《The Necromancer's Fury》


 Prologue: The Bell Tolls Twice

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    Westchester County, New York ¨C October 16<sup>th</sup>, 1996


    They dragged her outside, kicking and screaming the entire way. Once they stopped, she managed to kick the masked man, sending him crashing into the side of the house. Sarah Frost bit down on the woman¡¯s arm, causing her to scream. Sarah scrambled to get herself up from the ground, running away as fast as possible, but the man was much faster than anticipated. He pulled her by the hair, a blade inches away from her throat. ¡°If you move or scream, I will kill you here and now,¡± he whispered into her ears in such an icy tone that it sent shivers down her spine.


    All she thought of was her sister, lying in a pool of blood along with her parents. Sarah stared into his icy blue eyes, knowing he meant it. He tied her hands behind her back and added a blindfold. ¡°Please ¨C let me go!¡± she exclaimed.


    She didn¡¯t hear a response, just more arguing.  Whatever vehicle she was in suddenly stopped, tossing her around in the trunk. She attempted to break the bonds on her hands, but nothing she did loosened them even a smidge.


    They walked a bit further for no more than ten minutes before she heard more voices asking if she ¨C Sarah ¨C was the right one, just like the woman had asked before. The man confirmed in his husky voice that it was. Right one? Sarah thought. Why are they doing this?


    One of the voices, another woman, jabbed her finger into her ribs. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°S-Sarah,¡± she replied.


    They tossed her into the back of a van. It felt like a few hours or possibly even several hours. Sarah spent that time sobbing, having no idea where she was being taken. She thought of how her sister didn¡¯t even know what was happening, lying there in her blood, wondering if her older sister would help. Emma, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.


    Where are they taking me? She continued sobbing until the van halted. She heard car doors open and slammed, with loud footsteps heading toward the trunk. When it was opened, hands grabbed her, pulling her to her feet.


    She couldn¡¯t see what place they had brought her to except for the smell of lavender, which was everywhere. Through the blindfold, she saw several lights like candles along the walls. She hesitated to move but was pushed ahead, a firm hand on her shoulder urging her forward.


    ¡°How is it her? She¡¯s skinny and almost lifeless,¡± one member whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t question the leader¡¯s choice,¡± another spat back.


    ¡°But she won¡¯t help us. I thought the ¨C¡±


    Amidst the arguing, another masculine, loud voice boomed, ¡°ENOUGH!¡± It was loud enough to gather the attention of the others. ¡°Let me see her.¡±


    She heard feet treading toward her from a direction, but she wasn¡¯t sure where. She stood perfectly still. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± she demanded. The other man lifted her chin. His hands felt raw and rough on her smooth skin. ¡°Please, tell me.¡± No answer could be found in him.


    ¡°She¡¯s definitely what we were looking for.¡±


    ¡°James, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°More than sure. The ritual will commence in a few days. Have her bathed, fed, and rest,¡± the man named James ordered. Sarah felt arms guiding her to another room, where they took off her blindfold and untied her hands. There was nothing else but a toilet and a futon to sleep on. Like a freaking jail, she thought. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her parents¡­ how before they asked the intruders any questions, they were both shot. Then, her younger sister, Emma, was stabbed to death while she was in her room.


    Sarah¡¯s whole body trembled, the memory of them now stained in her mind. She wanted to escape and find the closest police station, but the room was windowless, and the door locked. She barely slept that whole night, not even eating what they gave her until the following day. She waited for an opening, for a way to escape. From what she could see, no paths led to an exit. At least for now, she noted.


    When the door to her room opened, Sarah jolted awake after falling asleep for a few hours. They said nothing to her, only to give her more food. ¡°Why am I here?¡± she shouted at the silent member, who only shook her head. Sarah stood up, pulling the member¡¯s arm back. ¡°Tell me!¡±


    The member gave in, smiling at her and gently taking Sarah¡¯s hands. ¡°You have been chosen for a sacrifice, Sarah.¡± She smiled at Sarah grimly, sending a shiver down her spine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; your death will not be in vain because your blood will transcend into another world.¡±


    ¡°Another world?¡±


    ¡°For reincarnation.¡±


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    And with that, the female cult member left the room, shutting the door behind her.


    A few days later, Sarah was forced to bathe after eating what they called her last meal. She wore a white robe and was pushed forcibly forward for every step she didn¡¯t want to take. She refused to be their sacrifice. She needed a way out and fast.


    They lead her to another room with a blue circle surrounded by strange letters. The smell of the candles made her want to throw up, but she wouldn¡¯t give them that satisfaction. She saw the man with blue eyes, no longer wearing his mask. She glared at him, knowing he was the one who killed her parents, and although he did not kill her sister, he gave the order. About ten or more other members watched her, chanting in another language.


    She held back her rage, knowing it might make matters worse. If she stayed calm and collected, she could take advantage and escape.


    All the members stood on either side of the room, still chanting. The blue-eyed man who killed her family stared at her as she walked by him. He grinned at her. Sarah ignored him, continuing until she stopped in the middle of the room. ¡°Guess you will be joining your family soon enough,¡± he whispered in her ear for only her to hear.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± she screamed.


    ¡°Your parents begged for you and your sister to be spared, that they would do anything they asked. A shame that was all in vain,¡± he said. ¡°They all suffered, you know.¡± A few members pulled Sarah away from him toward the circle. When she looked back at him, he was still grinning at her. He knew what he did, and he was happy with himself.


    All self-control was lost. She snapped, pulling away from the members who held her back.


    She rushed at him, pushing him to the ground before he could raise the knife. The two of them struggled, knocking over the candles on the tables and setting fire to the room. He overpowered her quickly, dragging her into the blue circle. He held her hands down, plunging the blade into her stomach several times. Sarah couldn¡¯t even scream; the pain was beyond manageable.


    The blue-eyed man dropped the blade, seemingly out of breath. Sarah took the blade with some strength left, stabbing him only once. The man panicked, taking the knife out and falling to the floor. Sarah knew she wouldn¡¯t make it, but at least she took the man who killed her family down with her. The blue circle lit up all around her as the room was blazing. Several members scrambled around while James ordered them to find water.


    Sarah glanced at the fallen murderer beside her in the circle, her eyesight slowly blurring until she saw complete darkness.


    In the darkness, she heard a bell tolling twice¡ªone for her and one for the blue-eyed man.


    From there, she saw a bright light, blinding her as she became closer to it. Sarah didn¡¯t want to go near it until she heard a soft, angelic voice. ¡°Don¡¯t fear the Light. You will be born anew.¡±


    The bright light took the form of a person standing before her, holding their hand. She stared at the hand for a moment. Reborn? She thought. Where else will I go? I¡¯m dead. They still had their hand out for her to take, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea.


    Hesitantly, she moved her hand forward, touching their hand.


    <hr>


    Stag, Tethys ¨C 1397 AE


    Healers rushed around a young woman, Enora, with Alaric II Raith, her husband, by her side. She was heavily pregnant, in the later stages of labor. The doctor discovered the baby was not facing the right way inside the womb and would need to perform surgery on the woman. The healers stood by them, chanting their spells for quick treatment. As the doctor cut open the woman¡¯s womb, he carefully took out the tiny infant, cutting the umbilical cord, and placing the child in the midwife¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Congratulations, it¡¯s a girl.¡± But there was something wrong with the child. At closer inspection, the baby was not breathing. The midwife handed the baby into the husband¡¯s arms, and the wife panicked and screamed to know what was happening.


    Alaric took the child, lightly tapping the infant¡¯s cheek. Nothing worked. How was he supposed to tell his wife their firstborn died? No, he couldn¡¯t. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°She¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Enora screamed. ¡°How? We were careful. We took every precaution to make sure she was healthy!¡±


    Alaric took Enora¡¯s hand, forcing himself not to cry, but he had a hard time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She cried, loudly wondering what she had done wrong.


    One of the healers took the baby, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. A shaman was called in. She momentarily observed the tiny infant and turned to face the window. Alaric watched her studying a horse-eating grass. Lifting her hand toward the horse, she chanted a spell, and a stream of blue magic hit the horse at a fast velocity. The horse panicked but soon fell to the ground, empty.


    ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± Alaric asked, a little alarmed. He tried to reach for his daughter, but the other healers held him back.


    The Shaman, with her dark brown eyes, stared back at Alaric. ¡°It¡¯s called Transference. The child had no life energy; I took it from the animal. Now, all I need is a soul.¡± She chanted more spells, laying the baby on the floor. The entire room shook, electricity flailing around until only a single orb floated in the air. The Shaman guided the orb, waiting for it to disappear into the child¡¯s body.


    The infant¡¯s eyes shot open, and a loud cry was heard.


    Alaric¡¯s daughter was alive. The midwife cleaned amniotic fluid from the baby¡¯s body and swiftly handed it to Enora, who was elated. Alaric was about to thank the Shaman, but she left without uttering a word. ¡°What should we call her?¡± Enora asked her husband, who was too busy admiring his daughter for a moment.


    His parents, Aurelius and Lara, stepped into the room with smiles on both their faces. It wasn¡¯t their first grandchild, but she was their first granddaughter. Aurelius held the babe first, gently swaying her back and forth until she calmed down. She grabbed his index finger with her tiny hand, and Alaric knew that was all it would take for their bond.


    ¡°Any suggestions on a name?¡± he asked his father.


    He only had to think for a short moment. ¡°Alessia ¨C because it¡¯s the name of my favourite flower,¡± he said, handing the baby over to Lara. Alaric wasn¡¯t surprised by the name he chose for his granddaughter. ¡°It also means defender.¡±


    ¡°Does it?¡± Alaric said. The infant¡¯s eyes opened, staring at her grandmother ¨C trying to grab at her hands. He nodded. ¡°I like that name. What about you, Enora?¡±


    Enora¡¯s eyes were slightly red from being awake for so long, and the bags underneath had already formed, but she also gave him a nod of approval. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name.¡±


    He stared down at the tiny infant, smiling. ¡°Then it¡¯s what we will call her. Alessia.¡±

 Chapter 1: Hell is Empty

    Stag, Tethys ¨C 1417 AE


    Alessia¡¯s grandfather always loved flowers, and she felt terrible for only ever giving them to him after he died. The anniversary, a year after he passed away, was the hardest for her. The way he smiled, even when his soul passed on, made her heart swell with sadness. On his death bed, the moment he released his grasp on her hand was forever engrained in her mind and one she could not forget¡­ how her cousins failed to do the same and visit him before his death drove her insane.


    ¡°Alessia,¡± the wind called out. She stopped, slightly turning her head. No one was there, so she kept moving on her path. The voice was always unnerving. She heard things speaking to her when alone, but she never understood what they were or how she heard them. She just did. Her parents never knew although they might have known about it while she was growing up.


    She ensured no one followed her into the forest ¨Cwhere her thoughts were the calmest. Taking in a few deep breaths, she continued onward, admiring how the trees were as tall as the castle towers in the city of Stag.


    Once she found the graveyard, she kneeled on the grass. Alessia touched the tombstone with the name Aurelius Raith engraved on it. Her grandfather passed away from a deadly disease that seemed to ravage the elderly. Not one day went by without her thinking of him. What a shame her father seldom visited his grave. The only other member was her great-uncle Evangelo. Not even her cousins, who shared a grandfather with her, visited the grave.


    ¡°Wish you were here as usual,¡± Alessia whispered. ¡°It always made my day when I saw you smiling ¨C even when there was nothing to smile about.¡± She clasped her hands in prayer, thinking of how much suffering he went through when he was ill. She stood up, wiping the dirt off her dress. ¡°Rest well, Grandfather. Perhaps I will see you again.¡±


    Someone approached her from behind. ¡°You will,¡± they said, but when she turned, nobody was there. She felt an uneasy phantom near her. She turned her head slowly, her fears drowning her, as she noticed a shadow.


    ¡°Alessia,¡± another voice called out.


    The shadow that approached her disappeared.


    She jumped, almost screaming, when a hand touched her shoulder. She sighed in relief once she realized it was only Calien Hawthorne. ¡°I have been searching for you,¡± he said, exasperated. He crossed his arms. The voice before did not belong to him, so who did it belong to? Who had been behind her?


    Alessia returned her attention to him, crossing her arms. ¡°I am not allowed to visit my grandfather¡¯s grave?¡±


    ¡°You are. Just not without my presence.¡±


    ¡°What a pitiful excuse.¡±


    ¡°What is pitiful is defying your father¡¯s strict instructions that I stay by your side until told otherwise. It¡¯s for your protection.¡± Alessia sighed, hating that she remembered how her father hired a guard nearly a year ago. Her father claimed it was for good reasons, but she never saw it that way.


    And nearly a year after he was hired, she could barely stand him. He always towered over her, following her no matter where she went ¨C not making any conversation unless it was for her safety. ¡°You are mildly infuriating,¡± she muttered. She marched out of the graveyard and toward Stag with Calien trailing behind her.


    ¡°We would not have this problem if you listened,¡± Cailen said.


    With the bustling city coming into view, Alessia stopped for a moment. She happened to look down, finding a bird twitching on the ground. Her eyes widened, scooping the poor bird up. It was dead, but the muscles moved due to rigor mortis. She closed her eyes, one hand over the bird, as she concentrated on returning its life force. It had died not too long ago. She was quickly able to grab its soul, guiding it back into the small animal.


    Calien stood by, watching her. She wasn¡¯t worried about him stopping her as he had seen her do it several times before. Even the first time he witnessed it, he did nothing. He certainly gave her a mouthful about touching dead animals.


    The bird¡¯s eyes fluttered open, its tiny heart beating. It stood on both of its legs, chirping at Alessia as if it never died. Its feathers were a bit ruffled, but the bird appeared brand new. She smiled to herself as she watched the avian fly away.


    ¡°Are you quite done?¡± Calien asked, with a hint of impatience in his tone.


    ¡°I am,¡± she said, gritting her teeth. ¡°What was I to do? Just leave it there?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You cannot save them all,¡± he said, his cold blue eyes narrowing.


    ¡°That was never the plan.¡± Honestly, the one thing he says to me is that? She thought, feeling the blood inside her boiling. Why did he insist on being a nuisance to her? Alessia wanted nothing more than for him to leave her alone. Life would be much simpler and peaceful if he were gone from her life. If her father ever cared, he wouldn¡¯t have hired Calien in the first place.


    As they entered Stag, people were gathered in the marketplace doing their usual business, the aroma of fresh bread in the air as they neared the Patisserie District. Despite the welcoming nature of the people in the city, Alessia could feel people¡¯s eyes burning into her back. People of Stag were not subtle regarding their dislike of her. She knew it since she was a child. Her only friends were her cousins, Rinna, Elspeth, and Kalix, and they acted more like her siblings.


    If Calien noticed people staring at her, he said nothing about it. However, she noticed he stayed closer to her than usual. Maybe it was because they were in a crowd. It bothered her even more because nobody in Stag would harm Alessia. She was the only daughter of the Sea Guard Captain Alaric II Raith. Stag was well known for its Sea Guard, as it faced the Mercurial Sea and trained its recruits to deal with the inane currents.


    She wondered when it started. Why did they¡­ fear her so? Was it because of her ability to bring animals back from the dead? Or was it something else? If she had the answer, she wouldn¡¯t have worried about it as much.


    Past the marketing district, there were the gallows. Guards from the castle always supervised the area. She heard screaming from an alleyway, the sound of a sword hitting flesh, making her skin crawl. The metallic and body decay stench was enough to almost gag at the sight. Calien, noticing she was not moving, took her arm. ¡°Watching is not going to change anything,¡± he urged her.


    With the citizens of Stag still eyeing her, she wondered if they, too, wished she would expire in the same way.


    One woman sighed, a scowl forming on her lips. ¡°She¡¯s a witch, she is.¡±


    The second woman nodded in agreement. ¡°Aught to be hanged.¡±


    What could she say to them to defend herself? Nothing. It''s not like she hadn¡¯t tried before, but it always seemed to prove their point¡ªthat she was indeed someone who did not belong on Tethys.


    When she announced herself in her home, her mother, Enora, greeted her at the door with a smile. It was nice to see someone smiling at her for once. ¡°Out for a walk?¡±


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    Alessia nodded. ¡°I was, and not by myself.¡± She glared at Calien, who only had a blank expression.


    ¡°Then he did his job correctly,¡± her mother said. The statement unknowingly caused Alessia¡¯s eyes to twitch as she attempted to ignore it gracefully. She wore a long, flowy blue dress, and her long black hair was in a braid. Alessia admired how her mother could wear any dress and look like she barely aged a day. ¡°I tailored your dress for Count Fairley¡¯s Masquerade Feast tomorrow.¡±


    Alessia blinked at Enora for a moment. She had forgotten that, even though her parents relentlessly talked about it the past week. It would be her first since the last Masquerade feast was five years ago. ¡°I can try it on?¡± Alessia asked, excited that she could try on a new dress.


    ¡°Yes, I need to make sure the measurements are correct,¡± her mother said, ushering her into the room. She exchanged glances with Calien. ¡°I also had formal clothes tailored for you, Cailen.¡±


    Alessia raised an eyebrow. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s coming. Your father would not have it any other way.¡±


    While Calien waited outside the room, the maids helped her try the dress, ensuring it was tight enough. The dark green dress was adorned with golden lining on the waist and neckline. She came out, allowing Enora to tug at the hem of the dress. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a little loose around your neck, but I can fix that.¡± The rest of the garment seemed fine as Enora checked it. She made Alessia take it off and went to work on it afterward.


    She went to her mother as she worked on the dress with a sewing machine. ¡°Does he have to attend?¡± Alessia asked, even though Calien was right behind her.


    ¡°Yes, he does,¡± Enora responded. ¡°If you dislike it, take it up with your father.¡±


    Alessia sighed, not having much choice. Why did she even think he wouldn¡¯t be going with her? She whirled around, holding his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not dancing with you,¡± she warned him.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry. I do not plan on dancing.¡± From the corner of her eye, she could swear she saw her mother smiling at the exchange between the two. Alessia scowled, treading heavily while he continued following her.


    She focused on other things ¨C such as how she¡¯d approach Count Fairley during the Masquerade. Alessia planned for months to ask him for permission to leave the island of Tethys. Nobody had been allowed to leave recently due to threats of war from other nations. The only country that remained neutral was Fird?n. The ball would be her one chance for the request. She doubted she''d have much trouble with her father¡¯s standing with the Count.


    As for her parents, they didn¡¯t suspect anything, but if they found out, she was sure her father would never allow it to happen.


    Fortunately, not many inhabitants of Tethys wished to leave, living a comfortable life in their own homes. Without a doubt, the only other person competing with her for that permission was her former friend, Ceinwen Seagrave. She hated the island of Tethys more than anybody else, but was that reason enough to gain the Count¡¯s approval? There was also another problem with that. According to Count Fairley''s law, only one person per year could leave.


    She didn¡¯t just want to leave Tethys because of the people. She wanted to learn more about the dark arts of necromancy, and Elias was the one person to teach her. He was widely known throughout Fird?n as a respected necromancer. In Tethys, the inhabitants looked down on necromancy, so she never told her parents or anyone else in the family. Only Calien knew the secret of her necromancy abilities and kept quiet about it.


    A knock on the door made her jump to her feet, opening it and smiling once she saw her cousin, Rinna, before her. ¡°Rinna! So, good to see you, cousin,¡± Alessia said, pulling her into a hug. ¡°Am I to understand you are also attending the Masquerade Feast?¡± She let go of the embrace, her hands on Rinna¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry, Kalix and Elspeth aren¡¯t with me. Mother insists their clothes don¡¯t fit them properly.¡± Alessia was overprotective of Rinna. There was nothing she wouldn¡¯t do for her cousin, and while her other cousins got along well with her, there was a strange understanding with Rinna.


    ¡°Mine needed fixing, too.¡± Alessia looked back, seeing Calien standing with his sword in his scabbard behind her.


    ¡°I need to talk about something.¡± Rinna ignored the bodyguard, knowing he would be tagging along. Sometimes, she pretended he wasn¡¯t even there, and Alessia wished to understand how she did it. She pulled her out of the house. ¡°It¡¯s more like I need to confide in you.¡±


    Alessia raised an eyebrow, a bit confused by what she wanted. ¡°Out with it, Rin.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a school in Arcea where I can learn how to be an herbalist or a healer ¨C It¡¯s not a big school. It¡¯s a bit small, or so I hear, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to go,¡± Alessia said, her heart hammering against her chest. Rinna wants to leave, too? She thought, which meant more people requesting Count Fairley at the Feast.


    ¡°Yes, except that isn¡¯t the only thing. I need permission from Count Fairley. He hates my father, Alessia. I don¡¯t know how to go about a request that might be denied.¡±


    ¡°They have schools in Tethys, you know.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there is,¡± Rinna said, sighing. ¡°And that is the problem. The schools here wouldn¡¯t teach about herbalism. Want to know why? Because people on Tethys don¡¯t care about that, even though people die every day from illnesses with no cure. And yes, there are also doctors, but have they found any cure or medication for these illnesses? No.¡± She huffed as they entered the small garden in the Patisserie district.


    Alessia did not know what to say to her. Should she tell her about her plans? Or should she support her cousin? Fuck, she thought. ¡°You know only one person can leave a year, right?¡±


    ¡°I am aware, and that will not stop me.¡±


    ¡°Then you should know Ceinwen is also requesting to leave.¡±


    Rinna shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less if the whole damn Sea Guard wants to leave, least of all her.¡± Alessia admired her cousin for her ambition, but was it enough to convince the Count? Maybe. Except she could not allow that to happen.


    ¡°You are rather young to go out into Sacellum by yourself,¡± she said, trying to be as gentle as possible.


    Her cousin tilted her head at Alessia, almost as if she were confused. ¡°I thought you would support me wanting to do this.¡±


    ¡°And I ¨C I am, but I worry for you. Sacellum is an unforgiving world, lest you forget Count Fairley¡¯s reason for this. Threats of war, remember? It¡¯s been like this for a few years now,¡± Alessia said, hoping her words convinced her cousin to rethink this.


