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Chapter 1
The smell of freshly baked bread flooded the air. My stomach tightened with hunger as I watched the baker set out the golden-brown loaves. It was almost opening time, which meant the morning rush was about to descend on the marketplace, creating the perfect amount of coverage for me to get in and out of the shop with a couple of loaves hidden under my jacket.
The town was buzzing with excitement as the summer solstice preparations were in full swing. Every family was preparing sweet cakes and candies for the celebration. The farmers gathered their harvests, making their way to the town square to sell their goods for a small profit. Colorful decorations littered the streets as children flew streamers and kites high in the air. Even though the humans didn’t call the celebration ‘summer solstice’ due to its pagan origin, which was what this was. A celebration to honor the longest day of the year.
I always found it curious why the humans chose to continue to celebrate the holidays the alfar—or elves, as the humans liked to call them—honored. Was it to mock the pagan believers, or was it to honor them in some way? Even though our worlds were separate, the elves and the humans still were intertwined whether they liked it or not.
Three thousand years ago, the light alfar created a protective border that stretched around the land of The Frey, which was the territory the human race occupied. Only someone of pure alfar blood was able to cross the shield. If a human wished to enter, they must be escorted by an alfar. This prevented all the flesh-eating carnivores from wiping the whole human race off the map. As payment for their protection, the light alfar’s convoy would come through the towns once a month to check on the status of the humans and collect any workers they may need.
I was a half-breed. My mother was human, and my father was an alfar. In the eight years that I knew my mother, she never talked about my father. She did her best to hide my elven features while providing for us in this harsh and unforgiving world. Eventually, life became too much for her and she passed when I was barely eight.
I quickly learned how to provide for myself by any means necessary. Stealing came naturally to me. The humans didn’t have much, so I only took what I absolutely needed. I tried getting a job and working for my keep, but because of my ears and eyes, most people wouldn’t even look at me—let alone give me a job. My eyes were vibrant green, almost a chartreuse color which made me stand out like a sore thumb. Though my ears weren’t as long and elegant as a full-blooded alfar, they were still tipped at the ends.
Most humans ignored me, while some threatened to cut off my ears and wear them as a souvenir or turn me in to one of the alfar courts to be disposed of. Half-breeds weren’t allowed to live according to alfar law. I made sure to wear hats and scarves covering my ears wherever I went.
In every other way, I looked like a human. I was of average height and had my mother’s soft black curly hair and her tan complexion. I didn’t shine like the alfar did. I had a slight bend in my back, just like most working humans, and my clothes told everyone my worth, which was nothing.
Thankfully, I found a group of other cast-off children and young adults that were homeless and looking for a place of safety. There were eight of us total that lived underneath St. Paul’s Church in the middle of town. A kind nun, Sister Ester, took us all in one by one and gave us protection. My family knew that I was a half-breed but didn’t care. They accepted me and in return, I brought them the food and goods they needed to survive.
Our newest member, Lilian Thomas, joined us three years ago. Her mother and father both died from sickness when she was thirteen, leaving her orphaned. When Sister Ester brought her to us, she instantly became my little sister.
I remember the first time I laid eyes on her. She was so scared and scarred from what had happened to her parents. She wouldn’t speak to anyone and only sang to herself for comfort. Her voice, still to this day, is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. She had become the most important person in my world. Everything I did was for her.
Ding! The bell of the bakery door rang as customers flooded the small entryway of the shop. I moved across the street, checking if I recognized anyone in the crowd. I was in the clear. I slid into the packed shop and moved from person to person, sliding my hand in and out of their pockets without being noticed. I made my way to the front of the counter, having gathered enough coins to purchase two loaves of bread and a small jar of strawberry preserves, which were Lily’s favorite. I casually pushed through the crowd and exited the bakery holding the warm bread close to my chest.
After I was clear of any onlookers, I rushed back to the church before anyone could notice their money had been lifted. Sister Ester frowned upon stealing, but she knew this was the only skill I could rely on to survive. She chose to turn a blind eye when I brought my findings home to the others.
