Silver had wanted a show, and what better time to manage it than market day in the capital city? She was located perfectly, so that only those on the stage would witness her and Masozi’s presence.
She watched as wytches assembled the platform above the heads of the crowd where Asha was going to take the life from Maria. Of course, she recognised that the life force of an half-Ancient being was going to be a bit more than the life required to heal Masozi’s paltry stomach wound. In fact, she had no doubt that the people of the Morendor Healing Centre would be receiving a significant health boost after Asha was done today.
Asha herself looked oddly calm, yet Silver wasn’t fooled. Asha was acting calm in front of the Dark Coven but inside she would be frantic. Silver knew Romana would have called this cruel and unnecessary, but she would be wrong. Asha had to do this. There was no other way for her to earn the respect of the dark wytches and prove her strength as quickly or as easily. Those wytches were watching Asha now as she helped them assemble the platform, searching for weaknesses or a sign of uncertainty. While invisible to the crowd, glamour such as they had used would not prevent sound carrying, so the work was done in silence, and a stake driven into the ground by magic to prevent the noise carrying. Silver was not used to praying, yet watching Asha she felt the odd urge to plead with some higher being to keep her niece’s emotions completely hidden.
*
Asha waited atop the platform in silence. Minutes ago the wytches had driven the final nails into the wood, using magic instead of a hammer so no noise would alert the market-goers as to their presence. From behind the glamour, the world outside looked fuzzy and indistinct, yet all that would change when her aunt gave the word.
She’d never spoken a word to Maria, had barely ever seen her. This should be easy. Or at least that was what she was telling herself as she stood with her back to the stake Maria would soon be tied to.
Grandmother Black appeared, and instantly the glamour dropped. From the screams behind her she could safely say that Maria had arrived too. The market-goers stopped their business instantly and stared.
“You must remember what your aunt said.” Masozi had linked minds with her some time ago. “The whole point of this is to make yourself look strong. So look strong for all our sakes, Asha.”
“Common folk.” Asha addressed them without meaning to, stealing Grandmother Black’s assigned role as speaker for this little show. “Before you stands Maria, half-Ancient child of Llewellyn, murderer of Lady Katelyn.” There were shouts of outcry from the crowds, and Asha paused to allow the noise to pass. “Her father has flouted the Ancients’ sacred laws, and in doing so he has declared war against the Ancients, and by extension all of wytchdom. Maria has aided in his war crimes and as such the penalty is death.”
There was a sickening moment where the crowd cheered and shouted agreement. Katelyn had been known for the kind and gentle innocent she was, and Silver must have known her death would cause outcry from the people of the human realms. “Watch and see what happens to those who aid Llewellyn.”
With her final shout, and Masozi’s gentle presence in her mind Asha finally turned to face Maria.
The woman looked as insane as she probably was; her hair was matted with blood and her clothes ripped and stained beyond redemption.
“Don’t focus on her.” Masozi advised in a painfully weak voice. “Focus on the task at hand, the magical theory behind what you have to do.”
Asha was aware of the crowd’s gaze on her back as she walked up to the bound woman and placed her hand on her forehead. She allowed herself no hesitation as she began pulling the life force from Maria’s body. Too much was at stake here to even contemplate wavering in her resolve. Masozi’s life, even Silver’s life would rest upon Asha being strong, and as much as she hated her aunt for endangering her friend, Asha refused to allow the infuriating woman to die.
Power, so pure and strange floated to her through her palm and towards her own magical centre. Asha stopped it in its tracks. This was life energy, and powerful stuff at that, but still, having any of Maria’s life in her seemed wrong especially since she didn’t need it.
She shot the power down the bond she shared with Masozi, healing her friend almost instantly, and transferring her wound onto Maria. Then, without a second thought, she divided the rest of the power in two. Half went to Silver, healing her aunt’s broken wings in seconds as Maria screamed in outrage, and the rest went to the injured in the healing centre, bolstering their life force and helping the wytches caring for them.
While concentrating on the task of sending the magic to others she forgot almost entirely that the woman beneath her palm was shrivelling into a husk. Maria’s skin shrivelled and sank inwards till it showed every bone. Her flesh seemed to retreat from Asha’s touch and slowly, ever so slowly, the immortal was dragged down, screaming, into death. All that was left at the end of fifteen minutes was a fragile, blackened skeleton.
Let the Dark Coven think she had prolonged the torturous death on purpose, Asha thought. The truth was, that draining the sheer amount of life force in a near-immortal being took a lot longer than she had thought it would. Unwilling to look afraid now, she stared the skeleton in the eye before turning back to the captive audience. Some people had left, mostly those with children. The rest looked half awed, half terrified.
“The Dark Coven will meet out similar justice to anyone found co-operating with Lady Katelyn’s murderer.” Asha informed them before she was teleported away from the stage with other wytches, leaving the husk that had been Maria there in the noonday sun.
Chapter Twenty-Four
SMILES AND LAUGHS
The atmosphere in the temple as Asha returned was sickeningly euphoric. The dark wytches were as close to merry as she’d ever seen them, with Casey and Hannah at the head of the festivities. She’d appeared in the foyer with Grandmother Black, and almost instantly a glass of wine was pressed into her hands, as people clapped her on her back to congratulate her.
