COF 1: The Fairy Legacy

24 | Destiny

"Canraren," Nyxis supplied with a nod.

Vikara turned back to the gray-robed priestess. "Tobin Canraren," she patted the priestess's shoulder. "Please let the High Priestess know that the Helgase family sends their regards in the ceremony."

The priestess ducked her head and leaned her mop against the wall before dashing inside the Temple.

"Who in Umazure is this Tobin Canraren?" Xanthy sniffed.

Nyxis stuck his bottom lip out. "He is the real heir to the Cardina throne."

Xanthy frowned as she turned to the human. "You mean you are not a real prince?" she tore another bite out of her butterbread. "What about those stuff you told me?"

"It is...complicated," Nyxis sighed and stuck his hands inside his trousers' pockets. "And probably not the best time to talk about it."

Xanthy rolled her eyes. Yeah, okay. "What are we even doing here?" she turned in askance towards Vikara.

"Let me guess, you are here to recruit us to that organization you are in," Reeca waved her arms. "Synke-something."

"Synketros," Vikara scowled. "And no. I would not pressure you into joining our ranks. That decision rests on you."

"Why would a Human join an organization for fairies, anyway?" June finished his butterbread and dusted his fingers.

"Simple," Vikara grinned. "Because I am not Human."

Xanthy's jaw dropped. What—?

"But you said you are human," Xanthy narrowed her eyes. "Fully human, if I recall correctly."

As an answer, Vikara snapped her fingers. Before Xanthy's eyes, the woman's features shifted and rearranged until they fit into an entirely new being's frame. What...

"The woman on the battlefield," Nyxis breathed. His eyes were as large as gold versallis. "That is you?"

The woman flicked her eyes towards Nyxis. Xanthy squinted. Were those...red pupils?

"Yes," she ducked her head at Nyxis's direction. "My name is Elred Valkalin."

"No way," Reeca shook her head as she shot up. "There is no way you are the Helinfirth heir!"

The woman, Elred, turned to Reeca with a raised eyebrow. The wind shuffled long strands of pale blond hair. Xanthy leaned over and blood drained from her face. Wings as smooth as glass reflected sunlight off of the woman's back, painting rainbows on the floor.

Helinfirth? What was that?

"Unfortunately, I am," Elred rolled her eyes.

Xanthy swept her arms with a scoff. "Hold on," she wagged a finger at Elred. "What are you? Who are you? What happened to VIkara Sandiega? Was that all a lie?"

Elred inclined her head to one side. "Shard fairies are not liars, Xanthy. We merely let people see what they want to see with our glamors," she explained. "Vikara Sandiega should be back in her estate with no memory of the past two months that I have been taking over her life."

"So you are a spy?" Xanthy narrowed her eyes.

"I work for the Synketros," Elred said like it explained everything. "I am anyone they require me to be."

"What are you really doing here, Elred?" Xanthy fished another butterbread from the satchel. Ah, she wasn't even half-full after six pieces. "Synketros is not all about ending purges, right?"

Xanthy met Elred's hard, scarlet eyes. She expected the shard fairy to demand where she got that information. Instead, Elred clasped her hands together. "No," she shifted. "Although, it came with the plan when we saw the state of things around here. It helped with recruiting people to join our cause. But no, that is not why I was sent here."