Destiny's eyes fluttered. Selina's soft humming filled her ears, her head pounded with unbearable pain when she tried recalling the events in The Grove, her memories clouded.
'Had meeting Christos again been a dream? No, she was certain they hunted together.'

Selina placed a cold cloth on her forehead. Keeping her palm firmly in place for a few moments, whispering words Destiny couldn't understand underneath the hypnotic humming. Warmth flooded Selina's palm. The scent of burning sage filled her nose. It impaired Destiny's focus; she squirmed in her sleep, lashing out and smacking Selina's hand off her.
'The Grove fairies, danger,' Destiny shouted, dazed by the sage.
'Destiny, you're in no danger. Everything is fine. Listen only to my voice,' Selina instructed.
'The Grove isn't real. Stay away from that part of the forest. It's old and best forgotten. Breathe in the incense. It will relax you.' The weight sifted on the bed. She heard Selina leave her room, leaving the door ajar.
Destiny urged her unwilling limbs to move. She stood opening the window, inhaling the fresh air, while the smell of burning sage disappeared.

The cloud enveloping her mind lifted, her memories focused, clearing. She noticed the arrow and quiver leaning against the wall; she hid them behind her bag in the corner, so her desk concealed them. Hearing Selina ascend the staircase, she pushed the door, carrying a tray.

'Destiny, get back to bed. Your adventure yesterday made you ill. You have a fever.'
But she didn't feel sick, lightheaded maybe. She wanted to protest, but Selina's stern gaze made her obey. Her protests would go unheard. She sat on the bed, refusing to lie down. Selina sat the tray on the desk, adding the boiling water to the herbal tea. She added lavender and a spoonful of honey to cut through the bitter herbs.
She handed Destiny the cup. 'Drink it before it cools. The herbs will break the fever.'
'But I feel fine, honest.'
Selina shakes her head. 'Destiny, you were out in the downpour yesterday. Your clothes are damp. Now drink the tea,' Selina ordered, becoming livid when she glared at her stepmother in defiance. She placed the cup on the nightstand, folding her arms, locking eyes with Selina, who narrowed her eyes. animosity crackled between them.
'Fine, I see you won't corporate while I'm here, drink it before it cools.' She storms out the room, slamming the door.

'She hates it when she doesn't get her own way,' Destiny muttered. Selina disappeared somewhere down the hallway.
'Why be so instant about drinking this cup of tea?' Destiny clasped the cup, sniffing the liquid. She wouldn't risk a taste. She identified hints of lavender and honey and a sticky, spicy aroma that made her head spin.
'When did Selina add spices to her brew? She had never had before. It's intense.' Destiny threw the steaming tea out the window.

Destiny noticed a transparent doe out of the corner of her eye. She blinked, trying to focus. Maybe she was feverish, but the spectre remained there in the same spot.
'Okay, either I have a fever and am hallucinating or I'm being haunted by a doe ghost. One way to find out.' She secured the bow and quiver to her back and climbed down the vines. She followed the spectre. The spirted doe sprinted into the forest.

The doe led her through a maze of twisting pathways till they reached the Evergreen Grove. The grove's foul stench made Destiny gag. She breathed in the stagnant air. Rotting fruit littered the forest floor with the enchantment broken. The grove decayed with overgrown trees and bushes. She continued navigating the maze of ancient trees; the spectre leading the way. The doe stood beside the only tree still bearing the enticing golden apples, but the arrow held her attention. She pulled it out of the tree, examine the wood. Thick with moisture, she couldn't believe they had fired this arrow yesterday. The wood rotted and aged. The black apple fell into the muddy ground, now consumed with wiggling maggots and infested with buzzing flies. Destiny heaved, wanting to vomit. The same sickly spicy aroma burst from the repulsive fruit, making Destiny's head spin. She stepped backwards, failing against the back of the trunk; she laughed.
'Yesterday hadn't been a dream.' She smiled, relieved. Funny, she remembered Selina once bragging about making her boss forget about her coming in late to work and instead gave her a raise. Which she later used to fund her personal business.

'How could she have forgotten that? Yes, she was a kid, but every teenager remembers their childhood, yet she could not.'
'She couldn't think where the gaps in her memories came from, or where they started.'
'Selina wouldn't do that, would she?' Selina had attempted to convince Destiny everything she experienced yesterday was a lie.
Destiny felt watched. She glanced around her surroundings, red shining eyes peered back at her from the reeds of a weeping willow. For a long time, the oppressive force seemed to be detected by Destiny. The mass of darkness took the shape of a massive lizard. The hisses and growls from its fanged mouth sprayed black saliva towards Destiny. She hit behind the trunk. She grabbed her bow, firing an arrow towards the unholy creature. It scurried away, grabbing a rotting apple. She fired another arrow, piercing the lizard's hind leg. Destiny didn't understand what the creature was, but it observed her with sinister intentions.
Destiny relaxed her rigid stance, listening to the wild sounds around her. The bushes rustled Destiny raised her bow, readying an arrow. 'Destiny? Where are you?' Christos was calling her name.

