Darkness Falls (The Dark Series Book 1)

by Steffany Steffensen

They heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

  "I better start cooking," said Traila.

  Jenevi and Mace walked into the room and joined Simon at the dining table. Simon couldn't even look at the Magus after the conversation he and Traila had.

  "What's wrong?" Asked Jenevi.

  Simon shook his head. He forced himself to face her and smiled. "Just a little tired is all."

  Mace and Simon got their own separate rooms while Jenevi shared Traila's. Everyone fell asleep quickly, but they woke up not long later when the sun peeked over the horizon.

  "Please be safe," started Traila. "The path up to Alte isn't all that dangerous, but just make sure you stay warm when you get there. I personally haven't been, but I hear the weather can get pretty bad. I suggest you three buy some heavier clothes."

  On their horses, Jenevi sat behind Simon again.

  Traila pointed to the direction of the clothing shop. "You can't miss it. Jenevi, I put some more medicinal herbs in your bag, just in case."

  The Magus nodded her head. "I cannot thank you enough, Traila."

  The healer smiled. "It was nothing. I enjoyed our time together, and I hope to see you three again soon."

  As they went to the shop, the townsfolk eyed the Magus on the horse. Mashae and two young boys ran up to them, making them stop their horses.

  "Are you leaving?" asked the young girl.

  "We have to buy some clothes first," replied Jenevi.

  Mashae's eyes lit up. "My mama owns the shop! Come on, let's go!" She ran off, followed by the two boys.

  The shop was just a few buildings away from the tavern. The sign above it read Lady Shay. Mashae and the other two kids ran inside, followed by the three travelers.

  Mashae's mother was behind the counter sewing a red dress that was on a mannequin. Upon hearing the group of people enter the shop, she turned around to greet them with a smiling face, only to slowly frown. "W-Welcome," she stammered nervously.

  "They need to buy clothes, mama!" said Mashae. She turned to the two boys and said, "Let's play in the back!" The kids ran out, leaving the adults alone.

  "We need clothes for our trip to Alte," said Simon, walking up to the counter.

  Without making eye contact, the woman said, "I have enough coats for all three of you, but it's going to be a bit pricey."

  "We can afford it," said Jenevi.

  The woman brought out a brown, black, and white fur-lined coat. "They're twenty gold pieces each."

  Simon dumped the coins that he stole onto the counter and started to count. He frowned when he counted the last piece. "We only have forty-five."

  Mace rolled his eyes.

  The woman stared at Jenevi. She opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly closed it on second thought.

  "You have something to say to me?" asked Jenevi.

  "I..." started the woman. She looked down at the coats and then back up at the Magus. "I know I was afraid of you when I saw you last night, but my view of your kind has changed. I don't know where my daughter got it from, but like it or not, Magus are a part of my life now. I have to make sure that Mashae doesn't hurt herself or others whenever she practices. I've never seen her like this. She seems much happier. I'm just scared of the people out there who think of Magus in only a negative way."

  Jenevi walked up to the counter and took the woman's hands. "There are people out there who aren't as accepting, and there are Magus out there who are bad. But your daughter is wonderful, and I know that she will use her powers for good. Having the ability to influence water is such a special gift. Just be there to support her and keep her on the right path."

  The woman started to cry. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll do the best that I can."

  Jenevi continued to hold onto the tailor's hands. When she calmed down, she wiped the tears away and said, "I'll accept forty-five pieces. I'll even throw in some gloves for you. My husband just finished making several pairs of them, but I'll explain the situation to him later."

  "I never got your name," said Jenevi.

  "My name is Shay. Shay Venida."

  "Shay," started Jenevi. "Thank you so much. Everyone in this town has been so kind."

  "The white one is the only woman's coat we have. I hope that you like it."

  Jenevi held the heavy fur-lined cloth in her hands. "It's so soft," she commented. "I love it. Thank you. I hope to visit this town again."

  The three left with their coats and gloves. They got on their horses and started their journey to Alte.

