"You guys wouldn't happen to have a Lulu bird around here, would you?" inquired Mace.
"We actually own one since we have a lot of family outside of Alte," said Feera. "Do you need to use her? I don't believe we need to use her anytime soon, and she flies pretty fast. But I'm not sending her out in this weather."
Mace nodded his head excitedly. "Yes, of course not. Thank you so much!"
Yever and his wife came back a moment later. The older woman was using dish towels to carry the bowl of stew. She slowly handed it to Jenevi and warned her that it was hot.
"How was your nap, dear?" asked Yever, turning to his daughter.
"It okay," she responded. "I'm letting Mace use Lulie when the storm clears up if that's alright with you."
The elderly couple looked at each other.
"That's fine," said the older woman. She turned to Jenevi and smiled. "I haven't even introduced myself yet! My name is Tishka. This is my husband, Yever, and my daughter, Feera."
Jenevi nodded her head. "Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Jenevi." She took a sip of the stew and tried not to make a face. It was too bitter for her taste, but she was grateful for the food. She had to grin and bear it for as long as Tishka was in the room.
"Why don't we get the rest of your bellies full?" inquired Tishka as she smiled from ear to ear.
The men followed Tishka into the room while Feera stayed behind with Jenevi.
"Not hungry?" asked the Magus, taking a sip of her bitter stew.
Feera shook her head. "No. I only make myself food because, as I'm sure you already know, my mother isn't the best cook. Besides...I wanted to talk to you about something. There aren't really any girls my age here that I talk to...and with the storm happening we’re kind of stuck here…"
"What is it?"
The young woman played with the ends of her sleeves nervously with her eyes darting around the room, not looking at the woman in front of her who waited patiently. "It's just that...I'm pregnant..."
Jenevi took another sip. "Okay...so what's the problem?"
"Well my parents are aware. It was my mother who found out before I did. I just...don't know how to tell the father..."
"I'm not an expert with giving out this kind of advice...but if it were me, I would just simply tell him."
Feera bit her lip. "Well, there's something else about the father...he's..."
Jenevi sighed. "Just spit it out, girl."
"He's different."
At that point, the older couple, Mace, and Simon walked back in with bowls of stew in their hands. The Magus noticed Mace grimace after taking a sip of the food.
"What do you mean, he's different?" questioned Jenevi as she sat her almost empty bowl down on the end table next to the cushioned chair where she sat.
"He's a Magus."
Jenevi looked over at her companions, all with the same thought in mind.
"And what is this man's name?" asked Jenevi, leaning forward.
Feera glanced back at her parents and then at Jenevi. "His name is Wilson. I met him whenever he first showed up here, and we just...clicked. I'm telling you this because when I saw you, I had the same feeling the day I met Will. Like...an instant connection."
Jenevi decided not to ask any more questions. She knew that the sun, hidden by the gray clouds, would soon be setting. She turned to Tishka and said, "I have a confession to make. I am a Magus as well."
The elder couple's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh!" exclaimed Tishka. "How marvelous! I love your kind! What type of Magus are you?"
"I am a Tenebrae Magus. My eyes glow continuously at night."
The couple looked at each other with a strange expression that Jenevi didn't quite understand. But when they turned their heads back at her, the expression was gone and they both seemed joyful.
"Fascinating!" said Yever. "You know, there was a Tenebrae Magus that happened years ago. Remember that, dear? The one who was sentenced to death?"
The old woman nodded her head. "Oh, yes. I believe they covered it up to make it seem like this girl was human, but she did horrible things."
Jenevi started to feel herself getting uncomfortable. Noticing this, Simon stood next to her and rubbed her arm gently. "What kind of things?"
"Well..." started Yever. "She apparently went on a killing spree in the night. Not many people understood. The individuals in the cities she raided thought the murders involved more than one person. No one ever saw her until it was too late. Everyone thinks that only she was caught while the others escaped somehow, but little do they know...it was only her."
"Wait..." started Mace. "I think I remember hearing about this. When I was a kid, I was scared that the Raiders were going to attack the Shining City as well."
Simon nodded his head slowly. "I remember that as well. When I was a knight in the Strongwill City-Procella, now- my colleagues would talk about that a lot. I never knew that it was...a Tenebrae..."
Jenevi looked up to see Simon holding back tears.
"Excuse me, I'm just exhausted," the former knight said before taking off.
They all watched as he ascended the steps and listened to a door open and close.
"Anyways..." continued Yever. "Because of her crimes, she ended up staying in the dungeon of the city, but since they didn't want to risk having her break out, they sentenced her to death before the sun went down. There are three levels of execution. Poison, throat slicing, or a long, agonizing death. The Magus got the latter, and well...it wasn't a good day for her. I was actually there during the execution."
Jenevi looked over at Mace and started to breathe heavily.
"You scared her, father!" whined Feera as she took the Magus's hand. "Why don't you go rest?"
Mace escorted Jenevi up to the rooms, but she couldn't help but feel watched by the elderly couple.
