The Dark Materials

by Amanda Churi

  “J-just hang on,” I stuttered, releasing her arm with one of my hands and pressing down gently on her torn face, though she didn’t register the feeling of being touched.

  A sound resembling chimes danced in my ears, and when I looked back towards the brightly shining light through my eyes that were a mixture of blood and tears, I couldn’t be more surprised.

  A girl stood in the center of the vibrant ball of light, though I could hardly see her body due to the radiance her presence gave off. Her fully white eyes bore into Mabel before shifting to me, her powder lips parting and speaking in a light, sing-song voice.

  “What is the girl’s name?” she asked, her eyes glittering.

  “M-Mabel,” I stammered wearily. I quickly remembered my friends, hastily looking over my shoulder. Laelia and Griffin were on their backs, lying on the ground and looking as though they had just passed out.

  “They cannot see me,” the girl said lightly as I looked back in her direction. “I won’t let them.” She pointed at Mabel. “She will be alright…” the girl reassured me. “She’s blessed by the light; a lerial’s evil cannot defeat something as pure as such, but you still need to remain alert. I don’t know how, but I can see that you do not come from here. This is a very dangerous land you are in; if you aren’t careful, your life will end in the blink of an eye.”

  I took a deep breath, using every ounce of my sanity to remain calm. I didn’t know who this girl was, but she looked like she wanted to help, and her being the first thing in this foreign world that didn’t want to kill me, I was going to trust her.

  “We need to go somewhere safe,” I explained.

  “There is no safety in this world,” she responded glumly.

  “Then can you at least tell me where I can get help?” I pleaded. “We don’t know where to go or who to trust; we need answers.”

  She smiled. “You seem to trust me, though.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, my lips sealing when I couldn’t think of an appropriate way to say what I thought. The girl smiled contently with my silence, turning to her side and holding out a glowing hand. She aimed it towards the caved in path ahead of us, the dead branches slowly shriveling up like raisins until each of them was no larger than a puny stick. What went from a closed off trail was suddenly a lightly littered passage that would cause us no trouble.

  She lowered her arm before looking back at me, gliding in my direction like a ghost. She pointed towards the path.

  “Now that I have made my presence clear here, the lerials won’t bother you anymore,” she explained quietly, “though I must leave to avoid being found. Straight out of the forest is where you must go, and if you follow the dark river, you will come across a town; if you move quickly enough, you may find someone to be of aid. Do not waste time no matter what; it is never wise to stay in one place for long.”

  I was silent, completely surprised by not only the fact that this stranger had been in the right place at the right time, but that she was kind enough to help. Her presence was the first thing that gave me hope since I arrived here. “Who are you?” I asked stiffly.

  A weak smile enfolded her lips as she looked my way, and even though her face was almost completed obscured by the pure white light, I could tell that somehow our presence had enlightened her as well. “I cannot say. I am only known as The Seeker.”

  With that, she lowered her head, closing her eyes as an invisible wind took her away from my side and plunged the forest back into night, her words fading into the air as we were left alone once more in the land of the enemy.

  Four

  Immoral

  No, no, no!

  The moment her eyes made contact with her old ally, Tah fled as quickly as she could before Kevin could realize that his mind played no trick on him and that the child had actually stood a matter of ten meters from his presence.

  Tah could not contain her fear, frantically racing through the crowd of peasants and giving no concern to those who she pushed aside, ignoring the many shouts of frustration directed at her.

  That one brief second that their eyes shared was all that Tah needed to know just how Kevin felt about her. He hated her with every fiber in his body, and he was also very scared about just what she was now capable of—

  But he was not frightened enough to the point where his fears would stop him from ripping her heart out of her throat if he got the chance.

  Shortly after Reeve saved her life, Reeve recalled the powers Tah had briefly possessed, leading to a near complete separation between her Deceiver and herself that Tah miraculously endured. She now possessed her mortal body once more, along with her own mind, but her destiny was bound to that of her successor; the fall of Reeve would lead to her own destruction, and vice versa, since they now shared an inseparable link. One could not survive without the other.

