“I forgot to tell you my name,” Ashlynn finally said, breaking the comfortable silence.
Masilda stopped peeling and glanced up at her knowingly. “I know who you are.”
“You do?” Ashlynn was surprised. She’d never seen the girl at a gathering before.
Masilda smiled and shrugged as her black painted fingernails fiddled with the tiny knife and spud. “Everyone knows who you are.”
Ashlynn felt her cheeks flush red. Everyone? “I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“I only just started coming to the gatherings,” the girl replied. “My uncle brought me.”
Ashlynn finished a spud and tossed it in the waiting pot. “Not your parents?”
She took a long, calculated moment before replying. “No.”
So much was said in that single word. The carefully contained emotions the child obviously harbored seeped through the cracks in her voice and Ashlynn desperately wanted to pry. To ask about the story so clearly hidden behind the short answer. But she didn’t. Despite feeling a strange connection to Masilda, this child was a stranger to her. She had no right to pry.
“Masilda!” Troy happily called from across the fire. He waved her over.
She looked to Ashlynn with a sigh. “Sorry, gotta go.”
“It’s alright,” Ashlynn replied. “Thank you for helping. I’ll see you later at the feast, okay? Come find me?”
Masilda brightened as her grungy black and white sneakers lifted over the picnic table bench. “Okay.”
Ashlynn watched the little girl walk over to Troy before they headed off to help with something else. She shivered from the heavy feeling left behind after the rush of memories. Of herself. Of her and Gwen playing in the forest behind the castle and laying under the stars at night as they crawled out their bedroom windows to climb atop the roof. In one chance meeting, Masilda kicked up memories so old that it hurt her heart to even think of them.
Done with peeling, Ashlynn stood and wandered about. Talking to gatherers, asking if anyone had seen Cian. She made her way slowly through the crowd until she knocked on Ruth, the fortune teller’s, wagon door. Ruth was someone else she’d come to know quite well these last few weeks. Like Faith. Another – she grinned - friend. With a surprised blink, Ashlynn realized she’d been wrong before. She did have friends here, in this time and place, people she knew and trusted. Now, she felt guilty for taking so long to see it, how well she really was settling into this modern world.
“Princess Ashlynn,” the fortune teller greeted with a playful grin. The woman was much older, but a timeless beauty with gorgeous black hair cascading down her front in a thick, heavy braid.
“I told you not to call me that,” Ashlynn replied and slapped Ruth playfully on the arm.
Ruth laugh as she stepped aside and let Ashlynn into the spacious wagon. “I know, that’s why it’s fun to say it.”
Ashlynn took a seat at the tiny two-person table, where she often sat, as the fortune teller filled a kettle and placed it on the gas burner. “How are the lessons going?”
Ashlynn guffawed. “Which ones?”
Ruth pulled out the other chair, wooden and painted teal, and took a seat. “Both.”
Ashlynn shook her head and blew out a huff of air. “Fine, I suppose. Both Cian and Faith say I’m doing better than most would.”
Ruth eyed her curiously. “But?”
Ashlynn inhaled deeply as she thought. “It’s not enough.”
“What are you worried about? Serena?”
“Of course.” Ashlynn rubbed her stress-tired face and glanced out the tiny window toward the crowd of happy Travelers who sat around the fire. A few guitars strummed beautiful notes in the air as a couple of large fowl rotated over the flames. She should be happy and content, but she couldn’t seem to take comfort in the moment. She watched as Masilda skipped across her gaze to throw another log on the fire. Ashlynn looked to Ruth and motioned outside. “Who is that child?”
The fortune teller peered out the window and smiled. “That’s Masilda.”
“I know her name,” Ashlynn replied. “But who is she? Where did she come from?”
Ruth chewed at her lip for a moment. “Bit of a tragic story, really. Her parents died in a fire and she was sent here to live with her uncle Troy. Sweet girl.” She paused thoughtfully. “Her parents, they...Masilda wasn’t raised to know magic. They kept it from her. It’s been a bit of an adjustment for the girl, Troy’s doing everything he can to make her feel at home, but it’s been tough. As you can imagine. It’s a wonder she even spoke to you at all.”
