Child of Blackwen (An Artemis Ravenwing Novel Book 1)

  “Shadow, you can’t leave,” I said, loud enough for only him to hear.

  “Do you have so little faith in me to think I would really let them capture me, Artemis?” he asked. “You and the others must find Netira and continue on to Westyron. I will be back by the time you all reach the city.”

  “Shadow, you’re playing a dangerous game,” Talisa scolded. “I knew you would do it, but…Avilyne’s hell.”

  “It’s a necessary move, as much as I dislike it,” Shadow insisted. “Something has to be done otherwise they’ll just tail us all the way to Blackwen City. We would never escape them, and we can’t afford their meddling. I also needed to make sure there were witnesses to Serlene’s agreement concerning you all. She is less likely to go back on her word in the sight of fellow soldiers.”

  “What are you going to do to them, Shadow?” Jack asked. “You’re not going to kill them, are you?”

  Shadow was hesitant to answer. “I’m just going to send Lord Celstian a message to leave me be, that’s all.”

  “Be careful,” Callypso urged.

  “All of you, stop looking so glum,” Shadow ordered. “I won’t be gone for long, I promise.”

  “Shadow, stop prolonging this!” Serlene snapped, drawing our attention again.

  “I’m coming, woman,” Shadow replied, walking away from us.

  “Be safe,” I whispered.

  Shadow turned around to acknowledge that he heard me, and flinched when Serlene slapped iron cuffs on him. “Really, Serlene?”

  “I know you, Shadow,” Serlene reminded him. “I’m not taking any chances here.”

  “I’m sure Lord Celstian suggested the restraints,” Shadow grinned. “You were never smart enough to make that decision on your own.”

  Serlene kicked at Shadow’s heels, which forced him to the ground. The rest of us were ready to attack, but Shadow waved us back.

  “I’ll keep my word as long as the rest of you do not follow us,” Serlene threatened. “Don’t be surprised if you see us again, Talisa. The Elders will be disappointed in you as well.”

  “Good luck trying to find me, Serlene,” Talisa challenged. “You never had great skill as a tracker.”

  Serlene glared at the witch while she forced Shadow to walk. He looked back at us, and I felt broken inside. The elves disappeared, and my hands clenched into fists.

  How was Shadow going to get himself out of this one?

  “Callypso, are they all gone?” Talisa asked, after a brief moment of silence.

  Callypso nodded. “It seems they’ve kept their word.”

  “We have to go after them,” I said.

  Talisa shook her head. “I want to as well, Artemis, but we must continue to Westyron. We need to locate Netira first.”

  “You really think Shadow can escape them and find us?” Jack inquired.

  “There is much that Shadow is capable of,” Talisa said. “I knew he would do this the moment he began to fight Aellyas and I understand why he did it. If Shadow hadn’t gone with them, those scouts would have meddled in our affairs and cost us the element of surprise with Arlina. They would have gotten in the way if he didn’t surrender. We can’t afford that.”

  “Talisa, he’s done this before, hasn’t he?” Callypso asked.

  Talisa nodded.

  “What did he do to his captors before?” Jack gulped.

  Talisa sighed. “I’d rather not say.”

  “Elves consider it taboo to kill one of their own,” I reminded them. “At least…at least the honorable ones do.”

  “The honorable ones are far and few in Arrygn.” Talisa patted my back. “Shadow has his. To this day, he has not killed an elf. Now…now he will do whatever it takes to ensure our safety. Yours especially, Artemis.”

  Before I could speak, Talisa left to go to the tent with Shadow’s sword. I felt someone grasp my hand; Callypso was inspecting it.

  “Your hands seem to be better, and quite flexible despite the bandaging after your earlier sparring,” Callypso assessed, while picking at the white strips that wrapped around my palms. “That was quite a punch, Artemis.”

  “It was a long time coming,” Jack added with a grin. “And you stood up for yourself, finally! Kiare be praised, there’s some hope for you yet.”

  “It was a blur.” I shuddered. “I don’t even remember punching Serlene.”

  Jack and Callypso looked at one another and blinked.

  “What do you mean you don’t remember doing it?” Jack asked. “You only have blackouts in your dhampir form. Avilyne’s hell…what do you remember?”

  “I was angry. I couldn’t think,” I answered. “Next thing I knew, Serlene was on the ground.”

  Callypso immediately took a step back from me. Jack did the same, with a sharp intake of breath. Before I could ask what was wrong, Jack gingerly took a sai from my boot and tapped a finger on the jewels; they were more luminescent than I remembered.

  “How…how did that happen?”

  “Your anger, Artemis,” Jack deduced. “I warned you about it before we left the cottage.”

  “How in Avilyne’s hell does my anger connect with the sai?” I snapped. “I didn’t even use them!”

  Callypso and Jack watched one another once more and sighed.

  “It’s worse than I thought,” Callypso whispered.

  “You’re not answering me,” I said.

  “Artemis, the sai seem to draw power specifically from anger,” Jack explained. “The dragon jewels brightened a bit when I had my moment of anger while I was trying to purify them.”

  “Cally, you said the sai are somehow still linked to my mother,” I began. “What will they do to her when the jewels reach full luminosity? What will happen to me?”

  “I pray that’s something we never have to find out, Artemis,” Callypso said, staring into the fire.

  amina walked the streets of Westyron, looking for the one place she knew there: the White Viper. When she found it, she couldn’t help but smile.

  This was where she met him. This was where everything in her life had changed.

  Drifting through the door, Tamina took a few moments to take in the sight of the empty bar. The memories of the past resurfaced, and she put a pale hand to her chest, as if to steady a heartbeat. When she found the staircase leading to the rooms above, she felt some excitement grow.

  Tamina found the door she was looking for and drifted through. She saw the sleeping figure of her former husband behind his desk, and chuckled when she saw the windows boarded up with wood.

  Hearing her laugh, Gavin stirred in his sleep. She moved closer to him, and when he opened a tired hazel eye, it focused on Tamina’s form. His head snapped up.

  “No…” He stood and moved away. “It can’t be.”

  Why can’t it be?

  “Because you’re dead,” Gavin replied, nearly tripping over his chair. “You’re dead!”

  You thought that of our daughter as well, Tamina laughed, but we both know she’s alive and well.

  “Why are you here?” Gavin demanded. “You’re supposed to be rotting in Avilyne’s hell!”

  How original of you, Tamina replied as she looked away. I have my own reasons why I still linger in Arrygn.

  “Lingering spirits are a myth.” Gavin continued to back away from her. “You’re dead. This…this is just some sick dream.”

  Vampirism has done nothing for you, it seems. Tamina moved to the boarded window and tried to peek through the cracks. I assure you, I’m no dream.

  “You. Are. Dead,” Gavin said, emphasizing each word with his pointer finger. “Dead.”

  Tamina flashed a grin with elongated fangs.

  For now, my husband. For now.

  Melanie Rodriguez holds a BA in creative writing from Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. She says she’s been compelled to write stories dictated by the voices she’s heard inside her head since she was a child, citing the story line of her debut book Child of Blackwen: An Artemis Rav
enwing Novel as one of the main reasons she majored in creative writing. It’s an epic work of high fantasy narrating the coming-of-age story of a young half-vampire, half-human creature known as a dhampir.

  A former New Yorker, Rodriguez is an avid reader and sports fan who now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her overly excitable shepsky (a shepherd-husky mix), Shadow.