In order to combat the debacle of the outside world I decide to start putting up parts of my Work in Progress every couple of days for those that are interested. It’s VERY rough, and I’m aware that there are going to be plot holes, bad grammar, and other horrible things. I haven’t named this yet either….
Prologue:
The moon was at its apex when there was a soft knock on the door.
“Who is it?” the woman asked sharply as she peered over the papyrus scroll in front of her.
“Azere, your highness. I have news” the man shuffled his feet, anxious to be out of the night.
The Lady sighed, rolling up the scroll and putting it in the drawer of the desk. “You may enter”.
Azere opened the door of the Round House, quickly shutting it as not to let the autumn wind disturb the contents of the library. He bowed to The Lady, standing at attention.
The Lady rolled her eyes asking with impatience, “what news do you bring?”
“Your daughter has been found, Lady.”
The Lady started suddenly before regaining her composure. “After 24 years you think that she was found? She is too smart for that. It is probably some mortal that looks like her, that is all.” The Lady turned to sit back down as Azere said,
“She is dead, your highness.”
The Lady turned and was suddenly in front of Azere. “Dead? How?”
“She was murdered, my lady. She was living in Kansas City, Missouri. I am told that she was stabbed with a silver dagger, and they carved runes into her. I’m sorry, my lady.” Azere bowed his head, waiting for the tidal wave he knew was to come.
The Lady stepped back from him and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared at Azere. “Runes, Azere? What sort of runes? What was their purpose? My daughter has not used her inheritance since she left the Sanctuary. She most likely no longer could use it.”
Azere shfted uncomfortably and looked at his feet. “They appear to be from the Lightbringer worshippers. We are unsure of why they killed her or why they marked her. They were the power runes, my lady. The ones that project outwards.”
The Lady abruptly moved and held the door open for Azere. “Thank you, my trusted kin. Please, I must say the prayers and be alone for now. Tell no one that the Prayer of Peace is gone. I will announce it tomorrow with the moon.”
Azere bowed and walked out of the library.
The Lady took a deep breath, pulled a piece of chalk from her pocket, and with shaking hands drew a circle with a line crisscrossing it on the floor. She stepped into it and with a soft voice called, “Raphael”. She waited another minute and spoke his name once more. After another minute with no response she raised her voice.
“Rafe, if you know what’s happened you will talk to me. Please. I beg of your mercy.”
A man appeared before The Lady, clothed in a white robe, his hands clasped together in front of him. Of average height, he met The Lady’s blue eyes with his own green eyes and nodded to her. “You’ve been begging for mercy a lot more lately than ever, Lady.”
The Lady wiped the tears from her eyes and took a shuddering breath. “Yes, well, millienia will do that to you I suppose. You have heard what has happened to my daughter, I assume?”
Raphael nodded, a look of sympathy passing over his gaze. “I have, Lady, and I am sorry. I know you were hopeful of her.”
“Please, let me see her one last time, Rafe. I know it’s in your power. Please, just let me talk to her. It’s been over two decades since I’ve seen her.” The Lady implored the man.
Raphael sighed and nodded his assent.
“Hello, mother” said a voice behind The Lady.
The Lady turned quickly, drinking in her daughter’s appearance. Though faint she could still see the red hair, the blue eyes, and the slight smile on her face.
“Arabella,” The Lady whispered, trying to touch her daughter’s face. “I am so so sorry-”
“Please, Mother, I don’t have much time and since you have called me here I would like to ask a favor of you.”
“Anything, my sweet, anything”.
“When we are done here I would like to see my daughter before I’m gone”. The world came crashing down around The Lady, her knees buckling with weakness. Raphael brought her a chair and she sat in it, nodding her thanks.
“A daughter? How old? Is she…” The Lady asked quietly.
“Twenty three, mother, and yes, she is of the blood. More powerful than any I have ever seen. I taught her to cloak at a young age so she wouldn’t be found. She has no idea. I hid everything from her, Mama, but because of my work I was able to educate her just the same. She is beautiful, and kind, and smart, and feisty as hell. I hope she has been protected enough to stay hidden from this world.” Arabella looked at her mother, driving home her intentions. “She needs to stay away from here, from you, do you understand?”