  The bruises rampant on Tah’s skin only further reinforced that she was nothing but a pawn to the ice spirit—from the physical and mental abuse she suffered, all of the way to the trauma permanently one with her injured heart. She hated the animal she had become, but ultimately, there was nothing she could do. This was her new life, and she had to swallow it bravely or face the consequences that came with resisting.

  Moving as fast as she could, Tah burst into the semi-bare woodland, desperate to gain as much distance between the old sorcerer and herself as she could. The low temperatures welcomed their master, the thinning trees smiling upon her as their dormant season presented herself to them in the form of a human. She could hear the crunch of the branches in her sharp ears as they internally turned to watch her with interest, the leaves below her feet gossiping as she tread across them.

  Why did they send me? she questioned through her uncontrollable heartbeat, the frigid wind tearing through her short, dry brown hair, while colliding with her eyes that remained frozen deep within. Why do I have to be tortured with knowing what could have been? Why did I ever follow them?!

  She knew the answer to each of these. Despite the pain inside when she realized Eero had no feelings for her, the emotional torture then was nothing compared to what she was now forced to endure. She did not support Reeve, nor her plans, but in the end, Tah had no choice but to do what she was told. She was a child too weak, too fearful, and too submissive towards the supreme forces to resist—the precise reason that she had been chosen as the perfect victim for the spreading of this unavoidable darkness.

  She ran for what seemed like forever, carried by the fear spilling out of her from every pore. After the sun had managed to reach its peak in the sky and twirl back down so that it now touched the horizon, Tah had reached her destination.

  She paused, staring up at the large withered oak that Reeve had sucked the life out of. The darkening sky stretched its reach through the empty branches, the dull shine of the coming stars glittering faintly through the gaps.

  Tah took a deep breath, the presence of the night-time environment renewing her with energy and calming her nerves. Reeve chose to remain hidden during the day when she was at her weakest; the moon enhanced her devious abilities all the further, and thus, this was the only frame of time in which Reeve would dare to come forth from the shadows, enjoying her freedom while slowly enacting her psychotic plan. If she ever faced a foe this time of night, they could never stand up to her and hope to come out alive.

  Welcome back, Deceiver, Reeve’s voice rippled in the breeze.

  Her face straight, Tah took a step back from the trunk of the tree, staring at its base intently. There was a sharp crack, and magically, the tree began to rotate, its roots remaining in place but its massive trunk unwringing itself as slowly, the base of the tree magically parted in two.

  The night suddenly thickened. The stars did not dare to show themselves upon hearing the terrifying sound, slowly retreating behind the increasing cloud cover as they tried to escape the eyes of those below in fear of becoming their next target; they did not fear the Deceiver, but they were terrified of the one who made her
just that.

  A rush of cold air left the leaves and branches covered in frost as she parted from the tree. The soil screamed, its fellow neighbors crying for help as a ripple of blue overtook them, petrifying them as the ominous being made her grand entrance into the world that was nothing more than a battlefield between the one far below and the one that loomed at an unreachable distance above the clouds.

  Her irises were an elaborate snowflake, shining with deceit and mischief. The top half of an old, rotten horse skull rested on her face, covering all except her eyes and pale lips, which had lost blood so long ago. Her skin was the color of snow, holding a chilled blue tint to it that had no beating heart beneath the surface. Her hair was long and black, sharp fragments of ice sticking out from the messy braid it was tied in, and much like every part of her was a weapon, so was her dress—a jagged, sharp piece of clothing that went down to her knees, made completely out of icicles and skin slicing plates of ice that hugged her body and succumbed to her every movement, reflecting each ray of light like a kaleidoscope.

  From the open tree trunk, a tall man in peasant clothing came forward after the ice spirit, his hair melting into the darkness and his eyes swallowing the small luminance present in the sinister night.

  “Happy to see you decided to return,” the man stated as he halted beside the ice spirit. “Reeve and I were taking bets on how to track you down if you decided to flee the first day we gave you an inch of freedom.”

