Ambrose and I woke early the next morning, before the sun even had the chance to greet us. We slipped out of the house under the cover of dawn, plowing through the tall grasses of the meadow, racing for the tree line. There was a beautiful place I had found a long time ago that I needed Ambrose to see.

  As we ran, I embraced my own lessons and opened my magic up to my surroundings instead of forcing it to hide inside of me. I felt the full force of the energy from the living creatures thriving around me. It may have taken a while, but I slowly came to love the way it felt—the power that flowed through me as if I were a beacon that simply needed to pass through. Like lightning striking the tallest point to reach the ground. I was just a connector in this strange cycle of life, and while I had once used my gift to cause harm, I learned how much good I could do with it.

  My feet carried my body as fast as they would allow. The wind rushed past me, grabbing at my hair and pulling it into wild, bouncing curls behind me. I saw the sharp ravine coming up before me, but instead of slowing down, my legs carried me faster. Just as I reached the edge, I leaped forward and felt my body start to plummet toward the bottom. I dove down headfirst, as if challenging the earth itself to a game of chicken I knew I would inevitably lose. Just as I almost collided with the stone floor, the familiar feeling of weightlessness greeted me as I let my wings take control. I pulled up at the very last moment, my nose nearly grazing the ground. I twirled as I rose from the depths of the caverns, allowing my body to finally feel free. For the first time in a while, I let myself enjoy the magic I was gifted instead of viewing it as a burden.

  I paused, floating high above the ground as I looked down at the small moving figure still firmly planted on the earth. I could sense Ambrose’s fear and reserve towards flying ever since his first incident, but he would never learn to control it if he never tried again. This time I would be here for him before he lost control. I slowly descended towards him, circling above his head, tempting him to follow me.

  “Are you really going to let me stay up here by myself all day?” I teased, my voice light and playful. Ambrose looked down at his feet, ignoring my gaze. I glanced around from my vantage point above the treetops and saw the warm colors of the sun bleeding into the blue of the night sky.

  “You aren’t going to want to miss this!” I called down as I rested on the canopy of one of the tallest trees. I kept my eye on him as he continued to fiddle with his fingers. Even from this distance, I could see him biting his lip in anxiety. If only he would take the first leap. Once he was in the air, all the worries would disappear. He just needed a little push.

  Under the cover of the last bit of darkness and the thick brush of the trees, I disappeared from his view. I watched through the small gaps in the leaves as he spun in circles, searching for me in the skies. I bit my lip, holding back laughter at his frantic search.

  “Juniper!” he yelled, his voice laced with panic as he continued to spin in place. All of my lessons about magic had always been so serious, and that was one of the reasons I came to hate the power I possessed. For Ambrose, I was determined to ensure he knew how beautiful and fun having power could be.

  “Ambrose! Ambrose, I’m stuck! Help me!” I shouted from my hiding spot, loud enough to stir his instincts. I watched as he took a deep breath, calming his nerves. He closed his eyes, and slowly, a gold light began to surround him, illuminating the forest. He looked down at his feet before he jumped into the air, racing into the trees.

  “Juniper? Juniper, where are you?” he yelled frantically. I zoomed out of my hiding spot and rushed past him, watching as he lost his balance and spun in the air from the shock. I laughed, reveling in the fresh air brushing against my skin as I danced through the sky.

  “Relax, Ambrose! We're almost there!” I said as I lowered myself back down to him. I reached my hands out, and he placed his in mine. He looked back down at the ground, anxiety written all over his face.

  “I know you are nervous, but if you live in fear of your power, you will always be a slave to it,” I said, trying to ease the fear building inside him.

  I tightened my grip on his hands and pulled him to follow me. Once we were above the trees, I let go of his hands and increased my speed, forcing him to follow. I started zigzagging through the sky in unpredictable patterns. Ambrose struggled to keep up with all the sharp twists and turns, but he was slowly getting the hang of it, and a smile began to replace the look of fear on his face.

  Suddenly, I stopped. I held my arms outstretched, closed my eyes, and let go. I fell backward, headfirst towards the ground, keeping my eyes shut. I used the life energy around me—the trees and critters below—to gauge how far I was, and at the last second, I flipped and caught myself with my feet hanging inches above the ground.

  “I’ll be here to catch you!” I called up to him.