Ashlynn’s heart broke for Masilda and, in that moment, felt even more connected to the little girl who resembled herself so much. All alone in this world. Losing the family she loved and then sent to an unknown place full of things she couldn’t quite grasp. Ashlynn could relate on so many levels.
She mindlessly twisted her ring around her finger and suddenly remembered her real reason for paying Ruth a visit. “Do you have a phone?”
The fortune teller cocked an eyebrow as she stood to make the tea. “Yes, although I’m not sure you’d get much of a signal all the way out here. Why?”
“Cian should have been here by now,” Ashlynn told her with worry. “And I left mine at home.”
“Sure, I’ve got his number in here somewhere,” Ruth replied as she plucked the tiny device from her pocket and began tapping at its screen. “Yes, here.” She handed the phone to Ashlynn. “Just press the green button.”
She did and held the flat square to her ear, listening to the endless stream of rings. With each passing one, her heart sank and filled with even more worry. Where was Cian? Why hadn’t he showed up? Why wasn’t he answering his phone? Then a dark thought flickered across her vision. She fought to replace it with other possibilities, but it was too late. The worry had seeped into her mind and soaked into every thought.
What if Serena’s curse wasn’t meant for her?
***
Ashlynn wrapped her arms tight across her torso as she slowly paced around the fire, glancing out to the surrounding trees for any sign of Cian. Worry filled her thoughts with all the possibilities of where he might be. Had Serena found him? Was the curse meant for Cian’s soul? Could he be writhing in pain, all alone? Or was it a painless process, having one’s soul die?
A rustling in the trees to her right snapped Ashlynn out of her dark thoughts and brought her senses to high alert. She raised her hands in defense, ready to protect herself and the travelers, and sagged in relief when Cian emerged from the foliage. She dropped her hands and ran to him, colliding with his broad chest as she wrapped her arms around him.
When his body remained still and unyielding to her embrace, her relief clouded with worry. Cian’s hands, usually so gentle and loving, gripped her arms and pushed her away. Ashlynn looked up into his gaze and saw what she’d missed, the strain in his eyes. He was not happy to see her.
Her heart sank.
“Where is your phone?” his voice was rough with an edge of anger.
Ashlynn’s eyes widened at the unexpected tone. This was a side of Cian she’d never seen before. Her mouth gaped as she searched for a reply. “I…it’s at home.” She pulled away from him and rubbed her arms where his grasp threatened to leave bruises.
“I told you not to forget it,” Cian reminded her through clenched teeth. He lifted his shaking hands and wrung them through his unruly hair as he began to pace. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“Cian,” Ashlynn spoke calmly, feeling the unnatural nature of his anger. Something was wrong with him. “We were supposed to meet here. Remember? I’ve been waiting for you.” Then she recalled, “I called you from Ruth’s phone when I realized I’d left mine at home, but you didn’t answer.”
Cian jerked to a halt in front of her. His dark gaze sank into hers as the sheen of sweat on his face caught the light of the fire behind her. For a moment he looked lost, confused, then he shook his head. “I-I k
now,” he replied, a little calmer. “I just…I didn’t want to come here. I needed to talk to you.”
Ashlynn took a careful step toward him and placed her hands on his face. “Cian, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Cian’s face twisted with emotion as he fought to give her a reply. What could possibly have happened at his parent’s house to put him in such a state? Her stomach twisted.
“Was Serena there?” she asked him, already knowing the answer in her heart.
He looked up too quickly with a glimmer of fear in his eyes. It disappeared in a flash, but Ashlynn caught it. Her heart skipped a beat.
“What did she do? Did she hurt you?”
Cian inhaled a quick breath and closed his eyes before hauling Ashlynn close to his body. She could feel the thrumming of his wild heart beating against her cheek as he held her closely. Tightly.
