“No, I did not.”
“Then, why confess?” He searched my eyes.
“I did it to save my family.”
He furrowed his eyebrows. “I do not understand. Did your family cause these deaths?”
“Corbin. But if I had said his name, they would have taken Colden, and they would have executed us all. I cannot do that to my brother.”
George shook his head. “I do not understand. Why would your father do this?”
“I am not sure. I tried to help everyone.”
“You should not be in here,” he spat. “I know you are good. I see it in you.”
“You must escape this place. Promise me you will leave.”
He gripped my hands and I could not look away from his heavy gaze. “I will not leave you, Savina.”
I closed my eyes and a tear cast down my cheek. “I love you, George.” I smiled up at him.
“Savina, please do not say your goodbyes.”
“I know you would have made me a happy bride. We would have had a wonderful life with beautiful children.”
A tear slid down his cheek. “And we will. I promise I will do whatever it takes to get you out of here.”
The door opened once more and a guard appeared. “Time for you to go,” he demanded to George.
George pulled me into an embrace and kissed me with such fervor. We clung to each other, reluctant to release one another.
“I love you,” he whispered and then the guard pulled him away. He never took his eyes off me.
The guard slammed the door and I collapsed to my knees, left alone with only my tears. I had held back my emotions, but now I released my pain. The only father I ever had, sent me to my death by hanging.
Everything had changed in such a short amount of time. And I did not even know what caused any of it. No one came for me that night. I fretted that Corbin and Veronica convinced Colden to join them, but I had to trust Colden would make the right decision.
How could the entire town turn against me? They did not trust me at all. Even my friends. Corbin was right. But did that mean everything I ever knew about them was a lie? Was I supposed to hate them and join Corbin in a war against them? I had never felt so conflicted in my life.
The next day I stayed in the cell and stared out the high window. I watched the day turn to dusk.
And then they came for me.
I let them lead me to the platform, but they would not kill me. I could not let that happen. I had spent countless hours healing them and caring for them and this was how they repaid me. But the worst was betrayal by Corbin. He never came for me, nor had Colden. I suspected they escaped in the night with Veronica to Caprington.
Two guards with hoods over their faces escorted me atop the platform and I came face to face with a rope tied in a noose. I looked out at the crowd. They stared at me with contempt and disgust. They shouted obscenities and even brought their children to watch.
I removed my bonnet and one of the guards placed the rope around my neck and tightened it. My heart raced and my thoughts were rampant trying to think of a way to escape. I swallowed the lump in my throat and then George’s eyes caught mine. They watered as he mouthed I love you. I whispered it back.
If I escaped this, I was not sure he would still mean those words. There was only one way to find out. I closed my eyes. I had never performed any sort of magic except healing. I did not know what else I could do, but if Veronica learned new abilities, maybe I had something inside me. I channeled the villagers’ hatred and warmth spread throughout my body. There was a tingling sensation in my extremities and I felt my body hum. So much power coursed throughout me. My breathing picked up and I pulled my hands apart, breaking the rope.
I heard gasps and I opened my eyes.
“Kill her!”
I gathered enough strength and projected my energy on the crowd. Like an invisible wave, it washed over them, tossing them a few feet back from the platform, George included. I stared at my hands in disbelief. The energy soared within me and I felt so alive, but I could not believe I had done that.
And then all hell broke loose.
A harsh wind sounded and carried earth and rocks across the ground, making it difficult to see. Panicked cries echoed in the night, and I saw an orange glow in the distance.
“Sister!” I heard Colden.
I shielded my eyes from the wind and saw him below the platform. He reached for me and I took his hands.
“Come on, Sister.”
“I must find George!”
“We don’t have much time.”
“No, wait. George!” I screamed, but the wind was too loud.
Colden pulled me along, and we ran past the platform and through the chaos of people running and screaming. Once we reached the hill, my breath hitched, and I halted. The windstorm was only confined around the platform. Several witches congregated in the center of the village as tall flames from the buildings licked the clouds, and smoke whirled in the air. The strong wind tossed wood from the buildings as if it were feather light. Bodies levitated in the air, and without warning, crashed to the ground with sickening crunches. I buried my face into Colden’s chest.
“Sister, we must go.”
“What is going on?” I asked.
“Revolution,” the woman next to us said, holding a torch. But as I looked closer, I realized it was not a torch. The fire floated in her bare hand.
“It is time!” Corbin shouted. “Is this not glorious?” He laughed as his long hair whipped wildly around his face.
Buildings burned. People ran out in horror in different directions. Some tried to fight off the witches, but they were no match for the powerful beings. Children ran screaming for their mothers. People wailed in pain, as they burned alive.
“Corbin, stop this!” I shouted. “We are free. Let us go.”
“Free?” he yelled back. “You think we are free? We will never be free as long as they are in control. This ends tonight. I will burn it all.”
“Please, Father,” Colden begged. “Have they not seen enough death? Let us go.”
“Why will you not do this? Join me. We are born this way—nothing will ever change that.” He grabbed Colden’s arms. “Do you fear what you are?”
