by JK Ensley
“Then how shall I fight what I cannot see?”
“Aye, that’s where I come in, wee warrior girl. My specialty is learning tae live blind.”
With those words, Vittorio bound my eyes and marked me with true blindness. It was, without a doubt, the most terrifying thing I’d ever experienced. Had I been with anyone but my trusted brother, I would most certainly have gone mad. He taught me how to live in darkness, total darkness.
I was amazed at how difficult simple tasks such as eating and drinking and bathing were. I no longer looked for the occasional letters left upon my sill, there was no point.
Vittorio taught me how to enhance my other senses to replace my eyes. I memorized the whole of the training dome. Nothing can set you back more than constantly tripping and falling in your own home.
I started by counting steps, memorizing furniture placement. Then Vittorio started moving all the fixtures around. It was as if I were continually in a strange new place. It may sound mean, yes, but it was imperative to force my other senses into action. My hearing became clearer, my sense of smell became sharper. My whole body worked in tandem to create a constant state of heightened awareness.
I hadn’t worn shoes since my time spent in hell, and now I was grateful. The soles of my bare feet became sonic indicators of my ever-changing surroundings. I began to sense the waves my feet gave off with each step, and the length of their return told me how close I was to each object. I also used this new talent to determine weight and size. Heavier items returned thicker, fatter waves to my soles. Also, the waves were spaced differently… depending on the amount of floor the object claimed. The fat waves were spread farther for the larger items, like the lounge. And those same fat waves were much closer for, say, a heavy statue. Before long, I could easily walk into a room and seat myself the same as any seeing person would.
When the day came I could run through the house and jump into Vittorio’s waiting arms, my terror started anew.
“Aye, ye’ve mastered all I can teach ye indoors, wee maid. Now it’s time tae spread those diamond wings an’ take flight.”
Nothing I had experienced before was quite as terrifying and gut-wrenching as flying blind. In the air, you lose all bearing of right and left, up and down. I cannot count how many times I broke my nose and numerous other bones slamming into trees, the side of the dome, even the ground. Nightly, I returned to the waters I’d sworn never to enter again. We didn’t have time for my injuries to heal naturally.
I believe the horrible crunching sound of my body crashing into unmovable objects was almost more painful for Vittorio than myself… almost.
My sensitive feet and acute hearing did nothing to help me in flight. The only sound was the rushing wind, and my feet were completely useless. I had come to rely too heavily upon those comforting little invisible waves for reassurance.
I have to find a way to use them when winged.
I soon got my chance. I was playing around, yelling to Vittorio, when a strange sensation came over me. I halted my wings and called out again. A slight ripple returned to me on the air. I slowly approached the source of these ripples, with my hands outstretched, repeatedly yelling Vittorio’s name. When finally I reached it, I felt the hard rough bark of a massive tree trunk.
“Aye, an’ now yer ready.”
Vittorio’s voice made me jump. I hadn’t heard his wings. I was too intent on my new discovery.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “That was incredible!”
“Aye, wee sister, yer an extremely impressive pupil. But ye do realize ye cannae go around yellin’ my name tae the wind.” He laughed. “Sighted or nae, that would make ye a dreadfully easy target.”
I started trying many sounds out as I traversed the dome. I used words, songs, finger snaps, and clapping. All of them proved way too loud to be usable. In my exhaustion, I tsk’d… like, I opened my mouth to let out a weary sigh, and the sound my tongue made when it separated from my teeth, that tsk sound, bounced off Vittorio’s back. I pounced on him.
“Aye, Lass, how did ye know I wasnae facing ye? If I had been, ye could’ve knocked oot a couple of my teeth with that hard head of yers.” He teased me as he wrapped his arms around my legs and carried me on his back into the dining hall.
“I knew, because your back sounds different than your front.”
He chuckled again. “How so?”
“I know not. It just does.”
He reached up and mussed my hair.
“I found my sound.” I smiled proudly.
“Aye, I saw that. Ye amaze me daily, wee rabbit.”
“I love you.”
“Aye, an’ I love ye more.”
