The Fire Sisters (Brilliant Darkness 3)

by A. G. Henley

  It isn’t long before the village begins to stir and the anuna gather. After that, it’s a blur of joy, being passed from person to person, hugged on, cried on, and thanked. I lose track of who I’ve spoken to and who I haven’t. I just have to plaster a grin on my face and enjoy the ride.

  Peree and the others wake from their tea stupor and join me, sharing in the attention. An impromptu feast is drummed up, and the smell of meat and fresh bread make my stomach roar with hunger for food I won’t have a chance to eat. Peree kisses me over and over, not letting me go for a moment.

  We all have to repeatedly tell the tale of the Fire Sisters. Moray and his brothers crack jokes and laugh, making light of everything that happened, no matter how serious. They don’t mention Frost. The children tell their story, causing their parents to cry every time. I notice we all change the details a bit, in deference to Alev. The anuna seem to address her cautiously at first, but they warm after she formally apologizes for the Gathering, vowing it won’t happen again. Not everyone will let it go at that, but I think I know the anuna well enough to be confident they’ll at least give her a chance to make amends.

  “Fennel, my daughter, welcome home,” Kadee says when she finally reaches me. The smile and tears in her voice are echoed in my own. We talk, catching up, although it’s impossible to cover everything in the few moments we have before a new parent pulls me in for a hug. Arika, Kora and Darel’s mother, returns again and again to thank Peree and me.

  When Moon gets to me, she almost knocks me off my feet. She’s so choked up that she can’t even speak. Petrel greets me with a more measured hug, Yani squealing in his arms.

  “And how are you?” I coo to the baby. Her scent of fresh spring grass and florals is a salve to my soul. “Have you grown? Are you walking yet?” I tease.

  “Thank you so much for bringing Thrush home,” Moon says. Her words fly by so fast my ears barely catch them. Her tears wet my face as she hugs me. “We’re naming our next child after you or Peree.”

  I try to tell her I’m flattered, but she’s already off again.

  “I have a surprise for you! Wait here.”

  She runs away, leaving me breathless. Moon makes my head spin, but I love her. She returns a few minutes later, and the anuna all around us quiet down.

  “What is it?” I mutter to Peree. I’m a little afraid of what his cousin cooked up, to be honest. He doesn’t answer.

  “Fennel?”

  My mouth drops open at the voice. Can it really be—?

  “Calli? Is that you?” I say.

  “Yes! And Fox and Acacia, too!” She shrieks and runs to me.

  Her long hair smothers me. She’s screaming in my ear, and I’m screaming right back in hers. We jump up and down, asking questions all at the same time.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “When did you get back?”

  “Is everything okay at home?”

  “What is a lorinya? They keep calling us that.”

  She whispers the last one, and I laugh. “I’ll tell you later. You remember Peree, right?”

  Calli wasn’t Peree’s biggest fan before—at least she wasn’t happy I was intended to a Lofty—but she greets him cheerfully now. I think she even hugs him. Fox and Acacia come to me next; their family’s collective embrace feels as natural as breathing.

  “Why are you here?” I ask them again. “Is everything okay at home?”

  Fox sounds much the same as he always has when he answers. “We decided to come and see Koolkuna, meet Nerang and the rest of the anuna, and decide for ourselves if it might be prudent to, well, relocate. If it’s still a possibility,” he hurries to add.

  “I think it will be,” I whisper to him.

  They tell Peree and me that relations with the Lofties have improved, but Breeze, Osprey, and Thistle would not be invited to join us in Koolkuna. I’m glad to hear it. I doubt Peree or Moray would mind either, even though they’re family.

  I can’t stop hugging Calli. I think I’m in shock. “How did you even find your way here?”

  “The crampberries you smeared on the walls of the caves,” she says. “They still smell something awful.”

  “And what about Cricket?” I ask. “Where do things stand with him?”

  “He wants to come to Koolkuna, if we do. We’ll partner in the spring.” Her voice sparkles with enthusiasm, before she lowers it. “They do partner here, don’t they?”

  Calli and Bear reunite with as much excitement as she and I did. He introduces her to Kai, who manages to sound friendly. We all join the anuna, now clustered around the fire chatting. Calli prattles with them as if she’s known them for years. Hearing my old and new friends celebrating together, and the children shouting and laughing as they run around the clearing in dizzying circles… it all feels so lovely, natural, and normal.

  Peree pulls me in close. “Happy?”

  I tell him I am. But—

  As Calli called my name, I thought it might be someone else for just a moment—the one voice I’d give almost anything to hear again. I haven’t allowed myself to hope—not really—but some nights I’ve dreamed that Peree and the others were wrong and that Eland wasn’t killed. That Calli and her parents could have nursed him back to health. That I might have my brother back.

