The Forgotten (The Lost Children Series Book 1)

by Jennifer Sivec

  Watching Jakob and Kell together, he knew that his two sons would be able to lead the Land well, even long after he was gone. The Stones had told him that it would be so, but they had failed to make any mention of Ava, and for that he was fearful. The Governess never let Emilie know that the Stones never made mention of their daughter. They loved her for her stubbornness and did all they could to draw her in as much as they could and when the Governor returned home every day, he was thankful that the family he had created was the home that gave him peace.

  THE MIDWIFE

  The Midwife had grown up in Tamaryn, learning the craft of family from her mother and grandmother. She had been born into a long line of woman entrusted by the Governor’s House to bring their children into the world. She understood that her lineage gave her certain privileges and honor in the Land, yet she chose to live humbly with her husband and daughters, who she adored more than anything. While she had the right to live in one of the Governor’s houses, she loved the freedom of the Land and wanted her family to grow up there. The Governor was fair and kind, and he had given her special permission to live with her husband on his own Land that he had cultivated with his sweat and hard work. The Midwife had been grateful, reassuring the Governor that she was always in his service and always at the ready for anything he might ask her for.

  She knew that hers was an important and special life and that she had been given great responsibility to bring new life into the world. She had accompanied her mother for as long as she could remember, and watched her bring babies into the world with a watchful eye. She knew every intricacy involved and paid close attention to every detail. She watched her mother soothe those with troublesome deliveries and celebrate with the easy ones. She learned at a young age how to grieve with the mother’s whose babies went to the Great Beyond while already in the womb and those who travelled there soon after their birth. She watched her mother with a trained eye and knew that she must be an angel.

  When her own children were born, she asked her mother to birth them. Already an older woman, her mother brought her first child, Anabel, into the world with grace and ease. But when the time came for her youngest to be born years later, her mother had already travelled to the Great Beyond and the Midwife had been left alone to fend for herself with only young Anabel to help her.

  As the Midwife watched her children grow, she marveled at how much she loved them with a fierceness that she had never imagined. To them, she was simply Mama, and they loved her supportiveness and soft hugs, and everything about her from the way she smelled to the thickness of her dark curly hair, which both girls inherited. Anabel was so mature at such a young age, her personality forged by the responsibilities of the first-born and the seriousness of her nature. She seldom laughed on her own until her sister, Saiya, came along. Together, they found joy in nearly everything, but alone, Anabel remained steadfast in her quietness and as studious as her mother had been as a child. Ever the observant one, Anabel could predict what Saiya would do before she did it, often saving her younger sister from getting into trouble she didn’t even know that she was capable of.

  While Anabel was her protector, Saiya was her savior, bringing laughter to her life where without her there would be none.

  Adventurous and fearless, Saiya led Anabel to the deepest areas of Tamaryn as soon as she could walk and talk on her own. Anabel always went along, curious about Saiya’s innate understanding of the Land and eager to move beyond her own comfortable space. Even Mama could never explain it, but Saiya’s sense of direction was uncanny, and her ability to navigate even the most difficult terrain was completely unexpected for someone of her age and experience.

  Saiya was curious about every Creature she saw, much to Anabel’s dismay, even after Saiya was bitten by a Scarpin and nearly died when she was six. It had taken her seven weeks to recover from the nasty insect’s bite and for a short time they feared they would lose her to the burning fever and confusion, but Saiya had recovered without the usual long-term effects of paralysis and confusion that the Scarpin left with most of its victims. Saiya had recovered, unscathed and stronger than ever, which didn’t surprise Mama.

  When Saiya healed, she faced every day as though it was an opportunity for a new adventure, urging Anabel to join her. After the darkness of not knowing whether Saiya would live, Anabel had no choice but to comply.

  Mama knew early on that she couldn’t contain her girls and didn’t try. She saw the gift of her own strong lineage in Anabel and took her oldest with her for every birth starting at a young age, but Saiya lacked interest, only wanting to live in the outdoors, which her father encouraged. The Land had treated his family well and he wanted his daughter to know it as well as he did. As Saiya grew older she became more adventurous than what Anabel anticipated, often pushing her older sister beyond her own capabilities as she forced her to explore more dangerous and isolated places in the Land that even some of the bravest boys refused to visit. But Anabel wasn’t afraid, something deep within driving her to explore a Land that she didn’t yet know.

  “Saiya, one day you’ll meet a boy and you’ll care more about this wild hair of yours,” Mama often said when she could force Saiya to let her brush and braid it.

  “No, Mama,” Saiya would say, trying not to growl and fight as Mama worked through the thick knots as gently as she could. “If a boy likes me, he’ll like me no matter what.”

  “Yes,” Mama agreed. “He’ll like you no matter what.”

  Mama wished that she possessed the strength and surety of her youngest and marveled at how much Saiya taught her about true beauty. She was thankful that Saiya and Anabel had one another, both of them needing each other, and teaching her that love was far more than she had ever expected it to be.

  KYLA

  “What do you think you are doing?” Bella screeched at her sister.

