Sins of the Past: A Darkness Within Prologue (The Darkness Within Saga)

by JD Franx

  Their farm was situated at the foot of the Corynthian Mountains and was only an hour's walk from the Ynasu castle. Yrlissa arrived home just as full dark settled over the valley floor; she kissed her husband and laughed as little Cassandra, Cassie, ran into her arms. She scooped her up and smothered her with a huge hug.

  Yrlissa knew this happiness was something she would fight for, until the bitter end if need be.

  * * * * *

  Savis Ephemeral smiled as he watched Yrlissa walk away with a puzzled look on her face. Once she was out of range, he released the grip he had on his family's inherent ability and stepped from the shadows of the trees that lined the road, becoming visible. Having watched her for months, he knew that he wasn't the only one interested in the young assassin. He was positive the three women and one young girl watching her were witches. Savis hated witches almost as much as he hated Yrlissa Blackmist. The guild council's secret weapon, he was used in secrecy against its own and it prevented him from ever having member status, let alone a position comparable to hers, further fueling his jealousy.

  Now that he knew Yrlissa returned home for the night, he pulled his black hood up over his head. The hem drooped low, leaving his face in deep shadow. He turned and headed back to Ynasu, where his contact would already be waiting. Deciding the later he arrived, the worse it would be for him, he picked up his pace and jogged back to the city instead.

  Ynasu was one of the few cities on the Yusatan valley floor that maintained a round-the-clock gatekeeper brigade. Relying on a large percentage of their agricultural growth for financial stability, Ynasu's gates were open and guarded all day and all hours of the evening. Savis smiled to himself as he was granted access to the city, yet one more time, merely by walking beside a wagon loaded with rice.

  He headed left into the slums immediately after entering the city. A five-minute walk down several flights of stone and mortar stairs brought Savis to the front of the UnderBriar Tavern, located in Ynasu's most vile slum, the Undercity. Entering the run-down, dilapidated wooden building engaged his senses in an all-out assault of odors. Stale spirits, vomit, and the pungent reek of cheap sex made his skin crawl as he choked on his gag reflex. But no one ever noticed anything that happened in the tavern, and those who did wouldn't remember it by morning. Looking around, he found his suspicions to be correct; his contact was already there: and worse, it was the guild's unofficial head and senior council member, Merethyl Bellas. He nodded to the Elvehn guild leader before sitting down at her table.

  With his back to the wall and his chair clear of the table, Savis made sure there would be nothing to slow his escape if the guild leader was not there only to talk. He purposely sat so that the inn's front and back doors were easily within his sight lines. Living as long as he had wasn't luck and it certainly wasn't by being sloppy or taking needless risks. It was by trusting no one, least of all the guild's council members. They had outright refused over the years to grant him sanctioned status within the guild even after all he took all the training every other Blade had. They chose instead to keep him as a weapon, using his abilities in secret. Sometimes even against its own guild members, just like they were doing now with Yrlissa. It didn't bother him, at least not this time. He hated Yrlissa and firmly believed that with her dead, they would have to elevate him to member status.

  Merethyl noticed his suspicion with a scoff. “You really think it would be done here?” she asked softly, leaning closer. “Why would I bother waiting for you to show up late if I planned to kill you?”

  Savis's eyes never left Merethyl's face, but his peripheral vision told him the area was clear. “You know me, Merethyl, trust no one and live forever, trust anyone and die yesterday. Nothing personal, mistress, but without guild status, I would rather be safe than dead.”

  “All right, Savis, enough. I'm not here to kill you, but I am here to find out what in the Brethren's lowest hell is going on out here. Why is Lord Ghaul still alive? Yrlissa is our only ShadowWalker for a reason. Ghaul should have died two years ago. Ah... don't tell me about the three-year limit,” she spat, raising her hands to stop Savis' interruption. “That was required for political reasons in case it needed to be postponed or to avoid implicating the wrong noble in Ghaul's death.”

