Always Choose Dare

Chapter 1 - Storyteller

“Tell me what happened, sweet girl.” My nanny coaxes me to stop crying and look up into her honey-colored eyes.

“Because it was the last day of school, we had a game day outside. Some of the other kids asked me to play Truth or Dare with them. After a while, they were getting mad at me for always choosing dare, so the last time I picked it, they dared me to climb onto the top of the playground and jump onto the school’s roof. I made it…but slipped and fell. Now my arm is broken, and I can’t swim all Summer,” I feel my bottom lip begin to quiver, and my throat burns and feels like there is a knot in it, so I do my best to stop crying.

“Why did you only choose ‘dare’?” She asks as she sits on the side of my bed and begins stroking my silky waves with her long fingers.

“If I choose ‘dare’, then the next person usually picks ‘truth’. It’s kind of like a pattern. I like when they choose ‘truth’ because I always want to know the truth,” I say boldly.

“Eight years old and already you are smart enough to know that choosing dare will always get you to the truth,” she croons as she continues to stroke my hair. Her face looks both sad and proud with a ghost of a smile. She perks up and asks, “How about I read to you?”

Before she could reach for a book, my father pops his head inside my doorway. “We’re off. This trip is scheduled for two weeks. Remila, we expect you to act like a lady while we are away. No more of this climbing and jumping around as if you are a crazed chimpanzee! Dora, please stick to the classics - no fairytales. She must learn from books, not be taught fantasy and nonsense,” he states sternly.

He then pats my head like I am a pet instead of a girl. I know that these two weeks will turn into four or more. I may only be eight years old, but I have observed how my parents’ jobs keep them away from home more than not.

“I understand, sir,” Dora bows her head out of respect for my father.

I try to not smile, realizing that my nanny said she understood, but she didn’t say she’d follow his order. Dora has taught me to pay attention to words. Subtle changes in vocabulary can seem like it means one thing, but could really mean another. So tricky!

My mother rushes into my room with her coat over one arm, and her small travel bag full of makeup and jewelry on the other. She frets about, twisting my little knick knacks into the positions she thinks is correct, then placing my shoes in a line near my armoire.

“Remila, be sure to keep your room tidy and to obey the physician’s orders. We will not be gone long,” she kisses her fingertips and presses them to my cheek, careful to not let her bag swing forward and knock me. “Dora, I’ve placed a call to Dr. Rothstone to see if he can squeeze Remila’s next facial surgery into his schedule for this Summer. I figure if she must remain indoors to heal, we might as well have her heal from both at once, which should allow for her to have a much happier Christmas. Be sure to look for his call.”

After saying my goodbyes to my parents, Dora retrieves a thin, leather-bound book with delicate carvings of animals, plantlife, and magical creatures on its cover. then returns to her previous seat on the side of my bed. I can hardly contain my excitement, knowing nearly by heart the words that are about to pass through my nanny’s lips in her smooth, comforting voice.

“Many millennia ago, the six realms of the world were not, and yet they were. Each realm was joined, bound together on one plane of existence, and their inhabitants along with them. Together, the sorcerers, the fae, the vampires, the dragons, the werewolves, and the humans all dwelt together, and for a long time, they did so peaceably.

“Each had their own gifts. Sorcerers are born with dark magic within them, and use intellectual spells and potions to enact it. Fae have soul magic, which originated from their feelings and is connected to light and nature. Vampires are gifted with longevity, speed, and persuasion. Dragons possess the ability to shift from their human form into a dragon, each with an elemental tie. Werewolves also change forms from human to Lycan, and are gifted with longevity, strength, and a strong sense of justice.

“The greatest gift given to the magical beings by their gods, though, is their one true soulmate. Finding one’s soulmate is truly magical! With the mate bond came pure love, selfless intent, and true power, because love has always - and will always - conquered all evil.

“Humans were the only type of being to not possess magic or be fated a soul mate; but they had a gift of their own! You see, of all the beings, humans were the only ones who could be turned into any of the magical beings. Even though humans do not have soulmates, some received the gift of being the soulmate of a magical being. When they were married, that is when the human would acquire the same magic as their mate.

“The beings all lived together in a unified world. The land was different, able to provide for the needs of each type of being. Each group was ruled by one leader, most choosing a king or queen to rule them. Each of the rulers respected one another and worked together for the health and benefit of their subjects.

“But as with all things, there is bad with the good. While most of the inhabitants were good and lived harmoniously, there were some of each group who were not. They sought power, and they eventually believed that if they were to be more numerous than other types of beings, they would reign supreme over all. Seeing this, the gods of each group began taking away soulmates from those who were had only love for power in their hearts.