Jenevi woke up to the warm light touching her face. She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the sky outside the window next to her. She peered out to see kids and adult playing in the snow. There were many men with shovels in their hands, trying to get the snow plowed as much as possible. There were people on horses that had very thick fur, and Jenevi couldn't help but wonder what happened to the two horses that brought the three to the city.
The room she was in was small, but the house was big enough to hold five different bedrooms. The two the men were using was mainly for storage, so they had to tidy it up before they could sleep in it. Since Feera's parents ran a successful meat factory, they received plenty of income and were able to afford the largest house in the city.
There were two knocks on the door.
"Come in," said the young woman as she sat up.
Feera came into the room with a plate full of food. "We just finished eating breakfast downstairs. You were deep in sleep, so we just decided to leave you be." She walked to the bed and set the plate down. It was hard-boiled jubble eggs and a piece of bread. "We will have a better breakfast tomorrow, I promise."
The young woman watched as Jenevi ate her meal, which didn't take her long considering the small portion. The Magus looked up and asked, "What is it?"
Feera sat down on the bed and sighed. "Do you know something about Wilson? You acted oddly whenever I brought his name up last night."
Jenevi nodded and peered out the window. "He's the reason why we came here. He has information that I need that may lead me to a man that I'm after. Do you think you can help us find him today?"
The blue-eyed woman nodded her head. "I will. I will also have to tell him about my situation. Around this time he is usually in the square performing. It's always so fascinating to watch him turn into different animals. In all my life I've thought Maguss were just bedtime stories. It's crazy that it's true. But...who are you looking for? And what information?"
Jenevi shook her head. "Just someone I’ve been looking for. It’s a really complicated situation…"
Feera smiled. “Say no mor
e. You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready.”
The two walked down the stairs to find everyone in the main room.
"Make sure you stay warm!" cautioned Tishka as she fastened a scarf around Mace's neck. "I'm sure this is not the type of weather that you've been used to."
Jenevi put on her coat and gloves as Feera did the same. The two men waited for them at the door, fully dressed for the cold weather.
"What of our horses?" asked Jenevi.
"They're in our stables out back," responded Yever. "I would not recommend taking them out just yet. Their coats aren't long enough and they haven't been well fed, so they are regaining their strength. At the moment we only have one horse because the others were stolen. Greedy bastards!" The old man balled his hands into fists and clenched his teeth, remembering the incident.
"It's alright," said Feera as she headed for her parents. "We'll get to the square just fine." She kissed both of their cheeks before her and the three travelers departed.
Almost instantly, Jenevi started to shiver from the cold. "I hate it here," she said as she rubbed her arms together. "I don't understand how you people manage."
"We have a jubble coup next to our stables. They're darlings, although they are hideous. We get our meat cheap since my parents run the company. They have created a large enclosed space for many animals and plants to thrive. A lot of people here like to grow Grabru. I don't know if you've heard of it, but it's a plant that can thrive in cold weather. People eat it whenever we can't go out because of a storm. Not the tastiest thing to eat, but it certainly fills you up."
"Are there a lot of animals to hunt?" inquired Simon.
Feera nodded her head excitedly. "Oh, yes! My father would take me out sometimes. I'm very skilled with the bow and arrow. We have a lot of snow animals here. A few months ago, I killed my first snow leaper and made this coat!" She twirled around once in the snow.
"What is a snow leaper?" asked Mace curiously.
"They are huge animals that are white with huge paws, large ears, and long sharp teeth. They have no eyes though, but they are fierce predators."
Eventually, Jenevi drowned out the sound of Feera talking. She started to think about how she was going to confront Wilson. Was she going to be violent? Was she going to be civil? She wouldn't know until the moment would arise. She was sure that, with how they last left off, Wilson wouldn't be too pleased to see her.
When they got to the square, there was a great crowd talking amongst themselves. In the center, there was a giant statue of a man holding a long spear and wore winter clothing.
"That's Ryapu, the founder of Alte," explained Feera. "I've heard rumors that he was actually a Nix Magus. He could control snow."
"Where's Wilson?" asked Jenevi hastily. "I thought you said he was supposed to be here." She stood on the tips of her toes to try and get a better view, but because she was much shorter than the natives, it didn't do her any good.
"That's what we want to know," commented a large man in the crowd. "We've been waiting here in the cold for a long time. Some of us have already left. I'm planning on doing the same if he doesn't show up in the next minute."
"He's not here?" questioned Feera, starting for the statue. "He's always here at this time."
The trio pushed passed the crowd to followed their guide. When they got to the front, Wilson was nowhere in sight.
"Any idea where he could be?" asked Simon, kicking some snow off of his foot and sniffing some snot back into his nose.
Feera shook her head.
"Looks like we are splitting up, then," stated Jenevi, already turning around.
"S-Splitting up?" stammered Mace from the cold. His nose was dripping more than Simon's, and he wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how big this city is?"
Jenevi didn't respond or look back. She continued walking with the fiery passion for finding the other Magus who may or may not know something about Gaelen. Either way, she wanted to know why he attacked her that night. The Magus walked on the road, avoiding the workers who were shoveling the snow out of the way.
