The Map, The Dagger, and The Vampyres (Fated Chronicles Book 2)

by Humphrey Quinn

  Another vision came. Again, not the one she wanted, but an unfamiliar one this time.

  Someone dressed in a thick, hooded cloak peered into a cradle, which rocked gently, three babies sleeping inside. It was crowded but the infants seemed content.

  “There, there. You'll be home with me soon, I promise,” a woman spoke in a soothing voice. It was hard to tell which infant she spoke to, but she reached into the cradle adjusting something, and when she pulled back… Meghan gasped. This was definitely unfamiliar territory.

  It was her own locket. The one hanging around her neck right this minute pinned to one of the infant’s blankets. At first, Meghan thought there was no way it was the exact same locket. But upon closer examination there was no mistaking it. Every detail matched and she’d never come across another like it. Two roses, one black, the other gold, entwining around each other with thorns nestled into the vines that were sharp enough to actually pierce skin.

  It wasn’t the type of locket you’d just happen across in a store window.

  Definitely had to be a one of a kind.

  And it had belonged to her mother.

  Meghan's thoughts spun in possibility.

  Was this cloaked woman, her and Colin’s mother? Was it her and Colin in the cradle? Where were they exactly? And where was Uncle Arnon?

  The woman got to her feet, peering across the room in solemn silence. There were rows of cradles, cribs, and beds. Orphanage, Meghan surmised. And as if the vision could not get any stranger she recognized one of the young boys sleeping in a bed nearby.

  Timothy… the amusing and sweet natured ghost boy from Grimble. He’d died in a fire in this very orphanage. And if that was her and Colin in the cradle, this meant they’d all been in the same orphanage, together.

  “This must have been why he stayed behind in Grimble. And why he moved on with Uncle Eddy. We had to be his unfinished business, too.” How bizarre. What a gigantic, and yet tiny world it was. Meghan searched her memory banks for the rest of Tim’s story.

  There had been a woman searching for someone lost in the fire.

  “Was that us? Was she searching for Colin and me?”

  And why hadn’t their mother found them?

  Maybe she had. This might have happened before she’d died. But why would they have been in an orphanage? It made no sense.

  If only she could share this with Colin. News as big as this might be the only thing to get him to listen to her. And if all she was piecing together was correct, the woman Timothy had told them about was actually their mother.

  Had they been in hiding? Even back then before becoming wards of their uncle. It made sense at some level, seeing as Uncle Arnon had chosen to keep them on the move fearing someone would discover who they were.

  But who did they need protection from?

  And what had happened to their mother?

  Did she really die in an accident like they were told? And where was their father?

  What was the truth? Meghan’s brow furrowed. What was she missing?

  The vision continued, Meghan peering into it like an onlooker sneaking a peek into some past event and watching it unfold, live.

  The cloaked woman leaned over the cradle, the infants hidden from view. “I will return soon.” She sniffled, voice strained, and straightened herself, the hood falling down enough to reveal a face. “I love you so much.” She extended her thin fingers almost touching the cradle and then fled as though all courage was failing her.

  The flame of Colin’s candle fizzled. The vision ending.

  Meghan was wide-eyed and speechless. Breathless to the point of fainting. Frozen in place… this was something she had dreamed of before. Not in any prophetic sense, only personally so. Yet she dared not believe it real. Her soul wanted it to be. But it could not actually be!

  The woman who Meghan Jacoby believed to be the twins’ mother was younger than the woman she knew now, but her identity was unmistakable:

  Juliska Nandalia Blackwell.

  Leader, Banon, and Queen of the Svoda Gypsies.

  Nona, who’d been curled up napping at Meghan’s feet, flexed to life, sitting statuesque and pondering the vision along with Meghan. Neither spoke for a good long while. No words seemed fitting. Her journal lay sprawled open on the floor nearby, a few notes jaunted down from an earlier much less life-altering vision. She dragged it to her lap but the pen refused to start writing, no words formed into coherent thoughts.

  It was all so danged impossible!

