The Darkness of Light

by Tammy Farrell

  When he was gone with Rowan, Mara continued her lessons with Malcolm. Now she could create small illusions, and was getting much better at veiling herself, though she hadn’t yet tried it on humans. When she was ready, Malcolm said she could even learn to glamour their minds, and affect their emotions.

  He had been kinder to her since that day in Dunport, but she could never seem to feel entirely at ease in his presence. There was always something ambiguous behind his silvery gray eyes, something unspoken that she couldn’t understand.

  Mara looked back towards Valenia, wondering if Malcolm would come out from his chamber. He’d been strange that day, reclusive and morose. She wondered if it had something to do with Corbin and Rowan’s return.

  Isa twirled a brown curl around her finger. “I’m not going to let anyone play with my doll,” she said, fiddling with the simple doll Mara made for her. It was a sad looking thing, made from scraps of wool and grass for stuffing, but Isa loved it as though it were made of jewels.

  Mara laughed. “Nobody said you had to. Though, I doubt you’ll have to fight Malcolm or Corbin for it. I don’t think they much like playing with dolls.”

  Isa scrunched her upturned nose at Mara. “Do you think Corbin will make me a bigger horse for my doll?”

  Mara nodded. “If you ask him nicely, I’m sure he will.”

  Isa’s smile widened. “I will then,” she said, her brown curls falling on her round cheeks. Then she looked up at Mara with a playful look in her eye. “Will you make me a sparrow Mara, please?” she asked, stretching out the last word.

  Mara pushed her lips to the side. “I don’t know if I can,” she said with a smirk. Isa tilted her head with a look of doubt.

  “Oh, all right,” Mara relented as she lifted the palm of her hand.

  Isa raised herself on her knees, watching expectantly. Mara focused her mind, calming herself to summon the great surge of energy that she was now aware of inside her. She could feel her body tingle, and then her palms began to warm until a tiny star of light started to form. The strands of light danced, growing brighter and wider until they finally started to take the shape of a sparkling green sparrow. It stood in Mara’s hand, hopping around on its glowing little talons. “Here you go,” she said, and presented it to Isa.

  “It’s so pretty,” Isa giggled, holding out her hand to let it jump on her. “I wish I could make sparrows,” Isa said, her eyes wide with childlike amazement.

  “You will someday,” Mara said. “Now let it fly.”

  Isa lifted her hand when the translucent creature flapped its wings. It rose up and pranced through the air around her. Both of them laughed until Mara waved her hand through it and it vanished, sending hundreds of glittering flakes to the ground. Mara beamed a confident smile, proud of how far her ability to control her Light had come.

  “Yay!” Isa cried. “Do it again!” Just as Isa uttered the last word, the sound of thunder cracked through the air, followed by a jagged bolt of golden lightening that cut across the sky.

  “Hurry, let’s go!” Mara laughed. She grabbed Isa’s hand and the two of them ran through the sand and up to the grassy hill near the hidden entrance of Valenia. Isa giggled and wrung the water from her soaked dress when the rumble of hooves made them look up. Rowan and Corbin rode towards them from the edge of the forest, their horses galloping smooth and steady until they slowed to a halt at the base of the hill.

  “Papa, papa,” Isa shouted, jumping up and down as the men dismounted. Mara noticed the troubled look on Rowan’s face, but he quickly put on a smile for Isa.

  The door behind Mara opened and Malcolm walked out. “It doesn’t look like they found anything,” he whispered in her ear and he marched into the rain to take Rowan’s horse to the stall.

  Mara shivered when the rain picked up. Rowan strode through the downpour and stopped under the canopy of the entrance. “Papa!” Isa jumped into his arms and kissed his cheek. “Look what Mara made me.” She held up the doll.

  “Well isn’t that pretty,” Rowan said, winking at Mara as he walked with Isa through the door. Mara waited until Corbin and Malcolm came around the corner in their drenched tunics. Corbin shook the water from his short hair and smiled, but Mara could see the apprehension in his eyes. “Is everything all right?” Mara asked over the roar of the rain.

