Rise of the Sparrows

by Sarina Langer

  No. He stopped for air, hating himself for having considered it. Cephy might not be needed for the Sparrows to succeed, but she was as innocent as anyone. He couldn't turn away another gifted child, no matter what happened. Had he not sworn to protect those with the gift? He wouldn't make an exception now. He'd just have to find a way to rescue both of them.

  Breathing heavily, he prayed that it wouldn’t come to that. He would save Rachael, take Cephy along, and the vile Mist Woman would never even know that it had happened.

  Aeron smiled to herself as she waited in the darkness of her home. A man was approaching, and she knew very well who he was. He was a Sparrow, one of those men and women her mother had warned her about. One of those prophecy had warned her about.

  The Sparrow was on his way to her home, intent on taking Rachael and Cephy away from her. Aeron had spent a lot of time thinking about whether she could just let it happen, and had gone through some very old books her mother had left behind to answer that question.

  Finally, she had come across an old book filled with prophecy. The Tome of Ar'Zac D'Ar was as old as time itself, if her mother was to be believed. Her favourite prophecy—The Rise Of The Sparrows—was on page one hundred and ninety-one, but she was after something else this time. She had gone through the whole book, reminded herself of every word, until one prophecy had caught her eye. It was short, and she wondered why she hadn't been able to recall it in the first place, but it was what she needed.

  The child will return to its mistress willingly and freely.

  Cephy was the Fox, she was sure of it. Why this prophecy didn't name her as such made no sense to her, but it didn't matter. There was no one else it could mean. Rachael was the real danger to her plan, but she wasn't ready to let her die just yet. The older girl had no grasp or talent for her gift at all, and was certainly no threat to her right now. Aeron was curious to see whether Rachael would ever rise to become this threat to her world order the Tome of Ar'Zac D'Ar spoke of.

  She would let them go, for now. Cephy would return to her when the time was right, and Rachael could be eliminated easily whenever she pleased. There was no rush.

  Rachael was reading a book on the history of seers when Cephy sat down next to her on the soft bed, falling into the big pillows with an exhausted sigh.

  She smiled a little; Aeron had been working Cephy hard, trying to teach her everything she knew about her gift. The lessons were harsh on Cephy, but it was only because Aeron saw so much potential in her. Unlike her own gift, Cephy's ability to set fire to anything was useful. All Rachael could do was predict the future, and she had no control over that.

  “How did your lesson go?” Rachael asked, looking up from her book.

  “I'm tired!” Cephy turned around slowly until she was lying on her back, exposing her charred fingertips and bleary eyes to Rachael. “My hands hurt, but Aeron won't give me anything to heal them.”

  “She's trying to teach you to be more careful next time.” She wasn't sure if she believed that herself, but Lady Aeron had done them a huge favour. Now she was doing them another favour by teaching them. Supporting her was the least Rachael could do. Aeron was very experienced with her magic and knew what was best, whereas they didn't. Rachael knew she could trust her decision.

  “I am careful!”

  Cephy was pouting, but Rachael knew the moment Aeron entered their room, her frown would be gone. They both wanted to please her—there was no other way to repay her.

  “Show me.” Cephy scooted over on the bed, gently placing her hands into Rachael's but recoiling at the pain. Rachael did her best to hide her disapproval. Her hands were burned on each fingertip, small blisters had burst here and there and had left bloody streaks behind. Aeron would heal them eventually, but not right away. Not until Cephy had learned a lesson.

  “Does it hurt?” Cephy nodded, her eyes brimmed red. “I could get you some snow from outside to cool the wounds, maybe-”

  Cephy shook her head. “Don’t! Aeron would know. She'd punish both of us.” Rachael couldn't believe she'd go that far but nodded. Her methods were harsh, but she wouldn't punish them for a bit of pain relief. She was too kind for that. Cephy didn't look in the mood to argue, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

  “Go to sleep. They'll feel better in the morning.” Rachael put her book away, stretching herself. They were both tired and needed the rest.