Things were much easier after that. I mastered my clicking tsk sound during flight and also added it to my walking arsenal. It solved the problem of bumping my head into things my feet couldn’t tell me about.
I finished off the rest of my Tissamon and leaned back in my chair. “You stare at me a lot. Don’t you, Vittorio?”
He laughed. “Aye now, an’ how is it ye can sense that, wee trickster?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Aye. I enjoy watching ye. An’ yer very fair tae look upon.”
“So then, answer me true. Is my hair all messed up? Do I ever walk around with food on my face or in my teeth? Do I manage to dress myself properly, or do I go about disheveled with stuff on backwards?”
“Well, tae answer ye truly. I’m nae certain. I mean, if ever ye get anything on yer face, I wipe it off. Ye do quite well dressing yerself, Milady. So there’s nae problem there. As for yer hair, I simply dunnae know. Ye look radiantly beautiful tae me when first ye wake, so perhaps I’m nae the best person tae answer that question. If ye worry ye look unkempt, ye dunnae, Lass.”
“But are my curls hanging as curls? Or are they all fuzzy and sticking out everywhere?”
“Tell ye what, my love. Let’s go together an’ wash yer hair anew. Then I’ll follow yer every order an’ fix yer curls the way ye’d like them tae be. Properly trained, I’ll be more aware of yer hair an’ how ye’d like it tae be presented.”
“Oh, yes. That would make me feel sooo much better. Do you promise not to be embarrassed by doing a woman’s hair?”
“Aye, how can offense come by being allowed tae have my fingers running through yer enticing locks? Every man will envy me this task, my wee darlin’.”
Vittorio, my gentle giant, spent over an hour trying to follow my special coif instructions.
“Ugh, curls may be beautiful on ye, Lass. But I’m thankful we Vanir are nae cursed so. Straight hair is easier. Just fly an’ let the wind dry it.”
“Do you wish to stop?”
He laughed. “What, an’ miss oot on the kind of intimacy with ye that Vareilious would surrender his wings for? Nae, Lass, nae.”
“Gratitude, Vittorio. I love you.”
“Aye, an’ I love ye more, wee sister.”
He kissed the top of my head and I leaned back against his broad chest.
“I have an idea.” He tickled my ribs as he spoke.
I giggled and tried to pull away. “Yeah? And what would that be?”
“Ye deserve a reward for doing such an awesome job. I know the perfect place where we can get away. An’ also get some great training in a new outdoor environment.”
“Is it Princess Falls?”
“Aye, that’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Oh, yes… yes. Let’s go now. Please?”
“Very well, wee Angel. Take my hand an’ I’ll lead ye there.”
In moments, we were laughing and racing to the cloudbank over Vanahirdem. Vittorio put one strong arm around my waist. I clung to him as a child to her father.
“Here we go, Princess.”
The nausea didn’t hit me this time. Perhaps it’s caused purely by a visual effect, I thought.
We burst through to the other side. He didn’t loosen his hold on me until my toes were tickled by the lush grass
.
“Yer sanctuary, Milady.”
“This is one time I can honestly say; to be blind in such a beautiful place is truly the most wretched curse imaginable.”
“Aye, ye say it true. But yer lack of vision will give ye the chance tae discover amazing things ye may’ve missed with yer eyes.”
“Well, I can tell you landed on the opposite side from the waterfall. You fly to the pool and I’ll make my way to you. Keep a close eye on me, Brother.”
“I always do, even when ye sleep,” he whispered.
“No you do not, Vittorio. Do you?”
“Aye, every night since I took yer sight. I wouldnae have thought it possible, but yer even more beautiful when ye sleep.”
“Stop teasing me, Brother.”
“I tease ye nae, my sweet. I love the way ye scrunch up yer nose while yer dreaming. It puts me in mind of a wee baby rabbit.”
Vittorio gently touched the tip of my nose with his. I scrunched mine up.
“Aye, just like that,” he whispered. “Now, I leave ye tae yer wondrous exploration. I’ll sit by the water an’ wait for ye.”
“I’ll find you, Brother, I promise.”
