Song of Storms (Song and Storm Trilogy Book 1)

by Kayla Maya

  Bryn swallowed down her fear, allowing Olga to cut and trim away her hair. She felt her head become lighter, if not thinner by the strand. Soon, her straight hair rested on her shoulders, her bangs being swept over her right eye. She shook her head, feeling her new hair swing around her face. She hated to admit how she was beginning to like her new hairstyle if only just a bit. Bryn was always partial to her long hair. Olga swept up the knotted mess of hair on the floor, placing it in the trash.

  “Now for some make-up,” Olga said.

  “I don’t think so,” Bryn responded. “I don’t wear it, and I don’t really think there is a need for it.”

  “No, there is no need for make-up, however, when was the last time you were treated like this? Like a real girl?”

  Olga had a point. Bryn recalled the last job she had and how she had called out those four girls as they giggled and talked amongst themselves about boys and other girls. She remembered how left out she felt, how she too wanted to have that someday, be a normal girl. Reluctantly, Bryn nodded her consent, closing her eyes and allowing Olga to do her work. After a matter of moments, Olga instructed Bryn to open her eyes. Bryn opened her eyes, her mouth falling open in shock as her cheeks were rosy, her eyebrows painted into a perfect arch, and a small layer of eyeliner lined the top of her eyelids, a light coating of gold rimming under her eyebrows and eyelids. She didn’t even recognize herself.

  “See? Was that so bad?”

  Bryn hated to admit that being a girl for once made her heart feel lighter, made her feel important. She secretly wondered what North would say when he saw her, then again, why should she even care what he thought of her in the first place? Why did it even matter that she wanted to be a girl for once anyway, she had no one even to be a girl with, to be normal for once like she always wanted. Bryn thanked Olga and went to the front of the store when North strolled in, stopping in his tracks as he took in Bryn’s new look. She couldn’t help the flush that rose along her cheeks, nor could she stop the way her heart fluttered just a bit. Gods, what is wrong with me? Bryn sighed and gave North a small smile.

  “I’m sorry, I’m late. Ready to go down to see the ocean?” North asked.

  “Yes.” This time Bryn didn’t hide her excitement as she looped her arm through his, turning her head around to Olga. “Thank you.”

  Olga merely laughed and waved them on, wiping her hands on her apron. North led her down the street, his hood catching the wind. Several men kept glancing at Bryn, eying her transformation as she strolled alongside North. She couldn’t help but allow her seed of trust to grow just a little, allowing the bright green stalk to grow and have little buds on either side to start to grow two leaves. They reached the end of the street to where steps led down to a patch of sand and then directly into the ocean. As North led her down the steps, Bryn couldn’t help but feel giddy with even more excitement as her boots landed on the sand.

  “Take your boots off,” North instructed. “You won’t regret it.”

  Bryn followed his instructions, taking off her boots and setting them off to the side. She wiggled her toes beneath the sand, feeling how hot it was on top but nice and cool underneath where the endless sunshine couldn’t penetrate it. Bryn glanced at the ocean, seeing the waves crash along the shore, see the seagulls diving in and out of the waves with fish in beaks. She wondered what the ocean felt like too. There was only one way to find out for sure. Following North down the sand, they reached the wet part of the sand where the ocean crashed into the shore. Bryn watched as a little, bright red crab scuttled away before being washed away by a wave. The wave crashed along Bryn’s ankles, before receding into the ocean. She felt a tinge of sadness wash over her. The ocean was riveting, but it felt just like pond water when it crashed over her legs. She yelped and jumped when she felt the ice-cold ocean water hit her back.

  “Come on, Bryn,” North laughed. “Have a little fun, will you?”

