Darkness Falls (The Dark Series Book 1)

by Steffany Steffensen

  Jenevi looked out towards where the sky and the trail met and thought the story over.

  Are there more people like me out there? She had thought before she and Mace continued on their journey.

  A few short hours flew by until Jenevi let Mace tear off half of the large loaf of bread the peddler gave him. The young man offered Jenevi the other half, which she took without thanks.

  "Do you hear that?" inquired Mace as he paused from chewing on the soft wheat.

  "Someone's coming," said Jenevi.

  The two turned around and waited for whoever was coming to appear over the trail. A woman with curly blonde hair on a white stallion was riding towards him.

  "She must be a traveler," started Jenevi as she began to move to the side. "We better get out of her way before she runs us over."

  Mace stayed where he was, squinting. "Actually..." he started, "I think I know that girl." Once the woman on the horse got close enough that they could barely see her face, the blacksmith's eyebrows furrowed.

  "Slarin save us," mumbled Jenevi after she matched the blonde's face with the woman she briefly saw at the Shining City. "It's your girlfriend."

  Mace turned his head sharply to his companion. "No, she's not."

  "Then why in Slarin's name is she coming towards us?"

  The young blacksmith paused as he watched Pia come towards them with a happy smile on her face. "I don't know, but she can't go with us if she asks. It's too dangerous."

  Jenevi glared at him. "Sort of like what I have been telling you?"

  Before Mace had a chance to respond, Pia approached and hopped off her horse. "There you two are! I was afraid I was going to lose you since you guys got a head start...where are Peter's horses?"

  Mace looked over at Jenevi, waiting for her to explain. "You need to head back now," she said instead.

  "B-But I just got here! I even talked with that peddler who told me where you guys were going." Pia whined. "If I would have known you two lost your horses, I would have brought another one. I'm coming with you guys." The blonde woman looked over at Mace and said, "Mom doesn't even know that I left, but I left her a note so that she knows that I wasn't kidnapped. After you had ran off, it took me a while to decide that I wanted to go out on an adventure as well!"

  "Or you were just intimidated by the fact that he was traveling with another woman," stated Jenevi, pointing out what she has observed. Pia would only make contact with her childhood friend, but glared at Jenevi whenever she briefly looked at her.

  "I-I am not!" refuted Pia as her face flushed along with Mace's.

  "Actually," started Jenevi. "This is perfect. You have a horse! You can take Mace and you two can have an adventure of your own. Goodbye." The dark haired woman turned on her heels and continued to walk on the rocky path towards the mountains.

  "Wait!" called Mace, moving towards Jenevi. "I'm still going with you! I have all the food, anyway."

  "I can catch my food," responded Jenevi without stopping.

  Pia took her horse's reins and followed the two in front of her. She stayed close to Mace. "Why are you guys going to the Petram City, anyways? There's not much up there."

  "You want to know what's up there?" questioned Jenevi loudly, so her voice sounded over the wind that was once again picking up. "Beasts. Ones that will tear your lovely flesh, pull out your meat with their sharp teeth, and gnaw on your bones."

  Pia shivered and goosebumps rose up on her skin. Mace let out a “tsk” before saying to his childhood friend, "Don't listen to her."

  The blonde noticed the wound on Mace's shoulder and asked, "What happened?"

  "A derex," said Jenevi before Mace could. "Like I said, there are beasts. I don't need to protect two weak kids."

  "Is she always this rude?" asked Pia, purposely raising her voice so Jenevi, who was walking faster away from them, could hear.

  "All the time," replied Mace. "But I'm used to it. We better catch up before she leaves us behind."

  "Wait." Pia grabbed his arm and halted. Mace looked at Jenevi and then back at Pia, worried they might lose their guide.

  "What is it?" questioned Mace.

  "That woman is right. I have a horse, and we have a decent amount of supplies combined. We should go our separate ways and forget about her. I've always wanted to visit Strongwill City again. I haven't gone since my father took me around the time I first met you."

