by Ivy Logan
“Why didn’t she tell father?” Talia wondered aloud.
“Because she was afraid you and your father would have been harmed too.” King Damien was having fun. The lies were coming to him so easily he almost believed them himself. Telling the truth wasn’t going to win her over; besides, it was such a pleasure to see her face light up he could not disappoint her now. She had to continue believing Caitlin and her brother were alive and well.
“If you come with me, everything will be all right (for me, that is). Your mother will be so glad to see you. I can tell you more on the way,” he said, forcing a sincere and mild tone into his voice.
Talia was about to enter the carriage when she recalled the words her mother had drilled into her a long, long time ago when they used to train together. Never trust someone you’ve just met. Give yourself time to understand their motives however sincere they may seem.
Talia stopped. She had been about to act so hastily. She knew she needed her father’s counsel. She spoke up quickly. “I know where the palace is. I will be there tomorrow with my father.”
He had waited so long. What was another day? “Very well,” he muttered, feeling romantic and generous. After all, she was to be his queen. He had to grant at least a few of her wishes as she was going to fulfil so many of his. “Make sure I see you there,” were his last words to her.
Damien spent the night building plans. He would treat Talia with love, and she would give him a new lease on life just like her mother had. They would be terribly happy and he would rule the world with her by his side.
Unfortunately for Damien, his dream remained just that. Talia did not show up at the palace the ollowng morning. He sent soldiers in search of her but they returned empty handed. It seemed that she had fled Aberevon. She had played him for a fool.
It was time to dispatch his hunters to search for Talia. The message was clear. Don’t return until you have found her. The hunters travelled to far-flung areas while the soldiers continued to look locally. Anyone who returned empty handed would be put to death, so they devised a devious way of diverting the king’s wrath. They would present any girl whose hair had the slightest glint of blue—innocent daughters, wives and sisters—to the king.
Initially, their apparent incompetence annoyed the king. Then he began to enjoy it. This was a game of the hunter and the hunted. Each girl had to prove her immortality against the executioner’s sword. Only if she survived would he take her as his bride. But no human can endure against a sword passing through their middle.
The king would have loved to have sacrificed the girls to his dragon. He basked in the mayhem him and his dragon forged together. To him, the dragon was a facilitator of terror. The dragon was an unexpected gift, but ever since Caitlin had disappeared with those ghosts, the wretched creature had changed. Spewing flames while flying in the sky and causing havoc all around was something the dragon could be forced into, but taking the life of a person standing in front of him was something the creature refused to do.
When the first girl was pushed into the dragon’s chamber, her screams were heard far and wide. Damien was pleased, but in the end, it turned out she was hale and hearty. She had only shrieked and screamed because the lonely dragon had tried to befriend her, forgetting how scary he would seem to her.
Damien had killed her himself. No more dragon sacrifices after that.
Countless innocents died but Damien felt no guilt. It was all Talia’s fault for running away. Death became a game of distraction from what was happening to his insides. He could feel himself getting sicker each day. Talia had to be found, and soon.
CHAPTER XIV
My father always told me that nobody is infallible. He warned me that everyone has a breaking point. He knew I was a Heichi sorceress even if I did not know my own legacy. As a father, he wanted me to be capable of protecting myself in the future, and he wanted me to overcome my vulnerabilities.
But the thing about chinks in our armour is that they are mostly bound to and interwoven with the ones we love. We can’t know what will break us until it happens.
Losing you, Mother, broke Father because you were the love of his life.
Talia
A DAUGHTER’S PROMISE - TALIA
Michael couldn’t believe it was almost four years since Caitlin and Joshua had gone missing. The years had been a blur of disappointments, false hopes and clutching at straws. He had announced large rewards for news of a woman and a young boy. There were many sightings but by the time Michael would arrive, either the trail had run cold or the lead turned out to be a false one.
His Jaesdan friends noticed his absence. The boys and Nabia visited once. Nabia hadn’t been able to meet his eyes.
Joshua was five to Talia’s twelve when Caitlin and him disappeared. If Joshua were still alive, he would now be almost nine. Michael’s life had revolved around his wife and his children. Without them, there was an empty space in his heart, which ached constantly.
For a long time, Michael trusted that Caitlin would return with Joshua. When she didn’t, he was optimistic about finding them himself. As each day passed with no trace of his lost family, a little part of him began to wither and die.
Michael found himself slipping away from Talia. He knew it wasn’t fair to her. She needed her father. He had to try harder. The child worked tirelessly to maintain the façade of a normal household and to give him a sense of normality despite all they had been through. But every time he tried to smile, a memory of Caitlin crept up on him and he found himself melancholy again.
Sometimes Talia’s brave façade slipped a little and Michael would get a glimpse of her grief, but then the mask would be firmly back in place.
One day when Talia was out, Michael had a visitor.
Michael was apologetic. “Are you a merchant too? I am sorry but I no longer trade. If you have any goods to sell, I cannot take them on for you.”
“No, sir, I am not a trader. I work for the king. You must listen to me. My name is Luigi and I have come to warn you that your daughter is in grave danger.”
