“How could you? How could my own mother, whom I lost touch with, be the reason that our home was taken away. And for what, because you thought one woman was worth taking the law into your own hands over?”
My own son thought that I was a monster. If only he knew the whole story, this budding hatred wouldn’t be interfering with our reunion. Couldn’t he see that everything I have ever done was for the greater good, and for his protection? The discord that separated us all began when that wretched Emily got her hooks into him. She was the final nail that drove a wedge between us, and by proving to be a murderous trollop.
“Mom,” Hawthorn called from the foyer, enthusiasm abound. You could hear the smile I’m sure he possessed.
“I’m in the kitchen,” I projected over the cutting of vegetables.
Today my son planned on introducing me to his girlfriend. Having caught the attention of several fetching young Stone Walkers at the last Gathering, I could be at ease that our bloodline would continue. His newfound love interest surely must be one of them.
After many of us were able to locate and keep in touch with each other after adapting to life outside of Azulyria, the Gathering was set up. Once a year we convened to mingle and announce any important details or upcoming events to our community.
Oh I really hope that it’s that lovely Arbourothian girl with the charming dimples that made her ruby tresses all the more alluring. He did seem to get along with her.
Footsteps clicked on the stone tile of the doorway. I glanced up from the pot of bubbling stew that simmered on the stove. Even with the means to hire a chef for a menial task like cooking, the routine and measuring of ingredients was something I found soothing. The slotted ladle I held clattered to the floor.
Hawthorn stood before me with a broad grin and an arm draped around the shoulders of a woman. Not just any woman˗˗˗a HUMAN woman. This had to be some sort of a joke. Remain calm Nessa. She isn’t wearing an engagement ring yet. Thank the Goddess for that.
“Hawthorn dear who might this be?” I barely forced the question out without cringing in dismay.
“Mom, this is Emily. She’s my girlfriend.” The blonde female held out her hand expectantly, eyes a touch narrowed, cold even, though I bet she had hoped that I hadn’t caught on to that fact.
One to uphold polite hospitality standards, my fingers wrapped around her offered hand and gave it a firm squeeze. There was something off about her. I just couldn’t pinpoint what it was. I would be keeping close tabs on this Emily, make no mistake about it.
6 Months Later
This autumn day was when I would lose my son. He and Emily announced their engagement at lunch one October afternoon. I remember choking on my gulp of red wine, making an undignified mess of myself.
I had allowed him to have his fun, so long as it didn’t become too serious. We had a line to carry on after all. With so few Stone Walkers, I couldn’t allow a human to dilute my family. Nothing against humans in general, they had been harmless so far, but my survival instinct couldn’t let this wedding take place. I still had the sinking suspicion that there was more to this woman than she let on.
“No. I forbid it.” I had to put my foot down before it was too late.
“Mom, you have no say in who I marry.”
“Like hell I don’t. I have been lenient about your fraternization with this woman, but there is something troubling about her, and I won’t allow you to bind yourself to her. Not when the fate of this family is on the line.” It was a touch overdramatic, although I think I drove my point home.
“If that’s how you feel about our relationship, then I’m leaving. End of discussion.” His icy blue eyes sparkled like twin flames filled with hatred.
He packed all of his belongings, changed his name to Jared, and disappeared from my life. My unrelenting distaste of humans grew to the smoldering apex that I held on to, even to this very day.
34
I let the realization of my involvement in the events that befell Azulyria sink in. After all it was a massive bombshell to be dropped on anyone, let alone my precious son. His interpretation of my actions was unsettling, accusing me of recklessly entrapping our home. There was a hint of truth to that conclusion, but it didn’t fully reflect my intentions. Okay, so I butchered a couple words, which was unfortunate. Ivyssa was still captured, that’s a win in my books. My son needed clarification, and then he would see things my way.
“I suppose killing Serena and Erika was part of your scheme too, because they would have identified you as the perpetrator and turn you in.” More revulsion was leveled.
“My associates may have taken extreme liberties with my
instructions. They were following leads that should have led to extracting information, eliminating incriminating evidence, and nothing more.”
