The Rabbit And The Raven

by Melissa Eskue Ousley

  The woman sitting beside Jon was thin with tousled, dark, shoulder-length hair and Jon’s brown eyes. The look on her face seemed to be one of shock or horror. Maybe both. Marisol was painfully aware of how crazy she must sound. She turned to the woman and held out her hand. “Hello. I’m Marisol Cassidy, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you,” the woman replied, shaking Marisol’s hand. “I’m Jon’s mom, Blanca Reyes. Are you sure you’re okay? That creature didn’t hurt you?”

  “No, but it would have killed me, I think, if it had the chance. Thanks for the lift,” Marisol quipped, her voice quivering a little. She tried a smile again, willing herself to calm down.

  “Anytime,” David replied. He seemed annoyingly calm, as if homicidal cat monsters were yesterday’s news. Marisol stared at him in disbelief. “So, introductions…Abby’s dad is driving, this is her mom and brother, and this is Cael.” David gestured to the man riding shotgun, but didn’t elaborate on who Cael was.

  “Hello,” she said politely.

  The man seemed tense, his eyes focused only on the road ahead. He didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her. Not a big talker, apparently. He seemed to be wearing some kind of armor, as were Jon, Abby, and David. Weird, Marisol thought.

  The others nodded their welcome as Abby’s father drove through the open gates of the tall stone fence encircling the old Spanish colonial mansion.

  Why are we going here? Marisol wondered, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes. Although the old house was right across from the inn, people avoided it like the plague. Supposedly it was haunted, and she was pretty sure there’d be no one there to help them or the others she’d left behind.

  As they passed the ruins of an overgrown garden and a reflecting pool, Marisol looked back. The creature that had somehow escaped from her nightmares and chased her down the street had stopped at the estate’s iron gates and was sitting nonchalantly on its haunches. It wasn’t following them.

  What’s it waiting for? Marisol pondered. She could see those red eyes glowing in the darkness. “What is that thing?” she asked.

  “Long story,” Jon answered, “but here’s the quick and dirty version. It’s a shape-shifting monster called a Shadow.”

  “A Blood Shadow,” Abby added. “A Kruorumbrae.”

  “It knew my name,” Marisol murmured, with fear in her voice. As she glanced behind again, she saw that the terrifying creature still remained at the gate line. It was watching, staring, as if it had all the time in the world to retrieve its prey.

  Chapter Three

  FIGHT OR FLIGHT

  “Why is that car upside down?” Marisol asked as Abby’s father continued up the driveway past an overturned SUV. Mr. Brown parked the minivan by the mansion’s front door.

  “Those shadow things have already been here. I don’t want to weird you out, but you’re going to have to come with us,” Jon said.

  “I’m already weirded out,” Marisol replied, shifting uncomfortably on Jon’s lap. Now that she knew she was sitting next to his mother, she felt a little awkward. She hoped Ms. Reyes was okay with a girl using her son as a chair.

  On the other hand, Jon didn’t seem self-conscious about the seating arrangement at all. In fact, he seemed quite happy about Marisol being so close and had wrapped his arms around her waist.

  Marisol looked at him. “It’s been kind of a strange night. Where are you guys going?”

  “Somewhere...less dangerous than here. Newcastle Beach isn’t safe for us anymore,” Jon explained. He tugged open the door of the van and Marisol slid off his lap, exiting the vehicle.

  She looked at the overturned car, shuddered, and crossed her arms, feeling a chill more from fear than the cool autumn air. She turned to see Jon step out of the van and offer his arm to his mother as she followed him.

  A gentleman. Marisol smiled.

  “We need to leave town fast. Do you trust me?” Jon asked, looking into Marisol’s eyes.

  She stared back at him—his gaze was intense. “Yes,” she said, uncrossing her arms. “My parents are both out of the country so they won’t even know I’m gone. But what about my friends? We have to get help for them.”

