For the fae, magic is everything: status, power, wealth, honor. For Vera Reite, a fae born with no magic, it is a shameful reminder that she will never amount to anything.
Whispers of a fae-killing monster begin to circulate the Moon Court. It lurks...
An eternity passed before she reached the gates—a twin set of ornate metal bars topped with vicious spikes and set into strong hinges. They weren't locked and, despite their age and exposure to weather, had yet to rust; instead, they appeared shiny and new. Vera grabbed one side and pulled.
As soon as her palm settled on the cold metal, heat seared her skin. She let go with a scream, clutching her trembling hand against her chest. It cooled quickly in the rain, but the sting lingered deep beneath her skin, a familiar feeling she knew all too well. Iron. The gates were made of iron.
The monster prowled closer, now only a few yards away. A deep growl rumbled in its throat, and it lowered its head like a beast preparing to leap. Foreign magic crackled around it, summoned without the use of runes like fae spells. An invisible force slammed Vera against the gate.
Fiery agony ripped across her spine. She choked on another scream, kicking and wriggling against the monster's hold on her and the iron bars digging into her back. It shoved her again, and her head hit the metal this time, knocking against the same sore spot as before. Darkness obscured her vision and a sharp ringing sound forced out the low rumble of the monster as it snuck closer. The fight slowly bled from her body as even the burning pain in her back began to fade and her limbs dropped weakly to her sides. All she could feel was her hammering heart and the thrum of panic beneath her skin, but it was useless. There was no fighting this creature.
Metal hinges creaked and groaned. With a sudden rush of cool air, the gates swung open, and Vera dropped unceremoniously inside the property. Dizzy and disoriented, she sat up just as they closed again. Angry at the loss of its prey, the monster roared, loud enough that her teeth rattled, and slammed into the gate. Despite that it was unlocked, it didn't budge. A hazy film covered the gate, glistening where the monster touched it; even though it appeared no stronger than a thin layer of fabric, the barrier held firm against the monster's strength.
With a final dissatisfied hiss, the monster turned and fled, swallowed by the darkness before it even reached the forest's edge. The storm disappeared with it, exposing a clear, night sky behind it with the crescent moon hovering over the manor.
Soaked through to the bone, Vera shivered. She let out a tight breath and flopped down to rest until the world stopped spinning. Every part of her burned with exhaustion and pain, and she thought she could detect the faint scent of something burnt, but she forced herself to sit up one last time. Twisting, she peered at the manor, searching for the light she had seen. The inside was dark and empty, void of any living presence. She shuddered, but this time it wasn't from the cold.
As she stared, a faint presence caressed her skin, like the shimmering barrier as it passed over her to separate her from the killer. It crackled like magic, only there was no one to cast a spell. Words appeared in her mind with no voice to anchor them, a shapeless thought that drifted through from somewhere else. It squirmed as it fought to take shape, and she steeled herself against the odd sensation. When it settled, she could just barely make out three words: come this way.
Her breath caught in her throat. The presence left as quickly as it had come, and she was alone once more. She hesitated, casting another glance beyond the gate. Though every still-conscious part of her mind begged her to turn away, she knew she stood no chance if the monster found her again. Not in her current state. She had no choice but to obey the strange command.
Steeling herself, Vera crawled toward the huge double doors, leaving the iron gates and the bloodthirsty monster behind.
The doors creaked almost as loudly as the gate, but they were not laced with iron to burn her. They opened with ease, also left unlocked, and allowed a faint stream of moonlight to flood the tattered entryway. Dust floated in the air and coated the floor in a thick layer. The room was stripped of furniture, save for a three-legged table that had toppled over and a broken vase that likely once sat atop it.
"Hello?" Vera called, leaning heavily on the door. Her voice was hoarse, trembling with an edge of fear—or perhaps to betray her pain.
A rat scurried from one edge of the room to the other, and a haunting wind blew through the curtains, but there was no answer. No magical presence either. The house was abandoned, though she was certain she had seen a bright white light from within, like a star sealed behind the walls. Now, there was only darkness, save for the pale light of the tiny moon.
Weariness tugged sharply at her, and her head was pounding incessantly. She invited herself in and shut the door with a decisive thud. Perhaps there was a ghost, but she didn't care if it haunted her. All she needed was a safe place to sleep, just for a moment, until her headache passed. She limped to the next room, her twisted ankle dragging awkwardly across cracked marble floors.
Pastel floral wallpaper lined the walls of the next room, and tattered curtains hung shut over a large, curved window. A sofa and two plush chairs were still placed neatly in what had once been a sitting room. Vera didn't care. She dropped her things at the foot of the sofa and crashed onto the cushions, sending up a cloud of dust around her. She had barely settled into a comfortable position before her eyes drifted shut and sleep claimed her.
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Sweet dreams, Vera. Sorry I ran you over with a bus and then drop-kicked you into an iron gate. No hard feelings.
