by Chanda Hahn
Even hitting the side of the mirror didn’t clear the image. Rhea had gone to her workshop and come back with two long rods she attached to the mirror and claimed they boosted the magic within it.
“They look ugly,” Maeve whined. She waved her fingers over her forehead. “Like bug antennae.”
“Well, it may look dumb, but it will work.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Maeve flopped in the chair and hung her leg over the arm.
“Ladies, don’t slouch,” Mother chastised from her high-back chair.
Maeve pulled her leg down, properly tucked her dress around her thighs, and folded her hands in her lap. “I never said I wanted to be a lady.”
“Of course, you want to be a lady. What else do you want to aspire to be?”
“A dragon.” Maeve cackled, and her eyes glittered dangerously.
“Not in the house,” Mother warned. “Plus, you haven’t passed your shifting tests yet to transform into anything larger than a swan. And you, Aura, need to work on your shielding.”
I stilled like a prey animal sensing the predator about to strike. I knew what was coming.
“So you will go into town today to get our supplies,” Mother continued.
I winced. “You know I’m not exactly welcome in town.”
“Then you better work on your mental shielding while you’re there.” It was an order, not a casual suggestion as she made it seem.
“Yes, Mother.”
I went to the iron hook by the door and grabbed my dark brown cape and waited for her to present me with the list of items. My hand shook as I took the parchment, but I tried to hide my nervousness.
Rhea brought me the basket and gave me a wry smile. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
“I just wish I could have spelled the entire town and made them forget.”
“We can’t do that. It’s against our code. Too many repercussions, and eventually someone would remember.”
“I know.” I sighed.
I took the empty basket and headed into town, my fears weighing the basket down unnaturally until my arms hurt.
I crossed the bridge and followed the path down the hill, focusing on shielding myself. Working through all the exercises Lorn had taught me. But with each step I took, my reserve faltered. This was punishment of the worst kind. I hated large crowds, I hated cities, and I hated being around people.
Nihill sat in the middle of nowhere. A godforsaken cesspool filled with lowlifes and thieves. Eventually, over the years, it grew and garnered enough population where they finally elected a mayor. But no kingdom claimed us. We neither gave allegiance to Candor, Baist, or Sion, nor their neighboring kingdoms. We were forgotten, and no one cared about our taxes. Except for the mayor. But even with the installment of taxes, the roads or sewers were often neglected.
I tucked my hair into my hood. Thankfully, I didn’t have Meri’s deep red locks, for she always drew attention with her unusual hair color. I focused on keeping my head low. With a wave of my hand, I used glamour and made my clean dress appear darker in shade and color. A few more stains and tears appeared to deceive the viewer.
As soon as the glamour took hold, I could feel the ache behind my eyes as I held the spell in check. Over time, I would get a throbbing headache. It would be even worse if I tried to change my face or body. Eden could easily become someone else if she had a personal item of theirs.
I felt a small pang of jealousy at her glamour gift, but it quickly dissipated as my yearning for my sister took its place. I missed them so much. As soon as I crossed into town, the darkness flashed in my conscience.
Burst of gray signifying gloom and despair, followed by angry flashes of red for anger. The auras were overpowering. My steps slowed, and I sought shelter against the corner of a building as the townspeople’s deepest innermost thoughts reached me.
He’s such a deadbeat husband. Why am I even married to him?
She never does anything around the house.
Peter broke my new toy. I hate him.
If I can sell all of my vegetables today, I will have enough money to buy medicine.
I wish that new dress were on sale.
Fresh fish, my foot. This has already gone rank.
Yellow, red, gray flashed in my mind like fireworks and I tried to blink them away and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Taking a deep breath, I headed into the marketplace.
As I passed the butcher’s shop, I tried to hurry my steps, hoping to not catch the attention of the butcher’s son. Clutching the paper in front of me like a lifeline, I headed into the first store.
My head ached as I bartered with the merchant for linen.
“Three copper coins, that is my final price,” the merchant said firmly.
I shook my head as I picked up his hesitancy. “I will give you two coppers.” My head was throbbing, but I knew he would go lower.
“Aw fine, take it, but it is highway robbery.” The merchant packaged the linen for me, and I added it to my basket. It was for a new apron for Mother. Three more stores followed similar deals. I kept my head down, listened to their thoughts, and negotiated lower prices.
An old arthritic woman sat on a trade blanket near the square. Her skin wrinkled like raisins, her mouth square and hollow from lack of teeth, but her face radiated with kindness. Her aura was a bright yellow and soothing. I didn’t have much money, but I wanted to help her out as much as I could. I took a few coins and handed them to the women.
“Bless you, child. Here, let me give you something in return.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
“A word of advice, then. When you are afraid, remember the first light will protect you.” She clapped her hands in merriment and rocked back and forth.
“How odd . . .” I shrugged it off and looked at my list and frowned. I was so focused on my own thoughts that I didn’t see the hooded man approach me until it was too late.
He pulled me through a doorway into an abandoned building.
“You lied to me!” Strong hands gripped my upper arms painfully and flung me further into the room. “You’ve had me walking in circles for days.”
