Chapter 1

Present Day….

“Layla, wake up sweetheart it is time for school.”

That will be the sweet sound of my only family, my grandma Lilly, a very gifted Elf. I have lived with grandma since I was six. She is a beautiful woman. She looks like she should be in her late 40s or early 50s but she is much, much older than that. She has dark brown hair with silver gray streaks here and there and midnight blue eyes and the kindest smile you have ever seen.

“Do get up dear, I know you're awake.”

“Do I have to?”

It’s not that I don’t like school, I do, it’s just hard being different sometimes… don’t get me wrong, I love being me, but sometimes people can be mean…

“Yes, you have to and today is the solar eclipse, that should be fun.”

“Yes, more reason for them to stare, look, the half breed, see how she glows.”

“Dear you know you do not glow. Your eyes and hair just look shinier and your power grows, there is nothing strange about that. And you are not a half-breed, don’t ever let me hear you say something like that about yourself ever again. You are a true Elf.” (Grandma says this in a very stern voice she does not use often).

“That is sweet granny, but you know, when Wendy has a bad day, she takes it out on me, and with the solar eclipse they are all going to have a bad day.”

“Well, then you just have to show them you are better. My dear, your parents loved you, and they loved each other. And you know, I think they were right.” And with that slightly odd end to her statement gran leaves me alone in my room

Getting ready for school is fun most days, but today is a little different. I really want to look good for some reason. Looking at myself in the mirror, I try to decide how to ‘Do’ my makeup. I just feel that something is going to happen. Back to the makeup, well that is something I love. See, we elves do not do our makeup like humans, we can change the color of our skin around, above, and over our eyes and lengthen or thicken our eyelashes however we want to, which is so cool, there is just no other way of saying it. It’s kind of like thinking of how we want to look, and it just happens. The same with our hair, if we want our hair color to change, we simply think about it and it is done. It is not the same as a glamour spell that witches use, glamour spells wear off over time. Our changes are permanent until we change our appearance again.

I look unusual, even for an Elf. I am small and petite. I have silver blond hair which usually has stripes of different shades of pink or purple in it. I have a pretty face with the most unusually bright green eyes.

Having dressed in conferrable faded blue jeans and a light blue jumper, my makeup done in light shades I head downstairs.

Granny made my favorite for breakfast fruit, yogurt, and French toast with bacon and syrup.

“Thanks, granny you know just how to brighten up my day_”

“LAYLA … are you up?” That will be one of my only two Elf friends Tempest and she is one of the few Elves that didn’t adopt more normal-sounding names

The first thing you notice about Tempest is her natural hair every strand of her waist-length hair looks like silk fire and with her stunning Caribbean Sea blue eyes, she turns heads every way but she is one of the bests sweetest friends ever and loyal above all else.

“Hi Tempest how are you today?” (I ask as she enters through the kitchen door)

“Fine,”

She says that with a smile but I can tell like all Light Elves the solar eclipse is affecting her already she looks tiered and my heart goes out to my best friend but Tempest is strong and she doesn’t want pity thinking that I have it worse than she ever will have.

“Hi Granny, how are you?”

“Very well thank you Tempest dear would you like some breakfast? How are your parents today?”

“Yes, to the breakfast please granny. My parents are fine they told me to watch out for Layla today and to stick to her like glue.”

“Aaa… that is so sweet and kind of them, you should give them my thanks.”

“Will do granny and wow Layla you do look good today you always do but your hair and your eyes wow that is something. Love your hair loose today with the curls.”

That made me smile even though Tempest is drop-dead beautiful she isn’t full of herself and I did grow my hair for the last year to get it to settle at my waist.

“Thanks, Tempie it means a lot but we should go now or we will be late.”

“Yes, thanks for breakfast granny bye.”

Tempest says while grabbing two pieces of bacon and a slice of French toast and a napkin.

“Thanks, granny breakfast was lovely”

“My pleasure dear enjoys your day…”

School isn’t bad on the hole I am not popular but I am not a loser either. I am kind of in the middle. I make really good grades and I have my magic under control which is really important for all Elves. Light Elves have power over plants, animals, and the weather but are better with plants and animals. Dark Elves have power over the four elements and the weather they can also control plants and animals but they are better at the elements and the weather.

Now, why am I unusual I am both Light and Dark Elf. Dark Elves have different shades of green eyes or black but black and bright green are very rare and Light Elves use their power and magic to help others as well as themselves.

Dark Elves do not use their power to help themselves and make as much trouble and suffering for others as they can but they were not always like that.

