Chapter Eight

Eve saw herself crying. Crying in a beautiful garden filled with so many beautiful flowers arranged in a circular pattern.

She walked to the middle of the garden where she saw an oval shaped pond. The pond looked alive, clear and alive. Glowing even.

She stared back at the face in the pond. She could not remember ever looking this young, beautiful and celestial. Yes, celestial. That is the word.

She looked so different. Her stubborn, wavy, long hair was styled in an elegant way. She looked down at the dress she was wearing. She had a gorgeous, flowing, blue dress on her. It was so long, she could not see her feet.

The garden was truly a sight. It was so colourful. The bright sky held so many colours. It took her a while. But she noticed something in the sky flying towards her. From afar, one could mistake it for a butterfly. But as it came closer, it looked like a boy with wings.

He was a fairy.

Strangely, it felt normal for Eve to see a fairy. As he landed in front of her, she recognized him. It was Mr C&C. The only difference was that he looked younger.

"Andrew!" Eve saw herself screaming as threw herself in his arms, letting him hold her as I began another episode of crying.

"Jane, what's wrong?" He asked in concern. His voice still had that smooth deep edge she loved to listen to.

"Everything's wrong Andy. I'll soon be thirteen moons old and I don't have an element, my selio isn't glowing and I don't even have my wings yet....." Eve found herself ranting to him as she pulled away to show him her back "... just look at my back. Nothing! No wings! I'm never going to be a true fairy"

"Don't say that. You're a true fairy you're just a late bloomer."

"It's not fair! James and June have their wings and their elements. James even have healing powers. Even you have your..."

"Shhh, come here" he said, pulling her back to his arms.

"Many versions, single action.... Remember the riddle?"

"Yeah"

"I ... I think I've solved it. I think I know where Truth's tear is." She said suddenly motivated

"Really? Let's go" Andrew would do anything for June. Encouraging her impulsive trait was simple. He would follow her, do anything she asked of him as long as it didn't harm her.

In a flash, Eve found herself holding a glowing pendant in a dark cave. The pendant seemed to be the only source of light in the cave. She wore it and saw herself flying and glowing.

"Jane? You need to remove the pendant. It does not feel right." She could her Andrew talking as he stood at the narrow entrance of the cave.

"Out of my way boy!" She felt herself say in a voice that was not hers. She could not the voice. Heck! She could not recognize herself. Something was in control of her body. It was like she was possessed.

Despite the warning, Andrew did not move. Eve found herself mumbling a spell.

Immediately, Andrew fell on his knees, writhing in pain. She wanted to go to him and apologies. But She couldn't. She tried taking back control of her body, so that she could take off the pendant but she could not. Instead she watched herself fly out of the cave.

Her surroundings changed and She was suddenly in a courtyard destroying things. She looked round looking for someone but she did not know who.

Something hit her on the head. She turned to find several guards pointing their spear at her. A huge wave of energy hits her from different sides as the spear glowed.

They attacked her.

Like a monster that needed to be destroyed, they're attacked her.

Slowly, she felt herself weakened, her strength strained and she fell.

Eve woke up sweating profusely. The dream felt so real. At this point in her life,she knew better than to dismiss the dream as only a nightmare. It had to mean something. It could be her memory.

Abruptly, her door slammed opened and she saw Andrew rush to her side. He hugged her. He could feel her vulnerable and frightened.

"Andrew..... Andrew..." his name fell out of her lips as she took deep breaths. That was what she did every time she had a nightmare.

"I'm here, Jane. I'm here. No one will hurt you." He assured her. Somehow Eve believed him. For some reason, she knew without doubt that he would not let anything bad happen to her.

Minutes later, when her breathes were calm and subtle, Andrew tucked her in. He was about to leave her room when she asked him to stay.

For some reason, being around him made her feel safe. Wordlessly, he went to her side and tuck himself in.

"Sleep." With his arms around her, he slowly gave her a pat on her shoulder. Eve had never felt that better after a nightmare. She felt at ease with him around. Maybe, it had something to do with the bond. But, she was grateful she had him in her life.

"You couldn't fall asleep?" She asked, trying to be conversational since sleep seemed far away.

"No. You woke me up. "

" Really?" she pulled away from him a bit. Just a little to his face.

"Yes, I can't sleep when you are this anxious. Now, sleep." Though he was content with her in his arms. He still didn't like the way she had woken him. He was still a bit grumpy about that.

"It's that bond, huh?" she relaxed in his arms again, enjoying the warmth and ease she felt. She was sure that if she slept like this with him everyday, she would never have nightmares. Silly her.

"Do you like feel my emotions too?" The answers to her questions were quite obvious. So obvious, Andrew felt no need to answer her. He would only be encouraging to keep talking when what they needed to do was sleep!

" You can feel my emotions, you can read my mind. What else can you do?"

" You forgot trapping you in your own body." He could not resist retorting back.

"Oh, you mean paralysing me?"

"Anyway you put it. That is the only skill that comes in handy with you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sleep." Like always, she could always change his resolve. He had almost entered a conversation with her. But she was stubborn.

"Grandma Martha told me why we could not break the curse." And that was enough to grab his full attention. Gone was his resolve.

"What did she say?" He stopped patting her shoulder and went for her hair. He had always loved her unruly hair. It was different from how fairies hair usually looked like. But he liked it. It was just like her, stubborn and unruly.

"She said she would have to release my memories before we break the curse."

"What is the matter?" He could feel her worry again.

"It's the bond again, right?" She smiled to herself. "I am not sure I want get my memories back. Somethings are better left forgotten." She was scared she would find out all the horrible things she had done to get cursed like this. She had a feeling her recent nightmare was a memory. Something she would not like remembering.

"You are right. Somethings are better left forgotten. But for your own good, you should remember it all. The curse might not affect you as much as it does to me. Eventually, you will get affected slowly. Those little headaches might return worse."

He was right. She had to face her fears and break the curse if she wanted to live a normal life. Speaking of normal life. "Are you still planning on taking me to Faeland?"

"Yes. That's the last place they would search. The best hide out is in plain sight. " She could feel the little movements his belly made when spoke. Without fully realizing, she played with his T-shirt as talked. "It would be better to leave as soon as possible. Let us leave as soon we break the curse."

"Aye Aye Captain!" She said playfully. before asking. "What is Faeland like?"

"Beautiful but dangerous. Nothing is ever as it seems. You will need to listen to me if we are going to stay there."

"I can do that. "

"If you could, you would be sleeping by now. "

"But I don't feel sleepy at all." she whined.

Thirty minutes later, she fell asleep.

Andrew had decided to keep quiet. She had talked till she was tired. She had fallen asleep without realizing. Somewhere, while she talked, he was reminded of their childhood. Jane had always been talkative, the ideal drama queen. She would overreact about every single thing. She was a bit more tamed now. He guessed that was what time did to people.

She had always been a magnet for trouble and he had always ended up cleaning after her. Unlike her siblings, she was more upfront about her feelings, what she liked, what she hated and what she wanted. The Court ladies found her uncultured.

While she could do anything she please like any royalty, there was a limit. She had her duties to the people of Faeland to be eloquent and graceful like a princess should be. But, she was stubborn. Both she and her siblings were stubborn. But she took the crown. She always liked to have her way.

Andrew laughed as he remembered some of the pranks she had pulled with her brother. Poor James could not say no to her when she had asked for his help. They had successful turned the most prestigious tea party to a circus show. And all because she found tea parties boring.

Everyone knew the mastermind. But no one dared to breathe a word about it. A word against the royal family was a word against the crown.