Faith leaned back in the chair and ran her fingers up through her hair as she closed her eyes and tried to figure out how this could have happened. She thought back to the men she had bedded and tried to recall what their various gifts had been, hoping to find one that could have possibly broken through the curse of the Keep. There had only been three possibilities and none of them were anything extraordinary. Micah was a Warrior, Liam was a Caster, and she thought she recalled hearing that Josef was a Seer. All the men possessed average gifts and not one of them had stood out as special. Each of them were mediocre lovers, boring her to the point that she had moved on fairly quickly, and the idea that after all of this time, one of them had successfully planted his seed in her belly—she had to find out what was going on. One of them was not who he said he was. One of them must have a much stronger gift that was being heavily guarded.
Faith slowly stood, testing her ability to move without being ill. The tangy bite in the back of her mouth threatened to come forth with full force, but before she could succumb to it the doors to the library opened and in stepped Hunter with Talia trailing behind him.
Anger filled her sight at the two of them. Not only had she so far been unsuccessful at unveiling Talia’s secret, she watched as Hunter took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. Of course he would choose her! A perfect woman, filled with secrets and lies that only he was privileged enough to have access to. His ego would not allow another to get so close to such a prized possession and it made Faith sick. Literally. Another wave of nausea slammed into her and this time she was unable to control it. She fell to her knees and hid her face within the bowl, trying her best to be ill in silence. She was unsuccessful. When she sat up and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her gown, she looked up and found two sets of eyes, both filled with concern, staring down at her.
“Go away,” she mumbled.
“Faith, are you—” Hunter stopped in midsentence and his face drained of all color. Fear replaced his concern and he turned to Talia and whispered, “She’s with child.”
“No, I’m not,” Faith protested as he she pulled herself up from the floor, “or at least I won’t be for long.”
She ran her hands down along her dress, straightening the wrinkles, and pushed her greasy hair up out of her face. She had been so ill lately that she had not cared about her appearance. All she had cared about was getting better and up until a few moments ago, she’d had no idea how to do it. Learning that her illness was brought on by a baby having invaded her belly, there was a simple solution and she was now in a rush to get it out of her. Being distracted by Hunter and his playmate was not something Faith had time for or interest in.
“Faith, I can help you.” Talia was the last person that Faith wanted to accept help from and she wrinkled her nose at the mere mention of it.
“I’d rather die than have you help me, but thanks.” She pushed passed the couple and stomped her way over the large door that was her escape. Before she reached it, another wave of nausea knocked her to her knees. This time, not only was she ill, but the library began to spin and Faith could not close her eyes fast enough to ward off the horrible pain that shot through her head. As she lay there, writhing in agony, fighting the need to scream out, blackness filled her mind and then there was nothing.
* * * *
As Talia watched Faith fall to her knees, she released Hunter’s hand and rushed toward her. The importance of Faith carrying the first child that would be born within the walls of Windsong Keep did not escape her and Talia felt responsible. It had to be her gift bringing new life within the walls of the dreary prison and somehow Faith had been one of the first to be renewed by it. She knew that the woman wanted nothing to do with the life growing inside of her, but if Talia could help her through the illness and show her that this child would be the first of many new blessings, perhaps they could band together and bring forth greatness.
Hidden within the shadows of the Keep were memories of the palace that it once was. Talia had been the key to the life that thrived there and now that she had been awakened, her hope was that she could awaken the memories as well. She just needed Faith to be willing to go down the path with her. The child she carried would bring forth the birth of renewed life and hope and although Windsong would always remain a prison, perhaps it could at the very least be tolerable.
She motioned for Hunter to help her and as he carefully lifted Faith from the ground, Talia took her hand and spoke a blessing that would, for now, ease her nausea.
They rushed through the corridors and after passing through a multitude of twists and turns, they came to the door that led to Hope’s room. The twins were not currently on speaking terms, but they were sisters and Talia had felt it necessary for Hope to be aware of her condition. Without knocking, they pushed through the unlocked door and found Hope sitting in her chair, face deep within a large, leather-bound book she had borrowed from the library. She did not look up at her guests but simply lifted her hand, motioned for them to place Faith on the bed, and continued to read through multiple pages in the book.
As they waited for Hope to finish, Talia and Hunter tended to her twin. They took great ease when laying her on the bed and as Talia pulled the linens up around her Hunter fetched the pitcher of water and a torn rag. He soaked the rag, wrung out the excess water, and then placed it on Faith’s forehead. She had not opened her eyes since her collapse in the library and Talia worried that she might not wake up. Her breathing was steady, though, and the color in her cheeks was returning to their pale shade of pink. The blessing Talia had given her must have been working, for even the clammy feel of her skin was dissipating.
“You have quite the gift within you.”
Hope’s words drifted to Talia and they carried a hint of sarcasm with them. She looked back over her shoulder to see Hope rise from the chair, set the large book on the cushion, and with perfect posture walk over to the bed.
