A Darkness Awakens

by Helena Lancaster

  He looked towards the coastal road to see Zak walking towards him and waved him onward. This was going to be a difficult conversation. If his grandson was anything like either of his true parents, then he expected to see a good bit of anger come from him as the truth was revealed. The problem was that John would not blame him at all for it. He smiled as Zak stood in front of him, tall and lean with deep blue eyes and dark hair. He was the very image of William at the same age. There could be no denying that he was indeed the King’s son.

  “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, John,” Zak said to him with a smile.

  “You should thank the man you call father more than me,” John responded quickly. “He is the one that made me realize that I promised your mother not to tell him and Katie who she and your natural father are but that I never promised not to tell you or your sister.”

  “Either way, I am grateful that you are willing to speak to me about them.”

  “Though we should not have this conversation here. The tavern owner has held a table in the back for us to be able to speak more freely. Come with me.”

  He turned and walked towards the tavern with Zak following close behind. It was a short walk, just across the square, but the village seemed to be bustling with activity. The market was busier than he had usually found it, full of more people than he was used to seeing in a village this size. It made him curious as to what drew them all there on this day but his spies knew nothing of it. He opened the door to the tavern and stepped inside with Zak before nodding to the owner and leading his grandson through the busy main room towards a more private area in the back. There was a table in the far corner that had two large, full mugs of ale on it waiting for the two of them. He led Zak over and took the seat that faced the rest of the tavern, indicating for Zak to take the seat opposite him.

  “Is this ale?” Zak queried as he took a small sip.

  “Indeed. You are quite old enough to enjoy some,” He answered with a slight smile.

  “Not in Corinthia.”

  “Well it is a strange land. It has strange ways and technology but it lacks the magic and simplicity of Ilysia.”

  “And the beauty. In school they teach us that life in Corinthia has not been this way in nearly six centuries.”

  “These old ways as they call it there will not be forsaken here. Ilysians do not take such things as nature and hard work for granted.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  He could not help but flash Zak a smile as he took a swig of his own ale. He silently prayed to the gods the ale would give him the courage to say everything that his grandson deserved to hear.

  “My mom showed me the letter my real mother sent with Addí and myself when you took us to her and dad,” Zak began. “I could see her tear stains on it. She did not want to give us up, did she?”

  He stared at Zak for a moment, noticing that the young man got right to the point of things. It made him smile inside to see some of his mother in him. She was always very straight forward, more so than he and Résalyn combined.

  “Forgive me but you get to the point quite like your mother,” John observed. “Yet you are the very image of your father.”

  “Do you know them well?” Zak inquired.

  “I always have known your mother best but I should, considering that she is my daughter.”

  John watched the expression of shock that formed on Zak’s face before taking another sip of his ale. It was going to be the liquid courage he needed in this situation. This was not just telling a young man the truth of his heritage, but his grandson, his own blood.

  “You’re my grandfather?” Zak asked, his voice growing loud.

  “Not so loud!” John exclaimed in response. “But yes, I am your grandfather.”

  “Tell me about her, my mother.”

  “Your sister looks very much like her if you are curious as to what she looks like.”

  “Why isn’t she here with you?”

  “A rather long story. Ever since she left her mother’s home with you and your sister shortly after her birth, she has made contact with only me. I am quite lucky that her mother is not holding the grudge with me that your father is. Though at the present time, I do not know where she is.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Kélinae Joan Daesyn, Princess of the White Fae and heir to Queen Résalyn.”

  He silently watched again as his grandson’s face formed another stunned look. It was obvious that the boy did not expect to learn that he was indeed royalty. If only he knew how much royal blood truly flowed through his veins. The rest of this conversation was not going to be easy.

  “My mother is Queen Résalyn’s missing heir? How is that possible?” Zak questioned, his voice full of disbelief.

  “I once was in a relationship with the Queen. We are still on good terms. She even attended my recent wedding,” John answered him, trying to show reassurance in his voice. “And your grandmother loves you dearly. She would welcome you and your sister with open arms to her court.”

  “But how can I be Fae royalty?”

  “You are more than Fae royalty, Zak.”

  John watched the curious look that had formed on Zak’s face. He could tell that his grandson was having a hard time fathoming all of this to be possible. He had spent the majority of his life as the son of resistance leaders and now he was learning that he was royalty, the grandson of a Fae queen.

  “How am I more than Fae royalty? Is my father some kind of King or something?” Zak probed in disbelief.

  “Before I answer you, Zak, I need you to calm down. We do not need to attract the wrong kind of attention,” John advised.

  He silently watched the young man try to regain some composure by taking a large gulp of his ale. John knew that this was a lot for Zak to take in. He understood that he was going to have a lot of feelings that he did not understand, but he wanted his grandson to know that he could always come to him for anything. They were family.

