Charlie unfolded the note attached to the package.
Dear Charlie
This Friday, we're all getting together for the Flower Festival.
If you can find a partner, you might want to participate in the dance yourself!
There's a little clearing beyond the forest west of town where we hold the dance.
The event begins at noon and lasts until five.
I've enclosed the traditional festival attire for you to wear. Hope to see you there!
-Mayor George
Charlie involuntarily shuddered as she remembered the hideous white dresses all the adults wore during the festival in her youth. Hoping beyond hope the equally hideous white lump on her bed was not what she thought it was, she nearly cried as she held it up. Ruffled shoulders, unflattering cut, itchy lace trim, and a long blue ribbon around the waist. Yup—it was the same dress. She crinkled her nose at the dingy stains left over from the last person unfortunate enough to be stuffed into that abomination.
There was no way in the she was wearing this. She folded the dress back up and stuffed it back into the package, planning to drop it off at George's house later that day.
But first, runes.
The tingle returned with renewed vigor as Charlie drew it from memory on a new sheet of paper. It was only a beginner's bindrune for prosperity and luck, but she felt particularly attached to it for some reason. Maybe she should fold one up and keep it with her… Erde knew she needed something to help her.
Her phone buzzed and she picked it up to check the new text.
u coming over to work on our
costumes today?
Iggy has some concept sketches.
No Gab >:(
idk maybe?
What time?
2 if he ever drags his vampire
ass from his cave
Charlie snickered. She was really wanting to do the whole spirit thing later with Reiem, seeing as he was fixing the lamp now so he'd have the time. It was the one thing she really hoped would give her a little boost, and despite her misgivings about that thing, she was really excited to see the faces of those who'd come before.
Still, it had been a while since she'd hung out with the guys, and brainstorming shouldn't take the entire day. She'd also finished her 'homework', so to speak. Plus, Gabby wasn't going to be there…
Count me in :)
VI
Charlie got to Griff's place a little after two. She had run into Ruby on the way and had to promise to help her restock the museum's lost artifacts before she would let her escape. Ruby was so insistent that Charlie was halfway convinced she was about to be dragged to the mines right then and there. You would think the older woman knew Charlie hadn't even begun practical training yet, but Ruby was dedicated to the preservation of the area's history in a way that seemed almost unhealthy. It wouldn't be surprising if that same dedication is what lost her an eye.
Not that it mattered anyway since Ignis wasn't there yet either. Tal offered some coffee while they waited, which Charlie enthusiastically accepted. She'd forgotten to make any that morning and was sorely regretting it.
"So, are you guys excited about the dance this Friday?" Tal asked as he worked on his daily ledger and stock requisition forms.
Griff groaned and rolled his eyes, stuffing a bite of cinnamon roll in his mouth to avoid answering. Charlie made her own noise of disgust.
"I'll go, but I'm not dancing. I'd rather put out a campfire with my face than wear that ghastly rag of a dress."
Tal looked up from his books, his eyebrows almost shooting into his wild curls.
"Oh no," he said slowly. "Don't tell me George gave you that dress to wear…that rag with the itchy lace trim? You guys were supposed to have the updated versions this year. I ordered them myself!"
Lace trim, huh? Charlie would have pulled the accursed thing from its box to show him, but she realized she left the box behind, despite it sitting right next to her messenger bag—which she did grab. Instead, she did her best to describe it in all its hideous glory. Tal looked at her in disbelief.
"It was in my mailbox this morning," Charlie finished.
"Dear Astrals, what is wrong with that man?" Tal sighed before scribbling the last of his day's sales down in the ledger. He flipped back a few pages, his face screwing up in disappointment before he closed the book with a snap. He then stared at Charlie with purpose. "All the ones I ordered for this year's festival have been claimed, but!" He held up a finger for emphasis. "I know someone who can turn that beastly cloth into one beauty of a dress: Molly."
Charlie looked to Griff, who shrugged. "She's the cute girl that works with Cal at the saloon. Blue hair?"
"And she can do more than cook and serve a cold beer," Tal added. "Take that rag to her and she'll make a whole new dress out of it. In fact, I'm going to talk to her right now about it. You guys go have fun. I'll be back later."
"And what will she want for this 'magical transformation'?" Charlie hesitated to ask. Money was still a little tight until her next shipment, but she couldn't exactly afford a last-minute trip to the city for a dress she'd probably only wear once in her entire life. And digging into Guardian funds for some dress work wasn't really a life-saving necessity.
"She's weird," Griff said. "Probably shells or some crystals from the mines would make her happy." While Tal eyed his son for the 'weird' comment, he agreed with his assessment.
"Just roll with it," Griff said as they headed into his bedroom. "There's no point arguing when Dad gets an idea stuck in his head."
Just what had she gotten herself into?
‡ † ‡
Repairing the lamp was uneventful, save for the cracked crystal. A few tries with spares from the treasury below had solved that problem in short order, however. Reiem passed the old crystal—an emerald so old and faded it was now white with the barest hint of green—back and forth between his hands, wondering if he could salvage the information stored within it. He still had two more hours before the sun would begin to set, which left him with plenty of time.
