Fire Ashes

Copyright © 2018 by Uzomah Chelsea. N.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All names, characters and events are fictional and have no relation with persons living or Dead, any resemblance is purely coincidental.

All offenders are liable by law.

CHAPTER ONE

Today was the day. The day she had once looked forward to for so long. A day that she had looked forward to with hope and promise every year since she had come of age.

A day she wished would completely disappear from history. A day she wished she could forget. Today was Páliükez, a special day when each fae who was of age could find their chosen. There would be a three day celebration afterwards to celebrate the newly found soulmates and their bond.

The excitement of the day began two days before. The happiness, the cheer, the preparation, the hope, laughter and joy. She hated it. Hated it with everything inside her. Hated how some who had not found their chosen were twittering on about it and could not seem to stop. Hated seeing the hope in their eyes, sensing their expectation.

She hated most of all how those who had already found their chosen were more lovey dovey and cozy during this time, more than usual. Holding hands and looking at each other with so much love and complete adoration.

Today, vows would be made and renewed. Promises to care for each other, protect them with everything including their lives, love them for the rest of their lives, cherish them and to do say again in paradise and in their next lives. It was all disgusting.

She would never tell anyone else but herself. She was bitter. Badly so, because she wanted for herself what she saw today and had wanted it for such a long time. Because she couldn't have it because she wouldn't allow herself to. Because who ever was in charge of her fate played a cruel prank on her and decided to keep it that way. Because she refused to get her heart broken like before.

It was nearly midday and fae were already gathering. Elves, fairies, sprites, nymphs, , goblins, gnomes, pixies, dwarves, even weres. Some would've already found their chosen by now. She walked past them, away from the city, the town and into the forest.

Everything, as usual in the winter realm, was covered in white. In snow, ice and frost. The only natural colours in the forest were white, the brown and black of bark, stone and fur, green of the trees and plants covered in frost and the blue of ice.

She preferred to be away from everyfae right now. In a place where it was just her and her thoughts alone. In a place where she could cry, scream and stew in peace before she went back to face more disgusting torture. She was already going through enough.

There were still fae around but scarcely. She could deal with that. She just needed to go deeper. Along the way, she saw a pixie girl, she had short black hair that met her neck in an inward curl.

She was wearing a cool blue sleeveless dress that complimented her skin. She was just standing there, her eyes seemed to be somewhere else. Her wings alight. She knew what that meant. The girl had just felt the connection between herself and her chosen for the first time.