After a great battle with the Humans and the Yashwa, the Ubilez were finally sent back to the blackest and deepest part of the earth, and they called it the ”Dark Time.“ When the time had passed, the People were finally able to multiply again and rebuild Tamaryn. They made it better than it was before, and the Governor and the Sacred Ones were held in the highest esteem. But they swore the Blood Bond, allowing their blood to mingle with one another’s under the Light of the Blood Moons, that they would never give away the secret of the Yashwa. Instead, they practiced the sacredness of the Balance, Birth for Death and Beginning for End paying homage to their unseen Patronus, the unspoken Yashwa. Only the Descendants of the Governor and his chosen few would ever know of them.
Kyla took out the sharp dagger she had hidden on her at all times and took a deep breath. She lit the candle and chanted “Dfoofnik” repeatedly, as the Ubilez had told her to do. Without giving it too much thought, she stabbed the middle of her palm with the sharp point of the dagger and dripped her blood on the melting candle wax. The wax sizzled red with her blood, the smoke from the candle turning red and filling the little room, causing her eyes to burn and bile to fill her mouth.
“We are here, Little Yashwa,” the voice was all around her. “You have called and we are here.”
The voice gave her goose bumps, which she realized was a Human trait. She was still adapting to her Human body, fear being one of the first things she vowed to master first. She could not stand the feel of fear, something she had never experienced as a Yashwa.
“I don’t know if it is working,” she said simply. “I don’t feel it is working fast enough.”
“Be patient, Little Yashwa. It is working clearly enough. Don’t you feel his blood mingling through your body as you are mingling through his?” the voice was high and slow, with the collective sound of a thousand voices echoing into one. The voice seeped into her ears and pores, and made her shiver in fear.
“I … uh … I just wanted to make sure. I don’t want to fail you. And I can’t go back now. I can’t lose him after all I have done.” Kyla felt the strange sensation of water coming from her eyes. Tears!
“You have done much indeed to upset the balance of things. Already much of Tamaryn has disappeared and the Young Ones are gone, forgotten by the Elders. Forgotten by everyone,” the Ubilez sounded gleeful.
“I didn’t mean for all of that to happen,” Kyla said, her voice small. “I only meant for the Governess to disappear from the Governor’s life, not for everything to disappear and change. I didn’t know the balance of all things would be changed, forever.”
“Little Yashwa,” the Ubilez hissed. “Once you upset the Balance, you can never undo it. The Young Ones are gone forever and so is Tamaryn as it’s always been known. The Elders won’t ever remember what they have lost and they will continue to toil, lost without the Young Ones until you give us what you promised.”
For the first time a thought occurred to Kyla.
“What will happen when you have it?” she asked.
“That is not your concern, Little One. Nothing for you to worry about,” The Ubilez hissed, reminding her eerily of a serpent.
“But …”
“Silence!” the smoke grew redder, the voice exploding like thunder. “Don’t ask anything more. There are things that are none of your concern. Once you give it to us, then the rest is simply the rest.”
Kyla was silent, afraid of the Ubilez for the first time.
“Continue on as you have been. You’ve begun the Blood Bond, and there is no turning back. Everything will happen as it should. Just be patient.” The Ubilez were growing tired of her now, and restless with the conversation. When we are done with the Little Yashwa and we are free to eliminate her at will, we will end her, they had already agreed. Once we have it, we will get rid of the Youngers, and the hope of the People. We will finally be free to eliminate all of them, no longer tied to the laws of Tamaryn.
Kyla hadn’t thought about what would happen to the entire Land when the Bond was complete. She had only thought about getting to be with Will. But she sensed for the first time that the Ubilez had more devious plans in mind for Tamaryn, and she exited her secret place, her body shaking.
It’s none of my concern, she told herself anxiously. I don’t need to worry about anything else. All I have to do is keep doing what I am doing and the Blood Bond will be final. Once I pay back the Ubilez, we’ll be free. Will and I will be free to love one another once and for all. Once and for all.
34
CONSIDERING MAMA
“Who is a ‘Mama’?” Jakob asked Kell, his curiosity peaked.
“You know her, Jakob.” Kell said, giving Jakob a strange look.
Jakob looked at Anabel and Ava, questioningly. Both girls shook their heads, unsure of who the Youngers were talking about.
“You know ‘Mama’, Jakob, our pretty Mama.” Kell’s voice echoed his frustration with Jakob. “Stop teasing me. How can you not remember her?”
Jakob was speechless. How can he think I would remember someone I’ve never met? Who is this person he is getting so frustrated about?
“I don’t remember anything, or anyone, except for you, Kell.” Jakob said slowly. “I didn’t even remember Ava. Just explain to me who this ‘Mama’ person is, and maybe I will remember.”
“Mama is pretty with dark hair and gray eyes. She takes care of the orphans and the People, and she takes care of us.” Kell’s voice was animated as he implored Jakob to remember, but Jakob’s mind remained blank.
Suddenly Claire’s voice broke in.
