The Last Migration

I don’t want to do this.

I’m harshly yanked out of my beautifully repulsive white cell by one of the castle guards. He fumbles with his keys before he opens the doors out of the dungeons that lead directly to the throne room of the Fae Kingdom.

This entrance is never used unless the king considers it necessary to use his resources for business - often deadly ones.

I was one of those resources.

“Your Majesty.” The guard shoves me to the ground the moment we were in His Majesty’s presence.

“I trust our guest has taken to her new quarters, Kai?” The King’s velvety voice vibrates through the room, his discomfort only slightly noticeable to the trained ear.

I groan and get on my knees.

“Rise.”

I slowly pick myself up and raise my head to meet his piercing gaze. His violet orbs softened for a second when they met my cold silver orbs, immediately hardening again - almost as if he remembered we had company.

“You asked for me, Sire?” My voice, although steady, comes out smaller than I had intended, causing him to smirk. He chuckles and signals for Kai to leave us, to which he does with a look of disgust to me and a bow to the King.

Bastard.

He beckons me closer and gets up from his throne of wood and amethyst to go stand with his back to me by the abnormally large bay windows, his rune-covered arms on full display as he crosses them behind his back.

He always does that when he’s stressed.

“You’re aware of your task, I presume?” I hummed in agreement and begin giving his shoulders a massage. He lets out a groan of satisfaction, giving me the green light to continue working my magic.

Tonight was a Blue Moon. 

Tomorrow, a Painted Sun.

The Elders of both the Fae and Vampire Kingdoms came together eons before us, when both kingdoms would go to war over the Black Grimoire- a universal grimoire that held both Fae and Vampire magic. It was a cursed grimoire, its energy drawing the tainted souls of both worlds to commit heinous crimes against each other just to get a taste of the power it holds. The Elders would curse both worlds to seventeen hours of pain and suffering.

Seventeen hours every Millenium, the pain of the vampires would be first. The moon would be an angry blue. Normally, the sun would be our kryptonite, but that was the point of the punishment. The Blue Moon only shines on the Vampire Kingdom- my kingdom- for eight hours. Any vampire caught by the glow of the moon would burn to ashes. 

The Fae had it worse. 

They revel in the light, but during the eight hours that the Painted Sun would shine on their kingdom, it would strip any Fae caught by the rays of the sun, of their magic- their sense of being- and become immortal. The vampires would get death as a punishment, but the Fae would be forced to live without an identity for eternity, or until the souls of the Elders decide to pity them and grant them death. 

Our ancestors agreed to protect our worlds by letting the different species live in the other’s kingdom to wait out the curse. 

The Elders’ Migration was what we would call it. Three hours before the curse was scheduled to begin, portals would open all over the two kingdoms, allowing for quick transportation. The elite and royalty would meet on the middle ground, between the two kingdoms, where the curse would not reach, to discuss alliances and do their best to avoid wars.

Nobody spoke of the Black Grimoire.

“Is my chamber ready? I need all the time I can get if I’m going to make it in time.” I whisper, careful not to ruin his now relaxed mood. 

“Everything you need has been delivered. I’m counting on you to perform, my love. Our worlds are.” My hands slide down his arms, tracing the moon tattoo on his left arm. We have one of the other- him a moon, and I, a sun. He turns around to meet my eyes, sucking me into the never-ending pool of amethyst. I lean in to give him a quick peck and pull away when he growls and pulls me back to him, claiming my lips hungrily, like a starved vampire having his first taste of untainted blood.

After what feels like an eternity, we pull away from each other. “I have to go now, Your Hi-”

“Faelern.” He grits out. He always hated my formality.

I smile. 

“I must leave now, Faelern.” I notice his pupils dilate as his name rolls off my tongue. He gives me a chaste kiss on my forehead before opening a portal for me.

We have a dysfunctional relationship, Faelern and I. As rulers of both our worlds, we are a forbidden union. Vampires and Fae could mix, but never to be mates. We still do not know why we were paired as mates by the Elders.

I step through the portal and find myself in my chamber. 

I call it mine, but I stand in Faelern’s chamber, his scent overpowering my senses. I hurriedly change into the intentionally tattered clothes left on the bed- I would need them to get back into the Vampire kingdom undetected. I look in the mirror and drink the contents of the vial he had given me before I left and watched as my face immediately changed. My silver eyes turned a dull brown, my once heart-shaped face now round and dented to give me the look of a veritable prisoner and my hair a grimy blonde. I shiver in disgust and create a new portal for myself to my new destination after tucking Faelern’s sword into my baggy coat.