Now that he was done with his task, he realized the atmosphere inside his tower seemed different than this morning. Heavier. Darker. The whole construct seemed to be enshrouded in hushed anticipation, a tenseness that he recalled only ever feeling when faced with a darkness whose name he dare not mention.
At the mere thought, a shadow towered over him, blotting out the sunlight as he slowly stood from his desk. He blinked once as he noticed the sudden chill, the scent of snow, then jerked in surprise as his mind caught up with what it was sensing.
"Verdammt noch mal," he hissed in Grenzan as the crystal fell from his grip and clattered across the stone floor.
Despite seeing where it fell, the stone was now nowhere to be seen, prompting the man to kneel down and search. It had, unfortunately, cracked even more now, rendering what little hope he'd originally had of restoring its pent-up memories irrelevant. It would still make a good practice stone for when Charlotte began experimenting with magic, so he crossed the room and set it upon his shelf.
Only when he turned away and the waning light of day hit the crystal did he realize just how much power it still held.
Displayed before him was the interior of his Master's home—more precisely the kitchen and family area. The scene was frozen for the moment, allowing Reiem to study what—and more importantly who—he was seeing.
Feeling his proverbial hackles raise, he realized it was Marianne who sat at the kitchen table, her attention drawn to a series of opened books on the table. She'd aged considerably in the nine years since he'd last seen her. Completely grey hair, styled in a sort of boyish cut. Bags under her eyes telling of a lengthy lack of proper sleep. A considerably thinner form.
Something had happened. Something drastic enough to instill such lethargy and fear into the woman…
Reiem straightened, turning his gaze to the other person in this memory: a masked man.
They had evidently slipped
in unnoticed through the front door. Just who he was Reiem was unable to tell—the mask covered his face entirely. There was no doubt in his mind the intruder was a Noble, given how brightly those gold coin eyes burned through the eye holes. But who he was and what purpose he held in Miner's Cove—let alone how he even arrived—would hopefully be told in the memory's telling.
Reiem waved two fingers through the air and muttered, "Degeme." As he watched, his expression fell from one of dark curiosity…to stunned revelation…and finally to one of downright disbelief.
Trembling, he shouted "Bara!"
The memory shuddered before vanishing, and as the tower melted back into sight around him, Reiem sank down into his chair, his gaze locked on the floor, his breath hitched in his chest.
He needed Lori. And he needed her now.
‡ † ‡
Charlie watched as Griff scrolled through images on the computer, pointing out which ones she thought would work with Griff asking if she was sure before saving them to a folder labelled 'Airdeis Shit'. Just when she was about to grab the mouse and force Griff past a full section of half-naked women with a postage-stamp sized skirts, the bedroom door opened and in walked Ignis. He took one look at the computer and raised his eyebrows, a smirk curling onto his face.
"Glad someone is finally showing Griff some decent porn." He set his bag down on the bed and pulled out his tablet as Griff flipped him off. He walked to the free desk next to the computer. "He has horrible taste in women…and men."
"Men?" Charlie looked between them. "You're bi?"
"Dude, there are some fugly girls out there, and I don't just mean looks-wise. And I'm not taking any flak from a guy who's prettier than his last two girlfriends."
Ignis just smirked and made a hand motion towards Griff as if to say 'and there you have it'. Charlie giggled.
Thanks to Ignis's skill with the tablet, he was able to make alterations or completely erase parts in an instant. And the more complete the outfits became, the more Griff's eyes lit up. All that was left to do was to get the designs to Molly and wait for her to spin her own brand of magic.
Charlie put down her sketchbook and went over to Ignis. He was already adding color when she peeked over his shoulder. He didn't have a mask yet, and while Charlie couldn't tell if it was a character for his comic or just a new design, what he did have was impressive.
The man on the screen was tall with silver-blonde hair, violet eyes, and strong facial features. He honestly appeared to be a middle-aged Ignis and dressed in a black trench coat and white-and-gold pinstripe trousers. He wore a black-and-white scarf with purple fringe, and the breast of the coat had a golden phoenix pattern. The man also wore a black wide-brimmed hat with a blue feather decorative piece, and a black winglike accessory on his left arm.
"It's my dad," Ignis said, breaking Charlie from her daze. "Or at least what I can remember of him."
She paused for a minute to glance at him, and Ignis had a small, sad smile on his face when he looked up to meet her gaze. She wasn't sure if she should say something or not, but she forged ahead either way.
"He's really handsome. What's his name?"
By this time, Griff caught on to what they had said and came over to gawk. He made a silent 'O' with his mouth as he looked at the piece.
"Franz Ard Runavegr," Ignis replied, a muted pride and something else she couldn't quite distinguish in his hushed tone. Anger, maybe? Disappointment? "I was only six when I last saw him. Him and my sister both. Haven't heard a peep since Mom died and I got adopted."
"I remember when you came to the Cove," Charlie added. "Me and Griff were so excited to finally have someone new to play with."