  The start of their two-week journey was silent. Jenevi still held onto Simon, and Mace was still insanely jealous. He gave Simon quick glances and began to compare himself to him.

  He's much better looking than me, Mace thought to himself as he stared at the road straight ahead. It's no wonder why Jenevi always wants to be by him. But it's not like I have a thing for her, so why should it matter? He glanced over at the Magus who was sleeping. She looks so beautiful, he thought.

  Jenevi's black hair started to move in front of her face, and all Mace wanted to do was gently brush it away.

  Get a hold of yourself, he thought. She likes Simon.

  "Is she asleep?" asked Simon.

  "Yeah," replied Mace. "But I think we should be quiet so we don't wake her up."

  "She'll be okay. I've noticed that you keep looking at us."

  "I-I wasn't looking," Mace stammered. Simon gave him a glare, causing the blacksmith to sigh heavily. "Alright, alright. I was looking. I'm just..." He couldn't find the words to finish his sentence. Instead, he continued to look forward.

  "Do you like her?" asked the former knight.

  Mace glanced back at Jenevi. He thought about the question over and over again. He always thought that he was going to stay in the Shining City as a blacksmith forever. He knew he was longing for something more but never would have thought his opportunity would come from a woman who didn't even want to travel with him in the first place.

  "It's a yes or no question," stated Simon.

  "I..." started Mace. He looked at Simon and replied, "I believe I do. But she seems to be more fond of you."

  Simon chuckled softly. He shook his head and said, "I don't think it's that way."

  "Do you like her?"

  "I like her, but not like that."

  "But you two seem so close to each other. It already seems like you two are a couple."

  Simon shook his head. "Have you ever had a female friend whom you were close to, but you didn't see yourself in a relationship with?"

  Mace immediately thought of Pia. Sure, she was extremely attractive, but he only saw her as a sister. Even after the kiss they shared, it didn't change his mindset.

  "Yeah, I have. I'm sorry I've had such a short fuse lately. It's just...with everything that has happened-"

  "I completely understand. I know that our two-year disappearance has had a greater impact on you than it has for Jen and I. You have a family back home. I'm sure they're all right."

  Mace gave Simon a small smile. "Thank you. When are you going to train me again?"

  As the two continued to talk about training and different techniques that they will try next, Jenevi stayed silent, pretending she was asleep until she finally lost consciousness.

  She later woke up due to hunger. "How much longer?" the Magus asked in a groggy voice.

  "Let's see..." Mace had the map in his possession. He lifted it up to the sky and dramatically looked at its contents. "About two more weeks."

  Jenevi rolled her eyes. "I mean until we make camp, boy."

  Simon laughed. "We should probably make camp in a few hours. Crossed paths with maybe only three people since we left Halivaa."

  After a few hours, the sun was starting to go down. They veered off the trail and made camp in a woodsy area underneath multiple trees.

  "This is a pretty nice place," commented Mace as he set his stuff up. "But it's going to get chilly
tonight."

  "I'll get some things to make a fire," said Simon as he left.

  Jenevi drank some water and sat down on her bedroll and started to stretch.

  Mace stopped what he was doing to stare at her longingly. When he realized he was staring too long, he quickly went back to his business.

  "I hope Wilson is still there by the time we arrive," said Jenevi as she leaned back and looked up at the leaves on the trees. "He's going to get a good beating."

  Mace set up his bedroll next to Jenevi's and sat down on it. "So...you and Wilson, huh? How was that?"

  Jenevi stared at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about? Me sleeping with him? Wasn't my first time."

  The blacksmith gulped and turned his face away with a blush on his face. "Oh. I see."

  Jenevi started to giggle, causing Mace to glance back. He blushed even more and asked, "What's so funny?"

  The Magus giggled more. "It's just astonishing that you would ask such a strange question!"

  Mace shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I asked that."

