The Heart of the Moon and Stars (COMPLETE)

Chapter Three

There hasn't been a murder in years especially not one in the exact same conditions and the exact same target as there had been just before the great war, Aeron had never talked about the great war but everyone knew about it from storytellers and books in the library.

It had started with bodies being found on the borders of each kingdom working in a rotation, and the bodies were of men in their twenties, some younger and some older, all white and all Fae. Back then they had come to the decision -when they didn't know the murderer- it was some sort of demon who had to feed on newly settled Fae, but that changed when one of the bodies found between the winter and autumn kingdoms had turned out to be a hundred-year-old Fae male and it had only been a coincidence that the others had been newly settled and that the murderer was just looking for a Fae male who appeared to be in his twenties, with dark hair and green eyes.

And now all the high lords-minus Evander- have gathered in the spring court where all their meetings are held for some reason to discuss whether or not the same threat from the great war is what had caused this murder or whether it was a copycat murder.

The only reason me and Noah are even here is because the high lords all bring their closest allies to have their back, but where me and Noah stand behind him Asher gets to be right next to him as his best guard just like all the other high lords.

I hadn't even known that I was on Aeron's list of people allowed to sit in on the meetings so after the spring high lord had ordered the meeting and Aeron turned to me and Noah and told us to get presentable is when I found out.

And now I'm stood here listening to all the high lords coming up with theories to what could have happened and if It had just been a normal murder and not a threat returning, they had never caught who was being the attacks during the great war just that they had set demons to hunt each kingdom, and when one demon who was caught could talk he had said there was an opening on the sea edge in no man's land where all the demons would come through and that if even one of them was to step foot near it had been enchanted to release all the demons and the only way to close it was for all the high lords to blast it at once, that or to use starlight, which surprisingly none of them had.

The demon had also said that they do not know who opened the gate just that he commanded them from a faraway land, to which the high lords at the time assumed meant their master was overseas. "if it is like last time and it is a rotation then there must be a body on the dark kingdoms borders" Miko the lord of the winter kingdom says and Aeron scoffs, "no one has had communication with the kingdom in a few hundred years, I don't think Evander is willing to start now" everyone looks stumped at this and slightly offended at the fact that one of their own wouldn't even report a dead body on the border especially since Evander had been in that war.

I look around and they all now look slightly angry but I'm just confused as to how they forgot... "maybe he never found a body" I say out loud before I can even stop myself, everyone instantly turns to me, "I think you all seem to forget the dark kingdoms borders are in fact mountains, and the only reason the high lord last time found the bodies was because the cycle started at the light court, so why would Evander have any need to search his border for a body?" I look around as realisation hits them, "I think you all judge the dark kingdom and Evander too quick for your own good, just because it is home to creatures you deem as undesirable and lower than you doesn't mean the kingdom itself would stoop to such levels as to betray you all or have you forgot it was Evander a barely settled Fae who had originally helped to close the demon gateway in the first place when his father was unable to?" I let it some of my anger at their judgement out without even meaning to and when realisation of what I have said sets in I just feel like curling up in a ball and hiding somewhere, I can't believe I spoke to high lords like that. "I agree with; sorry but what is your name?" I go to introduce myself but Asher beats me to it, "her name is Asta and she is my little sister lord Hagan" I glare at him because he always does this when I get introduced to new people it's like he thinks I'm going to forget my real fake name which he has sewed into my head a million times.

"Well Asta" he nods in approval to my brother then looks to me and continues talking, "I agree with you, we have made mistakes in the past including those who ruled before us and I'm afraid that is why lord Evander found it necessary to keep his kingdom closed off, but times have changed and we need him once again" before I can state the fact that it obviously sounds like they are using him Ilan continues, "yes but no one can mist into his kingdom so how will a message be retrieved?" misting is a power that some Fae have to travel places some have more distance they can cover whilst others can only mist to places, they have physically seen.

"Then we do it the old-fashioned way" Kandra speaks up and smirks at us all, "we send a messenger, and I have the perfect person in mind" he stares right at me and I freeze, both in shock and excitement.

"no" Aeron says immediately, "at least hear him out Aeron" lord Grove suggest and Aeron shakes his head but listens, "she obviously understands the kingdom more than any of us here" how the moon would I know the kingdom better than those who have been there before? "knowing and understanding are two completely different things" so I guess I said that out loud, "my point is that if you go there with a message with all our symbols on even a fool will know its urgent and will send you straight to Evander, they will need someone who understands them, to understand isolation like them which I'm sensing you know a lot about" I look down at this and curse at being so obvious. "then they are more likely to help us" lord Hagan says in understanding of where Kandra is coming from, even the other high lords think it's a good plan from the looks on their faces, all except Aeron. "I'm not risking it; we can send someone else" Grove shakes his head, "they need to see that times have changed and that people will not look at them in fear anymore, I believe she is the one to do that"

Aeron still doesn't look convinced but Asher just looks like has ready to sleep. "she is fascinated by the dark kingdom and has always wanted to see it" Noah speaks up and Aeron turns to him, "don't think of this being her going to deliver a message to potentially save us all, but as her fulfilling one of her life wishes" I snicker at this because it makes no sense. "do you want to do this?" Aeron finally looks to me, I look to see all the other lords looking at me expectantly and nod my head.

"okay then, Evander should be able to mist himself so if he comes to help then he can come back with you" Grove says and everyone nods in agreement. After a few more discussions everyone finally leaves including us. on our way back to the day kingdom we are all silent probably thinking about the task I've been given and the fact that it could save everyone's lives. But what's on my mind the most is the fact that I'm finally going to see the dark court. if I make it.