"They'll help the Dark Ones grow in numbers, in turn, Tamers numbers will dwindle. Your power is strong...right now. Erebus escaping and hunting you down isn't a coincidence, he knows something...and that something may be in that box. You're only aware of a tenth of what is really out there walking the streets Jessie. Every aspect of your life will be questioned."

My heart is pounding in my ears, practically drowning out the sounds of my thoughts. "Every night before bed I stare at my nightlight and think about other magical beings. I'm always thinking about the possibilities of others like Tamers. Are the faeries here right now?"

"Yeah, they're here. Thor and Isis are magical horses that belong to the Seelie court. Without them, we wouldn't have made it into this realm. Guards set up in a circle surrounding us. They can't hear what we're saying. As a guardian, I'm granted various privileges. I required a secured site that can't be penetrated with hearing or magic." He scoots the box over with his foot, until it's in front of me. "I want you to open the box." He gently hands me the key.

"Okay," I hold my hand out to him. The key is heavy in the palm of my hand. I'd never seen a real skeleton key in person. "Is it made of iron?"

"An insurance plan to keep most fae away. Everyone knows iron is toxic to fae, but do you know why?"

"Something to do with the properties being of the earth and faeries are part of the dream world. I'm not proficient with the technical parts, they say people will eat meat because the blood has iron...it keeps the fae away." I smile confidently at his solemn face. "Don't look at me like that...I had a friend in middle school that was obsessed with the idea of faeries. I'm right aren't I?"

"Partially."

"What do you mean *most fae'?"

"There is a breed that can touch iron."

"Interesting, what do the box and the key have to do with the portal? It isn't the portal is it?"

"No, open it, we're about to find out." He shifts his look to the trees behind me.

I twist around to see what he's looking at, "Everything cool?" He nods his head. "Why would my mom have the box? It was in her closet. My dad said she doesn't know about us, which I honestly don't get. My life is loopy! One day I'm a girl with an alcoholic father and a nursing student mother, the next, I'm in crazy-ville with front row seats."

"Open the box," he says impatiently.

"Okay, hold your panties on." My hands tremble slightly as I run my fingers along the edge. I put the key in the bra.s.s plated hole until I feel it catch. Breathing in a sharp breath, I turn the key and feel the lid unlock."

Thorne takes in an audible breath as the box opens.

Inside there are two daggers perfectly fitted into shadowed slots. Another small wooden box is wedged in the corner. I take the smaller box and slide off the lid. Two rings of gold, like wedding bands, are wrapped in silk. The rings are cold in my palm. I look up at Thorne and his eyes are huge. "Are these someone's wedding rings?"

He doesn't say anything, only nods his head.

"Holy s.h.i.t! Jessie, you just found....oh, no...you couldn't have. There's no freakin' way! No wonder she has trouble with you on her radar. I never saw it coming. Well, I kinda did, but not really. This is ridiculous. I'm not sure we can wait until tomorrow to tell Caleb. I vow to you that I will protect you and serve you as long as you'll have me, your highness."

Eh? "Why are you vowing to me? Your highness? What the c.r.a.p is that? What is wrong with you? Are these the Lord of the Rings rings? If I put it on, will I become evil and crouch in the corner calling it my precious?" I take the smaller ring and start to put it on my ring finger.

He grabs my wrist stopping me. "Don't, it isn't time for you to wear it."

I pull my arm from his grip. "You're freaking me out. Who's rings are they?"

He holds his hand out, and I set the ring in his palm. He holds the ring up, inspecting it as though he were a jeweler. I'm mesmerized by the way it glints in the sun.

"It's the proof the prophecy is true. Look, right here," he points to the inside of the ring. "Preaditi Unum."

"Don't go all Gandalf on me...what does it mean?"

"The Gifted One. That's you."

I roll my eyes and laugh. "Let me guess...I have to marry you, and we'll save the world."

He looks at me baffled. "No...you must marry Caleb."

Oh yeah...wait up! Marry him! "Will you and your magical horse take me to the looney-bin? I'm having horrible hallucinations that you told me I have to get married. It doesn't occur to you that I'm fifteen?" I pull out one of the daggers and hold it up like a serial killer. "Do we stab each other in a murder suicide with these?" Thorne just stares at me, his eyes wide and his mouth half open. I try to put the dagger back in its slot, it slips, cutting the velvet. Pulling it back, the box makes a popping sound as the bottom pops up. Under the false bottom is a small leather book. "Wow, look how old this is." I turn it over in my hand, noticing how it's worn, and oil stained from someone's hands. It's held together by a ma.s.sive leather strap with a crazy looking lock. Is this the book with our family information? My dad said he'd never seen our family book. Why would he lie to me? Maybe it isn't that book at all.

