Chapter 1
Dawn of Fire Playlist
Brother - Kodaline
Control - Halsey
Minefields - Faouzia and John Legend
Rock and a Hard Place - Bailey Zimmerman
How Could You - Jessie Murph
Queen Of The Kings - Alessandra
Run Run Rebel - Hidden Citizens Ft. Essa
Pretty Savage - BLACKPINK
Breakfast - Dove Cameron
ADHD - Two Feet
My Immortal - Evanescence
What I Put You Through - Conor Maynard
Hold Me Like You Used to - Zoe Wees
Are You With Me - Nilu
Never Surrender - Liv Ash
Angels (Acoustic) - Tom Walker
Hey Brother - Avicii
Devil Doesnt Bargain - Alec Benjamin
Let me down Slowly - Alec Benjamin
Voices - Jana Kramer
Fairytale - Alexander Rybak
Lovely - Billie Eilish and Khalid
Rise Up - J2 Ft. Keeley Bumford
Paint it Black - Hidden Citizens Ft. Rayna
My Blood - Ellie Goulding
Walk Through Fire - Zayde Wolf and Ruelle
Little Girl Gone - Chinchilla
The Outsider - Mariana and the Diamonds
Bruises - Lewis Capaldi
Sound of War - Tommee Profitt Ft. Fleurie
Chains - Nick Jonas
Start a War - Valerie Brussard and Klergy
Graveyard (Acoustic) - Halsey
Power Over Me - Dermot Kennedy
Fight for This - Ryan Innes
Dare - Jessie Covets
Fly with the Thunder - Trevor Simpson
You Should Be Scared - Amie Caddies McKnight
Wish You Well - Club Danger
Cry No More - Jake Warren
Dynasty - Miia
Animal - Ag and Moonzz
Black Sea - Natasha Blume
Had Enough - Diamante
Warfare - Katie Garfield
Ragnarok - Peyton Parrish
Fall in Line - Christina Aguilera
Hangman (Villains Edition) - Aranki
Who is She - I Monster
The Hills X The Color Violet - DJ Fronteo
War Cry - Diamante
Obvious (Acoustic) - Diamante
Unloveable - Diamante
Closing in - Ruelle
Where do we Go From Here - Ruelle
Until We Go Down - Ruelle
Carry You - Ruelle Ft Fleurie
The Night We Met - Lord Huron
Rosyln - St. Vincent And Bon Iver
Madness - Ruelle
Live Like Legends - Ruelle
Hold Your Breath - Ruelle
Way Down We Go - KALEO
What Have I Done - Dermot Kennedy
Lost - Dermot Kennedy
Kiss Me - Dermot Kennedy
All My Friends - Dermot Kennedy
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Clover
The parchment was crisp and delicate in her hands. She could never explain the anxiousness and caution she bore when she held these notes in her fingertips. Her grasp was shaky and unsteady, but she took a deep breath and broke the wax seal holding her instructions. Her commands.
The time is not right, my darling. Tensions are brewing; fear is real. You must stay with Aisling in Tamarisk. It is paramount that your lineage and title be unknown. We have eyes and ears everywhere on us. I risk much by sending this, but time is of the essence. You must stay away until it is safe. You must remember who you are, where you are from and that your father and I love you with everything that we are. The gods gifted us with you and we will forever cherish that blessing. The humans draw near our borders every day. The battalions push them back only to face a grueling loss the next moment. I fear that we have a traitor among us. I fear we have been betrayed. I fear that our time is running out. For that reason, you must stay away my darling child. When it is safe, we will call you home. But until then, do not trust anyone except Aisling. Do not, under any circumstances, trust anyone. I pray to the gods and goddesses above that we will prevail, and that Daramond will survive. Your father grows wary with each day, but he sends his love. Keep your heart open my dear one. Love with every fiber of your being and never lose that kindness that makes you who you are. Until next time...Love, Mom.
Tears fell down her cheeks and onto the parchment. The ink runs with the contact.
Clover's milky skin prickled with goosebumps and she shivered with a sob. Her pointed ears twitched and her blonde hair fell over her shoulders, shielding her face from view. Her green eyes were filled with tears. Her wings drooped behind her, showing her sadness. Her wings were her favorite feature. They were big and strong. They were a tan leathery texture with a golden shimmer that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Usually held high and proud and strong. They carried her far and wide when she flew. There was no sign of that strength in them now.