"Tch, yeah. Scrawny little kid, terrified of everything and everyone. Didn't know where I was or what was going on." Ignis sighed and set his stylus down. The creative light seemed to leave his eyes and he leaned back, arms crossed.
"Oh, I didn't mean…"
"It's fine." His gaze lingered on the image before he picked up his stylus, opened a blank page and began drawing again—this time working on his mask. "I just get…kinda angry about the whole thing every now and then. Nothing you guys did. I'll be okay."
Charlie met his eyes, seeing the corner of his mouth quirk up into a tiny smile. She knew there was more to it than that, but she didn't feel right pushing further.
Griff was about to make a comment about the mask—and how cool it already looked—but was cut off by the sound of the downstairs door chime. Tal had returned, and it seemed Lori was with him. Through the floor vents the trio could hear they were in conversation. And whatever it was, it wasn't good judging from their hushed tones and hurried speaking. Only when they heard a small rumble of thunder did Charlie looked up in alarm.
Ignis furrowed his brow, looking to the window. "It's not supposed to storm today."
"That wasn't real thunder."
Charlie quickly but quietly headed for the door. She took time to ensure she made no noise as she tried to listen in on what Tal, Lori, and Reiem were speaking about. The guys stood behind her, deathly still and silent as well.
"It has come to my attention that there has been a severe breach in the town's defenses," they heard Reiem say. He was…angry? "Might either of you care to explain yourselves?"
"Well," Lori began slowly, all optimism draining from her tone. "It depends what we're talking about."
"You know quite well what I'm speaking of!"
"Keep your voice down!" Tal hissed. "The kids are upstairs."
At this Charlie shot a look to the guys, who now mimicked her confusion and concern. Below, Reiem growled his irritation.
"I will not keep my voice down while one of you—the two people entrusted with the safety of the Hollow during my absence, I might add—have not only let a Higher Noble through the barrier, but also contributed to the attempted murder of the last Guardian!"
Silence. Then shuffling and the sound of a chair being pulled out.
"You found the lamp, didn't you?" Lori breathed, sounding defeated.
"No. Miss Charlotte did."
"Oh, Erde, no… Don't tell me she—"
"It malfunctioned," Reiem cut in. "What she explained to me was mere glimpses. Fragments. Nothing more." He made an angry sound and the sound of pacing footsteps echoed up the stairs. "What were you two thinking?"
Lori took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.
"Reiem, look," she began. The pacing steps stopped. "If you saw everything on that lamp, then you should know why. The safety of not just Moonfall Hollow, but the world itself could have been in jeopardy, and Marianne knew exactly what she was doing. We had no choice but to reply when Simón reached out to us about Charlie."
Reiem was silent a moment. "And you are sure?"
"Without a doubt," Tal replied. "We knew Marianne was delaying her training, but…"
"We never thought it because Charlie wasn't an Elburn," Lori added.
"And what about her body?"
A moment of silence passed between them all. Then Tal spoke up.
"We couldn't find it. There was…so much blood, but no body. Didn't the lamp show everything?"
"No. I assumed you two had taken care of it. This…complicates things. Are we even certain Marianne has truly passed?"
"No. But according to the JaeCo news, she's dead."
After a second, Lori made a noise. "Simón wants to come see her."
"Absolutely not."
"She's his daughter!" Lori cried. "What would you do if you found out your daughter had replaced by a changeling and was not only alive but being raised by another family under another name!? Wouldn't you want to see her?"
Reiem was silent at this. They all were.
"Don't you get it, Reiem?" Lori went on. "If Simón hadn't reached out and Charlie went through with the ritual, she would have died! And Marianne knew that!"
The coffee Charlie had drank earlier started to creep its way back up, and she swallowed hard against it. Her head was spin
ning, her breathing ragged…
There was a sudden shift downstairs, and they heard Reiem make a noise—some kind of defeated exhale.
"Charlotte is listening."
Standing abruptly, Charlie went back to Griff's room and grabbed her messenger bag. She was leaving.
VII
Somehow Charlie managed to hold it together until she got out of the shop. She didn't look up as she passed them all by, and Reiem made no attempt to stop her. She kept her face blank, eyes straight ahead—no cracks, no indication she was going to pieces. The second the shop door closed behind her however, one shaky breath was all it took to push her over the edge. Tears streaming down her face, chest burning for air that wouldn't come, Charlie ran through town, her feet carrying her without any input from her.
Only when she was facing the front door did she snap out of it and realize where she was. She pushed the door open slowly, and the silent tears turned into choking sobs when it hit her. Marianne's smell. Her things. Her house. The essence of a stranger was all around her, and Charlie didn't even know who she was anymore. She didn't belong there.
Now, it was nothing but a cold empty home, filled with lies and anguish. Silence and despair and the empty promises from a cruel woman who not only lied to those around her but deceived the little girl who called her grandma and was setting her up to die.
Miner's Cove was supposed to be her refuge, a place to start over and carry on a legacy she once was proud to call her own. Now all she wanted to do was escape it.
Hurried steps came up behind her. Griff slowed his pace and placed a hand on her back to let her know he was there.
The Silence Between Page 15