Stealing was a crime no matter what race you were. When I was twelve, I got caught lifting an apple off a farmer’s stand and was punched so hard that my nose broke. When I was fourteen, I got caught lifting a bracelet off an advisor’s wife. I was publicly whipped seven times.
With each snap of the whip, I could feel my flesh break and bleed, but the officer knew I was a half-breed and would heal quickly. A bonus of my elven blood. The officer tied small shards of uylerium stone, which can injure and kill any alfar, to the end of the whip. I had never felt something more painful in my life than what I felt as the shard sliced open my back. It burned and stung all the way to my bones.
The uylerium stone had its intended effect. My skin stayed torn apart and I now sported lovely scars that stretched the length of my lower back. Though it happened five years ago, I can still feel the scars burning sometimes as if the wound were fresh and raw. The punishment was brutal to endure, but it only made me more determined to become better at my craft...which I did.
I always found it a bit odd that the humans never did turn me into the alfar courts or kill me themselves for being what I was. My mother was loved amongst the townspeople back in her day. She was a healer, like her mother before her. They delivered most of the children and tended to the weak and sick. I wondered if that was my saving grace. The people's love for my mother was what kept me from the edge of a blade.
I crossed the busy morning street, heading towards the church. All the humans looked the same. Underfed, tired, and dirty. Our town didn’t look much better. Old buildings that had been standing longer than anyone alive could remember. The roofs of the buildings, if you could even call them that, had holes and patches missing. The doors and woodwork of the homes and shops were full of rot and termites. The floors inside most of the homes were just compacted dirt, occasionally covered by an old rug.
Only the town’s advisors lived in finer buildings. They tried to provide the humans with a sense of purpose. They enforced laws and tried to help where they could, but with resources limited and funds even scarcer, their hands were tied. The church aided the people the most in their hardships and times of need. Something I admired the religious institution for.
I descended the stone staircase to the back of the church and opened the wooden door, stepping into the damp basement of the building. My feet glided down the narrow dark hall towards our common’s areas. The rooms were small and felt cramped most of the time, but this was home. I took off my jacket and shoes before approaching the others who were most likely eagerly awaiting the breakfast I had brought.
The door opened before I could reach for the handle. Nil, the youngest of my adoptive sisters, smiled at me with a wide grin. Her long blonde hair was braided into two pigtails with colorful ribbon and flowers placed throughout. Her deep brown eyes squinted at me as she jumped up and down at the sight of bread.
“That smells yummy,” she said, reaching for my arm.
“It took all the strength I had not to eat a loaf all by myself on the way home,” I playfully responded, allowing her to take my hand and lead me into the room. Goose flesh instantly rose from my skin as I was wrapped with the sweet warmth of Lily’s voice as she sung in the corner, brushing her hair. Lyrics in Latin filled the room making my heart swell at the beautiful melody she strung together. Uncontrollably, I felt the corners of my mouth lift into a grin as I instantly felt at peace. She turned with a bright smile on her face as she heard me enter.
“There you are,” she said, running over to me. “What took you so long? I was starting to worry that something had happened to you. My mind concocted the most terrible scenarios, like what if the dark alfar had come and snatched you up?”
I laughed. “You have that little faith in my thieving abilities then?”
Once a month, the dark alfar would descend upon our little settlement, taking anyone, they deemed worthy as a sacrifice to their foul god Azeer. If you weren’t found suitable to become the next human sacrifice, you ended up a slave in their castle of horrors.Our little town had a warning system of bells in place to alert us when they arrived.
“Well, I didn’t say that. I just worry is all. There’s a lot of people on the streets today for the celebration. Some people, who aren’t from our town, may not look so kindly on you,” she said, gesturing to my eyes and pointed ears.
“Don’t worry. That just means that I have better coverage. Plus, that is why I wear these insufferable things,” I said, pointing to the thick wool hat on my head. “You think I like sweating all day?” I pinched her cheeks.
I pulled out the strawberry preserves and handed her the small glass jar. “Here, I got you something.”