    ¡°So that means I should watch people die in my own country? No! I refuse. Why should we be locked in our own country? Tethys is a god-forsaken island. I will not be stuck here for the rest of my life.¡± There was nothing she could do to convince Rinna to make her choice. Although the Count could refuse her, Alessia was unwilling to take that chance. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to support me, then fine.¡±


    ¡°No, no! I do support you. I want you to ensure this is what you want.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°And do your parents know?¡±


    She started laughing a bit and shook her head. ¡°Ha! Are you insane? No way am I telling them until I gain approval. Otherwise, they might try convincing Count Fairley to ignore my request.¡± That was true, and Alessia also had the same issue. Her father would make sure it never happened, and it was worse that he was Captain of the Sea Guard, not to mention the threats that were still being made against him and his daughter. ¡°Anyway, I thought I would tell you since nobody else will listen. I feel extremely trapped here sometimes¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, cousin. I will always give you my ear when you need it.¡± She had nearly forgotten that Calien was near them, listening to every word. Not that he had much choice, or maybe he faded their conversation out. Alessia could hardly tell with him sometimes.


    They said their goodbyes to one another. A part of her wanted to support Rinna, but a more significant part wanted to request approval. She would have to do something drastic to prevent Rinna from speaking with Count Fairley. Her eyes narrowed. Even if it meant possibly destroying their friendship, Alessia needed tomorrow to go her way.


    She returned to her house, locking her bedroom door behind her so that not even Calien could see what she was doing. She removed the mat beside her bed, revealing a large blue circle with symbols she had drawn on the floor as a child. An older woman taught her. Alessia managed to catch on quickly, but before asking for more training, the woman died.


    She recalled a time when crops were dying from a drought. She chanted the spell late at night, feeling the wind hitting against the window. The next day, it started raining, which lasted for ten days. People¡¯s homes were flooded, and some even died.


    Alessia shook her head, covering the carefully drawn circle with the mat, and sat on the edge of her bed. She promised herself she would never use the circle again. But throughout the night, she heard something call out her name. It wasn¡¯t the same as before. The energy around began humming, and it felt even darker than before.


    Agitated, she threw the mat off the circle, noticing it glowing blue. Being near it sent shockwaves as she heard a loud, booming noise a few times and then blood-curdling screams. She pulled away from the circle, and the screams stopped. She covered her mouth, her free trembling hand placing the mat over it once more. The screams came from the circle, not from outside. It had never done that before. What is happening? She thought.


    Snakes crawled against her feet. She gasped, falling to the floor, watching as the snakes slithered over her body. She threw them off, but more and more surrounded her. She shut her eyes, wanting to scream, but when she reopened them, the snakes were gone. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she remained on the floor.


    <hr>


    Alessia Raith (Concept Art)

 Chapter 2: And all the devils are here

    On the day of the Masquerade Feast, the maids ran a pleasantly warm bath, scrubbing her skin with prickly sponges. Afterward, they placed her into a robe, taking out the dress her mother picked out for her. The maids were overly excited about Alessia¡¯s first social outing, even more than Alessia was about it.


    The maids allowed her to get ready into the dress behind the wooden divider in the room. They made a few adjustments to her dress and then had her sit in front of a mirror to do her hair. Her hair was put into long curls that waved around her face and past her shoulders. Once she was done, she was given a golden and silver mask with sparkles around it. She placed it on her face, satisfied with how it looked.


    Enora smiled at her once she saw her in the dress. ¡°Wow,¡± she said, her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You look mesmerizing.¡±


    She peered at herself in the mirror hanging in the bedroom, admiring the dress even more than before.


    Her father came home within ten minutes, as Enora ensured Alessia looked her best before the Masquerade occurred.


    Calien¡¯s attire was a doublet in the same dark green as her dress, with golden patterns outlining the sleeves. It was the first time he saw her in the dress her mother picked, but his face remained unchanged. His blonde hair had grown into a bit of a fringe that parted in the middle, covering one of his eyes.


    Alessia tried not to overthink about last night. Once she could finally leave Tethys, she could leave it all behind and never look back. The images of the snakes crawling all over her the previous night never left her mind¡ªnot once. She didn¡¯t want to tell her mother about it, as the woman was preoccupied with preparing for the Masquerade Feast.


    ¡°You are quiet today, Ale,¡± her father, Alaric, said to her while she waited for the maids to finish with the final touches of her hair.


    She gulped nervously. ¡°Worried about tonight,¡± she said. ¡°I have never been to one of these events before, have I?¡±


    ¡°The last time was ten years ago, and your grandfather cared for you. The Count has never been one for such events, so he rarely hosts them.¡± Another reason to leave Tethys. Since feasts, festivals, and balls were rare on the island, they did not leave a lot to be desired. ¡°You look lovely, by the way.¡±


    She nodded politely. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her mind returned to the conversation with Rinna yesterday, and she knew there was no way her cousin would not find out about her trying to get her request approved. Ceinwen¡­ Alessia could handle it because of the tricks she¡¯d pull. Almost all her life, she has tried sabotaging Alessia at any time she can.


    Once Ceinwen discovered what Alessia planned to do, she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. It must have been engraved into her when she was born.


    Alessia fidgeted with the seam of her dress, wondering what would happen at the Feast. This will be interesting, no less, she thought, watching through the window as people passed by, heading to the castle. ¡°Behave yourself,¡± her father warned her. ¡°Be a good role model for your younger cousins.¡±


    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He nodded, calling out for Enora to finish up and come downstairs.


    ¡°You¡ªnot getting into mischief? I wish I could attest to that,¡± Calien said when her father was out of earshot.


    Alessia rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Oh, quiet. You are lucky you are even attending this event.¡±


    Enora came down the stairs, her mask on and wearing a dress similar in color to Alessia¡¯s, but it was more off-the-shoulder than hers. She smiled at her mother warmly, excited to see her mother dressed up formally. They left their house, following the crowd toward the count¡¯s Castle. Something inside her made her feel uneasy, but she dismissed it as worrying about what she might say to the Count once she was there.


    How would she speak with Fairley without Rinna or her parents noticing? This has to go according to plan, or I can kiss the dreams of leaving Tethys goodbye, she thought, as she, Calien, and her parents were now at the castle gates.


    Once inside, she immediately spotted her cousins with her aunt and uncle. She waved at Rinna, who excitedly walked over to her and squealed in delight over Alessia¡¯s dress. Kalix, who had his mask on, rolled his eyes. Elsbeth didn¡¯t even acknowledge Alessia, which was normal behavior. Elsbeth was usually in her world, and who wouldn¡¯t be at the age of fifteen? She had the same thinking expression as Delroy but sported Vilica¡¯s beauty. Rinna and Kalix were more of a mix, but Rinna was slightly plain-looking compared to her sister and mother.


    ¡°Someone looks nervous,¡± Kalix said to Alessia, nudging Rinna.


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kalix replied, giving her his best smirk. ¡°Oh, come now, cousin. I was teasing.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t funny,¡± Rinna butted in, pushing him out of the way. She slipped her arm around Alessia¡¯s, walking to their parents'' place. ¡°But seriously, Ale, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Really? Because it doesn¡¯t look it.¡±


    Alessia opened her mouth to respond when someone roughly pushed past her. She nearly fell over, but Rinna caught her. ¡°Watch it!¡± Rinna snapped but went pale when she saw it was Ceinwen.


    Ceinwen rolled her eyes at them. Her white and pink dress was a little too flowy for her taste. Her golden blonde hair was in an updo with a pink ribbon to match the dress. ¡°Sorry,¡± Ceinwen said, giving Alessia a smirk that said it all. ¡°Next time, have a bit of self-awareness, which you lack.¡±


    ¡°At least she has class,¡± Rinna replied, ignoring the glare. She took Alessia to the front of the group, where their parents were waiting to be let in. Her Aunt, Vilica, smiled warmly at Alessia while her uncle nodded.


    The doors to the main ballroom opened at last. They were nearly blinded by the chandelier, made of crystals and gold, hanging above the long tables for the feast. She was struck by how beautiful and glossy the white floor was beneath her feet, how she could practically see reflections of herself and others. On the ceiling, she noticed detailed oil paintings of Tethys¡¯ history, each one in order of how the settlers from Firdun sailed all over Sacellum until a storm from the Mercurial Sea brought them to the big island. The artists went all out for the details, she thought, unable to pull her eyes off the ceiling.


    Alessia sat down beside Rinna, and Calien was on her other side. The servants were strict about having each group of guests sit with one another so as not to mess with the order of things. The feast first served a vegetable broth to each guest, and while they all enjoyed it, Count Fairley made his speech at the front of all the long tables.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to go on and on,¡± Kalix muttered. Vilica elbowed him in the ribs to be quiet.


    It was a typical speech on how happy Fairley was that most were able to make it to the Masquerade. Alessia soon drowned it out by gazing down at her untouched soup. The speech was too much but ended quickly, allowing the guests to finish their meals.


    She didn¡¯t feel hungry but refused to look rude by not touching the soup. She wanted to at least please Count Fairley by looking like she enjoyed the food.


    The rest of the meal came after the soup, with a small portion of turkey meat, mashed potatoes, herbs, and garlic on the side. He couldn¡¯t have thought of something more spectacular. She thought until servants poured gravy on top of it. They were also given a bread roll, each with some butter. ¡°Now, this is a meal!¡± Kalix exclaimed, practically reading her mind.


    ¡°Mind your volume, boy!¡± Delroy snapped at him.


    ¡°I am complimenting the meal.¡±


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    ¡°You are too loud.¡±


    She smiled to herself, hearing father and son banter. They were still the same; even when Kalix was a child, he always argued with his father.


    Alessia was surprised when she took a bite of the turkey as she expected its meat to be rough and dry, but instead, it was nice and tender. It did not take long before everyone finished the meal and waited a few minutes before a small dessert was brought. The dessert was a brownie cut into a square smaller than her hand, marked with blue icing on top of it ¨C the blue represents Tethys¡¯ national color.


    Not long after guests ate their dessert, the dishes were taken from them, and all were gathered into another room ¨C a much larger one. Portraits of people from Count Fairley¡¯s family, mainly his ancestors, decorated the walls, each with golden frames. While some were larger than others, only a few stood out to the naked eye. The ballroom¡¯s beige porcelain tile made her nervous to step on as it was even more elegant than the dining room hall.


    Violins began playing, and guests had already started dancing. Alessia stood there, knowing she should dance, but wondered if that was a good idea. What if she slipped on the floor? It was slippery enough to make her look like a fool. Her parents were dancing, both with the same love in their eyes that they had for one another since she could remember. She cursed herself for not practicing how to dance more before this Masquerade Feast.


    People wore their masks, and it started getting a bit difficult to distinguish who were her relatives and who weren¡¯t. She spotted Ceinwen dancing with a gentleman older than her by at least ten years. She noticed she disappeared after the first dance, and Alessia lost sight of her. She just wanted to avoid Ceinwen altogether.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to dance?¡± Calien asked her. She forgot he had been next to her the entire time.


    ¡°Told you I wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°All right, if you insist.¡±


    He left her side and asked a woman at least her mother¡¯s age if she would like to dance. She accepted, and he gently took her hand to the dance floor. Unease settled inside Alessia as she watched the random woman with Calien. He was a graceful dancer, not even worried about where to put his hands¡­ he just knew.


    She almost regretted not dancing with him. She had nobody to blame but herself. Who else would ask her? Despite the masquerade, nobody paid her much attention, although a few glares were aimed in her direction here and there. How come her parents never noticed the attention she received from the people in Stag?


    A few moments later, Ceinwen, as red-faced as ever, brushed past Alessia harshly as she did before. ¡°Out of my way!¡± she snapped, looking like she might pop a vein from her head at any moment.


    As the dancing continued, she noticed Count Fairley was by himself, drinking his wine as he studied one of the paintings on the wall. The painting was of a woman with curly blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes, wearing a white dress with poofy sleeves. She took the time, slipping away from Rinna and the others, hoping Calien would not follow her. ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful painting,¡± Alessia said.


    ¡°You like it?¡± he asked. ¡°The artist¡¯s name is Noel Owens. I commissioned him to paint this woman ¨C my wife before she passed away 20 years ago.¡±


    Her smile faltered. ¡°I am sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. She was a lovely woman, and I celebrate the life she lived with me.¡±


    ¡°Experiencing loss is never easy, no matter how long ago it¡¯s been,¡± Alessia said.


    ¡°What loss have you had, young lady?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°My Grandfather died a few years ago.¡±


    He nodded, his eyes still not taken off the painting. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Alessia Raith.¡±


    ¡°Ah, how could I forget? The daughter of my favourite Sea Captain!¡± She stood awkwardly, her eyes searching for Rinna, but only found Calien speaking with another young lady. ¡°What can I do for you, my dear?¡±


    She was not expecting that question. She tore her eyes away from Calien. ¡°Your Lordship, I¡­ had no intentions of ¨C¡±


    ¡°Lady Alessia,¡± he said, turning his head toward her. ¡°Rarely do guests come up to me for small talk. Out with it.¡±


    She sighed a bit nervously. ¡°I wanted to ask you if I could have permission to leave Tethys,¡± she said, grimacing at how informal she sounded in front of the Count of all people!


    ¡°And why do you wish to leave?¡±


    She wondered if she should tell him the real reason or not. Anxiety rose inside her chest as she felt the muscles in her body constricting. ¡°I don¡¯t need to live here any longer.¡± She gulped, unsure if the answer was a good enough reason.


    He shook his head as if he were disappointed in what she said. ¡°That isn¡¯t the reason,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°I want the real reason.¡± She opened her mouth but closed it, clenching her jaw. Her mind spun, trying to think of words to say to him. ¡°No answer? Then I cannot allow you to leave Tethys until you have a better reason.¡±


    ¡°I promise you my reason is a valid one.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not permissible. The law I have in place for Tethys is for war and safety reasons. Leaving because you don¡¯t enjoy living here won¡¯t help anyone but yourself.¡± Damnit, no! she thought, words still racing inside her head. She stood before Count Fairley, knowing her future was slipping through her fingers. ¡°Give me a real reason, and then we will talk. One person has already asked tonight. I turned her down.¡± Ceinwein, Alessia thought, explains her foul mood.


    ¡°There might be another person wanting permission to leave, your Lordship,¡± she said, which caused him to raise an eyebrow. She whispered, ¡°My cousin Rinna plans on asking you.¡±


    He rubbed his chin, nodding. ¡°That is a problem,¡± he said. ¡°The tensions with her father do not help the situation, especially if I agreed. I will handle it. Thank you for letting me know.¡± He excused himself from her, and she exhaled a breath she was holding in. She couldn¡¯t believe she sold out her cousin, but it was true. Rinna¡¯s father contributed to tensions outside of Tethys. Allowing his daughter to leave would cause more problems.


    She stood there for a moment, shocked by her actions.


    She needed a breath of fresh air.


    Heading out to the balcony with no one else around, she trembled with closed fists. She paced back and forth. She didn¡¯t know if Count Fairley would tell Rinna, who ratted her out, but hell would freeze over if he did.


    The cold night air made the hair on her arms rise. The wind lightly blew against her hair while she tried to ignore the music and laughter from inside. She felt a strange crawling sensation at her feet, which made her yelp loudly. A snake, about average size, with green scales, slithered toward her. She turned around, almost screaming, when she saw even more approaching her. It was like the night before, except there were even more snakes.


    She tripped and fell backward, feeling the snakes crawling all over her body. She tried opening her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She covered her eyes, muttering how it wasn¡¯t real. She stopped hearing the snakes¡¯ hisses and uncovered her eyes. Instead of the snakes disappearing, she saw their carcasses¡­ each with blood and skin still attached.


    ¡°Alessia.¡± The voice yet again. But it sounded more profound than before.


    Her chest tightened.


    She saw nobody near her, yet she heard the words of chanting under a tongue she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Sarah manet.¡± She backed away until she hit the balcony railing. When she glanced at the ground, the snake carcasses disappeared. ¡°Maledictio adest.¡±


    Who are these people? She thought, watching from the balcony. Were they new arrivals? People from the town were still outside and chose not to attend the Masquerade Feast, cautiously approaching the strangers, but guards around Stag ordered citizens to stay back. One of the guards was becoming annoyed with the strangers who were not answering him.


    Dazed from seeing the snakes¡¯ carcasses, she was about to walk away from the balcony when screaming from the town stopped her. The guard who spoke to the strangers was covered in blood, and from where she was, she saw his face was completely gone. Citizens who witnessed the scene ran into their houses. The guard still screamed relentlessly as the strangers ripped him apart limb by limb. She closed the window instantly, covering her mouth. What the hell is happening?


    She still heard the screams, unsure if they were coming from the guard or others.


    She ran inside, where nobody knew of the commotion happening in the town, frantically searching for her family amidst the dancing. She bumped into a few people, tears streaming down her face, ruining the cosmetics on her face. While the music continued, despite her fears, she finally spotted her parents dancing with each other, laughing and having a good time.


    Her breath hitched, moving toward them. A hand grazed her shoulder, and she yelped. It was Calien. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I saw something in town¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°The music is too loud,¡± he said, trying to raise his voice louder. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°I said, I saw ¨C¡±


    The large doors to the dance hall opened. A guard with blood all over his face and armor strode in, limping. The blood was coming from an empty eye socket. ¡°Help¡­¡± he said, stumbling into Ceinwen, who looked at him in horror. She screamed, catching the attention of other guests. The crowd stood back, watching the guard fumble until he abruptly stopped, falling face-first onto the floor. Behind him was a woman smiling from ear to ear. A wimple covered most of her hair, leaving only her face, while the rest of her outfit was a simple brown cotte. The way she kept smiling and standing still made Alessia¡¯s heart beat faster.


    Nobody in the room moved. The music stopped, and people weren¡¯t even screaming.


    ¡°Get her out of here!¡± Count Fairley commanded the guards.


    The guards approached the smiling woman in a group of four, who had not even moved. ¡°You are not welcome here, peasant,¡± one of the guards said.


    The woman¡¯s features darkened, and the guard who spoke stopped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go near her!¡± Alessia called out. ¡°She¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    With their attention on her, the woman drastically changed. Her teeth became sharp as knives, biting one of the guards¡¯ necks. Guests started screaming again, running out of the dance room. Calien grabbed Alessia¡¯s hand, pulling her away from the crowd. They ran in a different direction, still hearing the shrill screams from down the hall.


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Calien urged her. ¡°We have no time to stop!¡±


    ¡°But my family is still out there!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Your father¡¯s instructions were to keep you safe, not the entire family.¡±


    Alessia was too out of breath to respond to him.


    As they reached for the door that would lead them outside, the same woman who killed the guard in front of everyone stood there smiling. ¡°Now, now,¡± she said. ¡°No need to run. We just wanted some fun.¡±


    Calien kept Alessia behind him, his sword out of the sheath. ¡°Stay back,¡± he warned the woman.


    ¡°Oh my, a sword?¡± the woman chuckled. ¡°There is no need for such things when we both know it won¡¯t do anything.¡± Calien was not backing down, aiming the sword at the woman. She grabbed the sword, clasping it until it broke into several pieces. ¡°You can call me Fiona. It¡¯ll be the last name you will hear before you die.¡±

 Chapter 3: A Long Night

    Calien gripped Alessia¡¯s hand tightly, pulling her away from the strange woman named Fiona. They started running in a sprint in the opposite direction of the hall. Fiona wasn¡¯t running after them. She was walking quickly as if she knew she¡¯d catch up to them eventually, but before she reached either, Calien pushed Alessia into a random room that was left unlocked. He closed it quickly, feeling the knob from the other side slowly twist and turn rapidly. He pushed several pieces of furniture in front of the door to hopefully stop her from entering but seeing as she broke his sword without much effort, he doubted it would hold Fiona back.


    ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t be that way,¡± she said in a sweet, gentle voice. ¡°I just want to talk, is all.¡±


    ¡°You stay back,¡± he said to Alessia. ¡°Hide somewhere if you have to.¡±


    ¡°What about my parents?!¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure they are fine. They are resourceful people.¡± He could tell she was stressed over whether her family was even alive. There was no banging on the door, which scared them both.


    ¡°It¡¯s rude to ignore people at the door,¡± Fiona said.


    ¡°Ignore it,¡± Calien whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she is, but she is not human.¡± Alessia nodded, sitting down against the wall opposite the door. The banging continued, and he even heard multiple voices outside the room.


    He stopped speaking to the woman outside and sat beside Alessia, who had not said a word for a while. As long as he knew her, he never saw her like this. She deeply cared for her family and wanted to know immediately if they were okay, except they couldn¡¯t leave the room. He was unsure when they could leave¡­ but they would have to eventually. They needed food and water. He would fight Fiona off if it meant Alessia survived the ordeal.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This was supposed to be a fun event, not a blood bath.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all fun,¡± she replied. ¡°Not for me.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    She shrugged. She looked like she wanted to tell him but couldn¡¯t. ¡°You weren¡¯t dancing,¡± he said. ¡°Could that be the reason?¡±


    She laughed a bit. ¡°No. There were other reasons.¡±


    ¡°None you can share with me?¡±


    Alessia pinched her nose bridge. ¡°It¡¯s not that interesting.¡±


    She was challenging to keep up a conversation with, but he couldn¡¯t blame her. He never tried talking to her much in the last year. He stood by her side as a bodyguard. When push came to shove, he was only there to protect her, not to be her friend. He pushed a lock of hair out of his face. The knocking did not stop yet, and voices were getting louder. He was not sure how much longer before Fiona beat down the door.


    Alessia hugged her knees and, for a while, said nothing. They tried ignoring the voices outside the door, but it became much more challenging than they anticipated. Calien wished he could comfort her instead of trying to talk over the voices. Fiona was the loudest amongst the others. The way she spoke the words softly would understandably make someone trust her.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what Fiona was, but if there were others like her, it would be a big problem, which begged the question ¨C how many others were there? He continued hearing endless screams down the corridor of people begging for mercy and could not do a thing about it. Alessia was his priority above all else.