“I knew you were special, but I did not fully understand the extent of your gift, until now.” Hope walked around the side of the bed and gently sat herself beside her sister, careful not to wake her. “She won’t keep the baby. It doesn’t matter what you tell her or how convincing you are. The moment your guard is down and you are not watching her she’ll get rid of it.”
“How did you know that she’s with child, Hope?” Hunter demanded. The stern look on his face spoke volumes to the fact that she was hiding many things from him. It was a look that Talia had not seen before, and she hoped she would never see it again. Her skin pricked with unease and fear as she watched him burn his hawklike stare into the woman that was his closest friend.
“It doesn’t matter how I know. What does matter is what I know. I know that Faith is carrying a child, most likely some horrid mixed-breed abomination. I know that Talia is responsible for the Keep coming back to life. Faith’s condition and the plant growing in your room are not the only signs of life around here.” She flicked her eyes from Talia back to Hunter. “I know that against my advice, you have chosen to give yourself to this woman knowing full well that your gift cannot be trusted in the matter of relationships.” Hope stood from the bed and walked back over to the chair and lifted the heavy leather-bound book. “I also know that your precious Sleeping Beauty has not been honest with you. Her presence in the Keep has alerted the Shadow Witch.” Hope turned her glare back on Talia. “I’d imagine that she has already paid you a visit, alerting you that she is aware you are free.”
Talia’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to process Hope’s words. It was not possible that a simple book could have told her all of that information. She looked to Hunter who stared at her with dead eyes. She hadn’t been dishonest with him. She just hadn’t divulged her nightmares in full because she wasn’t sure what to do about it. The Shadow Witch, if she were to arrive, would be her problem and her problem alone. Talia would never drag her friends into that battle knowing full well that they would most likely not survive.
&
nbsp; “Is that true, Talia?” Hunter asked in a low, unsettling voice. “Has the Shadow Witch come to you?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Why didn’t you tell me…?” As he spoke Hunter moved away from Talia and closer to Hope.
As she watched him cling to his friend and turn his back to her she knew that something was terribly wrong. Hunter should know her true feelings. His Empathic ability was stronger than any she’d ever seen and Hope’s doubt in her shouldn’t have a heavy enough influence on him to deter his gift from seeing the truth. Outside forces had to be manipulating him. Talia glanced over to Faith to confirm that she was still resting when she noticed a shimmer from the corner of her eye. It was faint, barely visible really, but it caught her attention because she knew what it was.
Talia spun around just in time to see the spell around Hope shimmer again. If she’d had to guess, Talia would say it was a glamour. As regal as the real Hope was, this version of her was bordering gifted royalty rather than a proper upbringing. Her stance was motionless perfection and the way she glided rather than walked told Talia exactly who she was.
“Let him go, Mother.”
Chapter Eleven
“No, I don’t think I will.”
Her voice was smooth like honey but cold and uncaring, just as it had always been, and as she spoke she reached over and touched her long, chilled finger to the center of Hunter’s forehead. Talia watched him fall to ground in horror, pictures of her night with Xander playing in her mind.
“Don’t fret. He’s not dead, yet.”
Talia could not pull her eyes from Hunter’s motionless body, lying crumpled on the floor. “What do you want?”
“Simple. I want you.”
Talia’s skin pricked with fear, but she could not show weakness. Her gift was more powerful than her mother’s, and this time she would not be stupid enough to let her guard down. She had suffered an eternity in the Veil for it last time and she would not make the same mistake twice. She looked up from Hunter and met the mirror image of her crystal-blue eyes hidden within the glamour that was Hope, watching in wait to see what her next move would be.
“Why? I see no reason that I should not be allowed to be free of the Veil and live out my sentence here, with everyone else.”
In a startling motion the Shadow Witch threw the large leather-bound book that she still cradled in her arm. Talia lifted her arms like a shield to protect herself, but before the book reached her, it stopped, hovered in midair and flipped open to a chapter that had been marked with a long red ribbon tucked into its seam. Hesitant to touch it, Talia leaned close enough so that she could read the words.
…the Light that shines the brightest shall be the last. When her purity is broken and she fades into the darkness, all gifted shall fade with her. A new world will be reborn, a world of purity and humility. All will be equals and none shall rule over the lesser. All will know her presence for she will possess the ultimate power and none shall overshadow her. Even the darkest and strongest gifts will be nothing in comparison. Life and death will feed from her and in her wake all shall know fear for she will have the ability to choose who lives and who dies…
Talia lifted her eyes from the words on the page and stared at her mother.
“You think this is me.”
“Of course I think it’s you!” she snapped. “Why else would I go to such great lengths to keep you alive?”
“Being sentenced to an eternity in the Veil for a crime that I did not commit is not living. It is rather quite the opposite of living. You sentenced me to a long, drawn-out death.”