  Mace looked at her seriously. "Pia, I already told Jenevi I would help her. And she's right. It isn't safe for you. You need to head back home before your mother sends word to your father and he ends up sending the whole army to find you."

  Pia formed her full pink lips into a pout. "Alright, fine. I guess we won't go off together, but you can't send me back. Let's just go catch up with that woman.

  "Jenevi. Her name is Jenevi."

  For a moment, the dark haired woman felt gleeful. They're going to leave me alone, she thought. A smile almost formed on her lips when he heard a pair of footsteps and a horse getting closer. "Shit," she muttered underneath her breath.

  "We're not leaving that easy," commented Mace.

  "You are going to regret this, princess," said Jenevi towards Pia.

  "Verdin Nickles of the Shining City is here to see you, sir," stated one of the king's guards.

  King Caden sat on his golden throne. He wore his royal purple and red robe lined with white fur. His dark brown hair was cut short and neatly. His crown embezzled with rubies shined brightly on top of his head. Hearing the name of his good friend, Verdin, the king's dark blue eyes shined.

  "Verdin is here?" King Caden asked as he stood up. "Why are you making him wait? Let him in! There is no need to ask for my permission when it's Verdin!"

  The guard bowed deeply before leaving the large throne room. His armor clanked together, causing the sounds to bounce off the walls. A couple of minutes later, the guard returned with the honored guest. "Verdin Nickles of the Shining City," announced the guard. He stood by as he watched Verdin walk towards the throne where the king stood.

  "Verdin!" exclaimed the king with a large grin. "You chose the perfect time to come. I am bored out of my mind and could use your company."

  "Why don't we go do something, then?" questioned Verdin with a twitch of his eyebrow and a forced smile.

  "We could shoot some ducks! Guard!" The king glanced over at the armored knight who was ready to receive orders and said, "Fetch me a couple of bows and a couple of quivers of arrows!"

  The guard bowed once again and headed out of the room.

  "I hope you haven't been stressing yourself too much," started Caden, resting his hands on his friend's shoulders. "You've always been one to dedicate yourself to your job and overwork yourself. Don't forget about your daughter. How is she? I haven't seen her since she was small. She should be a beautiful young woman by now."

  "She should be," mumbled Verdin.

  "Verdin?" questioned the king. "What's wrong? You seem a little off. Would you like my servants to prepare a feast? A bath?"

  "I want my daughter back."

  Caden tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean? What happened to her?"

  "What happened to her? What happened? You happened! You killed my daughter! You don't even remember it!"

  "Are you mad?" Caden backed away. "I did no such thing. If your daughter is dead, I assure you it isn't my doing."

  "What kind of man are you?" shouted Verdin. The captain of the Shining City's guards grabbed the hilt of the dagger hooked to his belt. The King's eyes widened as he looked down at the weapon.

  "No..." the king started. "Verdin, what do you think you're doing? Do you know what this means? The moment you draw that weapon, you will be committing treason for attempted murder."

  Vernin smiled. "You're wrong. I won't be committing treason for attempted murder...I'll be committing treason for murder."

  The knife left Verdin's holster and he plunged it into the king's he
art. Caden convulsed forward and gasped. Vernin could feel the warm, red liquid leave his former friend's body that soaked his hand.

  "I loved you...more than a friend. I thought you might have felt the same..." whispered Verdin into Caden's ear as the king slowly fell forward. The Shining City captain gently laid his former friend onto the ground and then slowly stood up, acutely aware of what was coming next.

  The guard that fetched the king's bows and arrows had one of them armed while the other was thrown on the floor. An arrow was already being pulled back, and once the two men locked eyes, the guard released the string. The arrow cut straight into Verdin's heart. The injured man fell to his knees, and then finally fell to the side on top of the dead king.

  Guards started pouring into the room, horrified by the sight before them. They began to feel guilty and believed that the king's death was on their shoulders since they were watching the door. They thought they could trust Verdin. They've always trusted Verdin.