  “We’re the reason the Kruorumbrae are here. They’re looking for us. Once we leave, they’ll follow, and Newcastle Beach will be safe again—for now, at least.” Marisol shivered, remembering her earlier thought that her sense of safety was only temporary. “Come with me,” Jon pleaded. “There’s no time to tell you everything yet, but I’ll fill you in as soon as I can.” He took Marisol’s hand and she let him lead her into the dark depths of the mansion.

  The others grabbed their bags and followed them into a hall with one tall, gilded mirror. The rest of the place was a dump. Around the mirror were the remains of other mirrors, all shattered, their glass shards scattered across the floor.

  Marisol looked up to see that the dome in the ceiling had been destroyed as well.

  The man David had introduced as Cael took charge. “Quickly, now—David, you and Abby take her family through, and I will follow with the others.”

  David nodded and grabbed the small black suitcase Abby’s mother was holding. He held out his arm for her and she took it, timidly. She looked curious and frightened at the same time. “It will be all right, Mrs. Brown,” David said. “I promise.” They stepped through the glass and disappeared.

  “Whoa,” breathed Marisol. “What the hell?” She looked over at Blanca Reyes. “Sorry, Ms. Reyes.”

  “No, it’s okay. I was just thinking the exact same thing,” Jon’s mom said, smiling. “Oh, and please, call me Blanca. ‘Ms. Reyes’ sounds like an old lady.”

  “You got it,” Marisol grinned.

  Abby stood between her father and brother and took their hands, guiding them through the mirror.

  “Jon, what is that?” Marisol asked.

  “It’s a door to a kind of parallel universe,” Jon said.

  “Ah,” Marisol nodded. “And we’re going through it?”

  “Yep,” Jon replied.

  “And we’ll be safe from those shadow things?” Marisol asked.

  “Yep,” he repeated.

  “All right then.” She took his hand and Blanca’s. “Let’s do this.”

  “I like this girl, Jon,” Blanca grinned.

  “Me too,” he agreed. “Let’s get out of here.” At that, he led them through the portal.

  Cael took one last look around to make sure they weren’t being followed. Although he was certain Tierney would use the silver hand mirror to return to Cai Terenmare, he didn’t want the dark lord using the Caislucis portal. He stepped through the glass. On the other side, he saw Eulalia hugging David, Abby, and Jon fiercely, and then greeting the newcomers.

  He felt his breath catch. He’d known her for so long and yet she still managed to take his breath away. He could hardly believe he was home with this stunning woman and that she was finally ready to be with him. For the first time since she’d told him she was marrying Ardal, he felt a sense of peace.

  When Eulalia saw Cael, she went to him, placed her hands on his cheeks, pulled his face to hers, and kissed him.

  “I promised I would return them safely,” he said, feeling an uncharacteristically wide smile spreading across his face.

  “And you delivered,” she returned, kissing him again.

  “Marisol,” David began, “allow me to introduce my biological mother, the Dowager Queen, Eulalia. Cael is a knight of the highest honor—the head knight, if you will, in charge of protecting our kingdom.”

  Marisol hesitated, nodded to Cael, and then curtseyed to Eulalia. “I’m honored to meet you, Your Majesty.”

  “Welcome to Cai Terenmare, Marisol.” Eulalia smiled warmly and took Marisol’s hands in greeting. “I hope you will be very comfortable here.”

  “Thank you,” Marisol replied.

  “Come,” Eulalia said. “Let us go to the banquet hall. There is much to speak about.” She turned to Cael and took his arm,
leading her guests away from the mirror. Her guards returned to their posts, securing the portal.

  “So, David,” Marisol whispered as they followed the queen. “When you say ‘our’ kingdom, and the queen’s your mom, that means you are—”

  “Yep,” David replied. “I’m king. They call me the Solas Beir here, but essentially, it means king.”

  “Okay...” Marisol said, nodding slowly.

  “It’s weird, isn’t it?” David asked. He looked unsure of himself, a strange contrast with the mannerisms of the confident boy she’d known growing up.

