WINDOWS: A BROKEN FAIRY TALE

by Bramble, Casey

  “How did you get inside her personal ship, Raven? Nobody from Valentria would be allowed near there.” Stephen attempted to coax more information out of Raven while Elspeth sat steaming beside him.

  “Not in it; on it.” In Raven’s mind that should have been clear to everybody from the beginning. “Sarah, Bryson and I were on our way home when we saw her ship in the distance. Bryson flew close to the ship; I hopped on and slid down to the bridge. She was in there so I cast the reading spell.”

  Calm enough to speak without yelling, Elspeth said. “You climbed inside their ship? Branwyen, I don’t believe that.”

  “Good, because I wasn’t inside anything, as I’ve said twice already.” Having to repeat herself was incredibly tedious and Raven let out a theatrical sigh. “I was hanging upside down by one of the mooring lines. I knocked on the door; Richard put a sword to my chest until I pointed to Bryson who was flying on the other side. When he turned around I cast the spell.”

  Stephen was suitably impressed by the lengths Raven went through to accomplish the mission. “You did something that dangerous just to find out if the Prime Minister is being controlled?”

  Ignoring the fact that they ignored the fact one of their enemies put a sword to her chest, Raven huffed. “Of course not. That would be foolhardy and reckless. I stopped by to get the 10 gullions Richard owed Sis. Since I was there anyway…” She trailed off with a shrug, figuring they could guess how the story turned out.

  Elspeth shook her head and massaged her temples for a moment, her patience threshold dangerously close to being breached. “Very well, Branwyen. Since you cast the spell, what did you discover?”

  “Nothing.” Raven gave short answers she knew would annoy her step-mother. Since they had interrupted the fun earlier, she was going to torture them a little.

  “What do you mean, ‘nothing’?” Stephen’s hand slapped loudly down on the desk in what was supposed to be a threatening gesture.

  “Just what I said, ‘nothing’.” Raven made a bet with herself that Elspeth would speak next. She won.

  “So the Prime Minister is not being controlled by magic, is that what you’re saying?”

  “Nope.”

  “What are you saying, then?!” Elspeth’s voice grew by several octaves with each word. She was out of her chair with both hands planted firmly on the desk as she stared angrily at the petulant brat.

  Raven knew enough to know when it was time to back off. With practiced patience meant to drive other people bonkers, she grabbed a piece of paper from the desk and wrote on it, while explaining that humans give off energy that she could see and manipulate with the aid of spells. Elspeth and Stephen both knew this but Raven wanted to draw the conversation out a little longer. It was, after all, their fault she wasn’t getting to hang out with Sis.

  “Like this, see.” Raven held up the paper that had the word “human” written on it. Elspeth and Stephen nodded and the redhead continued her report.

  “When I cast the spell on Cassandra, this is what I saw.” Raven breathed softly on the paper and the ink slowly disappeared. “Nothing, just a blank piece of paper. The Prime Minister is alive, in the technical sense of the word. She breathes, she moves but I can’t sense anything else about her.”

  The atmosphere, heated with the arguments of a loving family, chilled noticeably with Raven’s next statement. “My guess is that she’s an automaton.”

  Stephen measured his next words carefully. “Raven, are you certain about this?” There had been cases of automatons, bodies built for work with no free will, in the distant past but that kind of dark magic was long forbidden. If the Protectorate had one posing as the Prime Minister things were going to get very bad.

  After considering what saying yes would mean, Raven told them. “I’m not certain that Casey is an automaton, but if not the fact is that someone in the Protectorate is strong enough to mask their spells from me. For someone that powerful, creating artificial life would be easy.”

  “Very well, you may leave, Branwyen. Be on time for supper.” Elspeth turned back to the papers on her desk, not letting her worry show. Raven hopped out of the chair and all but sprinted out the door to see what Bekah was up to.

  After the doors closed and they were alone, Elspeth spoke quietly. “Do you trust her, Stephen?”