  “Juniper, I—I don’t think I’m ready for that!” he said hesitantly, his voice cracking. He was fiddling with his fingers and looking anywhere but at me. I watched as he took a few deep breaths before he closed his eyes and slowly threw his head back. His body raced toward the ground, headfirst. He had control for a few seconds, but as he started to approach the tops of the trees, his eyes snapped open, and he flailed his limbs out of fear. He couldn’t regain control of his body in time.

  I quickly raced into action, jumping up toward him. I intercepted his path to the earth and wrapped my arms around his panicking body.

  “I’ve got you,” I whispered as I held him close. He pushed himself out of my arms and darted up higher into the air. Confused, I followed him into the sky once again. I chased the faint trail of gold he left behind as he climbed higher and higher into the clouds.

  “This is amazing!” he screamed as he spun through the air, pure joy lighting up his face.

  Ambrose vanished when he burst through a thick layer of white clouds overhead. I rushed through the small hole he left behind, feeling the cool mist cling to my skin as I passed through. I was met on the other side with the brightest oranges, yellows, and pinks, scaring away the chill I hadn’t even realized I had. Ambrose was hovering just above the cloud, mesmerized by the colors bleeding from the sky.

  I paused next to him, appreciating the beauty of this new world.

  “This is why we can’t restore magic, Ambrose. It’s been too long. The humans have built so much, and this world has a beauty of its own that I just can’t destroy,” I sighed, my heart heavy with the weight of my choices. I hated admitting it, but without magic, these humans—while they still created their own divisions—were less dangerous to each other. I feared it was still in their nature to hate and destroy, but this way, life could be preserved.

  Ambrose remained quiet, choosing not to respond. I didn’t expect him to. Instead, I just tugged on his arm and pulled him to where I originally planned on taking him.

  It was a quick descent down through the thick clouds and beneath the protection of the branches. I followed the stream of water that wound around the rocks and logs left as permanent markers. The stream grew wider and wider, and the water flowed faster and faster. Eventually, the stream opened up to a large pool surrounded by a grove of trees, but this wasn’t what I was here for. At the base of this hidden resort was a steep rock wall with water roaring down from the top of it.

  We flew over the reflecting waters, straight for the waterfall. I held Ambrose’s hand tighter as we got closer and closer to the wall of water. I felt him start to pull away from me, but I held him tightly, heading straight for the falls.

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  There was a sudden cool feeling from the water rushing against my skin, and then cold, damp air surrounded us. There was a cave behind the falls I had discovered, and now it was a safe place I used to meditate, practice magic, and usually just hide away from the world. I planted my feet firmly on the ground, and my wings disappeared once again, the gold light illuminating the cave fading away and leaving us in darkness.

  I closed my eyes, embracing the power surging inside of me. I reached out with my hand, my magic extending past it, leaving its gold light hugging the edges of the stone wall, lighting the space. The cave was nothing special—just a rock floor, roof, and wall—but it was my sanctuary.

  I sat on the ground, patting my hand, inviting Ambrose to join me.

  “In here, Ambrose, I let go of all the emotions and thoughts I don’t need or want anymore.” I watched as his shoulders relaxed and his breathing slowed, recovering from the scare I had given him. His eyes scanned from the floor up my body, where he paused at my wrist for a moment longer before reaching my eyes.

  I looked down at my arm, where he was distracted, and studied the black scar burned into my skin. It was a replica of the Mark of Mirtis. It was a sad symbol to our people. I studied the now fading teardrop-shaped mark, and the memories of how it came to be whirled through my mind.

  “How did you get that?” he questioned, genuine curiosity lacing his tone.

  “From a friend,” I responded, my voice tinged with sadness.

  -------

  I laid on my moss-covered floor, flipping through the worn pages of the Fullvalda diaries written by past versions of myself. My long brown hair was twirled beneath my head, creating a wreath around me, while my green tattered skirt was sprawled across the moss. It was my responsibility to read every word my past lives wrote in these texts since I was the only one who could decipher the language of the Gods in which it was written. Most of the writings were things I had already learned about my power; some were warnings that, unfortunately, I learned from experience instead of their words, while others were small tips and tricks I hadn’t discovered.

  Just as my fingers gripped the rough corner of the page, a loud bang startled me. Since no one other than me could open the door to this place, the guards had to bang their metal against the stone door to get my attention. I quickly re-shelved the book I was in the middle of and straightened out my white lace top. I walked to the door, my bare feet growing cold from the damp moss beneath them. I placed my hand on the door, the gold light of my magic engulfing it, and it disappeared.

