EXCERPT from FAIRY TALE: THE PRINCESS AND THE ANGEL by Artemis Hunter

This is a chapter excerpt from the first book of the FAIRY TALE trilogy by Artemis Hunter. 

Rowan lives her life in relative peace, other than the stress of being a teenager, and having an abusive ex boyfriend. Everything seems okay, until she meets Aiden. Her life changes dramatically, making her face herself, and what she is and what she has the potential to be.

Chapter Five (The Princess)

Human Realm

Rowan

I slammed my locker shut, the lock didn’t catch and flew back towards me as I spun and walked away.

“Hey, your locker didn’t shut.”

I twirled around sharply and swung my foot around to contact the metal door, a split second later a loud metal clang filled the halls, everyone cringing and staring as I stormed down the hall, “There’s nothing worth stealing in there anyway!” I shouted as I stormed down the stairs.

The boy who leaned against the wall, and also made the comment, just had to push me too far.

I threw my books down onto my desk and sat down. I growled as the boy slid into the seat next to me. “Excuse me? What do you think you’re doing?” I barked at him as other students slid into the room.

“Sitting, obviously,” I turned to glare at him, but cut myself short. “What? Cat got your tongue?”

He had an ornery grin, and his black green eyes sparkled. He had shaggy white hair and pale skin.

“Shut up,” was all I could manage.

Aiden

She blazed with anger, and her cheeks were pink. Her skin was so pale it almost looked like smooth ivory. Her hair was long, about to her small delicate hips, and had streaks of dark blue mixed into the black mass of waves. Her eyes were a pale icy blue and she wore a white thin cami and blue jeans.

“You know…this is my first day at this school. You could be a little friendlier.” I told her with a grin. She snapped her head around in an instant, her eyes furious.

“And just how friendly would you like me to get with you? I’m not in the mood for bullshit,” she snarled, a hurt look in her eyes.

I frowned and sighed, “I was just hoping we could be friends, and just see if there’s any hope for me at this school. Plus I’ve never met a girl with as much spunk as you.”

She rolled her eyes and looked to the front of the classroom as the teacher entered the room.

Rowan

I looked at my book sadly, as I drew pictures in my notebook. Earlier today I had found out that my now

ex-boyfriend had cheated on me with my best friend. From then on, my day went to the shitter.

I was having difficulty in math, I tripped carrying a stack of recently alphabetized tests to the office in my school to career class, and to top it all off, I realized I had a five dollar late fee on my library books.

I groaned running a hand through my hair, leaning back to rest my head on the wall behind me.

“Hey,” the boy hissed, and thrust a note onto my desk before facing the front again as the teacher picked on a few students.

I unfolded the note carefully, to make the least amount of noise possible. I read the neat precise handwriting on the scrap of paper;

Sit with me at lunch, and tell me what’s wrong.-Aiden

Underneath was a phone number and his email. I glanced at him and frowned, I sighed, what a day…

Aiden

She sat down next to me, her meal was an orange, which was peeled and eaten in under three minutes.

We sat in silence for a moment, she was glancing around the lunch room and I was pushing food around on my tray.

“I’m not having a good day,” she started with a grumble, and looked at me, “My boyfriend- Exboyfriend- cheated on me. I got a huge late fee on my books, and I dropped some tests.”

I looked at her gently, “I think you’re thinking too negatively. I mean now look at it this way, what if you two had gotten married, had a family and then he cheated? Wouldn’t that be worse? The late fee on your books, what if they didn’t have late fees? No new books in the library.”

She smiled and leaned forward, her big blue eyes looking directly into mine, all I could think about was how mesmerizing they were as she asked, “What about the tests?”

I grinned back at her, “Oh, well that was just you being clumsy.”

She reached up and punched me in the shoulder, hard. But she was laughing and she actually seemed happy. I felt a warm feeling fill my body as she smiled, knowing that I had helped put that smile there.

“So…tell me about yourself, Aiden,” she stated with a warm glow in her eyes.

“Well,” I started, “I actually just moved back into town, I’d left for about ten years. I’ve been homeschooled since, but I have never forgotten why we left, my grandma and me, we left to protect the princess here, you see I’m a guardian angel.”

She smiled, her eyes amused, “Seriously?” she asked raising an eyebrow, crossing her arms on the table, leaning closer to look up at me, “Prove it.”

I smiled and ran a hand through my hair, “It’s a bit more complicated than that, you see-”

“Hey, Rowan,” a sturdy male voice behind me said intimidating her at once. Her smile fell and she leaned back with a tremble.

