Dark Weaver (Weaver Series)

by Dena Nicotra

  My voice came out in a croak, “I don’t know how you did that, but please just tell me my sister is okay.”

  “She’s upstairs sound asleep in her bed little filly. No need to worry.”

  I clutched my throat and swallowed hard to try to get my voice to work. “You…shifted into my sister? I didn’t know weavers could do that!”

  Digger shrugged his shoulders, “Most can’t, but that’s what makes me different. Besides, it seemed like a good a plan as any.” Kess winked at me, and then addressed the rest of my family. “Go back to bed, it’s late and whatever you ate last night caused you all to have terrible dreams.” I made a mental note to glimpse backward to make sure it wasn’t my mamaw’s fried chicken. I’d hate to have a stigma on my favorite dish. One by one they got up and staggered off. My papaw being the last of them. As if remembering something, he turned slowly and faced Kalan, “Your momma knew you’d be rotten boy,” he muttered. It wasn’t something he seemed to be conscious of saying because as soon as the words came out of his mouth he lowered his head and padded down the hall behind my mamaw.

  “Well, it seems your mom had her reasons for running off and taking a second childhood didn’t she?” Kessler’s voice was cold and as he spoke he pressed the tip of his blade a little harder into Kalan’s back. I knew he was exercising an enormous amount of control because his dark tendencies would have given him no reason to hesitate with that blade. Hell, the small portion of dark tendencies that coursed through my own blood called out for revenge! I could hear his thoughts now and they weren’t merciful in the slightest. I guess Kalan could hear him too because the expression on my ex-boyfriend’s face was priceless.

  Now that we had the upper hand, I felt compelled to give them both an earful. “I’ll tell you what, you two deserve each other. You’re both just as selfish and just as cruel. You can call me what you want, but the two of you will never be more than ruthless scavengers. It’s just a matter of time before one of you consumes the other.”

  “I’m never going to apologize to you Joey,” Kalan said raising his head in defiance.

  “Did I ask you to apologize? You’re a stupid ass if you think that I would ever accept an apology from you for one thing, and for another – you’d never mean it because life hasn’t taught you enough to feel remorse yet.”

  “He feels remorse for every minute he had to spend with you instead of me,” Railey said spitefully.

  Kalan went to open his mouth to say something more and Kess finally lost his patience. “Okay, that’s enough!” I looked back and both of them had deep, black stitches across their lips. He’d weaved their mouths shut, and wrapped them in a coil of dark rope. Neither of them could speak, but the muffled sounds they made caused Digger to cackle with laughter. I guess that was as close to a happy ending as I was going to get out of this situation because it was funny as hell to see them both like that.

  ***

  We entered Centenium Hall with confidence. Kess held my hand, and I could feel the same assurance radiating from him. I caught Digger’s eye and he gave me a supportive smile. He was the only former member left of the council, but the three women, and the other new male members all shared an expression of approval. What a difference time can make. I no longer felt the sting of prejudicial thoughts. What came through now was a combination of sorrow for the events that had occurred, and admiration for the bravery Kess and I had displayed.

  Torvin, we learned later, had not crossed over to the dark side after all. Although initially he was under the influence of Kalan’s darkness, which had influenced his behavior during my initial visit to Era. Viigo must have known that he wasn’t like the others, and that motivated him to remove that darkness rather than kill him. Just thinking about that dark mist rising out of him made me shudder. He’d been sequestered for his own safety when the King and Queen were attacked. Now he was seated on the stage as we approached, and the crowd of weavers filling the seats began to applaud.

  Kalan and Railey were seated in the middle of the room. As we approached, I noticed that the air around them was wavering. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were in what looked like an over-sized glass box with no top. Kess explained that it was designed to contain darkness and prevent them from infecting any other weavers (another of Digger’s inventions). I couldn’t help but think that they were both finally where they belonged…in a cage.

  A deep sense of satisfaction coursed through me as the charges were read against Railey and Kalan. Egregious time manipulation, murder, and excessive use of power (including dark threads). Finally, I was given the opportunity to speak, and although my knees were shaking as I climbed to the steps to the podium, I know my words burned true.

  “You never truly owned my heart Kalan because it has always belonged to Kessler Shaw. You can never possess what you take for selfish purposes. You will have to live with what you have done. Your parents were good and noble weavers, and I know that they did all that they could to raise you right. It saddens me to see that their efforts were in vain.” Kalan never met my eyes, but Railey’s did and the hatred burning in them didn’t scare me anymore. I addressed her next.

