Amelie stood letting the warm air wash over her, it felt like a blanket of softness, though it made her already heated skin feel flushed and prickly. Her father was often nervous about the wind, said it brought bad things – but Amelie felt nothing odd as the gusts fanned the stray hairs around her forehead and neck across her skin.

However, the sky was darkening with clouds and Maribelle would be home from school soon and she still hadn’t stopped by her favorite spot for looting vegetables and fruits.

The war changed everything, at least that’s what her father said about the only life she’d ever known. A life of hard work, tending to her little sister, cooking and finding food. It wasn’t a bad life she supposed – her father was in the Army and he kept her and Maribelle safe. They could afford to pay the power bill most months, unlike some of the other towns people of Moonlight Falls, and they had food on their table – however meager it was – every night.

Most places in Moonlight Falls were run-down and forgotten, some places were outright forbidden – whispers of magic and other dark arts surrounding their dark and haunted windows. Some places were still ravaged from the war even this many years later. But not Silent Grove Lake – it was a place of beauty and reeked of magic to Amelie. She’d discovered it last year on one of her many journies into the forests of Moonlight Falls.

You could tell it had once been spectacular – she could imagine elaborate weddings and gatherings taking place under the high concrete pillars. Even the water lillies still spoke of the lakes magic.

It was after a few months that the garden started to appear. It was small – potatoes and onions, things like that. Then fruits, the kind that no one she knew could afford or even grew began to appear. Tasty herbs and exotic looking flowers.

She would look around, but no one besides her was ever here. No footprints suggested these belonged to someone. Cautiously she would pick a few, tucking them into her pockets in case someone decided to surprise her with their presence and demand their food back. But it never happened. Over the months she’d carefully snipped off stems to take home and root in her own garden. Today the appearance of the dark red grapes had her mouth watering.

“Shoot,” she muttered to herself after swallowing the juicy fruit nearly whole. Wind nearly knocked her over and she looked up at the sky. Father would be angry if Maribelle was alone for too long. He’d start asking questions about her adventures.

“Where were you?” Maribelles high pitched voice called over the breeze.

“Market,” Amelie kept her eyes on her garden, pinching off dead buds and pulling out weeds. “Feed the chickens and get to your studies.”

“Can I help?” she asked hopefully.

Amelie looked at her younger sister and shook her head, “winds coming. You best be getting inside soon.”

Maribelle did as she was told. Rarely was she as insolent and questioning as she’d been at her age. Amelie joined in on the familiar tune as Maribelle began to sing – each absorbed in their own work. Soon Maribelle went inside, leaving her to tend to her crops in silence.

“Delicious as usual Amelie,” her father praised as he spooned the stew into his mouth.

“Thank you daddy,” she nodded. “I’m going to try and sell some honey tomorrow, maybe we can get some meat?”

“If you can, no one’s buying much lately,” her father nodded, his cool blue eyes weary and wise, “I’ll be hunting with Charles soon, we’ll have plenty of meat then. Besides, you’re doing a fine job with the fish and your garden.” He turned his attention to his youngest daughter, “how was school today, Mari?”

“Why do I have to go?” she pouted. “Amelie never went, most of my friends don’t go.”

“I won’t have that tone, Mari,” he scolded, his eyes serious and stoic.

“Yes father,” she hung her head and spooned the soup into her mouth.

“You’re going because it’s good for you,” he answered. “Because things are changing, back to the way they should be. Education is important.”

Nothing more was said around the table as they filled their stomachs with the hearty stew. When the meal was done, Maribelle dutifully collected the bowls and spoons – taking them to the sink to be scrubbed with hot water and soap.

“I’d hoped Nathan would be joining us this evening,” her father mused.

“It’s late harvest daddy,” Amelie nodded. “I’m sure he’s busy and exhausted most likely.”

He pursed his lips and nodded in agreement, “he’s a good boy.”

“I know you like him,” Amelie smiled lightly. “I just…”

“He works hard, he’s respectful…” he interjected. “he comes from a good family and he’d provide for you.”

“I know,” Amelie agreed.

How could she tell her father she wanted more than just a good provider and hard worker? It sounded so selfish.

Nathan was good. Perhaps far too good for her – after all she was the one who went on adventures to forbidden and secret places. She was the one who snuck off at night when everyone was sleeping soundly in their beds. Tonight was no different. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked, bringing the lake to life all around her. She stood between two pillars, that dangerous wind whipping all around her shoulders.

Her heart cried out for adventure, beautiful places and things. She wanted to travel to the places in the books she read, meet the romantic – and dangerously dark men in the romance novels her mother had kept.

……………………

He’d never actually seen her before, at least not this close up. He’d first caught her scent last year around his crops when he’d settled here. He could tell she’d taken things – at first he thought he’d have to find another spot to plant – most of the humans he’d seen would tell each other when they found the food he’d plant for himself, especially if it were something more than the potatoes and onions they were all too familiar with.

But it was always just her delicate foot prints, and she never took much, so he stayed. Sometimes he wondered what her face must look like when she found things like truffles and rich berries. He knew she came out at night, as he did, but he’d never crossed her path until now.

Curiously and cautiously he watched her as she tip toed around the gardens, letting her fingertips drift delicately across the petals of flowers. When she left the lake and headed towards the arboretum, he floated closely behind. He wondered if she knew why the grounds there were so beautiful…maybe she was one? No, surely not – they hid themselves until daybreak.

Alas, she proved herself to be human when she sat at the edge of the fountain, cupping her head in her hands. He could sense the distress and anxious tension rolling off of her and it was then that he saw her clearly.

Luca nearly gasped aloud. She was lovely. Humans bore little interest, at least now – he’d become bored with them centuries ago. But her – she was magnificent.

He couldn’t stop himself from following her as she wandered – finally ending up at this place he assumed to be her home. She did something puzzling – and he cocked his head to the side in confusion. Rather than enter through a door, she climbed a rope hanging down the east side of the house and climbed in an open window.

He smiled to himself. The generation before hers, the ones who had lived here long enough – they knew the secrets that Moonlight Falls held and what these winds brought with them. She was sneaking out without knowing the dangers that lie in wait in these woods…soon everywhere. She was just a human, but one that had piqued his curiosity – something that hadn’t happened in ages.

Quickly and quietly he cast a spell of safety around her property, tomorrow he would plant something special she couldn’t resist eating – he’d cast a spell on that as well.