Marie

  She threw herself into work. Marie wao be the best at everything so that in a few years she would be accepted into the elite soldiers. She learned and practiced. After the academy, she wao go to military school. To the elite courses. Pia was delighted with Marie's itment, and she also received positive feedback from the teachers. Her grades improved in all subjects. She wao be better. Better than Helga! The traitor!

  Marie used her anger for feng and hahe sword. Mrs. Drüse was very satisfied with her. And also with Pia.

  Her retionship with Theo had returo normal, even though he was still jealous of August. But they had to live with that and e to terms with it. Marie didn't want Theo to suffer or be sad.

  And August! Her wonderful August! As promised, he had visited a café with her. He kissed her over cake and coffee. She was on cloud nine and that's where she wao stay. Her parents were happy for her, they had written to her. They didn't know anything about Marie's career pns. Presumably, they would be against it. No. She would tell them wheime came. If she had been accepted at the military school. Three years of school and one year of interaining and she would be a soldier. Maybe her parents had another child by then who could take over the family business. Yes. She would like that very much.

  Marie had pns.

  A future.

  And maybe a future with August?

  She could imagine marrying him one day. Of course, as a soldier, she would have no time for children. And the topic seemed much too far away for her to think much about it right now. She didn't care. August had told her that he didn't like children very much. His younger siblings were all too loud for him. Here at the academy he finally had his peace. When he was at home, his mother wanted him to help her take care of his six younger siblings. They were all between two and nine years old. Small, loud, and annoying. He held great importao privad tranquility. As far as this was ed, he came after his father, but unfortunately, his father was rarely at home. And all the wot stu his mother and possibly on him. Therefore, he did not want a loud pack of children. He already had too much of that.

  So, they were a perfect match.

  Torsten

  Being married to a vampire had several advantages:

  She is only slowly getting older and therefore remains incredibly attractive throughout her life.She is not tired at night and therefore ofteo certain activities.Life in the marshnd is an adventure.

  Being married to a vampire had the following disadvantages:

  He has to sleep during the day because vampires are noal.His wife bites.His life is shorter than hers, and in a few years, they will see it.When she knocks ss at the dining table, it happens that the tablecloth is not full of red wine, but full of blood. (Which is very uizing! Ew!)A kelpie lives in her garden.The Kelpie is not nibsp;

  The Kelpie roblem. Annemarie had saved him from death a few minutes ago. They had been in the garden and suddenly he heard a whisper. A lovely whisper. So he followed the whisper, his wife was talking to a servant, up to the river. There he saw the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. A beautiful woman was sitting on a horse. She invited him to explore the water with her. As if spellbound, he wao follow her into the river until two ice-cold hands held him and pulled him away from the river.

  "Torsten, no! It will eat you!" Annemarie broke the spell with her anger alone.

  fused, he looked at the river. There was a horse ier. A hideous horse with hungry eyes. With an offended huff, it disappeared into the water.

  "That was a Kelpie?", he asked.

  "That was a Kelpie." Annemarie ed her arms around him. "It lures its prey into the water to eat it."

  "Oh." The woman on the horse had beeemptingly. Perfect. Too perfect. But he desperately wao go to her. "I was captivated."

  "The magic of kelpies. Humans are not safe from that. They don't like the taste of us vampires."

  "How do we get rid of it? I prefer not to be eaten!" Torsten stroked her hair. "We still have so much ahead of us." He wouldn't trade her for a kelpie. Never.

  "Certainly!", Annemarie agreed. "But I don't knoe're going to get rid of it... Maybe it will move on soon."

  Cleo

  She had arrived at the castle. While her soldiers housed the children under Charlotte's supervision, she had ridden on. Exhausted, she ehe castle. She wao sleep.

  But her mother was waiting for her.

  Or rather, she rushed towards Cleo. Servants had probably informed them immediately. The queen came running towards her like a ghost and intercepted her at the entrao the castle.

