Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn

by Tracy A. Akers

  “It doesn’t look like they’ve been here in a long time,” Dayn noted. “And why did they take so much furniture? I mean, what if they’re not coming back?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course they’re coming back.”

  Dayn looked at the fireplace that spanned the wall, longing for the heat that should have been radiating from it. The hearth was empty, the memory of its once cozy embrace evaporating with the air moaning through the half-open damper. He recalled the last time he had gazed into that hearth. There had been flames in it then, and mounds of white-hot logs that looked like imaginary mountains. That day he had been sitting in his father’s high-backed chair, dreading the Summer Fires Festival, wondering if the charred landscape in the fireplace was like that where the demons lived. And wondering if he could live with the knowledge that he was one.

  “What if they didn’t leave because of the mountain?” he asked hesitantly. “What if it was because of something else?”

  “Like what?”

  Dayn turned evasively. “Nothing…you’re right. Maybe we should look around some more, before we come to any rash conclusions.”

  Alicine leaned the broom in a corner, then nervously wiped her palms down her skirt. Her attention shifted toward their parents’ bedroom door located on the opposite side of the living area. Taking her cue, Dayn headed in that direction. He pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside. His nerves were beginning to take over his common sense, and he didn’t want Alicine to witness the worst-case scenarios that were playing in his head.

  “The room’s empty,” he said with relief.

  Alicine poked her head beneath his arm. “The wardrobe’s gone. If they were coming back, why didn’t they just take their clothes?”

  “Speaking of clothes, I sure could do with a change,” Dayn said. “Let’s check our room. Maybe something was left behind.”

  Dayn moved to the bottom of the stairwell and lifted his eyes toward the darkness at the top. “I’ll go up first,” he said.

  “Why?” Alicine asked.

  “I have a funny feeling, that’s all.” But the feeling really wasn’t so funny; he had never told Alicine about the threat that Sheireadan, the neighborhood bully, had made against their family at the Summer Fires Festival. It was a threat made when Dayn attacked Sheireadan over a remark the boy had made about Alicine. And it was a threat made when Dayn revealed himself as a demon to get his point across.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Dayn?” Alicine demanded. Her brows arched, a clear indication she expected an honest answer.

  “Nothing, I—”

  Alicine planted her feet on the step above him and thrust her hands to her hips. “We’ve been through too much for you not to be upfront with me.”

  Dayn closed his eyes in a brief rehearsal of how to tell her. Then he said, “Before I left the Summer Fires, Sheireadan threatened our family.”

  “He what?”

  “He said since our parents had harbored a demon, his father would see to it our family was never allowed around decent folk again.”

  “Oh, Sheireadan’s just full of hot air.”

  “His father is a member of the Vestry, and you know his reputation. Besides, I did sort of go out of my way to make Sheireadan think I was a demon.”

  “But you’re not a demon, so it doesn’t matter what he thinks.”

  “Listen, Alicine, the truth doesn’t always matter. Sometimes all that matters is who’s in power. And you know that around these parts it’s Sheireadan’s father—Lorcan, ‘Lord Almighty’ of the Vestry.”

  “Well, he’s Falyn’s father, too. Maybe she said something in your defense.”

  “Do you really think it matters to him what Falyn says? Why would she risk it, anyway? Lorcan’s a dangerous man, even to his own children.” Dayn sighed heavily. “I always thought I’d save her one day. Now it’s probably too late.”

  “What are you talking about?” Alicine asked.

  Dayn cast her a bewildered look. “You don’t know?”

  “Know what?"

  “That he, you know, hits her.”

  Alicine gasped. “What?”

  “God, where have you been? You’ve known her practically your whole life. She never told you?”

  “No, of course not. She told you?”

  “She didn’t have to. I drank in the image of her every chance I got, remember? Never missed a single detail if I could help it. Besides, some bruises can’t be hidden, even with long sleeves and high collars.”

  “So that’s why…” Alicine’s voice trailed off.

  “Why what?”

  “Why she never came to your defense when Sheireadan—”

  “I’m glad she didn’t. I would rather die than have Falyn suffer on account of me.”