  There was no way.

  Just because Meghan wanted it to be true didn’t mean it actually was. But the vision was so… saying it was possible!

  Nona was the first to speak. “From what you saw, Meghan, I’d wager that yes, it is possible, however unbelievable it may be.”

  Meghan tossed aside the journal, rubbing life back into her face with her hands. Shaking her head, stretching her eyes, biting her lip. Finally forcing her vocal chords to start working again.

  “No one has ever mentioned Juliska having any children.”

  “I don't imagine that would be a topic one would often speak of,” None stated wisely. “Especially if those children were believed dead.”

  “Yeah, you're probably right, Nona. But if that was really us in that orphanage, how did we get out of the fire? How is it Timothy died, but we didn't? And why would we have been there in the first place? Why did Uncle Arnon tell us our parents were killed in an accident? We were so young, the accident might have happened not too long after,” she rambled. “Wait, what am I talking about? Juliska is still alive.”

  “And was obviously protecting her children from something. Or someone. And don’t forget, your uncle was once Svoda too. He and Juliska may have known each other.”

  “That makes even less sense!” She sank inward, deflating. “I really wish I could talk to Uncle Arnon. I have so many questions, a thousand more now. He hid so much from us. I want to believe it was for some noble reason, but…” was it? That thought sickened her. He’d never done anything sinister, or strange. Not until those last days before they’d followed Jae through the magical portal in the fallen down pine tree. He’d always been… incredible. The best uncle ever.

  “It’s okay to doubt,” Nona consoled her. “A natural reaction.”

  “It’s the one thing in my life I never doubted. That Uncle Arnon would always be around. That he loved us.”

  “I do not doubt he does love you. And we cannot judge his actions since we don’t know the reasons. But it is okay to question what his motives were. Only natural.”

  “It’s strange, Nona. But looking back now, I can see things I never saw before. Nothing that tells me why he did what he did, in taking in Colin and me, but looking at our lives with different eyes, there’s definitely a lot he hid from us.”

  “You mean looking back with eyes that knew magic existed, when then you did not.”

  “Yeah. It’s no one moment. A lot of little moments. I guess it’s that whole hindsight thing. So how do I find out if what I saw in this vision is actually true? Who can we ask? Who’d be willing to talk about Juliska’s history, or potentially believed dead children?”

  Jae Mochrie? Who’d she’d barely spoken ten words to since they’d left the field of pyres and returned to the Svoda island. He’d come to spending most of his time alone.

  Ivan Crane? She shuddered at the idea. And they’d also spoken very little these last weeks. He’d been crazy new levels of busy. But at least it wasn’t all fighting, all the time when they did meet. Well, it was mostly that. Not much had changed. But there was less contempt behind it. Some low level of acceptance that they were stuck with each other, so deal with it.

  And what about Billie Sadorus? She had once mentioned she kept records of Svoda history. Or perhaps the Kalila sisters? They owned the Jackal lantern, and reported the news, surely they would be privy to that kind of information.

  Perhaps she should just be bold and ask Juliska herself?

 
; Exactly how did one broach such a delicate subject? Just coming out with, “Hey, you ever have any kids who died in a fire?” was rather heartless, even though to the point, like Juliska herself would be. And if she answered, yes, I did. Then what?

  Surprise! I didn’t die!

  It would require some serious thought.

  There was a knock on the door to her bedroom.

  “Come in,” she answered absentmindedly.

  It was Jae. Speaking of Mr. No Talky anymore.

  “You ready?” he asked her.

  She’d sent a leaf to track him down the day before and pretty near begged him to go to the first day of school together. Not just so she didn’t arrive alone but to try to make him speak to her. She was shocked when he’d replied back and agreed to meet her. And here she was, having forgotten already!

  “Sorry, Jae. I lost track of time. Give me just a second, I'll be like, one minute. Swear.” She shot him a girly oops, in hopes of him being amused, even slightly, but the morose edge he now wore like a crown never lightened.