“You’re wrong! That’s not ‘Mama’. Mama has red hair. She isn’t that pretty and she doesn’t take care of anyone, hardly even us. She likes her mead better than she likes us. We take care of ourselves.” Claire suddenly seemed much older than she appeared, and Anabel could see how they could have survived on their own.
“No, you’re explaining her all wrong! Mama is plump. She looks a lot like us with her brown hair and hazel eyes, but is plumper and she is a very, very good cook. She makes my favorite pies and rolls, and the best chicken pudding you would ever want to eat! Mama is pretty but taller than we are,” Saiya spoke up, upset that Kell and Claire were so wrong.
The younger children started arguing back and forth about “Mama” and what she did, what she looked like, and what she sounded like. Saiya’s face was getting red, and she was getting visibly angry with Claire and Kell, though she tried desperately to restrain herself as her Mama had taught her to. She was getting frustrated. Nobody even wanted to talk about ”Mama,” and now that they were, suddenly there were getting her all wrong.
Jakob, Anabel, and Ava all looked at one another, their eyes wide and questioning. The Youngers seemed so sure about who ”Mama” was, but they did not know her at all. Even the four siblings that just joined them were deep in conversation about who Mama was, but by the sounds of it, their version of Mama was much less desirable than Kell and Saiya’s.
“Mama makes me warm goat’s milk when I cannot sleep, and she rocks me to bed as she sings me the song about the princess who finds her prince,” Saiya twirled around as she hugged herself, her mind lost in a foggy memory that made her long for comfort and warmth. She grabbed onto Anabel’s hand and squeezed it tight for comfort.
“Mama would never sing to me about princesses,” Kell argued. “She brings me little pieces of candied butternut that she gets special for me. She doesn’t bring me a lot so she doesn’t spoil me, but she brings me enough to remind me how much she loves me.”
The four little siblings turned their chatter to how their Mama washed their clothes whenever they got too dirty to wear, and cleaned out their ears when she was in her right mind. They talked about how she sang like an angel, but didn’t like their Papa much.
Jakob’s head was spinning as he whispered to Anabel and Ava. “It doesn’t make sense how the Youngers all know who Mama is, but we don’t.”
“No, it doesn’t make any s
ense at all. But then, it doesn’t make sense that we don’t remember anything.” Anabel said, her green eyes flashing in frustration.
Jakob put his hand on Anabel’s gently and looked at her, his voice strangely calm and sure for a boy of twelve. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”
Anabel’s face flushed at the warmth of his hand on hers, and Jakob quickly pulled it away, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. A boy as handsome as Jakob had never even come close to Anabel before, and she put her hand in her pocket, wanting to preserve the feeling of where his hand had touched hers.
Ava caught the gesture and sneered at the two of them. “I don’t care who Mama is. She isn’t helping me right at this moment, so she is unimportant as far as I’m concerned.”
Jakob and Anabel nodded in agreement, careful not to look at one another.
“I want her!” one of the little redheaded boys said. Anabel thought his name was Cal.
“I want her, too!” said his brother Philip, who was sucking his thumb, never even bothering to remove it from his mouth. Ava cringed as she thought of all the dirt he was ingesting.
“Why? Why do you want her?” Claire was annoyed with her brothers. “She never did anything for us! You’re just a bunch of babies.”
Philip started crying and Cal joined in. Anabel realized the littlest of the children, the light haired girl, was quiet. Too quiet. Has she even spoken at all since she has been with us? I can’t remember hearing her make a sound. Anabel peered closely at her and was surprised that she had never noticed that her eyes were just a little too small and too close together. Anabel realized that the little girl’s face had the look ”of the Angels”, all of them too preoccupied with their journey to have noticed it before. She wasn’t sure what made her think of that phrase, but it came from somewhere deep inside her memory, and Anabel knew that it meant the girl was behind for her age, but more in touch with her heart than most. How did she make it this far along without anyone to love and care for her?
She also realized that Brooke hadn’t left the girl’s side since she had joined them, and she smiled at Brooke knowingly.
“What is your little sister’s name?” Anabel asked Claire.
“She doesn’t have one,” Claire said, her voice quieter than it had been since she met them. Usually more outspoken, she said it as though she were ashamed.
“How can she not have a name?” Ava said, suddenly paying attention. She walked over to the girl and leaned in close to her, her nose almost touching hers. The girl smiled and placed a chubby hand on Ava’s cheek. Ava smiled for the first time, her face lighting up beautifully. Instinctively, she picked the girl up, not noticing how close Brooke was standing, or how closely the dog was watching. Ava marveled at how light the child was.
“How can she not have a name?” Ava repeated Anabel’s question.
All of the children glanced at one another, waiting for the other to speak.
“Nobody ever gave her one,” Philip spoke up, volunteering the answer shyly. “We call her ‘Sissy.’”
Ava was stunned and angry. “Your Mama never gave her a name?”
The children cringed as Ava raised her voice, and Ava was surprised at how they retreated from her. She felt the little girl stiffen in her arms and she was immediately sorry she had cried out. “Shhhh, it’s okay.” Ava whispered in the girl’s ear.
She felt the girl relax in her arms, slowly.
“She needs a name,” Jakob said marveling at the transformation in Ava. With the little girl in her arms, she seemed like a completely different person, softer and warmer.