The wind from his wings blew back my hair, engulfing me in his uniquely exotic, masculine scent. I inhaled deeply. It brought a joyous smile to my heart, painted it across my face.
I called out to him. “I can find you anywhere, Brother.”
I took my time, trying to touch everything, remember each new sensation. I was a child on a magical treasure hunt. When I could easily smell my Guardian warrior, and my clicks confirmed him sitting by the water’s edge, I ran at him, trying to tackle him.
He caught me up in his arms and curled me into his lap. “Aye, wee warrior, I’m nae blind an’ the sun is bright here.” He laughed. “How is it ye thought ye could sneak up on me?”
I smiled. “I just like playing with you, Brother.”
“Well, if ye want, I’ll help ye wash off all the mud an’ grime.”
“Mud and grime?”
He laughed. “Aye, my Angel, mud an’ grime. Each rock ye turned over, each little treasure ye picked up, left its trace upon yer hands. Ye immediately transferred it tae yer face an’ ears by constantly tucking yer curls back. Ye look like ye wiped yer hands clean on those golden locks.”
“Ah, Brother, try as you might to train me right, I’m still as a small child.”
I reached out with my toe to determine the edge of the pool. Slipping out of my clothing, I handed my dress to Vittorio.
“Could you please put this upon a stone or hang it from a tree? I cannot be trusted to keep it clean.”
I walked into the water and dove to the bottom. The sensation… was sheer freedom. In the water, I didn’t fear a crash. I could swim and dart and play without worrying about which way was up, my filled lungs always brought me back to the surface.
Vittorio joined me. We thrashed about, playing and talking. He made sure to clean off all my dirty spots, and then complained because he had only just finished fixing my hair.
“Aye, guess I’ll spend the next hour untangling all those curls.” He yanked on one of them. “Come here, my Angel, an’ let me look upon something.”
I reached my hand toward him and he pulled me through the sun-warmed pool.
“I want a better look at yer baubles. I’ve noticed them many times, but ye’ve nae revealed their importance tae me.”
“My baubles? Are you speaking in code to hide the fact you’re looking at something you shouldn’t be looking at?”
“Aye, Maiden, I’ve nae deprived my eyes of the feast of yer beauty. Nae have I deprived my hands the feel of yer soft body.” He put his arms around my waist, pulling me against his bare chest. “But what I actually want tae see are yer interesting talismans. I’ve nae seen a locket quite like this before. Will ye share with me its story?”
I told him all I knew of the locket and the shell. He asked many questions about my great-grandmother and the way Merodach had taught me the words to break Jezreel’s spell. He asked me about the Fairy whom I’d met here and all that he’d said. In turn, Vittorio revealed all he knew about the history and origins of the rune-carved blood ruby. When our stories and questions had ended, he kissed me on my forehead and upon each cheek.
“Just punch me if ye dunnae like this, my Angel.”
I didn’t catch his meaning at first, and since I couldn’t see him, I didn’t understand what was happening until I felt his gentle lips pressed firmly to mine. I knew not how to respond. I was in shock. This kiss was not passionate and erotic, just tender and worshiping. He didn’t run his hands all over my body; he held only my chin between his thumb and forefinger. When our lips slowly parted, Vittorio rested his forehead against mine and sighed.
“Aye, my love, ye dinnae punch me.”
“Not yet.” I smiled. “And that’s only because I love you.”
“An’ I love ye more, Milady.”
I heard something strange only half a second before I heard Vittorio’s sharp intake of breath and his chilling words.
“Aye, it glows!”
He instantly flew from the water. Sounds of a struggle ensued.
I scrambled out after him, terrified, my heart racing so fast it threatened to drown out all sound. I was certain you could see it beating through my chest, pushing against the iridescent flesh, desperately seeking escape. My searching hands finally felt the soft cloth of my tunic. I jerked it over my head as I ran toward the cacophony of battle. I was met with only silence. I screamed out my brother’s name. No response came. Then I just screamed, maddened.
“Vittorio!” My voice was high, scratchy, panic ruled me. “Vittorio! Oh god, Vittorio!”