Some are not like that at all some are still and always have been good kind people so some sixty years ago most of the Dark Elves changed they use to live in peace and harmony with the Light Elves but one day it just changed and the king of the Light Elves declared that the Dark Elves where the enemy and things got heated between the two races.

My Mom was a Light Elf that fell in Love with a Dark Elf (but before you comment, my dad was good really good).

So, I am weird and shunt by most of the Light Elves because I am a half-breed as they call me.

As predicted Wendy was in fine fighting form how she can be a Light Elf is beyond me. Wendy is from the noble class and as she is an only child her parents give her everything she wants and let her get away with everything making her nothing less than a spoiled brat.

She is pretty she has shoulder-length black/blue hair and chocolate brown eyes but her personality makes her less attractive or it should but some guys are just blind to that sort of thing.

“O, look the half breed actually tried today wonder for who you prettied up Layla?”

“Hello, Wendy no one just felt like it that is all.”

“As if anyone would want you.”

“You know Wendy I didn’t think you can be a bigger jerk but your nastiness has no bounds.” (Tempest says this in a normal voice but her Caribbean blue eyes blaze with controlled rage at Wendy’s insult.)

“Tempest is right I know a lot of guys that would be way more than just interested in Layla their names might surprise you.”

Dominic’s statement takes Wendy a bit by surprise as she did not see him approach as he came walking towards us from his locker which is down at the far end of the hall from ours.

“Really Dominic why you hang around with Layla is just mind-boggling”

“I like her she is everything you’re not Wendy so why don’t you just run along.”

With a very nasty vindictive look at both of my friends Wendy leaves. Dominic my second-best friend is a huge guy, huge for an Elf guy. Elf guys are bigger than girl Elves but Dominic is huge all tall and well build not to build, but just right. He has dark hair and brown eyes. He is also the King and Queen's son. He has a sister but she is three years older and she is kindness itself. She is not my friend but has always been kind to me, that is Aroura she is kindness personified.

“Thanks, Dominic, and you to Tempie but really nothing will make wicked Wendy like me it is a fact I learned to live with. And we are going to be late for English class.”

I love English class, mostly poetry and reading I love reading. Our teacher Mrs. Winters was late today which is weird, she is never late. The sound of voices from the hall outside made everyone in class sit up and look at the door.

Two heartbeats later Mrs. Winters came in followed by the most handsome guy I have ever seen he was tall had dark hair and hazel eyes and had a smile that can melt a glacier. There wasn’t a girl human or elf that didn’t look at him with a dazed look on her face.

“Good morning class please welcome your new classmate Alex Night.”

“Hi,”

“You can take a seat next to Miss Summers that seat seems to be empty.”

With that Mrs. Winters turned to the board and Alex the new guy was walking over to me looking like a daydream come true.

“Hi I am Alex”

“Hi I am Layla, welcome to Autumn Falls High”

“Please to meet you, Layla, wait so this town is really called Autumn?”

“Autumn Falls but yeah that is really the town's name weird I know.”

It’s a good thing that I have such good control over my magic my emotions are all over the place I mean I know he’s human and my head or some part says to stay away he is off limits on so many levels but the rest of me is so not on the same page.

Class drags on but when the bell rings I am kind of sad. Outside Wendy and her friends are waiting Tempest and Dominic walk out first as they are closer to the door, I am about to walk through the door when Wendy gives me the kind of smile you use when your evil and know you’re going to do something horrible.

“She is planning something.”

“Yeah, your right Layla did you see the way she was looking at the new guy to. But then most of the girls were.”

“Not jealous are you Dominic?”

“Me? No Tempest I am not besides I know who he likes and the girl I have my eye on is safe.”

Tempest gives him a confused look I always wondered when Dominic will tell her he likes her but maybe it’s because of his gift that he is waiting maybe Tempie is not ready Dominic’s personal power is emotional mind reading which is helpful most days but it is hard keeping things private. Going by the look he gives me.

To my surprise, I found Alex in three of my other classes’ math, biology, and art.

He didn’t speak but I notice him look over at me every now and then and bad and wrong as it is, I did the same I mean I couldn’t help it there was just something there that made me.

Wendy did her thing set frogs lose on me in biology and sent a small gust of wind through the window in Math class scattering and blowing my homework assignment all over one day I am going to lose my cool with her.

But granny always said don’t be ruled by your emotions her petty little stunts are annoying but she can’t really hurt me she knows that if ever we were to fight it out, I will win.