  Most nights they both fell asleep quickly, but Rachael found it hard to get to sleep now. An unsettling feeling had grown in her stomach, her heart was racing and her mind was wide awake, but there were no visions to tell her what it was. Aeron's tea had done a beautiful job of calming her gift. Rachael hadn't suffered a vision since they had reached the hut. Just this once she wished she knew what was about to happen. Seeing someone's death was terrible, but only having the foreboding feeling without the vision was worse.

  Rachael was still lying awake several hours later, when the pale glow of the moon filled their room and everything was silent save the sound of owls hooting outside.

  She heard the faint creaks of the front door opening.

  Aeron would already be in bed. Someone was entering the house. Rachael's heart raced. She wasn't sure whether to get up and spy on whoever had entered or pull the blanket further over herself and pretend she hadn't noticed.

  To her surprise, the muffled sound of Aeron's voice filled the darkness. She spoke in hushed tones so it was difficult to hear, and Rachael had to strain her ears to hear anything at all.

  “...you've come. But sneaking around my house? My, my, Sparrow, you should know better than this.”

  “Then you know why I'm here, too.” The second voice belonged to a man, but it wasn’t one Rachael recognised. It sounded older than her, stronger, and defiant. She could picture him glaring at Aeron in the next room, even though their door was shut tight and it was too dark to see much of anything.

  “I do indeed. You can have them.” Rachael's heart felt ready to jump out of her chest. She wasn't supposed to hear this. If Aeron found out she'd been listening she'd be angry, but her curiosity won. He could have what?

  For a moment, neither said anything. The silence was broken by Aeron's soft laughter, but it didn't sound like her. It didn't sound like the wonderful, warm laughter they had grown used to. What Rachael was hearing sent shivers down her spine and made her regret her decision to leave the comforting safety of her duvet.

  “Surprised, Sparrow? I knew you were coming. I know what you want. I'm telling you, you can have them. I have no use for the two at this moment.” With an uncomfortable pang of pain, Rachael realised that they were talking about her and Cephy. Aeron said she didn't need them—no, said she had no use for them. Like they were some goods to be bought at the market.

  Her heart ached at the news. She had believed Aeron to be different, better than the others, but she was just as selfish. She didn't care for her or Cephy.

  “I don't trust you, Mist Woman. What do you want?”

  Again, that terrible laugh which made her want to run. “Why, my Sparrow, I don't want anything in return. Take the girls with you, they are yours.”

  Rachael agreed with the man who had broken into their hut. Her unshakable trust in Aeron had died. People always expected something in return, and Aeron had just proven that she was as bad as everyone else.

  “Fine. Have it your way. I will come back tomorrow with some horses. And don't you dare go back on your word!”

  “Why, I didn't know my word meant anything to you. But I promise, if it will make you feel better. I will not go back on my word. They will be ready for you in the morning. You don't need to come here again. I will bring them to you once they are ready to go.”

  “And you had better make sure they are unharmed.” Rachael's eyes flashed over to Cephy, and wondered if her burnt blistering hands counted as unharmed.

  “Or what, Sparrow? Would you punish me? I would love to see you try.” Aeron's voice wa
s a silky purr, but the threat was unmistakable. Rachael wanted to warn the stranger, tell him that Aeron could burn him to a crisp if she wanted to, but her gut told her that he already knew. He acted strong, but his voice betrayed him. She recognised fear in a man's voice when she heard it, and his was thick with it.

  The door slammed shut, and Rachael hid under her blanket. She was scared of Aeron. She had trusted her, had loved her, but now it seemed that Aeron had never cared about either of them. Why would she take them in, feed them and teach them, if they were so worthless to her? They couldn't be away from her soon enough. What this man, this Sparrow, wanted with them was a mystery but she couldn't risk trusting him, either. They would take the chance to get away from Aeron, and then they would run.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The delicious smells of sweet tea and honey woke Rachael to the sounds of Cephy's even breathing. She was stirring in her sleep, too comfortable under her soft duvet to be coerced out of bed by the wonderful smells now filling the whole hut.