There were smiles and laughs all around as people talked at her, telling her how fitting it was that such a strong wytch’s first kill should go down in histor. She smiled, laughed and bantered not really feeling the joy she was putting into her expression. But when Masozi joined her, she felt her enthusiasm bolstered by proof that her friend was still alive. It was only when Theria silently entered her field of vision that her nervousness began to grow.
Recognising the summons for what it was, she followed the Hellhound; saying her goodbyes and keeping the smile on her face until the door to Silver’s study closed behind her. There she slumped against the wood and let out a sigh as her knees collapsed beneath her. She wanted to vomit, scream or tug at her hair, but all she could seem do was sit there, collapsed against the door.
Asha knew Silver was standing nearby, saying nothing as usual. In some part of her mind she recognised that Silver probably wanted to help, and her aunt just didn’t have a clue what to do. To be fair, Asha had no idea what to do now either. So they stood there, doing nothing, both of them more unsure than either would ever admit. Eventually, Silver moved over and sat with her back to the door next to Asha. She didn’t extend an arm as Romana would have done, and Asha knew Silver never would. But the fact that their shoulders and arms touched was enough for now.
It went on for hours, till the sun began to set outside the window and Asha had a feeling it would have continued that way had Theria and her brothers not come and found them. They piled around them, Theria with her head in Silver’s lap, their large bodies covering the room and creating the impression that the floor was in fact a breathing blanket of scales and fur.
“You understand that you get used to it, I trust?” Silver stated, no doubt at Theria’s prompting. “It was a horrible death. Yet it will make all the other kills you make cleaner as a result. I am fairly certain that you will never make a kill that prolonged again.”
To hear her Aunt talk about it in such a clinical way was definitely no
t helping.
“Talk to your mother about it.” Silver encouraged.
“I don’t want to.” Somehow talking to someone as … pure as Romana seemed wrong right now. As if Asha was so dirty she should never approach someone like her mother. Odd as it was, Silver was the one she needed right now. “She wouldn’t understand.”
Silver snorted. “Your mother would ironically understand better than I do. She’s killed less than a handful of people in her lifetime because she feels the same way about it that you do.”
Asha looked up into her aunt’s face, moving for the first time in hours though her muscles protested. Silver looked as expressionless as ever; the perfect dark wytch queen. Asha should be able to be that. Grandma Kate would never have sent her here if she felt that Asha would be able to survive with purely a light wytch perspective on things.
The war that was coming would be filled with death, her father would fight to protect his family, as would her grandparents, as would Silver and Keenan and even Masozi. Romana would remain behind the lines, a brilliant strategist she would benefit them all better that way. But Asha couldn’t imagine herself in a tent, issuing commands to an army with the fates of her family unknown to her until the end of battle. She would rather be out there, protecting them.
Hence, she had to get over her problem with killing things quickly, or risk everyone she cared about dying on the battlefield.
“How did you feel after your first kill?”
Silver snorted. “You mean you haven’t dreamed it yet?”
“No.” Asha replied. “I’ve never experienced your life before you were a trained killer.”
Silver sighed. “I killed my first man when I was four years old.” She said. “There was nothing special about it, if you didn’t count the way my father screamed at me to do it. Or the fact that he was one of the household guard who’s crime was hesitating in following an order. At the time I could still feel, but I knew if I showed it then I would be punished.”
“Just like me.” Asha whispered.
Silver nodded. “Fortunately for you, you didn’t actually react. I shed a single tear, and it cost me a week of solid torture.”
Asha was stunned; Silver had shown more emotion on her first kill than Asha had killing Maria. Though it was silly to feel so, a slither of pride flowed into her.
“So I am good enough for the Dark Coven.” She muttered.
Silver smirked, “So that’s what this is about? You were worried, not about killing her, but about being too soft?”
“I was worried about it at first.” Asha said, “But when I thought it through, it actually wasn’t that bad. Maria would have killed me in an instant, but I think I’m more afraid of what the dark wytches would do to me than what she had planned, plus,” She hesitated, “I wanted you to be proud of me.”
Silver sat in silence for a long while, and Asha had a feeling that her taciturn aunt was struggling to think of a response.
“If I reacted less than you did to my first kill,” Asha began slowly, thinking to alleviate the tension. “Does that mean I will be a better dark wytch queen than you?”
Silver smirked again, “Plotting to overthrow my rule already?” She asked.
“Of course,” Asha joked. “What kind of dark wytch would I be if I wasn’t constantly evaluating those higher than me for weaknesses?”
“A smart one considering the only one higher than you is me.” Silver stated. “I would pay more attention to those below you Asha, because they only respect strength.”
“I understand.” Asha said, “Are your wings…?” She trailed off, meaning to enquire as to Silver’s health but not quite sure how to go about it.
Silver flared out one wing for Asha to examine.
“You have quite the power. I directed it to the correct places in both myself and Masozi so that it would have the greatest effect. In time you will learn to do this for yourself.”
“Won’t that mean taking more lives?