  The guard with the bow lowered his weapon to his side and said, "Zander is the new king. We must wait for his return. Ready the banners."

  v

  CHAPTER FIVE

  "It's starting to get late," commented Mace as he realized the sun would soon be setting. "We should make camp. Here is a good spot."

  "Right now?" questioned Pia, getting off her horse and looking around. There was a stream that could be heard close by, and there was plenty of shade with all the trees standing tall.

  Mace looked over at Jenevi who had her back to the two. "Mace," she started. "Go ahead and bring out the bread and cheese."

  The young blacksmith smiled and grabbed the pack of food tied to Pia's horse. Jenevi went out to grab materials to start the fire while Mace watched over Pia. The two sat on the ground as they nibbled on their food.

  "She's gorgeous," commented the blonde as she peeled off some of her bread. "But she seems so unkempt and rude."

  Mace shrugged. "She likes her hair that way."

  "Hey Mace," Pia started shyly. "Remember when my mom told you that you would marry me when we grew up?"

  The young blacksmith paused and sat stiffly on the dirt. "Yeah," he replied. “What about it?”

  The young woman crawled close towards Mace and pressed her soft lips against his. She ended up putting so much weight on him that Mace ended up falling backward, bringing Pia along with him. The young blacksmith held onto the blonde's waist as he returned the kiss. It was his first time, and he loved the feeling of Pia's lips molding with his. She smelled like pine. Like home.

  Jenevi cleared her throat loudly as she stood nearby, watching the two on the ground. She had wood, sticks, and dry grass gathered in her arms that rested on her chest.

  Pia scrambled away from Mace and the two looked at Jenevi, flustered.

  The dark haired woman dropped everything on the ground and frowned. "Go ahead and make the fire. I'm going to take my share of food and head down to the stream. I'll give you guys alone time, so you give me mine." Jenevi grabbed the food sack, pulled her share of bread and cheese out, and tossed the bag to the ground.

  Mace was about to open his mouth to tell her to stop, but instead, he watched as Jenevi turned around and walked towards the stream. The blacksmith looked over at Pia who was looking away from him.

  "I'm sorry," said Pia. "That was incredibly unladylike of me."

  "It's fine," assured Mace. He ran his tongue over his lips.

  The two sat in silence as they finished their food. The sun was almost completely down and the sky was red. Finally, after Mace finished, he said, "I'm going to go check up on Jenevi. I'll leave my sword here in case, but I'll be back as fast as I can. You can make the fire." He got up and jogged in the direction Jenevi went.

  He could hear the sound of rushing water getting closer and closer. The soil beneath his feet was becoming softer, and the air surrounding him was getting chilly. Finally, after moving a tree branch way from his face, he caught sight of the stream. It glistened like diamonds and mimicked the color of the sky.

  Mace's face heated up once he realized someone was in the water. Jenevi, naked, stood up in the stream, smoothed her hair down, and wiped her face. Mace took note of her creamy white skin and slender body. Her large chest was slightly covered by her long hair that stuck to her skin.

  The blacksmith stood, staring for what seemed like forever. The scene before him was beautiful. Finally, the sky darkened. Mace, from where he was standing, could clearly see Jenevi's eyes turn bright green. Almost immediately, the young woman's head whipped towards Mace.

  The young blacksmith quickly ran back to camp, afraid for his life. When he returned, he found Pia curled up in a blanket by the fire and felt a bit sorry he didn't start the fire himself. The blonde woman was sleeping soundly with Mace's sword by her.

  Mace got ready to sleep as well. He didn't want to be awake because he knew when Jenevi came back, she would be giving him an earful. Although the young man knew what he did was wrong, the image of Jenevi standing naked with water trickling down her skin burned into his mind.

  When Pia and Mace woke up an hour before sunrise, Jenevi was still not back at camp. The young blacksmith jumped to his feet and yelled, "Not again!" He looked down at Pia and said, "We have to go find her."

  "Why should we?" wondered Pia with a scoff. "It's not like she wants us to go with her or anything. Why else would Jenevi just take off on her own? She could have covered plenty of distance for all we know. I think that we should just leave."