“Cian?” she finally asked again.
“No,” he replied in a whisper. “No, I’m fine. I was just worried about you.”
“Was she there?”
Cian’s eyes raked over her face. “Yes. And –” He blew out a heavy huff of air and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “She’s up to something. I think she may be behind the uprisings.”
“How do you know? What did she do?” Ashlynn sensed he was holding something back from her and didn’t like it. She’d never seen the man she loved in such a frantic state. Sweaty and pale.
Cian’s forehead pressed against hers as he held her tightly in an almost desperate hold. “Just trust me. I’ve known her my entire life. She’s dabbling in something bigger than herself.”
Before Ashlynn could tell him about the curse Serena was searching for, Troy called to them from the clearing. She turned in Cian’s embrace to give Troy a friendly smile, despite the jumble of nerves that raged in her gut.
“Cian!” Troy called as he neared them. “So glad you made it.”
“Hey, Troy.” Cian offered his hand. “Good to see you. How’s everything going?”
“Great,” their friend replied. “Food’s almost ready, you’re just in time. I’m glad you’re both here now.” He slapped a hand to Cian’s shoulder. “I’ve much to tell you.”
Ashlynn and Cian fixed themselves a plate of food and found a log bench near the fire. She didn’t like the awkwardness that hung between them; Cian with his outburst and odd behaviour, her unsure to tell him about the curse. Everything around them felt like a festering boil, ready to pop. That, at any moment, something was about to shift and change. For the worse or better…she had no idea.
“I have to head back to my parent’s tonight,” Cian spoke out of nowhere as he licked the barbecue sauce from his fingertips. “Come with me?”
Ashlynn was taken aback. What could he possibly be going back there for? And so late? But it didn’t feel as thought Cian was going to give her a straight answer. Her gaze fell from his and landed on the plate balancing in her lap. She nudged her baked potato with the fork. “No, I’m pretty tired. I think I’d like to just go home. If that’s alright?”
“Oh,” Cian replied, a blank look on his face. “Yeah, sure.”
Ashlynn chewed at the corner of her mouth as she contemplated all the things she wanted to say. Finally, her lips gaped. “Cian, is everything oka -”
“Hey, guys!” Troy called, walking up to them with Masilda in tow.
They took a seat on the log bench next to them. Masilda peeked her head out from the other side of Troy and smiled at Ashlynn. Her heart warmed at the sight of the child and instantly felt that pull toward her again. That strange something Ashlynn couldn’t put her finger on that tethered her to the girl.
“Sorry for interrupting your meal,” Troy added, an excited smile spread far and wide.
“No, it’s fine,” Cian replied and waved at the air between them. “You said you have something to tell us.”
Troy leaned forward and pressed his hands together. “There’s a strange hostility growing in the streets, especially among the older youth.”
Cian turned to Ashlynn and they both nodded before he craned his neck back to Troy. “Yeah, we know. We’ve been told.”
“It’s becoming more and more evident that someone or a small group are the root of the problem,” Troy continued. “We just don’t know who. But we do know one thing.”
Ashlynn noticed Masilda’s face change and she leaned back in the shadow that her uncle cast.
“What’s that?” Cian prompted.
Troy inhaled a log breath. “They’re after power.”
“What do you mean?” Ashlynn piped in.
“I mean, more power than either of us could wield,” he told them. “Something ancient. Long gone. Some of us can harness two elements. But most? Only one. This person or group are after something bigger. The control of all five elements.”
Cian shook his head in disbelief. “What are you talking about, man? That possibility…that –” Cian fought for words. “No one has that ability.”
“But they could,” Ashlynn said, barely above a whisper.
They all turned their eyes to her.
“It’s happened once,” she added. “An old traveller clan came through our region. My parents offered them shelter on our land. For days, wagons and tents littered the fields in front of the castle, and I played with the traveller children. They were the last clan of their particular kind. I remember one of their elders saying that.”