  “I didn’t know, Dayn.”

  “Don’t worry. I told you, I always wanted to save her. Maybe there’s still a chance.”

  “Of course you’ll save her,” Alicine said, placing her hand on his arm. “And then you’ll both live—what’s the term Reiv used—happily ever after?”

  Dayn grinned. “Yeah, happily ever after.” He turned his attention to the stairwell and stepped around his sister. The boards creaked beneath his weight, but he continued up, Alicine following at his back.

  He paused at the top, scanning the large attic room sprawled before him. Half the size of the house, it was the sleeping quarters he had once shared with his sister. With drapes pulled, they’d had plenty of privacy from one another, but the room had also provided a place for long talks, peppery arguments, and stories told with laughter. But as Dayn looked at the room, the happy memories disappeared, replaced by his worst fears. No longer was it a haven for rest and contemplation; now it was a place transformed by sorcery and hate. There was no furniture left in it except for the beds. Strangely, Dayn’s had been shoved to the center of the room. Dozens of candles surrounded it, melted into blobs on the floorboards. Incantations written with an unknown substance were scrawled across the timber walls. A trail of feathers led from the bed to a pile of bird carcasses in the corner. A bowl stained brown sat nearby.

  Dayn moved slowly toward his bed, staring at the misshapen lump beneath the quilt. The once cheery patchworks were now turned to depressing shades of brown, the same dark color as the words scrawled across the walls. He reached his hand toward it.

  “Don’t touch it!” Alicine cried. “You don’t know what’s under there and—”

  “I think I know,” he said. He threw off the quilt, then staggered back. It was an image of himself, fashioned from wax and wood and feathers. Its hair was of pale straw, and its eyes were bright blue river stones. His name was carved deep into the face, and long splinters of wood were pressed into every limb.

  “Don’t look at it!” Alicine sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

  Dayn threw the quilt back over the image. “It doesn’t mean anything, Alicine,” he said. But he knew that was a lie, and was sure she did, too.

  “What do you mean it doesn’t mean anything?” Alicine practically shouted. “Of course it means something! It means—”

  “It means we need to get out of here.”

  Dayn grabbed his sister’s hand and headed down the staircase. He pulled her out onto the porch, then marched them both toward the horses waiting nearby.

  “Where are we going?” Alicine asked, struggling to keep pace.

  “The closest place I can think of, and it’s not all that close.”

  “You mean Aunt Vania’s and Uncle Haskel’s? But it will be dark before we get there.”

  “Would you rather stay here?” Dayn asked.

  “No, but you know they don’t like unexpected company. Their place has been off limits ever since—”

  “Eyan’s the least of our problems.” Dayn lifted Alicine onto her horse, then took his place on the other. “Besides, that’s the most logical place Mother and Father would have gone.”

  “But Dayn, you know what they say about E
yan.”

  “That he’s dangerous. I know. But as long as Haskel’s around, what’s he going to do? Listen, there’s no time to dicker about Eyan. We’re not going to make it there by nightfall as it is.” He kicked in his heels and commanded the horse forward.

  Alicine steered to his side. “I’m not dickering. It’s just that the last time we saw Eyan we were only children, and we only glimpsed him from a distance even then. He must be what…nineteen years old now? And if he’s as big as his father…”

  “Stop worrying about it, Alicine. So Vania and Haskel have a son who’s not right. They’ve done well to keep him away from everyone haven’t they? I mean, the last few times we visited, he wasn’t even around.”

  Alicine pursed her lips, then nodded, but she clearly wasn’t satisfied with Dayn’s reassurances.

  It was nearly dark when they arrived at the remote farmstead of their father’s brother, Haskel. Most of the clouds had moved on, leaving a few feathery wisps to drift across a cold evening sky. They advanced the horses slowly, watching the cabin as it came into view.

  “Look, smoke from the chimney,” Dayn said. He smiled, but Alicine continued to look worried.