  Tah refused to speak, her insides churning. She hated her master, true, but she absolutely despised the man who had tempted her with the idea of becoming a trio; had he never mislead her with his kind, enticing words, she wouldn’t have decided to walk the path she now did.

  “So, were we correct?” Reeve pressed. “The children are nowhere to be found?”

  Tah sighed, closing her eyes. “If they are still here, I did not see them.”

  “I’m surprised,” Reeve said, a small smile of pleasure appearing on her lips. “I did not think the Receiver, in particular, would be stupid enough to flee, let alone leave her sword behind.”

  “I’m not,” the man responded briskly. “I was never impressed with whom Maeve chose as her successor; however, I did have full faith in the Deceiver since Calla herself selected her.”

  Reeve chuckled. “It has to do not only with the chosen,” she reinforced, “but I have always been stronger than my counterpart. Now, however, with the Receiver gone and the sorcerer rendered powerless, they can’t touch me. All that we need to do is get the Sword of Maeve for ourselves, and then we may finally begin to proceed with our plans.”

  Tah shook her head in defeat. She had failed to understand anything until Reeve recalled the darkness harbored within her prophet, giving the child her own conscience back for the first time in months. Now, upon realizing just how dire the situation was, Tah was mortified. This was what she had unwillingly created; her survival was going to be the death of everyone else.

  “You cannot do that!” Tah choked feebly, struggling to find the courage to speak out against them. “You will kill everyone!”

  “No, we won’t,” the man sneered, “just their will to live.” He shifted his attention back to Reeve. “The other children have successfully undergone their transformation, correct?”

  “Affirmative. They are just like the Deceiver when I was first released; ice now controls them.”

  “Good,” the man acknowledged. “The time is nearing; we must jump into action soon, while Phantome is at its weakest.”

  Reeve looked away, sighing in dejection. “I guess…” she mumbled. “But something still seems off… You’re positive this plan will work? I’ve waited long enough for vengeance, and I swear, I will kill you if this falls through.”

  “If this falls through, by all means, please do,” he grumbled. “I’ve put everything into this second life of mine, and I will do everything that I can to seek revenge before it’s over.”

  “Eero will stop you!” Tah screamed. “They all will!”

  “He tried to stop me once already, and he failed,” Reeve spat.

  “Well, last I saw, he was still alive, so your argument is bull!”

  The man snickered. “Regardless, he cannot win this time. Based on what we saw last night, he’s off to the future now with the rest of them. They can’t come back here, dear; he can’t ruin my plans ever again.”

  “You wait and see,” Tah growled. “You cannot ever win; it is not right. They beat your army in battle, and they will do it again.”

  “They won the battle,” the man hissed, his voice rough and dark as his heart shrouded itself in vengeful pools of blood and the overwhelming desire to slit the boy’s throat. “But you are overlooking one massive detail, insignificant Deceiver…”

  “And what is that?” Reeve spoke up, quite intrigued, yet irritated by his sheer arrogance and ego.

  He smiled, leaning his head back and staring at the sky, grinning at the mental image of a world falling to ice under his precarious hand. His ambition flooded both his heart and brain with a ravenous, unquenchable, and unavoidable love for destruction that he would achieve at all costs.

  “They left me alive… And that means I won the war.”

  ***

  “Kevin, where exactly are you taking us?” Lucy wondered, holding her lover in one hand and her adopted child in the other. The streets of Phantome were nearly abandoned this late, the faint glow of the illuminated lanterns and candles from the nearby houses being the only source of light around. The moon had not yet risen, and the stars seemed hesitant about coming out tonight, though, despite the gloomy evening, Daisy could not restrain her giggles as she twirled and twisted in her mother’s hand, her beautiful eyes reflecting the fascinating night. She took in each piece of scenery as though she had never seen a sight similar in her life.

  Kevin smiled, tossing his glistening black gaze to that of his love while securing his hold on Tripp’s lead as the horse began to stray from his path. “I met someone earlier today,” he began. “He was very nice and offered us a place to stay while we get back on our feet.”