  The sun was just rising and dipping their room in a wonderful orange glow, and the first birds had begun to sing.

  Rachael gently shook Cephy's arm until the girl was awake, and hurried to dress herself. She felt like she had had the worst night's rest, but couldn't think why. She felt like she had suffered a nightmare she now couldn't remember, and it made her feel uneasy.

  She sighed, promising herself that she would ask Lady Aeron for some more calming tea. Maybe her body had grown used to the medicine Aeron prepared for her every morning, and she now needed something stronger.

  They entered the main room together, where Aeron sat at the table pouring their tea into beautiful, intricately designed tea cups.

  “Good morning, girls. Have you slept well?” Cephy nodded and sat down close to Aeron, but Rachael couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach. Now that she had left the safety of their room and was closer to Aeron it was getting worse, twisting her insides and driving her mind on edge. She felt as if something had happened which had changed everything, but she couldn't remember what it was. Aeron sounded different, her smile looked cooler than it had done yesterday. The interior of the previously warm room seemed strange and foreign.

  “Sit down, Rachael. Here, have some honey on white bread. My little Fox here won't leave you any otherwise.”

  Rachael felt the hairs on her arm stand on end. Had Aeron always called Cephy her little Fox? She felt like she had heard it before, but she couldn't-

  With the sharp pain of realisation, Rachael remembered. Aeron had called Cephy her Fox last night. A man had come into the hut, and they had talked about her and Cephy.

  Aeron didn't love them. She had said she had no use for them, and was happy to let them go away with this stranger they didn't know. They weren't wanted in Blackrock and they weren't wanted here, either. Maybe they really weren't wanted anywhere. Their home with Aeron had been an illusion. A lie.

  Rachael felt stupid. Back in Blackrock she would never have trusted someone like she had trusted Aeron. Sooner or later, people always betrayed one another. She had lived by that rule all her life, and it had served her well. Why had she allowed Aeron into their lives so easily? Because they had been tired? Because Aeron could use magic, too?

  Because she had wanted to believe that there was a place for them in this world, after all?

  Rachael had never felt so childish in her whole life. She had been stupid enough to let a pretty face fool her, and Cephy's hands had suffered for her ignorance.

  “Aren't you hungry?” Aeron's words called her back into the hut. Rachael looked down at her plate to see her own honeyed bread still untouched whereas Cephy's plate only had crumbs left. Aeron herself wasn't eating anything and was sipping her tea slowly. Rachael felt sick just watching her.

  “Not very.” Every instinct told her to run, but Aeron would never let them get far. This was some kind of twisted game for which Rachael didn't know the rules but which Aeron had mastered. She should have known better than to let Aeron's kindness fool her. It hadn't been real.

  Rachael felt as alone as she had done every day in Blackrock.

  “Well, try to eat a little bit. You have a busy day ahead of you.”

  “A busy day?” Cephy asked, looking hopeful. “Are you going to teach me how to cast the special flames you told me about?”

  Aeron shook her head, taking their hands into hers. “I'm afraid not, my Fox. Today is an important day for you both. A man has come to me and has asked me to let you go into his custody. He is coming back for you soon, and you both need to be ready.”

  The look of disappointment on Cephy's face nearly broke Rachael's heart. If only she had woken her up last night, Cephy would be relieved to leave Aeron behind. Her love for the woman was dangerous.

  Rachael wanted to say something, ask who this man was, and confess that she had overheard their whole conversation, but she didn't say a word. It would be safer to be away from Aeron than to have her be mad at them. She could still tell Cephy what she had overheard once they were out of Aeron's reach.

  “We have to leave you? Why?”

  “I will explain it to you when you're older.” Cephy didn't look happy with that answer, but accepted it regardless.

  “So we will come back?”

