Cursed Song

by Samantha Kroese

  He had moved his personal belongings to his shared wagon before the tragedy, so he was surprised when he saw the flash of something shiny where the sun peeked through the curtain in the corner he had used as a bedroom. He walked to the window. It had been sewn into the fabric. If the curtain hadn’t been damaged in the attack, he would never have found it. It was a strange medallion, heavy metal, with a design of twisted snakes that he didn’t recognize. He could feel remnants of his mother’s magic on it though, and a protective soothing sound filled him. He clutched it close and closed his eyes. A protection charm filled with a mother’s desperate love. But why? He slipped it into his pocket and turned to walk toward his parents’ bedroom.

  Bits of conversations overheard during his childhood flitted back through his mind. Whispered words. Things he didn’t understand. He had always felt his parents were hiding something from him. He could remember a time they lived in a house. He had been very young so the memories were vague, but he knew they had come from a town before they joined the Band. His parents had never revealed what town and got cross if he asked about it. His parents had joined the Dusksingers to be safe. But safe from what?

  Derry felt like he was invading their privacy by digging through his parents’ things. Most of it could just be burned. He finally came across a small chest underneath their bed. It was made of leather and locked. He pulled it out and set it on top of the bed and sat next to it. Alastan had always worn a key around his neck but would never answer what it belonged to when Derry asked. Ruyne had brought it to Derry after the attack. Whatever was in the chest was something his father had tried to protect with his life. Secrets his parents had kept from him.

  Derry dug the key out of a pocket and stared at it. His hand shook as he slid the key into place and turned it. The chest opened with a loud pop and startled Derry so badly he almost dropped it on the floor. He managed to grab it before it fell. He took a few calming breaths and chastised himself. It was just a chest, not a monster. As he dug through the contents, the entire secret life of his parents started to become clear. He found documents of an ancient society in Thistlewood. A prophecy about a child that would be sacrificed.

  Before he could dig much further, he heard someone call his name desperately from the woods. His mother! Without thinking, he jumped up and bolted to the door, spilling the chest to the floor. “Mother?” He called as he raced into the woods and out into a sun-dappled clearing. His Song magic thrummed through his ears with a warning tone. His mother’s voice faded, but now he could hear his father at the edge of the clearing.

  He could tell when he crossed the barrier of protection extended from the Camp. It felt like glass shattering all around him and a veil being lifted. Everything seemed colder, darker. His Song magic faded until he could hardly hear the beat of it any longer.

  He took another step backward toward the forest, realizing he was no longer safe. But the shadows moved before him and caught his attention. The air rippled as something massive moved through it, but Derry couldn’t make out a shape. His mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. There was something there, but he couldn’t comprehend it.

  “Derry, child. I have searched long for you,” a soothing beautiful voice came from the creature and instantly erased Derry’s fear. “Poor, lost child.”

  “What are you talking about?” Derry mumbled, taking another step backward. Not quite into the protection of the camp yet. He wanted to turn and bolt, and his Song magic screamed at him to run, but he couldn’t get his body to respond.

  “You don’t fit in here, Derry. You are not a born Dusksinger. You feel inadequate, don’t you? You’re not quite handsome enough. Not quite talented enough. You live in the shadow of your friends,” the creature continued to move back and forth in front of the woods, hovering. Still, just ripples in the air that suggested a shape, nothing solid. “I can fix that. I can give you all that you desire. I can show you that you have a destiny far greater than the Dusksingers can give you.”

  Derry shook his head and found the courage to step back once again. “This is my home. I am a Dusksinger. I am Song-Bound to Shadow. I belong here.”

  Suddenly, in a gush of wind, the creature was in front of him and now Derry could see faded red eyes within the distorted shape. He fell backward onto his butt and stared up at the thing. It spoke again, “Don’t you want to avenge your parents? The Dusksingers betrayed you. They did not keep your family safe. You are not safe with them. You know this to be true.”

  Derry shuddered. He could feel this thing pressing down on his Song magic, muting it. Fear and rage flowed through him instead, and he clenched his fists and scowled. “Ruyne didn’t protect them. He was supposed to protect them!”