  “I’ll be downstairs... actually, I'll um, wait outside.” The inflection being, I’d rather not be inside this house longer than I have to. Which was apparently part of the reason Jae no longer wanted to hang out with her. Something about her home made his mood even darker.

  Nevertheless, this was Meghan's home now. Her bedroom was just down the corridor from Juliska Blackwell… did she need to add mother to this? What an insane morning it had been.

  She scurried to her feet and hurriedly stashed the Colin-shaped candle into a nearby trunk alongside two other candles she had not yet finished creating; one in the shape of her Uncle Arnon, and the other in the shape of Sebastien Jendaya. She tossed her journal into her shoulder bag, which was also weighted with schoolbooks, and grabbed a sweater before jaunting out of her room and downstairs.

  She was not surprised when she did not find Jae waiting for her there. However, Juliska was. The sight of her almost tore away Meghan’s breath. She had not properly prepared herself to run into her, assuming she’d gone out for the day already.

  “Good morning,” called out Juliska all business-like. As soon as she fixed her gaze on the young woman stalling on the bottom stair, she asked, “You feeling well? You look a bit pale.”

  “Um. Yeah. Fine. Just nervous about the first day of school I guess,” Meghan lied poorly. And forced her feet to keep moving.

  Juliska sighed. “I’m doing this all wrong. I know it’s more than first day of school woes.”

  Had Juliska started having visions again? She’d told Meghan not too long ago she’d not had a vision in a long time. But Meghan supposed there was nothing keeping them from starting up again. Today, would be the worst possible day for that to happen if it meant Juliska had witnessed Meghan’s vision from that morning. On the other hand, maybe not. Might solve all her problems on the subject.

  However, Juliska made no effort to speak of visions, so Meghan kept up her insistence. “It’s nothing, really. Just first day jitters. And running a bit late. And I didn't sleep well last night.” Which was actually true; she had not slept well since coming here.

  Juliska frowned. “You must hate me.”

  Meghan wasn’t sure where Juliska was going with this.

  “I am sorry, Meghan. I truly am. I know how frustrated you are with me right now. With this place... being stuck here.”

  Meghan breathed with slight relief. It wasn't her newest vision Juliska was questioning. Just the usual problem she’d been having these last few weeks.

  “I do feel terrible about it,” Juliska said for the hundredth time in almost a month. “Regardless, I cannot allow anyone to leave the island. It’s not safe for any of us. I know how desperately you want to find your uncle. And brother.”

  “No. It’s okay. I do understand.” Meghan sort of understood, either way, she was stuck here. Here being, Bedgewood Harbor, otherwise known as the Svoda Island off the coast of Maine. The place they’d fled from over thirteen years ago after some battle had broken out, a civil war of types, Meghan had pieced together. After, they’d used the Book of Doorways to travel from place to place, fleeing from various enemies.

  Just why Juliska had made the call to return, Meghan wasn’t able to say. They were on lockdown. No one on or off the island in any unofficial capacity. And it was not considered safe to be here, therefore, they had worked day and night to create a magical barrier which essentially covered the entire island in an energy field no enemy was supposed to be able to penetrate. At least that’s what they were told, it hadn’t been fully tested yet- in that they had not been attacked.

  And now, the Sovda were attempting to get day to day life back to some kind of normal. Which included school starting up again.

  “I gotta run. Don't want to be late.” Meghan waved and headed to the front door.

  “Have a good first day,” Juliska called out after her.

  Jae was where Meghan expected, loitering in the front yard. Which looked like was taking a huge amount of effort. When she exited he aimed himself in the direction of the school. Meghan darted across the porch, down the stairs, matching his stride out of the driveway. Neither could get away fast enough. But Meghan imagined for much different reasons, and as for what Jae’s were, she could only guess unless he actually told her. It was downright frustrating to have the gift of sight and feel utterly blind.

