Never trust a fae.
Never give them your name.
Never fall for their tricks.
Three simple rules that Enid should have followed, three simple rules that she forgot.
In the remote Welsh mountain village of Aethelney, Faeries are real. But unlike trad...
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Enid emerged from the great Oak into the eternal twilight that perpetually cloaked the land of Elfhame. She knew Aneurin would be close behind her so she made for the forest. The spray of the waterfall splashed her cheeks as she strode past it, that was when her eyes caught the ruby toadstools at the edge of the trees, surrounded by fern and lush meadow grass. Perhaps they would take her home. After all, she had not consumed fairy food and was under no obligation to stay.
If she left, Aneurin would become king, but if she stayed he would grow to resent her for losing him all that he had worked for. She took one last look at the Oak tree and decided she would leave through the toadstool ring just as she had come through it the night before. Enid gathered up her gown and made for it.
Through the roar of the waterfall hitting the rocks below Enid heard Aneurin cry for her to stop. Just the sound of his voice tugged at her heart and almost made her stop in her tracks. Almost.
Her pace quickened, the toadstools were but a hairbreadth away. His voice came again, this time with a honeyed edge to it that could be heard even over the waterfall. Compelled by ancient magic that only the Fae knew how to wield, Enid's mind was no longer under her control, she could not take another step closer to the toadstool ring even if she had wanted to.
Aneurin took long strides across the meadow until he towered over her, his eyes black, teeth turning to pointed spikes as he painfully gripped her jaw in his hand, sharp claw-like nails digging into her skin.
His anger rippled off of him and caught her off guard as tendrils of fear sent adrenaline rushing through her veins. He drew her to him, and for the first time since she was a child, she felt afraid of Aneurin. Once more she was reminded that he was one of the Fae, and she was but a mortal, fragile and powerless over such an ancient being.
"You wish to leave me?" Aneurin's voice came out rough and jagged at the edges, as though it were difficult for him to speak the words.
"No," Enid said softly as she brought her hand up to loosen his grip on her jaw.
A lie. It was stupid of her to try, even though the Fae themselves could not lie they could sniff out any hint of deceit. You could never lie to a Fae and get away with it.
"That is not what it looked like." He nodded with his head to the toadstool ring, his grip tightening even more on her face. Though he tried desperately to hide it, betrayal and sorrow began to surface on his now animalistic features.
"I do not want to be the reason for a war between Seelie and Unseelie."
He laughed bitterly at that, his silver hair coming forward to frame his face as he leaned closer to Enid, and his warm breath fanned her face. His eyes now grey rimmed with gold, a constant reminder of iron poisoning, glanced at her lips momentarily before he lazily dragged them back to meet her gaze.
"War is certain whether you are involved or not. It has always been only a matter of time before some skirmish or slight offended their fragile egos."
She struggled against his tight grip, her hand prying his fingers from her face.