“Enough!” The Shadow Witch’s voice echoed off of the walls, and, appearing from nowhere, in her hand she held a long staff that she slammed down onto the stone floor. The clink of the metal tip onto the stone caused a loud ringing to linger in the air and the blast of her gift knocked the book to rest at Talia’s feet. “I did what I did to save magic. Do you not think that it hurt me to send you there? You gave me no other choice! You openly disobeyed me and ran into the arms of that tainted wizard! You nearly destroyed magic, all because you couldn’t keep your legs closed!”
She had disobeyed and had run into the arms of a Dark Wizard, but it had not been done out of malice. Talia had loved him and Xander her in return. A love like theirs could not possibly have caused the deterioration of magic, but her mother’s words cut deep and Talia now questioned herself.
“Do I not have the right to find love?” she whispered.
The Shadow Witch stepped over Hunter’s still body and stood in front of Talia, leaning down so that she could look deep into her eyes. “Not if you wish for our kind to survive.”
Tears welled in Talia’s eyes and through her blurred vision she could see that her mother had meant to keep her away from Hunter as well.
“He does not possess a dark gift. Please. Don’t take him.” Her pleas had little effect. Talia watched as the Shadow Witch leaned down to kneel beside Hunter and trace her slender finger along the lines of his face.
“His gift is very special. I see why he was sentenced here and not put to death, but you know not of which you speak, child. This man’s gift was born of darkness and though you do not see it, he knows it to be true. Perhaps you should ask him.”
The Shadow Witch stood, straightened her long black gown and ran her fingers up through the short white hair that belonged to Hope. She fell into her statuesque stance and proceeded to roll the large Blood Diamond that sat atop her staff back and forth in the palms of her hands. As she did this, the metal tip at the end of the staff clinked around the stone floor, sending little sparks of light up in to the air.
“Mother, what are you doing?” Alarm flooded through Talia as she watched her mother create an unspoken spell. It was mesmerizing and Talia could do nothing but watch as the crackles in the air floated high above them. As her mother continued to roll the Diamond into her hands, more sparks ignited, and when she finally stopped and they had risen to rest up against the ceiling, only then did the Shadow Witch speak.
“I will give you until the end of the next moon cycle. You may live your life as you wish and with whom you wish. I will not watch you and I will not interfere. You may have your playmate back and you may enjoy his company in any manner you see fit, with exception. You are not to lie with him. The moment you do, his heart will stop and you will not be able to save him. At the end of the moon cycle, as long as you have held up your end of the bargain, his life will be spared. I will allow him to wander these halls, unharmed. In return for sparing his life, you will forfeit your freedom and return to the Veil.”
Her mother’s use of the word bargain implied that they had already struck a deal. As much as Talia had wanted to fight her, though, Hunter’s life was more important. She would agree to just about anything in order to save him and her mother knew it. With a heavy heart, Talia nodded her acceptance and stepped forward to seal her fate.
Chapter Twelve
Talia sat in silence, curled up in the big cushion chair that was a luxury of Hope’s. Her eyes traveled back and forth between Hunter, who still lay motionless on the ground, and Faith who still slept peacefully on Hope’s bed. She had not bothered to try to waken them. Each would open their eyes when they were ready and she needed time to process her interaction with her mother. She would hold true to the agreement that she made with her, but before the end of the moon cycle, Talia would try her damndest to find an out. There had to be a loophole. With magic, there always was. It was just a matter of finding it in time. She would need to recruit her friends, though, for this was a battle she wasn’t sure she could win alone.
She wasn’t all that sure they would help her. She hadn’t been at Windsong all that long and her relationships with them, though in good standing for the most part, were still new and could easily be forgotten if they chose to let her go. With a heavy sigh, she committed herself to at least giving them the opportunity to turn her away. As she closed her eyes, her resolve in the ma
tter set, she could feel sleep tickle at the back of her mind. She was so tired. Recent events had taken their toll on her and she was tempted to give in to the desire to simply close her eyes and rest. Her time was precious though. She only had until the end of the moon cycle and by the way the shadows from the moon danced across the floor, she didn’t have much time left. Sleep was the last thing she wanted to do, for if she failed, she could sleep her eternity away back in the Veil.
Forcing her tired body up out of the chair, Talia walked over to the place where she had stood earlier and reached down to pick up the large leather-bound book that the Shadow Witch had forgotten. It was actually less likely that she had forgotten it, but rather had left it as a reminder to Talia’s commitment and what would happen if she were to break it. As she hoisted the heavy book into her arms, she heard a click from behind her and turned to find Hope, the real Hope, standing in the doorway. With a look of confusion on her face, she walked into her room and closed the door. Talia had half expected to see Ian trailing behind her, but on this rare occasion, Hope was alone.
It struck Talia as oddly humorous that as much as Hope fought the relationship between her and Ian, she held on to it tighter than any would assume she could.
“Talia, what happened here?” The concern in Hope’s voice was thick and she looked back and forth between her sister and the man that should have been her brother.
Waking Beauty [Windsong Keep] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 9