  Jenevi stopped giggling and looked away. She recalled the conversation he and Simon had earlier and started questioning her relationship between the two. She only saw both of them as friends, and that was all. "I hope Simon gets back soon. I'm starving, and that's saying something."

  Mace laughed. "Because you've starved me for a long time, I don't eat as much now."

  "Good," stated Jenevi as she laid back on her bedroll. "We'll have more food to ration."

  Mace got up to make the fire pit, which didn't take him as long as it usually did. The area that they were in would make it very easy to light a fire. When he finished, he sat back down on his bedroll and stared at Jenevi. At that point, he didn't care if she noticed him staring. He wanted her to see.

  A moment later, Simon came out of the thick foliage. On his left shoulder were two dead rabbits with their throats cut and were tied together by their feet. In his hands were sticks and dry grass. "I'm surprised you remembered to make the fire pit this time," he said, dropping the items in his hand into the hole.

  "Third time is the charm," said Mace sarcastically.

  As Simon set up the fire, Jenevi taught Mace how to skin the rabbit.

  "You're doing it so slowly," commented the Magus straightforwardly.

  "It's my first time!" whined Mace as he struggled with his knife.

  Jenevi sighed. Her rabbit was already perfectly skinned. The head, tail, and legs were already cut off. She was just waiting for Mace so she could start the incision into the rabbit's belly to take the innards out.

  "There!" said Mace as he finally finished cutting the head. "I'm done." He took a good look at the headless and skinless rabbit and could feel bile rising in his throat.

  "Don't let it get to you!" said Simon as he finished making a spit. "I don't want you to spoil dinner!"

  "You should do the rest," said Mace as he handed his skinned rabbit to Jenevi. "I don't think I'll be able to do it."

  Jenevi took it and quickly gutted it along with hers. Once the innards were out, Jenevi handed the raw meat to Simon who prepared to put them on the spit.

  "Did you find water nearby?" asked Mace as he held up his hands in disgust. "I need to clean myself."

  "Just wipe them on your trousers," said Simon as he turned the rabbits.

  Mace rolled his eyes.

  The sun went down completely and Jenevi's eyes glowed. "There's a small pond nearby," she said. "Come, Mace. Simon, you stay here and wipe your disgusting hands on your gross trousers."

  Mace hid his smirk once he saw the former knight look up at the Magus with a pout.

  The two headed for the pond in silence with Jenevi leading the way with her eyes lighting up their path.

  "Is it far?" Asked Mace as he ducked under a branch.

  "Just a couple more minutes and we should reach it."

  The blacksmith could tell that Jenevi was still slightly limping. He observed her further before asking, "are you alright? Do your wounds feel better?"

  "Nothing I can't handle. With my powers, I can't feel the pain that much, but I still limp. In a week I should be completely fine."

  When they reached the pond, they squatted down at the edge of the water and started to clean their hands.

  "Once," started Mace, "I was camping a little ways out of the Shining City with my father. He skinned and gutted a rabbit. He didn't clean his hands after and got really, really sick. I didn't touch the raw meat, but it scared me so much that I got into the habit of keeping myself clean all the time."

  "That must be a difficult task since you worked in a smithy."

  "Oh, it was. I bathed almost every night. Since the water takes a while to get warm, I usually took cold baths." Mace noticed how tangled Jenevi's hair has gotten and gulped. After the battle with the blue scaled monster, the Magus didn't ask Simon to put her hair up. Mace wanted to open his mouth to ask her something he's been wanting to get out in the air for a while.

  "What is it?" asked Jenevi as she stood up and wiped her hands on her dress. "Your heart rate sped up."

  Mace felt his face heating up, and his heart pumped faster. He needed to get it out now. "I just...wanted to ask if I could comb your hair. It looks very messy again."

  Mace mentally kicked himself for sounding stupid. What he really wanted to ask was if she would ride with him instead, but got distracted by her long, messy hair.

  The Magus shrugged as she started to walk away. "That's a strange thing to ask me...but I guess that's fine. We should start heading back to camp now."

