Prologue

"We all have one foot in a fairy tale, and the other in the abyss." – Paulo Coelho

Lucy watched as dust motes floated through the wandering rays of moonlight. The chamber was so old yet it was always kept in immaculate condition. She didn't know where the tiny particles had come from. Perhaps they'd floated down from the open skylight.

She looked up, her eyes skimming past the ancient paintings of the constellations that adorned the domed ceiling and coming to rest on the patch of cloudy night sky directly above her. The firelight was dim in the chamber, causing her eyes to sting when she looked to the sky. The moon was hidden by some stray clouds, but it wouldn't be forever.

Her time was running out.

Every full moon she was guided to this chamber. Rain or snow or shine, she sat beneath the skylight and waited for the moon to shine down on her. Sometimes, as her wings began to tingle as the magic came to life, she wondered what it would be like to be like the other fae. To bare a more common mark. But she always shook the thought away. She loved her wings, enchanted or not.

All fae bore their own unique mark. Something that marked them as other than human. A testament to their immortal life and great power. But Lucy's mark, her wings, held a mark all of their own. She did not bare the speckled brown feathers of her father's wings, or even the pure white of her mother's.

Lucy was born with the wings of her ancestors.

In the light of day her feathers were a soft blue. Her wings were strong, they always had been. Flying had been the only thing to keep her sane after the passing of her mother. It was rare that fae died, and the loss of their reigning Queen had been devastating to the Spring Count. Those were times Lucy did not like to recall, but her wings reminded her of her mother sometimes. Despite their differences, they were of a similar shape. Like a doves. Now that Lucy was older, they trailed behind her when she walked.

But under the light of the full moon, they were different. Oh, how they shone. "The secrets of the stars are hidden under those feathers Lucy!" Her mother used to tell her happily when she was a child. She had always thought her mother simply meant that her wings could carry her to the stars if she wanted. She only suspected Layla was being literal the first time they had brought her to this chamber.

Every full moon since that day had been the same. She was guided to the chamber and sat down under the skylight. She would sit and look up to the sky. Watch. Wait. When her wings began to tingle as the power built, Lucy would curl in on herself, driven by a strange instinct that felt foreign to her. She would wrap her wings around her and they would shine. The light so bright she could see the bones and veins of her wings from inside her little cocoon.

According to her father, the light of the moon reflected a map from her wings onto the walls of the chamber. Of what- to what- she didn't know. Since the passing of her mother, her father had instructed the elders of their court to chart down the map. To capture all the secrets of her wings.

And so it had been for many years.

But this time, it was different.

She had always been guided to the chamber, but tonight, she had been dragged. She knew what awaited her, and even though she had not fled, she tried to fight despite herself. It was a feeble attempt. She had never used her magic for violence. She did not know how. Even as they chained her hands to the ground in the centre of the chamber, she prayed that her father would revoke his orders. That he wouldn't see it through.

Lucy did not try to stifle her sobs. The elders had made their last editions to the map. They had left her alone. No one came to help her. No one would come. She wished she could run her fingers over the softness of her wings, but her hands were bound too tightly.

The sound of the door unlocking behind her made her flinch. The light increased as guards with torches entered the room, casting sinister shadows on the wall in front of her. Against the faded paint she could see her own hunched shadow, and three others. Two large forms stood either side of her. The other directly behind her.

Her wings began to tingle.

"Hold her down." Her father's voice commanded from behind her.

Her wails filled the room as tears streamed down her face but the guards ignored the sounds and followed their commands. Each guard used one hand to push down on her shoulders, and the other to pull at the joints of her wings, spreading them to their full span.

Marks were the most treasured part of a fae. They needed them, relied on them. Even more perhaps than their sight or their sound. To have virtual strangers touch her wings was enough to make her gag. Her whole body was shaking but their grips did not relent.

"Keep her still."

The second of her father's commands was followed by a harsh scraping sound. Her breath stuck in her throat. She tried to tell herself it was all just a bad dream, but members of the Spring Court are incapable of lying. Even to themselves.

"Your Majesty," It was Loke's voice. If she weren't so afraid Lucy would have berated him for being here. He was so loyal. Damn him for never leaving her. Even now, he couldn't see there was no stopping it, "Surely we needn't-"

"We must." Her father insisted. He had become King of the Spring Court after her mother had died. His word was law now, "There is no other way."

Lucy could picture Loke's grimace. She hated knowing he would feel helpless, but she had agreed to this. She couldn't leave her people.

She managed to lift her head slightly. She could see the shadow of the figure behind her- her father- now raising his sword. Her breathing stopped as the blade hesitated, for only a moment.

Before her screams filled the Spring Court.

A/N: This one has been in the works for a while and though it isn't finished yet I decided to share it with you guys in the hopes of getting my depressed ass out of the gutter and writing again. Hopefully I can update regularly and you guys enjoy this one! Please let me know what you think! This one is gonna be a wild ride.

- HN