“Which parts were removed?” Jak asked. She’d be interested to see those first, as she already had a basic understanding of the rest of the book. The Lord Mayor of Riverbrook would often read it to them at town gatherings.
Karlona reached out a hand and flipped over a few pages. “This passage right here might be of particular interest to you.”
Jak read the prescribed section and her eyes widened as she did. She read it a second time to be sure. “This…this talks about you!” she said aloud. “‘Beneath the flesh of mankind is hidden a duplicity of light and dark, a power to manifest itself in the morning of time, to change man into a creature of shadow and light.’”
“Yes, we thought that was interesting as well. It goes on to talk about other powers that lie dormant in mankind. And it’s not just talking about brands. Some of those are outlined later on. It’s talking about something deeper. Something buried in our very flesh. We think that is why we turned into Shadow Fae. The power of this Relic somehow activated something already within us.”
Jak was scanning ahead, looking for other clues. “This won’t convince everyone though. It’s still pretty vague. And people could argue that you added this passage to make it seem like you belong.”
Karlona nodded. “We know, or we would have come out with this a long time ago. Still, any scholar will be able to tell that this book is authentic. Those who matter will believe.”
“What does it mean, ‘creatures of shadow and light’?” Jak asked suddenly. “The Fae only seem to represent Shadow from what I’ve seen. Do you have some magical abilities I haven’t seen yet?”
“Oh we have many abilities you haven’t seen, but nothing to do with light. Only the absence of light. Perhaps that’s what the passage means, but we believe it refers to something else.”
“What do you mean?” Jak asked.
“We think there are others like us, but different. Other Fae with different abilities.”
“Of course!” Jak thought out loud. “That’s what Kuldain was talking about when I overheard him in his tent.”
“Kuldain?” her mother asked sharply, “With the Watchers?”
“Yeah, do you know him?”
“I knew him,” her mother said flatly. “What did he say?”
“He said he came across a group of them, that they had slaughtered a whole village, and he killed as many of them as he could, but not before they killed the rest of his band. He was demoted because of it.”
“You’re sure they were Fae and not demons?”
“No, the way he described them was as beings of light, though he saw them as a sickly green sort of light, kind of like your eyes…” Jak cut off. “I mean, I’m sorry, I didn’t…”
“It’s okay, they take some getting used to I suppose,” her mother said. “Though you’d think the rest of our appearance would be the first thing that bothers people. Or what we can do.”
“So just what can you do?” Jak asked, curious. “All I’ve managed to see is the way you seem to disappear.”
“Well, we can increase the darkness around us and other shadow-related abilities like that. It’s not really that interesting to be honest.”
“Are you kidding? That’s amazing! You’ve essentially found a way to have more than one power, something that everyone thought was impossible! The demons have more than one brand, but that turns them savage. Somehow you managed to maintain your sanity. And I’ve never heard of brands that can do what you describe. How do you do it?”
“We don’t have brands,” her mother answered.
Jak blinked. “What?” she asked. Perhaps she had misheard.
“We don’t have brands,” her mother said again. “Its one of the first things we noticed as we changed. The brands we had faded. I used to be a Gifter like you, but I lost that power the moment I became a Fae. The same happened to all the others.”
“But your other abilities…”
“They became an instinctive part of us. It took some getting used to at first, but we all naturally understood the nature of our change and what we could do, even though we had no idea how that change happened in the first place.”
“You said it came from proximity to the book, something to do with its magical ability.”
“Yes, but we have no idea how or why that change occurred. Why would the book do that to us? Why would it affect some and not others? Our coming was foretold in its pages, but so was the coming of other races, other Fae. Why are we only limited to beings of Shadow? These are some of the questions we still struggle with.”
Jak nodded, trying to take it all in. She hoped more than ever that Naem had found and kept her journal. This was so much more than she ever expected to learn in so short a time. Just a few weeks ago she had been eager to learn how to be a Gifter from the college in Skyecliff. Now she had not only performed her first branding (albeit badly), but she was starting to think that everything she ever knew about magic was only the beginning. There was so much she still didn’t know.