    Covering her ears, Alessia remained still for the next hour. The knocking and the voices stopped. Calien didn¡¯t trust the silence enough to open the door. The silence was deafening. No screaming or pleas for help¡­ only silence.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Alessia asked in a low whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t leave, not yet.¡±


    ¡°But how will we escape? That woman shattered your sword into pieces.¡±


    ¡°We will cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, remain calm ¨C try to rest until I figure something out.¡± He also trembled, although he tried his best not to show it in front of her.


    A tap on the window above them made his heart jump. Alessia threw herself away from the window and toward Calien. They looked at the pale faces staring back at them. It was Fiona and the two other men, all three with the same sinister smile.


    Calien pulled Alessia behind him, prepared in case Fiona wanted to attack. ¡°What do you want?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°A chance to talk.¡±


    ¡°Then talk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to hear you. If you open the window, I can understand what you are saying.¡± Calien shook his head. Never would he risk putting Alessia in danger. Not even a little bit.


    ¡°You mistake me for a fool,¡± Calien said. He heard Alessia¡¯s breathing becoming louder. ¡°Talk from where you are.¡±


    ¡°Now, where is the fun in that?¡± Fiona tilted her head while the other two men chuckled beside her. ¡°I was not invited to the party, so I let myself in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your excuse for slaughtering innocents?¡±


    Fiona smiled again, not answering him. At least not directly. She showed her teeth in a smile. Not yellow, but not white either. Something about the way she smiled was enough to make his skin crawl¡­ They all looked unnatural, but he couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on it.


    ¡°Alessia, stay in the corner, away from the window,¡± he said.


    ¡°You are Alessia?¡± Fiona asked, now staring at her. ¡°Your parents sounded worried about you ¨C specifically your mother. Your father looked devastated thinking you were dead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± Calien exclaimed.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Alessia demanded.


    ¡°Probably still begging for their lives.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s fear seemed to disappear the moment Fiona mentioned her parents. She stormed up to the window, pointing at Fiona¡¯s face. ¡°If you touch them, I will kill you myself.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them. I just watched it happen.¡±


    Calien gently pulled at her arm, but she only moved closer to the window. ¡°Alessia, get away from the damn window.¡±


    Fiona¡¯s smile only grew wider. ¡°They truly were worried about their precious daughter.¡± Alessia turned for the door, trying to move the furniture away. Calien grabbed her away from the door, holding her back as she swore at him to let her go,


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe out there! She¡¯s saying that on purpose!¡± He held her tighter against his chest. ¡°She wants you to open the door so she can kill us both. Is that what you want?!¡±


    She stopped moving, turning to face him, pushing him away. ¡°I hate you!¡± she shouted. ¡°I hate that my father hired you for my safety; I hate how you are always near me!¡± She pounded her fists on his chest over and over. She gave up eventually, sinking to her knees. Calien knelt, pulling her into his arms.


    ¡°You will get out of here. I can promise you that,¡± he said gently as she sobbed into his chest. Her words were meant to hurt him, but he realized she was not in a proper state of mind after the events.


    Calien gazed back at the window. All three of those things were gone. Why didn¡¯t they smash the window? He thought. It didn¡¯t make much sense to him.


    ¡°Alessia, please get some rest.¡±


    She sniffled, wiping her tears away. ¡°I can try.¡± Eventually, she closed her eyes, her chest slowly rising and falling. He could not afford to sleep. He needed to keep his guard up no matter what for her protection. He knew nobody was safe as long as those things were out there.


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    She barely slept at all. The knocks on the window and door never stopped for the next few hours. All Alessia could think about were her parents. Where were they? Were they with her cousins and their parents?


    She took a couple of deep breaths. Alessia hated not knowing if her family was alive.


    ¡°Calien? Is that you?¡± a voice from outside the window asked. An older woman with faded blonde hair and slight grey streaks approached the window.


    Alessia looked at Calien, watching his reaction closely. His eyes widened at the voice. ¡°Mother?¡± he whispered. She never heard anything about his parents. He only mentioned he left him from Tethys¡¯ Capital city, but nothing more than that.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long!¡± the woman exclaimed. ¡°Will you let me in?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be dead.¡±


    ¡°Calien, that isn¡¯t your mother,¡± Alessia told him.


    ¡°But it looks like her,¡± he said, heading closer to the window.


    ¡°You said she¡¯s dead, then this isn¡¯t her!¡± She pulled Calien¡¯s arm back, trying to stop him from opening the window.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open it!¡± She cried out. She put herself between him and the window. ¡°It¡¯s not her. She is one of them, trying to trick you.¡±


    He looked baffled, as if hours ago he wasn¡¯t convincing her the same thing. He rubbed his temple. ¡°She just looks so real.¡±


    ¡°I am real, Calien,¡± the woman said. ¡°If you just open the window, we can finally reunite.¡±


    Alessia shook her head, pushing him away. ¡°No, she isn¡¯t.¡±


    The woman was calm but kept pleading with Calien to open the window. Calien refused, sitting down on the floor with his back to her. ¡°I apologize, Alessia,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize. I almost did the same thing earlier.¡±


    ¡°But I could have killed us both.¡±


    ¡°Yes, except it didn¡¯t happen. You never opened the window, which is the most important thing.¡±


    He let out a shaky sigh. ¡°What kind of a bodyguard am I to even¡­ think of opening the window when I know my mother is dead?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°How can I not worry about it? The outcome could have been worse.¡±


    ¡°I am here, alive, right in front of you. If you hadn¡¯t stopped me from leaving the room, we would both be dead as well. Right now, we both need each other until this is over.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ seeing my mother in the window was not what I expected.¡±


    Alessia felt terrible for him. He didn¡¯t have any family nearby. His mother died, and he was only with Alessia and her family for her protection. ¡°Do you ever think of home?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, but the more I do, the worse my nightmares are.¡±


    ¡°You have nightmares?¡±


    Calien nodded. ¡°Almost every night.¡±


    ¡°What are they about?¡±


    ¡°I am not ready to say yet.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said. She hated nightmares and would have them all the time, preventing her from sleeping. Each one included her grandfather and how she watched him fade away from the illness, becoming thinner and thinner. Other times, she dreamt of herself elsewhere, in a different world, but not as Alessia, as someone completely different. The word itself was vastly strange and unrecognizable ¨C a world where magic didn¡¯t exist at all. Those dreams started when she was five, and she could never figure them out. She only told her grandfather about the dreams when he was still alive, and he kept her secret with him to his grave.


    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± she said.


    Calien smiled a bit, rubbing his slightly red eyes. ¡°Glad someone does.¡±


    "You dream of home?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°It never gets easier,¡± Alessia reiterated. He nodded in agreement. His eyes were teary, but he did not cry¡ªnot once. ¡°We should both get sleep,¡± she added.


    ¡°Not sure if I can. Someone needs to stay awake in case, and it should be me,¡± Calien said,


    ¡°If they haven¡¯t come in by now, they won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but I cannot take a chance regarding your safety.¡±


    ¡°And who looks after yours?¡± she asked.


    His eyes widened in surprise, but he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about me.¡± She wished he would listen to her. No sleep would cause bad reaction times if he needed to fight for her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone if you rest your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hard to with those things out there.¡±


    She sighed as he continued making up excuses because he couldn¡¯t sleep.


    ¡°Alessia, it¡¯s your grandfather,¡± a voice from the door this time said. Not again, she thought. It sounded like her grandfather, except she knew it wasn¡¯t him. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, although it was hard not to. Her breath hitched, covering her ears. Calien sat closer to her while the disembodied voice continued. Stop, you aren¡¯t real! But the voice kept taunting her. ¡°How disappointing,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± she whispered, covering her ears. ¡°Leave me alone. You are not my grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open the door and find out?¡±


    Calien gripped her hand tightly and shook his head. ¡°Focus on me, and me only,¡± he said softly. ¡°Nothing else but my voice, okay?¡± She nodded, her eyes entirely on him. ¡°It will be over soon, hopefully.¡±


    ¡°Alessia, I am waiting. It¡¯s rather cold in this hallway. Is that what you want? For your grandfather to be cold?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t respond,¡± Calien said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s what they want.¡± He held her hand in his, not letting it go. ¡°We can do this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting a lot harder.¡±


    ¡°I know, but like you said, we need to remind each other of what¡¯s real and what isn¡¯t.¡± She slowly nodded at what he was saying to her. The two of them needed each other to survive the night. She closed her eyes, praying again for her safety, including everyone else¡¯s.


    The creatures banged loudly on the window, demanding they be let in. The window¡¯s glass started cracking. At any moment, it was going to break. She covered her ears, muttering another prayer, hoping the window wouldn¡¯t break. Even Calien panicked, trying to remain calm the entire time. Alessia¡¯s prayers became more frantic as the glass on the window was close to shattering.


    As if her mouth moved independently, she whispered, ¡°Non licet intrare.¡±


    The banging stopped almost immediately. She opened her eyes, noticing no cracks on the window anymore. Calien sat still beside her, inhaling deeply. Did it work? She thought. How... How did I do that? Her lips moved, but she was not the one speaking the words.


    She would have to think about it later. For now, she wanted to focus on resting while she had the chance.


    The voice was different from what she heard before. Their voice sounded more profound and more masculine. ¡°Nunc requiesce.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s eyelids were heavy as she drifted off into a deep sleep.


    As the morning light seeped through the window, Alessia woke up beside Calien, who had recently opened his eyes. She was surprised he was brave enough to close his eyes for as long as he did. He checked the window and pressed his ear against the door. Nothing. No voices. No screams from the outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet,¡± he said.


    ¡°It has been quiet before.¡±


    ¡°Not like this.¡± He held his hand out, pulling her up.


    As she suspected, there were corpses all around the hallway, some with missing limbs. Alessia tried not to look, but all she could think about was how one of the limbs or bodies could belong to one of her family members. There were at least twenty or more bodies scattered around, and that was only in the hallway.


    Alessia pushed the door to the ballroom open and once more found bodies everywhere. She called out for her parents but did not know where they were. Please be safe, she thought. ¡°Hello?¡± she called out, hoping for a response.


    ¡°Alessia?!¡± someone exclaimed. She jumped, reaching for Calien¡¯s arm. She worried it was one of those creatures, but it wasn¡¯t. It was her mother, or at least she thought it was.


    ¡°How do I know it¡¯s you?¡± she said, trembling.


    Enora, her mother, stood still for a moment. ¡°Yes, I promise you.¡± She pulled Alessia into a tight hug. ¡°I was so worried. I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s father? And the rest?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. They were injured but alive. Your cousins are well. Rinna and Elspeth took it hard when they couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    ¡°What about Kalix?¡±


    She was silent for a minute. ¡°We were separated from him amidst the chaos. I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    Alessia breathed in heavily, a knot forming in her stomach. That did not sound good. Kalix enjoyed mischief and never did well with obedience. He might have separated himself from the group he initially stayed in to find his family. ¡°Let¡¯s find him,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°Her mother thanked Calien for keeping Alessia safe from harm. He did a lot more than that. She wished she appreciated him more than before. Without him, she might have died a horrible death.


    They searched everywhere for Kalix, but survivors of last night mentioned they saw him leaving the castle. They moved the search outside, but nobody in Stag saw him anywhere. Calien headed to the forest for twenty minutes before coming out and asking them to follow him. He led them pretty deep into the forest, an extensive line of blood on the ground becoming redder as they ran further.


    Calien pointed to a corpse attached to a tree.


    It was Kalix.


    His mouth remained open, his eyes wide in terror. He had been nailed to the trunk of a tree with his intestines falling out of his stomach. Her mother screamed, covering her mouth. ¡°No,¡± her mother whispered. ¡°Why him? Why Kalix?¡±


    Blood stained the ground around Kalix¡¯s body, and if she needed to guess, he died not too long ago. That meant those creatures tortured him. She studied the body closely, realizing they had taken off his arms and legs.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Alessia cried out, falling to her knees and gagging from the smell of the corpse.


    ¡°Alessia, Enora, I am so sorry for your loss,¡± Calien said.


    ¡°How could this have happened?¡± Enora exclaimed. ¡°His poor parents and sisters¡­ he deserved so much better than to die like this! We need to get him down.¡±


    ¡°I know, mother,¡± Alessia said, her voice shaking with horror. ¡°Go get the town Guards. Calien and I will stay here.¡±


    ¡°I do not look forward to telling Vilica and Delroy their little boy is gone.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt,¡± Calien said, looking away from Kalix¡¯s corpse.


    Alessia closed Kalix¡¯s eyes with her hand, hoping he was at peace. She caressed his cold cheek. ¡°Rest in peace, cousin,¡± she whispered. Tears streaked down her cheek, and she hated the thought of him dying alone.


    Enora came back with the guards, who picked up Kalix¡¯s body. They placed an old sheet over him so nobody would have to look at the corpse.


    Her aunt Vilica and Uncle Delroy were devastated. Her Aunt collapsed, crying and screaming while her Uncle held her back. Rinna and Elspeth were in tears. Alessia pulled them both into a tight hug, but there was nothing she could do or say to comfort them.


    Vilica was inconsolable, not able to hear anyone¡¯s words at all. Alessia distanced herself from her extended family, not wanting to intrude on their grief. ¡°I said it before, but I am sorry for your loss, Alessia,¡± Calien said,


    ¡°He was only 16,¡± she said, the window blowing her hair. ¡°He knew how to make me laugh and smile.¡± Sacellum lost a good person, but Heaven gained an Angel. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. Not at all.¡± She wondered which of those creatures were involved in killing Kalix. Perhaps it was Fiona, who sounded like their ringleader.


    She clenched her fists. If there was one thing she wanted to do, it was to wipe the smile off Fiona¡¯s face for good. Blood rose to veins, wanting nothing more than to scream out loud, but she took a deep breath. I am going to kill them all, she thought.

 Chapter 4: She Abides

    The guards in Stag removed the bodies from inside and outside the castle. It hadn¡¯t even been half a day since that night, and Alessia felt like time moved too slowly. People were too afraid to leave their houses in the town, but there were no signs of those creatures. Blood still stained the cobblestone, which would be hard to remove, but guards did everything they could to make it look like before.


    How could returning to normal be possible? So many people lost their loved ones¡­ It made Alessia wonder if only Stag or all of Tethys went through that terrible night. And what would Count Fairley do to try and reassure everyone?


    Nobody had the slightest inkling of what to do. What were they going to do at night? Would the creatures return? Alessia remembered the words spoken to her in a strange language. If she only remembered what was said, but would it help? The damage had already been done.


    She did not know what else to do. Her father was severely injured and being taken care of by healers, all the while dealing with the grief of his nephew¡¯s death. Nothing about it felt right. Nothing at all.


    The servants and maids were alive and stayed in the basement quiet until morning. They were astonished to hear of Kalix¡¯s passing. ¡°We are sorry for your loss, Lady Alessia,¡± one of them said to her, respectfully bowing their head.


    Kalix didn¡¯t just die. Those things murdered him. Plain and simple. Alessia would not accept any other reason.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessia said, nodding to the maids before heading up the stairs to her bedroom. She sat silently on the bed, thinking about the entire night and how it unfolded before she could even blink.


    Her thoughts went back to Kalix, how he must have been terrified of being separated from his family that night. She wondered what went through his head when those creatures found him and tortured him to death. A chill ran down her spine, recalling the state of her cousin¡¯s body. The lengths they would go to trick someone into coming out of the building were insane. As she recalled, Kalix''s body was left barren; his entrails were torn out of his stomach, and a long metal pipe pinned him to the trunk of the tree through his chest.


    She meant every word of wanting to kill those monsters that were responsible for Kalix¡¯s murder. They would all pay for it, even if she had to resort to other ideas to eliminate them. She wished she hadn¡¯t been separated from her family that night. Kalix might be alive if she made sure they were all together.


    What if Alessia tried resurrecting her cousin like she did to deceased animals? She never tried it on humans before, and his corpse might be too far gone. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of failing the resurrection. She did not know how far her powers were able to go.


    The dead was better left dead, and would he even look normal if he returned to life? Alessia did not want to imagine the gruesome sight.


    Creatures came out of the forest, attacking the guards and citizens, and a woman named Fiona led the massacre in the castle. She destroyed Calien¡¯s sword as if it were nothing. This was so evident in her mind that it made remembering specific details difficult.


    She removed the mat on the floor beside her bed, seeing the circle again. It didn¡¯t have the same blue glow as before. She needed a protection spell. It would help for the second night and nights ahead. But which one? There were so many, and she couldn¡¯t even remember any.


    Many spells required blood. Alessia didn¡¯t like that idea, but what choice did she have? It was for everyone¡¯s protection, including her own.


    There was one way to find out.


    She was communicating with the dead. She had not done that since she was a child. Her grandfather warned her never to stay too long with the spirits, or she may bring something back with her.


    She sat down inside the circle, cross-legged, and closed her eyes. Tuning everything around her out while the candles blazed on, she started sensing someone with her, but not in physical form.


    ¡°I need help from necromancers before me. Please ¨C give me wisdom and guidance.¡±


    No answer.


    She tried again, her whispers low and quiet to prevent anyone inside the house from listening to what she was doing. ¡°Please help me.¡± Still, there was no response and the apparition she had felt with her before disappeared. Odd, I did the spell right, Alessia thought, opening her eyes to adjust the candles.


    She closed her eyes again, repeating the phrase to gather the dead. She felt a slight trickle of cold sweat running down her neck, the bedroom¡¯s temperature dropping to freezing. ¡°I need ¨C¡± She stopped in the middle of her speaking, feeling a hand around her neck.


    ¡°You will not be seeking help!¡± the hooded apparition shouted. ¡°I will see you dead first!¡± She struggled, grasping their hand around her throat. ¡°Why won¡¯t you die?¡± She tried screaming, but no sound came out of her mouth except for a few gasps. They released her, and she fell to the floor, coughing and gasping. ¡°I would rather see you suffer first.¡±


    The apparition vanished into thin air, leaving her still coughing. The same shadow person who was haunting her relentlessly. She could still feel his hands on her throat, and when she looked into the mirror, she found bruises from a hand that had been around her neck. ¡°What do I do?¡± Alessia whispered to herself.


    The same person from the party who whispered those words wanted her to suffer at their own hands. How could she deal with that? She doubted Calien was able to protect her from that sort of harm. Not this time.


    Maybe if she left Tethys...


    No. Then, her family would still be in danger. It was not a viable option since nobody could leave the island in the first place. She pushed long black strands out of her face, sweat dripping down her cheek. She wanted to discover who the person was and why they mentioned Sarah the previous night.


    Alessia took a deep breath, as her Grandfather had told her to when she was little. She needed fresh air away from the circle and her house. Although the rest of Stag was a mess from the massacre, Alessia hated staying inside. She did that enough inside the castle.


    She wasn¡¯t sure where she would go, but she¡¯d figure it out.


    There were no magic users in Tethys, or they stayed hidden from society. King Taran, the fifth king of Tethys, passed a law against such magic, including necromancy. However, the law lasted for centuries and was much stricter in the capital. The present monarch, Ultan, supported the law and continued enforcing it.


    Finding someone with magic to help her would be a problem.


    Her grandfather used to take her to a woman who lived on the outskirts of Stag. He said she passed away after a few years, but her house might still be standing. She could have spells on protection, among other things. She was sure she remembered the way to the woman¡¯s house. They went numerous times to visit her.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Calien would have to follow her. She didn¡¯t mind it as much since last night. Being alone while those creatures were outside sent a chill down her spine. He never once questioned her when Alessia told him she needed to go for a walk.


    ¡°Glad you didn¡¯t try sneaking off.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be much point,¡± she said, giving him a half smile. ¡°Were you able to have the blacksmith forge you a new sword?¡±


    ¡°He ¨C Lundys ¨C said it may take a bit before he finished. In the meantime, he gave me a mace.¡±


    ¡°A mace? Sounds much like an upgrade.¡± She grinned at him. ¡°Hopefully, harder to break.¡±


    ¡°Let us hope it does not come to that.¡±


    Lundys was the only blacksmith in Stag, and his business was booming after the massacre. Civilians wanted their weapons instead of relying on the town guards.


    They started on a trail that had not been used for years, as so much of the grass was overgrown. Alessia wondered how the woman could use magic without anyone knowing about it. Grandfather never mentioned once that the woman was some sort of witch, but she had strange books and a shelf of herbs and potions.


    ¡°This path feels different,¡± Calien noted. ¡°Any particular reason we are on it?¡±


    ¡°There is a reason, but you shall see soon. It¡¯s coming up.¡±


    It did not take long before Alessia immediately recognized the house. The structure looked more like a small shed than a house and was in such an odd-looking shape. It took on a hexagonal form, with a straw roof and walls made of oak wood. It was as if the woman had never died.


    Someone even tended a garden, and it was in amazing shape. Rows of herbs and flowers of all shapes and sizes decorated the garden. The ones that stood out to Alessia the most were the sunflowers, which she did not remember the last time she was there years ago.


    The wind chimes clattered against each other as she explored the rest of the property.


    ¡°Is it¡­ supposed to be vacant?¡± Calien asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure anymore.¡±


    The door to the hexagon house flew open. A woman in her late forties stood with a sharp butcher¡¯s knife. ¡°Why are you on my property?¡± the woman demanded.


    ¡°Your property? A woman lived here a long time ago, but she passed away.¡±


    The woman slowly put the knife away. ¡°You refer to my grandmother then.¡± The woman quickly cut her off with a simple raised hand. ¡°The name is Jaera. Speak your business, but don¡¯t waste my time.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve come to you about the curse that has fallen over Tethys,¡± Alessia said. ¡°The creatures that come out at night¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have noticed,¡± Jaera replied abruptly. She turned to face her and lifted her hood, revealing amber skin and red hair kept neatly over her shoulder that stopped at her waist. Alessia could not tell how old she was¡­ maybe around her parent¡¯s age. Or younger? Her eyes were silver, a color Alessia had never seen on anyone else before. ¡°Come inside then, but your friend stays out.¡±


    She exchanged looks with Calien, who nodded at her to go inside. With her arms across her chest, Alessia followed Jaera into the house. ¡°How are you even alive? They kill anyone brave enough to go outside at night.¡±


    She began lighting candles on the ground surrounding a circle, similar to the one Alessia had under the mat in her bedroom. ¡°My wards keep them from entering my house.¡± She dims the lights in the house. ¡°Do you know of the deity Tirren?¡± Alessia scratched her nose, shaking her head. ¡°He is the all-knowing and all-powerful Creator of our Universe. The one who watches you throughout your entire life.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of Tirren before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because nobody in Tethys recognizes Him as a deity. The Kings of Old believed Tirren was dangerous and, if invoked, could cause chaos. They also believed He promoted Necromancy.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with my problem?¡± She looked outside to Calien, who was stirring outside but keeping a close eye on them both.