  Bella was fluttering up and down as fast as she could, which was what she always did when she was upset. As she did so, her wings glowed bright red, the color of her anger and frustration. “Kyla, you cannot associate with the Ubilez for any reason! Our father can never know that this change in the Land is all happening because of you! How could you have done this?”

  “This is none of your concern, sister!” Kyla said sternly as her tiny head moved up and down in a vain attempt to follow Bella. “I have this under control.”

  “Under control? How can you possibly think that you have this under control?” Bella was shrieking, her wings beginning to emanate various shades of red, pink, and orange. She pointed up to the blackened sky and looked at Kyla for an explanation.

  Until weeks before, Bella had been following her sister into the fields, curious as to where Kyla had been spending all of her time. Bella had been accustomed to spending her days with Kyla until suddenly, without explanation, Kyle forbid her from tagging along.

  Bella had been heartbroken and had grown tired of being left to spend her days with the younger Yashwa, so she finally decided to follow Kyla. The younger Yashwa weren’t as interesting, and were not permitted to venture too far from the comfort of the Pyto until their wings were fully mature. Bella longed for the freedom she had when she was with Kyla, so despite the fact that she was forbidden, she disobeyed her Older and followed Kyla.

  When Bella unexpectedly saw the light thundering from the sky into Kyla’s tiny body, Bella thought with certainty that her sister had been destroyed. She flew to her as quickly as she could and found Kyla glowing a strange blue. Bella was mesmerized, but she was also terrified. She knew this could be no ordinary lightning strike or the lightning surely would have destroyed Kyla’s tiny body, exploding it into a thousand pieces. Instead, this lightning filled Kyla from the inside out and Bella knew what Kyla had done. She had heard much lore about the lightning happening to others who had dealings with the Ubilez. In disbelief, Bella knew that somehow Kyla had involved herself with the Ubilez as she began to witness the grave consequences that were beginning to take place. There was an eerie
mist falling over Tamaryn, and darkness when it should be light. In the three hundred years Bella had been alive she had never seen anything like it, and she felt a deep shudder run through her

  The Ubilez were horrible Creatures that once governed Tamaryn openly, until the People came and the Guard chased them into hiding.

  The Guard feared the Ubilez were always there lurking in the shadows. The Ubilez were feared because they took every opportunity to prey upon the People, their darkness sucking out the light of those who crossed their path. Nobody had seen the Ubilez for over a hundred years, but the People were convinced the Ubilez were still out there, and they were careful never to spend too much time in the dark. As Bella watched her sister glow, she couldn’t believe that Kyla had done this. Bella was certain she would lose her sister forever, and even though she had one thousand and nine sisters, Kyla was the one she adored the most.

  “Don’t worry so much, Bella.” Kyla watched with growing excitement as her own body began to grow in the reflection of the blue light that emanated from her every pore. She felt glorious and powerful as she stared at herself, anxious to see the changes the Ubilez had promised. She needed the changes that were happening to her in order for him to be with her.

  Kyla was in love, and she told herself that anything done for the sake of love would turn out well. The Ubilez had told her this was so and she believed them. They reassured her that the imbalance she was creating in the People’s Land, Tamaryn, would settle back into itself over a period of time. “All will be as it should be,” they reminded her when she expressed her fear.

  Even when the bright light came and the earth began to rumble, Kyla didn’t second-guess what she had done. As Bella shrieked in protest only inches from where she stood, Kyla knew in her heart that what she was doing was right.

  “You’re a Yashwa, Kyla! We aren’t meant to be Human! We don’t live in their houses eating their Human food or wearing their clothes. We are Healers, created to take care of Tamaryn. We heal the earth, the flowers, the insects, and the crops, and in turn we heal the People! We bring balance to Tamaryn, and that is what we do! It’s what we were created to do.” Bella continued to flutter, frantically. She couldn’t believe Kyla could be so blind to her own purpose. Though Bella was two hundred years younger than Kyla, even she knew that.

  “Bella, you don’t understand. I love making the crops beautiful, and how the flowers bloom when they hear my voice. But I want more. I was meant for more.” Kyla’s voice was getting bigger, stronger, and deeper. Bella retreated from Kyla’s voice, afraid as she realized that it wasn’t the only thing about Kyla that was growing.

  “Kyla, there is nothing more. This is what we do, who we are. There is nothing more. We need nothing more!” Bella’s wings were growing tired. She knew that if she didn’t get back to the safety and shelter of the Pyto soon, she would not be able to make it back until tomorrow. There were too many dangers for her to be out in the open, unprotected, and Bella was beginning to fear for herself, but she was too angry to leave Kyla. None of her other sisters had ever shown this type of defiance or longing for the life of the People.

  Bella couldn’t imagine anything more fulfilling than soaring through the fields as her tiny wings kissed the earth while she dipped down to touch it. She loved everything about her life and couldn’t imagine not wanting to be Yashwa.

  “I’m not afraid of them like the rest of you are. Humans are beautiful! He is beautiful, and I will be with him very soon. You need to stay out of my way and pretend you don’t know anything.” Kyla realized that Bella appeared to be getting smaller and smaller. She didn’t want to sacrifice Bella, but she would do what she needed to do. She wasn’t afraid of the People. She spent time with them, watching them, studying them, and memorizing their every move without them even aware of her presence. She had never told anyone how enamored she was with the People, until now.