  Corbin and Malcolm exchanged weary glances. “We still haven’t found the magistrate or the sheriff. It’s as if they’ve just disappeared. No one knows where they’ve gone,” Corbin said. “But there may be something else we need to be concerned about.”

  Mara bit her lip. She was sure Corbin wouldn’t exaggerate if there was something wrong. If he was worried, it had to be serious. “What is it?” she asked.

  Corbin tilted his head; his blue eyes seemed alive with thought. “We went to Moorthrop again, and then to the village you were headed for after your escape. But before we got through the gates we became aware of something near us, a presence that we could sense without seeing it.”

  “What do you mean? What was it?” Mara asked.

  “I don’t know,” Corbin said, shaking his head. “But we both felt it there. So we turned around, hoping we didn’t alert it to our presence, if it hadn’t sensed us already.” Corbin looked just as bothered as Mara felt, but his face quickly brightened when Isa ran back out the door and jumped into his arms. He smiled at her tenderly. “How is the little imp today?” he asked.

  “I’m wonderful,” she said. “Will you make me a horse big enough for my doll?” She held up the rather pitiful looking creation.

  Corbin smirked at it and loosened his grip on Isa, pretending to drop her before clutching her back in his arms. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “I think I can make one for you. I might even be able to make a carriage for it.”

  “Really?” Isa chimed.

  Corbin nodded. “But you should go in now and find Annora to change your dress. You’re soaking wet.”

  Mara smiled. She loved seeing how kind he was to Isa.

  Isa laughed and then wiggled out of his arms. “All right!” she shouted, running back inside. Mara, Corbin, and Malcolm followed behind her. Mara noticed Corbin shut the door and bar it with a block so heavy, it would have taken at least four men to lift. Then he turned to Malcolm. “Rowan wants to speak with us.”

  “Fine,” Malcolm said, looking somewhat annoyed at the directive.

  Mara watched him walk towards Rowan’s chamber and was about to head to the kitchen when Corbin gently grasped her arm. She felt the spark as their energies made contact. It never happened with Malcolm or Rowan, and although she had begun to anticipate the sensation from Corbin, it still momentarily stunned her. She met his vivid blue eyes, but said nothing.

  “Rowan wants to see you as well,” he said evenly, showing no sign of surprise.

  Mara followed him to the end of the hall, through the doorway, and up the gray stone steps that led to Rowan’s chamber. Mara had been in this room several times since coming to Valenia. It overlooked the southwest side of the sidhe with a large window that opened up to the sea. The room was furnished with several oak chairs adorned with looping marks, and a large writing table near the window. The south wall was lined with shelves that contained a multitude of texts. Among them were many Greek codices wrapped in leather and bound with a spine of wood, and papyrus scrolls from Egypt, curled around wooden rollers carved with elaborate markings on each end. Another shelf held stone tables carved with symbols, and more scrolls written in Latin, Sanskrit, and Hebrew. And on the middle shelf, as if deliberately placed to be the heart of them all, were the Dia texts, many of which were written in the old language. Some of them were written in the last century, others were much older, recorded on calf-skin vellum that had become brittle with age.

  Malcolm was already seated when Mara and Corbin walked in. Rowan stood behind one of the chairs looking out the window. He turned when they entered and motioned for them to sit down. Mara was fairly ce
rtain she perceived the danger in the room. Rowan took the chair across from them, his fierce sage eyes lighting up when he spoke. “I suppose Corbin has told you what happened?”

  Malcolm shifted in his chair. “He mentioned that you sensed something.”

  Rowan nodded and paused. “It was another Dia,” he said. “I could feel its energy. I am certain that’s what it was.”

  Mara swallowed hard as the silence in the room grew thicker. “Do you know who it was?” she asked rather timidly.

  Rowan shook his head. “No. I have known few Dia in my life, two of which were Malcolm’s parents. I cannot tell who this Dia was, but their Light was menacing. I could feel it.”

  “What does that mean for us, then?” Malcolm asked. “Were they looking for Mara?”

