Page 8 of Bonded By Moons

A flash of light and we’re both back in our human forms, slowing walking towards the dying birch tree with hesitance.

I hold my tears back and kneel before the tree. I reach out with trembling fingers to touch the strange red bark. “I think it’s in pain, Amara. I can feel it weeping.” I whisper on a shaky breath.

“Oh Em, I’m so sorry.” She rests her hand on my shoulder and stands behind me, providing some amount of comfort. “This is the first I’ve seen of The Decay spreading this far north. It’s going to take over the village in just a few years. We need to let the others know right away. We can start preparations.”

“You’re right. It’s possible that this year's crops are already ruined.” I press my forehead to the bark and send a prayer to the moons. “I just can’t believe it's finally here. I thought we would have found a cure by now.”

“Would you like me to put it to rest?” Amara asks kindly.

I sniffle and try to center my emotions. I often become overwhelmed with empathy when I’m touching another living thing. No matter what mental blockers I have in place, physical connection can be such a strong conduit that I’m unable to block out the emotions.

“Please,” I whimper and begin to pull away from the tree.

Once I’m far enough away, and the emotional connection begins to sever, Amara sparks the tree into flames. My heart burns with it. Using her air magic, she is able to contain the fierce fire to only this tree. The birch wood turns to ashes quickly. I watch with tears trickling down my cheeks.

Amara looks at me over her shoulder and sees the tears building in my eyes. She nods her head sympathetically and invites me to help her send the tree into its next life. Together, we gather the ashes in our hands and stand to face each other.

With our eyes closed, we say in unison “From the moons, to the moons. May you rest and return to peace. Awaiting your next journey among the stars.” We allow Amara’s magic to whisk the ashes away, scattering them among the wind and completing the death process.

We open our eyes and watch as the wind carries the tree’s remains on a breeze brought by Amara’s air magic.

Then, our gazes turn to the remaining red tainted roots and burned grass. The Decay resembles veins on a fae’s body. Red lines jutting in all directions until the tree withers from the inside-out. The fungal disease started when the remaining Moonlace royal bloodline were found dead over 20 years ago. I was just a babe during that time, so I don’t recall the Decay being of substance until I was almost 10. It spreads painfully slow.

It began with one sunflower farm, just outside the capital city. At first, we didn’t understand what it was. A disease on the land? An infestation?

It’s said that the Decay was brought to our lands when king Morak Moonlace witnessed the vicious murder of his mate, the queen, Meelis Moonlace. His heartbreak cursed all of Faerelle.

When her heart stopped beating, the mate bond was torn in half. Rumors say king Morak’s heartbreak cursed the land in the name of vengeance for his family's brutal deaths at the hands of a shadow beast that infiltrated the palace.

king Morak and Queen Meelis were never blessed with children. So, after the loss of his mate, king Morak didn’t see a purpose in living anymore. The pain of a bond tearing is too much to bear.

No one was able to find or track the shadow beast summoned to destroy the Moonlace bloodline, the last remaining royal line that had primal blood flowing through their veins. Some say the shadow beast disappeared from thin air. It’s all speculation at this point. Truths twisted through sharp tongues in dark hallways.

We still don’t have much knowledge on the cause of the Decay but we do know it takes years to spread and devour the land. Once it’s taken over the lands, the crops within a mile radius are no longer safe to consume. It’s a poison that will kill even the strongest Fae if ingested. It’s taken nearly 20 years for it to spread this far north from the outskirts of Estrallume.

If I’m being completely honest, I blame the Bryton’s. But I blame their rancid family for most issues in this kingdom. Including the insanely high trade cost for basic meat and produce.

UGH.

I can’t believe I’m mated to King Bryton’s oldest son. He’s probably equally as terrible as his father. Hidden behind the walls of their precious palace.

“Em, I can see you simmering with resentment from here,” Amara says, calling me back from the depths of my thoughts. She stands facing me from the outer trees of the clearing I remain in.

I roll my eyes and begin walking towards her. “I just can’t process that I’m mated to a Bryton. It’s an obvious joke, right?”

“Based on those shining mate rings, I don’t think this is much of a joke.” She offers me a soft smile with sympathy in her eyes. “You might be avoiding him but the stars and moons are up to something. We just don’t know what yet. You have to be patient and listen to their guidance, Em. We’ve been raised to trust in their mate choices and I know love is scary, but maybe it’s time to try something new?” Amara says with a soft smile.

I exit the clearing and reachout to join hands with Amara. Together, we begin walking northeast, continuing our journey to the glimmer caves.

“I don’t think I want to find out what’s planned for my love life. Amara, I don’t have room in my dark heart to love another person right now. I’ve barely coped with my past, I can’t even begin to think about the future. I can’t give another person, prince or not, a piece of myself when I feel like I'm nothing more than bones and faerie dust. We have so much to accomplish with The Ascension and I dedicated my life to see it through.” I look to the stars as if they’ll give me an answer. Of course, the sun is the only thing to look back at me during this time of day.

“Maybe you’d be surprised what you’re capable of accomplishing when you allow others to give back to you.” She squeezes my hand and starts to sway our arms between our bodies, just like when we were younger and walking the halls of Astrelle University.

I scoff. “You sound like your mother.” We giggle and flash into our faerie forms again. Travel is much faster in this form, and since we’re conducting our mission after moon rise, we’ll be able to recharge our magic along the way.

We continue on our flight to the Glimmer Caves, where the Ascension has made a homebase, buried in the Mystic Mountains. The tunnel system is known as the glimmer caves among our guild, since the opening has been anointed with ancient magic and hidden from those not initiated into The Ascension. You have to navigate through the mountains thick, milky mist, in order to journey to the cave entrance. The thick white mist covers most of the land, except the stoney peaks which jut out high through the clouds.

The mist hinders seeing anything more than a few feet in front of you. It will dissipate and reveal a different path for you to follow each time. Without fail, the magical fog of the Mystical Mountains sway and move like the tides of the sea, making it nearly impossible for anyone to track us.

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