Flame and Starlight by Dana Isaly

 

Prologue

“Once upon a time, a baby was born.” I settled further into my bed and pulled my fluffy pink sheets up to my nose and inhaled the sweet lavender scent of them. “This baby was a gift to the world, and her mother was given the charge of keeping her safe.”

“That’s me!” I whispered with delight as my mother smiled down at me. She brushed some stray hair out of my face and continued.

“This baby was born with magick in her blood. She was born with fire in her fingertips and starlight in her eyes. Those eyes shone so bright, they lit up the world and banished the darkness. Her fire lit the world aflame with warmth and happiness. That magic in her veins ran wild and free, just like she would one day.”

I hugged my teddy closer to my chest as her smile faded to a frown. I knew this part too well.

“But this little baby was in danger from the moment she was born. There were creatures called the Fae that wanted her power for themselves. They wanted to hunt her down and take her from her mother.”

I shook my head and sank deeper against my pillow.

“These Fae were so powerful that they made the Earth shake and the sky tremble as they searched for her. But her mother was clever and snuck her out of their world and into a new one. One that was void of magic and power. And in this world, the baby would be safe and hidden.”

“They won’t get me!”

She smiled and tucked me in tighter. “They will not get you, sweet one. I will be here to protect you for as long as I possibly can.”

“At least until I’m seven,” my four-year-old self said. My mother threw her head back in warm laughter.

“At least. And who knows,” she said. “Maybe one day, that little girl will grow into a strong, clever woman. Maybe she will embrace her power and the magic of her birth. Maybe,” she said with a smile, “she’ll decide to go back.”