I looked over my shoulder to see a boy with fire red hair, I looked back at Rowan to see she had stood up, and looked like she was posed to run as she spoke, “Blaze…leave me alone…”

“Look, Rowan, I’m sorry. But you don’t need to hang with this trash,” he claimed, gesturing towards me as I stood up in front of Rowan, holding my arm back to push her a little further back out of view.

“Watch your words,” I growled, watching his hair as it sparked, figuring he was a fire-runner fairy. I chose to end this quickly, without a confrontation.

I saw the shock in his eyes as my eyes shifted to bright green and white wings spread out behind me like beams of moonlight, the feathers sparkling vibrantly, “Back off of Rowan,” I commanded, grabbing her hand gently with a reassuring squeeze as I continued, “Or else, I will stop you from bothering her. She’s made it very clear she wants to be no where near you.”

The sparks in his hair died instantly, and I pulled my wings back, letting him know that only he had seen my wings.

“Okay, man,” he said turning to leave but stopped. He looked back over his shoulder at Rowan who had slid back into her seat, adding, “For now at least.”

We watched him leave, and Rowan touched my shoulder, “You can let go of my hand now, Aiden.”

I released her hand, not really wanting to, but I knew it was enough to know I was there to help her, I could feel it in my chest as I slid into the spot next to her, giving her a gentle reassuring smile.

Rowan

“I’m sorry about Blaze,” I mumbled, slamming my locker shut, and looking up at Aiden who smiled at me.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I can handle him.”

I looked at him with his lean frame, and there was no doubt he had muscle, but he was nomatch for Blaze. He noticed my doubtful gaze, and grinned, “I’m an angel, remember?”

“Yeah, right,” I laughed, rolling my eyes, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

I turned to leave but he gently grabbed my shoulder, and I winced, pain radiating from the bruise Blaze had given me. I looked over my shoulder, and Aiden looked at me with concerned eyes, “Rowan, you’re a strong girl, don’t ever let anyone hurt you. You’re too beautiful for that.” I spun around and punched him in the chest. He winced, but smiled, grabbing my hand, “I am an angel, Rowan.” He pulled me closer and gave me a light gentle hug, avoiding all the bruises that scarred my body, “I’ll see you later, Rowan.”

I smiled as he left, and as I departed the school, I couldn’t help but think about Aiden, and how nice it was to have some one who made me feel better about myself.

I was curled up in a dusty corner of the library, deep in the dark sanctuary of rows of the books and silence. I was leaning back on my back pack, flipping through a book of fairy tales.

How does this make sense to people? To believe that people used to believe this shit… I thought to myself, closing the book and stretching, closing my eyes and letting out a soft slow sigh.

“Hey, Rowan,” a light soft voice called from a few feet away.

My eyes flew open and I shot up into a sitting position, and glared up at the silhouette of a teenage boy. I shook softly, fear setting into my mind as he leaned down toward me.

I tensed and my muscles sprung into defense. My arm flew out and slammed against his face, “Hey Rowan, can you calm down on the fists of fury?”

I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at the boy, who was grinning despite a bleeding nose. I slowly relaxed my body, realizing it was Aiden.

I took a deep ragged breath, leaning my head against the books next to me, my heart pounding, my other hand holding my head as I lowered my fist from Aiden’s face, “I’m sorry, Aiden, I guess it became a reflex after a while…”

I groaned, curling my body up a bit into itself, “Do you want to talk about it, Rowan?”

I swallowed and glanced up at him, licking my lips, trying to decide whether or not to tell him, “You can trust me, Rowan,” he whispered leaning close to me with concern in his eyes.

I sighed, “Blaze…isn’t much like other guys…he doesn’t like to be gentle…he …was rough with me.” I rubbed my hidden arms, which were coated in bruises and cuts.

“Rowan…” Aiden whispered, as I took off my hoodie, revealing my black and blue body, covered with gashes as well.

“I felt like you were him,” I whispered, folding my arms on my knees and hiding my head in them, trying not to cry, “I’m so sorry for punching you like that.”

I looked at Aiden, who had managed to stop the bleeding with a tissue. He looked at me, and I looked away leaning back on my back pack, closing my eyes.

Blaze

I glared at Rowan and Aiden from behind the shelves, peering through the gap between the books and shelf. He was too close to her, where I needed to be, after all she was mine.

Rowan

When I opened my eyes, they were in instant pain from smoke and the room was hazy. I took a deep breath, choking on smoke as I stood up grabbing my backpack, the walls were dusty dark, glowing with flaming remains of books.