    ¡°Listen and you will find out.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C¡±


    ¡°Quiet! I am speaking,¡± Jaera snapped. Alessia recoiled at her sudden, sharp tone. ¡°How long have you practiced Necromancy?¡±


    ¡°Since I was eight.¡±


    ¡°And you never heard of Tirren? I find that hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth! Your Grandmother taught me what she could. She showed me how to draw a Necromancer Circle.¡±


    Jaera shook her head. ¡°A circle? Anyone with a brain could draw one!¡±


    ¡°I have used it!¡± Alessia argued. She clenched her fists. The woman acted so hostile around her, not showing sympathy. ¡°I used it when crops died in Stag, but it failed.¡±


    ¡°That is not what the circle is for. It¡¯s to open communication with the dead!¡±


    ¡°I was a child!¡±


    ¡°A rather stupid child, if I might add.¡± Jaera glared at Alessia with rage. ¡°Even I knew not to mess with the nature of things.


    ¡°Well, I am not you.¡±


    ¡°Clearly.¡±


    Alessia looked down, staring at her feet in utter shame. Perhaps it was a mistake to even visit in the first place. After silence, she said, ¡°How do I stop them? They aren¡¯t killed by sword or magic. Last night, there was screaming in Stag, and I could do nothing to stop it.¡±


    ¡°A curse binds them. The only way to stop them permanently is to kill the caster,¡± Jaera said as she finished lighting the fourth candle. ¡°They are called Sluagh, which means ¡®host, army or crowd.¡¯ They are not of this world. And neither are you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I was born here.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I can sense it. Your soul is not from this world; I can tell you feel the same.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ People look at me differently¡­ but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean I don¡¯t belong in Sacellum.¡±


    ¡°Because you are different from others.¡±


    Jaera already knew what Alessia had not confirmed. She never belonged in Stag, Tethys, or even the realm.


    The shaman sighed, shaking her head. ¡°People judge what they don¡¯t know. However, I can sense in your heart you know you don¡¯t belong here,¡± she said, raising an eyebrow. Alessia nodded. ¡°Then, you would be right. You don¡¯t.¡± Alessia stared at her, bewildered, unsure of what that even meant. ¡°You look at me with confusion ¨C yet you know the answer.¡± Again, Alessia could not muster any words to respond to the Shaman.


    She tried to think back to that horrible night and the words said to her as if she were supposed to know the person in the black cloak. ¡°I am not sure I understand. You said I was right about not belonging here? In Sacellum?¡± Alessia said, crossing her arms. ¡°I meant in general.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I am meaning it literally.¡±


    She huffed in frustration, annoyed the shaman would not just tell her. ¡°Can you explain?¡±


    ¡°You hear voices. Voices of a past life you once had.¡± Alessia stayed quiet as she started explaining. ¡°You were born in another world with a different name and family. A world without magic, so to speak? The word I am looking for is reincarnation.¡±


    Alessia remained still, staring at the Shaman with even more confusion. She knew what reincarnation was, but hearing about it from someone else almost mortified her. ¡°How do you even know all this about me?¡±


    ¡°Because my grandmother was there when you were born.¡± The shaman let out a sigh. ¡°The healers called her in because you were not breathing, and much to her horror, you were considered dead. So, she called upon the magic of transference. She used the life force of an animal to put inside you, but you needed a soul. That soul is your old life.¡±


    She tilted her head to the side. ¡°And how do you know this?¡± she asked, at the risk of sounding rude.


    Jaera stared at her for a long moment, her icy eyes burning a hole inside Alessia. ¡°She told me when teaching me how to use transference.¡±


    Her parents, not even her grandparents, ever mentioned on the day of her birth that she wasn¡¯t breathing. ¡°But even if what you say is true¡­ I remember nothing of this life I once had!¡±


    ¡°In reincarnation, some regain their memories, some never do.¡±


    ¡°Who was I, then? Do you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± the shaman replied. ¡°My powers can do so much. Only you can determine that.¡±


    ¡°How if I can¡¯t even remember? I am constantly harassed by someone who wants me dead.¡±


    Jaera raised one eyebrow curiously, stepping closer to Alessia. ¡°Tell me more about this person. Do you know their name?¡±


    ¡°No. I remember they said a few words in another language... It was along the lines of ¡®Maledictio modest,¡¯ and the other was ¡®Sarah manet.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Then, it is as I thought. It is a curse,¡± Jaera said. ¡°The statement translates to ¡®The Curse is here¡¯. The second is ¡®Sarah abides.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Sarah¡­ could that be my old name?¡± She heard it at least twice, once at the graveyard and then the second at the Masquerade. She heard the name only twice, yet it felt familiar to her.


    Jaera¡¯s back faced her, head slightly turned to her, and she sighed. ¡°Salt is what will help against the Sluagh.¡± Jaera avoided Alessia¡¯s question, which she found odd. Alessia didn¡¯t push any further on the issue.


    Just salt? Alessia thought. I thought that was done for demons. And it will work?¡±


    ¡°Place the salt in front of your home''s door. If they cross the salt, they will burn. You have access to salt, do you not? Salt from anywhere will do. Now, hurry. I am sure you need to let people in Stag know.¡±


    Alessia nodded. She wasn¡¯t so sure the townsfolk of Stag would listen to her of all people, but she had to try. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± She was about to head out the door when Jaera¡¯s voice called her back.


    ¡°I have one more piece of advice for you,¡± Jaera said. The words seemed to freeze Alessia in place as she watched the woman continue. ¡°It¡¯s something my grandmother - Br¨®nach</a> - once told me. When dealing with the dead, do not open a door you cannot close.¡±

 Chapter 5: Normality is an illusion

    Alessia didn¡¯t tell Calien anything about what Jaera told her. She could not say whether he eavesdropped on them, but it mattered little. Only retrieving salt would help them survive throughout the night. Being around the sea meant no shortage of salt. Stores in the Patisserie district had it, and Alessia was positive there were some at home.


    She needed an audience with Count Fairley as soon as possible before night fell. People in Stag needed as much notice for preparation as possible. They would wonder how she knew to use salt against the creatures, not to mention that many might raise eyebrows since most did not like her.


    Enora was at home, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. ¡°Mother?¡± she said. Her mother didn¡¯t answer until she got closer.


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t see you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ thinking of Kalix, and how his parents must be heartbroken. Finding him in that state¡­¡± she whispered, wiping a few tears from her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that,¡± Alessia said, patting her mother on the shoulder.


    ¡°I mean, losing a child? That must be one of the worst things to happen to any parent.¡± Enora stayed quiet momentarily, her tear-streaked face glancing up at Alessia. ¡°I love you; you know that, right?¡± Alessia nodded. Jaera told her that when Alessia was born, she was declared dead. Was that way her mother was taking it harder than she thought? It reminded her mother of something she almost lost.


    ¡°Mother, I think I know how to prevent those things from entering the house tonight,¡± she said, grabbing her mother¡¯s attention. ¡°We need salt.¡±


    ¡°Salt?¡± her mother sniffled. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°I will need an explanation eventually, Ale.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will tell you, but make sure the salt is on the bottom of the door in front of it and put it on the windowsills. Make sure the windows are shut and locked.¡±


    Calien followed Alessia to Count Fairley¡¯s castle, where blood stains had been removed from the floor and bodies buried outside in the cemetery. The guards were in disarray, they barely noticed Alessia walking inside. All she could remember was seeing the pale, grey faces of the creatures staring back at her through the window in the stockroom. She put the memory in the back of her mind for now, as she tried to find a servant who knew where the Count was.


    ¡°I have no time for this!¡± a voice bellowed from a room adjacent from the main hall. The door was ajar with Count Fairley standing at his desk, shouting and throwing papers around. ¡°Send a damn raven to the King or by my hand you will remain in the Gutters where I found you.¡±


    The terrified messenger nodded, scurrying out of the room. Count Fairley¡¯s eyes met with Alessia and he sighed. ¡°What?¡± he scowled. ¡°If this is about leaving Tethys, Lady Alessia, it¡¯s simply not viable right now. I am too busy dealing with the events from last night!¡±


    ¡°N-No, it isn¡¯t about that,¡± Alessia said, hesitating to take a step into his office. She eventually enters the room, trying not to avoid eye contact with the agitated man. ¡°It¡¯s about how to stop the creatures from entering people¡¯s homes.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± he asked wryly. ¡°Is that supposed to be a joke?¡±


    She was taken aback by his sharp tone. The man usually shared pleasantries before divulging further into the conversation. ¡°Salt keeps them out of buildings,¡± she said, cutting to the chase to avoid him getting angrier.


    ¡°Salt,¡± Count Fairley whispered, and shook his head. He looked at her mockingly. ¡°Will that bring everyone back from the dead or kill those things that murdered anyone on sight?¡± Alessia winced as he slammed his hand on the desk.  ¡°No. It won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You are right, it won¡¯t bring the dead back, but the salt can prevent more deaths from happening. You could advise the king with this information.¡±


    ¡°I already sent a raven to the King! Do you think it¡¯s wise or even proper to send another one? And why should I tell anyone about this? Because some girl who doesn¡¯t have a clue how leadership works says so? You may be a part of a well-respected family, but you are not well liked. Tell me, why the hell should I believe you?¡±


    ¡°A shaman told me,¡± she said, looking down on the floor.


    His eyes narrowed. Alessia gulped, already not liking where the conversation was heading. ¡°Shaman? You expect me to take a shaman¡¯s word for help? I won¡¯t allow it. I would think you¡¯d know better.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to do. After my cousin died, I needed to do something. Maybe this will help bring back a bit of normality to Stag and perhaps the rest of Tethys.¡±


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    It was as if something she said suddenly set him off. ¡°Normality?¡± the Count spat back. ¡°My dear, normality is an illusion. Things will never go back to what they were. I cannot simply tell everyone in Stag and then the King that a Shaman, of all people, said salt would help. Even if it is just salt¡­ it¡¯s still magic, is it not? Magic like that is forbidden.¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t listening to her. If he cared so much about everyone in Stag, why was it like talking to a brick wall? ¡°You want more people to die? Because that will happen if you don¡¯t tell people.¡±


    ¡°What would you know about what I want?¡± he argued. ¡°You are just some villager who causes nothing but trouble! I cannot¡­ No, I will not take your word for it. I simply can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Alessia stood there, defeated. She couldn¡¯t comprehend why Fairley was being difficult Denying what might save Stag from a massacre. Calien placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°We should leave.¡± She sighed, following him to leave the manor before Fairley threw them both in the dungeon. Her face flushed with red thinking about how stupid she was for even trying to talk Count Fairley into it.


    Evening hit Stag at a slow pace. Alessia made sure all the windows and doors were locked as well as the salt remaining in the right places. Her mother told Aunt Vilica about the salt and surprisingly she listened.


    Her father arrived home late in the afternoon from being at the Healer¡¯s. He winced each time he tried walking, but the healers mentioned he would be fine if he rested.


    Alessia breathed heavily, sitting in her room, waiting for those things that Jaera called The Sluagh, to come out. It felt like waiting for a death sentence. What else was she supposed to do? If the salt didn¡¯t work¡­ they all might be dead. What reason would Jaera have lying to her, though? There was none. Just her thoughts trying to get the better of her.


    She peeked behind the curtains, seeing a few people out but not many. She wanted to open the window and tell them to get back inside, but they wouldn¡¯t want to listen to her even after what happened the night before. At least this time, she knew where her family members were. At home, safe like they should be. That still did not stop the panic from setting in through her chest and forming a lump in her throat.


    ¡°Alessia?¡± Calien asked outside the door. She sighed, figuring he might want to look and see if she did everything the correct way. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t go to Jaera and ask what they needed to do.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Is the window locked tight in there?¡±


    She opened the door, letting him in. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Calien checked the window, ensuring it was locked properly and that there was enough salt on the sill. She crossed her arms, looking at the outside world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look,¡± he urged, pulling her from the window. ¡°It¡¯s what they want.¡±


    She felt defeated and weak staying inside. She heard muffled screaming from outside. She winced, turning her gaze away. ¡°How am I supposed to sleep tonight with that?¡± She asked, pointing to the window with her thumb. ¡°How will I ever get used to it? This might be our reality from now on.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°I do. Jaera said this is part of a curse,¡± Alessia said.


    ¡°And she told you how to break it didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Jaera had explained how to break the curse, but Alessia shook her head instead of confirming it. ¡°Not that I recall.¡±


    ¡°You are a necromancer, can¡¯t you figure something out?¡±


    She felt the walls closing in on her, as she tried remaining relaxed with him. ¡°I am out of practice,¡± she said. She lit a lavender candle on her dresser, one that emitted a serene aura.


    He crossed his arms. ¡°Alessia, I have seen you raise animals from the dead.¡±


    ¡°Not the same thing.¡±


    ¡°How is it not? Necromancers raise the dead.¡±


    ¡°I know! But¡­¡±


    ¡°You are one, don¡¯t even deny it.¡±


    Alessia shook her head. ¡°What do you want me to do? Raise an army of dead people? I have no idea how far my powers can go.¡±


    ¡°Why not find out?¡±


    ¡°Calien, I can¡¯t. It isn¡¯t that simple.¡± She stood up from the bed, moving her hair out of her face. ¡°And why do you care? You never understood my power before.¡±


    ¡°You understand them, then?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°What makes you think I do?¡± she snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you give a damn about me, Calien.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t. I am just here for a job to protect you.¡±


    ¡°So, you say.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± he asked, tilting his head in confusion.


    ¡°You never liked me. You judge me like the rest of these people in Stag!¡±


    Calien rolled his eyes at her. ¡°I wonder why.¡±


    ¡°Alessia, what¡¯s all this commotion about?¡± her mother asked, entering the room.


    ¡°She¡¯s upset, my lady,¡± Calien said. ¡°We all are. This situation is highly stressful for her. The Count would not listen to her pleas about the salt.¡± Alessia glared at him, wanting to send one of the candles on the dresser at him. The memory of her acting like a jellyfish in front of Count Fairley made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.


    When Calien left the room, her mother pulled Alessia into an embrace. ¡°You are fine. You saved us with the salt,¡± she whispered softly.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t save Kalix.¡±


    ¡°You saved Aunt Vilica, Uncle Delroy and your cousins, Rinna and Elspeth from the same fate. Kalix would be proud of you.¡±


    She buried her face into her mother¡¯s arms. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she hugged her mother like that. ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°I know so. None of those monsters have tried to enter since putting the salt in front of the doors and windows.¡±


    She started bawling in front of her mother, her legs shaking with fear. ¡°I keep hearing screams outside like I did the first night. I can¡¯t even do anything because I¡¯m stuck here¡­¡±


    ¡°Alessia, please calm down,¡± her mother whispered. ¡°I promise everything will be okay.¡±


    She trembled but the comfort of her mother¡¯s embrace did ease the fear a little. The screams from people being murdered by the Slaugh overrode any comfort she felt before. Her mother made sure the curtains in the room were closed so she wouldn¡¯t see the creatures staring at her through the window.


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to hear another word about blaming yourself, understand?¡±


    Alessia nodded. Her mother kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room to head into hers.


    I hate them, she thought. I hate those bastards. She imagined killing each of the Slaugh in the exact way they did to Kalix. She listened to the noises outside, as she stayed under the covers.


    ¡°Let us in, Alessia,¡± they beckoned, their voices muffled from the window. ¡°We are so lonely.¡±


    She covered her ears with the pillow, desperately trying to fade the voices away but they were too loud. ¡°Stop,¡± she whimpered. Count Fairley was correct about one thing. Things would never go back to the way they were. Normality, indeed, was an illusion.

 Chapter 6: Jaera

    As Jaera placed the wet clothes on the laundry line, something eerie stirred in the wind. She kept glancing behind her, sensing someone there. There was no one, or so she thought. As she continued her duties, she heard footsteps and immediately spun around. Her daughter, who had been the culprit, screamed and jumped.


    ¡°Niamh! What have I told you about sneaking up on me?¡± Jaera scolded her.


    The little girl, with brown hair in pigtails, winced. ¡°Sorry, Mother, I just wanted to ask if I can play outside for a bit.¡±


    Jaera sighed. ¡°Are all your chores finished?¡± Her daughter nodded excitedly. ¡°Very well, you can go outside but do not venture far, understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother, I promise.¡±


    Jaera kept a close eye on the child as she ran wild outside around the house, completely blind to the world around her. Last night was the second night the Slaugh crept to her door and windows. She made sure all were locked and kept a knife under her bed. She also had Niamh stay close to her, especially at night. She told her daughter about the monsters at night, about how if she were to open a window or door, they would kill her brutally.


    She hid nothing from Niamh regarding the reality of the situation, but today, she wanted to let her daughter be a child for once. Unfortunately, Niamh had no other friends her age because people in Stag were weary of her. They knew she existed and yet didn¡¯t report her to the King. Yes, how noble of them, she thought. That did not mean she or her daughter were welcome in town, or even Tethys.


    Her daughter giggled, twirling around uncontrollably, her long braided hair whipping her in the face until she became dizzy and fell over. ¡°Told you I couldn¡¯t spin that many times, silly!¡± she exclaimed. Jaera looked out the window. Who was she talking to?  She couldn¡¯t find anyone in sight but closely watched Niamh.


    When that girl, Alessia, showed up at her house yesterday, she hid Niamh, concerned that someone from the Capital wanted to take them away. The girl was harmless and didn¡¯t look like anyone from the King¡¯s court. She thanked Tirren that nothing terrible happened and prayed more that night. However, there was something off about Alessia, like her soul didn¡¯t match her life force. She wasn¡¯t sure if the soul was malignant or not.


    Niamh shrieked. Jaera snapped out of her thoughts, running to her daughter. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My leg hurts,¡± Niamh said, wincing. She was crying uncontrollably.


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡± There were five tiny scrapes on her leg. ¡°How did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°I ¨C I fell.¡±


    ¡°Niamh Rhiannon Br¨®nach</a> Hennigan, you will tell me the truth this instant, or you will never play outside again!¡±


    Niamh held onto her leg in pain. ¡°Fine, fine, it was a lady wearing a hood.¡±


    ¡°Is that who you were talking to?¡± But her daughter didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Is that who you were talking to?¡± she repeated more sternly than before.


    ¡°No! That was my friend! I swear!¡± Jaera knew when Niamh didn¡¯t tell the truth, and to no surprise, she was telling a lie. ¡°Niamh, this is important. Was the hooded lady your imaginary friend?¡±


    Her daughter sniffled and nodded. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Jaera knew her home was built on haunted grounds, but she never thought it would harm her daughter. She helped Niamh into the house, cleaning off her wounds. ¡°What did this woman look like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Her hood always covers her face.¡±


    ¡°Did she tell you her name?¡±


    Niamh shook her head.


    She finished tending to the minor cuts on Niamh¡¯s leg. ¡°The next time she talks to you, tell me. It¡¯s essential.¡± Jaera hadn¡¯t seen the woman her daughter claimed to be friends with. Niamh referred to her as an invisible friend¡­ and as far as she knew, there weren¡¯t other times Niamh spoke to the woman. ¡°Why did she hurt you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡± Jaera sighed in frustration. How was she going to get her daughter to talk? If the mysterious woman threatened her, then Jaera needed to act. ¡°Get dressed. We are going into Stag.¡±


    Niamh didn¡¯t falter; she ran into her room to get dressed. She needed a better weapon if magic wasn¡¯t doing the trick. A blacksmith in town by the name of Lundys could help her out.


    She held Niamh¡¯s hand tightly. Once she entered the town with her daughter, there was no going back. Not even a little bit. All eyes were on her as if she were a curse. She warned her daughter not to look back at them.


    Even more people died last night. Their homes were destroyed at the entrances, and the windows were broken. The ones not ravaged, bodies lay on the street, butchered from the waist up. She kept her sight straight ahead, ignoring the corpses littered on the ground.


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    The blacksmith¡¯s hut still had smoke coming out of it¡ªa good sign. ¡°Pryce Lundys,¡± Jaera said as she walked inside the shop. The smell of melted metal filled her nostrils as she stepped further inside.


    Lundys wore an apron, his face covered with ash from working in the shop all day. ¡°Jaera, what are you doing here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I need a weapon.¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°A sword.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Never thought you, of all people, would buy one.¡±


    ¡°With the way things are now, I don¡¯t have much choice.¡±


    ¡°Mother, can we go now?¡± Niamh spoke up, tugging on her mother¡¯s sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s stuffy in here.¡±


    Lundys looked down at Niamh, the terrified little girl beside Jaera. She stiffened for a moment, studying his hazel eyes on her daughter. ¡°Is that your¡­¡±


    ¡°The sword,¡± she snapped. ¡°We were talking about the sword.¡±


    Lundys did not break eye contact with Niamh. ¡°How old is she.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what we ¨C¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    Jaera exhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. ¡°Eight,¡± she replied. ¡°She is eight years old.¡± She watched as Lundys stared at her with a shocked expression. Jaera slammed her hand on the counter. ¡°I am here for business and business only.¡± Lundys almost stumbled backward at her outburst but steadied himself. ¡°You chose your path, and I chose mine. She is not a part of our conversation, understand?¡±


    Lundys¡¯ face hardened, and without a word, left for the back and returned with a few blueprints of a sword. ¡°Here is one. Small, but easier to carry. The second one has a longer, sharper edge. It can cut deeper, but it¡¯s heavier.¡±


    ¡°Which one will get the job done?¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± He pointed to the smaller sword blueprint. ¡°I can have it done in a few days.¡± She would be damned if Lundys ever got to speak with Niamh, let alone spend time with her. The man chose to leave her eight years ago; why would he have a chance to see his daughter? ¡°Are you positive you are safe?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Jaera hissed. ¡°You never tried asking before.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to until I found out you had a daughter. She¡¯s eight? We were together eight years ago, and you never told me.¡±


    ¡°We are done here,¡± she said. She handed Lundys the bag of gold and gripped her daughter¡¯s hand tightly before leaving the shop.