  Jenevi began to swiftly walk off, almost leaving Mace behind. He was stunned at first by how fast she left, but he tried his best to catch up.

  "Hey!" He called when he could barely see anything in his path. A branch whacked him in the face, causing a small scratch on his left cheek. "Wait up! Why are you going so fast?"

  Jenevi could feel her heart racing, and she couldn't fully understand why. In her mind, she needed to distance herself away from Mace as much as she could. She heard the young blacksmith hit a tree branch and then realize that Mace probably couldn't see. When she heard him calling out for her, she started to slow down.

  When Mace finally caught up, he was panting. "What has gotten into you?"

  Jenevi stayed silent, unsure how to answer the question.

  When they reached the camp, Simon was still cooking the rabbits, humming an upbeat tune.

  Jenevi sat down on her bedroll and pulled her knees close to her as she stared into the fire.

  Mace sat down next to Simon.

  "What happened?" asked the former knight, immediately feeling the tension in the air.

  "I'm in the dark on this," replied Mace with his hands up. "And don't bother asking her because she won't say anything."

  Simon laughed. "You women. You are all the same."

  Jenevi shot him a look. She grabbed a small rock next to her and chucked it at Simon's head. It hit his forehead and rebounded into the fire pit.

  "Hey!" he cried. He rubbed his forehead and stared at the Magus in anger. "That hurt. You need to start learning how to use words instead of violence."

  Jenevi stuck her tongue out, causing both of the men to roll their eyes.

  When Simon finished cooking the meat, the three began to feast in silence with Jenevi sitting far away from the two.

  "And you have no idea at all on what could have triggered her?" asked Simon quietly to Mace, though he was sure that the Magus could hear them anyways.

  Mace shook his head. "No idea. She started acting weird after I asked to comb her hair. I don't understand because she was okay with you doing it."

  They both looked over at Jenevi who was sitting under a tree eating her portion of one of the rabbits.

  Out of nowhere, the woman abruptly jumped up, dropped her rabbit, and looked around.

  "What?" asked both Simon and Mace in uniso
n.

  "Animals," replied Jenevi. She walked towards the two, still looking back and forth. "They are all around us. They're hungry."

  "What kind of animals?" asked Simon as he stood up, followed by Mace.

  "I'm not sure, but they're big."

  The three quickly grabbed their weapons and then stood back to back in a circle, ready to fight. They started to hear growls coming from all directions. Yellow and red eyes began to pop up in the darkness.

  "What are they?" questioned Mace. He had his sword out in front of him, but he noticed that his hands were slightly shaking. He tried to snap out of it and reminded himself that he had slain two harpies, but it wasn't helping him.

  "Could be one of two things," started Simon, sword out in front of him as well. "Could be promits, or it could be luros. Promits look vicious but aren't killers, so let's pray they're not the other one."

  "What do we do if they're luros?" asked Jenevi. She had her daggers in both hands.

  "Then we kill as many as we can and hope that we live."

  A white beast that almost looked like a wolf walked into the fire's light. He had red, slitted eyes, a long pointed snout like a rat's, and razor sharp looking white claws. His swishing tail was slim and almost cat-like. His ears were extremely long and pointed towards the ground. He snarled at the three travelers.

  "So," started Mace. "Please tell me that is a promit so we can leave our food and get the hell out of here."

  Simon gulped. "I'm afraid not."

  More luros started to follow what was assumed to be their leader. They weren't as large, but they did look just as threatening. The three were surrounded, and the only promising thing they had was Jenevi, but even she knew she couldn't take down as many creatures as there were with how little she knew about her powers.

  The luros started to snap at them. Some were already fighting over the half eaten piece of rabbit meat that Jenevi left behind underneath the tree.

  "What if we just toss our food and run?" questioned Mace silently.

  "You know that won't work, boy," said Jenevi. "We just have to fight this one out. But you should toss your food anyways."

  Mace underhanded his rabbit and was caught by a gray luros. Others came over to try to get a piece of the meat.