The Faery Vow

Chapter 1

Faeries are the most annoying creatures.

I carefully sidestepped another brownie, making it look like I had stumbled. It was important not to let them realise you could see them. Once they realised, they hounded you. The nice ones just wanted to talk - this wasn't too bad but then it made you look like a crazy girl talking to herself on the street.

The mean ones, they tried to hurt you. Throwing objects, trying to trip you up. I've seen faeries for as long as I can remember and at least fifty times a day I curse my father for being Faerie knight of the Seelie court. He met my mother on midsummer eve when the fae mingle amongst the humans. It was the night I was conceived my father had told me proudly one day. He'd always had a bad habit of telling me gross stuff like that, especially when I really didn't want to know.

My father fell in love with my mother, which was frowned upon in the other world. Wanting to be with my mother, he fled the Seelie court to live with us in the mortal world. My memories of my father are filled with warmth. He was never cruel as the stories suggest, and he had an infinite amount of patience for me, always happy to answer any question I had. I had been the epitome of a daddy's little girl.

When I was six years old though, he was taken from me.

I had came home from the park and he wasn't there. I remember asking mum where he had gone. She had just looked at me blankly, telling me he had died before I was born. I was young but my father had taught me of the fae, and what they could do. I knew then that the reason he was gone had to do with them. I didn't understand at the time why I remembered but my mother hadn't. When she died though, the pieces slowly clicked together.

She passed away, two years ago now, from early onset dementia. In her last days she had surprised me, talking of a time when her and my father had taken me to the park to play. It had shocked me that she suddenly remembered that memory and made me realise what the faeries had done to her.

The faeries had messed with her mind, casting some glamour to make her forget. As her mind slowly faded though, the glamour on her memories had weakened and her last words were of my father, and how much she had missed him all these years, wondering why he had abandoned her.

When she passed, my loathing of the fae grew.

Before my father had disappeared, he left me a final gift, something I would always treasure; a book detailing the fae and their world. The different creatures, the courts, the rules to follow, who to avoid.

During my younger years it had been my bible. I read it every day until I could speak it word for word. It was the best thing my father could have left me. I knew I didn't know everything but I knew enough to keep me safe.

A man bumped into me causing me to stumble.

"Oh, excuse me -"

The words died on my lips.

I looked up and found myself staring into a handsome fae's eyes. Quickly, I lowered my eyes and tried to move away. It was pointless though, he knew I had seen him.

"Excuse me miss," he said. "You are Laila Groves correct?"

Just avoid his gaze, don't even pretend you can hear him.

He grabbed my arm and I stiffened. None of them had tried to stop me before. They only tried to annoy me.

"I'd really like to talk to you, Laila. I have something I wish to speak with you about."

Not listening. I kept trying to move but his grip tightened. Being half fae, I'm normally stronger than most small fae. The mortal world weakened them, adding to my strength as my fae powers were not weakened by the mortal world thanks to my mother.

Not being able to break free worried me. This was no ordinary fae. People started glancing my way as I struggled with his grip.

I stopped fighting when I realised they were staring and pulled out my phone, pretending to read a text message. I didn't need someone calling the police about the crazy girl fighting with herself in the street.

Glancing at them again, my fingers froze. They weren't just looking at me, they were looking at him.

They could see him.

Damn it.

Only the more powerful fae could blend into the human side easily without losing any of their strength. I saw the glimmer around his clothes and using gifts I wished I didn't have, I shifted my eyes past his glamour and saw his real clothing. He wore a loose white shirt with black pants that clung almost too snugly to certain areas I tried to avoid looking at.

Searching his clothes my stomach turned to ice as I saw the insignia embroidered on his collar. A large oak tree with five stars around the limbs; the emblem of the Seelie court.

He was bloody royalty.

Crap.

His eyebrows raised and he looked at me questioningly. "I beg your pardon?"

Please tell me I didn't say that out loud.

Then I did something I had trained myself to never do; I spoke to him.

"You're a member of the Seelie court."

He looked at me in surprise, mingled with admiration. "You can see through my glamour? You're stronger than I thought."

Ignoring his comment, I asked. "Are you a knight or something?"

"No, my name is Kheelan, High prince, and heir to the Seelie court."

The temperature in my stomach dropped to glacial levels. A high prince? What the hell is a high prince doing talking to me?

"Again Laila, I wish to speak with you, I have a proposition for you." Kheelan begged urgently.

The word proposition snapped my mind back into reality. He wanted to make a deal? It didn't take a genius to realise this was bad.

"Sorry prince boy but I don't make deals with fae - no matter how high and mighty they may be."

I wrenched my arm harder this time and managed to break free. Quickly walking away, I heard Kheelan call out, "At least listen to my proposal Laila! Don't you want a chance to get your father back?"

My body turned to stone.

Turning to face him, the people around us faded away. All I could see was him, his words echoing in my head as a hope and disbelief fluttered in my chest.

"You know where my father is?" I whispered.

XFA