Shadow Showing Through

I sat on the couch reading one of the many books my mother had given me. She offered to share her own stories of while she was pregnant with my siblings and I but I declined. I could already tell my pregnancy was going to be completely different than my pregnancy with Sophia. I sighed as I flipped the page and noticed something move in the corner of my eye. The surrounding air was quite and last I could recall my husband was down the hall working on some secretive paperwork for his father. I glanced around the room and came up empty, returning to my book I shifted on the couch since my current position was starting to get uncomfortable. My small baby bump was starting to become more noticeable and I sighed as I put my hand to my forehead. I winced as a sharp pain shot through my head and I could see something moving in the room. I looked up from my book and found a shadow on the wall, I felt my pulse speed up as I came in contact with the unknown threat. "Dyson!" I called out to my husband and I saw the shadow flinch from my voice. 

"Yeah babe?" He called from his office down the hall. 

"Dyson!" I shrieked as my fear of the unknown grew. I heard rustling down the hall and quick footsteps informing me Dyson was in a complete sprint. 

"Helena?" Dyson asked as he reached the living room doorway. "What is it love?" Dyson's eyes fell on me, I couldn't find the words and just pointed to the shadow that remained on the wall. "Wait... You can see it?" Dyson's eyes went wide as if he had realized something he had been struggling to remember. 

"What is it?" I said as I climbed off the couch and went to his side. 

"Down worry love, it's nothing important. Only Shadow Fae can see them though, it makes sense that you can see it since your carrying my child." Dyson wrapped his arms around me to calm me down. 

"You still haven't told me what it is." I clung to him as the shadow started to move around the living room. "It's a being in another dimension, Shadow Fae are the only ones able to see them. They are hired to find things, sort of like a debt collector. They are hired by Shadow Fae to reclaim something that once belonged to another and which was stated as a form of payment for a later date. You have nothing to worry about because it's just browsing, we have no outstanding debt." Dyson took my hand and led me away from the living room. 

"So they are kind of like the unicorns of Shadow Fae?" I asked as I let him lead me down the hall towards our bedroom. 

"Exactly. Spirit Fae are the only ones who can naturally see and communicate with unicorns." Dyson pushed open the door and stepped back letting me go first. I walked in and stopped abruptly when I found someone in our room. 

"Sophia?" I asked as I saw the eight year old blonde sneaking around my bedroom. 

"Grandmother just wanted me to... um... well... she..." Sophia turned around and stutter as she stared at the ground. 

"Sweetheart give me what grandma asked you to give to me." I said as I walked over to my daughter and knelt in front of her. Sophia stepped backwards quickly putting as much distance as she could between us. 

"I was going to hide it where you would find it." Sophia said as she handed over a folded piece of paper. I looked over at Dyson who was leaning against the door. I quickly opened the paper and scanned the page. 

"No this can't be happening." I said as my body started to tremble. 

"What is it?" Dyson asked as he quickly came to my side and held me, he took the paper from my grasp and read it quickly. Sophia took this opportunity to try and escape. 

"No Sophia stay." I pleaded with my daughter as she shook me off. 

"Get your dirty hands off me Helena." She said low just before running out of the room. After a few minutes of sitting on the floor in Dyson's arms I was ready to find my mother and confront her about her declaration of war. 

"Helena, I want you to know that if I could I would I fight by your fathers side but I can't. My father will be requesting me home soon. My oath to him prevents me from fighting this war against him." Dyson sighed, I watched the anger flare in his eyes. 

"I know Dyson but I can't let my parents go to war with your father. I can't lose you. If the Light and Dark Fae go to war you will have no choice as to fight with the Dark and I the Light." I stood and took a deep breath and took Dyson's hand as he stood beside me. "Come, my mother is waiting." Dyson nodded before we both took off towards the Royal Chambers.