A thought occurred to her. Maybe her mother could answer some of her other questions.
“Father, just before he died. He…he told me to find you, but also…” She paused. Talking about her father was hard, especially to her mother, someone she had never known.
“Go on,” her mother prompted.
“He said that someone fears me. I wasn’t sure what he meant. I’ve wondered if he didn’t know what he was saying.”
Karlona frowned in thought. “No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure who he was talking about, but there is something special about you, Jak. I recognized it the moment I saw you. Perhaps it has something to do with my change into a Fae just before I gave birth to you. And there are powers out there that we have yet to encounter. Perhaps Rael knew something we didn’t”.
Another Fae Jak didn’t recognize rushed through the archway at that moment and whispered something in Karlona’s ear. She spoke with him for a moment in hushed but urgent voices. Turning back to Jak, she said, “Your friends are here to rescue you, it seems.”
Jak felt disbelief and joy swell through her, “Naem? He came for me?” How had he managed to convince Kuldain to let him follow her trail?
“Not one man, an entire band of Watchers.”
Jak frowned. That didn’t make any sense. Why would they all come for her? They had other obligations, and she had been warned that they would not stop for her.
Her mother saw the confusion on her face. “We don’t think they’re just here for you. They’re here for us. They’ve taken one of us hostage, not an easy thing to do I might add.”
Jak swallowed. “Yes, that makes sense.” It was falling into place now. Kuldain hadn’t come because he was interested in rescuing her. He came because it was an excuse to find the Fae. “Their leader doesn’t think highly of you. He planned to find and kill as many of you as he could. It makes little sense to me because you’re peaceful. You’ve done nothing to harm them, or me.”
“They don’t know that. For all they know, we dragged you off and ate you alive.”
Jak glanced at her sideways. Her mother shrugged, “I told you the rumors get out of hand.”
“So what are we going to do?” Jak asked.
“Well they can’t trap us here. These caves have openings all over the mountains. There’s no way they can block off our escape. And there are others of our kind scattered throughout the Hollow Peaks that we can ask for help if we need it. But reaching out to them will take time. Time we don’t have. They have one of our own, and we won’t leave him behind.”
“Can’t we just give them me?” Jak asked. “Perhaps if I rejoin them, they’ll give up your man. Like a hostage exchange. Which, I realize I’m not a hostage,” she added quickly. “I just mean they will think of it that way. This will show them you’re good people.”
Karlona didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know. It might work, but I have a feeling that your Kuldain has other motives for being here. He’s the one that personally t
ook our man hostage. But we can’t overpower them as we are, not without calling for help. For now, I think you’re right. It’s our only real option.”
Jak nodded. She could do this. Once she negotiated the release of captured Shadow Fae, she could explain the whole situation to the Watchers, about what she had learned concerning the Fae and how they had treated her. And perhaps convince them to let the Fae live.
“I’m ready,” she said, sounding far more confident than she felt.
14
It took a long time for them to retrace their steps. This time they were climbing upward, and Jak’s breathing came hard after enough climbing. Eventually, however, she saw a light in the distance. A white light, separate from that of the torch in her hand. And she thought she could here something as well.
Her mother paused in front of her, and Jak stopped herself from walking right into the Fae. Jak could see many Fae now, lining the walls, looking expectantly at Karlona. Apparently her mother was a bit of an authority figure among these Fae. One of them stood close to Karlona and whispered an update. When he had finished, Karlona turned to Jak.
“Kuldain is outside with the band of Watchers. He has our man at knifepoint, and is calling out for you. Are you sure you want to go out there?”
Jak swallowed and clutched at her arms, but stood firm. “Yes, I have to help.”
“You understand that this is a delicate situation. Any wrong move.”
