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Filomena was trapped. She had evaded the High Lord for nine long months, traveling from hiding place to hiding place and praying that he wouldn’t find her or her daughter. Her wings could only take her so far though and Filomena knew that if she left the safety of the Spring Court that she would surely be hunted for sport. Filomena was a rare sort of lesser fae that had the ability to coax even the most troubled minds towards serenity or on a whim make someone’s mind break. They were known as birds of peace and madness who could fly on their jewel coloured wings either bringing prosperity or devastation to those who heard their song.
The emerald winged fae hadn’t had a choice when she was chosen as the Maiden for last years Calanmai. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to flea. A letter arrived at her home telling her the news along with a bracelet that would supposedly help Tamlin locate her through the haze of the cave. She would tell herself endlessly in the years that followed that she shouldn’t have been so careless. So thoughtless. So naive. When she slipped the bracelet on she hadn’t even noticed the change in her body and her powers until she was called on by a desperate mother whose child wouldn’t stop crying. Filomena had become known to the other lesser fae as a female they could turn to in times of distress and grief because her song could melt away the deepest sorrow. But when she tried to sing and soothe the flailing babe, no sound left her voice. She tried again and again, desperate to feel power course through her but no noise came.
Three days later Calanmai happened and through her distress, Filomena fulfilled her duty. There was no saying no to Tamlin. So she laid there as he grunted and begged the Mother to make it end and bring back her voice. The only sound that registered in her head was that of the gifted bracelet which scraped against the cold stone floors with every movement Tamlin made. Tamlin completed the ritual with a roar and only then did a solitary tear spill from Filomena’s eye. Tamlin rolled off of her and studied her face with a trace of something sinister lighting his eye.
“Do you like your bracelet?” he asked suddenly, his voice ringing clear over the noises of the other fae who had quickly joined in on the celebrations.
“What?” she rasped.
“The bracelet. I had it specially made.” Tamlin purred and stroked the cool metal. It seemed to hum under his touch and Filomena wanted to fly away. She hated the way his voice sounded and the way the pads of his fingers would occasionally slip onto the skin of her wrist. She just wanted to go home.
Filomena nodded, her voice getting stuck in her throat. “It’s beautiful, but the clasp is broken. It won’t release,” she finally croaked.
A dangerous smile bloomed on Tamlin’s face as he wrapped his hand around her wrist in a bone breaking hold. When he spoke, there was no kindness in his voice, “That was the design, little bird. There’s a special rune etched into the gold that binds your power to me. Only I can release it. It’s been so long since my court had one of your kind in residence. I think I’ll quite enjoy you.”
With each word he spoke, Filomena felt icy dread drip through her veins. She thought she would never move again but her body moved on instinct. She had hardly registered that her bare feet were slapping against the harsh stone of the cave as Tamlin raced after. She could hear him chasing after her and laughing, taunting her, but she kept going. The only thought in her head was to get away. As soon as the clear night sky came into view Filomena burst into the air as Tamlin shouted below her.
“I’ll find you, little bird! And when I do you’ll be mine!” he roared.
Hot, fast tears rolled down Filomena’s cheeks as sobs fell from her lips. She kept flying until she exhausted herself and practically fell to the forest floor. She woke to the sound of the morning birds singing and the sound that normally brought her joy sent her heart racing. She must have been sleeping for at least six hours and that was more than enough time for Tamlin to recover from the haze of Calanmai and set out for her. Despite how her muscle’s screamed, Filomena took to the air and flew. She flew and hid and relied on the kindness of strangers for nine months until pain wracked her body and her screams shook the trees. She flew to the safest place she could think of and as her feet touched the ground outside the small green cottage, Filomena finally felt relief. The carved door swung open and a female with laurel green wings ran to Filomena’s side as she clutched at her swollen belly, blood trickling down her legs.
“What - What happened?” the green winged fae asked.
Filomena groaned as another wave of pain washed over her body and she spoke through gritted teeth, “Tamlin. He’s been following me since Calanmai.”