“Ari, my child, I don’t know if that’s possible”. As Arabella had been speaking, The Lady understood why the runes had been carved and what the purpose was. “Your inheritance, the blood, is it all gone from you? What did you do to keep it away?” She asked frantically.
Arabella looked away from her mother and murmured, “no. It’s never been fully gone. In fact, it’s probably more potent due to my locking it away. I fed only when I had to and only to cloak myself. I have been famous in the mortal world for all these years and you never knew it”.
The Lady closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You arrogant fool. Yes, it will be more potent and do you know what they did to your body, I would guess as you were taking your last breath? They marked it, Ari, they put runes of projection on your body. If your daughter sees them, if she recognizes runes, she will inherit your blood as well. She will be the most powerful of several generations, she will be almost as powerful as me. Why, why did you hide and do this to me? And to her?”
Arabella reeled back in shock and covered her face with her hands. “I-I thought I was protecting her. I wanted her to have a normal life. I wanted to have a normal life. I did not want to be the Prayer.”
“Well now you are the condemnation of the sanctuary most likely. Everyone here will be gone because you wanted normal. Is there anyone who knows of you? Of this place? They will have to bring her here for her protection now.”
“No, NO. She can’t…”
“She must. It’s the only way.”
“A friend of hers is a seer, a descendent of Cassandra, she shares the name. She knows or suspects what we are but has never said anything. But no, my daughter, please, Mother, let me speak to her. Let me say goodbye and tell her not to go near the body or look at the runes. Please, if you still have love for me, please, Lady of the Moon, please.” Arabella cried.
The Lady looked at Raphael who nodded back at her. “As you wish, Arabella. Daughter of the Lady, The Prayer of Peace, the Hope of the Lost. May you rest at last. May you sing the songs of joy that you were taught. May you love over us and keep us safe. May your daughter be blessed and found. So it shall be done”. The Lady blew a kiss to her daughter. “One last question. What did you name her?”
“Amara,” Arabella said as she faded from sight. “Her name is Amara.”
Raphael looked at the Lady one more time and asked her, “do you know what will happen now? The Lightbringer tribe will be looking for her. They will want to use her strength for themselves. She will have the strength to unlock the door. He must not be woken.”
The Lady stood up, using her foot to wipe the line out from the circle. “I am aware, Rafe. It seems the timetable has been sped up. We thought we had more time with Arabella running away, and we were waiting for the next generation to see who would be strong. It appears we have that answer now. Plans must be made.”
Raphael nodded and replied, “I wish you Godspeed, Lady. Maybe you should never have had a child with him”.
The Lady retorted, “you act like there was any choice in the matter.”
Raphael raised his eyebrows in surprise and then understanding flooded his eyes.
“Lady, all these years and you never said…”
“What would have been the point, Rafe? I am evil, remember?” she said bitterly.
Raphael faded, and replied, “if only that were true…”
“Amara”.
I sat straight up in bed, reaching over to my lamp and turning it on. I looked around my room, noticing the normal shadows from the oak tree in the front yard, the chair holding my clothes under the window, and the paintings on the walls.
I took a deep breath and looked around again. I was sure I had heard my name, in a voice similar to my mother’s, and it woke me up from a dead sleep. It couldn’t have been; she was most likely asleep in her own home.
Knowing I would not be able to go back to sleep, I pushed the covers off my pale legs, grabbed my black sweatpants off the ground where I always leave them, and opened my bedroom door. There was a shadow moving towards my kitchen. I quickly closed my door, locking it, and grabbed my phone off the nightstand, poised to dial 911 and report a dead intruder.
I opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out my Ka-Bar knife that I kept nestled in its sheath. Slowly stepping back towards the door, I opened it quietly, breathing through my mouth, and scanning the hallway. I saw the shadow move again and I stepped lightly towards the kitchen, the knife held loosely in front of me.
I peeked around the corner in the kitchen and saw nothing but my curtains blowing in the breeze. I didn’t remember leaving the window open but stranger things had happened. I guess the curtains were causing the shadows. Shrugging, I walked into the kitchen to shut the window.