  "Get your things together," said Mace, ignoring what his childhood friend stated.

  "Why are you so adamant to find her?"

  The blacksmith paused and stared intently at Pia. "She saved my life. Twice. I don't care what she says because I'm following her."

  Pia sighed and got up. She gathered her things and put them in her pack. Mace hopped on the white stallion first, followed by Pia.

  "She wouldn't go anywhere else but Petram City," said Mace. He whipped the reins and the horse started to sprint.

  Jenevi sat on a boulder as she carefully pulled away small flowers from the ground behind it. They were barely noticeable, but with her keen eyes, Jenevi spotted them quickly. She left the camp after getting a bit of sleep. Now the sun was already up and she had covered plenty of distance.

  Now that she was alone, she felt at peace. She hoped now Mace would leave with Pia on her stallion. Her dreams shattered when she heard the sound of a horse speeding up the trail. Mace and Pia rode into view, and Jenevi noticed that she and the blonde woman held the same expression on their faces. Annoyance. Pia wanted to travel with Jenevi as much as the dark haired woman wanted to go with her. Jenevi stepped off the boulder and waited for the two to approach.

  Mace got off the horse first and helped Pia down. "What in Slarin's name do you think you're doing? Taking off again? Don't you remember the old peddler telling us that there were dangerous creatures in these parts? I already said that you were not going to get rid of me so easily!"

  "Why yes," replied Jenevi. "But it would be so much easier to take care of myself. With two people I need to watch out for, it may end up being one or the other. I prefer neither."

  Mace sighed and ran his fingers through his messy blond hair. "Whatever. Let's just get to that city."

  "What's that in your hand?" wondered Pia as she pointed towards the small flowers. They had small red petals with a bright pink stigma. The stems were white and thick.

  "It's the weakest of the five deadly Venenum Flowers. A high enough dosage could kill someone. All that I've found is sufficient to make a small child really sick." Jenevi took out a small empty jam jar from her sack and placed the flower inside.

  "And who do you intend to use it on?" questioned Mace.

  The dark haired woman glared at the blond blacksmith and said, "We'll find out."

  The terrain was becoming steeper as the trio climbed the trail. Pia, on her horse, looked out at the scene
before her and smiled. "It's so much more beautiful up here than it is in the Shining City."

  "It is beautiful," said Mace, looking out into the distance as well. The mountains appeared endless.

  Jenevi kept her head forward. She refused to follow their lead. She refused to share a moment with them. She just wanted to find out what in Slarin's name happened to her. The dark haired woman kicked a rock towards the edge of the cliff and watched as it rolled off the side. She stopped, followed by the two behind her. A strange shadow passed over them, followed by another.

  "What?" questioned Mace. Loud and obnoxious screeches echoed through the mountains. Above looked like two large birds circling them. They stopped rotating upon noticing the three travelers looking up, and the birds swooped down. They were unlike any other birds they've seen in their daily lives.

  "Harpies!" cried Pia. She jumped off her white stallion and clutched Mace's arm. The horse ran back down the trail.

  Jenevi looked around calmly. Close by were a couple of leafless trees that had their trunks twisted around each other. From what it looked like, it seemed as though it was the only spot where they could at least have a place to defend themselves. The dark haired woman quickly walked over to it, followed by Mace and Pia.

  The blacksmith took his sword out and looked up at the sky. The sun blinded him and he immediately received a disapproving glance at Jenevi.

  "You're going to get you and your girlfriend killed," she stated as she took her two daggers out, one she stole from the peddler who gave her information about the Seeker.

  Mace narrowed his eyes. I'll just have to prove that I can fight, he thought with determination.

  When the harpies got closer, the trio was able to look at them properly. One had black feathers covering her entire body, and her wings were the length of her person. The harpie's dark hair was curly and cascaded down her back in a tangled mess. Her beak was long and gray, and her eyes were beady and black. The other had white feathers and short, choppy straight white hair. Her beak was long and black, and her eyes were big and brown. Both Harpies harbored large, deadly looking black talons.