  Bryn turned around, seeing his face and not his hood. She smiled, cupping her hands into the ocean water and then tossing water at him. North laughed as he tossed water at her and vice versa. She couldn’t help the laughter that came when she ran down the sand wind catching her short hair to the wind. She had never felt so alive in her life, never felt so carefree, or so beautiful before. She hated to admit that North made her a better person, if not, make her believe that she was becoming a better person. She turned her head as North raced down the sand behind her, quickly catching speed. Bryn turned back up the bank, falling on her back and into the sand, her arms spread out around her, her chest rising and falling. North threw himself down beside her, stifling his laughter as he tossed sand at Bryn.

  “You’re such a child,” Bryn laughed. “It’s uncanny.”

  “No. I just like to have fun, and I can’t have any when I’m at the church. I feel like myself when I’m with you, more alive. I can be myself.”

  “Is that why you wear your hood in public?”

  “Yeah. Being a Disciple of the Crow means we must keep our hoods on at all times in public. At the church or home, we can shed our hoods and be ourselves.”

  “I’m sorry. It sounds like a hard life.”

  North shrugged, bringing his hands behind his head as he said, “I owe Sister Grace my life. She liberated my country, gave me a purpose.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what was your real name?” Bryn asked.

  “My name used to be Axel, but I had it changed to North because that is where Baltimore was. North. I may not fully believe Sister Grace’s higher purpose, but she did a lot for me, and because of that, I’m loyal to her.” He stood and stretched. “It’s getting late, and Sister Grace is awaiting your answer as to if you’re going to help our cause.”

  Bryn nodded and stood. “She probably is.”

  As they walked down the shore, arm in arm, Bryn couldn’t help the smile forming along her lips. The day had been excellent, full of fun and discovery. She hoped there would be many more days like the one they had, because for once, it felt nice being the center of attention, to be taken care of. But, as she walked, her mind kept bombarding her with the ever-present question.

  Did she want to be a Disciple of the Crow? Was she willing to sacrifice some semblance of her freedom to liberate a kingdom that had done her more harm than good? These questions plagued Bryn’s mind, but she stamped down, thinking of the positive side of things. By becoming a Disciple, she would be able to get the coin to send off to Sister Agatha to care for her siblings. The memory of Lilac’s frightened face came to Bryn’s mind. She hoped that her sister wouldn’t hate her for having magic and for keeping it from them. Only Lukas knew of her abilities, well, him and their father. Her father was the first to find out about her magic; he found out that she was a Cyclone. She closed off her mind to that memory, best not to think of the past, her father used to say. Bryn’s mind was made up; all she had to do was tell Sister Grace her conditions.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Bryn waited in Sister Grace’s office, swinging her legs back and forth as she surveyed the room once more. The shelves were lined with journals, all ranging from various names from each king and queen that ruled with their magic years ago. If the King of Serena had magic, then why, when someone used it, they were taken away? What did the king have to gain? She remembered what North had told her before, how Stonehenge was full of people with magic, and how they were conscripted into the king’s army for another purpose. To stop the Order of the Crow perhaps, or something else altogether.

  “I’m glad to see you have made a decision.” Grace closed the door behind her, giving Bryn a warm smile. She took a seat at her desk, grabbing some papers from the desktop, and making them in a neat pile before she folded her fingers together. “Brother North said you had a wonderful time with Olga. I can see she did a fine job of making you look well. I like the hair, by the way.”

  Bryn couldn’t help the flush that rose along her cheeks as she grabbed a strand of her hair to tug. “Thanks,” she
mumbled. “But, I’m here to talk business.”

  “Straight to the point, I see,” Sister Grace’s smiled thinned out. “Did you think about my offer?”

  “I have. A lot, actually.” Bryn settled in her chair. “I will accept your offer under some conditions.”

  “What sort of conditions?”

  “The first, I want my freedom. I know that being a disciple meant having to follow strict orders, such as wearing a hood, etc. I have been told what to do all my life and when and how especially when I was forced to have a job. I don’t want my freedom taking away from me.”

  “Seems fair,” Grace acknowledged. “I’ll agree to half of those terms. You have to wear your hood in public, and it’s what keeps us hidden from the outside world. It is what Corvus wanted for us. I will, however, agree to you keeping your freedom to a point. You still have rules to follow, but I will allow you some leeway.”

