Prologue
The king sat on the throne in front of me, a formidable scowl on his usually stunning face. It was a face that resembled my own. It should have done. He was my father after all. His face was twisted with a raw anger that caused the room to vibrate and my skin to hum unpleasantly. Gwilym, or Gwil to me, had been my best friend since birth and my boredom had yet again got us both into hot water. There was so little to do in the Elvedom that we had to make our own fun in order to keep us entertained.
“Why do I always have to repeat myself with you two? The last time you decided to have some fun, it took weeks to repair the damage to the palace, even with the use of collective magic.”
The agitation in my father’s voice forced me to keep a straight face. I did my best not to look over at Gwil, who stood next to me with his head bowed as Father berated us both again.
Why couldn’t he understand that it was boring without making up games to play?
“Do you forget that as your father, I can read your thoughts, Benidic?” His silver brows merged into one straight line, his pale aqua eyes boring into mine. The strength of his magic made it impossible for me to move. “The games you play cause harm to others. You’ve become a thoughtless, spoiled brat and a nuisance to those who inhabit the palace.” His gaze shifted to Gwil with a look of disappointment before moving back to me again. He sighed loudly.
The sound caused unease to unfurl in my stomach as he leaned back on his majestic throne. It glittered with the jewel colours of Elvedom. Our home was situated in a magical realm outside the earthly plane. A place that the earth dwellers had long since forgotten existed. The Elves created magic to protect the fabric of the earthly realm. The protector Elves worked day and night to ensure that the otherworld and other magical creatures had the magic needed to sustain life.
Those that dwelled in the magical realm never aged once they’d reached the age of maturity for Elves at three hundred earth years. I was still a long way off hitting maturity and those long eons stretched endlessly before me.
I eyed the jewelled throne that would one day be mine once Father decided I was ready, as his father had done, and his father before him, stretching back over the millennia. As the thought filled me with dread, I worked to shield my mind.
The Elvedom was filled with light and love. I, on the other hand, craved something more, something… a little darker. But with no experience beyond the realm, I had no idea what it was. So instead I created mayhem to fill the space inside me which felt empty and needy.
Father tapped a long, pale finger against his lips as they pursed. The unease inside me increased as his eyes narrowed. “I think I need to teach you both a lesson. One that shows the other Elves that I’m not going soft when it comes to the pair of you.” He shifted forward, his long flowing robes of gold shimmering in the light. “Magic is a gift, and as such it should be treasured and not used for mischief. With that in mind,”—he lifted his hands, light shining from both palms as orbs floated above him—“from now on, your hands will only be able to create magic that assists others with no gain for either of you. I banish you to the earthly realm to fend for yourselves until you can prove that you are worthy to return.”
My heart thumped against my ribs as Gwilym cried out, but it was already too late. The air moved around us, speeding so fast that my long silver tresses blew around my face. I reached for Gwil, gripping his hand as the world around us became a blur before simply disappearing. The reassuring sensation of Gwil’s palm against mine kept me from crying out as panic seized my chest.
The world finally came back into focus but there was only darkness. I blinked rapidly, trying to see something. What was this?
In the Elvedom there was no darkness, only light.
When all I could see was an inky blackness that offered nothing, no light, no hope, an incessant buzzing started in my ears. I lifted my hand in an attempt to create light, releasing a cry when nothing happened. My father’s words rang inside my mind. “Your hands will only be able to create magic that assists others.”
“Oh, to the heavens! What have we done, Benidic?” Gwil cried out, the sound echoing. I twisted towards him, holding onto his hand as a lifeline.
Seconds passed, the darkness receding a little as my eyes began to adjust. I squeezed Gwil’s hand harder. “We’ve messed up. Dear Elvedom, what are we to do? I know my father and he will not bring us back until he is satisfied that we have suffered.” A shiver raced down my spine as I inhaled an odd smell. “What is that awful stench?” I said through gritted teeth, doing my best not to open my mouth.
“It… it smells like rotten food,” Gwil offered, inching even closer to me.
His warm body pressed against the length of mine, the fragrant scent of lavender taking the edge off my panic. I wrapped my arms around him and inhaled his scent. The weight of his body against mine was familiar due to the fact that we’d often shared a bed together growing up. His father was the head of the Elvedom protectors which gave him a place of honour in the Elvedom. Most of my memories included Gwil. We were both aware of our fathers’ hopes that once we’d matured, we would mate and bond, as was customary of our kind. I loved Gwil like no other, yet there was something missing. Neither of us had spoken about it though, me because of my inner craving and him… well, I didn’t know why he hadn’t said anything.
To distract myself from the shivers racing down my spine, I recalled my history lessons about Earth.
“Look down there. Is that light? Maybe we can find someone to help us,” Gwil exclaimed, not sounding at all convinced that that might happen.
I looked towards the light to see movement… people. Excitement pulsed to life, my fear decreasing. The stories about humans showed that they could be kind. The thought giving me hope, I propelled Gwil towards where the people were. I popped my head out to look around, Gwil whimpering and clinging to me.
The street lights showed dark grey floors and buildings made out of concrete and brick. Humans walked on the other side of the street, their clothes so different from our flowing robes.
I glanced down, my eyes widening at the dark trousers and thick coat which had replaced my silk trousers and robe. It was only then that I registered that Gwil wore something similar to me. “It would appear Father has thought of everything,” I said, the reality that we wouldn’t be going home any time soon, sinking in.
“But what are we going to use as coin to buy the things we need?” Gwil fretted as he dug his hands into every pocket in the clothes he could find, coming up empty every time.
“We’ll think of something. We have to.” Tears clogged my throat as I tugged Gwil towards me. “We’re going to be fine, you’ll see. All we need to do is find someone to help with our magic and we’ll be home in no time.” I added, putting as much conviction into my voice as I could, Gwil’s eyes sheening with tears. “You’ll see, I promise.”
I just prayed to the Elves of the otherworld that I could keep my promise.