“All living things have life energy.” Silver replied. “I am almost certain if you were to have killed a significant number of livestock you would have achieved the same result.”
Asha paused as she thought of it that way. There was no reason her power shouldn’t work between species, after all, a life was a life. She sighed inwardly, at least she wasn’t vegetarian.
Silver stood, and Asha followed her lead, her muscles cramping in protest at having to hold her weight after so long. “Where are we going?” She asked, as Silver led her back through the corridors avoiding the areas of the temple where the party was in full swing.
“Your first flying lesson.” Silver replied simply.
Asha was too stunned to speak after that.
*
Silver looked dispassionately down to the bottom of the cliffs before them, her niece only just stepping out of the portal beside her.
No warning would work. The moment Asha stepped through the portal, Silver rammed into the girl, sending her tumbling over the edge.
The shriek as Asha tried to find her bearings long enough to open her wings would have alerted everyone within miles to their presence had they not been in such a desolate place.
Silver looked behind herself quickly at the rolling dunes of the desert before she dived over the cliff after Asha, grabbing her flailing niece just before she hit the roiling waves of the sea and soaring with her back to the top of the cliff.
“What was that?!” Asha yelled, her hair in a tangled cloud around her angry face.
“Did you think I was going to sit here while you tried to learn how to pull off your first vertical take-off?” Silver asked smugly. “That took me weeks of practice to achieve, you have to familiarise yourself with the foreign muscles first and the best way to do that? Fall.”
With that, she shoved her niece off of the edge again.
Silver let her fall for longer this time, and to her credit, Asha did manage to open her wings this time, so perhaps the little chit was learning after all. However the motion wasn’t particularly useful, and indeed only made Silver’s grabbing her more difficult.
“Think parachute,” Silver advised, flying higher this time and letting Asha go mid-air so Asha didn’t get too used to the ritual of being pushed from a cliff.
The annoyance on Asha’s face was quickly fading into determination by the fifth drop. By the tenth, she was exhausted, but Silver didn’t let up.
It took hours, but the first time Asha managed to flare her wings and stop her decent was worth it. Silver watched as her niece managed to instantly open her wings upon being dropped, and then begin a short glide out towards the ocean and the fiery glory of a blazing red sunset. The sound of Asha’s cheers and laughter floated back to shore over the crashing of the waves and Silver allowed herself a rare true smile since there were no witnesses.
She probably should have flown to Asha and carried her back to land; however Silver chose to watch her niece’s first flight instead. Now that the girl was airborne it shouldn’t take her long to discover how to angle herself to turn or dive, and some of that would be easier learned through experience than Silver’s teachings. Asha’s first flight would also stay with her for the rest of her life, and for a moment Silver got caught up in memories of her own first glide among the trees of Elvardis before she shook herself and noticed the way Asha was drifting lower and lower. One swift push of her own strong wings was more than enough to get her to her falling niece, and Silver swooped over just in time to catch the quarterling before she crashed into the waves.
“Merge your wings with your back.” Silver said as she tried to overcome the drag that the two of them created.
Asha obeyed, beaming.
“That was amazing, Aunt Silver!” She yelled over the winds. “When can we come again?”
Silver didn’t reply, yet she didn’t open a portal either. Instead she carried the cheerful, albeit tired, princess all the way back to her room at Dalmorin, watching as the gentle wind sent her charge to slee
p in her arms.
Asha may have asked to grow up fast, yet looking at the sleeping girl whose bronze ringlets rose and fell in the breeze Silver could see exactly how much innocence the girl still retained. It was written in the carefree lines of her sleeping face.
Chapter Twenty-Five
HOPE
When she finally deposited her sleeping niece onto her bed in Dalmorin, Silver strode past a smirking Roan in the living room and found Keenan waiting for her.
“What’s the mood in the dark guilds?” She asked without preamble.
“Tense.” Keenan replied instantly. “They know there’s a likelihood of another war now. The thieves see this an opportunity; the assassins are hoping you don’t wipe out their clientele.” His small, morbid grin was strained.
“One step at a time.” Silver reminded him. “Llewellyn first, war second.”
“I thought the two were synonymous.” Keenan replied.
“No, Llewellyn will start a battle, the war will follow once the other Ancient’s wake up in fear and realise their mortality.”
“Hmm,” Keenan got lost into deep thought for a second. “If Llewellyn has heard of Maria’s death by now, why haven’t we—”
He was interrupted as a loud bang shook the mountain. Silver glared at him.
“You jinxed it!” She yelled, “Roan, keep Asha and Masozi down here till I give the word that it’s safe!” She threw open a portal to the armoury for herself and Keenan. Once there they were surrounded by dwarves and demons alike, both grabbing weapons and bowing hurriedly in their general direction.
More booms sounded and Silver smiled as dust fell from the rock ceiling above them while Keenan strapped weapon after weapon onto his body.
“What are you smiling about?” He demanded, looking at her like she was insane.
“The shields are working.” Silver hadn’t really doubted that Kate would risk Asha’s life with inferior shields, but still, she hadn’t exactly trusted that they would protect the mountain from a barrage of magical attacks.
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