    ¡°Why do you need a weapon, mother?¡± Niamh asked, her innocent brown eyes looking up at Jaera.


    ¡°For our protection,¡± she replied, ignoring the stares from people in town.


    ¡°From the lady that hurt me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one reason. I don¡¯t want you talking to her anymore, Niamh.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C she didn¡¯t mean to!¡±


    ¡°Niamh, listen to me. Friends don¡¯t hurt each other.¡± She tried remaining calm and not realizing her anger too quickly. Whoever the woman was, Jaera would find her and make her regret ever crossing her daughter.


    At home, there was a sense of someone watching her. She ensured Niamh didn¡¯t leave her sight for a second and remained by her side for most of the morning. The uneasiness she felt earlier would not leave her mind. Regardless of what was thrown at her, she would ensure Niamh was safe and sound no matter the cost.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go outside?¡± Niamh asked.


    ¡°You can, but not without me there. For now, you need to focus on your studies.¡±


    The girl sighed. ¡°I read that book a million times. Why can¡¯t I read more important books?¡±


    ¡°It is an important book, Niamh. It helped me when I was your age with magic.¡± The poor child despised the book just like Jaera did at her age.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have magic, Mother!¡±


    By the time Jaera was eight, like Niamh, she already developed her abilities. Niamh, however, did not show signs of having any. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. Keep reading.¡±


    Niamh sighed again, but louder and more dramatic. ¡°I hate that stupid book!¡± she exclaimed. The book she referred to described ancient magic used before laws forbade it.


    Jaera could see her mother saying, ¡°If she¡¯s this stubborn now, imagine what she will be like when she¡¯s older.¡± As she recalled, she gave her mother plenty of problems as a child, but when it came to studying, she found she learned a lot. Niamh was more about freedom than she was, probably getting it from her father.


    She thought back to Lundys and how he seemed to know who Niamh was just by looking at her. Niamh did have his brown hair and square jaw, but his personality in her stood out¡ªalways on the inside looking out. Jaera didn¡¯t doubt that only more of Lundys¡¯ personality would appear in Niamh.


    Only time will tell, she thought, preparing a broth with herbs she gathered in the morning. She added bits of leftover rabbit meat she salted days ago. She heard Niamh speaking in her room while making sure the water was boiling. At first, Jaera thought it was her reading the book aloud, but when she pressed her ear against the door, she realized it was a one-sided conversation.


    ¡°I am not allowed to talk to you.¡± Niamh paused. ¡°No, she¡¯s cooking.¡± She watched her daughter back away from the bed. ¡°No, no, please. Don¡¯t leave! I still want to be your friend!¡±


    Jaera¡¯s eyes widened. She burst open the door. ¡°Niamh!¡± she shouted. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I---¡±


    ¡°Step away from her!¡±


    ¡°She ¨C She won¡¯t hurt me!¡±


    ¡°I said step away, Niamh.¡±


    ¡°No! She¡¯s mine,¡± the woman hissed, finally appearing in the light. With a burst of wind, she pushed Jaera and her daughter against the wall. Niamh screamed for her mother, but she couldn¡¯t do anything, barely able to move against the wind the woman summoned against them.


    Before the woman could throw more wind at them, Jaera put up a barrier for her and Niamh, blocking anything coming their way.


    Jaera¡¯s eyes narrowed at the cloaked woman. ¡°Go back to the shadows, daemonium!¡± she screamed, holding her hand and concentrating on the dark figure before her. ¡°Redire unde venisti!¡± Once she had a grip on the shadow, she clenched her fists, attempting to push it back into the void. But the shadow pushed back against her, sending her to the floor.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Niamh screamed, stepping in front of Jaera and holding her hands out. ¡°Leave her alone!¡±


    Jaera felt a cold touch on her arm and a sharp sting that caused her to cry out in agony. ¡°Silly, shaman, you don¡¯t have any power here.¡±


    ¡°May Tirren curse you!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°He blessed me, actually, but I suppose you already knew that.¡±


    Jaera shook her head, refusing to believe such nonsense. Tirren was considered a neutral deity, but why would he¡­ support evil? ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ask him yourself. You pray to him every day, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She felt another sharp cut on her arm. Niamh begged the woman to stop hurting her mother, but it was brushed aside. ¡°You bitch,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°There will come a time when your daughter will be mine,¡± the woman said, bending down to wipe Niamh¡¯s tears away. ¡°You can¡¯t save her, Jaera.¡± The woman raised a cloaked dagger above her, plunging it into her body.


    Niamh screamed, reaching for her mother, but Jaera, slowly losing blood from her punctured wounds, closed her eyes to face the darkness before her.

 Chapter 7: The Mound

    ¡°We therefore commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. In sure hope of the resurrection to eternal life.¡± The priest read from the Holy Book as Kalix¡¯s coffin was slowly buried six feet under. Alessia put her arm around Elsbeth, who couldn¡¯t stop shedding tears, while Rinna seemed to stay clear of her. Aunt Vilica sobbed in the middle of the ceremony, falling to her knees, unable to form a sentence. Not even Uncle Delroy was able to relieve her pain.


    As the funeral ended and friends and family left the graveyard, Alessia caught up to Rinna before she left. ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± she said.


    ¡°About what?¡± Rinna asked.


    ¡°How have you been at night?¡±


    Her cousin averted her gaze elsewhere. ¡°The salt works if that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    Alessia raised an eyebrow in concern. ¡°That¡¯s ¨C good. I hope it¡¯s not too bad outside for you.¡±


    Rinna shook her head, providing a bit of relief. ¡°I just want my brother back, and now I am stuck here on Tethys and constantly reminded of what happened to him.¡± Her heart skipped a beat, and her face went pale as a ghost upon hearing that. The Sluagh loved reminding her of what they did to Kalix that night, engrossing her in every detail.


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re stuck?¡±


    ¡°You damn well know what I mean. Count Fairley spoke to my father at the Feast, and he said you warned him not to let me leave the Island. My father was furious and won¡¯t even look at me!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to warn him.¡±


    ¡°If you wanted to leave so badly, you should have told me!¡± Rinna shouted, wiping her tears away. It was now only the two of them left in the graveyard. ¡°I would have understood, you know. I am not cold-hearted.¡±


    ¡°Neither am I, Rinna! It slipped out after he rejected me.¡±


    Rinna crossed her arms, leaning to one side. ¡°So, you decided that I shouldn¡¯t go either. That isn¡¯t for you to decide! Now, I¡¯m stuck here in this wretched town!¡±


    Alessia took a few steps back, looking at her cousin as if to clarify what she meant. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Everyone here knows, Ale. You aren¡¯t the warmest person in existence.¡±


    ¡°You want to talk about cold? You never once visited our grandfather! Not once asked me how he was after he became sick. I was the only one in this family making sure the doctors gave him his medicine and made him comfortable in his final days. You didn¡¯t even attend his funeral! Where the fuck were you?¡± Something inside of Alessia snapped like a twig. Keeping the way, she felt about her grandfather being abandoned by everyone in the family was bound to make an appearance sooner or later.


    ¡°What does he have to do with this? I was sad when he passed away! Please don¡¯t turn this around on me, Alessia! You caused it by talking to Count Fairley because you¡¯re selfish.¡±


    ¡°You never asked me what I wanted either!¡±


    ¡°But you could have told me!¡± she argued. ¡°Why the secrecy?!¡±


    Alessia shook her head, realizing the argument was not getting them anywhere. She brushed past her cousin, stomping away as she heard Rinna add, ¡°Walk away like you always do!¡± It took all her effort not to turn around and scream something back, but she held her tongue. Rinna just experienced the loss of her brother, which didn¡¯t help her anger. Then again, Alessia knew speaking with Count Fairley that night was improper, especially warning him that Rinna wanted the same thing.


    She saw Calien in the house talking to Enora. Alessia did not want to see him after the argument last night, so she decided the best course of action was to start ignoring him again.


    She checked on her father, who was resting in the guest room. He looked the most relaxed she had seen him in a long time. Alessia pulled the blankets over him, feeling his forehead with her palm, which was warm but not clammy. Good, no fever, she thought. She noticed his wound started healing faster than anticipated, meaning he could return to his Sea Captain job sooner rather than later.


    ¡°Alessia! Someone is at the door for you!¡± Enora called.


    She left for downstairs, wondering who would be visiting her. She was sure it was not Rinna, but then who else would it be?


    Alessia stopped short of one step as she gazed at the person at the front door. ¡°Lady Alessia,¡± Count Fairley said, smiling at her. ¡°I¡­ have significant matters to discuss with you.¡± After the previous conversation, she thought Count Fairley wanted nothing to do with anyone, let alone her. ¡°May I come in? I shan¡¯t be but a moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    She led him into the empty kitchen. ¡°You know, I do not normally make a habit of visiting,¡± Count Fairley said, sitting at the table. ¡°However, last night had me worried about the inhabitants of Stag.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You have given the salt plant more thought?¡±


    ¡°I have, and you were right. Because of my actions of not listening to you, more people died. What good leader am I if I cannot even protect them?¡± He clasped his hands together. ¡°I apologize for my rudeness the other day, Lady Alessia. You were only trying to help.¡±


    ¡°You will let everyone know? Make sure they have salt every night?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Although I did not perish either, luck had something to do with it. Luck that could potentially run out.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Thank you, Count Fairley. I appreciate that. I could have told them myself, but as you know, I am not well-liked by people in Stag,¡± she said. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t that hard to see. When I go outside, I get constant stares.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry to hear. They don¡¯t know what kind of person you are.¡±


    ¡°Not sure I agree.¡±


    Did he know that no one would allow their children to play with her when she was a child? The only child other than her cousins who interacted with her was Ceinwen, and that was a whole interaction in itself. Ceinwen did not turn everyone against her; being born did, and she never understood why.


    ¡°I apologize for how rude I was yesterday,¡± he said. ¡°It should not have taken me this long to realize you were right, and because I let stress get the better of me, more people in Stag died.¡±


    ¡°I could have warned them but feared they wouldn¡¯t listen. It¡¯s best not to let anyone know I told you.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I will have to call an emergency meeting at noon in a few hours.¡± He looked at her for a moment. ¡°This shaman you spoke about, who is she?¡±


    Alessia had to think about it momentarily until the name suddenly came to her. ¡°Jaera.¡±


    ¡°Jaera Hennigan?¡± Count Fairley gave her a half smile. ¡°Not a woman well-liked here either.¡±


    ¡°Just tell them to put salt below the doors and on the windowsills. It must be enforced, or more people will die, as you well know.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Well, I must be going,¡± he said, standing up from his chair. He shook Alessia¡¯s hand firmly. ¡°Again, I am sorry for my attitude toward you and hope you can forgive me.¡± She nodded and walked him to the front door, where his guardsmen waited for him outside. He tipped his felt hat in her direction.


    She closed the door, letting out a huge, relieved sigh. She never thought Count Fairley would come to her house or any of the places in Stag.


    <hr>


    She left her house, needing a bit of a break from everyone. Now that her cousin Rinna could not stand her, she had no one else except her parents. Her mother was too busy taking care of her injured father, and her father recovered slowly. She still did not know what happened to them at night or how her father received the injury.


    She headed to the gardens near the Count¡¯s manor, where he allowed people to walk and admire the scenery. If she didn¡¯t head to the graveyard, she went there instead. She sat on a stony bench, closing her eyes briefly. Something soft landed on her shoulder. She looked slightly to the left, and a bluebird chirped at her. Alessia studied the bird closely. It was the same bird she resurrected a few days ago.


    It chirped at her, pecking at her skin.


    ¡°Hey ¨C now! What was that for?¡± The bird pecked at her again, pointing its beak in a different direction. ¡°You want me to follow you, is that it?¡±


    The bird chirped again, flying away to the other side of the garden. She followed it to the exact spot, not seeing anything unusual except for a large lump of soil. She uncovered it, almost gagging, when she realized it was the corpse of someone who died months ago. She covered her nose to shield herself from the stench. What did the bird want her to do?


    It chirped a few times. It wants me to resurrect it? She thought. What is a burial mound doing here in Count Fairley¡¯s garden? ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t resurrect humans, little one.¡±


    The bird tilted its head in confusion and screeched at her.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m joking? I have never resurrected a human before.¡±


    The smell was too much, so she humbled the bird and touched the corpse. She closed her eyes, converging energies into the deceased person. A blue aura surrounded her as it swirled around and eventually disappeared.


    Did it work? The dead human was, well, still dead. Alessia sighed and shrugged off her failure. ¡°I tried, Pipsqueak. I did.¡± She buried the corpse again and had no time to stay before someone would find her. So much for peace, Alessia thought. The bird stopped following her and remained at the spot it was at before.


    She felt lonelier in the Gardens than strolling in Stag. Sometimes, Rinna accompanied her, but with how things were, she doubted it would return to normal between them. At least Rinna didn¡¯t blame her for Kalix¡¯s death. At least not yet.


    ¡°Alessia,¡± a voice crept into her ear whispered. She ignored them, worried it might be the person who tried killing her earlier. Who else would it be? She still had no idea of its identity and shrouded itself in mystery.


    She walked on, the muffled voices chattering amongst themselves. Alessia needed to ignore them as much as she could. Don¡¯t give into them, she thought, but the robust voices intensified.


    Alessia made it to the entrance of her house before the pain in her head started. She groaned, collapsing on the stony steps.


    Visions of a bloodied hand reaching for a strange-looking device, but they were stopped by someone holding a knife. ¡°What the fuck?¡± she said to herself, standing up. Why did I see that? The screams grew intense in volume. She covered her ears, begging for it to stop. The thick liquid that smelled faintly of rust soaked the palm of her hands. The ground swayed beneath her as she tried grabbing a hold of something to keep her steady.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± a voice not from the visions asked her. It was Enora who came outside. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alessia looked down at her hands. There was no blood on them, but she could have sworn she felt blood coming out of her ears.


    ¡°I ¨C¡± she shivered. Everything she saw in the vision disappeared. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was standing up, and then I blacked out.¡±


    Enora felt Alessia¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hmm, no fever, but let¡¯s get you inside.¡± She gently took Alessia¡¯s arm and brought her into the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sick,¡± she said, sitting down.


    ¡°Are you sleeping enough?¡±


    ¡°I try to.¡± Last night was rough, although not nearly as bad as the first night.


    ¡°Try to stay calm. Just remember you¡¯re safe in the house because of the salt,¡± Enora said with a hint of sympathy.


    Alessia nodded firmly. ¡°Each knock on the window wakes me up.¡± She scratched her nose and sighed. ¡°Each time they talk or whisper something, I wake up.¡± She wished there was one room in the house that did not have a window. Maybe then she could get sleep.


    ¡°Perhaps we should take some extra measures,¡± Enora said.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Boarding up all the windows.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯ll still hear them.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t see their shadows behind the curtains.¡± Alessia looked up at her mother, surprised she said that. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know? I am ¨C everyone in Stag is in the same boat. You aren¡¯t alone in this.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the help, mother,¡± Alessia replied. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if boarding up the windows will do me any good.¡±


    ¡°All right. At least rest a bit earlier.¡±


    It felt like they were walking around in circles. She was never going to sleep, no matter what her mother advised her, but she would rather try instead of giving up. I can¡¯t give up. Not now, she thought.


    <hr>


    Alessia returned to the gardens in the morning. She decided to take another walk and clear her mind once more. Last night was better, but the whispers never get easier to hear. She wasn¡¯t positive it was just her who listened to the Sluagh whisper as if they were in the bedroom with her. The only way to stop them was to find the person who created the curse, but she was not getting anywhere.


    She wandered around briefly, admiring the perfectly cut shrubs in various shapes. Count Fairley goes all out on this, she thought. Although not as intricate as Jaera¡¯s garden, she felt she could be herself there.


    The bird she resurrected was not around, but it acted odd. She resumed her walk to the area of the Garden, where she found the burial mound. Alessia stopped short of it when she saw the mound had been dug up. Did someone do that? She knelt, looking over the mound. There were hands and footprints on the soil. Nobody dug it up. It was as if the person buried clawed their way out.


    It had worked.


    Alessia stayed there for a moment with the realization that she had raised the corpse from the dead with a contorted grin spreading across her face.

 Chapter 8: The Nameless Corpse

    Where did the corpse go? Alessia thought, looking around for it eagerly. Well, not a corpse. It¡¯s alive. She spotted footprints wandering outside Count Fairley¡¯s Garden and into the forest behind the manor. She followed the trail, unsure what she would expect when finding it. Her heart rhythm went erratic, traveling into the forest, hearing birds chirping around her.


    Pure silence filled the air in the forest while she listened for anything that might attack her. She didn¡¯t have much time before the meeting at town hall, but she would try searching for it to see how it behaved. One thought perturbed her significantly: what if I revived a monster instead of a human? It was a risk she would have to take and at least kill it before it caused any damage.


    The footprints went into a small cave. She stopped short of the cave¡¯s entrance... She opted not to go inside without a torch to enter the cave. Waiting or luring it out would be a lot better.


    She would wait a while. She wanted to know what the raised corpse was like. Did it talk or act human? She needed to know what her abilities could do. Animals and humans were different species and not the same when it came to resurrection.


    How could I lure it out? She thought, pacing around as she tried coming up with a solution. Nothing came to mind, but she had to think fast. There must be something ¨C


    A hand touched her shoulder. She whipped her head around, almost screaming. ¡°Can I help you?¡± she exclaimed, annoyed she had been scared out of her wits.


    ¡°Sorry, Miss. I think you are looking for me.¡± A man, half decomposed and with glowing yellow eyes, stared at her, his hair remaining slightly grey and messy. His jawbone was exposed, and one of his eye sockets was missing an eye.


    Alessia couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off him, pointing a finger at him. ¡°You¡¯re the corpse I found.¡±


    ¡°Is that what I am or¡­ was?¡±


    ¡°A bird led me to you.¡±


    ¡°What bird?¡± he said, scratching his exposed skull on the left side.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Do you have a name?¡±


    He tilted his head at the word name. ¡°For all I know, I don¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°What year is it?¡±


    ¡°1417 AE?¡±


    He died this year but doesn¡¯t remember his name, she thought. She rubbed her chin, thinking for a moment. ¡°Well, you know you died? Do you recall how?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I just¡­ remember waking up to the sun hitting my eyes or ¨C uh ¨C eye.¡± He touched the barren eye socket and frowned, or at least she thought it was a frown. ¡°You resurrected me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That was me.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me your name then, Miss?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Alessia.¡±


    ¡°Alessia ¨C who?¡±


    She clenched her jaw. ¡°Raith.¡±


    ¡°That last name sounds a bit familiar,¡± he said. ¡°On the tip of my tongue.¡± He paused before speaking again. How could my last name sound familiar to him? ¡°Anyway, how did you revive me in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a necromancer.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± he asked, in shock. ¡°But you¡¯re just a child!¡±


    Alessia pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I am not a child.¡±


    ¡°But you say it so¡­ nonchalantly!¡±


    She crossed her arms, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m twenty years old, you decomposed human!¡± she argued and glared at him. The corpse chuckled, which surprised her since he didn¡¯t have much of a mouth. ¡°Believe me, age has nothing to do with this. I didn¡¯t know I could raise a human from the dead in the first place. I thought I was only able to do that with animals!¡±


    ¡°It was an accident, then. There must be a bigger reason why I came back to life, Alessia. Tirren gave me another chance at life.¡±


    The name of the deity spoken by the shaman. So, she wasn¡¯t crazy like Alessia initially thought. He could be a shaman-like Jaera or¡­ maybe another necromancer. Alessia thought. ¡°Tirren? You¡¯re a believer?¡±


    ¡°The only thing I remember about myself is that I worshipped him in my days of living,¡± he said. ¡°Not much else comes to mind, though.¡±


    She wondered if she should stop by Jaera¡¯s house and talk to her about the corpse, but she couldn¡¯t just walk into town with a human who used to be alive. ¡°You need a name,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t keep referring to you as a corpse.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful if I knew what to call myself.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I will call you ¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said it yet!¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever name you come up with isn¡¯t going to be good.¡±


    He¡¯s a colorful one, this guy. Alessia crossed her arms, feeling the heat on her face. ¡°You know, for a corpse, you¡¯re fucking annoying.¡±


    The corpse shrugged. ¡°I said what I said.¡±


    Alessia glared at him, her patience wearing thin. ¡°Don¡¯t enter the town until I say so. Otherwise, you stay here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m free to do as I please,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    Now I know how Calien feels, Alessia thought, scratching the back of her head. ¡°When people want to burn you at the stake because they think you¡¯re a demon, then go right ahead.¡± Of course, the corpse wouldn¡¯t want to listen to her. It would be too hard.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you resurrect me again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it works on the same person more than once! Trust me. You don¡¯t want to go to town anyway. Especially at night.¡±


    The corpse tilted his head, confused by her statement. ¡°What do you mean ¡®especially at night?¡¯


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly explain right now.¡±


    She had the notion he was not going to even try to do what she said. For a second, she was tempted to kill him but kept her arms crossed instead. ¡°And why not?¡±


    He was pushing her buttons with his questions, but he had a right to know. ¡°I can tell you, but not at this moment. There¡¯s something I need to do first,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Please, stay here and don¡¯t leave the cave.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, then I will abide by it,¡± the corpse replied. ¡°In the meantime, I will try to think of a name for myself.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel¡­ hungry at all? Or thirsty?¡±


    He looked down, finding his stomach was¡­ empty. ¡°Not at all.¡± Alessia wanted to smack her forehead for even asking such a stupid question. He was a corpse; of course, he wouldn¡¯t be hungry or thirsty.


