Prologue

As a little girl, I was captivated by the strange lands Momma always talked about. Eiri, born just two years after me, always wanted to be anywhere I was. I was her big sister, Vayvay, as she called me then. We enjoyed hearing everything Momma was willing to share with us; even though we may not have understood it all at the time, we loved it nonetheless.

Poppa insisted Momma shouldn"t tell them to us, which often caused them to argue when Eiri and I went to bed. He told us that Momma"s stories were just fairytales. We didn"t care if the stories were real; we soaked up every opportunity to hear them. Every time Momma would call for us, Eiri and I would sit on the floor, ready to hear Momma"s silky-smooth voice tell us one of her many stories. We always loved hearing them, even if it upset Poppa.

According to her stories, the kingdom of Caellaias was a mesmerizing land with periwinkle skies and white fluffy clouds. In the dark night sky, a bright purple moon would sparkle like glitter. The rich and diverse landscape extended as far as the eye could see, and the Kolathus mountains reached high into the sky with snow-covered peaks. An abundance of trees called zyelvris trees spread throughout the land, encased in mahogany bark and decorated with red leaves. Rumor has it that when the trees shed their leaves, they shift from red to purple and give off the scent of marshmallows. During the late season, they would ooze sap that tasted of butter.

Frequent rainfall made the lush, deep green grasses fragrant. Just as in our world, Caellaias had a variety of flowers and plants in an assortment of vibrant colors. When the flowers bloomed in large concentrations, their fragrances could be detected even a couple of miles away. Momma frequently talked about the orletaylaer—a bright teal rose-like flower—which was her favorite in all of Caellaias.

Her gaze became unfocused when she spoke about the faraway kingdom, and longing danced behind her brilliant silver eyes. It was almost as if she were recalling a memory, not a fairytale. But if Poppa was correct, the world wasn"t real; it was only a figment of Momma"s imagination.

One afternoon, while Poppa was at work, Momma came to find Eiri and me playing in my room. She invited us to the living room to tell us one of her stories. Since Poppa was at work, she was free to speak about Caellaias without fear of upsetting him. We followed her to the couch, settling on the floor before her.

Before she began, she leaned forward and kissed my head. "Alright, my Little Lily." Then, she turned to Eiri and did the same. "And my Little Rose." These weren"t our proper names but nicknames our parents had given us. At times, when they addressed the both of us together, they called us their Flowers.

"It"s story time. What kind of story would you like to hear today?" Momma asked as she sat on the couch, feet folded below her long skirt.

"I want to hear all about Caellaias again!" I exclaimed.

As Momma looked at me, her silver eyes gleamed.

"I"ve told you some about Caellaias, but have I ever told you about the different territories?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"No! Please tell us," Eiri begged.

"Well, at the center of the kingdom is Eirvanna. Once considered the land of the faeries, it"s now home to a vast number of beings. The lands surrounding it cause a cyclical change of weather patterns, making it suitable for many different beings."

"In the northern part of the kingdom is a place called Maiviraea. It is the land of the shifters –"

"Momma," I interrupted.

She patiently glanced down at me. "Yes, my Lily?"

"What"s a shifter?" I asked.

"Shifters are beings that can turn into an animal."

"What kind of animal?" Eiri asked with excitement.

"It depends on the person, but there are many, many types. In order for all these different types of shifters to feel at home, the land has every kind of habitat imaginable. It"s as though, within Maiviraea"s borders, a miniature version of Caellaias exists.

"The western part of Maiviraea is the warmest, all sand and scorching heat like a desert. Some animals you may find there are camels, ginormous scorpions, and various types of reptiles. The easternmost part is mountainous, as the Kolathus mountains run from Eirvanna to the ocean. The further east you go, it becomes bitter cold, with frequent snowfalls and blizzards. This area is home to bears, mountain goats, and rabbits. In the north, it"s very humid as it borders the ocean. Many of the animals from this area come from the ocean, such as seals, penguins, and turtles. The southern piece is the furthest inland and full of trees. Deer, wolves, foxes, and other woodland animals live there."

Momma shifted to look out the window at the snow falling outside. "To the east of Eirvanna is Baeruil, which is the home of the angels. The ground is always covered in snow, and the sun always shines. According to the angels who live there, it"s like living on a cloud, so peaceful and calm because few other beings live there."

Momma refocused on us as she continued, "If you travel south of Eirvanna, you"ll find yourself in Lamatorre—the home of the vampires. Because of a special spell, the sun can"t shine fully, making plant life sparse. There are occasional patches of grass or flowers, and most of the trees are all hollowed out and dead. It"s truly a dreadful place, but it"s perfect for the vampires; their eyes and skin are very sensitive to the sun."

"I"m glad I"m not a vampire!" Eiri interrupted, "I love being outside in the sun!"

Chuckling, Momma continued, "To the west of Eirvanna is the land of the demons called Kaeuil. Similar to Lamatorre, it is also barren. However, the sun relentlessly beats down on the land here, causing it to be constantly hot and dry. It"s exactly what many people in the Earth realm think of Hell. The land is so hot it"s uninhabitable for many beings.

"But my favorite place in all of Caellaias is Castle Rilvara! It"s a beautiful white stone castle nestled on the edge of the forest in Eirvanna, home to the royal family along with their hundreds of guards and servants.

"The castle has four looming spires that reach high up into the sky like they are trying to touch the clouds. These spires are tipped with a brilliant cobalt-blue stone called sollamthus. The gray walls protecting the castle stand over one hundred feet tall, and sitting atop them are what they call battlements. The walls barricade the castle from the dangers of the forest and any enemies who dare to attack those living there; archers and guards defend the castle from the battlements. If an enemy avoids being hit by an arrow, they have to cross a moat full of piranha-like fish called nyrthym to reach the wall itself.

"On the opposite side of the forest is the city of Kanlyrae. Hundreds of people reside there and are frequently visited by tourists and travelers on their way from one territory to another. Traveling merchants come from all over to display and trade their wares. Farmers from the outskirts of the city set up produce and meat stands," Momma explained.

"Momma, I wish we could visit Caellaias one day! It sounds so magical! I want to taste the zyelvris sap!" I begged, staring at her with wide eyes and a bright smile.

Her eyes met mine, terror evident on her face. She grasped my hand, pulling me into a tight hug. "My Little Lily, I wish we could. It"s such a beautiful place but can be very dangerous." As Momma hugged me, her tears dropped onto my shoulder. She took a deep breath before continuing, "The royal family is not all they seem to be. Long ago, the king lived in the castle with his beautiful wife, the queen. They were blessed with two beautiful daughters, just a few years apart.

"Sadly, the queen passed away after she had her second daughter. The king did his best to care for and raise his daughters, but, in the end, they both ran away. You see, the king is easily angered, and his anger makes him cruel. He doesn"t think about how he affects others when he lashes out. His subjects adore him very much, but he is not the same man to those closest to him. So, as much as I"d love to take you there, Poppa would never allow it, and if we go, we may never be able to come home."

When Momma finally let me go, I looked up and wiped away another tear from her cheek as I said, "Momma, the princesses sound brave. I want to be brave like them someday," and gave her a small smile.

She returned my smile and nodded. Caressing my cheeks and taking a deep breath, she murmured, "My Little Lily, I have no doubt you will be even more brave than they ever could have been. You can do anything you put your mind to. Now, you girls, go play while I finish supper." With that, she kissed me on the forehead and rushed into the kitchen, sniffling several times along the way.