“Whatever do you mean?” asked a scared Michael.
“Please believe what I tell you. You have a very short window to save your daughter, otherwise she will be gone forever just like your wife and son.”
Michael felt the breath whoosh out of him, as though someone had punched him in the stomach. “My wife and son? What do you know about their disappearance? Where are they? What has happened to them?”
“I am truly sorry,” said Luigi
“What do you mean?” asked Michael, a cold dread circling his heart. But he already knew what the man was going to tell him. He was going to confirm the fear that kept Michael awake at night, his worst nightmare, the death of his wife and son.
Although his expression said it all, Luigi knew the importance of saying it loud and clear, otherwise a grief-stricken family could live each day on tenterhooks with the possibility or hope of good news. Luigi needed Michael to be alert, for a storm in the form of Damien would soon be coming his way. He had to know the truth.
“They are dead. Both gone,” said Luigi. Michael almost fell, but Luigi supported him and continued urgently. “I am not sure if you are aware but your wife was a sorceress. The king wanted her power. By threatening to hurt your son, he made her do his bidding. But a few days back, something went wrong and they both died.”
Michael mourned for Caitlin and Joshua. Were his wife and son gone forever? Michael shook his head. Joshua could be killed, but not Caitlin. She still lived; he was sure of it. She had told him of her immortality.
“She can’t die. She is….” Michael stopped, still reluctant to divulge Caitlin’s long held secret.
“Immortal?” Luigi finished for him. “Maybe once but not anymore. King Damien took all of her power. She was very weak towards the end.”
“Why should I believe any of this?” a heartbroken Michael exclaimed. “Why should I mourn my family on the words of a stranger?”
“For one reason only. Your daughter needs you,” said Luigi “The king forced your wife use her power to heal him. Something went wrong in the dungeon where she and your son were being held,” said Luigi, breaking down. “No one really saw what happened, maybe only the king, but whatever he saw convinced him that your wife was gone forever, which is the reason he became even more desperate in his search for what remains of your family.”
“Why?” asked a heartbroken Michael. “Hasn’t he taken enough?”
“For Damien, until he possesses you or has broken you, body and soul, there is no such thing as enough,” said Luigi matter of factly. Michael could sense Luigi’s pain despite his own towering anguish.
“The king thinks your daughter is a sorceress like her mother,” Luigi continued softly.
This man is scaring me, thought Michael. He seems to know my worst fears. “Does the king already have Talia?” asked Michael, his breath in abeyance waiting for Luigi’s answer. “Is that the bad news you are hiding from me?”
“Not that I know of. But he will soon have her if we don’t act quickly. Where is your daughter?”
“She is out running some errands. She should be fine. She knows how to look after herself,” said Michael, although worry gnawed at him.
“I pray for her safe return. The king mustn’t find her tonight,” said Luigi. “He won’t harm her; he wants to marry her. He wants her for her power. He already knows everything about the both of you. I am the one who told him about you. I told him in the hope that he would release my brother, Marco. Marco was a much better man than me. A good man. He was in prison with your son. He would comfort the boy in the dark dungeons. When he learned your son was dead and that I was the man responsible for kidnapping him and your wife, he killed himself.” Luigi started sobbing. Michael bowed his head in pain. “He was my only brother and he put an end to his own life to force me to do the right thing. He was extremely fond of your son. His last wish was for your son’s family to be shielded from further harm. So here I am to honour his wish.”
“I am very thankful to your brother and you. May the lord bless his departed soul,” said Michael, recognising the man’s pain.
“Are you one of his famed hunters?” Michael asked, trying to get the measure of the man in front of him.
“No, not at all. I am not a spy or a fighter. I am merely a historian. I also helped…” He couldn’t go on.
“You helped with what?” asked Michael.
“I am the scum, the hellhound who helped kidnap your wife and son. You can kill me, sir; I will not utter a word of protest.”
Michael was silent for a long time. Grief tore at his soul. He wanted to lock himself up in a room and never emerge again. Ever since Caitlin and Joshua were lost to him, he hadn’t been a very good father. He had to put Talia first now. She was all he had.
If Luigi could save Talia, Michael would be beholden to him all his life.
“What will killing you get me? Will it bring Caitlin and Joshua back? Did you mean what you said about saving my daughter?” Luigi nodded. “But how can she escape?” asked a distraught Michael, vacillating between despair and hope. His head was beginning to spin and he couldn’t think straight anymore. “If the king knows, there is no place we can hide.”
“You must both leave Aberevon. I have arranged passage on a ship sailing out of Aberevon. It is not going far; just a few ports down, but it will be a start. It will be enough to throw the search effort into disarray. Thereafter, you can decide where you want to go. The less I know, the safer you are. Here is the name of the ship and the captain. He is my wife’s cousin and can be trusted.” Luigi pressed the information into the hands of a dazed Michael.
“Thank you,” said Michael. This man may have done irreparable harm to his family, but he was also trying to make amends. He had risked a lot by coming to warn him.
“Luigi clasped Michael’s hand and then he was gone.