  “I believe she’s telling the truth about the Prime Minister. Raven wouldn’t lie about that.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Do you think Branwyen is the one?”

  “I don’t know, Elspeth, I just don’t know.”

  Sarah followed Liz through the door to the dining room, fully expecting to be shocked again by the overindulgence of the aristocracy but was shocked by something else entirely. They were acting like normal people. She figured there would be fancy gowns, huge platters of food and a very formal atmosphere. There was plenty to eat but the ambiance was warm and loving.

  Raven and Bekah sat side-by-side, of course, gesturing towards Mandy and a man Sarah hadn’t met before. Duchess Chandlish and Stephen were sitting at either end of the table.

  Sarah sat between Raven and Stephen while Liz took the chair directly across from her. Elspeth, between small burst of tinkling laughter, welcomed her to their home. Mandy introduced her husband, Brian; a handsome man with short, sandy blonde hair and an air of supreme confidence. Raven gave her hand a reassuring squeeze under the table. For some reason Sarah was sorry when she let go.

  “So what are we talking about?” Liz asked after she filled her plate.

  “Those two,” Mandy jerked her chin towards Raven and Bekah, “think I should kill Brian for the life insurance.”

  “It’s a silly idea.” Elspeth interjected from the head of the table.

  “Thanks mom!” Mandy stuck her tongue out at her two redhead sisters who started pouting.

  Elspeth took a drink before finishing, “It will take at least a year for that policy to mature. He can have his accident then.”

  The whole table burst into renewed laughter. Bekah and Raven started discussing, rather loudly, the type of accident it should be. Brian flung green peas at them when he thought Elspeth wasn’t looking, while Mandy asked Sarah a million questions about blacksmithing. Stephen and Liz tried telling everyone to keep the ruckus to a minimum but nobody paid them any attention.

  For someone who grew up with only one parent, the high spirited meal surprised Sarah. Afterwards she would remember it as one of the most enjoyable dinners she ever had, though she couldn’t recall anything she ate.

  After dinner the four sisters joined Sarah in her room, shooing the maids away. The covers were already turned down and a pitcher of water and a glass sat on the nightstand.

  “If you need anything, Sarah, just pull this string.” Mandy pointed to a chord hanging near the corner of the bed. “Someone will be right up.”

  “Do you want anything to read?” Liz kept a weary eye on Raven and Bekah who were trying to look innocent at the foot of the bed.

  “No, thank you. I’m really tired so I think I’ll just go to sleep.” Sarah felt strangely light as the excitement of the day finally caught up with her. How she was going to sleep in this luxury after spending most of her life in near poverty she wasn’t exactly sure, but figured it would be worth a shot.

  Liz turned on the two conspirators. “I have to be in court at nine in the morning. If there are explosions, screams or disturbances of any sort during the night, I’m holding you two responsible. Are we clear?”

  Bekah found something interesting to look at on the ceiling. Raven hurriedly wiped something off the bed post they were standing beside. Sarah didn’t want to know what they had been planning so she ignored them. Confident yet another disaster had been averted, Liz ushered everyone out of the room.

  After they left, Sarah got into her pajamas and was fast asleep no sooner than her head hit the pillow. If she had bothered to glance out the window, she would have seen Bryson flying past the castle carrying two passengers.

>   “So what do you think, Sis?” Raven asked Bekah as they flew towards a small group of mountains to the right of the castle.

  Bekah shrugged her shoulders and grunted. “It’s your call. I just think we shouldn’t tell anybody until the problem is a bit more under control.”

  Raven breathed deeply, the wind whipping into her face was cool and refreshing but she was unhappy about what she had to do. After a few moments she broached the subject again. “She handled meeting Bryson rather well, don’t you think handsome?” She gave the neck of the dragon a friendly pat as he swung his head to look at his two riders.

  “Well unlike some people she didn’t scream bloody murder and start shouting ‘Send it back! Send it back!’.” Rows of sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight when Bryson smiled, giving Bekah a knowing wink.

  “You threatened to eat me, you great silly lizard!” Raven chided him.

