Prologue
How on earth did I get here? One minute, I was minding my own business in the lovely, one-of-a-kind espresso brewery my family prospered in, and the next, I was running through the woods with a man I was legally bound by engagement to—all while being hunted down by a man no one would dare leave or question.
I’d gone from having no options to two in a matter of seconds, and if it weren’t for him…
Right. That’s how I got here. I glared at Aleixo. He was mouthing words to me, and sounds echoed all around us as I leaned in to catch his meaning. The mist had moved in at exactly the wrong time, and I fought the cough that threatened to escape.
Leaves crunched under footsteps, and Aleixo clamped his mouth shut, as though one could hear mouthed words. Could this truly be the only man I could have? A mortal human who didn’t even know where he was, or what to do in this unique situation?
“I know you’re out there, Calista!” a voice cried out, so close I nearly gave in to the fainting spell that hovered over me like the fog that surrounded us.
A hand touched my shoulder, and I startled before realizing it was Aleixo.
He raised a finger to his lips, even though we were both holding our breath.
My heart hammered in my ears as the sounds of the dark forest around us grew deafening.
The creaking of branches swept by the howling winds.
The plants on the ground, tickling my skin as my mind told me to ignore the bugs that could be slowly creeping up my arms. The man sitting so close to me that I could feel his heartbeat matching my own as our eyes remained locked.
“Come now, little elf. I only wish to speak for a moment.” Howls could be heard in the distance, and I wondered what our fate would even be if we escaped this position we were in.
I heard the scrape of metal as I saw a shadow fall over a tree nearby.
He was so close. One wrong move, and it would all be over.
Above the forest’s song, he began his own little melody, his ominous voice lilting with each word:
Should I find an elf divine
I only have to make her mine
For she can grant what I desire
She can stoke the smallest fire
In my collection, she will sit
Entertained by my eternal wit
Until my last breath in the end
She will then help me ascend
I closed my eyes, trying to hide the terror I felt, hoping Aleixo wouldn’t notice. I couldn’t be taken; I couldn’t submit myself to a life of granting wishes, remaining someone’s shooting star.
An elf was the most sought-after race in all Wylionis.
Our magical properties alone could outlast generations of humans.
While the treaty stated no one could possess us, it seemed the law had become less and less enforced.
We had been free for generations, and I simply couldn’t exist in a world where all that mattered was the shard of shooting star remnants that flowed through my veins.
Every race in Wylionis had something special about them, and elves just happened to be the most powerful. It wasn’t as though we could help it.
Tears stung, and I forced myself to remain still, resisting the urge to imagine the outcome this situation could have. There was truly no escaping this.
It hit me in an instant. There was no escaping this for me, but Aleixo could.
He could still go free, as he was a mere human.
A man who had stumbled into our realm by chance.
He couldn’t even recall where he had come from, and I was nearly certain he’d latched onto the first name he’d thought of when I asked for his.
I opened my eyes and looked at him, my resolve growing stronger by the minute. “Stay here,” I mouthed.
His eyes widened as he reached to take hold of my arm. “No,” he whispered, using a howl of wind to cover the sound.
“He wants me,” I whispered back. “Follow us.”
Those were the last words I spoke to Aleixo as I stood and ran.