Free Dark Promise by Julia Crane, Talia Jager

clearly?
    I started breathing fast as panic rose in my chest. Scanning the room, I realized there was something on my nightstand that wasn’t normally there. I reached for it—a notebook. Skeptically, I opened it and found words on the first page. They were blurry and hard to read. I stared at them for a long time before I was finally able to focus: “I had to leave you a note to tell you what to expect this morning since you don’t want me with you. You will wake up unable to see clearly. This is normal. You are getting your faery sight. This will clear up about an hour after you wake.”
    It hadn’t been a nightmare.
    “Once your sight clears, you will be able to see the faery world.”
    Great.
    “Your transformation will have completed overnight. You will look different until you use glamour. I suggest you don’t open your door until you learn how.”
    I gulped. How was I supposed to know how to use glamour?
    “If you cannot figure this out, just go to your window. I will come to you.”
    That meant she was watching the house, watching me. All this time I felt like someone was watching me, and it was my faery mother. Just the thought was so ridiculous I wanted to burst out laughing—or crying. I wasn’t sure which.
    I strained my eyes some more, trying to read what else was written. “Once you are glamoured, no human will be able to see your faery looks. But other faeries will. If you have already stood, you may have noticed your wings. If not, they will appear when you stand. They tuck in when you lie down. Don’t be scared, my child. This is who you are. I will be there for you when you need me. But please be careful, for my warning is true.”
    I put the book down and closed my eyes again. Maybe if I stayed in bed, none of this would happen. No wings. No enemies. Just me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t realistic. How long could I really stay in bed?
    I blinked a few times, trying to make the haze go away faster, but it did nothing. I’d have to wait. I thought about Adam and our kiss the night before. I thought about how I felt in his arms. What was I supposed to tell him about this? As soon as he knew I was some kind of fairy tale creature, he might leave me.
    On top of that, my parents were throwing me a birthday party today. All my friends were going to be here. How was I going to keep it together? I had looked forward to my sixteenth birthday for years, and now I just wanted to stay in bed. Maybe I should cancel it.
    I ripped my pillow from under my head and squeezed it into my face, screaming at the top of my lungs. I wasn’t just scared anymore. I was mad. Hot tears burned my eyes as I silently cried.
    Eventually the tears subsided, and I peeked out from under the pillow. My vision had cleared. Everything in my room was crisp and bright. I stayed in bed, examining my surroundings like it was the first time I had seen it.
    “Huh,” I said into the room. I had no idea I’d have better than perfect eyesight.
    Pushing the covers off, I noticed my palms were smoother than they were the day before. My hands started trembling. There was no denying it, my skin was definitely different. No blemishes or freckles.
    Curiosity was getting the best of me. I had to stand up and find out what the rest of my body looked like. Shaking, I pushed myself out of bed. I took three steps to my dresser and very slowly looked up into the mirror.
    I gasped and stood frozen in place as I stared at my reflection. I reached up and touched my pointed ears, running my fingertips along the tips. They felt like normal ears, just pointier. My eyes then rested on my birthmark, now glowing ever so slightly. My eyes looked wider and had a slight slant to them. I felt grateful that they were the same beautiful blue they had always been.
    Suddenly, I felt a pop on my back and wings burst open behind me. I let out a small shriek, not from pain, but from surprise and shock. I stumbled backwards, fell onto the floor, and scooted as far away