  Mara saw Rowan give Malcolm a quick, sharp glance. She didn’t know if Malcolm knew Rowan’s suspicions about her mother, but if Rowan was correct, then perhaps this Dia was now looking for her.

  Rowan relaxed his shoulders and turned to Mara. “Was Redlow the village you were going to?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I think so.”

  “It was,” Corbin added.

  “I see,” Rowan said. “That could be a plausible explanation, then.” He pursed his lips in thought. “Corbin and I felt the presence of it almost immediately, hopefully before it sensed us. At least I know it didn’t follow us back here. Did you sense anything after we left, Corbin?”

  Corbin shook his head. “I lost the trace of it as soon as we turned back.”

  Rowan exhaled and sat back. “We need to be more alert from now on.” He looked between the three of them. “We certainly have the advantage of numbers, but we don’t know what they want.”

  Mara bristled. “Are you saying we are in danger?” she asked, feeling the security of her new life vanishing before her.

  Rowan gave a gentle smile. “No, dear niece, I am not saying that. We don’t yet know enough to be fearful. This could simply be a descendant who doesn’t know what they are. It could be anything, really. I am just saying we should be cautious until we know what we are dealing with.”

  Mara didn’t feel comforted.

  Rowan glanced toward Corbin. “I want you to spend some time training Mara to defend herself. Malcolm will continue with her lessons, but I think she needs to learn how to use a weapon as well.” Rowan stood and looked down on them. “And no one leaves Valenia unless I say so. Do you understand?”

  “We do,” Malcolm said with contention.

  Mara felt a knot twisting and tightening in her stomach and her hands began to shake. The past months had given rise to a strong and unwavering courage as she learned to command her Light. She thought she would never have to fear men again, but what she hadn’t considered was the possibility of another Dia to contend with. If another Dia was looking for her, would she have to run for the rest of her life?

  There seemed to be an awful feeling of apprehension suspended in the room. Corbin sat looking contemplative, while Malcolm’s silvery eyes blazed into the unknown. She wondered if Rowan was certain he could protect them from another Dia, one who wished them harm. She stared at the unearthly man who watched her with eyes like her own, seeing her mother’s face in his. Suddenly her mind came to life with the memory of her mother. Mara could see her white skin, and smell the lilac in her hair. She wished her mother was there to counsel her, to tell her what to do. As Mara gave in to the thoughts, she heard a soft buzzing in her ear. The room around her went dark, and her head began to spin. Abruptly the peaceful images of her mother transformed, melting into a raging surge of flames. Mara’s body shook, and she felt her skin begin to burn. The smell of scorched hair and wood was all around her.

  She was burning. Burning alive.

  Mara writhed and twisted in the ocean of fire, trying to break free from the unseen shackles that bound her in place, and when she screamed, the flames entered her mouth, searing her lips and throat. She tried to scream again, but no sound came out, only the rumble of fire surrounded her. Then, through the burning flames, she saw the face of the magistrate; his eyes were black and wild.

  It seemed as though she would burn for an eternity when finally, a rapid shake wrenched her from the never-ending fire. She panicked, struggling against the grip when she opened her eyes to see Corbin, his hands on her shoulders, his dazzling blue eyes filled with concern.

  “Mara, Mara,” he urged. “Are you all right?”

  Mara frantically patted her previously burning limbs until she realized she was safe. “I…I don’t know,” she said.

  Corbin put an arm around her and Rowan knelt in front of her. “What was it, Mara?” Rowan asked. “Was it a vision?”

  Mara nodded, unable to speak, the scorched sensation still on her tongue.

  Rowan searched her imploringly. “What did you see, child?”

  Mara didn’t want to speak, fearing she would reignite the flames.

  Malcolm walked behind Rowan, his expression stunned. “She saw the flames,” he said, his eyes wide with illumination.

  “I am sick of being the errand boy for Rowan and Annora. Why can’t she get her own provisions? She’s the cook,” Malcolm groaned as he and Corbin crossed the bridge to Dunport.