I blinked in the darkened room as my eyes struggled to adjust. Holes in the thatch roof let in beams of light as the man walked near me. I recognized the man from Rya.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied and tried to move around him toward the door, but he blocked my path.
“I saw you come into town, and as soon as I did, I remembered. Everything. I remembered why I’m here. My quest, my purpose. You stole that from me,” he yelled. “when you took my memories.”
I trembled before the mountain of a man, but I didn’t deny his accusations.
He paused in front of me, his voice low and threatening. “And now I demand that you take me to Lady Eville.”
“No,” I said firmly. “I won’t endanger my family again.”
His brows furrowed. “What do you mean again? Who are you?”
“I am Aurora Eville, daughter of Lady Eville. It was I who found you in the woods, and my mother and sisters tended to you. You have already graced the presence of our household, and she has refused to see you further.”
His handsome face paled. He immediately thrust his arm in front of his heart and kneeled before me. “I’m so sorry, milady. My name is Liam Falcane. I come seeking aid on behalf of the kingdom of Rya. There has been a blight that has attacked our home and all that live within it. My armies have been fighting against it for weeks, but we cannot make any headway. There is talk that your household may be our only hope in finding the answer to banishing the blight.”
“I’m sorry, that is none of my concern, for I am only a lovesick girl,” I repeated his words back and pushed past him. Surprisingly, he let me leave. I covered my hair and hurried to complete the last item on my list. Now, more than ever, I wanted to retreat to the safety of our home and away from the pious knight.
Unfolding the crumpled
note, I scanned the list and sighed.
There was only one more item left, and I dreaded going there, but it was the only place for miles unless we wanted to butcher our own meat, and we didn’t have any animals other than fowl. I entered the rundown butcher shop and covered my nose from the smell. Tobias was the one manning the counter, and I trembled at the sight of him. He was one of the men that attacked me, tried to get under my skirt, and my sister had killed his friend while defending me.
It’s fine. I told myself. Just keep my head down. I came in and slid the paper across the counter. Tobias wiped his bloody hands on his apron and looked at the slip. His greasy hair hadn’t been washed in weeks, and his acne had only gotten worse since I last saw him.
“We just butchered a cow today. It’s fresh,” Tobias said.
It was a lie.
What a pretty thin. I would love to see what’s under her hood. Forget the hood. I wonder what’s under her skirt.
I stumbled into the counter as Tobias’ crude thoughts assaulted me.
“How about pork?” I said, keeping my head low.
“Yeah, I got pork. What cut?”
“Shoulder,” I whispered.
“What? Speak up, wench.”
“Shoulder,” I said louder.
He pulled down brown paper and leaned over the counter. “You seem familiar. Have we met before?”
I shook my head.
“Now, if you want, I can throw in some of that beef for a discount if you want to help me out a bit.”
Crude images flashed in my mind of the things he wanted to do to me.
I was going to throw up.
I tossed the coins onto the table and grabbed the package before he had even finished wrapping it and ran outside. I rushed around the corner and put the basket on the ground, and leaned over, my hands on my knees as I tried to focus on breathing. I pulled my hood down and after a few deep breaths. I felt better, but a shadow fell over me, and a dark aura made me terrified.
I stood up.
“I knew I recognized you.” Tobias held the butcher’s knife in front of him. “You and your red-haired sister killed Armon. You’re one of the Eville girls.”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” I snapped. “What happened was an accident, but if you don’t leave me alone, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
Tobias’ face turned ugly. “I’m not afraid of you. I remember that you were a coward, a crybaby. But now, there’s no one to protect you.” He grabbed my braid and yanked me down an alley between his shop and the next.
I screamed as he pulled on my braid. “Let go!”
“Not until I get revenge for Armon,” he breathed into my neck. His breath smelled of death and rot.
He slammed me into the wall. My head cracked against the stucco, and piercing pain radiated out of my skull. The knife appeared at my throat and the edge pushed against my jugular. Dèjá vu all over again. Tobias reached for my skirt, and I heard a tear as he ripped it away.
Fear paralyzed me, and all the spells and attacks I knew rushed out of my mind. I became helpless against the numbing fear.
“I will teach you what it means to bow down to a man. When I’m done, you’ll be screaming my name.”
Tears filled my eyes, and my vision was blurry as mother’s words came back. “You need to protect your mind.” This was a lesson I didn’t want to learn.
No one would come for me. Meri couldn’t save me now. I was alone.
No. I wasn’t alone because I was enough.
I tampered my fear, dug deep into the pit of my soul, and turned to look into Tobias’ lust-filled eyes. “You’re wrong, Tobias,” I whispered, feeling the blade nick my throat. “When I’m done with you, you’ll be screaming my name.”
I reached out and prepared to cast a spell.
A shadow fell over us. Tobias was flung backward and knocked into the ground, a flash of steel, and Liam had his sword pointed at Tobias’ throat.
“You piece of trash,” Liam growled. He carefully used his sword and drew a line of blood that matched the one Tobias gave me. A bloody red necklace. “How dare you lay a hand on a lady?”