  But this is real life, not one of Kora’s beloved fairy tales. When someone dies, they don’t magically spring to life.

  I can dwell on death, or I can choose to live. Suddenly, the choice seems easy.

  Days later, the anuna, Groundlings, Lofties—and a Fire Sister—are again gathered near the allawah a little before dusk.

  Peree and I couldn’t bring ourselves to partner at the Myuna, as we’d planned before. Too many bad memories. We aren’t in any finery; there’s no feast. We wanted only a simple ceremony, witnessed by those we care about. And that’s what we have.

  Kadee, Calli, Amarina, and Arika walk with me to the clearing. Konol, Petrel, and Bear, of all people, walk with Peree. Friends, old and new, greet us as we arrive, all except for Fox and Acacia. They went home already, eager to persuade other Groundlings and Lofties to join us here. I think they’ll have an easier time of it than Peree and I did.

  My hair, smelling of the stinging nettle soap Kadee had left over from summer, flows loose down my back. It blows a bit in the breeze as Peree takes my hand beside the sparkling fire.

  “Nice night,” he whispers as he takes my outstretched hand. He sighs. “I can’t seem to not talk about the weather when I’m nervous.”

  I giggle, a sure sign I’m nervous. I take a deep breath to center myself.

  “I love you,” I tell him. That’s why I’m here, after all.

  “I love you, too.”

  I finger the leather band I’ve been hiding in one pocket or another since this morning. “I have something for you.”

  “I have something for you, too.”

  “And I have something for you both as well,” Nerang says from beside us. Koolkuna’s healer likes to complain that he’s old and decrepit, but he can be as silent as a predator when he wants to be.

  Small hands—Kora’s—pass me a fistful of stems. It’s heather again, from the complex scent. I breathe it in and thank her.

  Nerang’s voice becomes more formal as he begins to speak in the first language. I focus on the feel of Peree’s hand in mine: his strong fingers, the rough patches on the pads from his bow. He holds my scarred and battered hands gently—sheltering, never shackling. His love gives me confidence, resiliency. It makes me more than I already am. I’m thrilled by the heady promise of life with him.

  “Fennel,” Nerang says, “is this bond what you desire?”

  I can tell from his emphasis on my name and the laughter in his words that I missed something. I quickly say yes.

  “It’s what I desire, too, in case you missed it,” Peree mildly informs me.

  “Is there anything you would like to exchange?” Nerang asks.

  I pull out the leather bond
ing bands that a craftswoman from Koolkuna created. Before the Fire Sisters came to Gather the children, I’d showed her my bird pendent and asked her to design a bird soaring over water on the bands. I thought it represented Peree and me well. From what I can tell by touch, she did an expert job.

  I hand Peree the thinner of the two bands. He ties it on my upper arm, and after Kora takes back the bouquet, I do the same with his. He brushes my cheek, and we hold hands again.

  “In the tradition of the anuna,” Nerang says, “you should now tell your story, the story of how the paths of two people became one.”

  Peree settles into the rhythmic voice I love and tells the story I know but never tire of hearing, beginning with how he saved me from a charging boar when we were both children; how he watched over me from above as we grew older, hoping to meet me; how he worked day after day to improve his archery so he would be chosen as my Keeper; and he described that moment when we met at the Summer Solstice celebration, the night I asked him to dance.

  He tells of our first, terrifying days together as Water Bearer and Keeper, our harrowing journey through the caves, and he makes the anuna laugh, describing his dubious first impressions of Nerang and Koolkuna. He speaks of the Reckoning, the Confluence, and the difficult days when we realized most of our people would not come with us to Koolkuna. He tells of the Cloister, the Fire Sisters, and our return home with the children.

  “And now,” he says, squeezing my hands, “I stand here in awe that you, a woman with the fierce courage of a tiger, the beauty of a cassowary woman, the loyalty of the first fish… and a slight similarity to lizards and weasels… has agreed to partner with me.” He presses my palm to his chest where his heart beats, strong and sure. “Fennel. My heart, body, and soul are yours. Protect and cherish them for me, as I will always protect and cherish you.”

  I’m not sure I can speak, so I throw my arms around him and kiss him instead. I get lost in his lips and his touch on my skin and I forget where we are, what we’re supposed to be doing. I practically forget who I am.

  Nerang clears his throat loudly as our friends laugh.

  “Your turn,” Peree whispers.

  I feel woozy from our kiss and woefully ill equipped to follow Peree in any kind of storytelling, but I won’t miss this chance to tell him how I feel about him.

  “Peree… on that first day we met at the Summer Solstice, you didn’t fit any of the things I’d expected of my Keeper or thought to be true of Lofties. I was reluctant to get to know you, amazed to begin to trust you, and stunned when I fell in love with you. But as those first days slipped into weeks and then months, I came to understand the magic of the person you are. You moved from the periphery of my life, someone on the blurry outside edges, to the center of my world.” I gather up every bit of sincerity in my heart, hoping it will shine through my words. “I love you—and I will love you—for all of my life.”