  As Savis listened, his nerves grated and his cheeks twitched at the mention of Yrlissa's official title, she was the guild's only assassin whose skill rivaled his own. He smiled at the thought of what he would be allowed to do to her once he told Merethyl what had happened here, he hoped it would be enough to earn him his official status. No one else but him could complete a contract put out on the Broken Blades' best killer. Yrlissa Blackmist had no rivals—not even Merethyl.

  Still smiling, Savis sat back ready to tell his tale.

  “I have been following her for months, just like you ordered. It seems, from what I have witnessed, anyway, that Lord Ghaul doesn't care for your kind, even to satisfy his disgusting appetites—doesn't like the pointed ears maybe? I guess he prefers Humans, or perhaps donkeys—big ears perhaps, who knows? But definitely not the Elvehn,” he chuckled. “However, the last little while, she has been catching his attention a bit. She works as a maid in the castle and has been training a young girl, wee little thing—maybe eighteen-years-old. Likely he's eyeing the young one. I suppose it is possible that Lord Ghaul has a decided interest in the two together.”

  Merethyl frowned. “You're disgusting, Savis. Focus! Why hasn't she taken advantage of this and made the fool a corpse?”

  “Ah yes,” he sighed easily. “It seems our devoted ShadowWalker has fallen in love with a young farmer who lives below the rice steppes. Believe it or not, they have a child together. The little girl is over a year old.” He paused for a few seconds to let the information sink in before continuing. “If it's not already clear, Merethyl, I would be more than happy to fix this entire mess for you, starting with Yrlissa and finishing with the brat.”

  Leaning forward slightly, Savis smirked at Merethyl's effort to control her rage and to let her know there would be a price for his offer.

  Though her body shook with anger, the stunned look on Merethyl's face caused Savis' soul to sing with pleasure. “I can't believe what I'm hearing. When Magkahn Doverson returned last time from meeting with you and told myself and the council what she heard and saw, I knew I had to come myself. This should never have happened, what was she thinking?”

  There were other circumstances and events occurring all over Talohna that affected what the guild could and could not do based on their previous alliances. This was information the guild could do without. With the coming storm in the next couple of decades, Savis knew that Merethyl needed everyone loyal and determined, especially Yrlissa. Not lovesick and motherly, or better yet—in his eyes, dead.

  “Is there anything else, Savis? Something you haven't told me? I need to know all of it. Now!”

  Startled by her tone, Savis replied immediately. “Ah, yeah, I'm pretty sure a witch ternion is following Yrlissa as well. They're dressed like Mylla's vested sisters, but they smell like witches. You know I don't make mistakes about those sick, disturbed... things.”

  “I... I'm sure you're probably right. What the hell is going on out here?” she asked.

  “The answer to that, boss, is way above my rank—or lack thereof. Sorry, can't answer that,” he said solemnly, as he popped a piece of bread into his mouth.

  Nodding, more to herself than to him, Savis smirked as she stopped abruptly and shook her head. “All right then, go back out and follow her, but do not let her know you are there. Do not kill her, and for the sake of the goddess, do not let the witches see you. I'll contact you when I decide what action we'll take. Now go. You have your orders. May Assani watch over you, and forever let her shadow guide your blades.”

  Dipping his head in a slight bow, Savis stood. “May she watch over you as well, mistress,” he answered, and left the UnderBriar. He turned sideways as he passed through the door, making room for a tall man i
n a black, heavy suede robe adorned and trimmed in silver symbols. A shiver of intense, irrational fear nearly overwhelmed him, but quickly dissipated under his anger as he turned back to look at the masked man. Furious at what could only be a magical assault, Savis snorted, ready to return the mind burst. Not in the mood for a battle of magical senses that would likely turn into a wizard duel, he changed his mind, shook his head and left the man be. Savis turned and disappeared into the darkness.

  The man glanced back and stared after the assassin, amusement dancing in his strange purple eyes.

  * * * * *

  Merethyl was so distracted by the news Savis had given her, that by the time she felt someone sit down across the table from her she knew it would too late to act. She instantly looked up into the strangest, slitted, purple eyes.

