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Prologue:

It was dark. The only thing that she could see was a big, blood red moon, much like the trail she was leaving behind her. Another burst of pain spread through her body that she had to grow her teeth against. Many women would have fallen and given in, but she let her determination keep her on her unsteady feet as she stumbled to the lake.



She grunted and braced her hand on a nearby boulder, lowering herself into a sitting position. A sharp pain tore through her body, and she could not stop herself from crying out. She fell back against the boulder, hitting her head but she hardly felt it. Her body was hot, hot, hot, and she felt like she was on fire.



“Help me,” she whispered weakly. “Someone please help me.”



The blood moon turned a deeper, darker red as the blood flowed faster, and the pain struck her body more frequently. As the heat spread through her body her body glowed with a subtle violet light that turned brighter by the second.



“Someone help!” she shouted through torn vocal cords as purple flames licked up her skin.



Fire was not her element. It must be the babies. Nevertheless, it would kill her if no one stopped it. Her fingers burned with red, raw blisters as the flame ate away her skin. The pain was unbearable and black clouds dotted her vision as she fought to stay conscious.



“Somebody help me,” she breathed as the black clouds took over her vision and sleep pulled her under.



Amiliana heard the screams from where she slept in her room under the lake. At first she thought she was dreaming, but the screams continued to come, and her eyes were wide open. She could not deny that whatever she was hearing, it was not a dream.



And she also couldn’t deny that she was curious, and she couldn’t sleep. The sound tore at her and reminded her of another time, another person’s suffering. She wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if she didn’t try to help, knowing she just let someone die when she might’ve saved them.



“Don’t worry. I’m coming,” she stopped to listen, trying to find the source of the sound, but the screaming had gone quiet. Dead silent. And then. . .



“No!” she heard a woman scream. “Help me! Please, Gods, help me.”



She ran towards the sound, and she saw a woman thrashing against invisible restraints, covered in purple flames, holding her middle, and she tried to push a sodden lump out of her.



“She,” she soothed gently, after she used water to put out the flames. She tried and failed not to grimace at the horrendous burns covering her skin, yet she still kept her voice gentle. “I'm gonna try to help you, ok? Can you tell me your name?” she asked. ”What’s your name?”



She heard a sound between a scream and a grunt that vaguely sounded like “Kylie”.



“Ok, Kylie. I need you to push, ok.” Amiliana kept one hand on the back of Kylie’s head as she looked into her eyes for a response. Kylie had her eyes squinched shut tight, and she looked really weak, but she still nodded, and Amiliana gently set her head down so she could help get the baby out.



“You got this,” she told her. “You’re gonna be okay, you hear me? You’re gonna be ok.”



The biggest lie she ever told.



Chapter 1:



I looked over the edge of his book at my obnoxious brother and rolled my eyes. Every day, he managed to find some other stupid thing to do, and I knew he only did it to tick me off, too, because he knew I was always somewhere nearby, watching. That is not my choice. I have to watch him because Aunt Callie makes me. She knows he’s immature, and she can’t trust him not to break something. Like his bones or her good china. I mean, for goodness sake, we weren’t two anymore. We’re sixteen, and he acts like he’s still five.



Today he decided to spin around in circles till he made himself dizzy with the village kids, his arms out wide, swishing over the heads of the little kids nearby. Eventually he fell, but wouldn’t you know it! He fell right on top of Jack, our cousin, and he brought down a few pans from a nearby cart scattering down onto the ground.



But something wasn’t right this time, minus the obvious fact that he was still laughing and Jack was still under him. This time, there was a giant earth-shaking boom that followed, knocking down even more things, and not just from the cart. Everyone jumped at the sound, and Reano stopped laughing and sat up. The boom came again.



“Earthquake!” I yelled. “Go! Go! Get out of here!” I dropped my book and scooped up Jack as I pulled Reano to his feet. “Reano, come on!” I shoved him up from behind. He shoved Jack into his arms. “Go!” and he left without a backward glance. I scooped up a couple kids, trying to herd the rest out in front of me, but the houses crumbled and water started to flow in through the city, making some slip on the cobblestones.



I tripped and fell, dropping the kids, but Chaqui, another guy my age, caught them and ran. I got up and brushed myself off, starting to run after them, but my leg snagged on some greenery, and I fell again. It started wrapping itself around my ankle, dragging me back, keeping me from going anywhere.



I knew instantly that the faeries had come to take the stragglers who didn’t make it out. I knew instantly that this was magic, and they caused the earthquake, the vines, and the water. We were under attack



“Help me!” I called out as I frantically yanked on the vine around my ankle, but no one was there. Everyone had gotten out, it seemed. Everyone but me.