  Bryn nodded. “The second, I want to keep my name. I know that you kept your name, and I know North had changed his. I want to keep the name Bryn; I refuse to change my name to something that I am not.”

  “I will allow that one. I understand your reason completely, so then I will let it happen. Anything else?”

  “Yes, just one more. My family. Swear to me that they will not be harmed. That they will remain innocent and will not know of my whereabouts and what I am or plan on doing for you guys. If you can agree to these terms, then I will help you. I’ll become a Disciple of the Crow, and I will help you take down the king.”

  “Done, done, and done. I will agree to all those terms within reason. I never had the intention of harming your family, nor did I want to or had the reason. I swear that I will not harm a single hair on their heads. Now that we have that under control, we have to talk about your Ascendance Ceremony.”

  “My Ascendance Ceremony?” Bryn echoed.

  “Yes,” Sister Grace stood. “Anyone who agrees to become a disciple must undertake the ceremony of forgetting all the gods they once served and pledging their allegiance to our one true god, Corvus. It’s a grand ceremony, one that usually means you chose a different name to go by as you shed your old life. Since you are keeping your name, we still have to go through the Re-Naming Process, but you’ll just say that you have decided to keep your namesake as I had done years ago.”

  “When will this ceremony take place?”

  “Tomorrow night,” Grace said. “I have to get ahold of the Council of Elders first, to take your pledge, and also to form the plan that we will need to dethrone the King of Serena. It’s already late; however, I will send my fastest crow out to tell them about your ascendance and the plan. Go and eat; I will make the necessary preparations. I’m sure North will have something fun planned. Tonight, is the fireworks event.”

  Bryn didn’t like the way Grace said, “North will have something fun planned.” As far as Bryn understood, she and North were becoming friends, and it irked her knowing that she never really had any friends, to begin with, so having North as one made her happy. She stood and made her way to the door but stopped in her tracks. “You said before that you knew of some Cyclones?”

  “Correct.” Grace didn’t glance up from her pen and paper as she scribbled. “I assume you want to learn how to use your gifts?”

  Bryn wasn’t sure her magic was “gift” but rather a horrible joke of a curse. She didn’t want it, nor did she ever dream of being anything other than ordinary. Maybe, having someone that knew of this type of magic, Bryn would be able to use it for good instead of making a mess of things like she had used to back in Skeg with the endless rain. It wasn’t her fault, mostly. The storms were from her raging emotions, something that she still could not control. Either way, some help would do her some good.

  “I would like that,” Bryn said. “After all, if I don’t learn, then how will I be able to aid you with your plans?”

  “I will send another crow out then,” Sister Grace kept her eyes on her paper still, only her smile indicating that she was really hearing Bryn. “I’ll see you tomorrow night then. I’ll have Olga bring a change of clothes tailored for you to wear during the ceremony.”

  Bryn smiled and thanked Grace before she walked out the door and into the main area of the church with the pews. It was eerily quiet, but she could hear a tapping noise somewhere in the area, followed by a hushed whisper. Head cocked to the side; she followed the sound until she reached the end of the pews where a small, frail-looking woman was crouched, shaking, and hair a matted mess. Her clothes were striped, with a chain wrapped around her right ankle. Horrified, Bryn reached her hand out.

  “Hey, are you okay. What’s—”

  The frail woman turned her head, big green eyes red rimmed, lips shaking as she chanted over and over again. She reached out, gnarled fingers full of knobs, and caked in blood. Bryn jumped back in shock. What on Earth—

  “Bryn step away from her.” North pulled Bryn by the arm, stepping in front of her. “She’s a Psych.”

  Bryn had no idea what a “Psych” was, but it sounded like it had something to do with the mind, or better yet, someone else’s mind. “There’s something wrong with her.” Just as she said that three other disciples rushed, ushering the crazed woman away and out the front door. Bryn stood there, shaking, wondering what on earth had happened to that woman to make her like she was, and why she was chanting weird verses.