  I stepped through the doorway, and the familiar feeling of my magic being stripped from me was the first thing I felt. Lady Nerezza was always by my side or lurking in the shadows anytime I left my chambers. In there, I was contained. There was only one way in or out, and conveniently, Lady Nerezza’s chambers were moved to be right across the hall.

  “Come now, you are being summoned into the throne room,” she said sharply, her tone clipped and cold.

  I did as I was told, following her to my second room where my wardrobe was. She pushed me down into the vanity chair, and my familiar handmaidens rushed in to do as they always did. They painted my face and wrapped silver trinkets around my hair, creating bubbles in it. They draped pearl chains from my forehead, across the side of my head, and down to the ends of my hair, and as the final touch, they rested my silver crown across my forehead, sitting just above my eyebrows. Lastly, they dressed me; this time they chose a traditional Fae dress, which was thin and made of dark green leaf silk. It hugged my body gently, with silver chains draping against my arms.

  “Come now, Juniper, we are already behind schedule,” she barked, urgency lacing her words. I did as I was always told, feeling powerless both literally and figuratively against these people.

  We arrived at the doors of the throne room, and I was expecting just the King and Queen to be inside, but as the large stone doors opened, a swarm of Fae from every realm filled every inch of the space. Lady Nerezza gave me a push, forcing me through the doorway, and as I made my entrance, the room fell silent. I walked gracefully down the spiraled stairs, and as I reached the bottom, a pathway opened for me as the Fae moved out of my way. I scanned the crowd around me, seeing the finest gowns and suits and the most expensive jewels from every Realm. I was surrounded by the Royal Families of each Realm.

  As I approached the thrones, I was met by familiar striking purple eyes, expecting them to be Lady Nerezza’s, but instead, they belonged to a young man. I studied his black royal garb with silver metal plating and purple crystals accenting the material. His skin was a dark olive, and his hair fell just past his eyebrows in black curls. I recognized his face—Prince Hadeon Bronwen, eldest son of the King of Arcanum.

  As I got closer, I felt this strange sensation take over me. My heart fluttered in an uncontrollable way, and my feet wanted to run right into this mysterious stranger’s arms, but I forced my gaze away. I knew exactly what was happening. This poor boy was my eternal pair—the man I had dreamed of rescuing me—and I had to deny myself the pleasure of knowing him. I had to. I had to protect him.

  I looked up and locked eyes with Leo, standing right next to the platform the thrones were on. His smile was radiant as usual, and I returned a smile of my own, though it felt strained. My eyes wandered over to the Queen, who had a young girl with purple hair standing behind her, whispering in her ear. They both glanced in the direction of Leo before their attention returned to me.

  I bowed before the King and Queen before I stepped up and took my seat next to Briar. I felt the purple eyes of the young Prince staring at me, but I never dared look in his direction, afraid I would reveal the truth.

  The King rose from his throne and stepped forward. Although he was a kind man, his presence was enough to make most drop to their knees, so the crowd of Royals and Nobles fell quiet.

  “There is nothing more beautiful than watching two young people fall in undeniable, unwavering, and unbreakable love. My son Briar and my future daughter, our Fullvalda, have been blessed by the Gods with this gift,” he paused, turning to look at us. Briar reached over to me and grabbed my hand, holding it in his. I turned my head to meet his piercing brown eyes and smiled, trying to convince the world I loved him. I had to; otherwise, the young man I didn’t know would meet the same fate as Nami. Her blue eyes still haunted my dreams.

  “It is my honor to announce that the Royal wedding will take place on the Eve of Juniper’s eighteenth birthday. The same day she unlocked her power, and the same day they found love—”

  -------

  “He just stood there!” Ambrose interjected, his voice cutting through my recollection.

  “He did,” I responded, reflecting on that moment and wondering if it would have been easier if Hadeon had spoken up, if he had claimed me as his eternal pair right then and there, but he didn’t.

  “He would have been killed. He would have been a fool to call the entire Amatharan Royal family liars in their own home,” I replied, feeling a mix of gratitude and regret. Luckily, Hadeon was no fool.

  I closed my eyes, embracing the memory of his beautiful purple eyes, wishing I could stare into them again, just one more time. That’s all I wanted.