  “Mirii and Myall,” Nerang says, “I bless you with nettle, chamomile, aloe, and sage to impart health, strength, wisdom, and long life as you begin your journey together. You are bound now. Let nothing—and no one—come between you.”

  Something trails lightly over my nose and cheeks, smelling of fresh, finely ground herbs. The fire burns hot and white for a moment, as if Nerang threw more herbs there, too.

  Peree and I share one more perfect kiss.

  The past brims with memories I’d as soon forget. The future will always be uncertain. But the present is here and now, brilliant with hope. It’s warm and gentle, and it holds a promise of comfort and security that I cling to. Love, like fire, can destroy, but it can also save your life.

  Peree and I have weathered many a storm. Whatever comes next, we’ll weather it, too.

  Together.

  * * *

  Thank you very much for reading The Fire Sisters, Book 3 of the Brilliant Darkness series! Reviews and word of mouth recommendations are so important to authors. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads.

  The Brilliant Darkness series is complete, but I'm already hard at work on new projects. For information about upcoming book releases, please subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

  Thanks again!

  * * *

  Read the rest of the Brilliant Darkness series:

  THE SCOURGE, Book 1

  THE KEEPER: A Brilliant Darkness Story (#1.5)

  THE DEFIANCE, Book 2

  THE GATHERER: A Brilliant Darkness Story (#2.5)

  THE FIRE SISTERS, Book 3

  * * *

  Acknowledgments

  It takes a team of people to create a book. This book is no exception.

  I owe many thanks to Caryn Wiseman, my agent and the developmental editor for The Fire Sisters. Your unflinching, critical eye made this book so much better. Thank you for always telling me like it is.

  I'd also like to thank Cynthia Shepp for her excellent copyediting and proofreading work, Robin Ludwig for her beautiful covers from The Defiance on through to The Fire Sisters, and Steve Lamar—the Renaissance Man who has been with me from the beginning—for setting up my website and always being willing to fix stuff I screw up.

  I’ve met some wonderful authors, editors, and publishing folks over the last three years. One author in particular, the talented S.K. Falls, was instrumental in helping me craft better books and navigate the deep, dark publishing seas. I’m so lucky to know you, SFAM.

  Kristi Helvig, an amazing young adult author, psychologist, and Denverite, has often stepped in to read various drafts of my work and help me shape them. I owe you a gluten-free drink of your choice.

  My fellow Infinite Ink authors and friends—Katie French, Nicole Ciacchella, Shelbi Wescott, Megan Thomason, A.J. Krafton, Zoe Cannon, Kea Alwang, and S.K. Falls—have been there to promote my work, answer my questions, throw ideas around, and commiserate. I hope we can all gather in Megan’s tropical paradise of a backyard very soon.

  Finally, many book bloggers have helped me along the way by reviewing and recommending my books. For little to no recognition or financial reward, you connect me with readers. You guys are awesome.

  My family. Mom, Dad, and Ginger—don’t miss the dedication, it’s for you. Thank you for many years of putting up with me.

  ASH, thank you for your enthusiastic support and for always being my first reader. I implicitly trust your judgment. WRH, you remind me to trade out my author hat for my Mom one every afternoon. I promise to write a book with less kissing next time. And Ryan, you’ve suffered through many a monologue about writing and publishing. You’ve shared and supported my dreams. I couldn’t have done this—any of this—without you. I love you very much.

  And finally, my readers. The Brilliant Darkness series sprang to life in November 2010, when I sat down to hash out the particulars of Fennel’s world. Only a few months have passed for Fenn; five years have passed for me. So much has changed for both of us.

  I published The Scourge in January 2012, only hoping to sell enough copies to pay the cost of the hundred-buck cover that a friend, Jen Allen, kindly created for me. Writing a novel was a crazy experiment, a check mark on the bucket list. But I discovered along the way that I loved to write, loved to create characters and stories readers connected with, loved connecting with those same readers.

  I am so grateful to everyone who has read the Brilliant Darkness series and supported it through the years. Thank you, readers, for coming on this journey with Fenn and me. I’ll be leaving her here, safe in Koolkuna, but I hope you’ll follow me and a new heroine soon. I’ll be very glad to have you with me.

  Aimee (A.G.) Henley

  September 2015

  About the Author

  A.G. Henley is the author of the Brilliant Darkness series. The first book in the series, The Scourge, was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award.

  A.G. is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or a
void her at parties when they've had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she's not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities, while trying to remember whatever she's inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado. Learn more at aghenley.com

  Table of Contents

  THE FIRE SISTERS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author