Autumn's P.O.V.

Jade's face is scrunched together. I don't know how to explain this to her but I figure I should at least give it a shot, if only to put her mind at ease.

"Yeah it started out that way; it's the abandoned building Orin lead me to where he asked me to take his place. The part where he says he will get me to conform wasn't a part of what happened that night."

Jade takes my hand and entwines our fingers.

"Do you think it means something?"

I shake my head, "no it's just a dream, if anything it's just my fear materializing because I'm afraid of how Orin will take the news," I try my best to hide the fact that it's not really what I think at all, because it's useless having Jade worry about something she can't do anything about.

Jade doesn't seem to question me either and in this moment I'm glad our bond is getting weaker, even if it is just from my side.

I rub my thumb over her hand. An easy silence falls over us. Next thing I know I have her pinned down on the bed, kissing her so hard, like this is last kiss we'll ever share. Jade frees her hands placing one on my shoulder, the other she digs into my hair, deepening the kiss. Our tongues dance around for dominance. I pull away to catch my breath and then I trail kisses down her neck to her collarbone. She moans in my ear and I feel her short fingernails scrape down my back. That's gonna leave a mark.

It hurts but in an S&M kind of way. I continue to suck at her collarbone while I snake my hand up her shirt reaching for her breasts. Before I hit home I hear my door open causing me to put as much distance between Jade and I. Like my quick reaction didn't spark the suspicion of whoever is at the door.

My dad stands there and his face is as red as mine feels right now, one eyebrow lifted. I nervously look over to Jade, whose face looks like a tomato.

"You ladies have to get ready for school," he scratches at the back of his neck. I look over to my alarm and see that it's already five past six and I can't help but wonder why it didn't go off.

My dad closes the door as he leaves.

Jade looks absolutely mortified, but once her eyes meet mine, we start laughing incredibly loud that I hug my arms around my stomach and fall flat on the bed next to her.

"So much for having super hearing," she nudges me with her shoulder and then continues her giggle fit.

♀♀♀♀♀♀♀♀

The school day is passing gruelingly slow. I don't even know what class I'm sitting in and I don't really care. At least I have lunch after this. I've been looking over my shoulder every two seconds afraid that I'll bump into Ace. Just thinking of his betrayal gives me a headache. You think you know somebody...

I use this as an excuse to get out of class.

I pop the two headache tablets that the nurse gives me and decide to lie down on the bed, until the period is over.

I'm tempted to let some sleep take over but I'm too afraid that I'll have that dream again, so I fight it.

I can't believe that I never thought of running away with Jade until she mentioned it this morning. It's like it wasn't even a possibility for me, but the more I think about it, the more I'm for the idea. We can go someplace where I'm not a Fairy and she's not a Hunter, living our lives like a normal couple where the only worries we have is finding jobs and wondering what to make for dinner. It's sound like a simple life, easy and effortless. Not a lot of people dream of getting married and having kids. I'm sure if you ask any kid at our school where they see themselves ten years from now it will be something along the lines of getting the hell out of this small town and becoming a famous actor or singer. Hell some of them don't care about the latter as long as they can escape their hometown. Others have dreams about being doctors and saving people's lives, becoming lawyers. I like to think it's a little cliché that everyone from a small town has these big dreams, but then again I also think that everyone likes to dream as big as possible until reality sets in and you realize that some dreams will always be just that; a dream. I'm quite contempt with the thought alone, of spending the rest of my life with the woman I love. Maybe it's because my big dreams were decided for me and no one ever really stopped to ask me what I wanted. I'm quite sure that my answer will stay the same if you ask me a month from now, a year, a decade. I want two girls who I get to push on the tire swing in our backyard, their laughter filling my ears. Jade laying on a picnic blanket reading a book and working on her tan even though we both know she'll only burn herself red and in a couple of days her skin will return to the beautiful pale white it is now.

We might take a swim in our little pool before we order a pizza and rent a movie, making a family bed in the TV room and just being together as a family.

I hear someone come in through the door and assume that it is just another student. I sense the figure lingering next to me and I turn my head, getting ready to ask this person what the hell their problem is. When I see grey hair and grey eyes, I shift myself into a sitting position.

"Orin?" I say already looking around for the nurse but she is nowhere to be seen.

"I prefer granddad or grandfather," he smirks.

"Of course, I'm sorry, it was a slip of the tongue," I don't even know why I'm apologizing because I barely know him well enough to call him anything other than his name. But something about his presence demands respect, and I give it to him, hoping to stay in his good graces.

"I'm glad I saw you walk in here, it's much less awkward for you because now I don't have to call you out of class."

I shrug. I've never had a problem with being called out of class.

"I'm a little upset with you."

I can't help but scrunch my face together, "why?"

"Well for starters; you never mentioned that you're Kindred is female," he crosses his arms, "and I hear that you've spoken to you mother."

I'm dumbstruck. Should I deny it? Should I tell him what he wants to hear? Should I tell him that I'll go to the Fairy world and leave Jade behind? That I'll marry some male Fairy once I take his place and have Fairy babies. I have to choose one, if I want to protect her.

"How did you find out?" Curse you stupid mouth for not saying what you're supposed to.

"It's one of the many gifts I possess," his smirk doesn't even falter. I wish there was something I could do to wipe that smug look off his face. But I don't know his strength capacity or what other abilities he has up his sleeve, so for now I'm powerless.

"Lucky for you, no one in the Fairy world knows of this scandal and when you take your rightful place as Sovereign, all contact with that disgusting human being will be severed."

My mom was right. Orin does only care about his reputation.