But I am striving to be the better person using a small light breeze of my own I got my math homework to at least not blown out of the window and send the frogs a clear warning they just started hopping in a wide circle around me.

Doing magic around a class full of humans is not easy I mean humans do take notice of strange things. Sometimes I wished we had a school of our own just for elves but since we are not living in Sonne anymore there aren’t enough Elf children being born to open a school just for us so we go to school with humans. When Dominic’s Dad will realize that the Elf population is slowly declining, since we came to live in the human world is the million-dollar question.

As the bell rang for launch, I was on my way to the cafeteria when Alex almost ran me over, I was knocked over and landed so hard on my butt I swear it will be black and blue.

“I am so sorry I did not see you”

He says this all without really looking at me.

“It’s ok I get that a lot around here”

“Layla? it’s you.”

He says this with a shocked look in his eyes as he finally sees me for the first time.

“I really didn’t see you I was on my way to see the principal and I did not look where I was going. And in doing that I literally ran you over and you are so small, are you ok honey did you get hurt?”

Honey wow how can such a small little word make you feel like you’re walking on sunshine.

“I am fine, really but just maybe you can look a bit around when you’re in a hurry. Not everyone is as nice as me and you’re going the wrong way, the principal’s office is the other way.”

“O, damn, I knew I should have been paying more attention this morning but my mind was occupied with other things.”

“Ok, well at least you know the way now.”

“Yeah, sure you are ok?”

“Yes, I am fine. “

“Ok honey, see you around.”

With that, he walks off. Walking through the hall I notice the wind outside is kind of picking up maybe one of the Elfs is getting a bit emotional Light Elfs can control the weather but they cannot make storms and serious weather changes like Dark Elfs.

And since it doesn’t look like a storm, I did not pay much attention to it but it did feel n bit off.

The rest of the day was ok the wind still blew but not too strong to make the humans think something is amiss.

Over the next few days, the strangeness in the wind was still there, but even though a few Elves notice something was strange it wasn’t something to make them stop and wonder about it. Alex after the first day started striking up conversations whenever we had a class together.

I found myself looking forward to those stolen moments my friends notice but because no Elf guys would ever defy their parents by asking or showing any interest in me they sort of turned a not blind eye but they let it be wanting to give me this small gift of normal and normal is not something I usually have.

I thought about this fact in art class, we were painting landscapes, and mine was nearly done so daydreaming was ok.

“Layla honey you there, are you still on this planet?”

“What? Alex sorry were you asking something?”

“Yeah asking where you were just now.”

“O, uhm just thinking.”

“Well, I want to talk to you.”

“Ok,”

“You live with your grandma right.”

“Yes…”

“Well would it be ok with her, but mostly you if I were to ask you out to a movie this Friday, I mean if it will make you and your gran happier your friends can come too, I just notice you don’t date and I mean your beautiful so I figured maybe your granny is strict or something.”

“O, wow well I would like that very much and it’s not that my grandmother is strict, I mean she has her rules it’s just no one ever asked me on a date before.”

“WAIT WHAT?”

The total dumbstruck look was so cute on his face.

“Yeah, but I think granny will feel better if she met you and my friends went with if you really meant it.”

With that, the bell rang and the scared Elf that I was, ran out.

“Dominic!”

“Alex, hi can I help you with something.”

“Yeah are the guys in this town stupid, blind, brainless morons?”

“Ouch as a guy from here that hurts man.”

“Not you, the other guys you like Layla’s friend the pretty redhead, Tempest? I mean how in the world has Layla never been asked out on a date.”

“Wait what you asked Layla out?! Wow, no wonder she radiates joy.”

“What?”

“Nothing just so you know, Layla is more than just my friend she is like another sister. You hurt her and you will regret it big time. I mean it.”

Not for the first time Alex notices some strange power in Dominic it was in his eyes the brown glowing as if a fire was behind it radiated out of him and Alex knew Dominic was deadly serious about his warning.

“And to answer your question yes, I always thought they were, but then again things are not always simple and nothing about Layla is simple, she always had it hard around here always. Some people are just stupid and narrow-minded.”

“Thanks, I see you around. And just so you know, I like Layla a lot and it’s not just because she is beautiful. I like her because of who she is. She is kind, loyal, honest and she brings a little magic into the world making every day just that little bit better.”

The week went so fast Tempest and Dominic agreed to come along to the movies for me to make me feel better but also, I know Dominic wanted a chance to talk to Tempest alone.