  “Fine, we’ll tell her when the time is right. Let her get settled in first though.” Bekah hugged Raven tighter as the dragon landed gently in a moon bathed clearing. Warily Bekah slid from the reptilian back and started an incantation she unfortunately knew by heart. When that was done, she placed her hand on a small stone that jutted out of the ground. A line of fire raced over the clearing floor, crossing over itself several times until a large rune, drawn in flames, covered the clearing.

  Raven gave Bryson a hug and the two sisters disappeared into a cavern that gaped opened in the middle of the ground.

  CHAPTER 8: WELCOME HOME

  The girl yawned and stretched. Normally she would be reading or dancing or pretty much anything but she was exhausted. Glancing around her stone sanctum she noticed five of the eight windows were all that were open but only one staying closed really didn’t bother her. She had expected more to remain shuttered given how long it had been but she was lucky. This meant they had a little more time to fix the problem. And really, she thought to herself, time is all we have.

  The shadow pulsed and writhed in the back, constantly watching the pale girl, alert for any signs of weakness.

  “Didn’t you sleep well?” Sarah asked Raven, who was looking paler than normal. It was almost noon but the redhead still had pouches the size of duffle bags under her eyes.

  “Sis and I stayed up talking most of the night.” Raven yawned and beckoned for another cup of coffee which the maid hastily provided.

  “Where is she?” Sarah briefly saw Duchess Chandlish and Stephen walking through the castle but other than that hadn’t seen any of the family all morning. The help led her to where ever she needed to go.

  “She had to go into the office this morning. A huge business merger is on the blocks and since she’s the Vice President, she’s got to be there.” Raven drained the last of her fourth cup and stretched. “Anyway, we’ve got to go look at our new shop if you’re interested in seeing it.”

  Sarah gave an enthusiastic yes; her excitement over seeing the new shop making her forget to ask what Bekah was Vice President of. Raven told the serving girl to have a car brought around front.

  The driver slowly guided the car through busy streets as Sarah craned her neck to look at all the stores and people. She had never been outside of Vestavia and the difference in the two cities was staggering. The buildings were made of stone, just like in Vestavia, but even in the similarities there were distinctions. In her home town the rock was, in general, a uniform slate color darkened by years of soot released from the nearby factories. The buildings in Valentria were made of rock various shades of brown, giving the town a cheerful, friendly feel. They passed brightly colored signs for restaurants, magic shops and a few book stores. She saw one family eating ice cream at a table in front of a small café. At another intersection a group of girls were giggling and pointing towards a poster advertising a band playing at a local club.

  “We’re here.” Raven’s voice brought Sarah out of her own world. She slid out of the car and blinked. The two story building was made of a tan brick with two large windows on either side of brown double doors and three smaller windows over those.

  She was still gazing upwards at her new home when Raven shoved a key into her hand.

  “Go ahead and open it up.” The redhead grinned. “You have to take me on a tour.”

  Sarah wasted no time in throwing open the doors and exploring with Raven right behind her. The front room was the width of the building and there were shelves and racks lining the walls. A large L-shaped glass counter was attached to the back wall with another door behind it. The two girls wandered around the room for a minute before going into the back.

  Sarah fell in love. She darted back and forth in the smithy, wanting to try out all of the new equipment but almost afraid to touch anything. There was a forge in the back that appeared to never have been lit. Various tools of her trade hung, gleaming new, on the walls. Near the kiln was a grate in the floor so she wouldn’t have to lug out the dirty water when she was done cooling the metal. Oh she had made the right decision in moving here. Oh yes she had.

  “So you like it?”

  She had completely forgotten Raven was here. Quickly Sarah led her friend to everything in the shop and described their uses. Raven just grinned and nodded.

  “Where will you work?” Sarah wanted to know, not seeing any place that wasn’t designed for a smithy’s use.