  “Yeah…but like I told Jon, it’s been kind of a crazy night,” Marisol said. “It started out so normal, hanging at the beach with our friends, you know? And then, everything just hit the fan—there were monsters everywhere, attacking everyone.” She grabbed David’s arm. “David—I think Michal might be dead.”

  David stopped walking and looked at her. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Me too. She wasn’t always the nicest person, but she was a person. She didn’t deserve that,” Marisol frowned. She suddenly felt overwhelmed by a sense of loss, thinking about all the people who had been sitting around the bonfire, friends who might have suffered Michal’s fate.

  “No, she didn’t. Tell me more about Monroe. What happened before you left her at the inn?”

  Marisol choked back a sob and cleared her throat, fighting the urge to cry. “That thing that was chasing me cut her up pretty badly. She’ll be okay eventually, at least physically. Emotionally, I don’t know,” she added. “That shadow monster—it knew things about me…I used to have these terrible nightmares as a kid. Now I wonder if they were nightmares or if there really was something in my room with me.”

  “I don’t know—maybe it was with you somehow, in your dreams. The Kruorumbrae—they’re tricky. And they lie,” David told her.

  “Did you ever have dreams like that?” Marisol asked.

  “Once—a long time ago,” David replied. “I don’t really remember—and I think my experiences were different from the other kids in the neighborhood.”

  “Oh. Yeah, I guess so.” Marisol looked around at the stone walls and vaulted ceiling of the corridor leading to the banquet hall. Colorful silk banners lined the walls. “How long have you known about this place?”

  “Not long. I was introduced a few days ago, when Abby told me about it. After the Autumn Ball I came here with her and Jon,” David said.

  “Ohhh,” Marisol turned to Jon. He was looking at her anxiously, probably because she had almost started crying. She smiled to reassure him. “So that’s why you didn’t call me.”

  Jon smiled back. “Yeah, sorry about that. I was a little busy.”

  She kissed Jon’s cheek. “Forgiven.”

  Cael knew Eulalia was right—there was much to speak about. They needed to help the newcomers make sense of their new surroundings.

  Abby’s family and Jon’s mother sat down at the long, elaborately carved banquet table looking dazed, glancing around the room as if they couldn’t believe their eyes.

  Cael studied the girl they’d rescued on the way to the portal. She seemed to be adjusting better than the others, suspending her disbelief and accepting the strange turn her life had taken. He was impressed. He settled into the chair beside Eulalia as servers moved about, providing a meal. Then he took her hand. “You and I need to discuss the implications of Tierney’s escape from the Wasteland and formulate a plan to stop him now that he is free.”

  “Indeed,” she replied. “You saw evidence of his return?”

  “I am afraid so,” Cael said in a low voice. He nodded toward Marisol. “His minions attacked the girl and her friends.”

  “It will be difficult to protect our world from discovery by the humans,” Eulalia noted solemnly.

  “I suspect Tierney will return to Cai Terenmare soon,” Cael predicted. “Even he can appreciate the need to keep the existence of our world a secret.”

  “I hope so,” Eulalia said. “Still, I shall advise Riordan Buchan to stay here with his family a while longer, since the Kruorumbrae are running amok. He would not dare risk his family’s safety.”

  “Where are the Buchans?” David asked, overhearing the mention of their name.

  Eulalia turned to him. “They are with Gorman in the library. They will be happy to hear you have returned.”

  Riordan Buchan and his family had agreed to become guardians of the portal now that he had inherited the mansion.

  Gorman, the small, earthy indigo man who served as the kingdom’s historian and librarian, was teaching Riordan, Cassandra, and their children about the history of the Buchan clan and what might be done to protect the portal once they had dealt with the Blood Shadows.

  Cael steered the conversation back to the topic that was most pressing in his mind. “It seems unlikely that Tierney will attempt a breach of the castle via the mansion’s portal—he is not a fool who would enter the fortress by smashing a hive of bees. Instead, he will use the silver hand mirror to cross over and then gather his troops, who have been scattered across the kingdom since the time of his arrest. I predict that once his forces are united, he will launch his attack. This means that we must organize our own forces and strengthen them with support from the oracles at the outer edges of the realm.”