“It was then, though, that those evil-doers began seeking out humans as a chosen mate. Some went so far as to not even accept them as a chosen mate; instead, they took them from their families and turned them against their wishes - an act so heinous that the gods had decided to end the existence of our planet. When the good rulers of each group of beings heard this, they sought out a means to correct this issue. Together, they spoke with the gods and asked them to separate the beings into individual realms. An accord promising peace between each realm was written and signed by these six rulers and presented to the gods to seal it.

“Once it was sealed, the gods joined together and split the world into six realms. The first and darkest realm belongs to the sorcerers, providing them with the darkness they need for growing the specific night blooming plants they use in their potions. The second realm, which is also classified as a dark realm, belongs to the vampires, providing them with less sunlight so that they may be active more hours a day as they are sensitive to sunlight. The sixth realm is the lightest realm, and it belongs to the fae who derive their magic from light and sun-grown nature. The fifth realm is also a light realm, and it is home to the dragons, providing them with closeness to their Sun God. The two realms in the middle are called grey realms. The third realm belongs to the lycans, because the gods tasked them to keep the balance of the realms - in a way, to protect the balance of light and dark. Their Moon Goddess provides them passage to other realms if ever there is a threat to the peace provided by the accords. The fourth realm belongs to humans, because humans are grey in their existence, able to be turned into any other being, and they thrive with nights for sleeping and sunlight in the daytime just like lycans.

“Because the realms are separate, the gods decided to create mate bonds only between the same type of magical beings. Some believe, though, that those born with mixed species in their ancestry might have fated mates in another realm. While it has not been proven, there is always a chance that such a thing may happen. After all, why else would a good person grow to have no mate in their realm?

“Between each realm is a void. Voids prevent the passing of beings between realms. If someone were to try to cross through the void without the blessing of the gods, they would spend eternity in the void being turned little by little into dust. Such a threat deters the power-hungry from leaving their realm and wreaking havoc on other realms!

“Or so one might think!

“In recent days, a child was born with the gift of foresight - a descendant of a werewolf and fae mating from when the realms were one. Somehow, a power-hungry sorcerer found out about her birth. For years, he worked using his magic and manipulated his god into allowing him to pass between realms under the premise that he was searching for his true mate. He was granted only one day of passage, but one day was all he needed! He snuck into the werewolf king’s castle and found the then grown woman, the wife of the king. The sorcerer thought he had surprised her, but she had already seen his plan! So when he cast his grievous spell to send the woman into the void, she knew to mix the light magic within her with the dark magic used against her so that she would not remain in the void, but arrive in a grey realm.

“She had landed in the world of humans! Not only was she safe, but she now had a plan to save others from this evil sorcerer. Unbeknownst to the sorcerer, when his magic mixed with hers, she saw a glimpse of his future! Now she dwells in the realm of humans, using that vision to prepare the way for his demise.

“Do not fear, child! This is not the end! Rather, it is the beginning of your own story.”

“Can we read it again tomorrow?” I ask.

“We shall see. Get out your little journal and write a story to continue this one,” my nanny instructs.

Each time she reads this book to me, I write my own story of what I think is going to happen next with the werewolf fairy queen and the evil sorcerer. One day, I will be an author and write fairytales of my own. Maybe then my father will not think they are so ridiculous!

“Remi dear, I want to give you something. It is something very important to me. My mother gave me this when I was a little girl, and as I have no daughter of my own, I would like for you to wear it - always,” she says as she slides her ring off of her finger. I’ve often admired the ring and how it seemed to glow in certain lighting. The gold band was flat with small diamonds placed around it, one diamond slightly larger and heart-shaped in the middle. When it was removed, one could see the profiles of small wolves engraved on the inside beneath each stone. The heart diamond is the only stone without a wolf.

“Why is there no wolf under the heart?” I ask as I look at the band, more with my fingers than with my eyes.

“Because the wolf of your heart is not on your ring, but is out there in the realms waiting to find you one day,” she says dreamily, a strange mix of joy and sadness in her eyes again. “Wear this ring always, Remi. It will connect you to your heart’s destiny. Whenever you feel loneliest, close your hand around it and remember that you are never really alone.” She takes the ring from my probing fingertips and slides it onto the third finger of my right hand.

“I don’t think your fairytales are nonsense,” I say softly as I stroke the ring she gave me.

“They seldom are, Remi. Some people just fail to see the truth in them.” She brushes my hair away from my face and tucks it behind my ears. “Remember to always share your stories, and never forget that choosing Daire will always bring you to the truth.”