  Raven opened a small door with a rune on it across the room from the forge. Sarah looked inside. It was windowless with lamps attached to either side of a small table. Delicate, dark red gemstone tipped instruments made from a metal Sarah had never seen before sat on the table while shelves marked with words she couldn’t understand lined one wall. Then there were the runes. They were inscribed all over the walls, the floor and even the ceiling. No inch of the room was unmarked. When Sarah asked about them Raven took a deep breath as if trying to find the right words.

  “Do you know how to use a Congreve crystal?” Raven asked. When Sarah shook her head, Raven tugged off a slender necklace, pulling a bluish crystal about the size of her thumb from her shirt. She handed the stone to Sarah. “Concentrate on Sis then say her name.”

  Sarah did as she was instructed, thinking all the while she must look awfully foolish when unexpectedly the face of Rebekah Chandlish appeared in the crystal. She almost dropped it when she heard Bekah’s voice.

  “Hey Sarah. How do you like your new shop?”

  “Uhmmm…. It’s just fine, thanks.” Sarah had no idea what she had just done or what to do next so she stood there staring.

  The image of Rebekah spoke again. “Glad to see Sis is teaching you how to use that thing. Tell her if you have to use it again, she’s dead. Take care.” And with that, the image faded and Sarah hurriedly handed the necklace back to Raven as though it might break.

  Raven put the jewel back into its resting spot. “The runes and congreve crystal are here in case of an accident. Sarah, if you ever find this door locked and my necklace hanging on the front, you must promise me that you will not try to open it no matter what you hear or how much I beg. Take the stone and leave the shop immediately. Call Sis and tell her what happened. She’ll get in touch with Bryson and they’ll know what to do.”

  Sarah was confused and started to ask why but Raven grabbed both of her hands and stared directly into her eyes.

  “Promise me, Sarah.”

  The blonde wanted to say something else but couldn’t. For the first time since they met, there was pain in Raven’s face. Sarah promised.

  “Well, let’s go see where we sleep.” Instantly the smile was back and Raven dragged Sarah up a small flight of steps in a back corner of the shop.

  At the top of the stairs was a kitchen with a brand new stove and refrigerator. A polished metal sink glinted under a small window. Past a small counter was the living room, which was spacey with wood floors and another window looking out over the bustling streets below. The ceiling was higher than she thought it would be which made the cavernous room feel even larger.

  Th
ere were three bedrooms. Two, as Raven was quick to point out, were the same size and located next to each other. Both bedrooms had a private bath and closet. The third bedroom, smaller but still larger than where Sarah used to sleep, was across the hallway from the bedroom Raven picked out. “In case Sis wants to sleep over.” The redhead explained. A guest bathroom was located at the far end of the hallway.

  All in all, Sarah was more than delighted in her new home and wasn’t in any hurry to leave. “It’s wonderful.”

  “So anything else you want to know before we go shopping?” Raven leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms.

  “Well,” Sarah had been curious about one thing since the night they met but never really got the chance to ask about it. “I would like to know how you inscribe runes.”

  Raven nodded and motioned for Sarah to follow her. The girls went down stairs and stopped in front of a small, square door Sarah hadn’t noticed earlier. Squatting down Raven tugged on the handle, pulling out a small metal box with thick cables attached to it.

  “This is a Cowley stone.”

  Sarah nodded like that explained anything while she stared at the dark red stone. “Okay.”

  “Cowley stones are what power everything. Cars, lights, you name it and these little boogers run it.”

  “That tells me nothing, Raven.”

  Raven cast a sideways glance at Sarah. “You need to learn a little bit of patience, you know.”

  “You need to stop being so frustrating, you know.” Sarah retorted.

  “True. Well how about this.” Raven placed her hand on the stone and closed her eyes. The hair on Sarah’s neck and arms stood up as an invisible force brushed against her. The stone started glowing under Raven’s touch.

  When Raven finished, she stood up and closed the door. “Cowley stones can store energy. When I inscribe a rune, I’m using this,” the sorceress held up a pen sized metal object, “to put finely ground Cowley dust into the scratches. It’s simply a matter of how the magic should be shaped when figuring out what kind of rune I want.”