The children started yelling out names all at once. “Amelia!”, “Lucy!”, “Hannah!”
“How about ‘Serah’?” Ava said, whispering the name in the girl’s ear. The girl turned and smiled at her, happiness in her face, her green eyes bright.
“She likes it,” Claire said, smiling. “You like it, don’t you, Sissy?”
The girl clapped her hands and squealed.
Brooke sat at Ava’s feet as Serah clapped with happiness, a warm breeze drifted through the air warming all of them, gently.
“Oh, Mama,” Serah said, patting Ava’s face. “You, Mama.”
Ava’s face flushed. “No, I’m not your Mama. I’m not old enough to be your Mama.”
“No,” the girl insisted. “YOU, Mama.”
Ava looked at Jakob helplessly as Jakob shrugged.
“Don’t argue with her,” Anabel said gently. “She’s not hurting anything.”
For the first time Ava didn’t fight, instead she smiled and held tight to Serah, promising to herself that she would protect her at all costs.
Serah hummed contentedly as she leaned into Ava’s chest, her eyes fluttering closed, fighting the urge to fall asleep.
Serah’s humming was comforting as the children turned their attention to the fire Jakob had built to cook the deer. As Serah continued to hum sleepily, they were stunned to see the fire grow larger and larger until the warmth reached all of them, making them comfortably warm for the first time. They sat around the fire, leaning against one another, their bellies full and their thirst quenched for the first time since their awakening.
And for the first time since they all found one another, they felt completely safe.
35
IN THE DARKNESS
Emilie woke suddenly, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
She quickly jumped to her feet as her Warrior spirit was trained to do. As she reached quickly to her side and felt her sword still sheathed and secure against her. She did her best to take in her surroundings and realized she was in a place much different from the barren forest they had come from. How much time has passed? Where am I? Time didn’t make sense to her anymore. Minutes felt like hours, Days felt like a year. The grayness in the sky refused to give her any indication of how much time had truly gone by, adding to Emilie’s disorientation.
The ground was wet and murky, the air heavy and still.
The sudden whirlwind had transported them to a dark, cave-like room, with one small and obscure torch for light. Emilie could feel the cold in her bones as she tried to allow her eyes to get used to the light as she desperately searched on the dirt ground for the others. Her heart skipped a beat as her eye caught a pair of feet nearly hidden in a dark corner. Hadley! She ran to her and breathed a sigh of relief to feel warm air coming from Hadley’s nose.
She searched frantically for the sisters who had saved her from the Serpent. She fought the panic that threatened to overtake her when she realized they weren't there. She sat on the floor next to Hadley and squeezed her eyes closed tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to come.
She controlled her breath and thought about the one person who always centered her, always calmed her.
"It's okay to be afraid, little Warrior." Her father had once told her. "Use your fear and don't let it use you. Fear will twist you into something you were not meant to be. It will cause you to become a lesser version of yourself, and few, if any, will follow you. You were created to fight for the injustice and freedom of others. This is what we were brought into the light to do. Learn to separate your spirit from your body if you need to. This you will understand one day. "
His voice echoed with her always, his Spirit often lingering near to remind her, even when she became Governess. She knew the Spirit of a Warrior was never gone from the People it was entrusted to. When I put down my sword, I still fought for others. But why? Why did I put my weapons down? She strained to remember the thing that made her stop fighting. The Governor had not forced her to retire her weapon, something else had. Something that continued to escape her.
Emilie's thoughts were interrupted by a groan. Hadley!
She picked up Hadley's head and put it in her lap as she stroked her forehead gently.
"It'll be okay," she said softly, repeating it to herself over and over. She wasn't sure if she was saying it for Hadley's benefit or for her own. She looked around t
he room and as she did so was dismayed to find there were no windows or doors. The only thing in the room was the tiny torch that was slowly starting to fade.
She rocked back and forth, continuing to stroke Hadley's soft hair, soothing her so she wouldn't moan. She looked her over for wounds, but found none, yet Hadley refused to awaken completely.
"Fear is not who you are," Emilie said to herself, summoning her inner strength. "Fear is not who you are."
As she spoke, the torch began to flicker and fade until it went out completely, and Emilie found herself in complete and total darkness.
SONYA AWOKE TO SCREAMING.
"Paola!" She jumped up and searched for the sound of her sister's voice. "Paola!"
The screaming was moving farther away from her, and Sonya struggled to find her footing. The hallway she was in was dark, the ground uneven. She stayed close to the wall, one hand on it as she moved to keep her bearings. For a brief moment she stopped walking and listened carefully, trying to figure out which direction Paola was crying from. The screaming had stopped, but Sonya thought she could hear Paola crying, "Please, stop."
Sonya turned slowly and carefully in the direction of her sister's voice. The sound of Paola's crying sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't recall ever hearing Paola cry before and the sound coming from her fearless sister was terrifying.
There was another sound, but Sonya couldn't decipher it. It was guttural and angry, but it didn't sound like it was speaking real words. She could tell she was getting closer as the voices got louder, but there was still no sign of Paola.
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