***

I was waiting for Luna at SilverBlood Lake, where we would spend our days playing during the Cursed Migration, once upon a time. 

It had already begun.

I hear the voices of the Fae buzzing around this very forest, the chaos of the first hour of the migration giving me the cover I need to get the Grimoire to her in time to end this once and for all. She would come from Faelern’s kingdom, bringing along his sword, so we could reverse this curse.

We both would finally get what we want.

“Lenora!” Her voice comes from behind me, making me jump out of my skin. I turn around to see an old blond hag giving me a crooked smile. 

I can’t help but burst out laughing at my comrade’s appearance. 

She rolls her eyes.

“Let’s get this over with, so I can wait for this to wear off. Do you have the-” I slap the worn-out journal that caused centuries of pain to our worlds to her and create a veil to shield us from prying eyes.

We walk to the middle ground, right next to the gates of both our kingdoms and the giant outdoor ballroom built for tonight’s occasion.

“You Fae are something else. Did you convince Athan to stay?” Luna voices out as she draws out the patterns on the floor to begin the reversal of the curse. My mate burst into the veil and it closes behind him. I had given only him the ability to see the veil.

Luna scoffs.

“Speak of the devil. We haven’t all day, Athan.” She never did like my taste in men, and Athan was no exception.

Pity they’d be spending the night together.

“Faelern.” I stiffen at her mention of my King’s name. Nobody ever says his name.

He appears out of a portal not up to a second later, dressed in all black leather, leaving his upper body exposed, save for the floor-length cape on his back.

He grimaces at Luna’s appearance and takes out a vial of blue liquid and pours it over her. She shivers and reverts to her normal self and stumbles into his waiting arm.

He meets my gaze. “Lenora, begin without her. I need to stabilize Luna.”

He chants some spells from the Black Grimoire. He was the only one who could read the book besides Luna, and her random imbalances could ruin our work entirely.

Athan and I finished setting things up while the King worked on Luna and the Reversal Spell. They both get up and step into the middle of the pentagram we finished drawing.

“Stand at the corners and focus your energy on us.” Luna’s authoritative voice comes out of nowhere and we both follow her orders, shocked that she would ever use that tone on us. They join hands and begin reciting the spell. Athan and I groan, feeling our essence being drawn out of us as they glow along with the black clover spontaneously turned a glowing white. 

Ichor seeps from their mouth and ears, slowly slipping in and out of consciousness. If they didn’t stop now, the Elders would kill them. They were now begging for forgiveness from them. The Grimoire let out a shriek and the King and Luna both cough out ichor at the same time the book abruptly closed. 

They both collapse on top of each other, letting out tired laughs. Athan and I stare at them, waiting for them to gather themselves. Luna helps the King up and they give us small smiles.

“It is done. After tonight’s event, our worlds would be back to normal. We would go back to the accepting, unified world we once were.” The King’s voice lowers to a whisper. “We would be back to how we once were.”

“So we’re still pulling the same stunt tonight?” Athan asks, his voice hopeful. On events like this, Athan and I would come as a couple since we were both vampires, and Faelern and Leora would do the same since we couldn’t show off our genuine lovers.

“Only for tonight,” Luna assures, and he sighs.

“Well then,” The King claps his hands, “We have exactly fourteen minutes until we are announced. But first,” He gives a vial of ambrosia each to us, and feeds Luna hers. He opens a portal for me and hands me Luna.

“Drop her off at her chambers. She will be fine on her own from there.” I nod and step through, unable to shake off the feeling of awkwardness from carrying a royal to her bedroom.

***

I thank Lenora before she excuses herself and I rush to put on my navy blue sequined ball gown after ridding myself of any ichor stains. 

I walk to the ballroom and find Athan in a tux, and he gives me a small smile. He holds his hand out for me and we walk into the room just as the butler announces us to the public. We are led to the second floor of the room where royalty would sit, and I spot Faelern and Lenora chatting on a table close to us and they give us a nod of acknowledgement.

For the last time, as Athan pulls out a chair for me to sit at a table close to the railing, I think of how this night would go.

Faelern would be with Lenora.

Athan would be with me.

We are served dinner and a random fae in attendance gives a quick toast, since the vampires did it last time.

I meet the eyes of my comrades as Athan and I eat first, giving everyone else the green light.

We don’t want to do this.