  A terrifying smile showed Aeron's lips for a moment so brief she doubted that Cephy had noticed it. “Of course you will, my little Fox. You can come back to me any time you like. You'll always have a home here.” Rachael doubted that the same offer extended to her.

  She wanted to interrupt, tell Cephy that it was a trap, but knew that this wasn't the moment to do it. Not while they were still near Aeron.

  “Come, now. He will be here soon. He is bringing horses so you won't have to walk.”

  “Where is he taking us?” Cephy's voice was trembling. Her hands folded into themselves, but Rachael couldn't comfort her yet. She wasn't so sure that she should comfort her at all. The night before she had felt excited, right before the man had arrived. Was this a sign that he was better for them than Aeron?

  “I don't know, but you must go with him.”

  Resigning herself to her fate, Cephy nodded.

  “When do we leave?” Rachael knew she should thank Aeron, pretend she didn't know what had been said, but she didn't think she could bring herself to lie like that. Aeron hadn't made any attempts to lie last night. She had been very forthcoming in her opinion of her and Cephy. Why should she lie now?

  “As soon as you have eaten. Finish your honeyed bread, Rachael, and I will see you off. I know where he is waiting for you, it is not far from here.”

  Rachael nodded, and started eating. She would need her strength if they were to escape.

  Chapter Sixteen

  They had only been walking through the thick snow for a little while when Rachael saw the faint glow of a fire shining through the trees, standing out among the white surrounding them. It was freezing cold, exposed in the forest as they were, but the clothes Aeron had made for them kept her warm.

  She felt Cephy clutch her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. What if this was no better? For all she knew this man was worse than Aeron. Aeron had lied to them, but she had fed them and had provided them with warm blankets and fixed clothes. It had been better than Blackrock, where she had slept on a thin, hole-riddled blanket on the frozen ground and where people had done worse to her than lie. Most of them wouldn’t have thought her worth the effort.

  Rachael silently scolded herself. Aeron had done more than lie to them. The night before Rachael had heard something in the woman’s voice she had not heard before; a coldness she had not been aware of, the promise of a cruelty she had not known people were capable of. And yet to them she had behaved so differently. It reminded Rachael of an incident many years ago, when a boy had visited Blackrock with his family. His aunt had lived there, and the boy had changed his personality quickly like that, too. One minute he had been nice, and
had even talked to Rachael occasionally, but the next moment he had been cruel and kicked dogs as well as other children when he wouldn't have pulled a cat's tail before. She had heard his parents say that he was sick, and couldn't control his own personality but no doctor could help him. They had left again within the week, and Rachael never saw the boy again.

  Just this morning, Rachael had seen a terrible smile on Aeron's face so briefly she now wondered if it had really happened, and knew that her personality had not changed last night. The evil within her, which Rachael had now had a glimpse of, was always there. She had only hid it to fool the girls. Whatever sickness the boy had suffered from, it wasn't the same.

  Whoever this man was, he could not be worse than Aeron.

  “Sparrow!” The sudden sound caused the birds in the surrounding trees to startle and fly off. She had called him that last night, too, but was it really his name? For now it was all Rachael had. It would have to do until she knew what his real name was.

  Sparrow had already seen them and was walking towards them, a determined look in his eyes. Rachael had never seen anything like it. She had seen determined people before, intent on hurting her, stealing from her or raping her, but none of that was playing behind this Sparrow's eyes. He looked genuine, and that was enough to make her more cautious. Aeron had seemed genuine, too, but everything she told them was a lie.

  Something about the man was different. He was not like the others—Rachael knew that the moment their eyes met. His voice had betrayed his fear last night, but seeing him now she wondered if he might be able to snap Aeron in two, after all. He was strong, taller than her, and had a scar across his face from one eyebrow to his other cheek. It was still new and looked sore, even though it had begun to scab over. His face was boyish, but the scar ruined the illusion of a clumsy child. It most likely hadn't been caused by an accident.