  Corbin rolled his eyes. “You know Annora won’t leave Valenia, Malcolm. And even if she would, Rowan wouldn’t allow her to go on her own right now anyway.”

  Malcolm grunted. “Well, I don’t see why that girl refuses to step outside. She has it better now than when she was a captive of the northerners. At least she’s not a toy anymore.”

  Corbin huffed in disapproval. “Are you so unfeeling that you can’t understand her fear? She’s only fifteen, you know. She may come around, but it won’t help with you antagonizing her about it.”

  “Well,” Malcolm said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m sick of having to fetch things for her. Rowan needs to find someone else to do it next time.”

  Corbin bit his tongue and didn’t argue further. There was no use. Malcolm would find a way to disagree with him even if he knew he was wrong.

  The horses’ hooves clicked on the old stone road as they neared the stables. Corbin tossed the stable boy a coin. “Make sure they get some water,” he said as the boy nodded and scurried off.

  Malcolm pulled back the hood of his cloak and handed Corbin the list of items Annora requested. “Here,” he said, pushing it onto Corbin. “You go and get these things. I’m going to the tavern.” He flashed a wide grin.

  Corbin nodded, glad to be rid of Malcolm for the time being.

  Corbin’s mind wandered as we walked through the merchant stalls, watching the townspeople go about their day. It wasn’t the biggest market day in town; that usually fell later in the month, but there were enough local merchants set up to get what he needed. He purchased eggs, butter, parsley, salmon, and a sack of wheat for bread. Corbin would hunt for any other meats they needed later. After he’d purchased some beeswax candles and a bottle of lilac oil, he headed towards the tavern to find Malcolm.

  The tavern was bigger than the last time he was there. It had been expanded into a larger hut to accommodate the foreigners that sailed in from the east with their goods. And while the monks of Dunport kept a close eye on the place, that didn’t stop the prostitutes from conducting their business in the back rooms. Malcolm and Corbin had visited these types of women before. In fact, Corbin’s first sexual encounter had been with a whore when he was only fourteen. It didn’t matter that he was a Dia. It was something all young men did, either with whores or promiscuous village girls. But now Corbin felt disinclined to seek their company. Many of the prostitutes were diseased, and ragged under their heavy face paint, and even the pretty ones, not yet haggard by their profession, seemed to repulse him.

  Malcolm, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered by them, and when Corbin walked into the tavern, he wasn’t surprised to find Malcolm nowhere in sight. Corbin sat down at a table, not meeting the gaze of those examin
ing him. He didn’t take the time to veil himself from their eyes, certain they wouldn’t bother him anyway. A busty woman walked up to his table, her large breasts spilling over the top of her dress. “What can I git yah,” she spat.

  “Just a tankard of ale,” Corbin said, not looking at her. She trudged over to the front of the room, filled a wooden cup and walked back, thumping it down on the table. Corbin nodded and drank the weak ale. He looked around impatiently. The tavern was fairly full for it being so early in the day. A couple of soldiers sat in one corner, and several old peasant men sat in another, gulping down the jugs in front of them. All the younger men wouldn’t arrive until dusk, when they were finished working in the field for the day. The late summer air was cooler, and once autumn came, and the harvest was over, this tavern would be full of patrons all winter long.

  Assuming the harvest was a good one, they’d have plenty to eat and drink their days away until next spring, but if the harvest was poor, many peasants would suffer illness and maybe even starve.

  Corbin was grateful that he’d never have to suffer such a fate. And no matter how much he longed for life as a soldier, he would rather be a Dia than a peasant.

  His thoughts quickly turned to Mara. She had been a peasant in Moorthrop. But even in the toughest of times, she probably never suffered like a human would have.

  He wondered what would have become of her if she’d stayed there, if the magistrate hadn’t arrested her mother. Would Mara have married a mortal man? Had children? Would she have kept her mother’s secret once it became known to her?

  And he wondered if he ever would have met her. She lived only a two-day journey from Valenia, and yet, he’d never known her, never sensed her before. Rowan must have known she was there, which is why he probably kept Corbin and Malcolm away from Moorthrop.