    She nodded, sighing from the whole conversation. ¡°Well, I have to leave, but I¡¯ll return.¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you will come back?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± Alessia said. ¡°I am all you have so far.¡±


    The corpse didn¡¯t say much, allowing Alessia to leave the forest and return to Stag. She glanced back, watching him disappear inside the empty cave. If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t want to trust me either, she thought as she left the forest behind.


    <hr>


    ¡°First of all, I would like to thank each of you for attending this meeting. We had one yesterday, but this one is just as important. As you all know,¡± Count Fairley began, ¡°From the first meeting yesterday, I told you about the salt preventing those creatures from entering, but that does not mean it will stop them if you open the door or window for them.¡± People were silent and stirred as he spoke. Alessia was happy they listened to her advice and even more, so they didn¡¯t know it was her who let Fairley know. ¡°I have sent a raven to the capital and received nothing yet, but I expect they will respond soon.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Count Fairley rambled on about the importance of not opening the doors or windows and that the consequences would be dire for everyone in their households. The Sluagh would kill anyone, even a child. They were all the same in the creature¡¯s eyes.


    She saw her cousins, Rinna and Elspeth, sitting beside their parents. Even though Alessia was with her mother, she felt alone. Usually, all the cousins would sit beside each other for any event the town held. The last time they were all together was the masquerade feast.


    They sat a few rows behind them and couldn¡¯t see Alessia without turning around. Her mother had no prior knowledge of the fight with Rinna, nor did she ask why. Maybe her mother presumed Rinna wanted to be with her parents and sister to cope with the loss. Still, the emptiness inside Alessia wouldn¡¯t leave her.


    Calien was on the other side of her, intently listening to Count Fairley¡¯s speech. He hadn¡¯t said much to her after that one night. She missed his banter, but she would never tell him that. Just thinking of what he said to her angered her still. She also said mean things to him, and he hated that she did. They argued before but never like that. It was almost like with Rinna, except her argument with her cousin was much worse.


    Maybe I could apologize later, Alessia thought, or perhaps that¡¯s a bad idea. What if he is still mad? Fuck. She wanted to start apologizing to Rinna, but her cousin was too closed off. At least Calien seemed capable of hearing her out.


    With the meeting adjourned, Alessia walked back with Calien and her mother. ¡°I must head to the Trades and pick up an important item. You two go on ahead,¡± her mother said. ¡°I will be home shortly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will see you at home,¡± Alessia said, nodding.


    Once alone, walking back from the town hall, Alessia had no idea what to say to him. Her mind screamed at her to apologize, but no words came out. ¡°Alessia, I¡¯m sorry for the other night I was upset. I just wanted to help and pushed you too far instead.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t any better,¡± she said, relieved he made the first effort instead of her. The tightness in her chest eased up a bit. ¡°When I found out my father hired you to protect me a year ago, I felt very trapped.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ hadn¡¯t thought of it in that way.¡±


    ¡°That being said, the night of the Masquerade Feast made me feel different. I may not be here today if it weren''t for you.¡±


    Calien nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Alessia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you that occurred today,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°I was able to resurrect a human from the dead.¡±


    He tilted his head. ¡°Who?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a name yet or even remember who he is,¡± Alessia explained, hoping she didn¡¯t sound too insane. ¡°The bird I raised from the dead; it guided me to the dead body in the corner of Count Fairley¡¯s Garden. I used the same spell on the body, but nothing happened. This morning, though, I looked, and¡­ it was gone. So, I followed it to a cave.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being serious?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°I watched you raise the dead before, so there isn¡¯t a reason why I shouldn¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, I need to see him again.¡±


    He followed her to the cave, carefully ensuring nobody else followed them. She showed Calien the cave where she found the corpse. She expected him to have left, but he didn¡¯t. He was in the cave, sitting back.


    ¡°You returned!¡±


    Calien paused, raising his eyebrows. ¡°He can talk?¡±


    ¡°I can! And much more.¡±


    ¡°This is what you resurrected? He¡¯s practically a skeleton,¡± Calien whispered to her.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± she replied. ¡°And light knows what else.¡±


    ¡°What do we do with him?¡±


    ¡°Keep him here.¡±


    ¡°Who is this fine gentleman, and what is your relationship with Lady Raith? If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± the corpse asked.


    Calien stood up right. ¡°Calien Hawthorne, and I am her guard, hired by her father, Alaric Raith.¡± Alessia could tell Calien did not like this, and the two had just met. She shuffled herself in between them.


    Alessia explained everything to the corpse and what had happened the previous week. She left out details about what she knew. When she was finished, the corpse looked at her, bamboozled by what she told him. ¡°Sounds like a fairy tale,¡± it said, sitting on a wooden log. ¡°Not sure how believable it is.¡±


    ¡°Said the talking corpse,¡± Calien muttered.


    The corpse shot him a look. ¡°Watch it, boy.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Alessia asked it. ¡°Wait until tonight when the creatures come out. Then we will see. Maybe you will survive the night; maybe you won¡¯t.¡± She grinned at the Corpse, unsure if he should believe her.


    ¡°We just met. I know you came back, but I can¡¯t pretend I can trust you in a short amount of time.¡±


    ¡°What would I have to gain by lying to you?¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know?¡±


    ¡°Trust me on this one, okay? The Sluagh come out as soon as night hits,¡± Alessia said. How else would she convince him? He had to see for himself if he was going to believe her. ¡°Stay inside the cave if you even survive the night.¡± It was risky. She was leaving him inside the cave, exposed with no salt. She might wake up the following day and find him dead again. They left the corpse there. Alessia hoped nothing would happen to him at night, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do to prevent it.


    As the day went on, the evening was drawing near. Alessia stayed inside the house, preparing for what she needed to do next. She made sure all the doors and windows were locked again and with salt. She checked on her father, who was awake and reading under the candlelight. He was making good progress with healing so far. Her mother tried staying home as best she could to help him get back to health.


    She thought back to what Jaera told her. About Alessia dying when she was born and Jaera¡¯s grandmother saving her. How come her parents never told her about what occurred at her birth? Would they tell her now if she asked? But then they might wonder how she received the information.


    She retreated to her bedroom, trying to enjoy the silence before knocks on the windows and doors began.


    Her head pounded as she heard someone shouting, ¡°Please, don¡¯t shoot us!¡±


    Shit, not again, Alessia thought, grabbing at her head as she sank to her knees in agony. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    No answer. A few shots were heard, ringing into Alessia¡¯s ears. She swore she smelled charcoal or burning wood in her bedroom. But when the sounds stopped, the smell disappeared. Why does this keep happening? Alessia thought. She wondered if she should go to Jaera and speak to her about the visions she kept having.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± a voice at the window said. ¡°If you want answers, then let me inside.¡±


    Alessia ignored the voice. It sounded an awful lot like Fiona¡¯s, which was even worse. ¡°You know, you should keep a close eye on your other cousin.¡±


    ¡°Cousin?¡± Alessia whispered. Her eyes widened at the mention. Rinna? Or Elspeth? Were they in trouble? ¡°You¡¯re a liar. They wouldn¡¯t leave the house knowing what would happen to them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that, dear?¡± Fiona asked. ¡°I¡¯m positive I saw one heading into the forest where their brother died.¡±


    Shit, no. Alessia thought, her mind racing with the worst. She couldn¡¯t lose another cousin to these things. She knew what she was doing was stupid and possibly risking her life. She grabbed a pouch of salt, just in case, before heading to the back door, knowing what was coming if she didn¡¯t do it. Damned if I do, damned if I don¡¯t.


    She twisted the knob, opening it slowly. There was an unnatural stillness to Stag when she stepped outside but the only choice she had was to keep moving before one of those things noticed.


    ¡°Where are you going, Alessia?¡±


    She stopped, turned around, and found a group of creatures together in a crowd, becoming closer to her.


    ¡°Did you think one of your cousins were out here?¡± Fiona said, tilting her head. ¡°You should know better.¡±


    Fiona tricked her into believing her cousins were in trouble. Alessia backed up, knowing she was too far from the house to return, but if she could lose them somehow, she¡¯d be able to return home safely.


    She booked it into the forest, hoping to lose them and circle her way back.


    I shouldn¡¯t have left; I should have stayed, she thought. Alessia couldn''t see much without a light source in her hands, relying on the lights from a few houses near town.


    She stumbled onto the ground, and when she looked up, most of the Sluagh surrounded her. She panicked, trying to stand up, only to be pushed back down by Fiona. ¡°We only want a bit of fun,¡± said a man with a pale face wearing a farmer¡¯s hat and a sleeveless tunic.


    ¡°I know exactly what you want,¡± Alessia said, cringing when one started moving toward her.


    ¡°Do you know?¡± Fiona asked, tilting her head in a way that made her seem somewhat inhuman. ¡°We are going to have a lot of fun with you like we did with your cousin.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not until you answer my question.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think we have the answers?¡±


    She gulped, deciding to ask the question anyway. It would be enough to distract them. ¡°How come none of you run?¡± Alessia asked Fiona, who stared at her with a smile from ear to ear. She shivered, her heart beating erratically as she tried crawling backward. Five or more creatures surrounded her, each with the same smile as Fiona¡¯s.


    Fiona kneeled on the wet soil, her dull gray eyes staring through Alessia. ¡°Why?¡± she chuckled as if amused by the question. ¡°Because we don¡¯t have to.¡± Her face transformed, her mouth had at least two rows of sharp teeth, and her eyes clouded.


    She screamed, her hand out to protect herself. ¡°Relinquo!¡± she shouted, but her words were not hers again. A light emitting from her hands glowing a dark green blinded the Sluagh. They stepped back, covering their own eyes.


    Not sure it would be enough for a getaway, Alessia gripped the pouch of salt in her hands and threw it at the creatures, who instantly shrieked in agony. She wasted no time running, hearing their shrieks of pain behind her.


    She remembered the door was locked before she left the house, but Jaera¡¯s house was not far from town. She picked up the pace despite her chest tightening and her lungs wheezing. The Sluagh were miles away, yet it didn¡¯t calm her down because of how fast they found her in the forest when she ran the first time. She hoped throwing the salt at them slowed them down.


    Alessia reached Jaera¡¯s house, pounding on the door. ¡°Open the door! Please!¡± she screamed. She heard shuffling inside, but no answer. ¡°Jaera, it¡¯s me, Alessia, I need you to open the door!¡±


    ¡°Alessia?¡± Jaera said. She continued banging on the door until it opened. Jaera grabbed Alessia¡¯s arm, pulled her inside, and shut it frantically. ¡°What the hell were you doing outside?¡±


    Jaera clutched her side, her shoulder also bandaged. ¡°They tricked me. The Sluagh.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Told me one of my cousins was in trouble. I left to save them¡­¡±


    Jaera shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You absolute fool,¡± she whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°And let me guess, they chased after you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Jaera, they didn¡¯t run.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You still let them get the better of you. I thought you would know since you dealt with them before.¡±


    Alessia felt tears running down her cheeks, unable to make heads or tails of what happened. ¡°She made it sound desperate like they were in grave danger,¡± she sniffled, but even so, her crying was a losing battle against Jaera¡¯s impatience.


    ¡°You never should have stepped a foot out of there!¡± Jaera snapped. ¡°If you died, your family would be devastated.¡±


    ¡°And so would my aunt and uncle if they lost another child.¡±


    ¡°That was a lie by those creatures to lure you out!¡± The shaman winced, holding her wound. Alessia stood there, saying nothing. ¡°The Sluagh will not be the cause of your death. You will be the cause of your own death!¡±


    She looked at the older woman in surprise to hear such harsh words. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Jaera shook her head, turning her back to Alessia. ¡°You want to know why?¡± she asked. ¡°Because you like to wander in the dark.¡±

 Chapter 9: The Dagger

    The silence between them was palpable. Alessia had no words for what she did, and no answer would satisfy Jaera. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say,¡± she said.


    ¡°I want you to understand what you did. You could have died or, worse yet, gotten more people killed!¡±


    Alessia winced at her words. She held her tongue, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth. Jaera let her inside and could easily throw her out. The worst part was her mother would say the same thing, albeit not in the exact tone.


    ¡°Mother? What¡¯s going on?¡± a small voice asked, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Are you okay? Do your bandages need changing?¡±


    ¡°I got this. Go back to bed, Niamh.¡±


    The little girl nodded, closing her bedroom door.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Alessia asked.


    ¡°My daughter.¡± Alessia was taken aback. A daughter? She never saw the child when she last visited. ¡°Before you ask your typical question, I hid her in her room the last time.¡±


    Jaera made a makeshift bed for Alessia, who stopped her tears before she got into more trouble. ¡°You¡¯re safe here. Don¡¯t even think about leaving while the night goes on because I will not let you back in.¡± Alessia nodded, knowing she deserved Jaera¡¯s hostile attitude. ¡°We have a lot to talk about in the morning, so I suggest you rest.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Jaera disappeared into her bedroom, leaving Alessia alone in the storage room.


    Alessia closed her eyes, trying to forget about what happened and what would happen the next day. Her parents, including Calien, would not be happy with her. How did Calien not notice her leaving the house? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be her bodyguard? No, there was no use in blaming him when it was her fault the entire time. She chose to leave. She couldn¡¯t bear to lose another cousin like she did with Kalix, who never had a savior.


    As she hugged the blankets, she cried a little more, whispering to Kalix how sorry she was for not being there for him. It should have been me.


    She shook her head.


    I miss you so much, Kal. I wish you were here right now. She could use his charming personality right about now. He usually knew how to make anyone feel better if they were upset. What she remembered the most was his smile, which lit up any room, and how he¡¯d never let anyone get a word edgewise if he was in a bad mood.


    And the whole time, Fiona knew what she was doing. Alessia wondered if she had anything to do with Kalix¡¯s death. She promised herself she would kill all of them, and yet, it seemed to fall flat. No wonder Jaera was annoyed with her. She was a fool and did something so stupid she could have died a horrible death. ¡°I need to do better,¡± she whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. ¡°I will never let that happen again.¡±


    In the morning, her head pounded from the amount of crying she did during the night. She slept a bit but not by much since she was sleeping on the floor. At least Jaera let her inside instead of leaving her to die to the Sluagh.


    She needed to get home quickly before her parents realized she was gone. She found Jaera speaking to her daughter, Niamh, about not being allowed to go outside alone. Her daughter didn¡¯t sound happy about the rule. ¡°Jaera,¡± Alessia said, grabbing her attention. ¡°Thank you for opening the door for me last night.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again,¡± she warned. ¡°Think before you act.¡±


    Alessia nodded. ¡°I should leave, but again, thank you.¡± She was about to leave when Jaera stopped her.


    ¡°Thank me for doing this favor,¡± Jaera said. ¡°I had a blacksmith called Lundys make me a weapon. If you could bring it to me, then it will be even between us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I should be able to do that.¡±


    Jaera handed her a pouch of coins.


    Alessia left the small shack, once again traveling back into Stag. If she thought Jaera was mad, she could not imagine how her parents would react. It would pale in comparison. She ran towards her house quickly, hoping no one was up yet.


    The backdoor was unlocked. That was odd. The house remained quiet as she carefully shut the door behind her. ¡°There you are,¡± Calien said, leaning against the kitchen wall. ¡°Your parents aren¡¯t up yet, luckily for you, so I unlocked the door.¡±


    ¡°You knew about last night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did, and what were you thinking?¡± he said, visibly upset with her but trying not to be loud in case her parents woke up. ¡°Next time you want to do something stupid, warn me so I can at least be there with you. Your parents might terminate my employment if they find out what¡¯s been going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Calien,¡± she said. ¡°One of the creatures, Fiona, told me my cousins were in trouble. I panicked, and I should stayed put.¡± She swallowed hard, remembering Fiona¡¯s words and feeling a chill run down her flesh. ¡°I followed my gut, and yes, I got into trouble. It was a trap.¡±


    ¡°How did you survive the night?¡±


    ¡°I ran to Jaera¡¯s house. She let me in, but not without lecturing me.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive. Please, I am begging you. Please don¡¯t do it again. You are your parents'' only daughter.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Promise.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Can we¡­ take a walk?¡±


    ¡°This early in the morning? It¡¯s an hour passed dawn.¡±


    She crossed her arms, shaking her head. ¡°Not that early. Let¡¯s go. I need to clear my head.¡± She pulled at his arm as she dragged him out the front door.


    People in Stag started coming out of their houses, relieved night was over. They went to Count Fairley¡¯s garden for a bit. Alessia inspected the mound while Calien was looking at something else. What was it about the Mound that sent chills all over her body? How the hell did a body get into the Gardens of all places? The bloody corpse was of no use as he didn¡¯t have his memories intact.


    ¡°Sarah.¡±


    The damn voice again.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Emma.¡±


    Emma? The voice had never said that name before. What the hell does any of this mean? She thought.


    She heard footsteps, believing it was Calien behind her. ¡°I think we should check on ¨C¡± But when she turned, it was not Calien. It was Ceinwen instead. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ceinwen wasn¡¯t smiling in her usual egotistical way. ¡°You know why.¡±


    Alessia tried walking away from her to look for Calien, but Ceinwen quickly moved in front of her. ¡°You stupid bitch!¡± Ceinwen shouted, pushing Alessia from behind. She fell forward, her head hitting the cobblestone, and saw stars. Pulling it together, she winced as Ceinwen stood over her. ¡°That approval was supposed to be mine!¡±


    Rage flowed through her as blood trickled down the side of her head. She stood up once more, looking directly into her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t get approval to leave Tethys!¡± Alessia hissed. ¡°But if the Count allows me to leave, I will.¡± That earned another push, although she expected it and managed to cover her head as she fell. The blows would not stop, as if they were kids again fighting over something trivial.


    ¡°Not if I can help it.¡±


    She managed to kick Ceinwen away from her.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re doing something good? Proving your worth? You haven¡¯t been worthy since the day you were born! What a shame your grandfather couldn¡¯t see you for the person you are. A snake.¡± Blood boiled in Alessia¡¯s veins as she listened to Ceinwen. She clenched her fists. One more word, that was all it would take. ¡°I am sure he is rolling in his grave ¨C¡±


    Alessia raised her hand and slapped her across the face. Ceinwen glanced back at her, shocked by the slap. ¡°Do not speak of the dead when they here no longer,¡± she warned.


    ¡°If you think one slap is going to stop me ¨C¡±


    ¡°I am warning you, Ceinwen. Back off.¡±


    Before Ceinwen could fight back, Calien rushed toward them and stood between them to prevent more fighting. Ceinwen retreated, angrily stomping back to Stag, probably to vent her frustrations out on other people. ¡°Gods, look at your face,¡± Calien said, lifting her chin to the side, noticing the blood on her temple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have been with you.¡± She was surprised he did not lecture her about straying away from him like he did most of the time.


    ¡°It was bound to happen at some point whether you were with me or not,¡± Alessia said, sighing. ¡°She caught me before I could look for you.¡±


    ¡°For once, you were looking for me.¡± He frowned, taking out a piece of handkerchief from his pockets and gently wiping the blood off her face. They made eye contact, neither knowing what else to say. ¡°You are safe now, though. We should head home and get you cleaned up.¡± She nodded, a little nervous, tearing her sight away from him. ¡°Do you want to let your parents know what happened?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, no. That will make things so much worse. They are angry at me for gaining the Count¡¯s approval without speaking to them first. This will rile them up even more.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Calien replied. He finished wiping the last of the blood from her face. ¡°Not deep enough for stitches, I believe. Still, it needs to be disinfected just in case.¡±


    ¡°I need to tell you something, Calien.¡± There was no sense hiding it from him anymore. He needed to know what was happening to her. ¡°I have visions of people being brutally murdered,¡± she admitted quietly, only for him to hear. ¡°They keep calling someone named Sarah for help. Today, they said a new name. Emma.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said. ¡°You never mentioned it before.¡±


    ¡°Remember when we visited a shaman named Jaera?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°She told me when I was born, I died, and to revive me, her mother pulled another soul and placed it into me.¡± Alessia felt uneasiness rising inside her throat. ¡°Jaera said it¡¯s called reincarnation, that I have another person¡¯s soul within me.¡±


    Calien shut his eyes, letting out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. ¡°What else?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The person who has been appearing and harassing me knew the woman named Sarah.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Fear etched on his brow. ¡°But you don¡¯t look convinced that¡¯s the case, Alessia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all confusing. Like there is a missing piece of the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose I could help you figure it out,¡± Calien said, smiling at her with fondness. ¡°if you¡¯re willing to accept the help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need it,¡± she replied. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°What else do I have to do besides guarding you?¡± he teased. ¡°I can do both.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Calien,¡± Alessia said, nodding at him. ¡°Now, I must pick up an item for Jaera at the blacksmith.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she a shaman? Why would she need a weapon?¡±


    ¡°Something happened to her a few days ago. She wasn¡¯t particular but was injured during the process.¡±


    ¡°She lives alone, doesn¡¯t she? I¡¯m not that surprised.¡±


    The smell of fresh burning coals filled her nostrils as she entered the blacksmith shop. Ludnys came out, nearly unrecognizable, with the soot covering his face and clothing. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I am here to pick up Jaera Hennigan¡¯s order she requested.¡±


    Lundys scratched his nose. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she picking it up herself?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been injured.¡±


    His eyes widened slightly. ¡°Injured, you say? Do you know how?¡±


    ¡°She never specified.¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ well, tell her it¡¯s on the house,¡± he said.


    ¡°Really?¡± She will be happy about that, Alessia thought. Lundys nodded, and he gave Alessia the dagger wrapped in soft purple cloth made from silk.


    ¡°Be careful with it.¡±


    She nodded. Walking around with a weapon in her hands didn¡¯t look strange. People in town gave her looks of suspicion. She usually received looks of anger and resentment when walking into town, but there was something odd about how they stared at her. They didn¡¯t talk or even move. The relief she had when they could hand the weapon to Jaera was like a weight lifted off her shoulders. If Calien wasn¡¯t with her, it appeared as though they might have tried something.


