They paused and sniffed the air a few moments after Jenevi appeared. The started to let out soft whimpers and started towards her, curious about the strange new smell.
Shit, thought Jenevi. Where there are cubs, there is sure to be a mother nearby.
She scanned the area, and sure enough, a third heartbeat approached. It was intense, and unmistakably an adult's.
The mother snow leaper crept out of the woods, body close to the ground. She was much larger than the alpha luro Jenevi connected with on their way to Alte.
The Magus knew she couldn't teleport out of her situation, and she was afraid since she was so high up, she may teleport off of a cliff.
The cubs were getting much closer to the Magus but stopped when their mother gave out a deep, threatening growl. The two snow leapers turned back immediately.
"I do not wish to harm you or your babies," said Jenevi in a gentle tone as she slowly began to back away. "Just passing through."
The large snow leaper crept closer. It leaned back onto its hind legs and pounced high and far in the air, landing right in front of Jenevi. The mother bared her shiny white teeth, and her face creased as she snarled.
The young woman's heart started to beat faster. What she wanted to do was a risk, but she decided to take it anyways. Jenevi slowly lifted her arm up and hesitated when the snow leaper let out another growl. The Magus continued hesitantly before placing her hand on the side of the mother's face.
The growling continued, but the longer Jenevi's hand stayed planted where it was, the more the growling subsided. Finally, once the growling stopped, the mother's cubs came wobbling over.
"I'm a friend," said Jenevi quietly. A soft purr vibrated from the snow leaper's throat as the Magus rubbed her hand against the beast's soft white fur.
Jenevi didn't understand. What do my powers of darkness have to do with animals? It seemed as though only predators responded to me. She thought about the Forest of Despair and the dangerous creatures that resided within. She found herself yearning to go back. There was something there that she was missing. Something that she forgot.
The thought about her beloved aunt made Jenevi's eyes water. She wanted to give her a proper burial.
"I have to go now," said Jenevi as she released her hand from the snow leaper's face.
As if she understood, the mother bowed her head and then turned around slowly. She glanced down at her babies and let out a deep, short growl. The two cubs followed their mother back into the protection of the trees.
Jenevi closed her eyes. She could feel the presence of her traveling companions and Feera looking for her in the wrong direction.
"Jenevi!" she heard Mace call worriedly. She could feel his heart racing, and worry seeped out of him so much that Jenevi could feel it.
She felt her face heat up. What's wrong with him? She thought. Jenevi took a moment to clear her mind and focus on the location of her friends. In an instant, she stood in front of them.
The three cried out in unison and Feera fell back onto the snow. Her and Mace stared at Jenevi with wide eyes while Simon hurriedly went to Feera's side to help her up.
"I..." started Jenevi as she looked down at her hands. "I think I can do it now..." She looked up at the three with a large grin on her face. "I can do it!" she exclaimed.
Mace, Simon, and Feera watched as Jenevi teleported around them with ease, laughing excitedly.
Finally, once she stopped to catch her breath, Mace gathered her in his arms and said, "I knew you could do it."
Jenevi's heart skipped a beat and her face heated up once again. Has Mace gotten more muscular? She thought as the blacksmith tightened his grip around her.
The Magus lifted her hands up and hesitantly returned the hug.
They both broke away from each other once Feera cleared her throat. "We should be heading back soon," she started with a smirk on her face. "I'm not ready to be eaten by a snow leaper."
Jenevi followed behind the three and decided to keep her encounter with the beast silent.
A couple of days have passed. Jenevi kept wanting to talk to Wilson, but he always seemed to be around Feera. Now that he knew he was going to be a father, he did appear to be a changed person.
When the Magus went downstairs early in the morning, she was the only one there. Jenevi sat on the kitchen table and continued to read her book, but stopped when someone came through the back door.
It was Tishka holding Lulie in her hand. The older woman paused, surprised to see Jenevi in the kitchen.
"Morning," said Jenevi with a nod of her head.
Tishka didn't say anything and hurried into the library.
Jenevi narrowed her eyes. She was trusting the place less and less. She was going to sneak over to the library door and eavesdrop when Yever and Feera came downstairs.
"I'm going to go out and collect some eggs," announced the older man as he went out the back door.
"Do you like the book?" questioned Feera as she sat close to Jenevi.
Jenevi slightly scooted away. "Not really. I thought that it would have more information about my kind, but it just seems like the person who wrote this only knew what powers some Magus could have, and some random myths. Why did everyone think that they were just a myth if they lived among us for many years?"
Feera shrugged. "I can't say for sure. It was many, many years ago when the Eradication happened. But I mean, could you just imagine? Having your father, your mother, your child killed for no reason?" She placed a gentle hand on her belly. "I could never imagine losing my child, just because he, or she, is a Magus. At least, I hope my baby is a Magus."
Jenevi looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You really hope that your child ends up being a Magus?"
The blue-eyed woman chuckled. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
"Wouldn't you be worried?"
Feera shook her head and smiled. "Absolutely not. Wilson and I will guide our child on the right path. I know he hasn't been a good person in the past, but he is different now. You've seen it."
