A Kingdom of Shadow

by Clara Johnson

  Mother handled his death the worst out of all of us. She seemed to act as if Father left us rather than died. All we could do was try and block out her out.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “I think he would have. So would Albert. Sarah, too, I think.”

  I could barely recall my sister’s face. It had been a few years now since I last saw her, shortly after Father’s death. She’d probably grown into the beautiful woman I’d always known she would be. What I wouldn’t give to see her one more time. To tell her I was sorry for everything, no matter how small.

  I wondered what she would make of all of this. She’d be baffled to see that we went from our cottage to a palace. Her first words would be for me to find a way to marry the king and to buy all new clothing.

  “I miss your sister. Albert too.” She sniffed as tears fell down her wrinkled cheeks.

  I placed my hand on hers. “I miss them too, Mother.”

  And I hope you will miss me too.

  I was all the family she had left. How could I tell my mother that her last child was dying? That she only had one month to see my face. To talk to me. To tell me stories of my father. To how me how to properly cook a stew. How to sew a stitch.

  I couldn’t do it. The words failed to fill my throat and I couldn’t tell her the truth. I needed to spend this time with her while I could.

  “Mother, could you tell me the story of how you met father?”

  She smiled brightly and told me the story.

  My heart sank into my stomach. This may be the last time I’d hear this story. I focused on every word she spoke.

  ~ * ~

  When I returned to my room, I slumped to the floor and let the tears fall. I told myself that I was doing the right thing. I was making peace with the only family I had left in this messed-up world. But why did it hurt so much?

  I imagined Mother hearing the news of my death and sinking further into her own mind. She would mourn me or she would try to pretend it didn’t bother her, just like she did with Albert. I wasn’t sure which was worse.

  But I knew it would be a lie.

  This was the first time we’d sat down and spoke in years. Since Father died, it had become business-like between us. I would deliver my hunt for her to cook. Take her crafts to the market to hopefully make some money. Inform her of Albert’s condition like a sergeant giving a field report to his general. All’s the same, Mother, Albert is getting worse and you’re sitting there rocking in your chair. Also, here is a rabbit for dinner.

  It all seemed so petty now. So pointless.

  I should’ve made more of an effort to talk to her, even if she did spend most of her time acting like I wasn’t there. Maybe in some strange way, it was easier for her to pretend things weren’t as bad as they were. I was the one who took it seriously. It didn’t help my relationship with my mother or Albert, for that matter, but it kept us alive and that was what was important. I had to keep all of us going, even if it meant I would pretend not to be hungry and gave the rest of my food to Albert. It was all to make sure they ate. Survival was all that had mattered.

  Now I wasn’t so sure.

  I suppose that was why I’d taken up training with Jonas. It was a distraction to keep myself moving. I’d spent so many years doing nothing but work that I’d forgotten what it meant to just sit and enjoy the day.

  A distraction was something I needed tonight. I picked up one of the books Elliot had given me. I hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to read them lately. But I wanted to learn more about this kingdom and its people.

  More importantly, I wanted to learn anything I could about the thing that killed my brother. I’d hope there was something in these books that mentioned previous encounters with the inferniwulves. Maybe there was something in one of these books, a piece of information that would tell me what I’m up against or a way to kill them.

  Was it linked to the Darkness that man had spoken of, and if so, why had it attacking Jared? What had it been doing near my home? There were many questions I knew I wouldn’t get a straight answer to. If I only have a month to live, then I will spend it making peace with my mother and finding my brother’s killer.

  CHAPTER 19

  I spent all night reading. There was no mention of the Darkness at all. No inferniwulves—anyway. There was a brief mention of animals that seemed to move in shadows, killing anything that crossed their path. It was the closest thing I could find that may be connected to the Darkness. Jared once said that they were part of his world that somehow managed to get past his barriers and into my world.

  No mention of the barrier either. What kind of barrier was he talking about? Some sort of wall perhaps? I’d have to investigate it further.

  The barrier kept the inferniwulves at bay, but why did no one but that man speak of the Darkness. He was the only one who seemed to believe it was still here. Still lurking in the shadows.

  But after what Jonas had told me about the legend, I supposed everyone else thought it was nothing but. It was the only thing that made sense.

  The books were filled with the history of Elra. They mentioned several past kings and queens, and their sons and daughters who took over when they stepped down. The biggest part of one of the volumes focused on the war between Elra and Isilda. The Kings Borian and Merek were at each end. King Borian was the king before Jared. This would mean Jared is at least thirty, but he seemed so much younger than that.

  Fendrel’s father was King Merek, making him around Jared’s age. He also appeared to be too young be thirty. Further in the text, I read that the Goddess had blessed the bloodline of the first kings, granting them a longer life, but not too long—only about one hundred and fifty. One of the kings in Elra’s time lived to be one hundred and twenty until he died in an unspecified accident.

  Well, that explained why Jared and Fendrel seemed so young. With their bloodlines, they will age very slowly compared to a normal mortal life. Compared to me.

