had blocked the four men from Sawyer, and she could not feel what they felt. She didn’t want Sawyer to become fixated on her soul’s mate to the exclusion of the others. She wanted Sawyer to form true friendship before she fell in love. She had not understood Mother’s decision at the time, but now facing them, she did. Their connection was strong but would be stronger if love was based on friendship. Even now their ethereal cords were trying to reach out to one another. She smiled at the desperation of it, the two cords tugging desperately to connect. She knew that the night of her soul sing, it would be a beautiful thing to behold.
Mother had always been the most powerful fae because she had been the only one created. The rest of them were born to fae mothers and human fathers, so Mother was the only pure fae. The others only had half of the power because of their human blood. Mother could control all the elements. Mother had been born fully formed, and this was at the age of twenty-two. She did not have to grow and learn; she was brought into the world with full power and knowing her purpose.
Sawyer was the first full fae created since Mother. Mother had planted the young boy’s soul, and it turned into a large plant. On the day of her birth, a flower grew up from the center of it. The fae had stood around it and sang Sawyer into the world. She was just a tiny baby, and when she opened her beautiful green eyes, she smiled at them all. Sawyer had grown into a powerful fae, and at a young age, only Mother could instruct her in her powers because she was already stronger than the rest. Mother still had the ability to block her senses with the men, but when she had her full power, Mother would have a hard time. Sawyer was meant to be as powerful as Mother.
They exchanged pleasantries, and then Astrid said, “Well, I should take these ladies and show them around. Mother awaits you all.”
They started in opposite directions. Luna walking ahead of them with Sawyer. The two women talked easily of the last twenty-four hours, and the men took in the landscape. They were walking toward an incredibly large redwood tree in the distance.
“Have you ever seen anything like this before?” Julius asked Marcus, motioning toward the entire place.
“Never. I can’t believe we have lived so long and never had even a hint that any of this existed. I thought we were amazing creatures with powerful abilities, but this makes it seem like we are apes.”
A few feet behind them, Lucas and Liam also chatted about their experience so far.
“How did it go with Hunter last night?” Lucas asked.
“As well as could be expected when dealing with her being crazy. It’s like trying to calm a chained tiger. I keep telling her that she has nothing to worry about and we’re only here for you, but she doesn’t care,” Liam said, and Lucas thought he was looking a little frayed.
“You need to talk to her again, she’s pushing it, and we have no idea what Sawyer can do. She isn’t safe if we don’t know what to expect,” Lucas said, and Liam nodded. Lucas had no love for Hunter, but his brother was all he had left in the world, and he didn’t want to see him unhappy. Hunter might be a little crazy, but she made him happy for now.
They had gotten closer to the tree and could see it clearly now. They saw a very old woman who was sitting on a chair that was covered in moss. It looked as if it had grown out of the tree naturally and had designs all around the arms and back that were delicate and ornate. They didn’t look like they had been carved in either, though. It looked like they had grown that way naturally.
The oldest woman they had ever seen sat in the chair. She had long white hair that hung down over her lap. Her face was covered in wrinkles, as were her hands that held the top of a cane. She looked positively ancient, although her eyes were bright and alert. They remembered what Sawyer had said about fae aging one year for every ten thousand and couldn’t imagine how old this woman must be.
Her left arm rested on the arm of the chair, and her right hand held her cane. The cane looked like it was made out of petrified wood and had the same designs as the chair.
Sawyer ran to her and kissed both of her cheeks.
“Hello, Mother,” she said.
The old woman looked at her and smiled brightly. “My sweet girl, I have missed you. You are like fresh air to this old woman.”
“Thank you,” she said and kissed her again.
The woman waved her away. “You and Luna go catch up, I must speak to these four.”
Luna and Sawyer turned and walked away. Sawyer gave them all a small wave as she left. Mother looked at them all just standing and staring at her and laughed.
“You four come sit here in front of me and stop trying to guess my age.” They sat down on four stumps in front of her that looked like they occurred naturally from the earth. She laughed and said, “I will give you a hint. I’m as old as time and not a day older.”
They all looked like children who had gotten caught with a hand in the cookie jar, because they had all been thinking exactly that. She gazed at each of them and yet it felt as though she was looking at them individually. It was impossible to tell if she was speaking to them directly or someone else.
She looked for a long time before she spoke again. “I see your face has changed since you were a child, but your eyes remain the same. Time has changed your heart, but not your eyes, boy.” She smiled a moment and looked off into the distance as if she were remembering that day.
She looked back to them again and said, “I’m sure you’re full of questions, but I’m not going to answer any of them. In time, all of your questions will find their answers. I will explain some things to you today, and time will explain everything else when it is ready. I will start at the beginning of my story so you can understand how we came to the beginning of your own story.
“I was created by the earth itself at a time when man first appeared on it. My purpose was to teach the men how wonderful the earth was and how it could provide for all of their needs.
“In the beginning I thought the problem with men was their nomadic nature. They kept moving to follow their food sources, but I would soon learn this wasn’t the problem.
“Men have always been violent creatures, and to this very day, I do not understand why. They kill to eat, although they don’t have to. It would be okay that they eat meat, if that’s what they have a taste for, but it’s never enough. They simply love violence. They like the power that it brings them. They will destroy an entire village and take nothing from it because somehow they feel power when they do. They will rape or torture or murder and feel power inside them afterward. It has been this way since first man, and it has never stopped. They wage their wars between countries, clans, tribes, neighborhoods, and cities. They are never content and will always seek more power. They could be warm and well-fed and still never be content. They always want more and are never satisfied, but how can they be? This power they seek isn’t real, they are convinced that their violence is the way to gain more power. Sadly, this power isn’t real, but they will never understand. They will continue to seek it for that is the way of men.