“The books…” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes as I ran down the aisle and turned to find the rest of the library burning and beams falling into the fountain, sizzling and steaming. I spun around wildly, fear seeping into my body.

“Rowan!” An airy male voice called, making me freeze, “Listen to me, I’ll help you!”

“Don’t listen to the voice, Rowan!” another voice said, coming from behind me. I spun around to face Aiden, my heart raced and a wave of relief swept over me as I coughed, and leaned forward, my chest aching and burning.

I grew dizzy, and started falling when Aiden’s strong safe arms came to my protection, and caught me, holding me to his chest as he spoke, “Trust me, Rowan, close your eyes again, and relax your body, I’m going to get you out of here.”

The other voice screamed in dismay as Aiden pulled me closer, and slid his arm down around my legs, his hand brushing my butt as he did so, “I’m scared, what’s going on?” I asked, as he picked me up and held me against him.

“Hush, shh…relax, close your eyes, I won’t let any of this hurt you,” he told me as my breathing increased and I closed my eyes and struggling to relax, I sighed.

“You can open your eyes now, Rowan, its okay,” Aiden told me softly in a whisper.

I opened my eyes and punched him in the gut as he pulled his body away from mine. He grunted and I looked up at him, “I’m sorry.”

He chuckled and smiled at me, “Its fine, use me as a punching bag anytime.” His smile warmed my heart as I coughed lightly. My throat still burning from the smoke and ash, which clearly didn’t exist since we were still in the library leaning on my back pack.

“That felt so real…” I whispered, rubbing my eyes which were still watering.

“You were mind-tricked,” Aiden told me, smiling at me.

“Please tell me that you don’t mean by a fairy,” I groaned.

“Yes, by a fairy,” he said standing up by a book shelf, holding out his hand, which I ignored and stood up swinging my backpack onto my shoulder.

“Yeah, right,” I said, rolling my eyes, and straightening to look evenly up at him.

“Rowan, you should probably go home and relax,” he responded, nodding toward the book of fairytales, “and you should probably take some of those

stories to heart, you never know what is real and what is not real.”

He smiled at me as he reached down to pick up the book and place it in my hands before he made his way out of view.

I watched him leave, and when he was out of sight, I glanced down at the book before going the other direction.

Blaze

He just had to ruin my attempt to get her back in my arms. I thought as I made my way towards the garden by the parking lot.

“You motherfucking bastard!”

I was slammed against a brick wall, and spun to face Aiden. His eyes were glowing as he spoke, his wings were glowing fire red.

“You ever try something like that again, I will tear you limb from limb, I am going to protect her from anything you or anyone else tries to do to her. Do I make myself clear?” he growled toward me.

“She is mine!” I roared, his grip tightened on my neck.

“She is your keeper! She is above your weak fey form!” Aiden roared back, fury burning through his skin

as he dropped me, glowering at me as he spoke, “Keep your distance from her.”

He turned and walked away into the crisp clean air of autumn.

Rowan

I got home and strapped on my boots and pulled on my hoodie. I walked outside, leaving a note for my mom saying I was going for a run in the woods.

I stepped into the forest, and started jogging down deer paths that I had known since I was a child, leaping over the sparkling streams. I eventually made my way to the small grove hidden deep in the woods. I sighed and moved the twigs covering the entrance to my small fallen tree hut.

It was mostly a ton of branches over a dead log and formed a dome with two entrances. I sighed and took a deep breath, I wouldn’t stay too long. Just long enough to relax.

I pulled my hood up over my head and laid down yawning, staring up through the cracks in between the branches.

Aiden

As soon as I was deep enough in the woods I shifted into a small fox. Despite the white fur, I had done a pretty good job.

I raced back and forth through the trees and undergrowth, coming to a halt by a brooke. I changed back into my human shape and approached the water.

An old woman stood across the small brooke, with gray hair, and small but kind warm eyes. I smiled at her and she smiled back, “Aiden, welcome back.”

“Thank you, Grandma,” I said, “May I pass?”

“You are always welcome here, Aiden.” Grandma Wings told me.

I crossed the cold water and followed Grandma to her falling apart Victorian home.

Rowan

When I opened my eyes, I saw moonlight seeping down like a waterfall, spilling over me from the cracks in the branches. I crouched and made my way out into the grove, I stretched, Mom’s going to kill me.

I turned around to head home, when I saw fire glowing in a pillar a few yards away.

Wait…that’s…

Blaze.

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Fairy Tale: The Princess and The Angel here

FairyTale: Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again here