“The babe is the High Lord’s?”
Filomena couldn’t answer as a scream ripped from her lips. She panted as the pain receded and pleaded with the female, “Please, Eilwen. Help me.”
Without hesitation, the young female helped Filomena into the house and in a blur screams and curses a small blue winged girl was born, wailing from the top of her lungs. Both females cried with relief as the little life brought light into the dark cottage.
Filomena cradled her to her chest as the grief of her reality sank in. She kissed her daughters head and poured every fiber of love she could muster into the words she spoke.
“I love you,” she whispered, “I have kept you safe for nine months, but he’s coming for us. He’s coming for you. I dreamt of what our life together could have been but please know that I love you. My Arianwen.”
With silent tears streaming down her face she handed the wiggling baby to her sister who looked at her with confusion.
“Take her,” Filomena said firmly.
Eilwen cradled the baby to her chest, “What do you mean? She’s yours.”
“Yes, but this is how I will save her. I need you to take her and leave.”
“What? No! I’m not leaving you. You’ll need help recovering and she needs you. I can’t - I can’t do this.” Eilwen stuttered as fear roared to life in her chest.
Filomena tried to keep her voice even as her daughter cooed and broke her heart while healing it all at once. She could see the little blue feather’s poking from her back and wondered what it would be to teach her one day. To see the blue glitter in the sky.
“I need you to do this. I know it’s too much to ask, but he will kill her or ruin her. You are my sister. She is your niece. She needs you to protect her because when he comes, and I am sure he is already on his way, she can’t be here.” Filomena said with steel in her voice. She would not let her daughter die at the hands of the male who strangled her power and had hunted her for months.
“I’m not her mother.” Eilwen pleaded weakly.
“But you are her aunt. I’m sorry I need to ask this of you, but please take her and leave.”
Eilwen tried to find any doubt in her sister’s face, but found none. Filomena had accepted her fate but she would not let her daughter die. Eilwen let out a broken sob, bending down to her sister and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I love you.” Eilwen cried and pulled away. Filomena brushed her fingers over the tufts of downey blonde hair and silently prayed that she would grow up strong.
Filomena turned to her sister and carved a smile onto her face, “I love you too. Now go.”
Eilwen didn’t waste a minute and fled to the woods. She made it past the treeline and was about to take flight but her feet felt rooted to the ground. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t leave her sister even as her niece moved in her arms to remind her of the duty she had been given. But Eilwen couldn’t fly. The only thing she could do was turn back to her cottage and watch as a great beast ran towards her cottage. The High Lord was dressed for war and looked like a crazed animal. Eilwen didn’t dare breathe and clutched Arianwen tighter to her chest. She watched Tamlin break down the carved door as gruesome thoughts filled her head.
Filomena didn’t so much as flinch as splintering wood flew threw the air. She didn’t even try to push herself up from the bed where she lay. She just watched Tamlin stalk towards her with a blade clutched in his hand.
“You will tell me where that bastard is.” Tamlin hissed as he pressed the sharp blade to her throat.
Philomena laughed and pressed up into the blade, she felt it pierce her skin but she was unafraid, “I will never tell you.”
An eerie calm fell over Tamlin, “Then you’ll die.”
Without a hint of remorse, Tamlin sliced the blade across Filomena’s neck and burst from the cottage before her body had fallen to the bed.
In his rage, Tamlin didn’t notice the young fae woman standing just beyond the treeline clutching a small bundle to her chest. She waited there for hours until she was sure the High Lord was not around and only then did she dare run into the cottage.
She stifled her cry and clutched the sleeping babe to her chest as she saw the pool of blood that surrounded her sister that had soaked into the straw mattress. Her sister was dead.
Panic coursed through her body, but she knew she had to move. To stay any longer would surely mean death for her and the youngling. With tears streaming from her eyes she crashed around the small space and collected a meager staff of supplies. As tears blurred her eyes, Eilwen burst into the air. The only comfort she could find was in the small life she carried in her arms.
Her sister's daughter.
Her Arianwen.