She had walked to a park that was not far from her school’s campus. She knew that it was quiet with few people at this time of day, which was ideal for what she tended to do to ease her mind when it was troubled. She never understood how or why she could make all water bend to her will, but standing along the Danisan River as she let her mind wander while she caused the water to do what she wished always relaxed her. She went to her usual spot along the river bank and held her hands out before her, closing her eyes as she started to let herself feel the water and her ability to command it surge through her body. She could feel the water starting to rise towards her in her mind before she opened her eyes and witnessed it for herself. It felt calming to her and like her best escape from reality when something was truly upsetting her.
“Hello,” she heard a woman speak from behind her.
She jumped and turned as she heard the water splash behind her. Her sudden fright had severed the connection she had created with the river in that moment.
“I am sorry,” the woman apologized. “I was not trying to scare you.”
Olívia observed the woman standing in front of her. She was tall and had an elegant beauty to her with long, curly, chestnut tresses and almond-shaped eyes that held the same color as an emerald. She seemed almost other worldly as she smiled at her and all Olívia could think about was that this woman saw what she did with the water.
“You… you saw…” Olívia began with a slight stutter.
“I did but it is nothing to be afraid of,” the woman reassured her.
“How is it nothing to be afraid of?”
She felt terrified that this woman was going to take her somewhere to have her locked in a psychiatric hospital or to be experimented on. There could be no reason she should not be afraid! What she could do was unnatural!
“Because I have gifts, too, and I can help you,” the woman answered with a slight smile.
“Who are you?” Olívia asked, curiosity filling her voice.
“My name is Katheríne Váhalíssón Moore but you may call me Katie, as everyone else does.”
“And you can do what I did?”
“No. My power is not with water but the earth. My son had your power.”
Olívia could see the sadness in her eyes and hear it in her voice when Katie mentioned her son. It sounded as if something had happened to him that was not good.
“It is nice to meet you, Katie,” she quietly responded. “My name is Olívia Pálko.”
“It is wonderful to meet you, Olívia.”
“You said you could help me.”
“I can and I want to. Did your parents not tell you about your gifts?”
Olívia looked down and sighed aloud. Her parents could barely have any conversation without an argument. Her father was not the nicest man and had even said in front of her and her sister that he only married her mother because of her heritage, which she and Nóra had always assumed to be because her mother’s family had been wealthy for many generations. She knew that her mother had once loved him but it changed after she gave birth to her and her sister. Her mother was trapped in a marriage with her hateful father because he would not divorce her, not even after she found out she could not have any more children. If they knew anything about this power she had, they certainly would have never told her. It made her wonder if Nóra had a power too.
“My parents never told me anything. They can barely speak to each other without fighting,” Olívia recalled.
“I can tell you what I know,” Katie offered.
“Would you please?”
She wanted to know the answer to this why. Perhaps if she knew then she would not feel like some kind of anomaly or mutant. Katie smiled at her, causing her to smile back in response. Maybe it was a good thing that she was seen using whatever this gift truly was.
“These gifts show that your family once came to this land from another world, much different from this. Ilysia is a magical place with none of the technology that this world seems overly dependent on,” Katie explained.
Olívia felt her eyes widen and the expression of shock form on her face. Another world existed? Magic was real?
“I was born in Ilysia and came here as a girl with my parents. Many families migrated here in the last five centuries because of the continued growth of the power and forces of the Dark Empress. Coming to this land was supposed to be to escape the Empress and her followers but many that still live there long to see her gone for good,” Katie continued.
“So my family once lived there?” Olívia questioned.
“Yes and because of having gifts it means your family carries the blood of the magical species of Ilysia. Not all Ilysians are human there are many Fae, Elves, and Witches, as well as the Vampires and Weres that only serve the Empress.”
“All of this really exists somewhere?”
Olívia knew that her tone was one of disbelief. How could all of that be real? Creatures like that only existed in books, movies, and television shows! It was not possible for them to truly exist.
“Yes it does,” Katie remarked with a laugh. “I understand not wanting to believe it. This is new for you.”
“Can you teach me more?” Olívia inquired.
“I would be happy too! Where do you live?”
“In a dormitory at the Berdenheim School for the Arts. I’ve been there for three years now, unable to return home to see my family because if I do then I may not get to come back.”
She could see the curiosity on Katie’s face at her words. She needed to explain that better with the truth of where she was from.
“I came here from Rutania, Moserovo actually,” she added. “My parents and sister are still there. I miss my sister more than anything. We’re fraternal twins and barely get to have any contact.”
“My home is rather close,” Katie declared. “I would like you to come with me and meet some people.”
“Can you help me with my sister?”
“It is very possible that we can.”
“Then I would be happy to.”