Thorne stands up and starts pacing back and forth. He has one arm crossed and his other hand up over his mouth.

"This is the biggest thing I've ever been a part of. We're about to make history...this is caaaaRAZY. "

"You find me opening a box caaaaRAZY? Well, how about light shooting from your hands, someone having access to your every thought, a magic school with nutty teachers...oh, not to mention Fate is the princ.i.p.al...oh, let's not forget my dad is a light thief. You find a box crazy. You're crazy. I'm done."

"No, no, no...I didn't mean it like that, I mean it like...this is going to be epic. You're not actually the Light Tamer princess or queen...but you are the Faerie Queen." He annunciates every word. "The legend says that only the queen of faeries would possess the Dagger of Destiny, the Ring of Virtue, and the Book of Fae. Only the queen will be able to open the book. Try the dagger, maybe you can cut the leather."

I still my shaking hand and attempt to cut the leather. I sure as h.e.l.l don't want to use this to cut my steak. "The knife is too dull."

He takes the knife from my hand, bends over and cuts a hunk of wood out of the log. "Nope, not dull." He hands it back to me.

"What if I stab the book? You know, like in the cartoons, when they stab a book and a light spews from it? Watch." I hold my arms above my head and bring them down as hard as I can. The dagger bounces back, and I fall over. The leather is perfectly unharmed. "I guess we're not in a cartoon. How did my mom end up with this box? Did you know what it had in it?"

"Mrs. Ward warned me the box might contain a historical object. It didn't click until I saw the rings. Why don't we call Caleb and have him meet us at your house? We can't do that until we get back to the car though... fae don't get signal or phone plans out here." He grins at me. "You can smile Jessie. This might prove to be the silver lining."

"You honestly think my mother is going to let me marry another high school student? Where does it put me on the Light Tamer scale?" I start packing the box as it was.

Chapter 19. Grandma Confesses.

The horses whinny and like an illusion another horse appeared. The sun was setting behind the rider, making it hard to see their face. Thorne makes a motion as though he has a sword in his hand. Slowly, with his other hand, he pulls me behind him to shield me from the rider.

"Put your d.a.m.n sword up. You honestly believe Nyx would ride into the woodlands and not set off some alarms? Not that she can even enter the realm. Where is Jessie?"

I push Thorne to the side. "Grandma?"

"What have I said about that word?"

"Miss Gayle, how did you find us? How did you get in?" Things just went from weird, to weird with a twist of insanity. I look back and forth between the two.

"Young man, what's your a.s.signment ID?" Grandma asks. She stands there in her designer jeans and cowboy boots. I've never seen her wear cowboy boots before. "Are you mute?"

"2 2 5 7 2 T as in tango, G as in green," Thorne puts his hands on his hips.

"Grandma, how did you know where we are?"

"Oh, Jessica, it's complicated."

I pop my fingers. "I'm beginning to wonder what isn't complicated. Please tell me I'm dreaming."

"I heard you were here from some old friends. I intended to be with you when you opened the box. Your pet bozo over here decided to sneak you in here, tell you... get Caleb and pretend he discovered you."

I turn and look at Thorne. "Is that true?"

"He can't lie to you...can you Thornathan?" She raises her eyebrow at him. "I've heard rumors about you. I hear you walk the line with rules."

He c.o.c.ks his head, "I walk the line? Are you the pot calling the kettle black? You think I don't know about you? Your friends told me all about you. You've been hiding away all these years, not even visiting your father. Did you tell her you were adopted, and why?"

I see how uncomfortable she's getting. "Stop! Both of you. I don't know what's going on, and I'll get the full story. I'm a.s.suming you're a Light Tamer." My hand won't quit trembling as I run my fingers through my hair. "You told me about your brother and the way you had a bright yard. Why? All this time you knew." Don't cry...no. The tears sting my eyes and I will them away. She comes over to me with her arms out wide. I instinctively pull away. "No, stop."

Thorne steps away as she puts her hands on my shoulders. "I'm not a Tamer hun. I'm half fae. My mother was human, and my father is fae. He used glamour to look human. At the time, he was only a prince, and it was taboo to have relations with humans...even though it happens more than you think. He was the firstborn son to the king, and he was next in line to get the crown. My mother died when I was two months old. My father couldn't have me live with him in the Woodlands, so he found a family to adopt me. My adoptive mother had known my real mother, and she knew about my dad. The agreement was, my dad could visit me a few times a month. He would sneak me into the Woodlands and let me play with the fae in the forest. He swore everyone to secrecy, and they made a blood pact. His brother had suspicions about my dad; he wanted the crown left to him. He found out about me and told their parents. They banished my dad to the forest to live among the Woodland fae. No, I don't see my father any longer. If guardian boy over here knew anything about living on this side of the shiny shimmer, he'd know why." Her shoulders slump and sadness fills her face.

