Lady Lorelei shook her head. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” She beckoned the two to follow.
Mara was led into a room belonging to Lorelei. The inn owner kneeled down and pulled a floorboard out. Mara looked on in confusion, wondering what she was doing. Morgan remained still and quiet. Lady Lorelei took out a box and opened it. There were several articles inside, most were letters.
“Aria often sent letters to her love while he was away in Corlin. It was the only way she could communicate since losing her voice,” Lorelei said solemnly. “At first, she’d often get a response, but they became sparse over time. By the third year he never responded to any of her letters. She wrote to him each week, though it seemed he disappeared from her life.”
Mara gazed at the letters. They resembled the one found from the Siren. Remembering the memento, she reached into her pouch. “I found this in the Siren’s possession.”
Taking out the letter, Mara showed it to Lady Lorelei. The inn owner’s mouth dropped open, but no words came out. She eventually found her voice.
“May I see it?” Lorelei asked. Mara passed it to her. Lorelei took the letter and studied it. “I don’t believe it. She had this the whole time?” The inn owner looked back at Mara. “This is the final letter from him.” She glanced down at it. “I know the full story. Aria’s lover was behind the destruction of her voice. In truth, he hated her and found her voice annoying. So, he paid those thugs to harm her. His cruelty and callousness drove Aria to suicide.”
Mara stared at her in shock. She felt very upset to hear this part of the tale. Lady Lorelei gazed at her with sympathy and passed the letter back.
“Keep it,” she said. “You were meant to preserve her memory.”
Mara shook her head. “Why did he do this? If he never loved her, why didn’t he just leave her alone?”
“As I’ve said before, humans have a capacity for both good and evil,” Morgan said. Mara looked back at Morgan as the older woman continued. “History has proven that humanity commits more atrocities to their own kind than any monster. It’s true the Dark One almost eradicated all life in Ardana, but what about all the wars humanity waged upon one another? What about the crusade led by Kallisto and Kratés to unite the world in the Golden Age at the cost of millions of lives? What about bullies in school?”
She didn’t expect Morgan to talk about school bullying. It reminded Mara of her past. In elementary, she was bullied by a group of children who threw rocks at her. When a boy hit her and drew blood, she picked up the rock and threw it back at him in retaliation. She hit him on the head and knocked him out cold.
In junior high, a group of students decided to play a prank by taking a book she was reading and not giving it back. They taunted and teased her, claiming she couldn’t read. Big mistake. Mara threw a chair at the ringleader and knocked her down. The lackeys stood slack-jawed while she approached the ringleader with another chair and beat her with it. The girl was bruised, but not bleeding. And it was the first time Mara made anyone cry. She admitted it was satisfying.
In high school, an older man stinking of booze approached her with intentions to rape her. She beat him with a large schoolbook, then stabbed him with his own knife when he tried to defend himself. She didn’t get into too much trouble for that one since the pervert was known to be a serial rapist and alcoholic. Despite the heroic act of defending herself, Mara gained criticism from her parents. Her mother was disturbed by Mara’s sudden violent behaviour. According to Mom, Mara wasn’t the same after getting that mysterious illness as a toddler. Her father seemed more understanding, though he didn’t approve of her ways of handling those situations.
Finishing her thoughts of the past, she looked at Morgan and nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Yes, but there’s nothing wrong with holding onto your humanity,” Morgan said to her. “If anything, it’ll help you from becoming like the others.”
“In the end, you did help Aria and put an end to her suffering,” Lady Lorelei added. Then, “You know what? I might rename one of my brothels.”
Mara gazed at her with a raised eyebrow. She thought it was very strange to change the topic in such a weird way, but decided to go along with it.
“Okay, like what?”
“I think I’ll call it The Siren,” Lady Lorelei announced.
Mara kept giving her a strange look. “I… I don’t know what to think of that.”
