a family anymore. They wandered the English countryside for nearly a century. The privilege they had grown up in was long gone.
They finally decided to set sail for America. It was newly discovered and untamed. They figured it would be safer there to hunt, and they could make a home for themselves. The night before they left, they tracked down Agnes. She was still in the woods in her little hut, although the woods were becoming more populated as the people in the city needed to find new places to live. She heard them coming and was surprised. She had long ago given up on Liam coming to her for comfort and to rekindle their romance. She knew they still lived in England but gave them wide berth. So when she heard them enter her hut, she was surprised.
Liam stood looking as he had the day she turned him, and she remembered how softly he used to speak to her. She remembered the smell of him and the taste of his lips. She thought of him every night still even though her heart had long since healed from his betrayal.
He looked at the young girl who should have been long dead by now. She was forever to be sixteen, but he realized she didn’t look so innocent anymore. She had finally understood how cruel the world and the people in it could be. He had only come for one thing.
“Why did you do this to me?” he asked.
“Because you promised me your soul, so I took it,” she answered.
Lucas and Liam tore her apart limb by limb. She could have put up a fight, but she didn’t. She had grown tired of the world of men and was ready to go. They burned her body parts on a huge fire that night they had started out of her hut. When morning came and all trace of her had been erased, they went toward the docks and set sail for America.
Chapter 3
The woman who was sitting between the brothers was named Astrid. All who knew her assumed she was a witch, a very powerful witch, but a witch nonetheless. She had been assigned very long ago to watch over the four brothers and ensure no harm came to them. She had stepped in to save each of their lives at some point, so they all knew her. She had told them individually at the time she saved them she would call upon them someday, and today was that day. Her job had been to ensure they would all be alive for a very special day, and that day was soon upon them.
“Thank you all for coming today,” she said, and before she could go on, Julius interrupted.
“Why are they here?” he asked, pointing across the table with a menacing look.
“Good question, we don’t usually travel in the same circles,” Liam said, leaning into the table toward Julius. If he intended to challenge them, Liam was up for answering.
Astrid knew the brothers did not get along at all. Julius and Marcus had arrived in America long after Liam and Lucas. The brothers didn’t like the intrusion of others of their kind, but Julius and Marcus were centuries older and couldn’t be driven out. They all had reached some informal agreement long ago and kept to different parts of the country. Julius and Marcus were content to stay in New York, while Liam and Lucas had chosen Seattle as their home base. The ability to go unnoticed in a large city had played into their decisions, plus they were as far apart as possible.
On the rare occasion their paths crossed, someone in their parties lost a life. Fortunately they hadn’t killed each other yet. Their unspoken agreement was they wouldn’t try to kill one another but had no problem riling up others to try. They had destroyed entire towns in their younger days trying to ruin the other camp. It was childish at best, but their long lives could become tedious without a little tension from time to time.
“I understand you all do not like each other, but what I have brought you here for is of great importance. I wouldn’t have asked you to meet together if it wasn’t,” she said, trying to tamp down the building tension.
“Please, Astrid, continue, we all owe you that much respect,” Marcus said, and Julius sat back.
“Oh, Marcus, thank you, always the gentleman,” she said and gave his arm a quick squeeze before she continued.
“Before I explain why we’re here, I must first explain what I am,” she said.
“You’re a witch, Astrid, we all know that,” Lucas said.
“No, I’m not a witch. You have always just assumed I am, and I have never corrected you. I am fae,” she said and waited for their reaction.
“Everyone knows that fae exist only in children’s stories and folklore,” Julius said, amused.
“I assure you all, I exist, but let me explain before any of you interrupt me again,” she said and looked at each man waiting for him to nod in agreement before she continued. They all sat back and sipped their drinks so she could tell them her tale.
“Long ago, the earth itself created the very first fae. Everything on earth is flowing with energy. It ebbs and flows from flower to bee, from river to rock, from soil to tree. The very first fae is called Mother, and she is aptly named because before her first child, she had no one to name her. She is the only fae ever created from pure energy, and her powers are limitless. The rest of us are born from her and a human father. Our powers are limited, but we are still more powerful than anything else on earth. All fae are born female, and no male fae exist. We fae have existed since the first humans and walked amongst them even as they still lived in caves. Mother had been created for them, to teach them to recognize and harness the energy that flowed. She was meant to be their teacher, but men do not like to learn from women.
“Mother noticed their tendencies towards violence very early on. She saw they loved violence and would wage war constantly. She realized their reasoning for violence varied, but they all embraced it and practiced it. If another man had something a man wanted, he would fight him for it. If women were scarce in one tribe, they had no problem fighting and taking them from another tribe. Men would take what they wanted without thought or shame. She watched as the strongest and smartest would promise protection, and soon they had tribes. The tribes would become a village, and then a village would become a city. Women and children became property instead of being valued as humans. Mother’s sorrow grew so great she could finally no longer live among them. She created a new realm, and it exists right beside yours, but you cannot see it. It is a place of beauty and peace, where the power of nature is respected and not exploited for resources.
“Some of us still walk in the human realm from time to time, and on very rare occasions, Mother herself comes. Once fae walked among the humans and lived with them, now though we have become only a legend. When we do come, we’re mistaken for witches, and we do not correct you. We prefer to be unknown and have no interest in this realm anymore,” she said and paused so they could absorb the information.
“So why tell us now? I mean, you say you don’t want anyone to know you exist, but you’re telling us,” Liam asked, and the rest nodded in agreement.
“Because one of you four is tied to the fate of our youngest fae,” Astrid answered.
“In what way are we tied to your fate?” Marcus asked.
“Many years ago on one of the rare occasions when Mother came to this realm, she encountered one of you. You were but a small boy, but when she happened upon you, she felt your sorrow in her soul. She did what she had never done before and had never done since. She took from you half of your soul. She gave this half over to the energy in the fae realm, and it has created for you a true soul’s mate. A perfect love made from your terrible sorrow. People speak of a soul’s mate, but very few truly exist. This realm has become so crowded it is almost impossible to find.
“Your soul’s mate was born almost twenty-two years ago. She will receive her full power on her birthday, as all fae do when they are twenty-two. On the full moon following her birthday, her soul will sing a song, and one of your souls will answer the call. She is the most beautiful fae that has ever been born, and she awaits one of you.” She paused again.
“Well then, why are we all here, why not just the one she is supposedly meant for?” asked Julius.
“Only Mother knows