Sadness overtook her whole form. She had hoped it was safe to return home. Home, Daramond. She could still feel the warmth of the sun. The breeze on her skin. Smell the salt in the air from the oceans that surrounded her home. Her home had been full of nature and magic that warmed the soul and calmed the mind. Plants were vibrant and plentiful, and animals were free and safe.
Safe. That is something that hasn't been done in a while. She remembered the first time she saw a human. They had looked like a similar enough creature but there was an air of danger surrounding them. She could feel the evil lingering in the air on the particular one they had come in contact with.
A portal had opened up between their worlds and no one from Daramond knew why or how. What they did learn was that the humans were desperate. They were barely surviving. Recovering from a war on their own. A war that destroyed their lands and their people. Their values and their culture were far from the Fae. The fae values life and nature. Never once put one above the other. Male and female were equaled in the fae, but with the humans, they learned that females -or women as they were called- were oppressed, lesser, they were nothing more than breeders for the males of their society. They had no rights, no freedom. They were slaves. The Great War had been a war on Humanity as they called it. Scholars and Historians came through the portal to learn of the Fae and to teach of their own kind.
What they came to teach was that of a horror story.
Women disappeared, no doubt, nature's way of protecting them. The ones that remained were treated no better than a slave, collared and chained. What the Fae didn't know was that those scholars were not only there to teach but to gather intel. To gather females. Slowly over years, Fae females started disappearing just as human women did. What they learned was that they were being taken over the border. Sold like chattel to use as breeders and replacements for the women that their kind had lost.
That was what started the War between the humans and Fae. The fae was a protective and fierce species. They looked similar enough to humans but were more connected to their animalistic side. Fae was faster, stronger, and lived longer. Their hearing was better, and their sight was tenfold. The humans grew jealous, and wanted the power that the gods had granted the Fae. They took what they wanted without caring about the consequences.
The war had gotten so bad and close to Clover's home that her parents made the agonizing choice to send her away. It hurt that she couldn't be close to her family, but she understood. She was the only living Heir to the Daramond Throne. Her protection was paramount.
She was given a protector to go with them on their journey and her aunt, Aisling left the high court to look after Clover. To teach her, help her grow. She had been but a child when she left. No older than 12 but she could still remember the feeling of her mother's hugs. The strength of her father. It had been 10 years since she had been in her homeland and she missed it terribly.
10 years of war, 10 years of hiding. 10 years of loneliness. She had been ordered to never tell anyone where she hailed from. To act as if she was a commoner living in the neighboring kingdom. She had no qualms against commoners. She loved all of Fae kind the same no matter their status, but she missed her home. She missed the high courts. She missed the gardens and the friends she had grown with. Now she had none. She was too afraid to make friends in Tamarisk. The fear of anyone finding out her identity ran rampant through her veins.
Today was her 22nd birthday. She was so young and had so much to learn, but her past trials made her wise beyond her years.
Fae had a much longer lifespan than humans. They aged slower once they reached full maturity. Her aunt was nearing her 150th year and didn't look any older than Clover herself.
True to her mother's request, she had always remained kind of heart and soul. She treated everyone with respect and love. Her aunt tried to push her out of her fear of others to try and make friends, but her closest relationships were Aisling and Talon.
Talon was her protector and was raised alongside Clover. When it was time to send her away Talon was the best Fae for the job. He was a warrior. He was strong. He was a typical territorial possessive Fae Male. He was protective of Clover and wasn't afraid to kill anyone who would cause harm to her. He was her best friend. He was known to be a brooding asshole to anyone but Clover and Aisling. The two females held a special place in his heart.
Talon was the opposite of Clover in every way. He was tall, tan, and built like a freight train. He was covered in Tribal tattoos that marked his position as a protector and warrior. His Brown hair and Brown eyes reminded Clover of the earth and the nature surrounding her.
Talon, sensing her emotions -Which was something he excelled in- approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Clover bit her lip, her fangs piercing through the skin a bit. The scent of blood in the air hit Talon's nostrils and they flared. He growled low, his natural instincts taking place. He didn't like any injuries on Clover no matter how small or simple they seemed.
He spun her around and his eyes zeroed in on the drop of blood forming on her lip. He took his thumb and pried the plump lip free from the grasp of her fangs.
To any human, the gesture would seem intimate, but it wasn't. Fae males were protective, and that rule was amplified for Talon. His bond to Clover was increased. He didn't like his charge being injured and he didn't like his friend being hurt or sad. His instincts were to find the issue, and eliminate the threat. The threat to her happiness now was the letter clutched in her hands.
“What is it?” he asked her, and she took a shuddering breath.
“We've been betrayed. We cannot go home.”