“Wow you look great Layla”

“Thanks, Tempie”

I say this with a small smile, having never been out on a date I chose my outfit with care I went for comfortable blue jeans and since the weird weather has begun to get colder a long sleeve t-shirt in white with a bright purple flower design on that matches my streaks in my hair and my favorite denim jacket and my black ballet flats. I accessorize my outfit with silver jewelry as I don’t really have gold jewelry but thought the overall effect was pretty good.

“But you know you look so much better right.”

And she did in her high heel black boots and skinny blue jeans and gold long sleeve top. With matching jewelry.

“I would say we both look great.”

“Yeah, but you went all out Tempie so tell me is it for your benefit alone, or just to make Dominic drool.”

“What?”

“I know you both well enough to know you like each other.”

“I do like him but, you know his dad kind of wants him and Wendy together.”

“Yeah, that is never going to happen. Not even if Dominic’s Dad threatens him with death”

“Do you think he really likes me like that?”

“Yeah, I think he was just waiting for you to get a clue about how you really felt. You two were made for each other Tempie and no one will be happier for you both than I would be after all I am your biggest cheerleader.”

“Yeah, you are that but then we are yours and I like you and Alex together you are happier around him…”

We were both looking at my bedroom door when a knock sounded downstairs. Hurrying down the stairs we were just in time to see Dominic and Alex walking through the kitchen door smiling at my Grandmother.

“Hello, Granny how are you this evening?”

“Very well thank you Dominic though this weather is quite something. How are your parents? You must please send my regards to them?”

Usually Granny would say to the King and Queen but since Alex is human granny is smart enough to not mention that. And the fact that she didn’t tell me off for going on a date with a human was kind of strange but maybe, she just wanted me to have this one night of fun.

“Good evening Mrs. Summer it’s a pleasure to meet you and thank you for letting Layla come to the movie tonight.”

“Alex is it, just Alex, or did you shorten Alexander to Alex? And the pleasure is all mine I must say other than Dominic and Tempest you are among the very few I would allow my Layla to go anywhere with and I must say your manners are perfect. You can call me Granny all Layla’s friends do.”

“Huhm, thanks granny and you are right in thinking I prefer the shortened version of my name. My mom loves history and she named me after Alexander the Great. If I had a sister, she would be called Cleopatra or Isis, not that there is anything wrong with that but Alexander is a long name.”

“Well, then Alex it is. And to be named after such a historical figure is truly something one’s name says a lot about a person.”

Throughout the entire conversation, Granny was looking at Alex with a mixture of happiness and awareness.

“Hi, Layla and Tempest you both look great.”

“Yeah, you both do…”

Poor Dominic, he was saying this but hadn’t taken his eyes off Tempest since we came into the room.

“Hello, so do you.”

Tempie and I say at the same time my poor bestie was also having a hard time taking her eyes off Dominic.

“Granny we won’t be late I have a feeling this storm might get bad tonight.”

“Then be safe all of you.”

Granny looks at me like she looks when she wants a promise.

“We will look after Layla Granny as always, promise.”

“Thank you, Tempest I know you will but really all of you be safe and don’t do stupid things.”

“I promise that I will keep an eagle eye on both of them, Granny.”

“You are always the gallant prince Dominic your mother raised you well, thank you.”

With that Granny just gives Dominic the smallest of head bows.

Dominic never likes that people bowed to him specifically Granny and not because she was over a century old or because she is one of the greatest Elves ever but because she was special to him.

Alex did not seem to find this entire conversation strange which was a little bit strange.

“Well, we have to go or we are going to be late I will make sure Layla is home not too late Granny.”

With that he did the funniest thing, he bowed his head to Granny Dominic, and Tempest, however, was already turned to say goodbye to Granny so they did not see it Granny just gave him a kind smile but behind that smile was knowledge. Knowledge I was very interested in knowing.

“Bye Granny see you soon.”

The movie was great I can't remember ever enjoying a night so much not since my parents died. Not even nasty Wendy could spoil it, though she did try her hardest when we first got to the theatre.

“So, it’s true Layla is seeing the new guy well isn’t that just precious. He is handsome I will give you that. But are you not a bit below acceptable standard Layla?”

“Are you doing this as a bet Alexander?”

“Why would you think that? Do all your dates just take you out because they lost a bet, that must be hard and to your question, the answer is no I asked Layla just because the guys in school are blind and stupid to choose the likes of you over Layla doesn’t mean all guys are. As for the below-standard thing, I personally think Layla is way above my league. You however are lower than zero.”

And with that, he pulled me into the theatre without another look at Wendy.