  “Sythrnax! Wh— What are you doing here?” Merethyl couldn't think of anything else to call this being who had shown up just after the Black Sun phenomenon nine years ago. He had been to see her several times over the years, always with a helping hand. His six foot two-inch tall figure towered over her, for some strange reason making her feel like a helpless child.

  His solid black eyes, with their purple, undulating irises and red slitted pupils, made her shiver. He always dressed in black, complete with hood and mask. She couldn't help but stare at the strange silver markings as they blazed with brilliance in her magical sight. The sigils and designs were such that she could never identify them. Even years of research had turned up nothing familiar about the marks. With nothing but those extraordinary eyes visible above the silver and black mask, she couldn't even begin to make a guess at his origins. He wasn't Human or Elvehn. At a younger age, Merethyl had been granted an audience with the DragonKin's Queen Superior in order to negotiate a contract, so she knew he wasn't a Dragon descendant either.

  She also knew that whatever race he might be, he was incredibly dangerous. Every single time she met with him, her magic seemed to evaporate completely. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn he sucked all the elements from the air. Merethyl drew her magic from the trace elements of nature that were everywhere in the world. A spark of static, hot or cold air, or even humidity could be used to devastating effects by elemental sorcerers like her, but with Sythrnax present there was nothing for her to amplify. It was troubling to be so defenseless, especially in his presence.

  Once his physical presence was gone, however, her aptitude could again detect nature's elements around her. Sorcerers like Merethyl could feel nature's power surrounding them almost from birth, so whatever Sythrnax did to suppress it, his abilities were far beyond the silence spells and enchantments that mystic hunters and magic haters used. It scared her that he could do such a thing, and Merethyl didn't frighten easily. She got the distinct impression that even her advanced skills and all of her experience killing without magic would be useless against such a creature as well.

  With his arms tucked inside the sleeves of his robe, Sythrnax stared at Merethyl before speaking. It was clear he was perturbed, likely by her inquiry as to why he was there.

  “What am I doing here? I would imagine the same thing as you. I told you over the years, young one, that we have similar goals and interests, but you still don't believe me, do you?”

  Merethyl was tired of fearing this creature and what he was after in regard to her guild; she decided that tonight she would get some answers. Hopefully the cost wouldn't be her life.

  “You want answers, Merethyl? Do you--”

  She interrupted before he could finish. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  A hand slid from his robe with a whisper as he lifted a lone finger to silence her. A two-inch long black talon tipped his finger where a normal fingernail would be. It was razor sharp, the light from the table's lantern reflected off the sides of the hooked nail as he slowly moved it back and forth in front of her face. Swallowing, she instantly shrank back from the threat as her eyes caught movement stirring under his hood. The lightest clacking vibration drifted out from under the cloth. Fear and panic immediately flooded her very being—as if her soul had been clawed by talons of fear.

  “Do... not... ever... presume to question what I can or cannot do, daughter of the Lost. Your kind,” he lashed out, the razor sharp nail snagging the flesh under her chin, “need to learn that I am here not to answer your questions or do your bidding. I am only here now to offer an easier way around your current problem, to the mutual benefit of us both, do you understand?”

  Merethyl Bellas was one of the most feared killers in all of Talohna, but she was so frozen with terror she could barely nod. The nail slid free from her flesh. Sythrnax pulled his hand back and wiped his finger on a cloth from the table. As if disgusted, he tossed the bloody rag aside and the motion under his hood ceased. Shaking herself free of the gripping terror, Merethyl struggled to understand her irrational panic when it came to this creature and why she couldn't break free of it unless he allowed it.

  “Good. I am glad we understand each other once more,” he said gently. Leaning forward and placing his arms on the table, he stared at her once more.

  “Now listen close, Merethyl. I do not tolerate mistakes. Here is how we are going to handle your situation with this assassin who wants to be a wife and mother...”

