Heart Bound

Gina’s World

After finishing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen, I made my way down the hall. The door to Dad’s study was slightly ajar, and as I got closer, I could hear his voice, low and tense. I knew I should keep walking, but something about his tone made me stop. I leaned in, my heart beating faster as I caught fragments of his conversation.

“I need you to cast another spell, Audrey,” he was saying, his voice strained. “If she finds her, we’re dead. Sharon didn’t take the news so well…”

There was a pause, then a sigh. “How would you? It’s her daughter, after all.”

I froze, a shiver running down my spine. They were talking about Mom, and something else—something they didn’t want anyone to know. The words didn’t make any sense, but the urgency in his voice sent my mind racing.

Suddenly, his voice stopped, and I heard him shift, like he’d sensed something. “Kyrie,” he called out, his voice sharp and knowing. “What have I told you about eavesdropping on other people’s conversations? It’s a breach of privacy.”

I winced, my heart hammering. “It’s a breach of privacy,” I repeated monotonously, trying to sound innocent.

The door swung open, and Dad was standing there, his eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear,” I said quickly. “I just… came to say good night.”

He studied me, his gaze piercing, like he could see right through me. How did he always know when I was nearby? It was uncanny, and as much as I tried to play it cool, my heart was racing. He continued to stare, then nodded, a small frown lingering on his face.

“Good night, Kyrie,” he said finally, his tone softer but still guarded.

I turned quickly, heading upstairs, but my mind was buzzing with questions. *If she finds her, we’re dead.* What did that even mean? And why would Mom have needed a spell cast for anything? It made no sense, but the tension in Dad’s voice, the fear—it was real.

Once I was safely in my room, I closed the door and opened my laptop, typing in the first thing that came to mind: *protection spells*. It was probably stupid, but something in Dad’s words had triggered a sense of urgency in me, a need to understand something I couldn’t quite put into words. I scrolled through articles, reading about shadows, curses, spells that could guard against unseen threats. Half of it was nonsense—urban legends, folklore—but I found myself glued to the screen, unable to look away.

A part of me wondered if I was just being paranoid, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something dark was closing in. That shadow I’d seen outside the cafe kept replaying in my mind, blending with Dad’s hushed words. Was it connected? Or was I just reading too much into things?

Feeling restless, I closed the tab and clicked open another, instinctively typing in Cal Lockwood’s name. I found myself scrolling through photos, looking at glimpses of him from school events and parties, stolen moments that made my pulse quicken. He always seemed distant, like he was in his own world, yet he was always surrounded by friends, pack members, other wolves who understood a world I was just on the edge of.

My phone buzzed, jolting me out of my thoughts. A message from Gina.

"Gina": Hey! Just checking in. You still down to meet up tomorrow?

I exhaled, relieved to hear from her. "Kyrie": Yeah, definitely. Can’t wait. Need a distraction from this crazy week.

"Gina": Right? Between Cal’s presentation and Hannah’s nonstop commentary, I feel like I need a week off. See you tomorrow morning, yeah? Coffee first?

"Kyrie": Coffee sounds perfect. Thanks, Gina. <3

I set my phone down, my room dim and quiet as the conversation faded, but my mind kept circling back to Dad’s words. As I lay back on my bed, staring up at the shadows dancing on the ceiling, a single thought lingered.

There was something about my family, something hidden that I didn’t understand. And I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.

That night, sleep came reluctantly, tugging me under in fits and starts. My dreams were strange, vivid, like someone was pressing images into my mind.

I was running through a dark forest, trees stretching up like giants around me. Moonlight bathed everything in silver, and there, in the shadows, a wolf stood watching me—a massive silver wolf with eyes that gleamed like starlight. I felt drawn to it, a sense of familiarity I couldn’t explain. Then, through the trees, I saw my mom. She was draped in a deep red cloak, her expression distant, almost haunted, as she turned away, disappearing into the darkness.

Suddenly, Cal appeared, his dark eyes glowing gold, a powerful, dangerous look in them that made my heart race. And then Gina… she was there too, only she wasn’t as I knew her. She had wings, shimmering and delicate, bound in silver chains that glinted in the moonlight. Her face was twisted in sadness, trapped in a world that felt both beautiful and cruel.

I woke with a start, gasping as I sat up, my heart pounding in the darkness. The dream clung to me, leaving me with an uneasy feeling I couldn’t shake. I tried to brush it off, telling myself it was just a mix of the strange night and my own imagination, but something about it felt… real, like a memory I couldn’t quite reach.

The next morning, Gina and I met up as planned, and for the first time in days, I allowed myself to relax. We spent the morning wandering through the shops, giggling as we tried on ridiculous sunglasses and heels, giving each other playful makeovers with samples from the cosmetics counter. After a while, Gina leaned in close, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Ready for the real adventure?” she whispered, her tone conspiratorial.

I grinned. “Absolutely. Let’s go.”

We slipped away from the main street, heading toward a secluded park where a large oak tree stood in the center, its roots twisting deep into the earth. This was our secret entrance, a portal only Gina could open—a gift of her fae lineage. She reached out, pressing her hand against the bark, and the air shimmered, opening into a world that few humans could even dream of. But somehow, I could cross the threshold with her, something we’d discovered by accident years ago. For reasons neither of us understood, the usual barriers didn’t work on me.