  “That is right. He can’t protect you either. Only I can. Only I know your true destiny. Only I can show you the truth. You must only take my hand. Then you will be safe, I promise. No one will ever harm you again,” the creature said, its voice soft and soothing.

  Entranced, Derry started to reach out his hand toward the thing, but he still couldn’t make out a hand in the distortion.

  “Derry!” Shadow shouted, as he broke into the clearing.

  The spell the creature had woven over him broke for just long enough for Derry to realize what was happening and to look back at Shadow. “Shadow, no!”

  With a displeased hiss, the creature enveloped Derry’s hand before he could retract it. At the creature’s touch, Derry screamed and flopped back onto the ground. His world was only pain. Teeth tearing, skin ripping, blood dripping.

  “Do not worry, child. It only hurts for a moment. Then you will be free. You will be what you were meant to be. All will be well. Do not resist,” the creature’s voice echoed in his brain now and despite himself, Derry fell limp, unable to resist as it consumed him. He could only watch, helpless, as the creature burrowed inside and destroyed his Song-Binding to Shadow. The last thing he saw before darkness took him, was Shadow falling to the ground.

  Chapter 13

  Ruyne

  A heavy sense of dread covered the camp as Ruyne stepped out of his wagon. Still early in the afternoon, none of the camp stirred. His Song thrummed a warning through his being that made his heart race. He closed his eyes, one hand still on his wagon for balance. He let the Song magic sweep over all his senses, tugged at it, used it to trace the common bond that connected everyone in the Band. Everyone slept peacefully with no trace of anything wrong. Except for two.

  Ruyne broke into a run almost before his eyes were open and he was back to reality. He stumbled a bit in his haste. The door to Shadow’s wagon was blowing in the breeze, wide open. Ruyne scrambled up into the wagon, breath caught, heart pounding. He expected to see his brother and Derry dead, splattered all over the wagon like Derry’s parents. The wagon was empty, desolate. He paused for a moment, taking it all in. The bed was disturbed, and someone had knocked over a chair in their haste. “Shadow? Derry? Where are you?” he called, as he made sure they weren’t anywhere in the small space.

  “Ruyne? What’s wrong?” Silver called from the door, his pale eyes wide and the same panic reflected on his features.

  Ruyne shook his head and held one hand out to quiet Silver. Ruyne’s bond to Shadow had always been the strongest; they were brothers after all. He closed his eyes and focused his Song magic again to trace the bond to Shadow. Relief flooded him when he felt Shadow on the end of it, at least until he realized how weak Shadow was. He jumped out of the wagon and was at a run before Silver could even register that he had moved.

  “Ruyne!” Silver called, after him but didn’t chase after him. Instead Ruyne heard him call the alarm to wake up the camp.

  Ruyne let that noise fade behind him. He focused on Shadow, trying to will strength into his brother. He slowed when he realized the magic was taking him to the cursed wagon on the outskirts of the camp. He paused, confused. But then he realized the path led to the forest clearing next to it. He broke into a run again. “Shadow? Derry?”
he called, though dread filled him when he realized he hadn’t sensed Derry at all.

  There, sprawled at the edge of the clearing, was Shadow. Unconscious, pale. Ruyne bolted over to him and fell to his knees next to his brother, gathering Shadow into his arms. “Shadow? Shadow!” Shadow didn’t respond at all to Ruyne’s attempts to wake him. Ruyne looked him over to make sure there were no physical wounds that could have caused his brother to fall unconscious. When Ruyne didn’t see anything obvious, he tried to use his Song magic to rouse his brother, using his thoughts to plead over their bond. Shadow! Shadow, wake up! Come back.

  Because he was there, so close to his brother’s soul and magic, he suddenly realized the Song-Binding to Derry was gone. So that was what had done this to Shadow, the shock and backlash of the binding being broken.

  “Leader?!” Bronze called, as he ran out of the forest into the clearing with several of the other Elders from camp.

  Ruyne held a hand up to stop them before they came to assist him. “No! Find Derry. We have to find him. He’s missing. He could be…hurt,” Ruyne commanded, but his voice faltered at the last word. He couldn’t voice his fears, but only one thing broke a Song-Binding. “I have to get Shadow back to the camp. Be careful! We don’t know what happened, and you are beyond the Song’s protection here.” Bronze didn’t argue, he just barked orders for the others to spread out and search.