  Chapter Three

  The next day began bright and fresh, the grass heavy with glistening dew and a cool breeze blew gently through the valley as the sun climbed over the horizon. Yrlissa and her family planned to spend the day together because her rotation at the castle allowed for one day off out of every fifteen days she worked. She was up early to pack the lunch for their walk into the lower mountain plateaus, the same place they went every time she had a day off from work at the castle.

  As she finished closing the basket, she felt someone try to tackle her by the legs. She turned around quickly and, seeing no one, looked down into the face of her smiling daughter.

  “Momma!” Cassie yelled, laughing and giggling. Yrlissa reached down, scooped up her daughter, and swung her around high in the air, Cassie screeched with glee as she spun around and around. Finally, Yrlissa stopped and pulled her little girl close, hugging her tight.

  “I love you, mai nohva,” Yrlissa said, using the Dyrannai Elvehn term for 'my beautiful angel'.

  “Love you, Momma.”

  “Do you remember how to say 'momma' in Dyrannai, Cassie?”

  Cassie frowned and squeezed her eyes shut as if thinking of the answer. “Yes Momma, Mynerha means 'momma',” her daughter replied, using the same long lost dialect of the Elvehn, right before kissing Yrlissa's cheek.

  Yrlissa smiled.“Are you ready for our walk to the plateaus, nohva?” Putting her forehead against her mother's, Cassie yawned. “Yes, Mynerha”.

  Putting her daughter down gently, she whispered, “We better go get your father then, or we won't be back until after dark.” Cassie held out her hand as Yrlissa grabbed the food basket and both walked from the small farmhouse in search of a father and husband.

  * * * * *

  The day spent in the lower mountain plateaus had been a good one for Yrlissa and her family. It was late afternoon and the sun had passed beyond the mountain's towering peaks, casting the plateaus in cool shade. Cassie played for hours, splashing in the cool stream and chasing butterflies across the glade, all under the close eye of Yrlissa and Cassel. She finally fell asleep inside her woven basket at their favorite picnic spot beside the waterfall. Yrlissa lay in Cassel's lap, staring up into his rough-shaven, but handsome face. The light, refreshing spray of the falling water kept the small, heavily wooded and enclosed glade surrounding them nice and cool. The sweltering heat from the earlier trek up into the mountains faded to a mere memory.

  Cassel stroked Yrlissa's hair as he watched his daughter sleep.

  “Do you want to stay here forever, love?” he asked quietly.

  Yrlissa smiled. “Right here, my love, forever.”

  Gently turning her face closer to h
is with two fingers, he smiled. “I mean here in Ynasu, on the farm, as a family.”

  Yrlissa frowned as she tenderly stroked his cheek. “Of course, love. Why would you ever ask such a thing?” Her heart began to race and her mouth went dry with panic, wondering where this had come from. Cassel's eyes never wavered as she searched for some clue as to what bothered him.

  “I wonder sometimes, Lissa. You're Elvehn. You're not from here, and I don't really think you have always been a castle maid. I worry sometimes that I'm going to wake one morning and you'll be gone, you and Cassandra.”

  Yrlissa kissed him the moment he was done speaking, pressing her lips to his. Slowly pulling back, she stared into his cool blue eyes. “I will never leave you, Cass, and I will never take your daughter away from you. You have never spoken of such things before, why now? Has something happened?” she asked.

  Shaking his head, he sighed. “No, it's just that I don't understand how you could be happy here, or why. Even after more than two years, I feel there is so much I don't know about you. Like those strange daggers you carry everywhere you go. They never leave the back of your waist, yet I've never seen you take them out of their sheaths, not to sharpen them or oil them... And that tattoo on the right side of your face, it's unbelievable, beautiful even. The detail is incredible; the vines almost look like they are alive...”

  Cassel's words weighed heavy on her. She'd been debating whether to reveal the truth of who she was to him for months now, and his words made her decide that the time had finally come.

  “Cassel, look at me, please,” she said softly, using her hand to turn his face to her. “If these things have been bothering you, why not tell me? Why have you waited for so long, my love?”