Ever Shade Read Online Free PDF

balance between good and evil in our land, and evil will wither against it.
    ‘It is said only the one that belongs to both man and faery can hold this liquid and return it to the great city of Aturine here in Guildrin; where the queen resides. Only then will we be safe from the Lonares attacks and vicious battles.” She paused, studying Shade’s face. “The stones tell me that someone must be you, Shade.”
    Shade tried to close her mouth, as if the words would taste bad if they reached her lips. Why was she so special? She was just a senior, in high school, she wasn’t even sure if she was going to college. She was also quite unsure of what to eat for lunch most days. Why would she be so useful? “No way, no, um, sorry but you got the wrong girl or something. This is nuts. I gotta go, it’s getting late.” She nervously chuckled, shaking her head. She turned to Jack as she stood up. He was silent and looking just a bit glum.
    “Has the Queen called assembly yet?” He asked Ilarial.
    “She is as we sit here, right now. We must go now and listen. This will be legendary to hear the assemblage of the task force. Shade, we must take you there now,” the oracle said.
    Ilarial stood, and her movement was light and airy, almost as if she were floating. She waved to Shade, as Jack opened the wooden door to the hallway once more. Shade was in too much shock to object; she followed them both down the tunnels, returning to the main room, were Renny had attempted to arrest her. She stood wide-eyed at the scene; it had swelled up with more people or faeries, or whatever the heck everyone was down here. Ilarial pushed through the crowd, or rather it seemed to part just for her, until they reached a great platform. Here stood several guards and another woman in a great, long, red velvet gown. A tall crystal tiara flashing with diamonds and blood red rubies rose from her long dark black hair. She watched them as they approached the raised platform, passing her eyes from Ilarial to Shade. Gleaming green irises bore into her like fire burning in pale skin. This woman was not to be messed with, the air of command and power swirled around her like a cloud. Shade’s suddenly felt quite tiny.
    Most Seelie queens were fair-haired, but Zinara had been born with the dark hair of an Unseelie queen. Nonetheless, she had won her crown and had paid dearly of flesh and blood for it. Shade listened to Ilarial’s small history lessons as she watched the room turn to give the queen its full attention.
    “Your majesty,” Ilarial bowed to the queen deeply and kissed her hand. “I must present to you Shade, a halfling who has joined us today. I have read the stones and she is the one I have been telling you about. She has finally returned to us; she is the one that I have foreseen for this journey, you assembled here today and the magic of Faerie brings her to us.”
    The queen listened intently. Her eyes adverted from both of them to view the crowd. She seemed to be thinking about something faraway. Nothing anyone seemed to think strange. Shade felt sick. She was homesick already. The pressure of all the things she was being told bore down on her. She felt as if she were sinking into the depths of a deep dark well. Her chest ached and she felt like someone or something was holding her down with heavy rocks. She watched the crowd and wanted to fade into it. She wanted to run down the tunnels and out of the forest, as fast as she could.
    “A pleasure to finally meet you, Shade,” the queen said as she turned her gaze back to her and offered her hand.
    Unsure of what to do, she copied Ilarial’s gestures and kissed the queen’s hand. She noted Ilarial’s approval and returned her gaze to the amazing queen as she let her go. The queen then turned back to the crowd and the room fell silent.
    “Dear ones, I find it difficult to address you today. The evil that surrounds us has threatened our peaceful lives, many times, as of late. My heart