****
When Talia rushed home distressed by her unorthodox exchange with King Damien, her father knew at once that the king had found her. Thank God he didn’t snatch her. On hearing her out, Michael realized just how narrow her escape had been. He had to get her out of Aberevon. He knew they didn’t have much time.
Michael’s hands started shaking as the enormity of the decision he faced struck him. Luigi wanted to save them both, but if everything went according to plan, he could never see his daughter again, for he had no intention of leaving with Talia. Both he and Caitlin had prepared her for this very day when she would have to protect herself. Michael had to stay to find out what happened to Caitlin and Joshua, but Talia must leave and live her life freely, not in the shadow of a monster. Only sixteen years old and she had already seen too much of the harsh realities of life. Talia deserved some happiness.
It had taken a crisis for Michael to finally wake up and see how much his daughter needed him. Now that he had, there was no way he would let her down. He would get her away from Aberevon with Luigi’s help, and then her training would kick in. He had seen Talia in action. He knew just how strong his little girl was, both on the outside and in.
Caitlin and Joshua were lost for eternity. He would mourn for them later. The challenge was to break the news to Talia. She had to know the truth. If he didn’t teel her, she wouldn’t take him seriously and would refuse to leave.
Michael told Talia his plan. “I am taking you to the harbour. You must leave Aberevon immediately,” he said.
Talia was shocked. Disobeying the king was an offence punishable by death.
“You are in grave danger from the king himself,” Michael said urgently. There was no way to soften the blow. “He has probably killed your mother and brother. I can’t lose you too.”
The fear of losing Talia was so great it felt like a huge fist squeezing his heart. There was no time to be lost but he knew how stubborn Talia could be. When it came to family, she was just like him. She wouldn’t budge without an explanation. How right he was.
Talia’s face had already taken on an adamant expression. She was going to dig her heels in. It would be too late if he didn’t act now. “Father, I don’t understand; the king told me he has them. Why would he lie?” she said in despair. Her father had to be wrong.
“I promise to tell you if, in return, you promise to leave Aberevon. Never will you turn back. No matter what,” Michael conceded.
“What kind of a promise is that?” grumbled Talia. “It doesn’t sound fair.”
“I am the father here. It is my right to decide,” Michael stated. Talia must not trust King Damien’s foul lies at any cost. A harsh reality that would protect her was better than the king’s wonderfully spun tales of hope that would put her in harm’s way.
With Michael’s unvarnished plain speaking, Talia’s life changed forever. “It is a trap. He does not have them,” he said. “What King Damien claims could never happen. Your mother would never seek shelter with such a man. He is not one to help people out of the goodness of his heart. Open your eyes,” he pleaded.
“To what?” Talia whispered.
“Your mother would never have left if she intended to come back. You and I have suspected this for some time but we have been in denial. We must accept it now. Your safety hinges on this. I have been told that King Damien killed her and…Jo…Joshua too.” Michael’s voice cracked. It was a while before he could continue as Talia stood shaking with grief.
“How do you know it is true?” she asked.
“I just do. There are things about her life and your own that you do not know, but it seems that King Damien does, as did my informant. He would not have been lying. He didn’t need to.”
There was no sound for a long time except for Talia’s woeful sobs. “So now what?” she finally asked.
“You leave.”
Talia walked to the window in a trance. Her father was right. The king must have been lying about them being alive. There had been a fake and cheery ring to his entire demeanour. But he must h
ave had her mother and Joshua at some point. She felt sure of this.
In the distance, she could see the lone tower of the palace rising up towards the sky, soaring above the surrounding trees in the vicinity. Had King Damien held them there? Or was it in his famous dark dungeon where many a prisoner was rumoured to have been discarded and forgotten about? Could it be possible that they had been so very close yet out of reach all this while? There were no more tears to be shed. They had to be avenged. She turned to her father.
“Why me? Why does he want me?” Talia finally asked the all important, defining question.
“You may not like what you hear,” he said. Her father’s words puzzled her, but her head was already reeling, so she remained silent waiting for his reply. He had just alluded that her loving mother and her precious little brother were dead. What could be worse than that? She had nothing more to lose except him.
Michael held nothing back. He told her the whole truth about her ancestry, why Caitlin had abandoned the Heichi, and how powerful Talia could be if she knew the secrets of her Heichi heritage. Talia realized that she was neither fully human nor a sorceress. What was she?
“You are our daughter; that is what you are. We have loved you, cherished you and taught you everything we know. You may not know how to use magic but it lies within you. I saw your mother use magic only once. It was to save my life, and she was wonderful. You want revenge but you are not ready to deal with the likes of King Damien. You are worn out with sorrow, confusion and the stress of the past four years. Besides, you are only sixteen. Face him now and I will lose another person I love.”
“Is there really magic in this world?” she asked. “I find it difficult to believe.”
“I think there is magic in your soul and your heart. All you need to do is look inside and you will find it. Not today, maybe, but someday.” Michael fell silent for a while and then continued. “Your mother told me that that her powers manifested mostly when she was worried, scared or angry. Do you ever recall unexplained things happening around you?”