“No,” he said.
“We fear what you have become.”
Corbin’s black eyes shifted to me. “Even after what they did to you? What they were about to do?”
“None of this would have happened had you not caused it. You made them aware of what we can do. I am a good witch but you are evil,” I cried.
“We should not hide who we are. Thousands of people have died because of who we are. They are determined to kill us all.”
“Not if we keep who we are a secret. Please, Corbin, stop. Let us leave this place and live in peace.”
“Go where? We do not belong anywhere as long as they are alive.”
“Corbin, come on,” Veronica urged.
Corbin pushed us aside, and we watched in horror as he followed his new group of friends. The brunette woman shot fire out of her hands and set fire to the prison cells, homes, and everything else. I could not save them all.
“Father, no! There are children inside.”
“And they will grow up to be just like the ones who betrayed your sister.”
“The only one who has betrayed me is you,” I shouted. “How could you do this?” I pushed him. I knew I was no match for Corbin, but that did not stop me from antagonizing him.
He grabbed my arms and held a steely gaze. “You are no longer my daughter, and you will eventually die by the hands of these people. You will never be strong, and you will always remain naïve.” He pushed me to the ground. Colden darted toward him, but Corbin held out his hand. “Do your best, but remember, my army will destroy you limb from limb in a matter of seconds.”
Colden’s face fell.
I was shocked at his words.
“Savina,” George cried. He dodged flying debris and smoke a
nd fire as he charged toward me.
My heart faltered. He was alive and I had not hurt him. “George!”
“Corbin, watch out,” Veronica warned.
Corbin raised his hand and lifted an anvil from the ground. It all happened so fast, but Corbin controlled the anvil without touching it. How could he do that? But I had no time to wonder. He threw the anvil with such force and as I followed it with my eyes, I screamed.
“No! George!”
It crashed into his head, blood splattering everywhere. George fell hard to the ground and did not move.
“George!” I screamed and ran to him. I did not hear the roaring fire. Or the hard wind. No shouting. Nothing. Just piercing silence. I reached his hand and grasped it, but then I felt arms around me, pulling me away from my George.
“Savina, I am so sorry,” Corbin said. The voices and sounds came back to me. “I am so sorry. I thought he was going to hurt you.”
I struggled to be free of his tight grasp. “How did you? How could you?”
“I did not realize it was him until it was too late.” His eyes reminded me of the Corbin before all of this happened, but in a matter of seconds, they changed.
Colden pushed his father away from me and took my hand. “We must go.”
“I must see George,” I screamed, but Colden refused to release me.
We started to run for the forest just beyond the town, but a group of Ephemerals with weapons stopped us.
“You vile woman! You tricked us!” one of the men shouted.
“We mean no harm,” I tried to tell them, but they came at us, wielding their knives and swords at us.
One of the men raised his knife and I snatched it from his hand and with my elbow, punched him in the throat. He went down without a sound. Colden snapped the neck of another man. I delivered a crushing blow to the last one. When they collapsed, my body surged with energy. For a moment, I wanted more than just a taste of death.
Colden grabbed my hand and we ran from the calamity. I took one last look back at the burning village. I would never see it or George again.
All I saw for miles and miles was a blur of dark woods. Blood from George and the two men I killed clung to me. The adrenaline wore off, and the realization of what I had done sank in. I wanted nothing more than to hold George. The anvil crashing into him. Bodies flying in the air. Children screaming. Using my energy to hurt them for my own escape. Killing two men with my own hands. These images stained my mind.
I was not sure how far we ran until Colden found a cave deep in the mountains. It was cold, but we could make ourselves warm. Colden forced me to eat, but I could not stomach anything. We both wept and Colden held me while I grieved for George. He calmed me down when I lashed out, frantically screaming. Everything I had ever known was taken from me and the people I loved were dead or no longer my family. Except Colden. He was all I had.
I let the journal rest in my lap and allow my tears to fall. I am so heartbroken without my brother. I cannot eat or sleep. I know my Aureole needs me, but I cannot face them. Ava has asked to see me several times, but I decline. I must continue reading to find any clue. I wipe my eyes and pick up the book again.
Many years passed and I recorded every day of our journey. We traveled for months and years, always reclusive whenever we came to a new town. Though the villages and townspeople had become scarce, the farther away we were from Caprington and our home, the less the disease or war had touched them. But no matter what, Colden and I never let our guard down. We could not afford it. As we journeyed, we focused on our gifts, and I learned how to read minds. I still needed to master it, but it will come. I could still project energy, but I rarely used it. Colden, however, did not possess any unique traits and could not gain any new ones. I worried over him because he fretted, but neither of us could do anything.
We vowed to fight back and defeat Corbin and his growing faction once we gained our own followers. But it was difficult to meet people like us because we always kept to ourselves for fear of being found out and had never stayed in one place long. I tried reading minds to see if anyone harbored any secrets like us, but it was challenging when we constantly were on the move. I also felt intrusive for reading minds.