  "Cleo! You're back! Where is Julia?", asked the Queen. She wore a dressing gown over her pajamas, her hair was slightly disheveled, and her face chalk-pale.

  "Not here."

  "What?" Now her mother seemed angry. "Not here?"

  "She's gone. I found the vilge, but some elves mao escape."

  "And you didn't follow them?"

  "A dragon flew in a my shadows and many of the soldiers abze. I just escaped with my life. I need new soldiers to look for Julia aer..." Cleo suppressed a sigh. "If the two have not bee dragon fodder."

  "What?" Her mother's cheeks turned an angry red. "You failed?"

  Then something happehat Cleo hadn't expected. Her mother raised her hand and spped her. "Stupid thing!", she cried. "The elves escaped you? With my little one? Dragon food?"

  Cleo looked at her mother in shock.

  The queen turned around on her heel. "We'll talk about your failure and how to proceed tomorrow m. I'm disappointed in you."

  She hit me. Cleo rubbed her cheek.

  Julia

  The group ventured deep into the fairy forest until they found a suitable pce to spend the night. A sheltered pder the tall trees with enough space for them all. The air in the fairy forest was different. Thicker and sweet. It was warm here as if it were still summer. The stra flowers, bushes, and ferns grew among the unnaturally tall trees. Even the colors seemed more intense. Fiete had returned and slept o Peter. Josefine slept in his arms and whimpered in her sleep. Most of them were asleep, but Julia was still awake. Just like Marko. He had turned into a human so that they could talk. She had bee aced to the sight of the naked wolf. Fin tentedly and unsuspegly by his side.

  "I don't uand you!", said Marko. "That you just fave him just like that."

  "Leo?" Julia yawned. "I had the impression that you were less angry with him now? And I didn't five him just like that, Marko. But, it's plicated."

  "plicated? This elder wanted all binding spells to be released! And Leo helped him! That would have killed me and Finn. What's plicated about that? You don't need him, Juli. You have Finn and me. We love you and I take care of you both. Leo is a traitor."

  "I know, Marko. And that's one of the things I 't five him. That he accepted the death of many. That he would have sacrificed you and himself. But that doesn't make him a traitor. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. You and Finn. And, yes. Also Leo. I love him, Marko. But I don't know if I ever fully five him."

  "All right. That really sounds plicated!", admitted Marko. "I'm gd I don't have such problems. Everything is so easy with Finn."

  Julia ughed softly and tried to make a few flowers dah magisuccessful. They wobbled just a little. She needed more practice. At least she hadn't shredded the flowers. That happehe st time she tried to make paper flowers dah her tutor. "Is it? That's enviable." She looked at Leopold, who was lyio her, with an arm over her stoma his sleep. "Marko? We all need each other. All of us." Without Fiete we wouldn't be here now... If only I could handle my magic better...

  "I know. And that makes it worse. That it's not easy. That I 't chase him away... That he, heless, is still my friend... Although I would like to bite him. Or chase him away. We should sleep now, don't you think?"

  "Probably. Good night, Marko. I love you too."

  "Sweet dreams, Juli." Marko turo Finn with a smile.

  "Hm... Marko...", Finn murmured quietly in his sleep. Marko ughed and kissed his hair.

  Julia turo Leopold and closed her eyes. She missed her warm bed, her friends, and Sophie. Would she ever see them again? Are they okay?

  Sophie must have gotten a terrible fright. I hope Mom didn't punish her. I would like Sophie's hot chocote now...

  Am I really homesick? I want to go home... To Sophie.

  To my friends.

  In her sleep, she heard a soft, strange giggle. There was a rustle somewhere.

  She didn't notice Josefiing up and sneaking away and sneaking baetime ter. The smell of smoke g to her. And Julia didn't notice how the strange giggle roag. But in her restless dreams, she heard a sweet melody that promised her the fulfillment of all her wishes.

  We're reag the end of book one. Bot don't worry. There is a sed book and two spin-offs which will be on scribble hub (in english) too.