  Kyla’s fascination began one day as she was soaring through the fields healing them from the drought. She’d spotted him wandering sad and forlorn through the wheat. He was tall even compared to the other Humans. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was far more tender than most, and in all of her years she had never seen another Human like him. He was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. He was touching the wheat gently with his fingertips, and she could read on his face that he was afraid for his Humans. He was certain they would starve and she could see tears in his eyes. She admired how much he cared for the other Humans and had known for a long time that he was important to his People by watching how they revered him when he was near. They called him “the Governor” and she watched how they looked to him for protection and guidance. She felt sad for him as he ran his hand over the wheat, his handsome face devastated.

  He didn’t know that Kyla had already repaired the husks with her breath and touch. She could feel his sorrow and it took her breath away. She flew as close to his face as she dared, hiding behind the long stalks. It was as close as Kyla had ever been to a Human, and she was enamored.

  He was handsome with his dark, nearly black hair and bright green eyes. He was about one hundred times bigger than she was, and when she was near him she felt as though she couldn’t breathe.

  Kyla found reasons to visit and watch him more and more. She watched him with his female Human and

  the small children that looked so much like him, but she didn't care about them. She only cared for him, and the longer she watched him, the more she convinced herself that she couldn't do without him, and that she needed him in a way she had never needed anything else. Even though it was against everything she had ever been taught, or anything she had ever seen from her kind, nothing else mattered but to be with him.

  She was tortured with her love for him, knowing a Yashwa and a Human could never be together.

  It was unlikely she would ever get to mate for love, and she refused to allow herself to believe she would never get to live out the love that she felt for her Human. Kyla was desperate and visited every Creature she knew who may have the power to turn her Human, but all refused. They all lacked either the strength or desire to cross the boundaries of “what was intended to be.” Despite Kyla’s heart-rending pleas that she was to be turned for love, none dared to violate the balance: or the wrath of the Great Yashwa. Kyla knew the only ones who could help were those she was forbidden to ever approach or even consider

  in her mind.

  The Ubilez.

  The Ubilez were the cruelest of all Creatures and had the deepest darkness in their souls. Kyla was taught as a young Yashwa that even the whisper of their name on her lips could summon them, which would be fatal to someone of her kind who was not yet trained. She also knew the Ubilez were powerful and held the key to make her Human. Kyla was prepared to pay any price, which she knew the Ubilez would require, and she was willing to give them whatever they required if it meant she could be with him.

  I’m meant to be more than a Yashwa! Why can’t I have what I want? She asked herself these questions every day, until they burned hot inside of her all of the time, like a flame that refused to be put out.

  She may only be Yashwa, but she wanted more to be Human so she could be with him. She knew it was true that only Father, the High Lord Yashwa, would ever dare approach the Ubilez, but Kyla knew the Ubilez had the power to grant her what it was that she wanted. They were the only ones powerful enough to give her what she wanted, and while the Ubilez was the only true enemy to Tamaryn, she wasn’t worried. She knew the Ubilez would be no match for the rest of the Yashwa no matter how much they asked of her. While the Yashwa were mostly Healers, war was also in their blood. They could be warriors and protectors when they needed to be.

  Kyla knew by sacrificing herself in order to be Human, she would have to give up being Yashwa forever. In order to be with him, she would lose the power to cultivate and breathe life into the hundreds of seedlings that were meant to be her offspring. But after she watched him and felt his tender h
eart, she felt she had no choice but to give up her seedlings.

  She knew that he needed her too. Kyla watched with disdain how his Human woman cared more about their children and the other Humans in Tamaryn than she cared about him. Kyla had spent days observing her as she went into the towns, feeding orphans and the hungry, and teaching in the schools. There were times the Governess was gone for days at a time, leaving the Governor behind and alone.

  Kyla thought that if the Governess truly loved the Governor that she would stay by his side and only serve him. The Governess is a selfish woman and doesn't deserve to have this life with someone like him!

  “You have to promise not to tell, Bella,” Kyla said, struggling to fly as her wings grew smaller and her body heavier. Soon she would be able to stand as the People did, her legs getting longer by the second. “If you tell our father, the Great Yashwa, the Ubilez will know immediately. They won’t be happy with you and there is nothing I can do to protect you. You’ll have to act as though you never saw me, as though you don’t know what is happening in Tamaryn.”

  Bella stopped fluttering and looked at Kyla angrily, her delicate face nearly as red as her wings. “How can you be so heartless? Are you threatening me, Kyla?”

  “No, Bella. I’m just telling you how it will be if you tell anyone you saw me. I won’t be able to protect you because it will be out of my hands.” Kyla pleaded with Bella to understand. She had grown fond of her and was surprised to find that she didn’t want to see something happen to her.

  “What is going to happen now, Kyla? The whole world has grown dark and strange. What will happen to the People and to the Yashwa?” Bella noticed how the sudden lack of wind made her wings feel heavy. She no longer had help staying aloft in the air.