“Amara”.
I whirled around to find the voice and saw an outline of my mother standing by my refrigerator. I could see through her but it was her…and a dark stain across her chest and abdomen. I gasped and held up my knife to her.
“Mom? Is that you? I swear I didn’t drink that much last night,” I said softly as I rubbed my eyes with my right hand.
The apparition rolled it’s eyes and held out its hand. “Holy Soundgarden, child, you see your mom’s ghost and you think that you drank too much? I am a…I was a demonologist, you would think that you would have remembered something from what I’ve told you.”
“Well yea, but I didn’t expect to be woken up by the ghost of the mother I talked to a few hours…wait. Mom…you’re dead?” My voice faltered as what I was seeing finally sunk in. My mother was dead.
“Amara, I don’t have much time. It’s not usual for someone to be allowed to appear so soon but I pulled some strings. I know, baby, I know, I’m so sorry and I’m going to miss you but you have to listen to me right now, do you understand? You’re in danger, horrible danger, and I need you to listen to me,” Mom raised her hand to caress my face as usual but there was nothing but cold air.
I swallowed back a sob and nodded to her. My mother is, was, a demonologist who spoke at paranormal conferences around the globe. She was the best paranormal researcher in the world and she was famous for it mostly due to her no nonsense approach and her refusal to be used as a charlatan.
“That’s a good girl. The police will be here soon to tell you that I’m dead and have you identify my body. I’m not in good shape and there are runes cut into my abdomen. Do not look at them, whatever you do. They will most likely show a video feed of my body to you but if they don’t you must not look at anything besides my face. Do you understand me?” I nodded to her and opened my mouth to ask a question.
“No, there isn’t time, baby. Call Cassandra and have her stay with you, okay? Don’t have a ridiculous funeral, burn me, say the words, and then let me go, do you understand?” She looked at me imploringly, my beautiful mother, wishing she could embrace me as much as I did her.
“One last thing, Amara, my love, my beautiful daughter, I need you to keep your cloak on, do you understand? Keep it tight and don’t let it down even a little, especially not near those runes. Terrible things will happen if you don’t stay cloaked. Do you remember how to cloak?”
“Cloaked? You mean that game we played when I was a kid? I haven’t thought about that in years. That’s a weird request, mom, even from you, and even on this very weird night”.
“Amara, you are cloaked right now, it’s an instinct now, and it was no game. You have to remember not to let it drop, do you understand me?”
I sighed as I did frequently when my mom gave me instructions and nodded. “Yes, I will cloak.”
My mother sighed, as she did frequently when talking to me, and then smiled. “My time is up, daughter of mine. I will not be able to contact you for a while or maybe not ever, I’m not sure. You are my greatest accomplishment and my greatest love,daughter of the moon, prayer of the lost, seeker of the found. I have done everything for you and your protection. I love you so much, Amara.” She again tried to caress my face and tears started pouring down my cheeks.
“Momma, I love you. I’ll remember. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.” I bent over sobbing, trying to hold in the pain.
“Hush now, hush. The police will be here soon and they can’t know that you already know, okay? Dry your eyes. I love you,” my mother, Arabella Darlow, said her last words as she faded before my eyes.
The police knocked on my door an hour later. I had enough time to sob uncontrollably, wash my face, and lay back down to have creases in order to appear to have been asleep. They were very gentle when they told me of my mother’s death and requested me to identify the body. I changed into jeans and a hoodie and took a few minutes to call my best friend, Cassandra.
She answered the phone with, “I know, I’m so sorry, Mari. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“Cass,” I choked out, “you don’t have to be there…”
“Yes, Amara, I’m afraid I will most definitely need to be there,” she said softly. I told her goodbye and headed to the front door. Cassandra was psychic, a find of my mother’s a few years ago. She had been living on the streets of the Paseo, telling fortunes and trying to keep the pimps at bay. Mom brought her to live with us and saved her.
I stepped into the kitchen and told the officers I was ready to go. I followed them out the door, locking it, and got into the back of the patrol car.
I remembered my mom’s weird request about the cloak and remembered being five or six and getting ready for school.