'I'm here Christos.' She called in response. He broke through the overgrown bushes. She lowered her bow. His face etched with concern. 'What are you doing here?'
'Everything was real,' Destiny replied. 'Selina tried to make me forget.' Her voice quivered with raw emotion.

Christos sighed. 'My people wanted to use you for your powers. I had no choice but to take you back home. It was the only way I could save you from becoming enslaved by the Mist Fairies. After you swallowed the apple piece, they tracked us.' He caressed her cheek.

Destiny's eyes filled with furious tears, irritated with herself at believing Selina's deceitful lies. Her expression softened a little, and she touched his hand.
'I am truly grateful to you, Christos. You helped me regain the memories. I never knew I was missing.'

Christos smiled. 'So, your stepmother is a conniving witch. Who can mind control you?' He asked.
'I'm unsure, but I remember little of my childhood.'
His gaze met hers. His blue eyes turned icy with mixed emotions, and his jaw clenched. He exhaled deeply, leaning against an enchanted tree. His palm pressed on the trunk. Despite the humid weather, icicles formed on the leaves above Christos's head. While regaining his composure,

My intention was simply to keep you safe. I can't tell you how happy I am to have found you again, after all these years. I've missed you so much.'
Destiny smiled. 'I missed you.' She noticed a bag over his shoulder. 'Are you going somewhere?'
'Hunting season ends in the summer. I'm heading back home and am starting school in another month,' Christos said. With a disappointed sigh.
'We are leaving soon ourselves,' Destiny said.
She couldn't shake the sense that Christos was hiding something. Right now, though, she had enough to think about, like how to keep Selina from stealing her memories again. She wrapped her arms around Christos in a bittersweet embrace.

"We'll see each other around then? Are you going home yet?" Christos asked.
"No, not yet. Travel safely with Christos." He smirked as he dissolved, becoming one with the mists and leaving her arms empty.
The mists floated into the forests, carried by the winds.

Destiny paced, thinking of her next course of action. "Act normal Destiny. Don't let on you remember," she muttered. Giving herself a pep talk, walking towards the house.
Selina stood at Destiny's window, retrieving the teacup left on her nightstand. 'She must check I drank every drop.' She groaned. Destiny entered through the side door. She hid the bow and quiver inside a duffle bag lying in the hallway.
The pungent coming from the scented candles and herbs rising from the basement made her nauseous.

The soft humming grew louder, as Selina descend the stairs. "Where have you been?" she asked. Carrying the empty teacup. "I took a stroll. I thought the fresh air would help."

Selina signed, "I see, but in your condition, resting is the best medicine. I'm glad you drank the tea I prepared." Selina pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, stroking her winded hair.
"My familiar is always watching, my dear Destiny. Even when you're sleeping. "She whispered. So close her breath tickled Destiny's ear. The pungent herbs lingered on her stepmother's skin, making her lightheaded. She pulled away.

She noticed her stepmother looked different–her hair flecked with grey and wrinkles caught at the corners of her eyes, which were filled with an unfamiliar darkness. Selina entered the kitchen, cleaning her hands.

Silently, Destiny made her way to her room and lay down on the bed. Her eyes were closed.
She glanced at her English and science curriculum; she needed to do for her home schooling. Math was her worst subject. Her classes were online with her tutors, listening to the sounds of a soft conversation coming from her father's study. She recognised her father's voice, but he wasn't on the phone - there was someone with him. Curious, Destiny staggered towards the study. A grey-haired man, wearing a tailored, chocolate brown suit, was standing in the doorway.

Catching sight of Destiny, Alaric pulled her into a protective hug. "I'm so glad you're home." He ruffled her hair. The man smiled and handed over some papers before declaring that he'd see himself out and heading off down the stairs.

"Who was the man?" Destiny asked.
"He's the person who is selling our house." Alaric sighed, sorting through the real estate agent's paperwork.

***

Friday arrived and the removal men bustled in and out of the house, moving boxes and furniture. Destiny stayed out of the way, wandering around the emptying house. She noticed the chest with the phoenix lid, sitting in the hallway. Destiny carried the chest, placing it in the moving van.

As the car pulled away from the drive for the very last time, Destiny thought she saw Christos waving from the forest. Saddened, she waved goodbye, already missing the view of the mists from her window. As the miles slipped away, Destiny passed the time drawing in her sketchbook. She entered a trance, drawing the intruder, her hand moving on its own, sketching out various details she couldn't possibly have known.

She drew a tattoo on his lower left arm, a vial with droplets of blood flowing down the edges, and the words, I Will Hunt You In Shadow - You Will Give Me Your Blood In Sin written in curling letters beneath the image.