  If my life wasn’t being cut so short, I might’ve lived until my fifties. The weight of my own mortality was heavier by the day. A month. I had only a month to live.

  I tried not to think about it too much. It was better that I focused my energies on the goal I’d set for myself. If I had so little time left, I’d spend it finding a way to stop the inferniwulves. No matter what.

  I flipped through the pages once more as if the answer would appear before my tired eyes, but finally, I had to admit defeat. There was nothing in these books of what I needed. I would have to see Elliot again. There must be something in his vast library that had some mention of the Darkness.

  This Darkness—this thing—attacked my home and killed my brother. I must know where they came from to find the source of the corruption.

  To end its existence.

  With the books in hand, I made my way to the library, determined to find the answers I seek. On my way though, I made one or two wrong turns. I couldn’t imagine anyone without a sense of direction to find their way around this palace. There were so many corridors leading to areas I’d never seen before, it was a wonder how I ever found the way to my room.

  I wished Mia was with me. She always provided me with good companionship, but she would’ve asked too many questions. She knew I was ill, and the last thing she would’ve wanted to hear was that I had a new obsession about the Darkness that no one seemed to believe was real.

  She had checked on me earlier this morning, pressing another soup on me that she insisted would help. Even though I told her several times that I was feeling better—a lie of course—she didn’t seem to hear me. I came to the conclusion that she was not going to be swayed otherwise. I don’t suppose I could blame her. She ultimately became another mother to me, nagging and all, and I loved her for it.

  It was a shame that I was only now starting to appreciate such attention. It warmed my heart just a little to know that Mia cared, even if she showed it by shoving a spoon down my throat.

  When
I arrived at the library, the door was closed. I knocked first, but there was no response, so I slowly tried the handle. Unlocked.

  “Elliot?” I called out.

  Again, no response. I held the books closer to my chest as if they would slip from my hands. The sunlight spread its rays into the hearth of the library. The books seemed to have been reorganized. Very few were still around to be picked up. I supposed that Elliot had to clean up his mess. Unsure of what to do with the books I had, I placed them next to the others on the desk.

  “Elliot?” I called out again, louder.

  This time I heard someone’s voice coming from a side room. As I approached, I saw steam come from underneath the door.

  I knocked again.

  “Hello? Elliot, it that you? Are you alright?” I cracked open the door.

  Not, as it turns out, the best idea.

  Elliot was in the bathtub with Mouse Killer on his shoulders. For a very lanky man, he had more chest hair than I’d ever imagined could be on a man’s chest. He was taking a razor to it as if it would erase the bundle of animal-like fur on his chest.

  His eyes widened when he looked towards the doorway where I stood. He squealed, and covered his chest as if he had a woman’s breasts.

  I flushed and slammed the door shut.

  “Sorry, Elliot!” I yelled through the door.

  Water splashed, then, his steps thumped across the floor.

  “I called for you several times.”

  Although I couldn’t hear what he was saying, I knew he was cursing me under his breath.

  “And I did knock!” I added.

  I forced back a giggle at the thought of his chest hair. He would probably try to skin me alive if I laughed.

  He flung open the door and I stumbled back. I looked up to see a dripping wet Elliot covered in nothing but a red robe. His eyes were fury itself, and he looked as if she smelled something awful. A part of his robe was open in the front with the uneven shaved chest hair standing out. I did my best to hide my laughter and focus on his eyes.

  “Sorry, Elliot. I—”

  “What is it that I can do for you, Ellyn?” he snapped. A meow came from beneath us. The Destroyer of Manuscripts was rubbing against his leg and then mine.

  “I came to return your books, but—”

  “Great, just put them on the desk over there for me, please and thank you, Ellyn. Now have a good day.” He tried closing the door on me but I stopped it.

  “The books were very helpful Elliot, but I need something specific. I need a book that mentions something called the Darkness.”

  His face went from flushed to a pale and grave. He looked at something on the other side of the door for a moment, not saying anything.

  “And why do you want to learn about that?” he muttered.

  “Because a monster, an inferniwulf, killed my brother. I want to know if it was part of this Darkness.” I wasn’t sure if he thought I was serious or if I had completely lost my marbles, but I prayed it was the latter. He said nothing for so long, that I suspected that he wasn’t going to help.

  “One moment, please,” he said, shutting the door.

  Elliot came out of the room about twenty minutes later, completely dressed in a plain uniform. He’d attempted to slick his hair back, but it was too wet making it slightly stuck up at the ends. He had a serious expression on his face as he pushed his glasses into place.

  Well, this couldn’t be good.

  “Why do you want to learn about some legend?” he said, picking up a stack of books and walking behind a bookshelf where I couldn’t see his face.

  “I told you. Something killed my brother. I want to know what it was. His Majesty said it was called an inferniwulf. Have you heard of it?”

  As much as I didn’t want to go against Jared’s wishes, I had to convince him somehow.

  Elliot seemed to ignore me as he put the books away, but then he came around the bookshelf. He cleared off the desk between us and sat down after brushing off the seat. He gestured the seat in front of me. I did as commanded.

