The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss: An Enlighten Short Story (Enlighten Series) by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

Author:Kristin D. Van Risseghem [Van Risseghem, Kristin D.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Kasian Publishing
Published: 2015-11-11T05:00:00+00:00

Year Thirteen Hundred Forty

After I poked my finger into the water of the porta, darkness enveloped me. I lost all sense of direction as I tumbled in the pitch black. I suspected I’d land somewhere in the Ordinaries’ world but didn’t know exactly where. My fingers reached out, grasping for anything to latch onto, but they found nothing. A wave of bitter coldness surrounded me, flooded through me, then a hint of salt tickled my nostrils. Light pooled below me, and I landed with a thud on hard white snow, my breath shoved from my lungs.

I lay still a moment, regaining my breath and adjusting my vision to the sudden moonlight. At least it was cold here—wherever here was. Eventually I stood on the cold, packed ground, but I didn’t recognize anything. All I knew was that it wasn’t Fairyland, and it took my breath away. Everything, as far as my eyes could see, was blanketed in white. Strange yellow and green fire danced in the dark purple sky above me. Noises and crackling sounds echoed beneath my feet.

I stood silently, taking it all in. The place reminded me of home, from the frozen trees and branches hanging low from the weight of snow to the clear blue bodies of water. Solid mountains loomed around me, entirely made of snow, and between them deep ravines dropped off into massive pools of aqua-colored water. The lakes were so still the moon reflected perfectly onto the surfaces so I couldn’t tell which was real and which the reflection. I realized the queen had most likely picked this location for the porta’s entry since it was most like Winter.

There was no sign of any life other than my own.

I’d traveled by porta before. I’d been exploring Summer for the first time when I’d stumbled across one. When Sidelle and I became more than friends, I decided to share my secret with her. We hiked to the field where the porta stone rested and touched the pulsing silver boulder. We were instantly transported and flung onto a white, sandy beach. At the time, neither one of us had known we’d landed in the Ordinaries’ world. We found that part out later.

A low growl erupted into the silent night, making me realize I was wrong about being alone. My head spun as a large, white animal charged at me, its massive paws pounding the ground and sending ice and snow in all directions. I raised my hand, sent a blue ball of Fairy Light floating toward him, and the beast stopped mid-step. He tilted his head, closed his jaw, and sat on his haunches.

I smiled, intrigued. The animal was now my own pet … something. What was this creature? I’d never had a companion like this before. The truth was, no one in Winter would even think about owning a creature, but now … The possibilities of taming animals grew in my mind. I stepped forward with my hand extended, and he lowered his head, nuzzling my palm.

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