“May have˗˗˗are you freaking kidding me? They were both brutally murdered, and yet you stand there without any remorse acting like it’s no big deal that your own child died.” She shrugged with a non-committal air.
“Son, your sister and her lover should have minded their own business and left the past alone. Overzealous hired hands aside, the level of involvement by those two couldn’t go unchecked. They were close to exposing the truth. I couldn’t let that happen. The life I have established here would be in ruins.”
“You conniving bitch.” I marched within striking distance and slapped him across the cheek, indignant of the insult.
“Watch your mouth. You will not speak to your mother like that.” Jared rubbed his face where my hand had struck.
“If the shoe fits. . .” If he wasn’t my son I would have shot him already.
“Don’t you dare lecture me. None of this would have happened if all traces of Azulyria had stayed forgotten. With her radical opinions, I should have predicted your sister poking around. You on the other hand, that was a surprise. Same goes for your little pet, which isn’t a problem any longer.”
At the mention of the human woman, he looked like he was going to be sick. Mouth drawn in a grim line, eyes somber and downcast, you would think he loved her. Maybe he thought he did. Those feelings too would fade given enough time. I would be his comfort until she was a figment of a memory.
“Now be a good boy, sit down, and be quiet. We’ll be arriving on the shores of Cuprisima shortly.” Let him get the tantrum out of his system.
Entrance from the south would be the shortest route to the more central Hedaris˗˗˗the ideal spot to perform my spell. It was the facet where my first incantation had originated, giving the landscape a source of power that would fuel my renewal with an extra charge.
Magic energies had a way of clinging to a space. The stronger the intent, the stronger the imprint left behind on the land. It became ingrained in every root, stone, and speck of earth. With my level of anger and the cloying fear of my fellow Stone Walkers coalesced, the temple I sought would shine like a supernatural beacon, one that I could follow with little effort. Should you be without the capability of sight, it wouldn’t matter much. The electric signature in the air would attract the curious, and lure in the corrupt.
After 34 years I would have thought that all traces of that fateful day became lost with time. The persistence of my own daughter and her lover proved me wrong. Weariness, sullen and thick, soaked my bones. Returning to Azulyria felt creepy, like unceremoniously traipsing through a graveyard, and we hadn’t even struck land yet.
The pebble encrusted shores of Cuprisima blinked in and out of the misty haze, teasing me with their lustrous sheen. Low visibility, at least, was our only impediment. Since the majority of the island masses had peaked above sea level, the turbulent winds had died down, calming the ocean to a traversable field. My captain had steered through the hurricane like conditions on sheer intuition, prayers of safe passage hanging on his lips.
Creaking wood preceded the rustling of clothing, pre-emptive of an escape attempt no doubt. Oh Jared, do you really think that I’m going to let you out of my sight aft
er all the trouble I went through?
Turning on my heels I brought my gun back up, aligned a shot that would hit low and wide, and fired without hesitation. Planking splintered to the left of Jared’s scurrying feet. He froze in immediate alarm.
“Son, I don’t like to repeat myself, but it would seem that I must make an exception. Don’t make me hurt you.”
He raised his arms in defeat. At my command, he resumed a seated sprawl under the watchful eye of my gun’s barrel. Our battle dragged on right up until the boat quivered from the anchor dropping.
We eased to a stop at the edge of a beach I knew all too well. It was the same beach where many innocents would have fled to before the full gravity of my spell hit. Instead its effects reduced them to stone statues, like my parents. Thankfully my aunt Rozina had gathered my children before they too could be taken away from me. Bless her Goddess, she spared me insurmountable pain.
“If you try that again, I’ll take it as a sign of betrayal, and as much as it would pain me, you will be disposed of. Like your sister. Do you catch my drift?”
“Yes,” he muttered.
Compliance obtained or not, Lapisera’s Dagger would be destroyed by my hand, and Azulyria would be re-interred into its aquatic tomb surrounded by an impenetrable stone shell. As a precaution, Jared might have to be gotten rid of. The threat of exposure loomed over me. It would be a great risk to leave any witnesses alive, however dear they were to me. If I can convince him to side with me, then perhaps he could be spared.