    There was something strange about the dagger. When she removed the cloth, a dull humming emitted from the weapon. The hums turned into whispers as she touched it. The whispers weren¡¯t clear enough until she held the dagger. ¡°Potentia infinita.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me!¡± Jaera shouted, grabbing the dagger from her. ¡°This is Caeruleus metal. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Why get it?¡± Alessia asked, staring at the weapon.


    Jaera sighed, ignoring her question. ¡°Whatever it promises you, don¡¯t listen or touch.¡±


    ¡°It said Potentia infinita.¡±


    ¡°The term means unlimited power.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°The metal causes people around it to go insane. Luckily, I can cast a spell over myself and my daughter to prevent further harm.¡± Alessia couldn¡¯t stop staring at the dagger as if it still called out for her. ¡°How much do I owe Lundys?¡± she asked.


    ¡°He said it¡¯s on the house,¡± Alessia said.


    She cursed under her breath. ¡°Why would that idiot do that?¡± she asked like Alessia had the answer. ¡°I told him I don¡¯t need his help.¡±


    ¡°He knows you were injured.¡±


    Jaera shot her a glare. ¡°Of course you did. Why the hell would you tell him that?¡±


    ¡°He asked me why you weren¡¯t traveling to town to pick it up!¡± Alessia argued. ¡°What was I supposed to tell him?¡±


    ¡°You did what you needed to, so you and your bodyguard leave.¡±


    Alessia and Calien left without even arguing with her. Jaera didn¡¯t even say thank you for bringing her the dagger. I should stop visiting her, she thought. The more I see her, the worse she gets.


    <hr>


    She checked on the corpse, hoping he remained where he was. It was strange; the forest went quiet, the clouds above turning darker with each hour. Alessia only heard the swaying of the tall pine trees and nothing else. The corpse didn¡¯t appear any different from last night despite the creatures coming out, or maybe he never saw them. He sat down on the same dead tree stump, not acknowledging their presence. ¡°Everything good?¡± Alessia asked him.


    ¡°You never told me how human they looked,¡± the corpse said, turning his bony face toward her. ¡°What did you say they were called again?¡±


    ¡°The Sluagh.¡±


    He paused. ¡°I wish I knew why the name feels familiar, but the truth is, I will probably never know.¡±


    ¡°We have to find out more,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Standing around won¡¯t do us any good.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there is one way.¡± She stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. ¡°But first, I chose a name. It¡¯s Saiph, which means sword or hilt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also Orion¡¯s knee if you gaze at the stars,¡± Calien added.


    ¡°Okay, Saiph, what were you going to tell us before?¡±


    Saiph stood up from the tree stump. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to like it,¡± he said. ¡°We have to capture one of the Sluagh.¡±


    ¡°Capture one? How?¡± Calien asked.


    ¡°I am not entirely sure, but all I know is that I have to be the one to do it,¡± Saiph said, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you both.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t even see me. Like, I was nothing to them.¡±


    Alessia shook her head, remembering what Jaera had warned her about. ¡°We can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Calien crossed his arms. ¡°I agree. It sounds dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If I die, you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Saiph said. ¡°I¡¯m a walking corpse, for Light¡¯s sake! No one will miss me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that; it¡¯s if you need our help.¡±


    Saiph turned to face both, his eyes bottomless pits. ¡°Well, that is up to you, but if you want to stay here in this condition, go for it. I¡¯m not stopping you.¡±


    ¡°Let us think about it,¡± Calien said. ¡°This situation is not ideal, but we must discuss it.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Saiph replied. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we are running out of time.¡±


    Alessia glanced at Calien and hated to admit it, but Saiph was right. They had to do something about the problem in Stag.

 Chapter 10: An Encounter

    <u> </u>


    How are we supposed to hold one of those things captive? Alessia thought on her way back to the house with Calien. Something inside her told her it was a bad idea. A terrible idea. She wondered what Calien¡¯s opinion on the plan was. Neither of them had come up with one. Saiph blurted out that capturing one was the only way to save everyone. She saw what those creatures could do, and despite having a close call twice with them, she was sure she wouldn¡¯t be as lucky the next time.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do it,¡± Alessia said. ¡°I almost died that night if Jaera hadn¡¯t opened the door for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°I am?¡± She never thought she would see the day with Calien would admit that.


    ¡°Why so surprised? I can be nice.¡± Alessia crossed her arms when he kept the look. ¡°What? I can!¡±


    She did a quick check-up on her father, who was snoring in his sleep. Her mother was downstairs, putting pieces of a broken teacup together. ¡°Has there been any change with Father?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Enora said. ¡°He is having issues with walking, and his wound is fully healed. The doctor is coming to check his leg out in a few hours.¡±


    That was odd. Her father should be able to walk by now. ¡°Is there something wrong with him, Mother?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s for the doctor to say.¡± She turned to look at Alessia in the chair. ¡°What happened to your lip?¡±


    Alessia shook her head, forgetting about the fight with Ceinwen. ¡°Nothing. I fell.¡±


    Her mother¡¯s head perked up, her hand still on the glue. ¡°Was someone giving you a hard time?¡±


    She exchanged glances with Calien. He was in no position to defend her. ¡°I can reassure you, Lady Raith, she was with me the entire time. She tripped as we were taking a stroll.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods.¡± Calien gave Alessia an ¡®I told you the excuse would work¡¯ look. Alessia stood still, touching her lip; the blood had dried up but still stung. ¡°All right, well, Calien, could you grab the ointment from upstairs? It will get infected if it¡¯s not dealt with.¡±


    ¡°I ¨C I will show him where it is,¡± Alessia said, knowing that if she stayed there any longer, her mother would know they were lying about what happened. She brought Calien to the storage room, where her mother kept her essential items in a small wooden box. ¡°Damn, it hurts.¡±


    ¡°She hit you good.¡±


    ¡°No, she pushed me.¡±


    Calien gently placed a small glob of ointment from the tube onto the tip of his index finger, rubbing it on Alessia¡¯s bottom lip. ¡°It¡¯s a bit swollen, but it should heal in no time.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­ a doctor now?¡± Alessia teased. ¡°Have you found your new calling?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°If I became a doctor, who would guard you?¡±


    ¡°Someone who can keep a better eye on me.¡±


    He sighed, pretending to take offense from what she said. ¡°Yeah, because I could be replaced by someone who would have to deal with you.¡±


    ¡°No way. Who else can find me without a single thought?¡± She didn¡¯t know what else to say to him but found herself looking into his eyes.


    ¡°We will find a way to deal with this, you know,¡± Calien said. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on ourselves for now.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± she said. When would it all end? Would Count Fairley be able to receive word from the capital? Alessia had her doubts about the capital¡¯s help. What would change? ¡°Do you think Saiph will help us hatch a plan?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the only one who can go through with it since the Sluagh doesn¡¯t harm him.¡±


    ¡°What are these things even after? Blood? Flesh? You hear those stories as a child about creatures stalking the night ¨C wanting blood ¨C vampires, but these creatures don¡¯t even want either.¡±


    ¡°And not the Undead either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not convinced capturing one will help, especially if they can snap a sword into two.¡±


    ¡°You never know.¡±


    Alessia wanted to believe him, but how? It wasn''t easy after the night she had. ¡°You want to end this, right?¡± Calien asked.


    ¡°More than anything.¡± She looked at him in the eyes closely, seeing her reflection in his pupils.


    Calien squeezed her shoulder. ¡°Then there¡¯s no time like the present.¡±


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a dark figure standing at the other end of the hall. Calien didn¡¯t take his gaze off her and didn¡¯t see the figure. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± she said, pretending she never saw the shadow near her. ¡°You head downstairs. I forgot something in my bedroom.¡± Calien nodded, and she waited until she was alone to follow the dark figure.


    She heard Calien and her mother talking but nothing from the strange figure in the corner. ¡°I know who you are,¡± she said in a low whisper.


    ¡°Do you?¡± a voice responded. ¡°Because I doubt you can remember what actually happened back then.¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± Alessia said. ¡°I am tired of you messing around with me. If you want me dead, then get it over with!¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Something whizzed by her before she could see it. ¡°I enjoy toying with you.¡±


    ¡°You are a fucking monster,¡± Alessia said, trying to remain calm as best she could, but it was difficult.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s you.¡±


    Alessia closed her eyes, trying not to throw the closest item at it. ¡°The stupid entity thought it figured everything out. ¡°How am I the monster? I am Sarah¡¯s reincarnation and watched as her parents were killed.¡±


    ¡°Now you are convoluting the truth. Reincarnation does mess with your memory. Maybe you need a refresher.¡±


    ¡°Mess with my memory? You have this all wrong.¡±


    ¡°No. You do.¡± Finally, the dark figure approached her in solid form. ¡°But I think it¡¯s time you find out.¡±


    ¡°I keep telling you I already know who I was in the past.¡± Her heart skipped a few beats. What if it was speaking the truth?


    The dark figure cackled. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± They reached and touched Alessia¡¯s forehead. The whole room went white, preventing her from seeing anything.


    <hr>


    October 16<sup>th</sup>, 1996 ¨C New York Countryside


    She opened her eyes to someone standing over her¡ªa man with black hair and dark brown eyes. ¡°Get up, Kira. We have a job to do,¡± he said gruffly.


    Alessia groaned, looking around the small room to realize it was not her bedroom or house. ¡°Who is Kira? And where am I?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and move. We have a job to do! Unless you¡¯re chickening out.¡±


    ¡°What others?¡±


    ¡°Enough! The others are relying on us.¡± He grabbed her arm, which made her flinch and pull away from him. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Kira?!¡±


    ¡°Stop fighting him,¡± the voice belonging to the dark figure said. ¡°Keep moving with the scenario if you want to return.¡±


    Alessia slowly stood up from bed, her muscles involuntarily seizing for a moment as if she had been sleeping for a long time. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m Jason, your partner.¡± He pushed her through the threshold of the door. The hallway was dark as Jason forcibly grabbed her hand.


    A strange-looking transportation vehicle moved on what appeared to be wheels. It was not made from wood but was too dark to see anything. Either way, it looked vaguely familiar, and she might have figured it out if Jason had not practically pushed her into the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    Jason came around the other side. ¡°Did you want to drive?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Oh right, you can¡¯t! Too bad your license got suspended.¡±


    Alessia huffed, not wanting to say anything else to the strange man. Wherever she was, it wasn¡¯t anywhere in Tethys, let alone Sacellum. What did the figure want from her? To see the truth? What bullshit.


    The man guided the vehicle along dark roads where there was no light except the one emitting from it. Alessia could feel she was not in her own body. Her hair was blonde and much shorter, and the clothes she wore were foreign. She barely recognized them as being worn by anybody in her country.


    Eventually, it stopped at a house more significant than her own in Stag. ¡°Get out of the car. You ready for this?¡±


    ¡°Ready for what?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, we take what¡¯s ours,¡± Jason said, handing her a sharp knife. ¡°You¡¯re either in this or not.¡±


    Alessia reached out and took it, accepting what was going to follow.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what happened, but everything seemed to turn black again, and once more, she found herself inside a place she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°You know what to do,¡± Jason said to her. ¡°If you want to help us ascend, then you will do this.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us,¡± the woman said, clinging to the man beside her, who was equally as scared. ¡°We¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    ¡°This is an honor. Do you know how many people I had to go through to let you take this job with me?¡± Jason said, his eyes bloodshot that almost matched his rage. ¡°Do it, Kira. You have earned this.¡±


    Why are you showing me this?! Alessia thought, trying to get the voice¡¯s attention. You want me to kill two innocent people? For what reason?


    ¡°It¡¯s to show you who you are,¡± the voice said. ¡°What you did to these people, what you did to me. You need to know why you don¡¯t deserve any mercy.¡±


    That was when it hit her. She was not the reincarnation of Sarah but of a woman named Kira ¨C someone who killed Sarah¡¯s family. The voice belonged to none other than Sarah herself. No, no, that can¡¯t be real. It¡¯s a lie. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Jason shouted. ¡°Kill them!¡±


    Alessia stood there, unable to move, looking at the two frightened people in the eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± she said, shaking her head. She threw the knife away from her. ¡°This is not who I am.¡±


    Alessia continued staring at the two people before her, who huddled against each other, terrified. Her partner beside her shouted at her to kill them, picking up the thrown knife and trying to put it back in Alessia¡¯s hands. She backed away from them. ¡°You have to do it,¡± the voice said to her. ¡°If you want to leave.¡±


    Alessia put the gun down on the counter. ¡°I can¡¯t do it!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Kira?!¡± Jason shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders roughly. ¡°If you don¡¯t kill them, I will.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have any part of this!¡± Alessia exclaimed, pushing him away from her.


    A small child no older than ten gasped from the stairs. She called for Sarah. ¡°We have witnesses, thanks to you,¡± Jason snapped, pulling a small metal object from his pocket. It looked almost like a sword''s hilt but had a lever on the bottom. Alessia grabbed the object from his hands, and the two of them struggled over who had it for a while.


    The moment ended when her sight turned black, and she could feel herself falling through the empty void.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do what I told you to do,¡± Sarah said, her voice the only thing visible.


    ¡°I told you I refused!¡±


    ¡°That is exactly the point. You refuse to take responsibility for what you did.¡±


    ¡°What will accepting responsibility for the murders do, Sarah? Will it stop you from trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I want you to remember that my name is no longer Sarah. It¡¯s Doireann. Not that you cared to know my name back then.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for it now!¡± Alessia exclaimed.


    ¡°And that is your last mistake, my dear,¡± she said. ¡°You are finally going to pay for what you did to my family.¡±


    The darkness around her disappeared soon after, and Alessia found herself in her bedroom again. Doireann claimed Alessia murdered her family in the past, which explained why she consistently saw blood on the walls and the cries for help repeatedly. How could she face Calien or her parents while knowing she was the reincarnation of a murderer?


    She still wants me to remember, Alessia thought, her hands running through her thick black hair. I can¡¯t do this. I don¡¯t know how.


    She hesitantly walked downstairs. Calien waited for her at the bottom, raising an eyebrow when he saw her. ¡°Did something happen?¡± She saw her mother in the kitchen, still working on the broken mug.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Alessia whispered. She was unsure of how to even explain to him what had happened to her. She felt like she would burst into tears at any second and didn¡¯t want her mother to know about it. She took him outside the house, ensuring the windows were shut so nobody could eavesdrop. ¡°I saw her again. The voice I keep hearing. As it turns out, I am not the reincarnation of a woman named Sarah but of Kira, the person who murdered her family.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°Are you¡­ are you sure?¡±


    ¡°She sent me back in time, Calien. She showed me things that I have seen briefly.¡±


    He pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was he taking this so well? ¡°That explains why she wants you dead.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would be more upset. I was a killer in my past life.¡± She expected Calien to walk out from her and never see her again upon the revelation, but he still stood there.


    ¡°There¡­ there must be another explanation, Alessia. I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    How else could she convince him she was telling the truth? She wanted to scream at him that she was a killer and he shouldn¡¯t be close to her. ¡°I saw what I saw, and Sarah ¨C I mean Doireann, as she is known in this world, confirmed it. I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you want to shun me out of your life for good,¡± Alessia said.


    Calien shook his head, taking her hands into his and squeezing them tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 11: Fracture

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen,¡± Alessia said. ¡°I feel so confused over what I saw.¡± She sniffled, tears staining her cheeks as she glanced into Calien¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid. More than I have ever been.¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows what will happen. We need to figure it out one day at a time.¡±


    ¡°Do we have time, Calien?¡± she asked, her voice stammering. ¡°It feels like there is no time because we are constantly at an impasse!¡± She wiped her tears away. She was unsure of how to move forward. Am I a hypocrite? Alessia thought. Reincarnated as a killer ¨C when I looked down on Doireann.


    ¡°Of course we do, why wouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Something feels off.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± He kept saying that, yet her stomach did flips and turns, feeling the bile rising in her throat. It felt like the walls were closing in on her; all she could do was watch everything fall apart. ¡°We still have to capture one of the creatures, remember?¡±


    Alessia was sure kidnapping one would not solve anything. ¡°And make things worse?¡± she said. ¡°We have seen what they are capable of.¡±


    ¡°Not taking action won¡¯t solve our problem either,¡± Calien said. ¡°If we don¡¯t try, then what? We suffer?¡± He sighed in exasperation. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, but we can¡¯t sit around like this anymore and wait for something to happen.¡±


    ¡°But right now, we are safe, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Safe as in confined in the house for the night and listening to the Sluagh¡¯s voices at our doors and windows with the only thing stopping them from entering is the salt?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ¨C¡±


    ¡°Alessia, think it over,¡± Calien interrupted. ¡°You want your family safe and not afraid of what will happen in the dead of night?¡±


    Alessia nodded, but the knot in her stomach wouldn¡¯t go away. This is all happening because of me, Alessia thought. She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°I will think about it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside. It¡¯s cold.¡±


    He opened the door to the back of the house for her. She felt a sense of warmth inside. Calien tended to the fireplace in the living room, leaving her alone with Enora. Her mother continued trying to place a small piece of the broken ceramic teacup with her hands. She accidentally dropped it and groaned in frustration.


    ¡°Need help?¡± Alessia asked her.


    ¡°I could definitely use some help.¡± She sat down at the table. ¡°I really need steady hands,¡± she added. ¡°If your father was awake, then he could help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as good,¡± Alessia teased. She held the cup carefully so that her mother could glue the last piece of it onto the teacup.


    ¡°Finally. Now it has to dry.¡± Enora set it aside for a moment. ¡°What have you been up to lately?¡±


    Alessia shrugged. She wished she could just tell her mother everything. ¡°Nothing spectacular.¡± Which was a lie. ¡°Watching the grass grow.¡±


    Her mother chuckled. ¡°I can only imagine.¡± She tapped her hands on the table. ¡°Your birthday is coming up in two months. Have you thought about how you want to celebrate it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like celebrating anything nowadays,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Rinna has shut me out, and I haven¡¯t heard from Aunt Vilica or Uncle Delroy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe things will clear up by then.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt that.¡±


    ¡°What happened between the two of you? You and Rinna were attached to the hip, and now you barely say a word to each other.¡±


    ¡°A disagreement, I suppose,¡± Alessia said, but she really didn¡¯t want to talk about it, or she would have to admit she wanted to leave Tethys.


    Enora raised an eyebrow. ¡°Disagreements don¡¯t usually end friendships, Alessia.¡±


    ¡°You would be surprised how quick Rinna is to anger. She won¡¯t listen no matter what I say.¡± She still heard the words from Rinna after Kalix¡¯s funeral, and it didn¡¯t hurt any less. ¡°She said I wasn¡¯t the warmest person.¡±


    She thought for sure her mother would disagree with Rinna right away, but instead, she smiled and laughed a little. ¡°Well, is that a lie? You can be distant.¡± Alessia did a double take. Did her mother really say that?


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m glad I said something,¡± Alessia muttered before getting up. Her mother grabbed her arm, wanting her to sit back down.


    ¡°Your cousin ¨C Kalix ¨C was murdered. You only have so many relatives left,¡± Enora said. ¡°I am not saying she was right to say that to you, but like I said, you are distant from people.¡±


    Alessia felt herself trembling, and her mother¡¯s words did not precisely make her feel better about the situation between her and Rinna. For as long as she could remember, they never really argued and were close like sisters, but why did it feel so different this time? Nothing felt the same anymore. My mother doesn¡¯t know the truth about me, she thought. ¡°Well, maybe I am not that great of a person.¡±


    ¡°Not true,¡± Enora said. ¡°I raised a daughter who is kind and nurturing.¡±


    It was hard to see it from her mother¡¯s point of view, and it was almost tempting to tell her everything, but Alessia couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. ¡°Then why did Rinna say those things to me?¡±


    ¡°Grief can cause people to speak without thinking. There is a lot of unsaid anger when it comes to death.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°It just happens.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever lost someone?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Her mother paused, not speaking for a whole minute, and stared at Alessia. ¡°I¡­ almost did.¡±


    ¡°Almost? What happened?¡±


    ¡°It was a long time ago. Just someone who I cared for a lot.¡± Alessia felt a shiver running down her spine. ¡°This person was very young, and she wasn¡¯t breathing when she was born to the point she turned blue.¡±


    Alessia placed her hand on her mother¡¯s, now knowing who she was talking about. ¡°It¡¯s okay; you don¡¯t have to say anything if it hurts.¡±


    Her mother sighed. ¡°I kept this in for so long¡­ I have to.¡± She wiped her tears away. ¡°I almost lost you the day you were born, and even though you were saved, it made me afraid I would still lose you. Your father and I feared if we spoke about it again, you wouldn¡¯t live to see another day.¡±


    ¡°You were afraid to jinx it,¡± Alessia said, trying not to cry with her mother. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to lose me, I promise.¡±


    The conversation between them left her confused. What was she supposed to do? The need to tell her mother everything gave her a headache. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid.¡± She blinked away the tears in her eyes. ¡°That I won¡¯t be able to continue being a good person. That¡­ the past defines who I am.¡±


    ¡°Let your heart guide you,¡± Enora said. ¡°You will make the right decision.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I just do.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her hand over her mother¡¯s.


    ¡°Anytime.¡±


    A knock on the door interrupted the moment. The doctor arrived to look at Alessia¡¯s father. Once Calien finished with the fireplace, he smiled at Alessia. ¡°Did talking to her help?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It did, but I am still freaked out over what happened.¡±


    ¡°Understandable.¡±


    ¡°Doireann ¨C the woman I kept seeing over and over, she is probably planning something, and I am not sure killing her will work,¡± Alessia said. ¡°It might prove her point that I¡¯m a killer and will always remain so.¡±


    ¡°You want to find another way?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt. In my past life, I killed people. That doesn¡¯t mean I have to now.¡±


    ¡°Good start. Are you coming around to Saiph¡¯s plan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am. Especially if it can help us avoid killing her.¡±


    <hr>


    They found Saiph in his spot in the woods, digging something in the dirt. Alessia waited until he stopped and finally noticed them. His soulless eyes followed her for a moment, his bony face unreadable. ¡°Nothing happening here,¡± he said quickly, patting down the dirt flat.