“I know.” Jak’s rolling stomach was not letting her forget it.
“We’re really trusting Urmen’s fate to a child with no training in negotiation?” It was Vander, the Fae Jak had tried to strike up a conversation with earlier.
“You think they would rather deal with us?” Karlona shot back, her eyes flashing. “When it was this girl that they came to rescue.
Vander scoffed. “Perhaps they used her as an excuse, but we all know Kuldain was there at the beginning. He knows what happened to us. It’s too much of a coincidence that he is here now.”
This was news to Jak. “Wait, you’re saying that Kuldain met you here before?”
Karlona spared a glance for her. “Yes, he was there when we first encountered the Watchers and your father took you from us. That means he also witnessed the death of his commander at our hand.” She shot Vander a look that suggested it was all his fault.
That changed everything. Perhaps it explained why Kuldain held such a grudge against the Fae. But why would he keep this part of his story a secret? He was open about the Bright Fae he’d encountered in the north, but never said that he knew the Shadow Fae. It certainly complicated matters.
Jak thought she heard Kuldain’s voice coming from the cave opening in the distance, and it brought her back to reality. “We’ve got to do something though. I’m willing to help if you’ll let me.”
Karlona glanced at Vander, who merely frowned and looked away. “We don’t have any other choice.” Karlona said, her voiced raised just enough so that the rest of the Shadow Fae could hear. Then she nodded at Jak.
Jak returned the nod, then began taking several steps forward, her eyes fixed on the growing light of the cave entrance ahead of her. She wasn’t going alone. Several of the Fae ran ahead, vanishing completely as they drew closer to the light.
“SHOW YOURSELVES!” she could hear Kuldain yelling ahead of her now. “I KNOW YOU’RE LISTENING. GIVE US THE GIRL AND WE WILL LEAVE YOU BE.”
Kuldain held the captured Fae in his grasp, with a knife held to the creature’s throat. “SHOW YOURSELVES!” he yelled for what felt like the hundredth time. “I KNOW YOU’RE LISTENING. GIVE US THE GIRL AND WE...” the voice cut off. Ahead of her, Jak could see the faint shadows that suggested the Fae had revealed themselves. She quickened her pace to join them before Kuldain or any of the Watchers did anything rash.
As she approached, the Shadow Fae parted for her, and she emerged from the cave to see dozens of Watchers, perhaps even the entire band ahead of her. They all held tightly to their weapons, and several had glowing hands as their brands activated, ready for a fight. She saw Naem and Marek at the front of the ranks, their faces a wash of concern. She let out a breath. Thank goodness they were alright.
But she didn’t have much time to dwell on her friends. Her eyes moved to Kuldain, who stood in front of everyone, holding the captive Shadow Fae in one arm, with a knife at his throat.
Swallowing, she walked straight towards Kuldain, trying her best to hold her head high. Several Watchers looked at her confused. No doubt they thought she had been the victim here. Well, now was a good time to let them all know that the Fae were not their enemies.
Jak stopped several feet from where Kuldain stood holding the captured Fae. “I’m here, now let him go.”
Kuldain hesitated, his knife inching closer to his captive’s neck. “I don’t think so,” he said finally.
The other Fae tensed, some of them reaching for their knives of dark glass, or their blowdart reeds. Everyone in the band tightened their grips on their weapons, and some of the Flamedancers lit fire in their hands. Tensions rose.
“What do you mean?” Jak asked Kuldain, holding out her hands to the Fae and Watchers alike, trying to calm them down. She had to keep this under control. “You said you would let him go if they let me go.”
“It might try to kill me in a heartbeat if I set it free,” Kuldain said. He still had that disturbing grin on his face. “And what’s to stop the rest of these creatures from falling on us the moment I do so?”
“They won’t, I give you my word,” Jak replied.
Kuldain’s laugh echoed in the cave beyond. “You honestly expect me to believe that you speak for them? You who have only known of their existence for no more than a few days. You think you know all there is to know, huh?”