  “I’m sorry, John,” Zak sighed. “None of this is what I expected to hear.”

  “Of course it isn’t,” John replied. “Why would you ever suspect any of what I am telling you? You have no reason to.”

  “Never in anything I could imagine is my mother Fae royalty.”

  John placed a hand over his grandson’s and squeezed it lightly to give him a sense of comfort and assurance. He knew it was a lot to take in that no one would have suspected.

  “Does this mean I call you grandfather now?” Zak asked with a slight grin.

  “Only when it is just you and I, you may. If you call me grandfather in front of others then they would know exactly who both of your parents are,” John remarked with a smile.

  “Then who is my father?”

  “Before I tell you, Zak, you must understand that your mother and father were deeply in love yet unable to completely be together, many Ilysians know the story of their love. It was like an open secret no one could keep. Your father knows of you and loves you more than you know. It is because I helped your mother take you and your sister away that he banished me from his court.”

  “From his court? He’s a King?”

  “He was the only heir to the throne when you were born. His father tragically passed away nearly seven years ago and he ascended the throne that rules over the humans and Witches of this land.”

  John watched Zak’s eyes closely. There was a sadness yet an acceptance of what he had learned. This was not what he ever intended for either of Kélinae’s children but they deserved the truth, especially now that war was truly on the horizon.

  “So King William is my father?” Zak questioned him, looking for full affirmation of this as fact.

  “He is,” he confirmed.

  “Thank you, grandfather. I only ask that you not tell my sister. Addí isn’t ready to know this.”

  “One day she is going to have to be told the truth I just told you.”

  “She can’t even admit just how important she is. That
time is not now.”

  “I will not keep this from her forever. She cannot fully embrace her destiny without knowing that she, like you, is the child of Princess Kélinae of the White Fae and King William the third of Ilysia.”

  “Just please don’t tell her until you have no choice.”

  “Then what do you intend to do with this information?”

  “Seek out my parents.”

  Before John could answer, he heard a chorus of screams coming from outside the tavern. He stood and walked towards the bar with Zak following close behind. The cries of the people in the town were growing louder and the sky had turned darker than normal for the time in the evening that it was. The main door then burst open as several people came running in with fear filled faces. Something terrible was happening outside and John could sense that it was not good. Whatever this was had the Empress’s forces name written all over it and he knew that he did not have enough friends there to fight them off. This village was going to be lost to them if they did not find a way to push them out.

  “Vampires!” the innkeeper yelled as he ran into the tavern for safety. “John! We need help or we will fall to those unnatural creatures.”

  “I do not have enough forces here to defeat them,” John proclaimed. “But we can hold them to get people safely out of the village.”

  “You can get help, John,” Zak argued. “Send for resistance forces. Send for Addí, RJ, and whoever else my dad will send. This is what we have trained for!”

  “Alright. I will send someone to get them.”

  “And let me fight?”

  “Just be careful and follow my lead.”

  John walked swiftly to the door of the tavern and stepped outside looking for the one that had come here from Ílkésarén with him. His eyes scanned the chaotic crowd to see Rínae holding back a trio of Vampires with a small wall of fire.

  “Rínae!” he shouted, causing her to turn his way. “Come here! I need your help!”

  The Fae quickly ran towards him, turning back only briefly to send another trail of fire towards the same Vampires to keep them held back.

  “What is it, John?” she asked of him.

  “I need you to use the portal and go get help from the resistance forces in Corinthia. We cannot lose this village because if we do that puts the Empress even closer to the Queen’s territory,” he commanded without hesitation.

  “We cannot let that happen. Our job is to push her forces back not let them gain more.”

  “Then go get help before we lose the village to these blood suckers!”

  Rínae gave him a quick salute as she walked past him and started to open the portal. He only hoped that Zak’s idea would completely work and help them to defeat the unnatural monsters. He had to have faith that things were on their right path. The fight was just starting before they had time to fully prepare for it.

  James was working on weapons training with Addí and RJ while Zak was off meeting with John. He knew that this would be the best use of their time as the fight would require them to be skilled with more than just magic. They all had their strengths that had showed from previous training. Zak was well on his way to mastering the sword just as RJ was doing the same with a bow. Addí had proven to be the most agile and skilled with hand to hand combat, preferring to work with daggers and other short blades. Today she had taken to practicing her jumps and flips all why trying to catch the arrows that RJ was shooting. She had a natural grace to her athleticism that had always stood out to him, with reflexes that were almost as fast as a living Vampire. It was an obvious indication of Fae and Elven blood, as only Katie’s were faster than hers.

  RJ had missed more targets that normal today thanks to Addí. She had caught over half of his shots before they reached their destination, jerking them from their flight in the air and throwing them back for RJ to catch. The two of them seemed to create a new type of drill as they continued the routine over and over for the past couple of hours. It made him smile to see the way the two of them had grown and evolved with their training.