Jenevi sighed. "Yeah. And one of these days he better be giving me some answers."
The two sat in silence. Jenevi turned her head to peer out the window that viewed the backyard. She looked over at the library and said, "your mother received the Lulu bird. She's in the library right now."
They stared at the library door together.
"That's strange. I didn't think that it would come back so soon. I really have no idea why they need that bird so much," started Feera. She sighed heavily and turned her attention to the wooden table. "I'm so sorry for their behavior. They've never acted like this before. It's concerning, actually."
Tishka came out of the library without Lulie the same time Yever came back with a small basket of eggs.
The old woman glanced over at Jenevi and grinned. "Hungry? I got fresh meat yesterday. We're going to have a fantastic breakfast!"
"It's going to be delicious!" exclaimed Yever.
Jenevi and Feera looked at each other with their brows knitted.
The blue-eyed woman shook it off quickly and stood up, stopping her mother. "Let me cook," she stated.
Tishka smiled. "Sure, dear. You make better food than I do, anyways."
The two men upstairs came down after smelling the aroma coming from the kitchen. Immediately, they both noticed how happy Tishka and Yever appeared. With smiles plastered on their faces, they were telling Jenevi about the time they first met. It seemed almost routine.
Mace sat down first next to Jenevi, and Simon across from him. They listened in on the conversation as Feera continued to cook.
"I was bleeding to death," said Tishka. "I was assaulted by guards while I lived in what was the Strongwill City. I managed to steal a horse and ride to the closest town, Rhalka. I made it in time and was brought to a doctor. Apparently, Yever was the doctor's assistant."
"I fell in love with her the moment I saw her," started Yever as he looked
into his wife's eyes. "She was the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, even though the majority of the time her eyes were closed, and she bled a lot."
Jenevi felt Feera looking over at them. She turned her head and noticed that the blue-eyed woman was yielding a strange look. She opened her mouth to say something, but she shook her head and went back to preparing the meal.
"I'm so sorry I took Lulie away from you yesterday," started Yever, looking at Mace. "It's just that a personal issue came up and I needed to deliver the message as soon as possible. I'm glad you and Simon were able to send birds, though."
Mace nodded his head. "I understand. She's your bird, and this is your home. I really don't have room to complain."
"And on that note," said Simon. "We'll pay you for our stay. You didn't have to take us in, but you did."
Tishka and her husband looked at each other with gleaming smiles on their faces. They both turned back to Simon and Yever said, "That would be very kind of you. Thank you for the offer."
Throughout the whole conversation, Jenevi stayed silent with a frown. Things didn't feel right to her, and she knew that Feera was feeling the same way.
They all devoured their meal until their stomachs were full. When all the plates were cleaned off, Feera smiled and asked, "was it okay?"
Simon wiped his mouth with his napkin. "It was the best meal I've had in a long time, thank you." He stood up and said, "I know it's sudden, but Mace and I will be going out for a little bit. I need to train him."
Mace stared at him with knitted eyebrows. "You do?" Simon shot the young blacksmith a glance, causing him to stand up as well. "You do. We'll see you guys later, then."
The two walked out, leaving Jenevi and Feera to clean.
"What was that about?" questioned Mace. "We just ate. Are you sure you want to train me? I'm not a beginner anymore, so you'll be working yourself up as well."
Simon stayed silent and kept walking. Mace couldn't help but note the hard expression that embedded on the former knight's face. The blacksmith decided to keep quiet until they reached their destination, but couldn't help but grow worried as they exited the city.
"Um..." started Mace nervously, looking around for snow leapers. "Where are you taking me?"
"Just a little bit further," replied Simon as he kept his head straight. He said no more, and Mace decided just to trust him and stayed silent the rest of the way.
Mace realized they were headed for the crescent tree. When they approached it, Simon stopped and stared up at the beautiful white branches.
"Now what is this about?" questioned Mace as he folded his arms.
The former knight turned slowly, tears escaping his eyes. "I can't hold it in anymore," he said with a whimper. "I can't keep my secret any longer. It's too painful. I'm learning one thing after another, and-" He inhaled sharply and trembled as more tears came down his face. "I need to tell someone."
Mace was at a loss for words. The cool, collected, strong and handsome former knight was breaking before him.
Noticing this, Simon shook his head. "You don't have to say anything. Just listen. The reason why I am telling you and not Jenevi is because I'm mainly keeping this secret away from her." He reached up to his face and touched his scar. "She is the one who did this to me."
Mace blinked rapidly as multiple questions popped up in his mind. "Wh-what do you mean? H-How could she have-" he stopped himself, not sure he processed what Simon said entirely.
"I've known her before she lost her memories. She's my sister. She's the little girl I've been searching for years to find."
Mace stared at him for a few moments, repeating what he said over and over again in his head. Of all the questions that rushed through his brain, he only managed to pull one out. "What?"
Simon ran his fingers through his messy brown hair. "I know, I know. I knew it had to be her the second I heard the news there was a Tenebrae Magus in Petram City. I've been searching for her for so many years...only to have her come to me. You have no idea how much I wanted to hug her when I first saw her, but she didn't recognize me. I was hoping that she would eventually..."
