The Shadow's Star

Chapter 14

Author note: trigger warning- this chapter contains descriptive sexual scenes. It will be the last one in the story. Enjoy! Shits about to hit the fan from here on :). (this is a first draft)

We landed in the middle of the willows, a forest like no other, one sacred to the light fae. A place home to the willow wyms, tiny creatures of fae whose population once thrived throughout the lands. They appear to the naked eye from afar like a ball of light but when seen up close they look just like any other fae expect their skin is like light as if they are illuminated from within. They live in the trees, lighting each one up like a Christmas tree. It's why this place is my favourite. A lot of fae avoid it because of the willow wyms but I've been coming here since I was young so they are comfortable with me being in their presence.

"What are they?" Azra stared up at the trees and the willow wyms in awe. Fascination swimming in his icy eyes.

"Willow wyms" I answered with a smile. I walked around him and approached the trees. A few curious willow wyms that I am familiar with flew down from a branch to inspect the new visitor, hovering around Azra's head.

"Hello, Aurora. Hello, Aurora's strange friend!" One tiny voice greeted us with a bow in mid-air and Azra raised an eyebrow.

"They can speak?" He stated the obvious, his words sounding more like a question.

"Of course we can speak. We speak many languages" another one said.

"It's been many millennia since we have shared the company of a dark one" one of them landed on Azra's shoulder and I prayed to the gods that he wouldn't flick it away like an annoying fly.

"You've met a dark fae before?" I asked them.

"Erebus" a voice whispered.

"Yes! Erebus! Erebus was the first." A high pitched tiny voice confirmed.

"Erebus the god?" Azra asked with a curious face as two more willow wyms whizzed around him. Their wings flapping so fast you could barely see them.

"Yes," one answered. The word was drawn out like a whisper.

"He came with Hemeria" one added.

"Hemeria! Hemeria!" A few more chanted her name with excitement. They quite obviously favoured her.

"History will repeat itself" one whispered its voice fully of a warning I didn't understand. I racked my brain for the story about the gods Yetta told me as a girl.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.

"The story of the gods is far from over" a few retreated into the trees.

"History is tainted." Before I could ask further questions the remaining willow wyms flew back up into the trees.

Azra and I both stood stunned for a moment, trying to decipher their words.

"What do you think they mean?" I asked and Azra looked as though he too was equally confused.

"Honestly. No idea." He shrugged. I could tell by the increasing lines around his eyes that he was still trying to make sense of it as we strolled away from the glowing trees and towards a small quiet mountain.

"Do you believe the story of the gods?" He asked inquisitively.

"I guess so. Yetta seems to strongly believe in it and she's older than the both of us." As we approached a cave I have visited hundreds of times I summoned a ball of fae light into the air above us.

"Do you?" I asked him as we stepped over a rocky area and towards the middle of the cave.

"I never really understood why the gods—"