“I won’t touch her again,” he cried out. His fat, blubbering face produced fake tears.
“I didn’t need your help,” I said sourly. “I was fine.”
Liam grabbed Tobias by his collar and held him up to the wall while he addressed me. “You were about to be accosted.”
“I had a handle on it,” I said, putting my fists on my hips. My foot tapped angrily, showing my displeasure.
Tobias had other plans. I will teach this jerk a lesson, he thought.
“He won’t stop.” I pointed toward Tobias.
Tobias ducked and tried to get away. Liam punched Tobias in the face. Blood spurted from his lip, but the man glared wickedly. He went limp.
As soon as he turns his back, I’ll kill him.
Liam thought Tobias had learned his lesson, dropped him on the ground, and turned his back to face me.
I sighed. “Don’t turn your back.”
Tobias grabbed the hidden knife out of his boot pocket and charged. Liam spun to defend himself, but he didn’t have to. I stepped between the two men and reached for Tobias’ head. I brushed my fingers across his brow as he ran past.
“Compassio.”
I released all of my fear and emotion from the day of the attack months ago—back into him. I let him feel what I felt. Let him have a taste of my empathy magic and then some.
“What’s going on?” Tobias stumbled backward. The knife fell from his hands. A milky film covered his eyes as I took him back to each person he ever beat up or abused. He relived every moment, but from the victim’s perspective.
“Stop!” Tobias cried out. “Don’t touch me.” He backed into a corner and covered his head. Cowering on his knees, he sobbed and ran his hands along the ground. He would be blind until the vision wore off, and hopefully by then, he would know what it was like to be the victim, and therefore no longer be a predator.
But I doubted it.
“What just happened?” Liam said in disbelief.
I couldn’t answer. I stumbled out of the alley as I was also forced to relive the same nightmares simultaneously. There were so many. I collapsed on the ground, pressed my forehead into my knees and cried.
Chapter Five
A hand patted my back awkwardly, and I rolled my head to the left and stared at Liam. He sat next to me on the ground and held a handkerchief out to me.
“Here.”
I didn’t want his fake sympathy.
“Go away,” I said. “I don’t need a heroic-ridden knight to rescue me.”
“Well, actually, you were right. You didn’t need my help. You handled yourself quite well. Although, your tactics were a little unorthodox. You could have taken him out well before I arrived if you had the right kind of training.”
I couldn’t believe him. He was insulting me all over again.
Liam sighed, and his hand lifted from my back. “But it seems that this heroic knight needs you.”
I snorted. Grabbed his handkerchief, thoroughly blew my nose, and handed it back to him. He took it and stared at it in disgust.
“Well maybe you shouldn’t offer it to a lady if you don’t expect her to use it,” I snapped.
I stood up, wiped off my skirts and searched around the area for my basket. The basket was crushed, but most of the items were salvageable. I kneeled in the dirt to put the items back in.
“Here.” He handed me the packaged linen. I took it without looking at him. I reached for the bag of flour and our hands collided as he picked it up. I pulled my hand back, and he looked up into my eyes, noticing their pale color.
He gasped; the flour fell from his hands and back onto the ground.
I shook my head and pushed him away when he tried to help.
“Leave me,” I said.
“I can’t. For I need your help.” He followed close behind.
“We’ve given
you all the help that we can. You must go.” I pointed down the road.
“You don’t understand. It’s life or death.”
“Not my problem.”
He stopped in his tracks. His shoulders dropped. “You’re right. It’s not your problem, but mine and mine alone.” His voice dripped with pain and his turmoil.
I slowed and looked upon his aura. So pure and filled with righteousness . . . and then pain. Something terrible had befallen him and his people, and I was letting the rude way he treated me on our first meeting define my opinion of him. Did we not daily deal with the same stigma and mistreatment by the townspeople?
I sighed and turned back to him. Brushing my hair out of my face. “But my mother has no desire to help your kingdom—ever.”
His aura darkened with pain and despair. I had to leave before guilt persuaded me to do something stupid. Like help him.
“I’m sorry, I really wish there were a way for me to help,” I called out, as I gathered my skirts and quickly departed. I knew without looking back that he watched my hasty retreat. “But there’s really nothing I can do.”
The way was blocked.
Fog surrounded me. So dense I could barely see more than an arm’s length in front. Threatening growls and snapping of dried branches made me jump. I spun in a circle and could hear a laughter echo around me, taunting me. I tried to move through the fog, but branches and thorns snagged my clothes. Clouds moved away from the moon, and in the distance I saw the forlorn castle. My goal. The fog closed in, swallowing me.
I woke up.
Sweat beaded across my brow and my hands were clammy. I rubbed my forehead and tried to make sense of the dream. Except I knew it wasn’t my dream. It was someone else’s dream that merged into mine. But whose?
I tossed and turned in my bed most of the night. But there was a heaviness in the air—guilt. I flung off my blanket and tiptoed down the stairs into the main room. A low fire was burning in the stone fireplace, and I saw the small dust pile swept into the corner, and the quivering form of Clove as she hid in the shadow of our bookcase.