“Okay, Mari, are you ready to go? Lunch packed in your bag? You have your coat?”
“Yes, and yes!” I replied, excited knowing the game way coming.
“And now we cloak! We pullllll it around our shoulders,” she singsonged as we both pretended to throw a cloak around our shoulders, “and we pullllll it tight! Then we pull the hood over our heads, and we are safe from the cold, safe from the dreary, safe from the dark, and safe from the weary! Only the light, the happy, and the love shall fall on us!” we sang as we patted our imaginary cloaks into place. I always thought the song was a way to teach me not to let bullies and scary things get you down but now I began to wonder…
We arrived at the hospital and the car pulled around to the back. The officer let me out and walked me to a nondescript door. “We’re taking the back entrance, Miss Darlow, that way you won’t have to walk through the whole hospital.”
I nodded at him, going through the door, “my friend, Cassandra, is going to meet us there. Will she be able to find us?”
The officers glanced at each other and then nodded. “If she asks for the morgue then they will be able to find us. Please, follow me.” The officer turned and walked down a long hallway and I followed him.
We arrived at the morgue and they had me sign in. An intern nodded at the officers and then glanced at me. “I’m sorry for your loss, miss. Our video feed is acting up and you’ll have to view the actual body. I apologize for the trauma.”
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at the intern. “it’s fine. It will be traumatic no matter how I do this. My friend, Cassandra, will be here shortly.”
The intern replied, “she can’t come into the morgue, I’m sorry, but she can wait here.”
I thanked him and then looked at the officers. “I’m ready.”
The tall officer nodded his head and ushered me to a door to the left of us. He held the door open and we walked into the cool, gray walled room. A bald man stood beside a covered body, his face a mask of sympathy.
“Ms. Darlow, my name is Dr Michael. I am so sorry that you have to do this but as her only living kin we have to have you identify that this is your mother.”
“I understand,” I said as I mentally braced myself and pulled my cloak even tighter.
Dr Michael nodded at me and murmured, “good girl. Brace yourself”.
I glanced at him as he pulled the sheet from my mother’s face and then looked down. It was a shock but not as much as seeing her in my kitchen less than two hours ago. Her alabaster skin was almost translucent now with the loss of blood. Her curly red hair framed her face like a halo. She looked like she was sleeping on that cold table and my eyes brimmed with tears. Her lips would not curve in a soft smile anymore, her eyes laughing as she watched the world through the lens of someone who saw more than most people. I had lost my mother, but the world had lost even more.
I nodded and looked at Dr Michael. “That’s my mother. Arabella Darlow. Can I go now?”
The doctor nodded his assent and I turned away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the tall officer grab the sheet over my mother and rip it off the table. I tried to turn away, remembering my mother’s words, and the short officer spun me towards her.
I tried to shut my eyes but before I could I caught a glimpse of the runes. Pain lashed my chest, as though I had been stabbed as well, the runes crisscrossing my stomach to match my mother’s wounds. A silver glow came from her body and connected to me as I tried to breathe. The officer still held onto me, keeping me from moving away, though I was unsure if I could anyway.
I could feel my cloak unravelling as I tried to keep my scream inside me. New emotions swelled in me as I looked at my mother. Rage, triumph, sorrow, and glee swirled inside me as I tried to get away from the officer.
Dr. Michael grabbed the tall officer and stabbed him with a short silver knife he pulled from his coat pocket. He pulled the knife and slashed the man’s throat, muttering under his breath in a language I almost understood.
The shorter officer finally let go of me, and the bridge that glowed between my mother and I died. I pulled my cloak tight around me again, and tried to run for the door. Dr Michael grabbed my hand, whispering urgently, “Amara, you don’t understand, I have to prot-”.
The officer reached towards the doctor and I jerked myself free. The door swung open and Cassandra grabbed me. “We must leave. Now.”
I followed her out the door, running towards the door we had come in, the intern watching us leave with cold eyes.
“You can’t escape the Lightbringers,” she called.
Cassandra replied, “the Lady of the Moon says otherwise” as we ran into the night.
the fighter still remains 