They passed through many small towns until finally her father pulled into a lay-by on the edge of a forest. A petrol station sat on the opposite side of the road.
"The turning to Violet Springs is somewhere along this road," he muttered as he unfolded a large paper map.
"Forget the map, Alaric. Use the GPS on your phone," Selina suggested. She unlocked his phone, frowning, "Damn it. The phone reception is sketchy as hell out here," she complained. Moving around the car, trying to get a better signal. "Maybe we should pull into the petrol station and ask for directions," Selina suggested. Alaric drove into the service station and packed near the petrol pump.

Destiny got out of the car to stretch her legs. Her sixth sense nagged at her, noticing a black Harley parked next to a pump. She headed inside the shop, choosing a drink. After a few minutes, it took her to pay; she turned to head back to the car- almost jumping out of her skin, as her green eyes locked with the bright, aqua blue of a boy about her height.

She hurried out of the store, and he followed quickly with graceful strides. The sleeves of his white shirt rolled up, showing off his pale skin and revealing a familiar tattoo. He didn't act like the thief who broke into her house, but Destiny knew better. They reached the edge of the park. And then she rounded on him. His aqua eyes narrowed.

"Where is my father's journal?" she demanded.
"I don't know what you're taking about, princess," he drawled lazily.

Her fist connected with the side of his face and he staggered, caught completely off-guard.
"Fuck! You have one hell of a left hook."
"Where is my father's journal?" she hissed.

Before the boy could answer, Destiny's father appeared. "Ah, there you are! I've been looking for you, young lady. We need to get back on the road before..." Alaric's voice trailed off as he took in the scene. He folded his arms in hostile posture. The aqua-eyed boy stepped forward, holding out his hand.

"You must be Alaric Morgan. I work for the agency. They requested I accompany you to Violet Springs."
Destiny's jaw dropped. Her dad will see through the flimsy lie, but the boy was calm, and Alaric didn't seem worried.

"Ah yes, the agency mentioned they would send someone to meet us," Alaric said cheerfully. "What's your name, young man?"

"I'm Ashton Shadowthorn," the boy smiled. "My directions were to meet you here and travel on to Violet Springs in the car with you. If you've got room on the backseat, of course." Ash looked at Destiny slyly as Alaric nodded in agreement.

It's unnecessary for him to come in the car. He's got a motorbike. We can just follow his bike." Destiny stared at her father, trying to let him know that something was wrong.

Ashton pressed a small circular device sitting on his belt. Before Destiny's eyes, the black Harley dissolved, disappearing from sight. "What on earth? Where did the bike go? It was right there!" Destiny stammered.
They walked back to the car and Ashton opened the door for Destiny. She winced. But told herself to suck it up. Being in an enclosed space with him caused her heart to race.

Picking up hitchhiker's dad, he might kill our entire family.

She sat on the right side of the car, away from Ash. She opened her phone; the reception out here was dropping out. She wanted to search up on Violet Springs.
"Must be a black spot," Ash said.

Destiny nodded in agreement. "So, Ash, how long have you worked for the Veil Agency?" Alaric asked. Ashton pushed his brown hair back. "One year now, I assist agents with their assignments."
Destiny glanced at him. He looked no older than nineteen. He smirked." I finally got your attention." Destiny folded her arms, rising an eyebrow in suspicion, not believing his story.
"So, why did the agency send Alaric to a backwater place like Violet Springs?" Selina asked.

"Violet Springs is a place of interest for the Veil Agents, as the ley lines a mystical network of energy has become active after being dormant for years."
"Your posted in Violet Springs because people are vanishing without a trace. You'll work with detective Willows why these portals are appearing," Ashton explained.

Alaric frowned. "What has the detective been told?" They came to an intersection." Ash, which way do I turn?" He glanced at him in the review mirror.
"Left, Mr. Morgan, and follow the road until you enter the archways. I'll instruct you from there."

"The detective is aware you study supernatural events," Ash replied. Her father turned, heading inside the vast forest, as the rain increased, spluttering against the glass. The trees formed natural archways. Linked with vines and moss. The trees towered above their heads.

"Has anything entered our world from Andreal?" Alaric asked.
"There have been unconfirmed sightings of a panther. I would avoid the forest at night, people vanishing without a trace," Ash warned.

"Maybe the portal sucked them in," Destiny suggested. Ash muttered under his breath, amused. An old sign said. Welcome to Violet Springs, where strange is normal.
He turned onto the broken road, Charming. Destiny thought.

As they reached the end of the broken road, the houses on the edge of the town came into view. "That's as far as I need to go with you. Thank you for the lift, Mr. Morgan. I'll get out here," Ash said.

Alaric pulled up to the side of the road, getting out and shaking hands with Ash.

"Thank you for the escort, "he said cheerfully.
"No problem, sir," Ash smiled. His aqua eyes fixed on Destiny; he pressed a button on the circular device. The black Harley pulled up alongside their car, coming to a halt. There was no rider. Ash glanced back at the archways mounting the bike, riding into town.

Destiny followed his gaze, seeing a cat-like shadow laying across thearchways, observing their car.
Was that a guardian? Destiny questioned