Amberley
I couldn't breathe. Every step of my horse, every step closer towards my future, I felt my throat constrict.

I should just throw myself from my mare and hope I land on my neck. Nobody would miss me. Nobody would dig me a grave. I stared at the long sword hanging from Taylor's tack.

Even after weeks of training. The sword still felt foreign in my hand. It just felt wrong. I didn't like hurting people.

"Amberley...just relax. This isn't life or death. It's just practice," Evan says with a chuckle.

He's wearing a thin grey tank top that exposes his toned arm and back muscles. I could barely focus with his flexing and flaunting!

"I'm trying!" I say.

Evan grins and holds his sword out in front of him like it's an extension of his arm. I furrow my eyebrows as he circles.

"Stop that!" I exclaim.

"Stop what?" He said innocently.

"Smirking and following me around like a dog!"

Evan chuckles and lunges forward. I shriek as his sword makes contact with mine. My arm jerks and the weapon is flung out of my hand and across the mat.

"Hey!"

He grins and places the tip of his sword against my stomach. "Dead!"

I scowl at the laughs from across the room. I wave dramatically at Eli and Jeff who seem to find something very funny. They are bent over in fits of laughter.

With a scoff, I stalk across the mat and heft my weapon up and back into my hand.

I barely have time to turn before Evans sword is pressed to my stomach again. He reaches forward and slaps mine out of my hand.

"Always be prepared, you never know who's going to be behind you with a blade."

I jut my bottom lip out in a pout. This wasn't even fair! Evan was obviously better than me! Shouldn't I get to spar with someone of my skill?

"You're cute when you pout..." Evan states with a smirk.

I feel heat rush to my cheeks.

To my dismay, my mind had been hit with these flashbacks for the past day. Certain things would trigger it. A golden field that reminded me of Evan's eyes, a joke that Taylor would crack to Alexander reminding me of Jeff, Eli and Jackson's conversations while sitting together in the cafeteria.

I couldn't grieve them or I would break down. They were all dead, buried in Clandestine. I would just forget them until I could rejoin them in the after life.

"What was Clandestine like?" Taylor questions me. Her horse had fallen into step with mine. She eyed me with curiosity.

"I don't really know how to explain it," I answered truthfully. I couldn't really grasp what had happened in the last week. Was Clandestine even real? Was anything even real?

"Explain it one word," she tried.

I shrugged and pondered this. "Cold."

She looked away from me at this. "Cold? I just expected you to say safe or welcoming."

"We were never safe. Only safer than the average screwed person."

As if on cue, Alexander swooped down from the sky, sending my hair into a hundred different directions. He liked to do that.

"They're here," he said simply. I stared at him. He really was magnificent. He resembled a fallen angel. To bad he was a rude bastard.

Taylor squealed and clapped her hands together, pulling her horse to a stop. "Yes, finally!"

I kept my features stony. Whoever these "Reapers" were, I doubt they were going to be that my friends.

I halted my horse as I heard a loud commotion. I saw a group of people break through the corn field we were currently passing. Alexander landed gracefully onto the ground besides my horse. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Who exactly are these people?" I questioned.

Alexander looked happier than I've ever seen him. The group were soon upon us and to say I was over whelmed was a understatement.

Six people, all around my age and all various heights, weights and races. They looked like a band of misfits.

A large, boulder of a guy came bounding up to Taylor's horse and ripped her off. She laughed as he squeezed her in a hug. I sat awkwardly as group embraced each other and started talking all at once. Even Alexander was grinning and clapping the group of the shoulders, pulling them in for embraces.

I almost thought of escaping. I could make a run for it while Alexander was distracted. Just as I pulled my reins to the left, the fairy boy himself came fluttering besides me and clamped a strong hand on my reins. I glared at him. He crouched besides my horse and gave me a mean smile.

The groups eyes all fell on me. After a year with the hundreds of eyes of the Altrus in Clandestine always on me, I was accustomed to the attention.

"This is the spoiled royal bitch we've traveled hundreds of miles to retrieve," Alexander said. I suddenly forgot all about the people and shouted a unladylike curse at the winged boy. I took my foot out of the stirrup and slammed it into the side of his head. The group burst into laughter.

Alexander hissed and clutched the side of his head. We continued to glare at each other even as Taylor stepped between us.

"Leave her alone, Alex," she said before turning to the group. "This is Amberley Da Ville, now introduce each other one at a time."

The first to step forward was the boulder man. He nodded to me and patted my leg endearingly. He suddenly seemed more teddy bear than boulder. "I'm Pierson Davis," he grunted. I nodded and smiled at him.

The next was olive skinned boy. He had a notebook tucked into the pocket of his jacket. "Jasper Padilla, the smart one," he said. I cocked an eyebrow as the group muttered under their breaths.

A girl whose only superior in size was Pierson, pounded her meaty fist on her chest. I felt like an ant compared to her. She had a blue ribbon tied in her hair. "Betty," she mumbled, trying to cover the ribbon. I smiled at her embarrassed expression. "I love your ribbon," I complimented.

