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I had met his sister, Mab, at a couple of social gatherings but never knew her well. Just like Merlin, Mab had white-blond hair and glacial blue eyes. However, where his eyes crinkled in the corners and spoke to his unerring compassion, hers bore evidence of a frozen heart. She was striking, regal even. Ruling over the Unseelie Wilds, she had made herself queen of what few others had the power to control. Even as a child, I could sense that the woman was not to be trifled with. When she appeared on the doorstep of my home, fear formed a leaden pit in my stomach. “Morgan,” she’d cooed in a seductive tone. “Is your mother home, child? I need to speak with her.” Rendered mute with intimidation, I merely nodded and stepped back to allow her in. She wore a full-length ivory gown with glints of gold brocade sewn throughout. The pale fabric on top of her porcelain skin gave her a ghostly appearance, making her blue eyes shine that much brighter. Her platinum hair was wound in intricate braids atop her head, and all together, the look was mesmerizing. It was an eerie beauty that bespoke her terrible power. I ran for my mother. Our home wasn’t big, just a cottage by a serene lake on the outskirts of Seelie Lands. My mother was a water Nymph, the Lady of the Lake she was called. We lived a quiet life surrounded by nature. It had been the perfect childhood until that day. “Mamma, Queen Mab is here. She wants to speak with you.” The words flew out in a rush as I hurried out back to where my mother kneeled in the garden, tending to her flowers. Her features hinted at surprise, but she didn’t appear worried, and that confidence settled my child’s mind. She shook off the soil and leaves from her morning gown and led the way back inside. “Mab, what a pleasure.” My mother dipped her head in a respectful bow and smiled warmly at our guest. “Please, sit down. May I offer you a drink?” Mab didn’t return the bow. Instead, her chin lifted, and her eyes narrowed. “My brother seems to have taken a liking to you. I hardly see him anymore.” She held her hands clasped behind her back and began to slowly pace farther into the room. “I care for him a great deal,” my mother offered softly. Mab turned her face back to my mother, and a deviously wicked grin spread across her pale lips. “You care for him a great deal? Do you have any idea how pathetic that sounds? Merlin is the other half of my soul.” Mab’s voice grew louder and more irate with each word. My heart sped to a pounding rhythm, and the pit in my stomach expanded until I was sure I would be sick. Something was very wrong—we were in grave danger. Before my mother could respond, Mab launched into a rant. “Merlin and I are two pieces of the same whole. I do not simply care for him; he is my world! You think you can weasel your way between us and lure him away from me, but you will never succeed.” Her face twisted with grotesque rage, and she flung her hand out to cast a powerful blast of magic toward my mother. With barely time to raise a shield, my mother was blown backward against the cottage wall but was able to protect herself from the full extent of the blast. I cried out in horror and ran for my mother. Without a glance in my direction, Mab used her magic to fling me into one of our wingback chairs and immobilize me with invisible bindings. With my mouth fixed shut, I was unable to do anything but watch helplessly as Mab brutalized my weeping mother. A Nymph’s water magic was ill-equipped to combat Mab’s powerful abilities. Tears streaked down my cheeks as Mab rained down blow after blow on my defenseless mother. Her blond hair, so like mine, fell from where it had been pinned atop her head, and blood trickled down from a gash in her temple. I felt my heart being ripped in two as I screamed relentlessly through a mouth that would not open. When my mother was no longer conscious, Mab lifted her with arms so thin they did not look capable of such strength. The evil queen approached where I sat, numb from the horrors I’d been forced to witness. “Dear Morgan,” she cooed. “Your mother was the victim of a horrible tragedy today.” My eyes shot up to hers, the first spark of hatred igniting inside me. But just as the flame took hold, it was quickly doused by a supernatural calm. Mab continued speaking in a melodic tone, and I felt my mind twist and warp with her words. “While she tended to her garden, your mother was spotted by a wayward Grindylow. The evil water demon attacked her, and her cries woke you from your sleep just in time to see the beast carry her off into the Wilds. There was nothing you could do but wait for help to arrive.” Her words unburdened my mind. I sat in a haze as she turned and strode out of the cottage, my mother still motionless in her arms. Even after I emerged from my stupor, I stayed in the house practically motionless for days. I considered going for help but felt an inexplicable resistance to leave every time I tried. I needed to stay and wait for help to arrive. My body grew weak without sustenance, an outward reflection of my broken heart within. The entire episode felt like a horrible nightmare, but I never woke, and my mother never came home. Tearless cries wrenched from my dehydrated body when I finally conceded that I was alone. My mother was gone. I scraped myself together and began to perform the tasks I’d watched my mother carry out on a daily basis. Each day, I grew stronger and more hardened to my new reality. When Merlin came to visit almost a month later, I explained calmly how the Grindylow had taken my mother while he was away. He told me how very sorry he was and promised he would never stop searching for her. Still more traumatized than I knew at the time, I was cocooned in numbness—not angry with his absence or relieved upon his return. I was in survival mode and incapable of anything more. Merlin insisted I come with him, explaining that he would become my guardian. He took me to Avalon where he lived, and over time, I began to heal. Just when I began to settle into my new life, everything unraveled. Merlin figured out the truth behind my mother’s a*******n—that his sister had been to blame. When he killed her in an attempt to save my mother, the spell binding my memories dissolved, and I was assaulted by a flood of images from the day my mother was attacked. I remembered every brutal detail. The fear. The helplessness. And on top of it all, Merlin informed me that my mother had not survived
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