“You are Ilysian as we are. You will be welcome in my home any time you need somewhere to go for any reason. We protect our own. My husband will be your best hope at helping you contact or even see your sister. I promise we will do anything we can for you.”
“Thank you, Katie. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“I can see the happiness in your eyes, Olívia. Just follow me and think of this as a new home for you.”
Olívia smiled as Katie turned around and began to walk back towards the path. She quickly followed, staying in step with the taller woman quite easily. She was feeling more hope than she had in her entire life. It felt like things were finally making a turn towards a happier road and that meeting Katie had been fated. This could mean she may soon see Nóra again. Hope had filled her completely and that was something she never knew the feeling of until now.
Chapter Fifteen
Shane knew the Empress would be impatient for a report. Vílhelm had waited for him on the road back to Séoníalna. He was grateful for the Vampire’s assistance because he might not have succeeded in his mission had Vílhelm not bitten and weakened Zak. He probably should have targeted RJ but he realized when he arrived in Tordéalín that his father had been right. If his intention was to truly cripple the Resistance forces then Zak was the ideal target. He had done exactly what he not only intended to do, but needed to do.
“Well, my friend, is he dead?” Vílhelm asked curiously.
“Oh yes. I could hear the sound of his sister’s scream not long after I was out of sight. That told me everything,” he answered confidently.
“Good. Now it seems his blood has temporarily blessed me with power.”
“And with that you can use the portal with me to return to our Empress faster.”
“I intend to once the rest of my soldiers return. They should be starting to retreat by now. We were only there so you could kill that boy, not to take the village.”
“The Empress did not command such?”
“No and until she does we will leave the village under the control of the weak human King.”
“William is far from weak and not entirely human. Don’t forget that.”
“Then perhaps one day I will taste his blood and know what his power feels like.”
“As long as doing it will not anger the Empress, Vílhelm. If I am right about the sister of the one whose life I just took, then William is her biological father. Would your daughter ally herself with someone that harmed or killed you?”
Shane watched as the Vampire seemed to stop to think about his question. He knew he had forced Vílhelm to think about his possible actions by making him see his daughter if someone did something to him. He observed the deep in thought, undead a few short moments before he began to laugh.
“If someone harmed or killed me, Bríelle would tear them apart after draining them of every last drop of blood. My daughter has quite the temper,” the Vampire remarked with more laughter.
“She must have gotten that from you,” Shane responded.
“You have not met my wife, young one. She is not a Vampire to be trifled with.”
“I would love to meet her.”
“She would like you!”
He laughed at the Vampire’s comment. He had the feeling that he was going to rise in the ranks of the Empress much faster and higher than Ísábella could dream of because he was unafraid to do whatever it took to show his loyalty. He would kill and even make friends with the Vampires, neither of which his new ally has done. It was true that Ísábella had her secrets but he could see right through her. The woman was stringing Rafe along while engaging in an affair with the Empress’s nephew. She had not admitted this to him but it was impossible to not realize it after spending time with her and Eídéard together. If they were not careful then they would become so obvious that even the weak Rafe would figure it out.
“You are going to serve our Empress well, young Shane,” Vílhelm observed. “Now I believe that my soldiers have almost all returned, whatever is left of them. Quite a few of those fighting us had the power of fire.”
“Thank you, Vílhelm,” Shane replied. “Fire is the most useful gift against your kind. They were lucky in that respect.”
“They will not always be so lucky, but I believe we can soon return to the Empress.”
“Good. I will seek out my father and await you outside the inn.”
“I shall not be long.”
Shane turned and walked towards the center of the town. The Inn was not far and he was certain his father had waited in the Inn’s small tavern on their return. He was nearly there when he saw his father exit the Inn.
“Dad!” He called out, causing his father to look his way.
He stopped and waited for his father to walk over to him. He could see the expectant look on his face and knew that he would be quite eager for the details of the skirmish that had just occurred.
“The Empress awaits us, son,” his father stated as soon as he was standing before him.
“We wait on Vílhelm, Dad,” he quickly responded.
“Ah so he has a little magic for now?”
“For two days he does and I’m grateful for it.”
“Then we will wait on our undead friend. The Empress would likely prefer that he at least returned with us.”
“I believe that as well. All of his surviving soldiers were returning so we shouldn’t be waiting long.”
“Did he take heavy losses?”
“Yes and no, they had a lot of fire power.”
“Damn! Vampires have no chance against that.”
“I know. Luckily I was not facing anyone with that power.”
“Did you recognize anyone besides Zak, Addí, and RJ?”
“Only John Daesyn.”
He watched the grin form on his father’s lips. John Daesyn was a Witch that was a known spy for the Resistance forces. The man was a former lover of Queen Résalyn, who remained in her favor though he had been cast out of the court of his actual king. He had known for quite a while that his father was no fan of the Witch.