  “The inferniwulves are part of an ancient evil that was driven from our lands centuries ago. What you saw, what killed your brother was probably a loner that was dormant at that time,” he said, seemingly blowing off my claims.

  “There were more than just one, Elliot. I killed one in the forest and another in my home. His Majesty took care of the rest,” I argued.

  “If they were dormant, then it seems that something must have disturbed them.” It was the only logical conclusion, if what Elliot said was true. If these creatures existed centuries ago, then something or someone had woken them from their sleep.

  “Ellyn, any number of things could have—”

  “I know what I saw. The biggest one with red eyes and a golden ring in its eye ripped my brother’s throat out. I was not imagining it,” I snapped.

  He looked down at his hands. “I believe you Ellyn and I’m sorry for what happened to your brother, but what you ‘re looking for no longer exists. All records containing any information on the Darkness were destroyed over fifty years ago. I can’t help you.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He stood up and left.

  ~ * ~

  It was hard to swallow what Elliot said. Why were all the records destroyed? If it was nothing but a legend, then why not keep it as that? What was the point of removing all information about it? And who would order such a thing? No one seemed to believe that the Darkness ever existed or if they did, they hid it well.

  Could it simply be because they didn’t want to cause panic? Such an evil thing waiting to devour all you had, an entire kingdom it would be too much for anyone to handle. Those inferniwulves, with their sheer strength . . . they would take a lot of lives before anyone would know what had happened.

  It’d be a massacre.

  I don’t know how I managed to kill two of them myself. I supposed I got lucky, but not everyone would be so. Many people would die which is why Jared holds and observes the barrier as much as he does to prevent them from roaming free in Elra’s lands.

  And yet, they passed through it.

  A weakness or broken part in the barrier is the only explanation I could figure out. Jared had said that they slipped past his barriers. Maybe the inferniwulves thought that the opening was to Jared’s lands instead of my own. But then, how did that happen? He had to open some type of portal to send my family into his lands. He must’ve fought them in Elra and transported into my own world, unknowingly giving them an opened door.

  It felt too convenient somehow, like I was meant to see and fight them. Could it really have been a big coincidence? I was still missing a big piece to the puzzle.

  “Ellyn!” a voice called. I turned to see Jonas carrying something in his hand.

  “Jonas,” I said. “I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in a couple days. I haven’t been feeling well.”

  Though I might never tell him so, I had truly missed his company. I’d miss his laugh, his smile, his eyes. His teasing managed to both annoy and delight me. He was someone else I had to say goodbye to. I pushed the thought away and smiled.

  “So I heard. I went to your room to see you, but you weren’t there. I’ve been looking for you,” he said, gasping for breath.

  “I brought you these.” He held up a bushel of blue flowers in full bloom tied together with a black ribbon. My eyes must’ve lit up because Jonas gave me a toothy grin as a result. Seemingly, proud of himself.

  My cheeks burned.

  “They’re beautiful, Jonas. Thank you,” I said, planting a small kiss on his right cheek. Now it was his turn to blush and pride seeped through me.

  “I thought maybe to get you roses, but these reminded me of your eyes,” he said.

  “Though yours are a touch darker, but these were the closest ones. Let’s be honest now that I could never find any flower that can compare to your beauty. A man can try, though.” He laug
hed wholeheartedly.

  I managed to laugh myself and hit him in the arm. We leaned on the railing. He told me about the past couple days for him. He’d been sent out to Mightrun to handle a few thieves who’d been going to each house stealing anything and everything they could get their hands on. He’d had to disarm the one while the other surrendered. One of them threatened him with a sword he could barely hold himself.

  “Were they children?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No children exactly, but young. I’d say, only a few years younger than myself.”

  The young men were taken to the jail to be tried. Since they hadn’t hurt anyone, their sentence shouldn’t be too harsh. The last time they had a murder, the killer had barely stepped into the cell before they’d determined his fate.

  Jonas told me this was the part he didn’t like about his job. He wanted to help people, but he didn’t like taking in kids to be tried for stealing a piece of bread. While the country was doing well, there were always people who fell through the cracks, Children who’d lost their parents and were too old for the orphanage. They grew to be men and women who became desperate to feed their bellies.

  I understood the desperation for food. I had stolen food here and there in my younger years, but the last time, I was caught by Marion and instead of punishing me, she’d given me a job. She insisted that there were better ways to get what I wanted. It was a shame these boys didn’t have the same experience.

  Things were worse for Jared’s people than he’d let on.

  I thought of the man I’d met in Mightrun. His world and all he’d held dear had been ripped away from him. He claimed it was the Darkness.

  King Jared is blind! He must take action before the Darkness kills us all!

  Jonas had said the man was mad, had lost his mind in the fire where he lost his family. I thought for a moment. What if . . . it wasn’t just a fire? What if the man was telling the truth and the Darkness had destroyed his home? He must’ve seen something to tell him it was. He might’ve been mad, but that doesn’t mean he made everything up in his mind. It was most likely a long shot, but it was the only lead I had at the moment.