffing his fingers again. “This scent will never not satisfy me,” he said, running his hand down my breast and squeezing.
“I need to bathe her to get that city smell off of her,” Sin stammered.
“Go ahead! Get out of my sight!” Hoax dismissed us.
Sin grabbed my hand and led me deeper into the forest. Tears streamed down my face, feeling dirtier than ever. It wasn’t the first time Hoax had touched me as if I belonged to him. Sin’s father was the reason I fell out of love with him. I pulled away from Sin.
“We can talk once we get home!” Sin urged, pulling on my arm.
We reached his treehouse, a structure shaped by nature itself. He opened the door and closed it behind us, hugging me tightly while caressing my back. “I’m so sorry, Eboenia. Please believe me,” he pleaded.
“I want to take a bath,” I replied, feeling dazed.
Sin picked me up and carried me down the wooden spiral staircase carved from the tree’s interior. He took me to the bottom where we bathed in cool, cleansing water, its natural forest and floral scent enveloping us.
“I don’t need your help,” I told him as he tried to remove my dress.
“Are you mad at me?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
“Why did you bring me into this, Sin? How can you love someone and bring them into this life? You knew my sisters and I planned to leave Charmden and escape Hoax’s sadistic ways!” I shouted.
“Shut your mouth before he hears you!” he gritted, his voice tense.
“Please, just let me bathe…alone!”
“I’ll wash you,” he insisted.
I tried to contain myself, aware of Hoax’s looming presence. I let Sin undress me and stepped into the pool. Moments later, he joined me. “It’ll get better,” Sin said, trying to reassure me. “Hoax is under a lot of pressure because the Hex13 are becoming more powerful with their spells. He thinks they have a new leader. Once they’re all dead, he’ll calm down.”