“The one man who can confirm the true identity of the girl of prophecy,” his father remarked.
“I thought you and I both believe that to be Addí Moore?” Shane questioned in response.
“Yes and if she is, that man is her grandfather. The only descendants of both Queen Maelyn and Queen Anna to have children are King William the third and Princess Kélinae. Of course, the second child is only a rumor but everyone knew they had a son.”
“And if it’s more than rumor, Dad? If Princess Kélinae and the King did have a second child and it was a girl?”
“Around the time it was said she had that child, she disappeared from her mother’s court with both of her children and her father. John Daesyn would be the only one besides Princess Kélinae to be able to completely confirm any of this.”
“And if none of this is rumor?”
“Then James and Katie have a lot of explaining to do if they have known the true heritage of their adopted children all this time.”
“Do you think they know?”
“They have never seemed to know. It was something they always said that John was elusive about. They never even told those children they were even adopted.”
Shane knew well that the last words his father spoke were the truth. He knew Addí and Zak for years. They had once been friends and never indicated to him that they knew anything about being adopted. It would seem to him that so many people seemed to be curious about the truth without actually knowing it. Everything all added up in his mind when he had discussed everything he had seen Addí do with his father. She was the one from the prophecy. Granted, Shane only knew about the prophecy from his father. His former allies never spoke about it to his generation. It made him wonder what his new companions in Moserovo knew of it, if anything at all.
“My friends, I am ready to return to our Empress when you are,” the voice of Vílhelm announced from behind them.
“I will open the portal then,” his father quickly said in response.
“All of my surviving soldiers will make their way back to their homes.”
“Then let’s go tell our Empress about how well we completed our mission,” Shane remarked with a devilish smirk.
He looked in front of him to see the portal that would take them back to Pétríval Castle in nearly an instant was open and waiting. His father motioned for him and Vílhelm to go on through to the other side before following himself. When they stepped through, they were just outside the throne room. Shane knew that his father was very good at opening portals to almost exactly where they wished to travel. This was only proving to him just how skilled his father was, something that had been kept from their former allies in the Resistance.
Eídéard and Ísábella were awaiting them at the large doors that opened into the vast throne room, both of them had curious and eager looks on their faces. Shane quickly flashed them a smile as Eídéard motioned for the guards to open the doors. The Duke led them all into the room where the Empress awaited them. She was shockingly not sitting on her throne but standing near the center of the room. All of them quickly bowed before her as soon as she turned to face them. The alluringly beautiful Fae promptly motioned for them all to stand. It was evident that she wanted no time to be wasted for the report to be given. The night had gotten late but she remained in her full court garb, a lengthy crimson gown that made her dark eyes seem even darker with her midnight colored hair completely pinned up and a crown of rubies nestled on top of her head. Shane would never expect any less out of his liege. She always looked every bit like the Queen she was, a perfect image of beauty and power.
“I expect a full report from the both of you,” she declared as he stepped forward with Vílhelm.
“Your Grace, several of the members of the Resistance that were present in Tordéalín have the gift of fire,” Vílhelm began. �
��I did take some heavy losses with my own forces.”
“This was an act of war, Vílhelm. I expected losses.”
He looked at the Empress with confidence, never fear. He had succeeded in his mission and he knew as soon as she turned to look at him that it was exactly what she was looking to hear.
“And your mission, Shane?” the Empress questioned him.
“A successes, Your Grace,” he answered with his voice full of confidence.
He watched the villainous smile form on the Empress’s lips. She made it very obvious to all in the room that she was pleased.
“And which life did you take?” she asked him.
“His name was Zak Moore. He is not only the son of the Resistance leaders in Corinthia but the brother of the prophesied girl. Killing him over the other was at the suggestion of my father. He believes it will strike a larger blow at our enemies. But, I do have Vílhelm to thank for my success. Had he not grabbed Zak and bitten him then I would have found myself defeated by my own target,” Shane explained.
“So he was better at your chosen weapon?”
“He always had been. I chose the sword to keep suspicions away from me for as long as possible.”
“I see. You still succeeded and even took your father’s advice, which I must say was very good. I am quite pleased with you, Shane.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. My actions today were in your name.”
“And you have proven loyalty to me by being the one willing to take not only first blood but the life of the Resistance leader’s son. I agree with your father that it will make the biggest impact. The sooner we break them, the sooner that all of Ilysia falls under my rule.”
“Your Grace, I believe Shane and Galen are going to be wonderful additions to our forces we have been building,” Ísábella remarked.
“Ah, Ísábella!” the Empress exclaimed as she turned to the woman standing slightly behind him and to his right. “They are going to be wonderful for our cause and give us the things you could not. You will no longer fail me as you will no longer lead the forces in this foreign world you live in.”
A Darkness Awakens Page 20