After leaving one particular town, we found an inn to stay the night. The town looked like the others. Small with places of business on the main street and little homes surrounding it. Friendly atmosphere, yet quite boisterous. Colden and I walked inside the inn and almost turned around, but we were tired. I looked around and wondered what was so different about this particular place. It was very crowded, for one. The guests and locals drank and ate as if it was a party. No one seemed fearful at all that there was a pandemic headed their way. Perhaps, they were unaware of it. They went about their lives as if nothing bothered them. I wanted that. I was tired of hiding and running, even though I knew I could not stop.
We grabbed a table in the back; both of us shielding our faces by the hoods of our cloaks, but no one seemed to notice us. There were people of all ages in the inn, and I felt an incredible amount of energy. It was like nothing I had ever felt before.
“Here are your dinners.” A young black girl placed steaming bowls in front of us. She had a gleam in her eyes, and she seemed different. I could feel something strong emanating from her, but I did not know what.
“Thank you,” Colden said, and then we kept our heads down and ate.
I wanted to ask him if he felt anything from the girl or anyone, but I would wait until we retreated to our rooms. We hurried through our dinner, as usual. The quicker we ate, the faster we could leave the noisiness. I wondered if we would even be able to sleep through the clamor.
I lifted the spoon to my mouth and then felt a cold liquid travel down my back. I froze as a man touched my shoulder. I could tell Colden tensed as well.
“I am terribly sorry,” the man said. “Here is a towel.” He spoke with an unfamiliar accent, slow and careful drawl. Again, I felt that strong presence as I did with the young girl. He handed me the towel and Colden snatched it from him.
“Thank you.” The way he said it, I knew he wanted the man to leave us alone. He had always been very protective since Corbin changed, rightfully so. Most times, I appreciated it, but when I looked up and met the man’s russet eyes, my heart skipped a beat. His short, dark hair looked almost black and his beard only covered a little of his square face. He was handsome. I had not felt anything for a man since George, and I could not involve myself with anyone.
He leaned down and kissed my hand. “I am Aaron,” he said.
I felt my cheeks redden, but I was thankful for the dim lights. “I am Savina.” I smiled, but then Colden cleared his throat. Aaron released my hand. I had crossed a line.
Aaron reached to shake Colden’s hand but Colden ignored it and stood from the table. “Come, Sister.”
“Thank you for the towel,” I said to Aaron. “We must retire for the evening.”
“It was very nice to meet you.” Aaron smiled as Colden grasped my hand.
Once we entered our room, he began his pacing, signaling his frustration. “Savina, how could you tell him your name?”
“I am sorry. I did not mean to.”
“You are too trusting. We must be careful.”
“Colden, please do not be angry. I felt something from him.”
“Savina, do not fall in love with him. Remember George?”
Hearing his name in a warning stung. “Of course I do. How dare you ask that?”
He sighed. “I am sorry.”
“I meant I felt something strong. From him and the young girl who brought our food. There is something strange about them. I feel their strength. More than an Ephemeral.”
Colden halted. “Are they Enchanters?”
“I do not know.”
“They could be part of Corbin’s army and you gave your name.”
“Do not be paranoid, Colden. If they were part of Corbin’s army they would have seized us by now.”
He dropped his gaze. “How can you trust them without effort?”
“I can read their minds. Not well, but I can tell they are good.”
He shook his head. “You cannot tell after having met them once. You do not know them.”
“Perhaps we should get to know them. We need to build our own coven.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Colden, we cannot keep doing this forever. Eventually, we need to fight back.”
“No, we do not. We have done fine for ourselves for several decades. Why stop now?”
“How can we fight Corbin with just the two of us?”
“I cannot fight,” he raised his voice. “I cannot help the Ephemerals. I have nothing to offer.”
Tears clouded my vision as I watched my frustrated brother continue pacing. I wished for something, anything that would help him. I also could not figure out why he was so hesitant to create our own coven.
Days passed as we stayed at the inn. As usual, we kept to ourselves, even out in the town. But every time I saw Aaron, my heart jumped to my throat. We stole glances at every moment and exchanged smiles. It was dangerous and foolish. Each night I lay down to sleep, I could not forget Aaron and his easy smile and polite manner. There was something about him.
On the last night of our stay, I crept out of my room and walked downstairs to the empty bar and diner of the inn. The lights had been turned off save for a few. It was quiet, which is what I sought. I longed for a place to call home, and the inn gave me a comfort I had not felt in ages. I wanted to stay, but I knew Colden would not allow it.
“The Innkeeper has retired for the evening.” I knew it was Aaron His accent was unmistakable.
I turned around and found him sitting alone at a table. “I came down for water.”
“You came to the right place.” He stood and moved toward me. Heat pricked beneath my cheeks. I looked up at him and sensed that strong presence. My pulse quickened. “Are you hungry?”
“A little.” I was not, but I wanted to spend time with him.
“Excellent. How about I make us something?”
“Sounds great.”
When Darkness Fell: An Elemental Enchanters Story Page 4