Chapter 12

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby." - Langston Hughes

Everyone was in shock from the challenge that came from Elvina. Dorian and Rowan's mouths hung open in complete defeat and misery from the words that were coming out.

"Seraphina, you are to survive 3 nights in the forbidden dark forest. Alone. If you fail, you must leave forever."

Elvina's eyes glossed over with a stormy glare. Her lips twisted in the most sinister grin that anyone had ever seen. Seraphina's breathing was cut short. She could feel the chill run down her spine and to her fingertips as she curled her nails into her palms.

Dorian's anger had reached his limit, and the next thing he knew, he had Elvina backed against a building as he yelled. Rowan grabbed him to keep his friend at a distance.

"How could even think of letting a challenge out like that!? Haven't you gone far enough with your belittlement and insults to my mate, Elvina!? Now you've just crossed the line!" Dorian was in beat red rage. His cheek flushed with his boiling blood.

"Dorian! Calm down!" Rowan had gotten between his friend and Elvina as Dorian's fists clenched turning his palms pure white and red around where his nails pressed in. His body was stiff.

"I'll do it." Everyone's eyes landed on Seraphina.

She had exhaled her nervous breath, her body shaking nearly visibly from the fact that even she had taken on this challenge without even realizing it. She hadn't even really given herself a moment to think about Elvina's demands before she opened her mouth. But Seraphina knew she had to do this. This would prove something, right? Not just to Elvina, but to the whole village, to the royal family as well.

Seraphina knew that no one else really disliked her, but the fairies seemed to have a shaky history with humans, so maybe this would help ease them that at least there was one willing and loving-hearted human out there they could all trust at will.

"Seraphina," Dorian's face fell. It was not of shock, but of fear and sorrow. His own mate was taking on the challenge of her enemy for some godly reason that he wouldn't know just yet. But it worried him greatly.

Elvina let out a snort, "Oh really? Alright then. But remember the rules. You fail, and you leave,"

"Doesn't that go for you as well?" Seraphina's tone had changed. Elvina blinked at the sudden shift in the atmosphere around them. Seraphina was relaxed now and a bit bolder with her words.

"If I survive the nights, that means you must leave forever because you lost your part of the challenge then," Elvina was about to speak before Rowan cut her off in agreement to want Seraphina said.

"Yes, the rules apply to her as well, and neither side can bribe or forge their way out of it."

A feeling of satisfaction washed over Seraphina and a few of the villagers at the news. Dorian though, was still not pleased with the terms and the bet that was agreed to.

~~~

The Fairy King and Queen were infuriated by the news. Both of them pleaded with Seraphina to call this off at once and that Elvina would be dealt with for such a cruel and uncalled-for bet with her. The Queen wept at the thought that someone could truly be this wicked because they couldn't just accept something and take kind rejection.

Seraphina only smiled as she shook her head at them.

"Please, it's really okay. I agreed to this on my own because if I didn't, Elvina wouldn't probably do something worse or even continued to hurt everyone with her crazy thoughts and words." The King gave a kind smile, happy to know Seraphina wasn't letting the fairy girl get under her skin, but he could feel nothing but dread as the challenge was nearing its dusk full hours.

"Seraphina, please," Rowan was begging now. "Please don't do this. Dorian and I are concerned that you are doing this just being of Elvina and her spiteful childish attitude. It's alright to back out, no one will blame you for it or even say you are a coward."

Seraphina was walking down the hall of the castle towards the dining hall for one last meal. Dorian was stuck at her side, gripping her hand as his eyes were glassy and fragile, "Seraphina..." She turned to look at her mate and gave him a reassuring smile. She wasn't doing this for Elvina.

"Dorian, you do trust me yes?" Seraphina stopped at the doors to the dining hall with him and Rowan. Dorian nodded in truth. Of course, he trusted his mate, he felt nothing but honesty from her. Seraphina had been nothing but kind, delightful, and bright since she came here.

"Then please, let me do this. I want to do this. I'm not doing it because your friend tried to threaten me with it to possibly scare me away, no. I'm doing this because I want to prove that I can and that I'm not just a human that came here at random. Even though it really was random and by accident."

Dorian couldn't argue much further than he already had. He was just going to end up repeating himself until he was as blue as the setting sky outside. Rowan could see the anxiety and terror in his friend's face. He wanted to save his friend's mate from the trial ahead, but even he lost to her drive and determination.

"Now let's eat you two, three nights will go by so fast, it'll be like I never even really was gone!" Seraphina bounced into the room, taking her place at the table where she could be sitting for the last night.

No one could dare look each other in the eyes as they ate. Even the staff and guards were more silent than they ever were from the thin air around the room. No one enjoyed what was going to play out.

~~~

The hour hit, and Seraphina was escorted to the entrance of the forbidden forest by palace guards and Dorian. It was so different from what she saw just at the border that kept the light and darkness from mixing together. She breathed out slowly, concealing her nervousness, and took one last look at Dorian before making her way inside. Dorian watched as her mate disappeared into the thick foggy darkness, the tree branches looked as though they moved, making the entrance now guarded to keep anyone from following after Seraphina. The guards traveled back to the palace with a worried sink prince.

Seraphina trod over dead fallen branches and damp grass and leaves. The air was dewy and suffocating but she managed to keep herself steady as she traveled deeper. She knew couldn't stay near the entrance, Elvina would've laughed at her and said she was a coward, only to find some way to claim that Seraphina didn't do as she was required in surviving. But her nerves were starting to set in.

Every cracking branch would make Seraphina jump, every animal-like noise would make her skin crawl. At times she felt as if there were millions of eyes on her, high and low, stalking her every move as she searched for a place to make camp and sleep for the first night. If she even would sleep.

Finally, she did, and Seraphina started to make a make-shift lean-to against a large dead fallen tree. The inside was hollowed out and wet, but it wasn't better than nothing as Seraphina collected large branches to lay against it. She didn't know how long she had already been out here, but it felt like hours had passed. Seraphina made a bed of damp moss, leaves, and twigs and laid down on it. The forest was singing a dark lullaby, the animals cooing and screeching as she listened, sleep slowly claiming her heavy body.