I turned this way and that, frantic, horrified. My intense training left me. I was a scared little girl, all alone in the dark, waiting for the monster I’d never see coming.
The silence was eerie, intentionally so. I sniffed the air and found a faint trace of my treasured friend. Intense anger washed over me, drowning the panic and fear beneath its tide. I felt civility leaving me, humanity ebbing away. Raw, primal rage grew and swelled within me.
My feral words hissed over clenched teeth, saliva dripped from my mouth as a beast. “Do not touch him.” My chest and shoulders heaved up and down with my strained, labored breathing. “I will kill you. When I find you, you are dead. But… if you harm one hair upon his noble head, you will wish for death long before I bless you with the gift. Do you hear me?” I knew someone, something was there. Yet I received no answer. “I know you do. I know you understand my words. Know this as well. There is not a creature in all existence the Death Angel cannot kill, or banish, or cease entirely. I am that Angel. I swear your death. By mine own head, I swear it. Harm him and I will peel your skin from your body, filet you with my claws, consume it before your very eyes. I will gorge upon your putrid flesh. Bask in your torturous screams as I crush your bones within you. Listen to me. Mark my words. I… will… devour… you. Gobble you up piece by piece while you yet live.”
With my fear gone, replaced by grim determination, I concentrated, focused with all my newly formed senses. I realized a fraction of a second too late. Something hovered just above my head.
Icy hands seized my entire body at the same time.
Then… I felt my feet leave the soft, warm ground.
Chapter 44
Spadroon
(spah-DROON)
Not only could I sense the darkness, I could feel it as well. It was suffocating.
The glow of the rune ruby offered no help due to my blindness, but I could feel it pulsing, constantly pulsing. I sent up a silent prayer that the glow didn’t shine as a beacon within my dress.
The ground beneath my feet was only dirt—a fine, thin dirt with no signs of foliage or life. Each footfall echoed beneath me, almost hollow. I received no feedback waves to my soles, but the ruby pulsed on.
They’re in the air.
I turned my head upward and
clicked, distant ripples replied through the deathly still air.
I was concentrating so hard that when the shrieks came, they were deafening. I clasped my hands over my ears and sank to the dusty ground. The cries echoed and reverberated all around me.
I’m in a bubble… no… a dome.
Against every self-preserving instinct ripping through my body, I headed toward the source of those horrid screams. I had to find the exit. The waves and ripples had confirmed the room was otherwise solid. I took small soft steps—my hands fully extended, feeling in every direction. The metal bars blocking my way were not disheartening. I knew something would be in place to hinder my escape. So their presence was actually reassuring.
At least I know which way to go when I get the chance.
My talisman went from pulsing to vibrating. I heard the nasally sniffing, and gagged from the putrid stench.
Is it a dog? A beast? No… it’s rancid… rotten. Like decayed flesh.
The soul-jarring hiss was right in front of my nose. Spittle landed on my face. My reaction was purely instinctive, driven by revulsion. My claws slashed toward the vile face as one diamond wing crashed through the ancient steel; severing the offending head from whatever body it had been attached.
I jumped over where the corpse should’ve fallen and had to balance myself with outstretched wings… when my bare foot landed in a pool of warm blood, or bile, or ooze of some kind. That’s when I finally retched. My stomach had tried to rebel from the first whiff of decay. Now, it won. I staggered away, keeping my left hand upon the outer wall of my recent cell.
Coughing and gagging, I caught my breath just as the heart-piercing screams came once more. I was definitely in a corridor, a huge corridor. I ran toward the pitiful sound.
Several yards down and to my right, my feet signaled a large opening. As I cautiously entered, my blood ruby was dancing frantically inside my clothing.
No question crossed my mind as to where I’d been taken. I knew from the moment I’d been seized, I was in Eastern Spadroon. What I didn’t know… was anything about the landscape. Was I inside a giant structure or trapped within an aboveground maze? I would’ve sworn I was inside a massive cave. Yet I knew there was either no ceiling, or it was extraordinarily high.
