“That’s true,” I mumbled but I wasn’t sure I wanted my father to be one of the Marked. Aerial had said that the Marked were monsters and the way that I killed Aerial was certainly brutal.
Mom raised her eyebrow, “Your mother, Meadow, used to disappear for weeks, even months at a time. She would never tell us where she went but from the way that Ophelia described the Kingdom and from the picture of Meadow that’s been on your bureau for the last ten years, it appears that she may have been visiting the Kingdom on a regular basis.”
“You don’t think that Meadow had anything to do with stealing preter children, do you?” my eyes widened.
“On the contrary, Ophelia said that Meadow is some kind of folk hero in the resistance movement in the Kingdom. Besides, I knew her and she was a good and moral person. No, she had nothing to do with whatever deal our friend Griffen cooked up with his counterpart in the Kingdom. I’m sure that whoever Meadow chose to be your father was a good man.”
“I hope so.”
“Listen, wherever and whoever your family is out there in the great wide world, Weylin, Ophelia and I are right here. I hate to have to say it but you’re stuck with us.” Mom pulled me in close and hugged me planting a gentle kiss on top of my head. “I love you so much.” Slipping out of her chair, she made her way back to the steps before turning back to face me. She smiled and for a split second, I felt the warmth of her love. She often had the effect of making you feel like the most important person in the world. Mom left and the moment faded as I turned off the light and stared off into the sea.
Sitting in the darkness for the next hour, I tried to digest every detail of what had happened over the last few days when a flickering green light captured my attention. As I approached the sliding door to the deck, it automatically opened. Weylin was standing by the deck rail, gazing out at the darkened sky. He had created a small flame in the palm of his hand using his preter ability and the glow from it filled the immediate area around him with a mint green light.
“Doesn’t anybody on this boat sleep?” I jested.
Weylin smiled, “I’m not sure any of us will ever sleep soundly again. All of our lives will be forever different.”
I could see his eyes were red and swollen, no doubt from having to say goodbye to Deena, “Yes, they’ll be different but it doesn’t mean that those we’ve left behind will forget about us nor we about them.”
Gripping the rail with his left hand tightly, “Do you ever imagine how different our lives would have been if Ophelia hadn’t been taken.”
“Not anymore. I’ve spent too many years looking backward. The answers aren’t in the past. All I know for sure is that we need to keep moving forward together.”
Weylin closed his hand extinguishing the soft green flame, “Together huh?”
“Yeah, together.”
We retreated into our own thoughts as we stood there in silence staring out into the darkness. Thinking over the events of the last week, Griffen’s painting of Bramy Cave and Penny’s words about it being the key to Fairhaven drifted back into my consciousness. For Griffen, that portal was the key to his power over the city through the acquired wealth and personal gain, purchased with the lives of innocent children and distraught families. I had thought that Bramy Cave might hold the key to understanding the bizarre and seemingly unrelated events of the past week but it unlocked so much more for it provided the key that unraveled long kept secrets about my family as well as the terrifying power within me that I would learn to control.
Standing there beside Weylin, the first pink rays of sunrise finally managed to break through the horizon and in the distance, we could just make out the rocky shores of our new home although I was unsure how long it would provide a safe refuge from the Marked or whoever else was going to pursue us. I didn’t know who the Marked were fighting or why they were recruiting soldiers but I was going to put a stop to their theft of young preter children regardless of their cause.
Somehow, I had the feeling that solving the mystery of Claude Cole’s murder and getting Ophelia back was only the beginning.
THE END
Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. I would love to hear your thoughts on Goodreads or Amazon and don’t forget to check my website for updates on future titles at martinniewood.com or follow me on twitter @martin_niewood. Thank you, again.
The Wilted Flower District Page 13