  Lucy’s jaw dropped in fascination. “That’s great, honey! Where is it?”

  “Does it have food?!” Daisy chirped excitedly. “I’m starving!”

  Kevin chuckled, giving his daughter a brisk nod. “Yes, he said it should have some, and it’s some place called the Willow Tavern on the outskirts of Phantome—should be at the end of this street, in fact.”

  “Hm…” Lucy pursed her lips, turning to look ahead as her eyes scanned the nighttime environment. “The way you’re speaking—it sounds like we don’t have to pay? That’s awful generous… Surely there has to be a catch.”

  Kevin gave it a moment of thought before coming to the conclusion that he couldn’t hide their secret edge that gave them such a strong fee waiver. “It’s a place for the Returned…”

  Kevin didn’t have to look at Lucy to sense the immediate unrest in her body. Her eyes widened with disbelief, her jaw tightening as Lucy cast him a distrustful glance, her hand applying so much force on his that Kevin had to hold his breath to keep himself from grunting aloud.

  “I have to prove this, I figure?” she mumbled with frustration.

  He knew just how uncomfortable Lucy was about coming out as a Returned for the prime reason of being looked at differently, but this was a reasonable situation. “No one looks down upon the Returned,” Kevin assured her, though his skin crawled the longer that she challenged his words with her hardened gaze. “You are welcome there, Lucy, and so are we since we bear relation to you. This is just for a little bit, dear—”

  “And what happens if you get into rule?” she demanded fervently. “I will be known as Queen of the Returned!”

  “And I’m an ex-sorcerer, and Daisy is a sorceress,” Kevin rounded. “We will definitely be the most unique royal family, put simply.”

  Lucy exhaled, her eyes softening. “You take our current situation as nothing more than a
joke,” she said under her breath, forcing her eyes to divert from his. “I think you are overlooking the future consequences of such a risky move.”

  That really annoyed Kevin. He didn’t want to do this originally, but he much favored having a bunch of angry peasants turn on them than the Queen of Winter herself. Soon, Lucy would have to learn that their “current situation” was a much bigger problem than she realized—taking this risk tipped the scales slightly more in favor of their own survival, even if heightening the possibility of whiplash from the community.

  “P-please don’t fight…” Daisy spoke up, her voice strained and unstable as she stared at her parents with eyes that were rapidly becoming the victims of tears.

  Both Lucy and Kevin recoiled slightly when they saw a small spark of pink light in the depths of Daisy’s eyes. Not only did that make Kevin all the more anxious about being around others, but it gave him insight as to just what Daisy’s triggers were. Each supernatural had certain things that set their Eyla off and allowed them to take over, especially when they were young. For most, it was fear or when a very strong threat became present, but Daisy’s powers seemed to come forth when a strain on family life became apparent. Eero’s life nearly taken from him was one occurrence, and this equaled two.

  She couldn’t have a more inconvenient trigger considering the circumstances… Kevin thought glumly.

  “No, no, hush, baby girl; it’s going to be just fine,” Lucy cooed, leaning down and giving her small hand a firm shake of reassurance. “We’re just talking is all. Nothing is going to happen between us.”

  Daisy sniffled, her iridescent blue eyes quickly overpowering the small fragment of pink that tried to push forth. “Promise?”

  Lucy smiled, giving a slow, courteous nod in her direction with large, sincere eyes. “I promise… We will always be a family, no matter what.”

  They walked on in silence the rest of the way until the young family arrived at the door of the tavern. The sector of Phantome where the building resided happened to be one of the few sections that Kevin’s flames had not reached. The tavern looked quite cozy. It was a decent size, certainly large enough to house several families. The walls were cobblestone and wood, a well-made roof consisting of pine shingles and spruce beams lain across the sturdy frame. The windows were glazed over so that onlookers could not see in, withering ivy winding around the panes of glass and the doorway to create a homey feel, while a gentle stream of gray smoke rose from the rock chimney atop. Several wooden posts lined the wall closest to the nearby woodland as a place to tie horses while their owners rested; there were currently no steeds.