“I think it’s a fine idea,” Morgan said. “The Siren had power over men with her song and was often mistaken for a mermaid. Mermaids were said to be beautiful creatures, irresistible to men.”
Mara raised an eyebrow. “Okay…” She changed the topic. “It’s getting late. I should head back. I have a two day journey to Grey Mountain. Maybe Harold has found the next undying?”
“Goodnight, my dear,” Lady Lorelei said. “I wish you well in your endeavours.”
Mara nodded. Looking at Morgan, she noticed the same unreadable expression from before. The two gazed at each other for a while. Mara broke her gaze and left. She still felt the other woman’s eyes on her while walking away.
***
Entering the suite, Mara noticed the silence. She suspected Commander White had gone to bed. It was late in the night. She walked to the washing area and saw it was now vacant.
A bare arm in the other room grabbed her attention. Mara looked inside. Commander White was on his knees, his hands resting on his legs. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deep and slow. It appeared to be some sort of meditation. He wore only his pants. She gazed at him with curiosity. He never noticed her at all, being so deep in his meditation. A few seconds later, his head began to shudder and twitch. Mara noticed and wondered what was happening. The strange convulsions grew more frequent. Feeling concerned, Mara approached him to see if he was okay. After taking a few steps, his head stopped shuddering. His eyes flew open and he saw Mara standing before him. He rose to his feet with a frown on his face.
She was stunned. “I thought…?”
Commander White grabbed her arm and forced her out. He glared at her and slammed the door in her face. Needless to say, she was perplexed. The commander acted as if nothing happened. It was none of her concern. She sighed and entered the washing room.
The water seemed decent. The servers probably changed the water after Commander White finished. She began to remove her clothes. Taking off her gloves, she saw the black and pointed fingernails. It looked like some sort of paint. She tried to remove it, but it wouldn’t come off. Mara recalled the doctors noting this as not normal, but it never bothered her. She continued to strip down.
Looking down at her body, the abdomen had some muscle tone from working for her father. There were less scars, possibly due to her curse. Dr. Moen mentioned her being part shadow beast, which was known to have regenerative healing abilities. It might explain how she survived getting impaled by Isabella. Either way, it was a good thing she had less scars, or she would never hear the end of it from her mom. The only major scar was on the lower abdomen. She couldn’t recall where she got the ugly vertical deformity. It was healing, but very slowly. At least it wasn’t painful to touch. Mara decided not to dwell on it. She saw more of the faded spots decorating her skin. Mara went into the tub to wash her body.
After she finished, Mara returned to her room. She kept only her white shirt and underwear on. Looking around the room, she saw a mirror and approached it. Mara saw her messy hair. It became tangled during the bath. Recalling the comb, Mara searched her belongings. After pulling it out, she felt unsure about running it through her hair, knowing where she got it. Mara returned to the washing area and cleaned it. It remained tarnished, but at least she could use it. Mara returned to her room. Sitting on the bed, she began to comb her hair. The tangles were very stubborn. It felt like her hair had never been combed for a long time. Mara never had this much difficulty with her hair, but she managed to get the tangles out. While combing her hair, she thought about
her parents. Were they looking for her? Maybe if she wasn’t too busy, she can go to Mirahyll and see them. After she finished, Mara put the comb away and went to bed.
***
An hour later, Mara awoke to the wind’s howling. She also heard a faint but audible voice. It sounded like the Siren, although the creature had been slain. No one mentioned two creatures. The song grew louder until she realized it came from the commander’s room. She also heard a man moaning. Someone was having a very good time. As she listened carefully, Mara realized it was Commander White.
Now wide awake, Mara got out of bed to investigate. She snuck out of her room and headed for the other. The moans grew louder with each step. The door to his room was open by a crack. In silence, she leaned over and took a peek. A dark purple bustle dress was abandoned on the floor. Looking up, Mara saw Morgan and the commander—together and naked. Morgan’s back was turned to her. Long black hair flowed down to the middle of her back. There were strange markings on her lightly tanned skin, possessing shiny green and blue scales. Morgan mounted Commander White like a stallion. With their genders locked, she rode him up and down towards an orgasm. He responded by pushing his hips up, diving deeper into her.