I throw my arms around her and say softly, "It's okay, I love you. How am I a queen then? If it's a bloodline kingdom, how do I fit in?"

"Yes, in those type of kingdoms...you're destined. A fulfilled prophecy trumps bloodline. I've protected you as long as I can. Now you know the truth, I will make sure you and Caleb are crowned."

"You want me to marry him too?"

"It isn't up to me."

"How on earth am I going to get my mom and Mr Gabe to agree to us getting married?"

Turning to face her, I see how the lines in her face are gone. Her hair is longer and rich with color. Taking her hand in mine, the veins aren't popping out. She looks twenty-five years younger and by the way she moves, she feels it to.

"We'll get Caleb and bring him here; it will be easier to tell the story once."

I mentally scan for him, trying to pick up any type of connection, to no avail. The void is almost insufferable. When we block each other from our thoughts, we still have the connection. It's as though we have an invisible lifeline to one another. Right now, my lifeline is missing.

Thorne is kicking around a rock. "Stop pouting. I need to see Caleb...and find out why Amber hasn't returned my calls." I kick a rock at his boot.

"He's in the car."

"Caleb's in your car? Why didn't you bring him with you?" I ask.

She took in a deep breath. "I wasn't sure what I was about to walk in on."

I gasp, "Grandma!"

"Not like that! I wasn't sure if anyone figured out who you are and kidnapped you," she insisted. "He's already freaking out because he doesn't feel your bond with him."

"Oh no, I didn't think about him not having contact. I've been here forever; it has to be after dinner. When did you leave?"

"He and I came after you about thirty minutes after you left. I realized the box was gone when Caleb called to see if you were home. I had a feeling the tomfool guardian brought you to the shimmer." She turned to glare at Thorne.

"Look, we ALL have the best interest of Jessie as our priority. I can't operate properly with your hostility towards me," he says through gritted teeth.

"Hostility? You have no idea how hostile I can be," she growls back.

I throw my hands in the air and storm off towards the horses. I tune out their bickering and focus on how I'm going to mount Isis. The horses stepped sideways, and Isis stepped back until she is lowered down enough for me to mount her. I've never seen a horse bow before, I've never seen a horse do much of anything. I climbed onto the saddle, and she stood up straight. Isis walked until we were a few feet from the clearing. For some reason, I can't hear them. His arms are flailing, her hands are on her hips, and their mouths are moving but no sound. Without warning, the two turns and look at me, both surprised.

"Why can't I hear you?"

Grandma mouths, "What?"

Thorne's face cracks into a smile. With a wave of his hand, the sound is back. He shrugs his shoulders.

I glare at them, not sure what's going on.

"We need to leave," he says. "It'll be dark in the Woodlands within the hour. Come on, we can't leave the same way we came."

"You're a strange guy. I liked you better when you were the mysterious guy with the hoodie and untied Docs. Why can't we go back the way we entered?"

"In case you're being followed...the fae are superst.i.tious about things like that."

I roll my eyes. "I'm ready - get the bag and we'll leave." From the corner of my eye, I see grandma mounting her horse...faerie..horse-faerie? Whatever ...is it always a horse?

Chapter 20. Truth.

When a house finally comes into view, I realize it's a house we pa.s.sed right before we turned off the road. I thought he was going to make us appear somewhere far away.

Grandma's convertible is parked next to Thorne's car. The instant I spot him, his head turns to me, and it breaks out in a smile. My heart skips seven beats and relief washes through me. Hey Mr Baldwin, I'm so glad to see you!

h.e.l.lo beautiful, are you okay? Did he hurt you?

No, we need to talk. Thorne and grandma have news for us. Get ready for crazy.

Crazy huh?

Yup. We're putting the horses up, come out back to the barn.

Caleb grabs my waist and helps me down from the horse. His hands never leave me; instead, he pulls me in for a hug. Stroking my hair, he whispers about how worried he was. I shuddered from the chills he sends through me.

"You should wear cowboy boots more often. You're pretty hot as a cowgirl."

"Awe, I bet you say that to all the girls."

"You're kidding...you truly are sappy as h.e.l.l. Amber said you two were sappier away from school, and she's right," Thorne complains.

"Amber! I need to call her." I check my phone for signal, and it says 4:00. "Can I use your phone - mine is confused." Caleb hands me his phone, I'm stunned when I see it says 4:02. "Something must be wrong with phone signals or something. Your phone says its only 4:02, I know we were gone for a few hours."