It had been years since we’d gone to see my uncle. Partly because he lived out in the middle of nowhere and partly because he and my dad didn’t get on. But dad was gone and mom said we needed something from uncle Orion before we hit the road for the summer.

Pulling off the main road was like entering a horror film. Paved road turned to gravel and the trees grew so thick that day seemed to turn to night. Mom seemed frantic but determined as we bumped and rattled through the trees. We were almost there, you could barely make out the hovel through the foliage, when the headlights fell on a downed tree blocking the road. Mom seemed to stare at it warily and I shrugged reaching for the door.

“I’ll just move it, it doesn’t look that big…” I pulled on the handle when my mom grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t.”

I looked at her confused, “How are we gonna get past that? We have to get out and move it or at least get out and walk the rest of the way.”

She closed her eyes and the atmosphere grew quiet as if a blanket had been thrown over the world. I looked around expecting something big to happen when suddenly it all snapped back to normal. Mom opened her eyes and through the windshield where there had just been a tree, only a branch remained.

“How did you…”

She put the car in gear moving forward driving right over the branch while I stared at her confused. We drove up to the house and again I reached for the handle when my mom laid into the horn. When a few seconds passed and she didn’t quit I yelled over the noise, “What are you doing?!” She simply ignored me staring at the house. A minute later my uncle slipped out the door and ran towards the car sliding in the backseat while my mother immediately began backing down the driveway.

“What’s going on? Do you have the papers?” She looked at him demanding.

“They found me this morning. Searched the house and burned anything they thought might be of use. They didn’t know you were coming though otherwise they’d still be here hoping to end it all.” He replied breathlessly.

“They burned the letters?”

His responding nod was grave as his gaze drifted to me.

I looked between him and my mom trying to understand who best to interrogate.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

Orion looked shocked, “You still haven’t told her?”

My mom only shot him a glare that had him pressing his lips together.

“Told me what? What is going on?!”

My mother sighed turning the car around and driving straight out towards the main roads.

“We’re not human…”

“What do you mean we’re not human?”

“We’ll I’m not human, you’re half human thanks to your father but you’re also half fae.”

“Fae? Like tinker bell?”

“Not exactly… Orion you can show her real quick.”

A flash of light from the back seat and suddenly my uncle was a pale shade of green with long pointed ears. He smiled showing off two fangs. I would have screamed, I was about to until I saw his eyes. Still the same pale blue they’d always been.

“That doesn’t explain much of anything…”

“Your father was human but I’m fae. I ran off with him and got married and I was resolved to live in the human world until I couldn’t hide anymore but my brother… my real brother who you’ve never met was killed by a rogue and now that rogue is coming after the rest of our family line.”

“Why? What makes us so special?”

“I was a princess June… which makes you one as well… the letters we came for were ones that left the throne directly to you…”

I stared at her having completely left my body. This was not possible.

“Orion was my brothers best friend… practically a part of the family and he’s acted as our link to the fae realm. When Hakan was killed, he alerted me which is why we are going on a ‘road trip’ to shake any lead they might have on where you are.”

“And you were going to let me believe that there was nothing else going on?”

She shrugged “I will do what needs to be done to protect you.”

I looked back again at uncle Orion who looked at me with pity and a silent apology in his eyes.

“There’s way to many questions in the air right now.”

“Well if you wouldn’t mind waiting until we’ve found somewhere to sit down and eat I’ll answer anything you come up with.”

I chewed on my bottom lip, a habit I developed when I was a toddler. “You promise you’ll answer everything?”

“Yes just wait until I’m not driving.”

I pulled out my phone opening my notes and began hitting down every question I could think of. If I was going to get truth, I wanted every little bit of it.