    ¡°You seriously can¡¯t expect us not to ask what you were digging?¡± Calien said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t digging, sir. I buried.¡±


    ¡°Are you a canine? What in Light¡¯s name did you bury? A bone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because I have a¡­¡± Saiph stopped and sighed in agitation. Alessia was surprised he could make that noise. ¡°It isn¡¯t a bloody bone. It was something I had on me that I didn¡¯t want to see ever again.¡±


    ¡°What did you remember?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have memories return¡­ I had unwanted emotions. For some reason, I hated the item and buried it.¡±


    ¡°Have you given any thought to your plan?¡± Alessia asked Saiph, whose only concern was the buried item. He fussed with the soil, muttering how there wasn¡¯t enough of it.


    ¡°Not too much,¡± Saiph said. ¡°It still needs to be done. It¡¯s a matter of who and when.¡± He fumbled with a medium-sized rock, putting it on top of the small mound. ¡°Since these things can¡¯t hurt me, I was thinking I do the kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°But where do we put them?¡±


    ¡°In a cage?¡± Saiph suggested. That sounded like a lot of unnecessary work.


    ¡°How will we have the time to do that?¡± Alessia asked. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of resources.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any better ideas?¡±


    ¡°Well, no.¡±


    ¡°Then get moving!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to give us orders!¡± Alessia snapped, now moving closer to Saiph. ¡°I brought you back to life, and you never thanked me.¡±


    ¡°Why should I thank you?¡± he spat back. ¡°As far as I am concerned, I was fine being in the stream between life and death until you disrupted it!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Calien shouted in the middle of both of them. ¡°We won¡¯t get anywhere by arguing.¡±


    ¡°Your idea is crazy! Calien and I know how dangerous the Sluagh are. I doubt a cage will stop them from killing us!¡±


    Saiph shrugged. ¡°Fine, then perhaps we don¡¯t do the plan at all. I just thought you wanted this done.¡± Alessia rolled her eyes, no longer wanting to hear anything he had to say. ¡°Spare me the roll of your eyes.¡±


    ¡°At least I have eyes!¡± she retorted.


    Calien¡¯s eyes widened at Alessia¡¯s quip. Saiph, however, was not amused in the slightest. ¡°Leave,¡± he snarled.


    Not having much choice, they left him.


    ¡°I wish I never raised him back from the dead,¡± Alessia said once they were in earshot of Saiph¡¯s hideout. ¡°He has unresolved anger issues.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you if you were in his shoes?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even wear shoes! He¡¯s barefoot or rather bare-boned.¡±


    It started to get dark, so they returned home. Alessia¡¯s mother was heating up a kettle over the hearth. ¡°What did the doctor say about father?¡± Alessia asked her.


    ¡°He¡¯s in good health, but the doctor isn¡¯t sure he can walk properly.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°His injury was a lot more severe than expected. The doctor suspects the initial infection from the attack is what caused it.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to walk?¡±


    ¡°Not without a limp and a cane.¡±


    Alessia sighed, scratching the back of her head. ¡°Well, I may as well get ready for bed,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s been a really long day.¡± Moreover, given how unusual he acted, she wasn¡¯t sure if they could work with Saiph anymore. There was no plan despite Alessia wanting to give it a chance.


    Guess we must start from scratch, she thought.


    In the middle of the night, Alessia woke up to the floor creaking downstairs. She lit a candle and carried it around to look for what was causing the noise. Her father and Calien were fast asleep in their rooms, but her mother was not in her bed.


    She quietly checked out the living room, hearing more items being thrown onto the floor. Her skin felt clammy, and her heart was ready to burst out of her chest. Nobody could have broken in. With how dangerous it was to even go outside for a minute, there was no way someone wouldn¡¯t run into one of the Sluagh.


    More jostling in the kitchen made her jump. A hand on her shoulder caused her to scream out loud. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± her mother whispered, bringing a finger to her lips. ¡°You hear it, too?¡±


    ¡°Woke up to the noise. I really don¡¯t like this.¡±


    Her mother was about to tread into the kitchen when Alessia gently grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°Mother, be careful,¡± she said. ¡°I should get Calien.¡±


    Her mother shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s probably a rat.¡± They moved down the staircase, finding not a single soul there except for the grandfather clock ticking. In the kitchen, it was completely silent. Maybe there wasn¡¯t anything there. A few more steps in, the light from the candles lit up the room a bit, but it was still hard to see.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s down here,¡± Alessia said to her.


    ¡°I heard something. I know I did.¡±


    ¡°A rat like you said.¡± She was now shivering as they moved further into the house like there was a draft. Did someone leave a door open? She thought. No, that¡¯s impossible.


    They kept searching, no longer hearing any more noises. Alessia¡¯s breathing became erratic at every turn, and she stayed next to her mother in the vicinity. Her mother took a firepit poker, which made Alessia raise an eyebrow. ¡°What else will I use?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°Something with a sharp end to it!¡±


    Opening the pantry, they found nothing. They heard a squeak once or twice and something small running across the room. Alessia was relieved it was only a mouse and nothing but something worse. ¡°I will lock up the pantry and make sure there¡¯s no mice in there. You look around for any more that might be running around,¡± her mother said.


    But when Alessia turned around, she saw a silhouette at the end of the kitchen. At first, she thought it was Doireann, but when she recognized the smile, she realized it wasn¡¯t.


    It was Fiona.


    Alessia screamed, almost dropping the candle in her hands. ¡°Alessia?! What¡¯s wrong?¡± her mother exclaimed. Alessia pointed to Fiona. She could see the color draining from her mother¡¯s face. How the hell did she get in here? She thought.


    The back door was open, and it was not a moment ago. ¡°Stay back!¡± Her mother aimed the fire poker at Fiona, who nonchalantly smacked it out of her hands.


    Fiona strode up to Alessia, her hands on her shoulders. ¡°You ought to be more careful. Someone you don¡¯t want to be here could walk right in,¡± Fiona said, grinning at Alessia. Her mother tried pushing Fiona away, only for her throat to be grabbed.


    ¡°No!¡± Alessia screamed.


    Fiona gripped tightly on Enora¡¯s throat before looking back, her grotesque smile as wide as ever. ¡°You should never have touched that mound, Alessia.¡± In one fatal swoop, she ripped the flesh from her mother¡¯s throat, letting her body crash to the ground.

 Chapter 12: Gone

    She stared at the ground, where her mother lay. She sank to her knees, screaming and crying uncontrollably. Calien came running down the stairs short of Enora¡¯s body. ¡°Holy shit,¡± he muttered. Fiona disappeared, and the door to the back was closed. ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± He kneeled beside her.


    Alessia tried opening her mouth to explain but all she could manage were sobs. She touched her mother, hoping she could resurrect her. She closed her eyes, aiming her power into her mother¡¯s body but it didn¡¯t work. Calien pulled her away from the scene, but Alessia refused to budge. ¡°She has to wake up!¡± Alessia cried.


    Calien trembled, bringing her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alessia, but she¡¯s gone. There is nothing more you can do.¡±


    She shook her head and refused to give in to the attempts at bringing her mother back to life. ¡°I did it once, remember? With Animals and with Saiph.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone, Alessia,¡± Calien said, gripping her shoulders. ¡°Even if you could bring her back, she wouldn¡¯t be the same.¡± She kept staring at her mother¡¯s corpse. Her eyes were still wide and her mother¡¯s mouth a gape. Calien held Alessia tight as she tried fighting against him.


    This can¡¯t be real, it just can¡¯t be, Alessia thought. She cradled her mother¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, please!¡± she cried. She didn¡¯t know what else to do. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! She had blood on her hands and clothes from her mother¡¯s open wound on her throat, but she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Alessia,¡± she heard Calien say gently. ¡°We must get help as soon as the sun rises. For now, we should cover her body out of respect.¡±


    Alessia was unable to move. She kept staring at her mother¡¯s horror-struck face. She couldn¡¯t save her from Fiona. ¡°How am I going to break the news to my father?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if it comes from you and not somebody else.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll blame me.¡±


    ¡°Why would he blame you?¡±


    ¡°Because I watched it all happen! I watched Fiona rip the flesh from my mother¡¯s throat right in front of me!¡± she exclaimed. She stood up walking around the living room, muttering to herself. Biting the nails from her fingers, she paced back and forth¡ªFirst Kalix and now her mother.


    Doireann was not playing anymore. She wanted revenge and got it. ¡°Fuck,¡± she said, as the sun started coming up.


    Alessia wiped away tears trying to come out realizing she was all her father had now. He would be awake soon but she was unsure of how to tell him. She checked on her father. He was fast asleep, unaware of what occurred during the night. How did he not wake up from the noise?


    I can¡¯t do it, she thought. How am I supposed to tell him my mother ¨C his wife ¨C is dead?


    Calien left the house as the early morning light came up. He returned not long after with Stag guards. They were all in shock when they saw the corpse on the floor but remained calm. Alessia felt their eyes on her, as they studied the rest of the house to figure out what happened.


    ¡°Can you tell me your version of events?¡± Captain of the Guard, Uriel, asked her.


    ¡°One of the creatures found their way in and¡­¡± Alessia said, taking a deep breath. ¡°And she ¨C Fiona was right in front of us.¡±


    ¡°Fiona?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she calls herself. I suspect she is the leader of the Sluagh.¡±


    Uriel nodded. ¡°How did she get inside?¡± he asked her, his eyebrows furrowing and his arms crossed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mother and I¡­ we heard a noise in the middle of the night and woke up to see what it was but¡­¡±


    ¡°You had salt, didn¡¯t you? From what I understand, the Sluagh cannot enter a house where there is salt unless invited inside.¡±


    ¡°Calien was asleep, and only my mother and I were awake.¡±


    ¡°And your father ¨C Alaric?¡±


    ¡°Injured. He can¡¯t walk that well.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Uriel replied, shaking his head. The way he stared right through her made her nervous. Why did it sound like he didn¡¯t believe her? ¡°We need a more detailed version of what happened here, Miss Raith, but for now we need to take your mother¡¯s body away and into the morgue.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think?¡± Uriel snapped. ¡°To find out more about the attack.¡±


    The rest of the guards placed a white sheet over her mother¡¯s corpse, lifting her carefully outside into a small wagon.


    Her father woke up, but he stayed in bed. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake early. How did you sleep?¡± Alessia asked him.


    ¡°I had the strangest dream¡­¡±


    ¡°The craziest stories start with that sentence,¡± she chuckled, although it made her feel rather uneasy. ¡°What was it about?¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather.¡± She nodded, not having much to say to him. ¡°Where is your mother? Is she awake?¡±


    She sat there beside him, closing her eyes as she thought of what to say. When reopening them, she said, ¡°Something happened during the night, father.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he said in confusion. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    <hr>


    Her father demanded to see his wife after he was told everything, but Alessia forced him to sit back down on the bed. She tried her hardest not to cry in front of him. She never saw him like that, a crying mess and in full denial. What else could she say or do for him? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you have to find out this way but it¡¯s all true.¡±


    ¡°But everything was sealed ¨C right?¡± Alessia didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Alessia, was everything sealed?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°But how could that happen?" he exclaimed. ¡°We were supposed to be safe!¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew!¡± Alessia said. He was silent. The world around them stopped for once. Alaric fell back into the bed, wiping the tears from his face. Where do we go from here? Alessia thought.


    She watched her father¡¯s shoulders slump down. Everybody in Stag probably knew what had happened by now. Aunt Vilica and Uncle Delroy, along with Rinna and Elspeth visited them quickly. Word traveled around fast.


    Her cousins were crying and hugging Alessia. She recoiled a bit; worried Rinna would start something. ¡°Ale, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rinna said.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re sorry?¡± Alessia asked. ¡°If my mother hadn¡¯t died you would still be mad at me!¡±


    ¡°No, Alessia ¨C¡±


    ¡°Save it! You ignored me for days and suddenly everything is better between us?! Do you remember the things you said to me?¡±


    ¡°No one is mad,¡± Elspeth said. ¡°Rinna needed some time to cool down.¡± She was always the voice of reason, which was appreciated in such times.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I appreciate your condolences and taking the time out of your day to visit us, but now I am the one who needs time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand,¡± Rinna said. Alessia expected her to argue but she didn¡¯t.


    Alessia returned to her room without her father, hearing the sobs and the voices from downstairs. Calien knocked on the door, and she almost didn¡¯t answer it until he kept knocking. Her stomach was starting to cramp up, probably from not eating anything. ¡°Can I come in?¡± he asked.


    She tried not to let the stomach ache distract her from the conversation. ¡°Sure.¡± She let him into her room.


    ¡°Wanted to make sure you were okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. She¡¯s gone, and I could do nothing to save her.¡±


    Calien held her hand tightly. She felt a wave of relief hit her when he touched her hand. ¡°When my mother died, I felt like nothing could go right.¡±


    ¡°How did you cope with the loss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still coping,¡± he said, tightening the grip on her hand slightly. ¡°It¡¯ll get better, but there is no time limit on grief.¡±


    ¡°How did your mother pass away?¡± Calien became silent. She wondered if she should have said anything to him about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was rude to ask.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I want to answer,¡± he said. ¡°She died protecting me from bandits.¡± Alessia¡¯s heart ached for him. That sounded dreadful. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the details, I just know if I hadn¡¯t been playing far from home, she might be alive today.¡±


    ¡°Shit, sorry,¡± she whispered, feeling even worse about it.


    Calien shook his head. Alessia stayed quiet in case she said something stupid in front of him again. She hated thinking it brought more pain by bringing up his mother¡¯s death. ¡°We have one thing in common ¨C although I detest it,¡± he said. ¡°We lost our mothers in a horrible way.¡±


    ¡°It feels like it will never get better.¡±


    ¡°Only in time.¡±


    The pain in her stomach grew, the images of her mother on the ground making her nauseous. She quivered. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Before he answered, she doubled over in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, rushing to her side.


    ¡°My stomach just started hurting,¡± she said, holding her abdomen. ¡°Fuck ¨C it really ¨C hurts!¡± A sharp pain shot down her leg as if someone brought a knife to her flesh covered in salt.


    ¡°I will fetch the doctor and tell the maids to bring you tea.¡±


    She nodded, wincing in agony. Now more than ever she wished her mother was there by her side. Her gentle voice would have soothed her even if it didn¡¯t take the pain away. The maids ¨C Mara and Siobhan ¨C hurried to her bedroom with a tray of tea. They helped her into the bed to make her more comfortable.


    Alessia sipped the tea, but the pain did not subside.


    Calien returned with the doctor. He inspected her, listening to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. ¡°Breathing is jagged,¡± the doctor stated. He checked her abdomen next. ¡°No chance of pregnancy?¡±


    She was horrified and shook her head. ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Then it is likely you caught an illness.¡±


    What illness causes this much pain? She thought. ¡°What sort of illness?¡±


    ¡°Could be anything from the stomach influenza to you eating food that did not digest well,¡± the doctor explained. Very neurotypical doctor response. ¡°I do need to draw blood from you.¡± He took out the needle, injecting it into Alessia¡¯s arm. She froze when she saw the color of her blood.


    It was black.


    The doctor remained puzzled. ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why is it that color?¡± Alessia panicked. What was wrong with her? She fidgeted with her hair, as confused as ever.


    He shook his head. ¡°I ought to test it. This is far - far from normal.¡± The doctor¡¯s hand trembled as he put the vial of Alessia¡¯s blood into the doctor''s bag. ¡°The blood should be red but it¡¯s black as night!¡± Calien was watching, leaning against the door¡¯s threshold as the doctor put away his supplies and hurried out of the house without so much as a word.


    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± Calien asked her, concern etched on his face.


    ¡°Better, I suppose,¡± she replied. ¡°I highly doubt it¡¯s the end of it.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure why she was so calm after the doctor''s visit. ¡°There is only one person who might be able to help us with this. Jaera.¡±


    ¡°The shaman? She wasn¡¯t exactly friendly the last time we saw her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always like that,¡± Alessia said, standing up from her bed. ¡°She might know what the hell is going on with me.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, then.¡±


    <hr>


    Jaera heard a knock on the door, sighing because she knew who it was. Alessia Raith, the girl who would not leave her alone and her bodyguard. Who else would knock on her door? Nobody from Stag would dare go near her house out of fear of becoming cursed. She swung open the door, glaring at Alessia. ¡°What in Tirren¡¯s name do you want now?¡± She spoke.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Why? What is it this time?¡±


    Alessia crossed her arms, her lips trembling when she spoke. ¡°Last night something awful happened,¡± she said. ¡°One of the Sluagh entered my house and killed my mother.¡±


    Jaera¡¯s jaw tightened. Her initial rebuttal against Alessia started fading away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but how can I help with that?¡±


    ¡°I got sick, and when the doctor took my blood, it was black.¡±


    ¡°Black,¡± she whispered, shaking her head. ¡°All right, come in.¡± She hesitated to let them both in, but she felt bad Alessia lost her mother to one of those things. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have a vial of the blood, would you?¡±


    ¡°No. The doctor left in a hurry.¡±


    Niamh popped her head around the corner. ¡°Is that her?¡±


    ¡°Get back to your chores,¡± Jaera said. She curled her finger at Alessia and Calien, beckoning them to follow her into the other room. She closed the door and locked it. ¡°There is something I need to tell you before you tell me more. A few weeks ago, I was attacked by a hooded figure. So was my daughter. It was the reason I pushed you away, Alessia but now this is bigger than all of us.¡±


    ¡°The hooded figure? Oh, you mean Doireann.¡±


    Jaera tilted her head. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ she ended up being Sarah from her former life. I am one of the cult members who contributed to killing her family.¡±


    That was a lot of information to take in, she thought. ¡°You might need to start from the beginning. And don¡¯t leave out any details.¡±


    Alessia began explaining everything from the last few weeks, mentioning something about a corpse she raised back to life named Saiph. Jaera¡¯s mind was trying to wrap around everything she was told at that moment. ¡°That is¡­ a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the truth.¡±


    ¡°I believe you. I just never expected you to be someone else reincarnated. I truly thought you were Sarah at first and for that, I apologize.¡±


    Alessia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mistakes happen and I would never have known if she didn¡¯t show me my memories.¡±


    ¡°Right, well we have a big problem with that. She is trying to turn everything against you.¡±


    ¡°What would she want with me ¨C I mean other than revenge?¡± Alessia leaned up against the wall beside Calien, who remained quiet the whole time.


    ¡°Revenge is for certain. It seems like she was the one who conjured the Sluagh in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Why is it directed at the town and not at me? Everyone is in danger.¡±


    ¡°Because she wants you to suffer,¡± Jaera replied. ¡°It¡¯s a part of her vengeance. Her fury.¡±


    ¡°Bitch,¡± Alessia muttered under her breath, shaking her head. ¡°She should have just killed me then!¡± Jaera was not sure how to console the younger woman. ¡°And what the hell does she want with you and your daughter?¡±


    Jaera pinched her nose, walking around the small room back and forth. ¡°I don¡¯t know but that was why I had the dagger made.¡± Lundys made it according to her blueprint. The man knew what he was doing when he said he could enchant weapons if he had the proper gems, but nobody around asked him to do that because magic was forbidden. ¡°The dagger is used to control and protect.¡±


    ¡°Explains why I heard it calling to me.¡±


    ¡°You did? I never thought it was that strong. How did Lundys make such a thing?¡±


    ¡°He can use enchantments on weapons,¡± Jaera said, not wanting to tell them any more about her relationship with him and Niamh overhearing it. ¡°He will never tell me how he does it.¡± She was surprised he even made the dagger for her in the first place considering they barely talked before that. She did not feel like speaking with him again. She only spoke to him to protect her daughter. ¡°Niamh was able to speak with Doireann, but the issue was that I couldn¡¯t see her. Niamh could.¡±


    ¡°What happened between your daughter and Doireann?¡± Calien asked her.


    Jaera hated repeating it, but what other choice did she have? ¡°She received an injury on her leg from the woman, who I could not see evidently. I don¡¯t know exactly what went wrong, but not long after I had the dagger made, she attacked us again.¡± She showed them the wound on her shoulder. ¡°I received this, but I was able to banish her out.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°What the hell does she want?¡± She rubbed the side of her temple. ¡°I am at a loss to do. And I think she is the reason my blood turned black. It was not like that before.¡±


    Calien nodded. ¡°The fight with Ceinwen proved that your blood was red.¡±


    ¡°What fight?¡±


    Alessia shook her head. ¡°Nothing important. What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°The only thing we can do,¡± Jaera said, stepping closer. ¡°We fight back.¡±


    ¡°And then more people die. It doesn¡¯t matter what plan we have,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Doireann will continue to hurt the people closest to me. The next person could be my father or a relative.¡± Jaera understood where she was coming from but Niamh was also in danger.


    ¡°You came to me with this information willingly and then asked me what our plan of action was. We can¡¯t stop here.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it feels like she is always watching me.¡±


    Jaera placed both hands on Alessia¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Listen carefully,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t give people like Doireann power over you. It¡¯s what they want. To have some control in your life.¡±


    ¡°But what if she has the right to? After all, I did kill her family in my former life.¡± The hold the woman had on Alessia was far stronger than expected, but she just experienced the death of her mother. ¡°You need to take some time for yourself. The loss you had from last night is still messing with your brain. Plus, the illness you have must be making you fatigued. Go home and rest.¡±


    ¡°And what will you do in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°Stay here with my daughter, but first, I need some of your blood. There is a good chance the doctor who visited you won¡¯t be coming back.¡±


    Alessia nodded. She rolled up a sleeve, as Jaera found a small pin needle to prick her skin with and a vial to hold the blood. As told, Alessia¡¯s blood was black instead of crimson red. ¡°I will study this in my basement where I put my mother¡¯s old chemistry set away after her death. I do not do this often, but I will visit you in town sometime this week.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessia replied, her skin a ghastly pale. ¡°I will and thank you for the help.¡±


    After the girl left, the only thing Jaera could do was pray to Tirren for her. She would eventually need it.