"Why didn't you just tell her?" exclaimed Mace as he threw his hands up in the air. "What if she regained memories of you?"
The former knight sighed. "Believe me, I've wanted to this whole time I've been with you guys, but what holds me back is something that happened between us in the past. Something that involves the scar on my face."
"What happened?" asked the blacksmith as he cleared a log of snow so he could sit. Simon leaned against the crescent tree.
"Our mother, a Tenebrae Magus, disappeared when I was thirteen and Jenevi was seven. We had another sibling, Raza. She was the middle child, but an animal killed her when she was out hunting with father. Or at least that’s what he said. Our dad was raising us after mother's disappearance, but I noticed he was treating Jenevi strangely. The way he looked at her when she wasn't looking was creepy, and some things he would say to her just sounded...wrong. I hoped that it was just all in my head, but one night I came home early from working on the farm and went into the kitchen to find my father assaulting Jenevi. She had her pinned down and she was crying for help." Simon took a moment to let out a shaky breath. The memory sent chills up and down his spine.
"I didn't hesitate to attack him," continued Simon. "I managed to get a few hits in, and he managed to hit me as well. His intentions were clear. He didn't even tell me to stop beating him. He wanted to kill me. Jenevi, being the small child she was, didn't realize how bad our father was until that day. She was very close to him, more so than she was to our mother. Jenevi was screaming at me to stop hitting our father, and that's when the sky became dark. It was then that we discovered she was a Tenebrae Magus like her mother."
"And then what happened?" questioned Mace who listened intently and sat on the edge of the log.
Simon touched his scar. "Jenevi grabbed a small knife and threatened me. I couldn't do anything because our father was still attacking me. He told Jenevi to kill me with the knife, and she didn't hesitate to swing the weapon at my face. I knew she could have killed me right then, but she only left a scar. I managed to push father off and snatched the knife out of Jenevi's hands. Then I killed him right in front of her."
Mace leaned back, taking it all in. "That's...insane. How did you guys get separated, then?"
Simon crossed his arms. "She tried running away from home on multiple occasions. Jen despised me and would have rather lived on the streets. Our aunt Sharlette visited us a few times before our mother disappeared, but she never stuck around long. I came home from work one day to find her putting Jenevi on her horse, saying she was going to take her away."
"Was Sharlette a bad person too?"
Simon shook his head. "She's nice once you get to know her. I argued with her for a long time because I wanted Jenevi to stay with me, but she refused. She wouldn't even tell me where she was going to take her. They ended up running off and I chased them, but they got away. I dedicated my life to search for my little sister, and to my luck, I find her with no memory about me. But I'm worried she may kill me if she remembers."
"I think you should tell her," said Mace, standing up. "You're just torturing yourself."
Simon inhaled sharply. "I can't do that. I can't walk up to her and say, hey, Jen! I'm actually your long lost brother!"
The blacksmith shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you, man. This is just...crazy. All this time I thought you actually had a thing for her."
"I know you did," said Simon with a smirk, but then his face hardened. "But please don't tell Jenevi about any of this. I want to be the one who tells her."
Mace nodded his head. He stood up, thinking the talk was over and there could be nothing more to share when Simon stopped him.
"Wait," started the former knight. He paused for a few moments, his eyes glossy with tears. "Do you remember the story Yever told us the first night we
arrived here? After Jenevi woke up?"
Mace nodded his head. "About the executed Magus? What about it?" The distraught expression on Simon's face almost brought tears to Mace's eyes, and he didn't even know why yet.
Simon let out a shaky breath. "That was my mother."
"What? How do you know that was her? It could have been anyone."
The former knight shot him a glance, causing Mace to flinch. "I just know. It has to be her. And unlike Jenevi, I was actually close to our mom." Simon started walking away, leaving Mace behind with his eyes wide open.
He almost wished everything Simon told him was just a joke and he would turn around with a big grin on his face, saying something about how gullible he was, but as he continued to watch Simon walk down the mountain towards the city, Mace knew he was serious.
Snow started to fall slowly. Mace tilted his head up and watched the small white flakes falling to the ground, thinking that his group was never going to be the same again.
When Feera and Jenevi were done cleaning the kitchen, the Magus sat down and patted the seat next to her. The blue-eyed woman sat, reluctantly, and waited for what Jenevi had to say.
With the older couple out buying some things, the two women were left alone in the house until Mace and Simon were to return.
"You know there is something weird going on, don't you?" inquired Jenevi, eyes narrowed in seriousness.
Feera hung her head to examine a dark spot on the table. "I've never seen my parents act this way before. And their story from breakfast...I think they made that up."
Jenevi's eyebrows knitted and she asked, "What do you mean?"
Feera sighed heavily. "They told it to me a little differently. My mother said that my father was the doctor's assistant, but my dad said a long time ago he was the doctor. And at the same time, my mother was in the room when he said that. I don’t know…I may just be paranoid."
Darkness Falls (The Dark Series Book 1) Page 19