One

“Darby, come down here. I want you to watch something!” Dad yelled up the stairs, from his chair in the living room.

Darby groaned. She knew exactly what this was going to be about.

What have the fey done now?

  But she still went downstairs and sat down on the couch. She listened patiently as the news anchor began to speak about the latest faerie scandal. She didn’t know if she had ever meant anybody who could remember the days before the Solar Eclipse that created the first two faeries had happened. Now all the news would seem to talk about were the killings and transformations that the fey were responsible for. 

Even though the faeries were created in the United States, Oregon, to be exact, they were migrating to other countries fast. And there wasn’t anything anybody could do.  

But what confused the world the most about the fey, was that they only coveted eighteen year olds. From the day they become eighteen until they turn nineteen. A year of vulnerability. Although, the threat decreases daily, there never really was a safe time during that year. 

Of course, not all of the eighteen year olds got transformed, but it was more probable to get transformed than to make it through the year unaffected. 

Thankfully, as far as she knew, the fey hadn’t made any special trips to her town, Elmira, Oregon. 

Dad paused the television and looked at her, “Darby, you’re turning eighteen tomorrow. And your mom and I are going to do everything we can to keep you safe, so you’re going to have to miss school tomorrow. Just until the worst day of it is over, on Tuesday we’ll see if you can go back.”

Darby wasn’t alarmed, in fact, she expected it. She was preparing herself for not having a good eighteenth birthday. But she knew that it was better than the alternative. She stood up, anxious to get back up to her room where the threat seemed more far away and abstract, “Trust me, Dad, I’m not planning on becoming a faerie, I have the rest of my life I need to live, I won’t be going down without a fight.”

Dad smiled and kissed the top of her head, “I know, we’re just being careful. After tomorrow it’ll get better, I promise. Remember what it was like with Christopher?”

Darby thought back to when her older brother, now twenty-one, became eighteen. The atmosphere was gloomy, everyone was holding their breath during that whole year, waiting. Being very cautious. She could recall the fights Christopher had with her parents about him not having enough freedom. He always lost the argument, and when he came back up the stairs and caught her listening, he would sigh and tell her how unfair it was. That’s when she’d remind him that they were just scared and that they wanted him to be okay, that it wouldn’t last forever. 

She nodded, and slowly trudged back up to her room. Completely aware that there would be no way she would be able to make herself forget what was going to await her tomorrow.

She sat on her bed and pulled out a book, wrapping her fleece blanket over her legs to try and ease her nerves.

But as she read, thoughts of the fey and the ticking clock kept running through her mind. And she found herself reading the same sentence over and over. She quickly gave up on that and turned her lamp off.

She squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn’t mistake the shadows in her room for anything more sinister.

One day. It’s only going to be one day until things will get somewhat back to normal. The worst will be over. I just need to survive tomorrow. 

The Light King, Seth, sighed in impatience. Working with the Dark King was absolutely impossible. 

The only reason why he was being anywhere near the Dark King was to connect to Sorus, God of the faeries. But the Dark King was to busy flirting with one of his light faeries to pay attention to the task before them.

Tired of waiting, he cleared his throat, “Kellen, are you about done?”

Kellen gave him a weary look before giving the faerie a kiss on the cheek, making her blush. Then he came over.

Seth closed his eyes.

Sorus, please make this quick. I don’t know how much more I can take.

The lingering fey dispersed, leaving the kings to their work. Silently, they entered the Temple of Eclipse and the feeling of peace overcame Seth, finally making him relax for the first time since he had arrived. 

Kellen laid out the black shadow candle of the Dark Empire and Seth set the gold radiating candle of the Light Empire down on the alter beneath the giant stained glass painting of a Solar Eclipse. 

The moment the candles were lit Sorus appeared before them. His tattoo spiraled and swirled but also gave off the impression of vines. His wings spread out the full length of his body. Both shone a blinding white. His eyes were a soft dark color that contained deep wisdom and empathy. And his face had a warm, almost sun kissed look.

“Seth, Kellen,” the God acknowledged with a gentle smile, although his voice did reveal his authority, “You both have done well, taking in the newly transformed, giving them a home, welcoming them into their empire, and treating them well. But the time has come to end the transforming of the mortals. The last one who joins us will have a purpose. She will change everything. Tonight she turns eighteen and I need you to slip this necklace to her. A gift from us, to invite her to join us,” he pressed the black onyx wing necklace into Seth’s palm.

Then, just like that, the meeting was over and the candles’ flames went out.

Seth stared at the necklace clutched in his hand to a concentrating Kellen. He glared at the Dark King in annoyance, “Will you stop feeding on me.”

Kellen opened his eyes, “There’s not much to feed on. You’re too focused on the “special girl”. It’s all light emotions,” he scowled, “when word gets around, finding dark emotions will be inconvenient. I won’t be able to have a decent meal in a month unless I go out looking for it.”

Seth smiled at the possibility of Kellen and the Dark Empire going hungry. But he changed the subject, “Make sure you tell your fey the mortals are off limits.”

Kellen shrugged, “The dark fey will do as they please.”

Seth clenched his jaw, he was growing tired of Kellen’s antics. But he stopped his temper quickly, something he learned to do early on when he was around Kellen. There was no need to give him the satisfaction of a delectable meal.

Kellen smirked and licked his lips. Seth nearly groaned, realizing his attempts were in vain, Kellen had already caught the cinnamon flavor of anger. “Well, Seth, it’s been fun, but I have a beautiful light faerie to get back to,” his wings flapped around him restlessly, “see you. . .” he seemed to struggle to find the right parting word, “sometime.”

Seth didn’t bother to reply. Instead he rolled a finger over the design of the rock and thought about the girl who he was going to give it to. 

The one who will change everything. 

He glanced up at the Dark King’s retreating body in the sky.

We need change.