Ashlynn’s eyes glazed over at the memory she once tucked away as a random thought, now in the forefront of her mind with purpose. “One night, a wagon caught fire. And then another. And another. It spread so fast, and it was too late. They’d all burned to death in their sleep. We…we assumed it was a rival clan of some sort, one that didn’t accept the presence of the –” Ashlynn wanted to say gypsies, “travellers.”
“That’s awful,” Cian’s voice said with a nervous crack and he slipped a hand over hers in a comforting way. “But what does that have to do with what Troy said?”
Ashlynn inhaled sharply. “Well, they were the last of their clan. They were wiped out in one fell swoop. And…” A darkness touched the pit of her stomach as her mind conjured up the words. “They could harness all five of the natural elements.”
Masilda stood then and leaned against Troy’s side. Her eyes never wavered from Ashlynn’s.
“So, what makes you think this someone who’s kicking up tensions is after such a power?” Cian asked.
Troy smiled and held Masilda’s hand in both of his. “This is my niece, Masilda. When she was born, my sister and her husband fled the coven, the clans. All of it. Just, completely disappeared. My sister sent me unmarked letters and pictures of Masilda, but other than that no one had ever heard from them. Until two weeks ago when this little creature showed up on my doorstep. Someone had broken into their house and tried to kidnap her.”
“What happened?” Cian asked.
But Ashlynn already knew. Ruth’s puzzle piece finally fell into place. The fire. She looked at Masilda, the poor, beautiful red headed girl as she wiped her running nose with the back of a soot smeared hand. Ashlynn’s heart ached for her.
Troy pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Her parents didn’t make it, and she fled. Straight to me. Apparently, my sister hid her from our world, but not the other way around. Masilda knew all about us.”
Cian shook his head as he seemed to fight to process the information. “This is crazy. Why would anyone want to hurt this girl?”
Troy pursed his lips and looked to his niece. She nodded and rolled up her sleeve to reveal a circular scar on her forearm. With a closer look, Ashlynn realized it wasn’t a scar at all, but more of a birthmark. A perfect circle with four spokes crisscrossing the center. It was an ancient symbol and one Ashlynn knew quite well.
She gasped. “Is that –”
“The Pancha Mahabhuta,” Troy finished for her. He beamed at his niece. “Masilda was born with the ability to wield all five elements at will and some
one wants that power desperately. The elders and I have talked it over and we all agree. She’s a sign, Cian.”
Cian’s brow creased in confusion. “A sign of what?”
“It’s time for the old ways to return. It’s time for a new clan to emerge and we want you to lead it.”
Chapter Four
Cian scrubbed a hand through his five o’clock shadow as he climbed the steps to Faith’s carriage home and prayed she’d have the answers he needed to survive this nightmare.
He was drained. Between Serena’s attack, the news Troy had laid on him the night before, and the hours he’s spent with his parents searching old magical tomes, he was half in shock he could still stand. He couldn’t rest, though. There would be time enough for that when he was dead, and he would be very soon if he didn’t find the answers he needed.
The door swung inward before he could lift an exhausted hand to knock, revealing the clan seer. Cian scrounged up a smile that felt somewhat on the verge of mania and opened his mouth to explain.
“I know why you’re here.” Faith pulled the door back and motioned him inside. “Your mother called just minutes ago to explain.” She ushered him into a chair at the kitchen table and moved to the counter to put on the kettle. “How are you feeling?”
Cian watched her bustle around the small open room, getting the cups, gathering cookies onto a plate from a jar she pulled free from a cupboard. She was an odd little woman, with green fringed hair and clever hands, but he liked her and trusted her. “I’m not sure,” he said honestly, feeling it was important that she know the truth, as far as he understood it anyway. “I’m tired and sore, but so far that seems to be it.”
She made a humming sound in her throat as she poured the hot water onto tea bags and put everything on a tray. “That’s good,” she murmured as she moved to the table and offered him a cup. “I need you to write down every that you feel for the next few days so we can see how quickly the curse is escalating.”
Dark Magicks Page 3
