A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition by Alexia Purdy

twigs and leaves crunched under their feet, snapping and crackling as they walked. The noise seemed louder in the vastness of the woods and quiet of the morning. Shade kept her eyes on the forest floor, but she glanced up every so often to watch Soap’s long brown hair swinging in the cool breeze. He had tied it back with a leather string matching the color of his hair. She wondered who he was and why he was coming on this journey with her. She supposed it might be for her protection, but she was nothing to him. Why risk himself for her?
    Her mind continued to race with questions. Why had he been alone as a child in this desolate forest? He could’ve been killed, eaten alive by an animal. She looked at the thick shrubbery around her and shivered at the thought.
    Finally, they reached the forest’s edge and could hear traffic in the distance. For a brief moment, Shade had almost forgotten about the reality of her world. She’d been so mesmerized by Soap’s magic, charms and of Faerie itself. The road was not far from the woods, and soon they were walking in the direction of her house. Shade wondered if her mother had already left. She secretly wished she would run into her anyway, just to say hello, and maybe she could get a warm hug and kiss goodbye. The little things she would miss overwhelmed her. What if she didn’t come back? When they had reached her house, they stopped and examined the exterior.
    The worn-down exterior consisted of bricks and old siding that happened to be partially dry-rotted. The house was old but comfortable; the rust-red exterior bricks were rough with age. Weeds clung to the base of the house. Toys and balls had been carelessly tossed across the yard. She smiled. Her little brothers and sister were loved dearly, but they were also spoiled rotten.
    Their mother worked hard, especially now that she was a single mom. Somehow, there was never a lack of love to go around. Sometimes she did get a little absent- minded, with so much going on between all of them, but forgetfulness was forgivable. It made Shade’s heart twist with a hollow pain to think of her small, tight-knit family.
    She was sure her mother was gone. The beat-up minivan was not parked in the driveway, and there were no crazy little kid screams filling the house, like usual. The place seemed eerily silent. Shade shook away her disappointment and started for the door, with Soap following closely behind.
    Shade jingled her keys out of her pocket and turned the knob. No one came running to greet her when she swung open the door. The house was still and vacant. The usual noises echoing through the rooms flitted through her mind. She sighed and headed in, closing the door behind them. She turned toward Soap and nodded. “If it’s ok, I’ll gather my stuff. See if you can find any canned, non-perishable food we can take. And I’d like to take a quick shower,” she added.
    He gave her a deep nod and smiled that iridescent smile of his. Gleaming white teeth flashed at her for a second.
    Shade smiled back nervously, turned, and raced up the stairs. Her room looked pretty much the same. Because she was the oldest, she and her little sister didn’t share a room. It was nice that her mother had agreed with her that she needed her own space. Her mom always asked a lot of her during the day, and it was nice to have some privacy at night. Of course, that meant Anna, her little sister, had her own room, too−lucky by default.
    Shade smiled, taking in the loveliness of the room. The quilt on her bed had pink and red patches in it. The walls of her room were a light shade of rose. There were also items in various shades of pink and purple scattered throughout the room. She loved to decorate and had tons of girlie stuff all around. She’d obtained most of her things from thrift stores, people at church or friends who had given them to her. Everything was a treasure to her.
    She opened her drawers, began rummaging through the clothes, and