As we stepped through, I felt the magic pulse around us, vibrant and alive. The Faerie Realm unfolded before us, a world of color and light that seemed to breathe on its own. The sky above was a deeper shade of blue than anything in the human world, and a warm, golden light filtered through the leaves, casting everything in a surreal, almost dreamlike glow. Flowers the size of my head bloomed along the path, petals in shades I’d never even imagined—turquoise, deep indigo, fiery orange. Small, iridescent creatures flitted around us, leaving trails of shimmering dust in the air.

Gina smiled, breathing in the scent of the fae world, which was rich and intoxicating, like a blend of honey and wildflowers. “I never get tired of this,” she said softly, her gaze drifting across the landscape.

“Neither do I,” I murmured, feeling like I was stepping into a fairytale every time we crossed over.

We made our way to her family’s palace, a breathtaking structure that seemed to grow out of the earth itself, its walls woven with living vines and flowers that sparkled with dew. The building shimmered in hues of emerald and amethyst, with towers that twisted toward the sky, and archways that glowed with a faint, ethereal light.

Gina’s parents were waiting for us, along with her nine siblings—each one as striking and unique as she was, though they varied in age and personality. Her father, King Eolande, stood tall and imposing, his hair a shimmering silver that matched his piercing gaze. Beside him was Queen Yvaine, ethereal and graceful, with wings that caught the light and scattered it like prisms.

“Kyrie,” Queen Yvaine greeted me with a warm smile. “It’s always a pleasure to see you here. We are honored you can join us, especially on a rare day like this.”

I nodded, feeling a little out of place but grateful. Gina had shared with me that it was a privilege to visit the fae realm, an honor usually reserved for fae or the occasional chosen werewolf or supernatural ally. Humans, as a rule, couldn’t pass through, and while her parents respected our bond, they couldn’t hide their curiosity about why I could cross the boundary.

We joined her siblings in a feast that was like nothing I’d ever experienced in the human world. Fae coffee, rich and dark, seemed to light up my senses, each sip sweeter, deeper, more alive. The food was equally divine, tasting ten times more intense than anything back home—fruits that burst with juices I couldn’t even name, pastries filled with sweet and spicy flavors, bread that melted in my mouth.

As we ate, Gina’s siblings chatted, their laughter ringing out like chimes in the breeze. But I noticed Gina grew quiet, a shadow passing over her usually bright expression.

After the meal, we drifted toward a secluded garden where shimmering lights floated among the trees, casting soft glows over the mossy ground. Gina sighed, sitting down on a stone bench, her shoulders slumping in a way I wasn’t used to seeing.

“Gina, what’s wrong?” I asked, settling down beside her.

She looked away, her wings drooping slightly. “You remember my betrothal, right?”

I nodded. I’d only heard bits and pieces, but I knew enough. She was bound to marry a crowned prince from another kingdom—an arrangement meant to strengthen alliances, something her family had decided long before she’d even had a say.

“I hate it, Kyrie,” she whispered, her voice filled with a quiet anguish. “I don’t even know him. He’s… cold, distant, everything I hate about royal politics. But my family expects it. They need this alliance, and I’m the one who has to make it happen.”

I reached over, squeezing her hand. “Can’t you tell them how you feel?”

She gave a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “You don’t understand, Kyrie. I’m not the crowned princess—that title belongs to my older sister. My whole purpose is to marry into another kingdom and secure our ties. It’s my duty, and I can’t just walk away from that.”

My heart ached for her. Gina was always so free-spirited, so independent. The idea of her being trapped in a loveless arrangement, all because of her family’s expectations, felt wrong in every way.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, feeling helpless but desperate to support her.

She gave me a small smile, squeezing my hand back. “Just being here with me, being my friend… it helps more than you know.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the fae realm, trying on dresses made of silken petals, braiding flowers into each other’s hair, and laughing as we dipped our fingers in the sparkling river that wound through the kingdom. But despite the beauty around us, I couldn’t shake the weight of Gina’s words, the quiet resignation in her eyes.

As evening approached, we crossed back into the human world, the magic slipping away as we returned to the familiar sights and sounds of home. Gina walked with me halfway before saying goodbye, and as I watched her disappear down the path, a strange pang hit me—a reminder of how separate our lives really were, even though we were so close.

My phone buzzed, a message from Channing lighting up the screen.

"Channing": Missed you today, your Dad said you were out. Everything okay?

I smiled, quickly typing a reply. "Kyrie": Yeah, just had a day with Gina. See you tomorrow?

"Channing": You bet. Night, Kyrie.

I set my phone aside, feeling the weight of the day settle over me. Between the strange dreams, the shadows lurking at the edges of my mind, and Gina’s quiet sadness, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was changing, like we were all standing at the edge of something we couldn’t yet see.

And as I closed my eyes, images from the dream came flooding back—the silver wolf, Cal’s golden eyes, Gina’s wings bound in chains. A part of me wondered if these were just fragments of my imagination. But deep down, I knew they were more. They were warnings, hints of a future woven with secrets and dangers I wasn’t ready to face.