  “Yes,” Eulalia agreed, “but that will not be easy.” Then she turned to address the newcomers. “Although David is Solas Beir and the rightful heir to his father’s throne, he has been raised as a human, and this has undermined his authority. Some consider him an outsider with much to learn.”

  At this statement, David winced, but his mother gave him a reassuring smile.

  “Those of the Light who reside in the region nearest to our home have welcomed him,” Eulalia continued. “He has already made strides in winning their hearts by presenting himself with humility, promising to serve his people. Many of them attended the coronation.” Cael noted the way she gazed at David, her pride for her son shining brightly in her eyes. “After so many years of waiting for his return, they would not have missed the crowning of the Solas Beir. But for those who did not witness his return, some convincing of his valid claim as heir will be necessary. Faith might be a virtue, but there will always be those in the kingdom who won’t believe until they see with their own eyes.”

  Abby’s parents and little brother, Blanca, and Marisol sat with furrowed brows, trying to process the new information as they listened intently to the queen.

  “And how far does the kingdom reach?” inquired Marisol.

  Eulalia squeezed Cael’s hand, looking to him to explain the geography of Cai Terenmare.

  He nodded at her and turned to the others. “The ivory castle in which you are seated is called Caislucis. It is perched on a cliff overlooking the Western Sea and surrounded by ancient forests. Caislucis is also the dwelling of the Solas Beir’s council and other key leaders and advisors. It is a hub for politics and the symbolic center of the kingdom, even though it is not the geographic center of the vast continent of Cai Terenmare. This castle also houses a great library and serves as the kingdom’s university. Along the edges of the forest are the Great Plains, where the lives of those in the Light mirror the world of your preindustrial human ancestors. The plains are dotted with small farming and ranching communities.”

  “It is within these humble villages,” interjected Eulalia, “that David’s work will start. There, he will begin proving his worth and winning the loyalty of his irresolute subjects by using his power to help those in need.”

  “Then, there is the matter of the oracles, whose realms lay on the outer boundaries of the kingdom,” Cael remarked.

  “Yes,” confirmed the queen. “During the reigns of past Solas Beirs, the four oracles have either been loyal to the Solas Beir or impartial in matters of those in the Light. The oracles are like forces of nature, and there is a mutual respect and elemental balance between their power and that of the Solas Beir. However, as the power of the K
ruorumbrae has increased, this balance has eroded, and relationships with the oracles have become precarious. There is no guarantee that they will show loyalty to a new Solas Beir, much less one who has not lived in their world.”

  “I believe David would do well in meeting with the Northern Oracle first,” Cael advised.

  “I know this is a lot of information to absorb,” David said, scanning the faces of Abby’s parents and Jon’s mother.

  Cael took a moment to observe the newcomers. They did look befuddled. Blanca gave Jon a questioning look. Jon tried to reassure his mother by putting his arm around her.

  “It’s all right,” Marisol said. “Keep talking. We’ll catch up.” She caught Cael’s eye and smiled. He nodded and returned her smile, encouraged by her response.

  “The Northern Oracle lives in the isolated northern region of the kingdom,” Cael continued. “She and her colony have little contact with others, but they have been consistently loyal to the Light, dedicated to the pursuit of discipline and self-reliance through a stoic lifestyle and edification through the ancient texts. She guided my fellow warriors and me in our search for the Sign of the Throne, the symbol of the Light that was the key to David’s return. She also helped me vanquish the Western Oracle, a narcissistic monster with a blood thirst rivaling that of her serpent-limbed daughters, the sirens.

  “Like the Blood Shadows, the sirens preyed on those in the Light and were a constant threat to those living in the sea. They murdered my comrades. They almost killed me as well, but I was able to destroy them. With the assistance of the merpeople, who had fallen victim to the sirens for many generations, I survived and was able to return the Solas Beir’s sigil to Caislucis.” Cael studied the faces of his listeners. They still wore expressions of disbelief, but at least they seemed less shocked by their surroundings.