  “Her name is Ericka,” North explained. “Sister Grace found her this morning out in the gardens. She’s a Psych, a type of sorceress that can control people’s minds. They are one of the main influencers when it comes to trying to talk sense into the royalty. I had no idea she had even left her room until Victoria came and found me.”

  “Why…” Bryn was at a loss for words. “Why was she like that? Crazed and covered in dried blood?”

  North sighed. “Ericka was found by her neighbors. Being a Psych takes a lot of skill to master, and if not done properly, it causes some serious consequences. For one, it destroys your mind, makes you hallucinate. On rare occasions, they are even known to kill their own families, which is what happened. Ericka killed them; that is why she was covered in dried blood.”

  “But the chain on her ankle.”

  “Was a result of her parents, I’m afraid. They were scared of their daughter, of what she could do, so they chained her to her room, keeping her alone and distant until her thoughts turned against her, made her kill her family. It’s sad I know, but there is no hope for someone who’s mind is already lost.”

  “What are you going to do with her?”

  “Nothing. We’ll let her live her life but chained up like she had been when we found her before. She’ll be locked up in a room with more interaction than what she had, but that’s all we can do for her at this point.”

  “But what was she saying? It sounded ancient.”

  “It’s said that a Psych knows the language of the gods, but it’s never been tested before. As far as anyone knows, it’s gibberish, but there’s no translation that we know of either for us to believe it’s ancient verses.”

  Bryn shook her head, her mind swimming with all that she was learning. A Psych, someone that can control other people’s minds, can literally destroy their own mind in the process. Ericka’s magic was defiantly a curse. She saw North’s mouth move but didn’t hear no sound come from it as she continued to shake her head and step away from North to the front door. All these new things…all these new magics that she was learning was giving her a massive headache. It made her question if she should go back to Sister Grace and tell her the deal was off, but it wasn’t the Order of the Crow’s fault for Ericka’s faulty mind. No. It wasn’t their fault but still…

  “Bryn?” North reached out to touch her arm.

  “I need to be alone.” Bryn brushed by him and walked right outside the door.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Bryn placed her own hood over her head, keeping her eyes down as she wandered the streets of Baltimore. It wasn’t difficult to fi
nd her way around, being a thief, and all. As she wandered, she couldn’t help but take a few valuable trinkets from several of the townsfolk, apologizing when she “accidentally” rammed right into them. The sky was dark but bright with trillions of little stars that twinkled at Bryn. Instinctively, she reached up and gripped her necklace, eyes closed as she remembered the day her father had given her the necklace.

  “I have something for you, my little raven.” Bryn’s father sat down at his favorite chair, back when they had a bigger house. He placed Bryn on his lap, tickling her tummy to make her laugh and giggle. “It’s a gift. I made it just for you.”

  “What is it, Papa?” Bryn glanced up at him, amber eyes wide and expectant. “Is it more sweets?”

  “I don’t think you need any more sweets,” her father chuckled. “This is something far more special, because you, my little raven, are very special.”

  Bryn’s father reached up, unclasping a necklace. The necklace swung into Bryn’s view, her mouth open in amazement. It was of a thunderbolt. The outer lining was silver with the thunder itself being a dark gold. It shined in the candlelight, swinging in the air as her father gave her the warmest smile. Bryn reached out with her tiny, grubby fingers, trying desperately to grab hold of the beautiful necklace before her own eyes. Her father turned her around, placing the necklace over her neck. She couldn’t hold in her excitement as she jumped in his lap to wrap her arms around his neck.

  “Thank you, Papa!” Bryn held his neck tightly.

  “You are very special, Bryn,” he told her. “One day, you will achieve great things.”

  “I want to make you proud.”

  “You already have.” He ran a hand down her hair. “You hold something this family doesn’t, something that I wished wasn’t going to be a burden in the future. I know you will learn how to control it, the urges. Bryn, from now on, you need to control your emotions because it is best for everyone if you do. No more crying. No more tears. Do you understand?”