  “Railey, you’ve got so much to learn. It’s a wonder to me how your brother came from the same family as you. Your intentions – at least those that I have seen, have always been rooted in darkness. You could never absorb the light and you reap exactly what you sow. I have no pity for you.” I thought that was all I had to say, but something more personal occurred to me, “On a personal note, I hope you and your boyfriend go straight to hell.” She rolled her eyes but I didn’t let it bother me. I’d said my piece. It was time to address the weavers of Era. I placed my hands firmly on the podium to steady myself.

  “I’ve inherited a gift from our late Queen Genessa.” I made it a point to use the word ‘our’ because I wanted them to know that I viewed myself as an equal. “It is my firm belief that she was a wise weaver, with intuition and foresight deeper than most. Perhaps she knew what her future held and her decisions were based upon that. I don’t know exactly why she gifted her powers to my family, and I suppose it doesn’t matter now. I give you my word, I will wield my powers with honorable intentions, and I will make decisions based solely upon light threads.” The crowd rose to their feet and I bowed before returning to my seat next to Kess.

  Although I could sense the emotions in the room, I could not read the thoughts of the council. Their final decision was not at all what I had expected. Despite my certainty that both would be stripped of their powers, Torvin advised that the two would be sent out of Era, and would never be welcomed back. His voice was very serious when he spoke.

  “Kalan Evans, you have defiled your family name. I’ve known you since you were an infant, and it shames me to see what you’ve become. You have conspired with the dark weavers, and joined in union with Railey Shaw, who has absorbed the powers of Lela, so what runs through your blood now can never be undone.” Kalan’s expression remained blank, but he curled his fists as Torvin continued, “Your only saving grace is that with all the light, there must be a little darkness.” Okay, a little? Talk about an understatement! I wanted to stand up and scream that he was responsible for the death of his own parents, but I didn’t. The laws of weavers are foreign to me, and I knew nothing I said would change the decisions. Torvin went on to explain that it had been this way since the beginning of time and that the laws of balance demanded it so.

  They were pronounced enemies of Era and banished to Epoch, the city of dark weavers. They were not stripped of their powers. Now Kalan would inadvertently get exactly what he wanted. He was a master weaver. Granted, a dark one, but I don’t think he really cared about that. Although I didn’t understand the decisions, I was thankful that they were finally out of my life. Good riddance! I thought to myself. Era had purged the darkness, and so had I. Well, minus one very sexy half-breed. The fact that Kess had dark tendencies never seemed to sway opinions of him in Era. I suppose that’s because he
used those tendencies to help others, and he always had. On the surface, he looked like a bad boy…but things aren’t always as they appear.

  At the conclusion of the hearing, I watched as the two of them dissolved with the forced weave. Neither of them made any attempt to fight it, and I could swear I saw a smile forming on Railey’s face just before she was gone. I squeezed Kess’ hand and wondered if this was painful to him. I knew he felt no love for his sister, but she was family, and this marked the closing of a chapter for both of us. With the two of them now in Epoch, and all of the events that had occurred, Kess would never be able to go back there. He smiled back at me and I understood looking in his eyes that he had more peace at this moment than he had had in a very long time. He would never be an indentured servant to either of them again – and he wouldn’t be viewed differently for his dual tendencies. I understood how he felt because I was truly accepted now despite my lack of royal blood. We were both truly free now.

  I was about to suggest we leave when the murmurs in the room erupted. There was one more piece of business that needed to be addressed. Torvin asked me to approach the stage. I glanced at Kess for insight but he just gave me that rascally smirk. “Go on, they’re waiting,” he said with a wink. I smoothed my skirt and made my way to the council, taking care to pause before them in a deep curtsey. “Josephine May Akers, as you know Viigo and Genessa are no longer with us. Consequently, Era is without leadership. The royal bloodline stopped with Kalan…but you carry Queen Genessa’s weaving traits and are therefore—

  “No, please your grace, if I may interrupt,” I swallowed hard because I’d believed they already knew what I was about to reveal. “I’m afraid I no longer hold the full extent of gifts bestowed by Gen—I mean the Queen. You see, my friends Pepper and her brother Peter were weavers, but they didn’t want to be anymore. They were kind enough to transfer their gifts to me so that I could join Kessler in an effort to track down and stop Kalan and his sister…”

  Torvin scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Who are these weavers you speak of, Peter and Pepper?”

  They’re brother and sister, and…”I glanced to Kess for help and he stood up immediately.

  “They were orphans, presumably cast out by the dark weavers. Pepper was a Mender.” Nods of understanding came from the council at this, as well as the weavers in the grandstands. I guess it was common knowledge to everyone in Era that the dark weavers had forged a campaign at one point to rid Era of Menders thinking that they would weaken us somehow. They weaved babies out to mortal couples, but mostly to orphanages in hopes that they would never discover their abilities – or fall short using them.

