Excerpt

It was after the fourth marriage proposal that I felt it rising from the depths of my guts; anger, resentment, annoyance. Still, I stood there and smiled and cheered because that's what a good friend does. That was the role I played every time. The good supportive friend. Now, had I done what I wanted to do, taken that ring and shoved it down the throat of my friend's overly muscled beau, well that would have ruined everything. Besides, I was already being watched by every witch in the room.

So how did I, Sierra Grey, Daughter of the Dark, end up chummy with a bunch of light witches? Well, that would be because it wasn't until our fourth year of mastery that they decided which side we were all supposed to be on. They believed delaying this announcement would somehow result in mature responses. It would lead to less infighting. The crazy thing is that everyone seemed to know exactly where they belonged. Everyone naturally migrated to their like-minded peers; everyone except me.

I walked into the testing room, knowing with every bit of my being that I would be a Daughter of the Light. When I came out and saw the ashen mark next to my name, I knew I was wrong, and my world crumbled. I looked to my friends, all wearing their white robes as my shoulders were draped in the heavy black material.

We promised each other that no matter what, we would remain friends. And though at times that proved a difficult thing to do, we kept that promise.

Now, here I was, witnessing the last of my friends gush over a massive rock on her finger as planned rose petals fell from a net and drifted to the marbled floor around the happy couple. And it was so beautiful that I could puke. I didn't vomit, however; I sucked back the taste of bile and stayed just long enough to leave, raising no unnecessary suspicion.

Lucky for me, the pathways to my home were closing soon and getting stuck in the Land of Sunshine and Rainbows, as I liked to call it, was not an ideal plan, especially with all the sappy happy happening. It was the perfect excuse for my running away as Tana wiped away a fresh flow of tears from her face and smiled for more pictures.

Here is some background into my world and reason for my aversion to the display of love that I was just forced to sit through.

I live on a planet called Dynundria. It is nearly a mirror image of Earth. It sits right next to the world in another realm. The people of Dynundria were a mirror image of those of Earth, with one exception. Our possession of magic. We have cousins who live on the planet, they're mostly called witches. They are the descendants of Dynundrians who left our world for a chance at a new life on Earth.

Though Dynundria is populated with various magical beings, Conjurns are the primary species. I'm a witch if you haven't figured that out yet, or more accurately said, I'm a Conjurn of the Dark variety. They split the planet into three sectors, the Light, the Dark, and the Haze. At the northernmost point is the Mastery. The Mastery is where we all go to train and learn to hone our magical talents. When we are near our graduation from Mastery, they announce which side we belong on. Light or Dark.

They give us a choice. Accept the decision or go gray and go to the Haze. The Haze is a neutral land and once you go there; you don't come back. That was an option for me, I suppose, I didn't feel like I belonged to the Dark, but going to the Haze meant I never got to see the people I cared about. It also meant giving up magic. They prohibited the use of magic within the boundaries of the Haze. A life without magic sounded like hell; might as well just go to Earth. I loved magic more than anything else. Light or Dark, there was no way I was giving it up.

The passageways between the Light and the Dark were only open three times a day, and if you missed last call, there was no getting back home. I missed it once and trust me; I learned that day just how accurate it was that I wasn't chosen to be in the Light. Everything was just too bright. The sun was too hot, and the air was too pure. I felt like I was choking on it. I hid in Cara's basement until the next passageway opening. By the time I made it home, I felt sick to my stomach and spent two days in bed.

"Sierra, are you leaving?" Tana called out as I pulled the black coat over the black dress that did little to cover the cleavage that made her mother scoff. No, I didn't like too much color. Yes, I loved freaking out the old judgmental Lights.

"Yes, the passage is closing soon." I turned to Tana, a blue-eyed, blonde goddess sporting her new diamond ring. She wiped away the remnants of her mascara as she approached me.

"Oh shoot," she pretended to pout, but had never mastered the art of acting. "Can't you stay? We have to celebrate!" She held out her hand sporting the new dazzling accessory. "Can you believe it? I'm getting married!"

"I have a lot to get done back home and if I get stuck here, I'm screwed. I love you though. Congrats!" I put on my very best happy friend smile and thanked whoever watched over us, that I would not be named her maid of honor purely based on location and availability, also because it would give her mother a heart attack if I were.

The door to the upscale restaurant slid shut behind me, blocking out the sounds of the party inside, and I sighed with relief. A moment later, that sigh turned into one of annoyance as I remembered that I would have to take the long way back to the barrier. Unfortunately for me, the use of dark magic a no-no in the land of the Light, so I was reduced to using pedestrian methods to make it to the passage. I tapped the call button on the post that stood outside of the restaurant and waited for my ride to show up.

The solar-powered vehicle pulled up just as the music from inside shifted to a slow rhythm. The happy couple would now dance for the first time as a newly engaged pair. I slid into the back of the cab, told the driver my destination, and held back the laughter as he realized that I was a Daughter of the Dark.

The drive was uncomfortable as usual. I swear the Lights thought of us as heathens. The second that they took up in their new homes, they forgot that in Mastery most of us were friends. That we spent years building connections only to have them dismantled when the determinations were final. Very few people held together like I did with my girls. Most accepted their new alignments and never looked back.

Getting out of the car, I tapped my wrist to the pad and paid my fare with magical credits that he would no doubt have to go get exchanged before usage. Dark magic, though valuable, could not be wielded by the Light. Magic worked as a currency; earned and traded for goods and services. The strongest witches had the most power, and they lived the lavish lifestyles. Tana, a moderate witch, had just landed herself one of the most powerful witches in the Light. No, I wasn't envious knowing that in a matter of minutes I would be in the Dark and heading back to my humble beginnings.