  He was taken from his thoughts and watchful eye over the two teens that were training by the sound of the portal. He turned to see Rínae Málvyén, Queen Résalyn’s niece, stepping through. The Fae seemed panicked when her eyes met his. Something was wrong.

  “Rínae, what’s wrong?” he asked, concern filling his voice.

  “I went with John to Tordéalín and it has fallen under attack. He sent me to get whatever help you could send,” she quickly answered.

  “Is my son still there?”

  “He went into the fight with John when I left. It’s Vampires, James.”

  James quickly ran his hands through his hair. Addí and RJ were the only immediate aide he could send. He would have to contact other members of the resistance that were combat ready and send them after. He was not ready to send both of his adopted children into a fight along with his closest friend’s only son.

  “Addí and RJ are the only ones I can send with you now,” James began. “I will send more help as quickly as I can get them to you. If I go now, then I can’t contact any of the others.”

  “Any help is enough for now, James,” the Fae responded. “I will take them with me and you can send what others that you can reach as quickly as you can.”

  James sighed aloud. This was not what he wanted to do but he knew he did not have a choice. Vampires would easily take the village if he did not send help. He was going to have to call everyone he could think of to not feel like he had sent his adopted children and Robert’s son into a slaughter.

  “Addí! RJ!” he nearly shouted to get their attention.

  The two immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to face him, both wearing curious looks.

  “There’s been an attack on the village where Zak went to meet with John,” he revealed. “I need the two of you to go with Rínae and help fight the Vampires back. I’m going to send everyone that I can as quickly as possible.”

  He watched as they both ran to the wall where their weapons were kept and began to equip themselves with their normal weapon choices. RJ strapped a quiver full of arrows to his back and sheathed several daggers to his sides and in the top of his boots. Addí was adding her back sheath for the short sword she favored and filling the sheathes at her hips, wrists, and top of her boots with corresponding daggers. They were moving quickly for having never seen combat before and he watched as they grabbed Zak’s sword and the belt that held his daggers so that he would no longer be unarmed. He was filled with pride to see how much they had paid attention that this was their best way to bring down a Vampire, not to depend on their magic.

  “We’re ready, Dad,” Addí announced as they began to walk towards him and Rínae.

  “Be careful, both of you and do not forget any of your training,” James replied as he pulled them both into a quick embrace. “I expect all three of you to return home safe.”

  “We will, James,” RJ stated confidently.

  “Don’t be cocky but do not let them get the best of you. You both have trained a lot for this.”

  “I will look after them, James. There is no need to worry,” Rínae assured with a small smile.

  He nodded in response to her as he watched her start to open the portal. He was terrified. He wanted to go with them so that he could know they would be safe but it was his duty to find others to send into the fight. He only prayed to all of the gods that RJ and his eldest children would return home alive and unhurt. He would never forgive himself for not going if something happened to any of them.

  Zak was really wishing that he had brought one of his weapons with him on this trip. His magical gifts alone were not enough to take out a Vampire, living or undead. While he was good with hand to hand combat, he was more confident with a sword in his hand. He had been doing as his grandfather instructed and followed his lead. John’s element was fire, which was much more effective against their current foes. Water would never be enough to take one out but
he was able to use it to slow some of them down.

  “Your power is too weak to defeat them, Zak,” he heard a familiar voice shout.

  He turned in the direction of the voice to see a shadowy figure, seemingly hidden by darkness. It had not grown that dark outside, which indicated that whoever it was had a gift over light. He stepped towards the darker space where the voice came from curiously.

  “Don’t tell me that you don’t recognize me,” Shane spoke as the darkness that covered him faded away. “That would be quite pitiful for you to not remember me.”

  “Where have you been?” Zak questioned.

  “Training with my new allies.”

  Zak was taken aback. What was he talking about? Or was the answer just one that he did not want to accept? Shane was his friend and a member of their team. There was no way he was a danger to him. The thought was impossible for him to believe.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked him.

  “My true loyalty was never with your family’s rebellion but with the true ruler of Ilysia, the Empress,” Shane revealed with a wicked smile.

  “How could you!” Zak exclaimed with a shout.

  He stood there in disbelief as Shane laughed. The laugh was evil and almost bone chilling. It only made the anger in him rise faster. He might have been without his usual weapon but that did not mean that his power could not provide him with one. Power flowed through him, right through his body and out his fingertips in the form of solid ice. He focused his concentration on forming the ice into a sword and once the sharp point completed the end, he gripped it tight in his hands. He would not allow Shane’s treachery to stand.

  “You are a fool to think you can defeat me with that,” Shane mocked.

  “I may be foolish but I am no traitor,” Zak responded as he advanced towards someone he had once called friend.