  Kess went on with his explanation, “They were adopted as infants and managed without mentorship. Their lineage is unknown, and they remained unassisted throughout their lives as weavers with the exception of their interactions with Kalan, Joey, my sister and I. They’ve suffered greatly and I assure you, they have no interest in the calling whatsoever.”

  “You remain a member of this council aside from today’s proceedings due to the obvious conflict therein, and as such your input is highly valued. Despite this, the rulership of this kingdom must follow bloodlines whenever possible to ensure the protection of the light weaves as you well know. You say this Pepper was a Mender. Was her brother adept as a Mender as well?”

  Kess shifted uncomfortably. “No.”

  “Were his gifts undeveloped?”

  “Quite the contrary,” Kess mumbled.

  “Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

  Kess shrugged his shoulders, and then let out a heavy sigh. “He was a master weaver. The first victim my sister claimed before she went after Joey.”

  The commotion this stirred with the onlookers caused Torvin to slam his hand down on the crystal table in front of him. “Weavers please control yourselves!” When the room quieted, he spoke again in a very low voice. “That can mean only one thing then. Weaver powers have been blended, shared, and manipulated in such a way that we were completely blinded…and we’ve just released two very powerful master dark weavers.” Of all the times for me to keep my dang mouth shut! I’d sat right there and not said a word as the judgment was passed – the whole while thinking that they had their reasons, and that they knew best.

  “Well if I might just add my two cents on this – you see, they’d have sucked the powers out of every weaver they could have if Kess hadn’t done what he’d done, and honestly I think he’s a hero for doing it. We’re all pretty lucky that he has that little dark streak because it took some evil to fight evil if you know what I mean.” Okay, I’d laid it on thick but I wasn’t exaggerating. The silence that followed did little to convince me my cheerleading stunt had swayed anyone. I shot Kess an apologetic smile and sat down feeling awkward as hell.

  “I improvised your grace,” said Kess dejectedly. “Those two had placed so many dark and deceptive weaves around issues, I didn’t know who I could trust. Joey is my wife, and that was wiped from not only her mind, but most weaver’s minds as well. I was desperate once he brought her here to Era. I did what I could to protect the queen, and once that failed, I knew time was running out. I did what I had to do to protect Joey, and others.”

  “Yes, yes son, of course you did,” Torvin said with a weary sigh. “The trouble now is two-fold though. We’ll need to prepare ourselves for what Kalan and Railey may do in retaliation, and we need to learn about the bloodline behind these two benevolent former weavers. Tell me you did not wipe their memories concerning their gifts.”

  “No, I did not your grace,” Kess said.

  “Well, that’s one good thing in our favor.” Torvin grumbled.

  After a good hour of back and forth haggling, it was decided that Kess and I would return to the mortal realm, collect Peter and Pepper, and bring them back to Era to meet with the council as quickly as possible. As much as I knew this news would not go over well, I agreed. Frankly, I don’t think that I had much of a choice. If Kess and I didn’t agree, they would send someone else and if bad news had to come from someone – who better than a friend? Of course, this messed up my big plans of a long vacation on a white, sandy beach with my man…but there’d be time for that. There’s always time.

  Kess and I weaved home and fell on the bed exhausted. We agreed that we would give ourselves this night to rest and be together. All I wanted to do was snuggle up next to him and stare into those chocolate eyes. My mind was a jumble of thoughts that I still needed to parse out, but most importantly – I needed to kiss those gorgeous lips. Kess bent down slowly and I could feel his breath on my face, warm and intoxicating. I drew him closer and wrapped my arms around his neck. How did I ever do without those lips? I pushed back the thoughts of Kalan and the damage he’d caused. It didn’t matter anymore. What was done was done.

  “Sweetness, I think you are going to drive me right out of my mind,” Kess said in a guttural whisper. I glanced down and realized I’d done my insta-thought outfit change again. Was it my fault it consisted of a little black nightie? Ok, maybe it was.

  “I’m sorry baby, it must be the remnants of your dark traits popping out in me. Do you want me to change?” I bit my lip to keep from giggling.

  “Don’t change a thing love, you’re perfect just the way you are.”

  Epilogue

  There are dark and light threads that course through all of us. We make our choices…good or bad depending upon a multitude of outside influences. Most of the time, we try to do what’s right. Sometimes, however, there are those among us that get greedy. Kalan and Railey wanted more. They would have never understood the secret behind being a light master weaver because it’s the polar opposite. Light master weavers are selfless, they put others before themselves, and they do things out of love. There isn’t much more to it than that. At least, that’s the way I see it.

 

&nb
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