Mace sighed heavily and turned to the others two standing behind him. "Looks like we're splitting up. But I think one of us should stay with Feera."
The young woman shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can handle myself out here alright."
"The boy's right," said Simon. "I'll stay with you and we can head north. Mace, east."
The blacksmith nodded his head and headed his designated direction, wishing that Jenevi wasn't so stubborn. He thought back to the time when she let him sleep next to her, and the thought alone made him warm enough to keep going in the cold.
After an hour, Jenevi started to wish that she didn't say that they were going to separate. She knew which direction she came from and how to get back to the square, but she just kept feeling colder by the minute. People walking by gave her strange looks, making her feel uncomfortable.
She ended up turning into a back alleyway, mainly because she wanted to get away from the crowd. She didn't like being around too many people. Having two other people in her traveling group was two too many for her, but her male companions have grown on her.
The stone walls around Jenevi were tall and gray with snow piled on top. The sky above her was clear and blue, which was a nice change of weather after the blizzard from the other day.
In the alley, Jenevi didn't feel as cold. She continued to walk forward, listening to the crunching of the snow beneath her feet. Ahead of her, she noticed movement. A figure far ahead wearing a heavy brown coat turned the corner and stopped, stared at her for a brief moment, and then leaned against the wall.
Jenevi continued walking, though more cautiously, as she squinted hard to see who the figure was. She recognized the bright blond hair and the tall figure after several more feet.
It has to be Wilson, Jenevi thought as she felt her feet move faster. It just has to be.
The closer she got, the more she was sure of it. Soon, she was close enough to see his bright blue eyes and his white, toothy grin.
"Jenevi," he said once the Magus stood in front of him, nostrils flaring in anger. "What a pleasant surprise. Didn't think I would see you again."
"Tell me what you know about Gaelen," growled Jenevi, cutting to the chase. "I want to know everything."
Wilson looked down at the woman who stood a foot shorter than him and gave her a smirk. "Who is Gaelen?" he asked calmly.
Jenevi pushed him up against the wall. "You know damn well who I'm talking about, don't you?"
"I'm sure there are many men in this kingdom by the name of Gaelen. Please be more specific, dear."
The young woman couldn't take it anymore. Wilson knew that he already snapped her and prepared for a fight. He swiftly moved way from Jenevi's punch, and she ended up hitting the stone wall. Enraged, she didn't even feel the pain as anger flared in her eyes.
"Just as feisty as I remember," said Wilson coolly as he back away a few paces. "And as beautiful, of course."
"Why did you attack me that night?" questioned Jenevi. "Why would you want to kill someone of your kind?"
Wilson paused. "You don't know? How could you not know?" He stared at the woman's confused expression before chuckling. "Oh, dear! She doesn't know!"
"Know what?" cried Jenevi, hands balled into tight fists.
The blue-eyed Magus lunged towards Jenevi, pushing her up against the wall. Jenevi fought back and managed to break Wilson's hold on her, but was caught again. Wilson pushed her down onto the snow and pressed his weight on top of her. The young woman kicked and tried to thrash her arms around, but Wilson was much stronger than before.
The man's hands left Jenevi's arms and quickly captured her neck, pushing down on it. The woman managed to punch Wilson's left cheek, but then he leaned back out of her reach.
In her final attempt to break free, Jenevi clawed Wilson's arms as hard as she could
, sure that she was at least drawing blood. Her vision grew blurry, and the pain in her throat became numb as she started to lose consciousness.
Jenevi slowly opened her eyes to what appeared to be an empty house that looked similar to Yever and Tishka's, but much smaller. Her throat hurt so she went to touch it, but then realized that her arms were tied up. She looked down and saw that she was sitting on a chair with her legs tied up as well.
Wilson stepped into Jenevi's vision, still holding a smug smirk on his face. "You woke up much quicker than I expected. How are you feeling?"
The Magus tried to spit on Wilson's face but hit his chest instead.
"How dare you!" cried the male Magus are he looked down at his wet stained shirt in disgust. He drew his fist back and punched Jenevi across the face. When he saw blood dripping out of Jenevi's nose, he smiled. "Not so tough now, are you? Been practicing combat for a couple of years since we last had our little encounter."
"What are you hiding from me?" inquired the young woman in a low, menacing tone. "Why have you brought me here?"
Wilson's smile grew larger.
Mace, Simon, and Feera ended up meeting each other back at the statue. The crowd was gone, leaving them air to breathe.
"No sign at all," said Simon. "And no one we've talked to has seen them."
"Same here," said Mace. "I hope Jenevi had better luck finding him."
The three waited, sitting at the bottom of the statue. They huddled close together to keep warm and hoped that Jenevi would return soon so they could go back to the house.
After a long while, Mace and Simon looked at each other worriedly.
"Doesn't this remind you of what happened to her in the last place we were at?" asked Mace. Simon nodded his head.
"What happened?" asked Feera, looking between the two as she was squished in between them.
"She teleported into a trapping pit," responded Simon. "We were out getting supplies when it happened. Fortunately, the town's healer found her in time."
Darkness Falls (The Dark Series Book 1) Page 17