The next was a slender boy with light brown hair and a unsteady expression. He couldn't quite look me in the eye and his hands fidgeted with dagger at his side. "Beck...Beck Davies."

The last girl of the group stepped forward. She looked up at me with wide eyes. She looked me up and down and bit down on her fingernails. She was the smallest person I have ever seen. Alexander patted her head and glanced at me. "This is Jasmine." I nodded with a smile.

Finally, a blonde boy stepped forward. He looked oddly familiar with blonde locks and golden eyes. His hair was long and unruly and his frame was thin. He smirked at me and did a mocking bow. My smile vanished. "And I'm Micah Valentino...Sterling's brother."

I looked at Alexander as if saying 'seriously fairy boy? Is this dude for real?' He almost looked pitiful by just shrugged and neutralized his expression.

I stared at Micah. Should I be mad at him? Should I throw my powers in his face and strangle him like I wanted to do to his brother.

"You sent him the letter?" I questioned.

He nodded and looked sad. "I did but something tells me that he didn't listen. Sterlings always been stubborn like that."

I swung myself off my horse and was grateful to have solid earth under my feet. I reached forward and faced Micah.

"Thank you... for sending it even if he didn't listen," I say sincerely. He only nods.

"Just remember, he spent ten years down there, with one guarantee; that he would take our fathers position. Do you think he would give that up because of one letter from his long lost brother and a princess he didn't even know?"

I shrugged. "He told me he loved me, told me he would never hurt me so yes I actually did expect that."

Micah and the group looked shocked. I guess they thought I didn't know Sterling until the very last day. They were quite wrong.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea..." Micah started.

I cut him off with a shake of my head. "It's in the past now. How about we all get to know each other so I know you all aren't my enemies in disguise?"

~

It had been a few hours and I already felt a weight being lifted off my chest. The Reapers were actually great. They joked and played games and acted like the one thing I've never had...family.

The Reapers had insisted on walking besides Taylor and I's horses but I almost wished they wouldn't have. The feel of nothing underneath my feet was becoming real old.

"Jasmine!" I heard Taylor call from her saddle. I looked down to find Jasmine sprawled out in the grassy marsh we were traveling through.

Alexander knelt down besides her and patted her on the back. She glanced at me before leaning to whisper something in his ear. I dismounted my horse and walked over to the two.

"I'm so selfish, please forgive me," I said. Jasmine looked up with a place face. I handed the reins to her. She hesitated before taking them in her tiny hands. "Look at me, being a spoiled royal just like Alexander says."

She smiles and looks at the horse. I stand up with her and follow her over to the mare. I place my hands a few feet over the ground. Jasmine gets the message and places one foot in my hand. I help her mount.

I am frowning as I fix the stirrups to match Jasmines height. I must of made the worst impression. I should of given up the saddle hours ago. And I've been complaining about how uncomfortable I felt when she was suffering.

I pat Jasmines leg and she kicks the mare. We set pace again and the loud conversations of the Reapers starts up again.

I shamefully walk forward, keeping my head down. Alexander falls into step besides me. I can't look at him.

"Don't say it, Alexander. I know I'm a horrible human being," I mutter.

Alexander doesn't speak for a few moments but I hear his wings flap lightly behind his back. Something about them intrigues me.

"I feel horrible. Do you think they all hate me?" I question, finally looked up at the winged boy.

He looks conflicted as he looks at me. "Who exactly are you?"

I furrow my brows as I look at him. "I'm Princess Amberley Da Ville..." I start.

"No... I mean...who would you be if your father didn't hit you, if that bastard Sterbitch didn't betray you?"

Something told me that he didn't know the extent of just how my father treated me or how Evan betrayed me but he did have a point. Who was I really?

"I'm not really sure. I feel like the real me has been hiding all my life. Sometimes it comes out...when I'm training or speaking my mind...but I just don't know who I am anymore."

Alexander looks at Jasmine and then back at me. "Maybe we'll find out soon."

"Soon? I don't think so buddy boy... I'm not going to give up my true identity to people with blonde hair, gold eyes, or wings so try again fairy boy..." I correct.

Alexander glares at my nicknames but only puts the tip of his wing in front of my foot, stumbling me slightly.

"Well if better be a the best damn true identity with all the trouble I'm going through for you," he says.

I glance at his wings that trail behind him. "How do you... sleep with them?"

Alexander gives me an incredulous expression and looks at me as if I'm stupid. "On my stomach?"

My nose scrunches together. I hated sleeping on my stomach. "Every night? There's no way to get rid of them?"

"Get rid of them? What medicinal herbs are you inhaling? My wings are badass..."

I glare at his tone. "Well my ass is badass..."

"Are you always this talkative and annoying?" He asks in frustration.

"Not particularly. No... I used to be afraid to talk to anyone with more than a few words."

Alexander lifts off the ground and nearly sends me sprawling. "Must have been nice!"