  Silver emerged from the forest and silently came over to help Ruyne lift Shadow up. Ruyne grunted, his brother was heavier than he thought. He slowly carried Shadow back to the camp. Silver tried to follow, but Ruyne looked back at him. “Silver, you’re the best scout we have. Find Derry. You have to find Derry. But be careful.”

  Something in Ruyne’s tone made Silver go pale, but he nodded and ran forward to the camp. Just moments later he passed Ruyne going full speed on his mare.

  Fear gripped Ruyne in a way he’d never felt before. He could barely breathe, and he wanted to shout for Silver to come back to the safety of the camp. But was the camp even safe? And he wouldn’t abandon Derry. Shadow needed Derry. They all did. Even if Derry hadn’t been born part of the camp, he still was a part of it. He was as much their brother as anyone could be without a blood relationship.

  Ruyne bit back a sob as he carried Shadow into his wagon. He couldn’t lose Shadow. Not like this. Not like he’d almost lost his mother. He’d been afraid to Song-Bind to anyone because of what had happened to his parents. He had not wanted it to happen to him. He had never even thought about it happening to his brother or what that would feel like.

  He carefully carried Shadow to the bed and gently placed him there. Then he knelt beside the bed and took his brother’s hand in his, bowing his head and closing his eyes. Shadow, I’m here. Come back. I’m still here. We’ll fix this, I promise. You’re the strongest of us. Please come back. I need you. Please, don’t leave me like they did.

  If Shadow heard him, there was no indication. Shadow still breathed shallowly, but at least his body lived. His Song was weak from the damage from the broken Song-Binding. Ruyne could only pray Shadow’s mind had survived. What had his brother seen before he fell? Was it folly for him to send the others outside of the Song’s protection to find Derry? Maybe, but he couldn’t abandon Derry any more than he could have Shadow or Silver. They’d grown up together. They were all brothers in heart.

  Song, please protect them. All of them. Ruyne prayed, as he sat vigil over his brother in an attempt to guide Shadow back to them. Give Shadow my strength. Bring him back.

  Chapter 14

  Silver

  They searched for days. Dusk to dawn. Scoured the forests around the camp and the cursed wagon. There was no sign of Derry. Silver barely ate or slept, consumed by the search. Tortured by questions. How had this happened? Just a few weeks ago all their dreams were coming true. Now the Band had suffered devastating losses. Ruyne would not leave Shadow’s side. No matter how hard they tried, not a single one of them could find any trace of Derry’s Song magic. There were not even remnants of it as there had been of those who had passed on before, including Derry’s parents. It was simply gone. Like Derry had never existed at all.

  As daylight broke through the darkened forest on the fifth day, Silver reluctantly turned his mare once more toward the camp. The Dusksingers’ magic was strongest at night; they were vulnerable in the daytime. No creatures made noise. The forest had been quiet and oddly devoid of life. Even the insects seemed to be hiding. And there was a heavy feeling of dread over the whole forest.

  "Silver."

  Silver whirled in the saddle to look behind him for the source of the whispered voice calling his name. The tree leaves rustled in the wind. Was he just hearing things because he was so tired? “Who is there?” he asked, as he pulled his horse around in a circle to study the forest surrounding him.

  The shadows at the darkest part of the forest shifted and, for a moment, Silver could swear he saw Derry standing there. Head down, dark hair obscuring his face, body and fists clenched in an angry stance. “Derry?” Silver called, as he urged Thorn through the underbrush toward the apparition. The mare squealed and reared to the side, refusing to advance. Silver lost his seat and fell hard to the ground, seeing stars and losing his breath. Thorn backed away, pawing the ground and continuing to squeal a warning.

  Derry stalked over to Silver and, with a bestial growl, grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet. Silver stared into his friend’s face and no longer saw any trace of Derry. Derry’s eyes and face had twisted into something dark, evil. A monster wore Derry’s skin. Terror froze Silver in place, shock held him there. A dagger flashed in the low-light and the blade came to a stop just short of Silver’s chest.