  “They’re here. . .safe and sound. You’ll see,” Dayn said. He nudged his horse ahead, then urged it to a trot. He twisted around and grinned. “You’d better hurry up, or I’ll tell them the whole story before you even get there!” He flicked the reins and took off, Alicine galloping behind him.

  They had barely reached the house when they leaped off their horses, dashed to the door, and banged. “It’s us! Mother…Father…open up—it’s us!”

  Alicine was bouncing on tiptoes, giddy with excitement. “Look Dayn…the rockers…they’re here.” She nodded toward the two rockers their father had carved, both swaying to the rhythm of the chimes that clanked along the eaves of the front porch.

  Dayn knocked again. “Anybody home?” he called more loudly.

  “Just go in, Dayn,” Alicine said impatiently. “We’re family.”

  “I know,” he said in a hushed voice, “but you know how Vania and Haskel have always been about their privacy.” Alicine glanced over her shoulder at the shadowy yard behind them, while Dayn leaned his ear against the door and listened. “I don’t hear anything.” He pushed on the handle. “Come on,” he said. “We’re going in.”

  The door opened with a creak. Dayn and Alicine stepped inside. A fire was crackling in the hearth, a pot brimming with stew was on the spit, and candlelight was bathing the walls in a flickering glow. Dayn walked toward the table that dominated the center of the room, then scanned the rest of cabin. Privacy drapes had been pulled back and tied, revealing the contents of every area. He moved his focus to the sleeping quarters. Three beds could be seen: one for Haskel and Vania, a narrower one against the wall, probably for Eyan, and the third—yes, Father’s and Mother’s bed! Relief swept over him, but it quickly lapsed into trepidation when he realized his parents were sleeping in the same room as crazy Eyan.

  “Well, the bed proves they’re here,” he said, “but I sure don’t see any of the rest of their furniture.”

  “Probably in the barn,” Alicine said, but she sounded distracted. She strolled into the kitchen area, her eyes in contemplation of the chopped vegetables littering the countertop. She cast a sideways look at the dining table. A single bowl, spoon, and mug sat upon it. “Why is there only one place set?” she asked. “Why not five?”

  “I don’t know,” Dayn replied. “Listen, let’s get the horses settled. Maybe everyone’s in the barn.” Alicine moved toward him, but her attention lingered on the place setting.

  They exited the house and led the horses toward the barn a short distance away. Large and two-storied, it was three times the size of the cabin. When they reached it, they realized its double doors were slightly ajar. Dayn shoved them open and stepped inside. The interior was dark and musty and smelled of hay mixed with manure. A lantern hung on a peg inside the doorway; fire sticks were tucked into a box nailed to the wall next to it. Dayn lifted the lantern and lit the wick. Holding it out before him, he surveyed the shadowy room.

  “They’ve gone somewhere,” he said. “The wagon and horses are gone.”

  “Then who’s fixing dinner?” Alicine whispered nervously. “Maybe it’s Eyan.”

  Dayn handed Alicine the lantern, then pulled out the short sword he kept secured in the scabbard at his waist. He’d had little use for it since leaving Tearia, but he was more than grateful to have it now.

  A sudden rustling in the hayloft above sent Alicine clinging to his side. She held up the lantern with a shaking hand. For a moment all was quiet, but then another rustling sounded. Their horses whinnied and danced about. Dayn took a step back with Alicine still glued to his hip.

  “Who’s there?” Dayn asked, struggling to sound brave. If it was Eyan, there was no telling what the boy might do. They had been told their whole lives that Eyan was dangerous. How he was dangerous, Dayn never understood; it was a topic not spoken of freely. Nevertheless, Haskel and Vania had worked hard to keep their son hidden from everyone, even family, so their reasons must have been good ones.

  “Eyan? If that’s you, we mean you no harm,” Dayn said. “It’s us—Dayn and Alicine. You know—your cousins.”

  Again they heard a rustling, but this time it was accompanied by a moving shadow. Dayn and Alicine jumped and backed away, inching closer to the exit.

  “Eyan,” Alicine said in a quivery voice. “We came looking for Mother and Father. Do—do you know where they are?”

