Shimmerdark

by Sarah Mensinga

  “Must have been a batler!” Fedorie whistles in amazement. “They’re rare!”

  Clicks politely asks if we’ve had any luck finding the Vaylark, the jewel Kary’s father stole.

  “Not yet,” Kary says. “But we think it might be somewhere in Ganorine.”

  Returning the stolen jewel won’t solve all of Kary’s problems, but it should help. And if that gem once really did open a celestial door and let nocturnes into our world, maybe it can help us get rid of them.

  “Well then, I’ve unearthed even more Vaylark information for you,” Clicks says, pulling a dossier out of a leather bag.

  “And I’ve brought you more traveling gear.” Fedorie hands me eyeglasses with hinged magnifying lenses, a curious collection of bottled liquids, and a fierce hunting knife. “Here’s a book on nocturnes too. Might as well know your enemy.”

  Osren has a present for us as well: a horselet in a wooden cage. “If you don’t like her, you can sell her.”

  “Sell her?” I cry. “Never!” I’m instantly enchanted by the tiny, dappled horse. She wickers softly as I whisper, “I’ll call you Speckle.”

  “No, you won’t,” Osren says. “Her name’s Clip Clop, and if you change it, you’ll ruin her training. Anyway, I’m hungry. I think you should feed us.”

  “I’ll show you to the dining hall,” I say.

  “No need to be sarcastic,” Osren grumbles.

  Kary gives me a twinkling glance. “Xylia’s not being sarcastic. We do have a dining hall, and well… you’ll see.”

  Just a few moments later, we cross a ridge, and our little village is in view: two dormitories, a supply hut, and the already mentioned dining hall. The buildings are all very simple, but even though they’re surrounded by thorny Grimshore trees and jagged rocks, they look welcoming.

  As we make our way down the uneven path, a group of people emerge, some old, some young, and a few children too.

  “Who are they?” Fifsa asks.

  “Shimmercasters and Shimmerlings,” I tell her. “They were downleveled people we met while travelling. Once we gave them their cagic back, it wasn’t safe for them to stay where they were.”

  Kary gives everyone a quick tour of our settlement, and Fedorie and Clicks are particularly impressed by our well. It’s a luxury they never had while living here. They’re also eager to help prepare food, so while Kary leads the others off to check the fishing nets, Fedorie, Clicks, and I cut the thick rinds off pinemelons. As we work, they tell me more about Kaverlee.

  Apparently, it’s been tough transitioning to lingersleeping, but King Macreolar and Queen Naradara have been supportive. They claim they didn’t know how routine downleveling was or that winking out was a lie. Ganorine, our neighbor to the south, has transitioned to lingersleeping too, and there’s talk of it in Matreornan as well.

  “I’d heard rumors about Ganorine,” I say. “How wonderful. I’ve also heard rumors the new Nelbar of Midnith wants me captured dead or alive—Kary too.”

  Clicks nods soberly. “I hope you’re being careful, my dear.”

  “Always,” I assure him. Kary and I use different names on the mainland, and we don’t summon cagic when anyone’s nearby. “What about you two? What have you been doing?”

  “A little of this and that,” Clicks says, and he also explains how he finally dealt with his sons: “I started charging them rent, and by the next Bright Month, they’d both moved out.”

  That makes all of us chuckle, and then Fedorie happily tells me about her new job, assisting a professor at Peremberie University. “He studies nocturne remains,” she tells me, nearly bouncing on her toes. “And what a treasure trove there was after the Expansion District battle—so many complete carcasses to dissect! It’s kept us busy all year.”

  Both Clicks and Fedorie also think that Tah Roli Miri has become an excellent Great Drae.

  “I wish I didn’t have to use that title, though,” Tah Roli Miri tells me later while I’m giving her a transference tour of the island. “There are so many Shimmercasters now, I’d like to have a ruling council. The King and Queen agree with me, but they also think there’s been too many changes already. They want me to wait… five years at least.”

  “They might be right,” I say. “But remember, you have just as much authority as they do. They call it a Triumvirate for a reason.”

  Tah Roli Miri smiles. “I suppose that’s true.”

  She’s particularly interested in our old cave shelter. She drifts through it as if her feet don’t touch the ground. With her phenomenal cagic skills, maybe they don’t. “Is this where you stay during the Dark Month?”

  I shake my head. “We travel to the mainland on shimmerdark discs and sleep in an abandoned shelter in Highland Tilber.” Remembering all the lonesome Dark Months I once spent here, though, makes me think of Aerro.

  “Did anyone ever contact that man in Haberdine?” I’d told her about Aerro before leaving, yet I wouldn’t be surprised if she forgot. I’m sure she’s been extremely busy since then.

  Yet Tah Roli Miri nods, and I’m relieved when she says, “Yes, he’s fine,” in her relaxed way. Visiting Aerro could have been dangerous. “Paislene and Auldora came with me,” she continues, “but no one else. We didn’t want to frighten him, and like you said, he wasn’t happy to see us.” She speaks slowly, thoughtfully. “It took several visits to convince him that I was the Great Drae and that he could keep his powers and that he should move to Kaverlee City. Yet…” She gazes out the cave’s entrance. “He might be happier here.”

  The last time I saw Aerro, he nearly killed me. But I only hesitate slightly before saying, “Then he should come.” He needs to heal, and that’s probably hard to do in a cityland undergoing so many changes.