  “No!” The tortured voice was decidedly Derry’s. He dropped the dagger and threw Silver away from him, clutching his head as he backed away.

  “Derry? Derry, what’s wrong with you?” Silver asked, as he reached a hand toward Derry. The pain and torment in Derry’s voice overrode Silver’s concern for his own safety. Maybe they could still help Derry. It didn’t make any sense. Derry would never hurt anyone. He was the kindest and gentlest person in the camp.

  “No! Go away! All of you! I can’t control it. I’ll kill you all. Please, Silver. Tell them I’m dead. Hurry. I can’t stop it for long. You have to convince Ruyne to get away from here. Far away!” Derry gasped, his eyes wild when he looked up at Silver. “Take this, and go. Give it to Shadow so he doesn’t come for me.” He shoved his necklace into Silver’s hand then shoved Silver toward Thorn. “Go! I’m dead to you! There is only a monster now!”

  Silver stumbled toward Thorn and mounted the skittish mare. Something in Derry’s desperate tone made him obey, although it broke his heart to leave his friend. His Song was screaming in his veins, warning him of terrible danger, for the entire Band. Maybe when Shadow woke up, he could tell them more.

  Silver could hear Derry’s agonized screams in the forest behind him and it took everything in him to ignore them and continue to the camp. He flew off Thorn, landing at a run, as he bolted to Shadow’s wagon. He threw open the door, half falling into the wagon. “Ruyne! Ruyne, we have to leave!”

  His desperate panicked voice must have gotten through to Ruyne. Ruyne dropped Shadow’s hands and rose, hurrying over to help Silver up. “Silver, what is it?”

  Silver looked into his lover’s deep blue eyes. He didn’t want to lie to Ruyne. Could he? He had to. They had to get away from here. “Derry, he’s dead. There’s a monster in the woods that killed him. We have to go! Far away from here. The Song won’t protect us. Please, order the Band away! We can’t ever come back here.”

  Grief passed over Ruyne’s face, but he didn’t allow it to control him. “Stay with Shadow. Stay with him!” Ruyne demanded, pushing Silver toward Shadow and out of the way, as he left the wagon and roared commands to the Band to pack up and flee.

  Silver placed Derry’s necklace on a table nearby then sank to the floor next to the bed Shado
w lay on and hid his face behind his arms wrapped around his knees as he started to sob. “I couldn’t save him, Shadow. I’m sorry,” Silver mumbled through his tears. The wagon lurched into motion, moving much faster than the casual pace they normally kept as they traveled. Wagon wheels creaked; hooves pounded the packed dirt road.

  Silver lost track of how long he sat there and cried, grieving their friend. Going over and over in his mind if there was anything he could have done. Was he wrong to leave Derry behind? When Shadow woke, he was certain Shadow would think so. Shadow would have done anything to save Derry. Ruyne probably would have, too. They wouldn’t understand what he had seen. How could he explain the monster he’d seen in Derry’s face, or the way his Song had screamed out that his death stood before him? No. This had to be his secret. Derry was lost to them. His Song was erased. Like Derry had said, he was dead to them. And that’s what he would tell Shadow and the entire Band. Only he would carry the terrible secret of the truth. Only he would shoulder the burden of guilt for leaving their dear friend behind in the grips of whatever monster possessed him.

  Chapter 15

  Shadow

  Shadow woke from smothering darkness to find Silver and Ruyne sitting by his bedside. Both looked pale and worn. When Shadow tried to speak, his parched throat made his voice crack. “Got something to drink?” he managed.

  “Shadow!” Ruyne gasped, clearly relieved as he scrambled to pour a glass of cool water.

  Shadow drank the water then took the food Silver offered him and gobbled that down. He felt like he hadn’t eaten in a week. Then mid-bite on a chunk of cheese, realization hit him. He remembered running panicked through the woods, his Song warning him of terrible danger. He remembered seeing Derry there entranced by some sort of shapeless monster. Then pain and darkness. He barely managed to finish swallowing the bite he had taken, then slowly put the food back down on the plate. He could feel the hole deep inside where his Song-Binding to Derry had been, like a cold wind blowing on his heart. His stomach lurched as he looked from Silver to Ruyne, searching his brother’s eyes. “Where’s Derry?”