Mara froze. Many emotions rushed through her mind. She felt upset and betrayed. Deep down she shouldn’t care. Commander White wasn’t interested in her—he made that clear on many occasions. She also knew Morgan wanted him.
The commander wrapped his hands around her waist and held her tightly. They rut and moan like animals. He grunted with every thrust. Morgan looked down at him in silence as she clung onto him. In one final thrust, he erupted like a volcano. Commander White arched his back and moaned from the release.
Mara looked at Commander White and saw his joy. He appeared to be moving on from his dead wife. Mara could’ve been happy for him, but felt her heart was being ripped out. Seeing them together was not only shocking, but very agitating. Mara also felt disgusted knowing that she stood there and watched their sexual union. She wondered if she should have stopped it, but it might make things worse.
She decided to not stay another moment. Mara backed away from the door and hurried to her room. She closed the door behind her and made her preparations in silence. Mara never thought to stop and reflect. She could stay the night, but no. She didn’t want to face the commander in the morning. As she donned her usual attire, Mara heard the door open and close. Fully dressed and ready to leave, she peeked her head out the door. She assumed Morgan left. Mara emerged from her room and looked around. She looked back at the door to the commander’s room. Mara crept towards the slightly opened door and peeked inside. Commander White shifted in his bed, sleeping peacefully. He remained naked, but didn’t seem to care. Mara closed the door gently. She double-checked her room, making sure she didn’t leave anything behind. Ready to go, Mara left the suite. She also took extra care to close that door as well.
On the way out, Mara encountered Lady Lorelei.
“What are you doing out here?” Lorelei questioned.
Mara frowned under her mask. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I have to go.”
Lorelei looked confused. “What? At this hour?”
Mara nodded and turned away.
“Wait,” Lorelei called, but Mara ignored her. There was nothing to talk about. After taking a few steps, Mara ran into Morgan and became frozen. The older woman looked back at her. They watched each other in silence. Mara stormed past her, still feeling Morgan’s gaze as she left Har’ Yhan.
Chapter Sixteen
A Tale of Misfortunes
Mara traveled north for two days. She still felt numb. The images of that night were burned deep into her mind. Weariness began to set in—she only received an hour of sleep since that night. She didn’t want to stop until she reached Greyward Hold.
She shook her head, trying to get the images out of her mind. However, they wouldn’t go away. Mara shouldn’t care, she knew Commander White was not interested in her, but it hurt so much. She felt betrayed. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She couldn’t fight them. Mara wiped them away, but they still kept coming. Strong emotions sapped her strength and the lack of sleep caught up to her.
Reaching the mountain, the snow began to fall. A winter storm brewed. The air became colder and the wind whipped around her. She had to focus on returning to Greyward Hold.
The snow became heavier. As she traversed the mountain path, Mara heard a growl in the wind. Looking up, she saw a snow beast peering at her from a rock wall. The beast bared its razor sharp teeth as it growled. It leapt from the wall and landed in front of her. She wondered if this was the same creature from earlier, seeking retribution. Mara unsheathed her sword. She didn’t know if she could take this creature on alone, but she must fight. She came all this way and there was no going back.
The creature gave a snarl before lunging at her. She dodged to the side. It lunged at her again and slashed her left arm. She flinched and dropped her sword. Mara held her arm while falling to her knees. The claws created three ugly gashes. She tried to hold her wound, but the blood kept gushing out.
Mara looked up at the creature. The snow beast approached with the intent to eat her, but stopped. They both noticed a black mist drifting down the path and enveloping them. The snow beast roared as if in pain. The creature swiped at the air, trying to get rid of the mist. Its white fur darkened and fell off. The dark blue skin withered and decayed. Its amber eyes rotted into sludge and trickled out of its sockets. The snow beast kept roaring and swiping at the air, but it was futile. The mist didn’t lift and the creature continued to rot. Finally, its strength gave away and the snow beast fell to the ground. All that remained was a bloody skeleton with flesh hanging from its bones.