  “How many Shimmercasters does Kaverlee City have now?” I ask.

  “Five hundred or so,” Tah Roli Miri says in such a vague way, I can’t tell if she thinks that’s too many or too few.

  I suppose the number makes sense, though. All former Shimmerlings surely wanted their cagic restored, and anyone who was downleveled by Authenticators would be eligible too.

  “It’s been merry chaos,” Clicks tells me that evening. “But we’re muddling through.”

  Part of his muddling, it seems, has been adopting Rutholyn’s brother, Vonnet. “That dear boy was delighted to have his cagic returned,” Clicks says, and then he tells me that the labor agencies are under strict review.

  “What about Theandra Shalvo?” I ask.

  “I believe she’s been sentenced to three years of house arrest,” he says, and maybe that should make me feel happy or at least vindicated, but instead I just feel sorry for her.

  “The Antiquities Society has been busy too,” Clicks adds. “Triumvirate Hall asked us to oversee the restoration of the old city shelters.”

  Fedorie joins us. We’re sitting on a log overlooking the bay. It was always a favorite spot of ours, and even though it’s lightly raining, no one seems to mind. “Who would have imagined,” Fedorie says, “that we’d come back to this wretched place willingly!”

  We all laugh.

  “It’s different now, though,” I say. This was once a frightening place, a trap, a prison. Now it’s a haven; a safe place to plan for a better future.

  The next few lunar days are wonderful, full of conversation, laughter, and catching up.

  “I’ll come again,” Mother promises when their boat eventually returns. Instead of waiting for her to hug me, I reach for her. When I let go, she says, “I like that Kary boy, but remember… you’re both young—very young.”

  Ah, even now she’s going to say things only a mother would.

  Fifsa, who’s already in the rowboat, winks at me. “Oh, don’t worry Mother, Xylia says they only hold hands.”

  I say the rest of my goodbyes reluctantly, for even though I’m sure I’ll see them again, I don’t know when. That lunar evening, Kary and I meet in our usual spot, on a windy ridge overlooking the green-gray sea. />
  “I’m sad and happy,” I say. “It’s strange.”

  “Do you wish you were going with them?” he asks.

  To be honest, a part of me will always miss Kaverlee and always wish I was the Great Drae. I wanted it for so long, the desire wore permanent grooves into my heart. But I also know I’ve made the right choice. Power should be shared, not hoarded, and Kaverlee is now on a path leading to something better. Maybe part of growing up isn’t just learning to let things go, but learning to be at peace with still wanting them after they’re gone.

  So I say, “I’m where I’m meant to be.”

  “Me too,” Kary says. He takes my hand, and cagic sparks swirl around us and then out over the water—ready to light our way.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my wonderful, encouraging husband Stephen for always being willing to talk about plot, magic systems, and characters, and also always helping me find time to write. I love you. And thank you to my amazing three children; I’m thrilled that you enjoy storytelling and world building too.

  Thank you also to the amazing writers who read early versions of Shimmerdark and offered such helpful feedback: Julie Artz, Gerardo Delgadillo, Madeline Dyer, Fred Gambino, Stacey Trombley, and most of all, my close friend, the talented author, Alexis Lantgen. Thank you to my amazing parents and sisters for always being supportive. And thank you to my old, beloved writing group, FDIS, who heard the beginning of this story the night we first met and often asked when I’d finish “that book with the giant robots.” I miss you guys.

  Finally, a huge thank you to anyone reading this book. I’m always encouraged when one of my stories finds its way onto someone’s shelf, or even better, claims a little bit of affection in their heart. I truly appreciate any reviews and ratings on Amazon or Goodreads.

  About the Author

  Sarah Mensinga grew up in Canada and now lives in Texas with her husband, three kids, and two cats. She is a full time illustrator and sometimes works in the animation industry. Recently, she illustrated Heather Avis’s picture book, Different: A Great Thing to Be, and in the past, she’s contributed to the Flight comic anthologies and worked on films such as The Ant Bully and Escape from Planet Earth, as well as the TV show, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron. When she’s not writing or drawing, she loves playing board games and going for walks with her family. If she could summon shimmerdark, she’d use it to go spelunking.

  Find more of Sarah’s work and sign up for her newsletter at sarahmensinga.com

  Other Books by Sarah Mensinga

  Currently - A Fantasy Novel

  Every year, Nerene’s village shelters in Varasay City while the surrounding lands flood. Yet Varasay only protects those who obey its laws, and after Nerene’s best friend starts a riot, he’s in danger of being cast out. Nerene manages to find Lord Osperacy, a traveling thief with enough power and money to save her friend, but he’ll only help her if she agrees to work for him.

  Set in a unique fantasy world inspired by the ocean travel of the early 1900's, Currently is a sometimes funny, sometimes gritty exploration of how to survive when you're surrounded by power but have none yourself.

  The Box - A Picture Book

  A box just arrived at our house! Hurray, a box! It's addressed to Dad, though, so that means there's probably some boring stuff inside. If only there was something interesting in there, like candy or a robot... or perhaps even a candy-filled robot?

  Join three siblings on an adventure of discovery and imagination, well, at least until Dad shows up to open that box and ruin everyone's fun. But is it possible Dad's cooler than his kids think? Maybe, just maybe, he might not spoil their fun after all...

  All books available on Amazon