  The shadow grew taller, then darted to the side. Dayn lifted his sword. “We tire of your cat and mouse game. Show yourself, or I’m coming in after you!”

  Alicine’s eyes shot to Dayn’s. Clearly she thought he had lost his mind.

  “I’m tired and hungry,” Dayn said to her defensively, “and I no longer have the patience to be kept from bodily comforts by a shadow in a corner!”

  He pried his sister from his side and took a determined step forward, positioning himself between the shadow and the doorway. “I said show yourself!”

  The dark form suddenly ran in his direction, but whether it was heading for Dayn or the doorway behind him was hard to determine. But Dayn gave it no choice in the matter; he threw himself upon it and knocked it down, pinning it to the ground with the tip of his sword pointed at its throat.

  The young man stared up at him, panting like an animal caught in a snare. Dayn drew a sharp breath, then eased the sword back. The young man was handsome enough, with dark hair and skin the same coppery color of every other Kiradyn. But it was the eyes that left Dayn very nearly stunned: they were blue, the same forbidden blue as his own.

  “Eyan?” Dayn said.

  The young man did not respond. His eyes darted around for rescue, or a quick escape.

  “Eyan?” Dayn repeated. “It’s me, Dayn. I won’t hurt you, honest. Don’t run…all right?”

  The young man calmed somewhat, then said, “Aye, I—I’m Eyan.”

  Dayn eased the sword further back. “See? I’m removing the weapon. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just…” Dayn felt ashamed. This was his cousin, and he’d pressed a blade to his throat. But then again, Reiv had done the same thing to him at their first meeting. Dayn smiled at the recollection.

  Dayn lifted his weight off of Eyan and stood over him. He held out his hand. Eyan stared up at it, not sure whether or not to take it. After a moment’s contemplation, he reached up and allowed Dayn to pull him to his feet.

  “Please don’t tell ‘em ye saw me,” Eyan said anxiously. He glanced toward the doorway. “No one’s supposed to see me. Father’d be furious if he knew.”

  “But we’re family,” Dayn said. “Don’t you remember us? I know it’s been a long time.”

  “Aye, I remember ye. You’re the one everyone thinks is a demon. That’s why I’m not allowed to see anyone.”

  “What? Because of me?”

  “Aye, and because of me.
”

  Alicine stepped toward Eyan, her attention fully upon his eyes. “We were always told it was because you were dangerous,” she said hesitantly.

  “Oh, I am dangerous,” Eyan replied. “If others saw me they might hurt my family, or me. Father says Gorman was a fool to let people see ye. He said ye should never have been allowed outside.” He backed toward the door. “I have to go now. If they see me with anyone…”

  Alicine followed, then reached out and placed her hand on his arm. Eyan stopped in this tracks.

  “Please don’t go,” she said. “I don’t think your father would be angry once we explained. We know all about the demons now—why Dayn’s eyes are blue and his hair is blond. Don’t you ever wonder why your eyes are blue, Eyan?”

  Eyan stared at her hand upon his arm, then pulled away. “No girl’s ever touched me except my mother,” he said, sounding younger than his age. His head swiveled toward the sound of wagon wheels in the distance. “They’re home early! I have to be gettin’ dinner on the table. Don’t come inside yet, and please don’t tell ‘em ye saw me.” Then he bolted to the house and disappeared through the door.

  Back to ToC

  Chapter 4: Eye to Eye

  Dayn and Alicine stood in the doorway of the barn, watching as Eyan sprinted toward the house. An approaching wagon could be heard in the distance, the jangle of horses’ harnesses and the thud of wheels clambering up the road.

  “I’m scared,” Alicine said.

  Dayn grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t be,” he said. “This whole thing was my fault, not yours.”

  “No, I mean about Eyan.”

  “Eyan? I don’t think we have anything to fear from him.”

  “I’m scared for him, Dayn, not of him.”

  Dayn considered her words. Eyan had clearly been in terror of being discovered with them. But why? He suddenly noticed the amethyst brooch still pinned to Alicine’s dress. “You might want to tuck that away,” he said, nodding toward it.