Mara stood there, stunned at what happened. Unfortunately, she also stood in the mist. Her flesh burned as if splashed with acid. The mist entered her lungs and burned them. She tried to get away from the miasma, but her strength was completely sapped. Mara felt the mist destroy every cell in her body. She couldn’t breathe. Falling down, her vision became dark. In the cold darkness she spotted a man wearing heavy robes and holding a staff. Harold gazed back at her. Her vision faded and the howls of the wind grew distant.
***
Mara awoke to the burning sensation flowing through her veins. Opening her eyes, she recognized her bedchambers in Greyward Hold. She looked around. As her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was his mask. Harold gazed at her while moving closer. He held a wooden cup in his hands.
“Take this,” he instructed softly. “Drink it slow.”
After pulling down her mask, she reached for the cup. Mara could barely hold it with one hand, so she used both. She felt very weak. Lifting the cup to her lips, Mara immediately tasted a strong minty blend of herbs that made her cough and sputter. Some of the concoction went down the wrong way. Even the smell invaded her nostrils. Mara felt a gentle tingle descend her throat, then the rest of her body. She began to feel better and some strength returned.
“This should help remove the poison from your body,” Harold explained. Mara gazed at him with a questioning glance. He noticed and sighed. “My apologies, you were never the target.”
“That was you?” Mara asked.
The former guild master nodded in response. “Yes, I am a Lich, an undead like you. I’ve lived for over two thousand years. A bringer of death and disease, my miasma will rot the flesh of any creature,” he said solemnly. “It was my intention to save you, but regrettably you were caught in the miasma.” Harold reached for the mirror. “I assume you were returning after your victory against the Siren, only to have all your efforts undone.” He reflected her image. “I am sorry.”
Mara saw her face and became horrified. No longer was she human. The decayed skin and black scars returned. All her efforts were undone. As if things couldn’t get any worse, but deep down she knew it wasn’t his fault.
“It’s okay. I’ve got a healing stone.” Recalling the healing sto
ne Commander White gave her, Mara could use it to restore herself.
“Very well,” Harold began, “but you should use them wisely. Those stones are rare.”
Mara frowned at him, but he had a point. This was her only stone.
“Fine,” Mara murmured. She changed the topic. “You lived for two thousand years?”
“Yes, I have.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what were you before you became this?”
He looked away. “I once served an ancient order. It was very much like the Silver Thorns, to protect mankind from monsters and the magic blight. In fact, the Silver Thorns were built on the foundations of that guild. In a way, the origins of Kallikratés and the Holy Blades also trace back to the same guild.” He looked back at Mara. “It’s a very long story from long ago. Perhaps I will speak more about it another time. For now, you should rest and regain your strength.”
He exited her bedchambers and closed the door behind him. His footsteps grew silent. Mara glanced down at her pouch and opened it. The healing stone shone in the darkness. She carefully took it out. Mara wanted to use the rock to restore her humanity, but Harold’s advice stopped her. It would be a stone wasted if she died. She’d be better off saving them and just find the next undying. Looking at her face in its current condition, Mara felt like she was having a nightmare. She wanted to see her parents, but they would never recognize this undead creature. With so many thoughts running through her head, Mara lay down to rest.
***
Mara rested enough. She got up and left her bedchambers. She strolled through the grand halls and entered Harold’s chambers. The former master was meditating while she walked in. He lifted his gaze to her.
“Ah, you’ve awakened. Are you feeling better?” Harold asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I am. Have you found the next undying?”
He rose to his feet. “Don’t you need more rest? You just got here.”
“I want to find the next undying,” she said firmly. “Please, tell me where it is.”
The Lost & Cursed Page 20