“They are not what the rumors say they are. They are not demons. They wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“They do kill, I have seen it happen. Perhaps they are not like demons in the sense that they are smarter and can think for themselves. We’ve seen enough to prove that. But they are no less vile, no less perverted by the magics they twisted.”
“They didn’t twist any magic, they don’t even have brands. A long time ago they discovered an original copy of the Annals of Adam, and it changed them.”
“Nonsense, there are no original copies of that book left,” Kuldain said, but Jak noticed Naem’s face change to something of curiosity. And he wasn’t the only one. Several of the men and women of the group were glancing at each other, some were whispering under their breath.
“None that we know of,” Jak went on. “But they found one hidden in this very cave, perhaps put there by Adam himself. It’s a Holy Relic and it has power. It’s what sparked their transformation.”
“And I suppose your little Fae friends told you that.”
“I’ve seen the Relic. I could feel its power.”
“The false impressions on an impressionable mind.”
Jak’s lips grew thin. She didn’t say anything further, but Kuldain smiled knowingly. “I will allow you to rejoin our ranks, as you have obviously been deceived by these cunning devils. I will forgive and forget. But only this once. Forget these foolish notions that have been placed in your head. I know these Fae far better than you do.”
Jak looked at the ground. This was all going wrong. What to do? She took a deep breath and thought through her options. She had to save the Fae’s life. Doing so would avoid a slaughter of Watchers and Fae. Perhaps if she went along with Kuldain, he would let him go. But no, he wasn’t showing any signs of relenting.
Kuldain respected assertiveness though, at least as far as Jak could tell. Perhaps if she stood her ground, he would respect her enough to do as she asked.
A hand touched her shoulder and she looked to see her mother standing there. It was the first time that she’d seen her mother in any clear light. She was beautiful, and Jak could see something of herself in that gaze. It gave her strength.
She looked back at Kulda
in. He was staring at Karlona, and his grin turned to a sneer. “Well, doesn’t this feel familiar,” he said while meeting Karlona’s gaze. What did he mean by that?
Jak shrugged off the odd comment and stared Kuldain straight in the eye, feeling confidence fill her. She had to do something for these Fae. For her mother. They were her people as much as the humans were.
“After my father died, I thought that all I wanted was to become one of the Watchers. I thought, maybe then I could be useful. But I was wrong. This is where I belong, between you and these Fae. Because they are people, Kuldain. They are good people! So let that one go, and I promise you, no harm will come to any of you!”
Had she gone too far? Naem and Marek were staring at her, and she couldn’t quite read the expressions on their faces. Others among the Watchers glanced at each other, unsure of what just happened. It was unusual for her to stand up to authority like this, and they knew that by now.
Kuldain glanced around himself, recognizing the band’s hesitation. “So that’s your decision then?” He said, softer than before. “You’d be willing to sacrifice your place with us, to align yourself with these…beasts?”
Jak nodded. “I would.”
Kuldain sneered again, looking from Jak, to her mother standing beside her. “So be it.”
Jak started, the man wasn’t about to…
Without another word, Kuldain tightened his grip on the captured Fae and slit its throat.
15
Before Jak could scream, everything around her erupted into chaos. The Shadow Fae surrounding her on all sides leapt into action. Watchers on the front lines braced themselves for the coming attack. Telekinetics and Flamedancers put up their hands, the black lines of their brands turning a glowing white as they activated.
The Telekinetics did their best to lift Fae off the ground, rendering them helpless so that the Flamedancers could make short work of them with the flames sprouting from their open palms. But many of the Fae had already turned invisible now, or nearly so. Major Skellig led the Flamedancers as they formed a perimeter around the band and spewed flames in all directions. That was enough to catch one or two Shadow Fae off guard, becoming fully visible and staggering back from the flames, parts of their flesh and clothing already alight.
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