"When I take my place, surely you mean if?"

"Au contraire my lamb. You use to have a choice until I found out you were lying to me. You think you're in love with that girl, but I assure you that it is merely the bond formed because she is your Kindred."

You have to take everything he says with a grain of salt; my mom's voice echoes in my mind. But I don't need the reassurance of her voice to let me know that Orin is lying through his teeth. Such a hypocrite.

"It's more than the bond that is keeping me linked to her," I stare into his grey eyes that seem void of any emotion.

"See this is why for thousands of years a male has ruled over the Fairy world. You woman always let your emotions get the better of you."

I can add a misogynist to the long list of bad qualities he holds.

"Maybe if a woman ruled sooner the Fairy world would still allow humans to enter through the threshold," I counter. I think I've had it up to here with people telling me how I should live my life. And that includes Orin and my mom telling me that I will rule over the Fairy world along with people telling me that loving girls, the way I'm supposed to love boys, is wrong.

"Careful child! Your attitude may cost someone's life, someone whom you hold dear to your heart," Orin's smile reaches his eyes and I and it sickening that he finds pleasure in the mere thought of killing someone.

"I'll take your place if you promise no harm to come to my girlfriend and my friends," the words taste vile in my mouth, like I'm negotiating with a terrorist. I don't really want to be Sovereign but if that's what it takes to keep Jade and Sally safe then so be it.

"You drive a hard bargain, especially since the one you call your girlfriend is a Hunter," he pauses, "but we have a deal."

Orin sticks out his hand for me to shake on it, but I decline, remembering the way his eyes glazed over when he touched Jade's hand, like he was reading into her thoughts or something. It sounds crazy I know, but Fairies are filled with abilities and I won't be surprised if that is one of his.

The bell sounds, so I jump off from the bed, "just so you know, if you don't keep to our deal, I will cross over to the Fairy world and kill every single Fairy and burn down everything so there will be no world to rule over," I keep my eyes on his so he knows that I'm not joking. I don't like making threats even more so when they involve killing, but I'd do anything and I mean anything to keep Jade safe.

"I've underestimated you. You have the same darkness inside you that the legends say Foster had."

I pretend to ignore him as I walk out the door, heading for the cafeteria. I push his words to the deepest corner of my mind.

♀♀♀♀♀♀♀♀

I join Jade and Sally at our lunch table. I can tell that they were both sitting in awkward silence until I came along, just by the sheer amount of tension present. I kiss Jade on her check and nod my head once in Sally's direction. The saddest thing about everything that's going on is; these are the only two people I can trust. Two people out of the handful I use to treasure, are left.

I take hold of Jade's hand under the table, giving it a light squeeze. She smiles in response, revealing her dimples. It's a good thing I'm sitting because I'm pretty sure my legs just went numb. I love the fact that I'm not over those dimpled cheeks just yet and if it were up to me I'd never want to be over them.

In my peripheral vision I see a bulky figure head our way. I stand protectively in front of Sally.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone dyke," Ace says, wearing his signature Cheshire grin, but it not the pleasant one I've grown accustomed to. This one has a sickening edge to it.

"Wow, I guess if you want to see someone's true colours you just have to fracture their ego a bit."

"It has less to do with a fractured ego and more to do with a fractured heart."

"You can keep telling yourself, that you did what you did because you love Sally, but pure love is allowing that person to be happy even if it means they aren't with you."

"You pretend to be so wise, but I see right through you."

I fold my arms over my chest.

"You're just as much of a user as I am. We both know you only kissed Sally to hurt Sam," his eyes dart to Jade and they soften for an instant at the hurt look on her face. When his eyes return they are filled with the same disgust, only he isn't looking at me. His looking at Sally.

I step closer to him, standing on my toes. My head only reaches to his chin, but I don't let that intimidate me.

"I know what you did. Your little ploy of getting back me, didn't work. Your dad and Jade's mom might know what I am, but they can't do shit, unless they value what they were born to do, more than they value your life," I whisper making sure he is the only one who hears what I say.

I drop back to the soles of my feet and watch Ace's smug look disappear from his face.

"How do you know I told them?" He eyes shift to Jade.

I don't allow him to draw the obvious conclusion that it was indeed Jade who informed me, instead I lie with ease, like I've always done.

"I'm a Sovereign, or as you Hunters like to call it, a Royal. I have Fairies everywhere that provide me with information."

His eyes widen and he takes a step back. I like the look of fear increase in his eyes as he notices that he messed with the wrong Fairy.

"This isn't over Reed," Ace says taking another step back, before he turns around and leaves the cafeteria.

I don't know what comes over me, but instead of celebrating the small victory with Jade, I follow after him.

I catch the cafeteria door before it closes and pass through it. Ace is standing in the school hall, cell phone in hand.

He quickly places it in his pocket, looking at me with dreaded anticipation at what I have to say next.

But I'm done talking.

I don't know where the strength comes from but I pick him up by his shirt and shove him against the locker, keeping him in place. His feet hanging limp in the air. When I hear the swing of the cafeteria door I quickly throw him to the ground and straddle him. I punch him, over and over until a hand touches my shoulder and a bolt shoots through my bones.

I jump up, feeling confused at what just happened. I look down at my bloody hands and then over to the boy whose face I just smashed in. Then, finally my eyes land on the vision that is Jade. My side of the bond is barely strong enough to feel her fear, but I feel it non-the-less.

I step towards her and reach for her shoulder, but she flinches. Is she really scared of me?

I want to tell her that I will never hurt her, but the words get caught in my throat.

So I run instead, ignoring Jade as she calls my name.