Pebbles crunched beneath my feet, crackling like the clink of ice cubes falling into a glass. Jared marched ahead per my orders. I didn’t trust him not to try and escape again. As far as I was concerned, he was an enemy whose trust had been misplaced, and you don’t give an enemy unobstructed access to your back or any other blind spot.
Stretches of rolling terrain would have to be crossed en route to Hedaris, some of it exceedingly steep and sharp if memory served me correctly. An optimistic estimate would set us back about a day, maybe more, if the status quo remained intact.
Azulyria’s landscapes may have been coming back to life, but due to the complexity of my spell, the reanimation of the Stone Walker population would take longer. By the time the process would set to begin, it would already be too late. My new spell would reactivate the old one and none of them would be wiser to that fact. All would be right in the world.
As far as an exit strategy went, my Captain would meet me at a rendezvous point selected for its semi concealed entrance, which happen to serve as the only port in Hedaris.
The carved archway only existed because the Azurina before Ivyssa took over, Silvera, had decided that the central most facet shouldn’t be landlocked. Her paranoia would work to my benefit.
After much indecision, I came to the difficult choice of not letting Jared join me on my return trip. With that Alex woman out of the way, he was the only remaining link that knew the truth of my involvement in what happened here in Azulyria 34 years ago.
It would have been easier to utilize the secluded port upon arrival, but fate might be tipped against me if I had. Reaching the Temple before it shed its rocky coat would throw off my timeline. Which meant no spell if I couldn’t make physical contact with the earth in its original form where the residual energy was stored.
These tactical decisions gave me the resources and tools I would need to melt Lapisera’s Dagger back into the heap of metal that it started as, pocketing the baubles of Tauruliem for safekeeping. I may need them to fuel another complex spell in the future.
Plenty a forge could be found in the industrial districts of Cuprisima. Every one of these humble structures was part of a network of artisans that crafted almost all of Azulyria’s jewelry and other bedazzled trinkets. All I had to do was fire up a flame, and voila, there would be no more dagger to speak of.
A track of moisture-soaked dirt and matted clover pointed us away from the beach, in line with a staircase built into the craggy cliff side. Behind us mist gathered and floated above the shoreline, growing ominous the longer I stared.
Trudging on would take a delicate step, eager persistence, and a cooperative captive. Come hell or high water, the earth would have to open up and swallow me whole before I would falter or admit defeat. I had this in the bag, no question about it.
Will Azulyria be fully restored, or will our lovely villainess come out on top? The saga concludes in 2022.
Stay tuned. . .
Praises For Other Novel
By Karelynn A. Spacek
Queen of Swords
“Merging elements of a fantasy world into an urban setting, Spacek’s debut takes readers on a thrilling journey.”
- BooksCoffee, goodreads.com
“A romantic comedy, Queen of Swords is an entertaining tale that will delight many fantasy readers.”
- Clabe, amazon.com
“A fantasy with inventive concepts and a bold construction.”
- Kirkus Review
“I love that it contains a variety of elements I love in books, including a strong heroine, humor, and complexity of characters. Spacek does a great job creating visual imagery; I was easily able to imagine witnessing the journeys of the characters.”
- Ilyssa Guerra, amazon.com
Photo by Kando Creative Solutions
Karelynn A. Spacek – is the pseudonym for breakout fantasy author of The Stone Wielder’s Trilogy, who wishes to honor her roots by combining three generations of women into one name – Karelynn was born and raised in the Midwest and continues to put up with the ever changing crazy weather patterns that persist in keeping us on our toes. When not composing her newest literary masterpiece, she enjoys listening to music made decades before she was even born (yeah, a total hippie at heart), crawling around in her garden for several hours at a time, creating illustrations through various mediums, and keeping up with the latest releases from my favorite authors. Karelynn also tries her best to keep up with her three feline companions, making sure their mischief is kept at a controllable level (whenever possible).
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Threads of Blood and Silk: The stone Wielder's Legacy Trilogy Book 2 Page 18