  She pulled the sweater tight around her. The late autumn chill crisped the air. Though cool, it renewed her strength. She’d always loved fall; definitely her favorite season. Albeit a drab, cold ugliness followed it, fall somehow had a way of bringing her back to life after a long, hot summer. However, like any weather in Maine, especially on the coast, a beautiful sunny day could give way to storm clouds and dense fog in mere minutes.

  Juliska’s house took up the space near the center of the island, but not in the main village. She’d taken up residency in a building once used for meetings and business. She’d opted out of moving back into the stone fortress she’d once called home. One, it would have been outside the new magic protected zone. And two, it was way on the outskirts of the island and much harder for Meghan to get to school, or Juliska, to work. Which was taking place pretty near twenty-four-seven at the moment.

  Meghan clucked out an, “Ick, Nona.” Her catawitch purred out a laugh and licked her lips. She’d caught the scent of breakfast lurking nearby. “Have fun with that.”

  Nona made to saunter off. “Have a good first day at school.” She aimed her comment at both Meghan and Jae, but he didn’t respond. Didn’t even look. Meghan gave her a half-hearted reply, a scowl etching her face. School was just about the last place she wanted to go. Nona promised while Meghan was busy she’d think up a way to get her question answered, as to whether Juliska had indeed mothered any children.

  This drew a deep groan out of Meghan.

  “Not too excited about school?” Jae guessed.

  “About as much as you look to be,” she returned.

  “Actually, all things considered, I’m fine with it.” His feet stalled underneath him, his eyes closing in chastisement. He hadn’t meant to say that Meghan assumed. But it was only more wasn’t telling her anything, vaguery. She didn’t even bother to try to question him.

  Man, how things had changed.

  Except for her inability to stay quiet, especially when she got worked up.

  “It’s not just school,” she admitted. If Jae wasn’t going to talk, he’d have to listen instead. “It’s this place. Being stuck here. I’m back in my world. My uncle is possibly only hours away from here.”

  Jae stopped. His shoulders sagging in a deflating motion. “You haven’t been this close to him since you first got stuck with the Svoda.”

  “And yet I might as well be a world away,” she finished.

  A sobering reminder that he was the reason her life had gotten all messed up to begin with. It wasn’t bad enough he mucked up his own? Like royally mucked it up. And the
things he’d discovered and could not share. With anyone.

  Like for starters, how Juliska had made him agree to accompany Meghan to school this morning after finding out she’d asked him to. It wasn’t that he did not want to, but walking alongside someone he considered a friend, and good person… it was a bit blasphemous considering what he’d done. And knew. And might have to do in the future.

  And Meghan looked like she was about to burst out of sheer concern for him. But she’d stop trying to pry it out of him, which was good, as there was no way he could tell her anyway.

  They breached the center of town, the streets turning from dirt to cobblestone. The real Bedgewood Harbor was nearly identical to the replica they had lived in, while in the Grimble wagons. The biggest difference: everything had a brighter, bigger, open feel to it. Having never seen the real thing before she did not realize how dulled the Grimble replica had been.

  “Thanks for coming by this morning, Jae. I don't know why, I just didn't want to show up on the first day by myself.”

  “You lost your appendage,” he blathered indifferently, catching his callous reply with a catch of breath. “That… came out wrong.”

  “Did it? Lost my appendage. I guess that's one way to look at Colin’s departure.” She blew off Jae's not so eloquent description of her situation.

  “I'm sure Colin's fine, wherever he is,” Jae tried to reassure, although his words sounded like an empty mantra, one he had repeated a few times in the previous weeks. About his only words to Meghan.

  Jae stopped at the school’s entrance and patted her shoulder. He said nothing else. What more could he say? She had betrayed Colin and he had fled. There were only so many times, or ways, someone could say, “He'll be okay. You did what you had to do,” before the words no longer held their original significance.

  A shiver rained down her spine, that unwelcome warning from nowhere that someone was watching her. She twisted around but saw no one... actually, it might have been the first time absolutely no one was staring at her. Her gaze lifted to the two life-like statues of Scratchers flanking each side of the doors she’d now be entering five days a week.