Page 92

Ten Years Earlier…

As Mama and I prepare dough to make some bread to accompany the game the men bring home, a loud boom echoes off in the distance, giving us pause. “What was that, Mama?” I ask.

Mama’s mouth tightens as she returns to kneading the dough. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” she murmurs. “Just keep working that dough. Your Papa and brother should be here any moment.”

As if summoned by her words, Papa and Cahir rush inside of our estate, as sounds of terror rip across the valley.

Papa drops his bow on the table. “Riona,” Papa shouts.

“We don’t have much time.” Papa hurriedly closes up every window, running through the house faster than I’ve ever seen him move.

Papa’s eyes are wild as fear bleeds into every movement and action.

Cahir follows suit, securing the opposite side of the house.

As the screams outside echo, Mama’s beautiful face blanches. “Have they finally come, my heart?” she calls.

Papa reenters the kitchen, his shoulders slumped as he slowly nods. “Yes, Riona,” he whispers. Glancing at me, he sighs. “It’s now or never.”

Trembling, Mama drops the dough she’s kneading.

Slowly, she and Papa move to stand in front of me.

Their mouths are pinched as they exchange looks of hesitation.

Mama nods once, glancing at Papa’s waistband.

I scrunch my face in confusion as Papa removes a small carving knife.

Papa takes one deep breath, then he slices his palm with the sharp blade.

He winces, watching the crimson blood flow along the gash. “Papa?” I gasp. “What are you doing?”

Papa kneels before me, smiling sadly. His blue eyes are the deepest shade of the ocean as fear darkens them.

Blinking rapidly, I look down at his bloodied hand, trying to understand.

He tilts my chin with one of his fingers, gaining my full attention.

“Be very brave, my Maevriana,” he whispers.

My chest tightens as my heart aches. I don’t understand why he’s saying this when I’ll always have him to protect me.

Why must I be brave? However, Papa’s harried appearance gives me pause, because whatever frightens him must be truly terrible.

Handing his knife to Mama, she also makes a cut along her palm, allowing the blood to drip to the floor. Mama’s nostrils flare as her soft tears trail down her cheeks.

Together, they place their bloodied hands over my pendant. “Our blood, we give,” Papa sighs.

“With love, we seal,” Mama chokes out.

“We bind our abilities to the Dragon’s Flame, until the Na Fíréin wakes for the god to claim,” Papa continues.

“Protect Siorai’s chosen, so our land will heal,” Mama cries.

Papa hesitates, shuddering as soft tears form in his waterline. Swallowing thickly, he finishes, “For what’s bound in darkness, only light can reveal.”

The darkness of her shadows and the brilliance of his light mingle and dance as they swirl around my pendant.

It’s a beautiful and eerie display as their abilities mold into one.

Then, their abilities flood out of them as my pendant accepts it as its own.

Every drop of shadow and starlight is leached from their bodies as it enters the Dragon’s Flame.

I blink rapidly as I watch their once vibrant signet tattoos fade entirely from their beings.

Then, the swirling stops and there is no longer a dance of their abilities. Slowly, they pull their hands away. “Did it work?” Mama asks.

Papa opens his palms in concentration, and my heart drops as not even an ounce of starlight swirls within them.

They actually did it.

They gave up their gifts… to protect me.

Cahir stomps into the kitchen, nostrils flaring. “What have you done?” he snarls. “You’ve nothing left to defend yourselves against the dark forces.”

“We’ve done what we must,” Mama mumbles.

Standing to his full height, Papa helps Mama from the floor.

Then, he turns his gaze to Cahir and me.

“When they come,” Papa says solemnly, “go to the woods when I give the signal. Run and don’t look back.

Cahir, when the coast is clear, take your sister to Aurelius.

A kind family has offered to take you both in and hide you.

You’ll be safe there… for a time. However, when the day comes that you must return to face this evil, promise me you’ll face it together. ”

“Yes, Papa,” we promise.

As the tears flow, Papa pulls each of us into a group hug one last time. Though I tell myself this isn’t the last time we’ll be together, somehow I know that it is. Our lives have changed quickly, and somehow I don’t see those things halting any time soon.

Then, a bolt of fire barrels through the house, striking the roof. I scream as flames dance above us, while my father shields us beneath his body. Smoke quickly fills the small space, as flames lick hungrily at the wooden beams. “We must get out,” Papa yells. “Follow me! Stay low!”

One by one, we crawl out of the kitchen as the sound of the crackling roof grows louder. The first in the line after Papa is Cahir, then me, leaving Mama at the end. A flame strikes right above my head, giving me pause as the heat seers my back.

My thoughts are muddled as the support beams above are consumed by the fire. Suddenly, a cracking sound echoes from above as if one of the beams is ready to break at any moment. Mama pushes me, attempting to propel me forward. “Keep going. I’m right behind you. It’s alright.”

Steadying my breath, I focus on my brother crawling ahead of me instead of the sounds of wood snapping. I grit my teeth as the exertion of dragging my body slows me down. Every muscle in my arms and abdomen ache with the effort, but I keep moving. I must keep moving.

I scream as a loud snap reverberates above us. “Faster,” Mama cries. “Faster, Maeva.”

I make the mistake of looking up at the beam, and to my horror, it falls.

Everything happens in slow motion. Mama’s eyes widen in horror as she watches the fire-riddled wood barreling toward us.

I’m frozen in shock, unable to move. Mama smiles sadly, a single tear falling.

“I love you,” she shouts. Then, she shoves my body with all the strength that she can muster.

My body rolls into Cahir just as the beam that would’ve crushed me collapses on top of my mother.

My heart shatters into a million pieces as the flames consume her broken body, her blood oozing across the floor. “Mama!” I scream. Mama doesn’t move as the fire chars her flesh. I crawl to her. “No, you can’t have her,” I shout.

However, Cahir latches onto my legs, dragging me from the burning room. Before I can run back into the inferno, my brother gathers me in his arms in a vise grip. “We have to get her, Cahir. We can’t leave her,” I wail, clawing at his arms

Papa stands in front of me, his hands landing on my shoulders. “Maevriana, stop! You have to listen to me,” Papa commands. Reluctantly, I stop clawing Cahir and look at my father through blurry vision. “Mama is gone, and right now, she’d want you to be brave. You have to run when I tell you to go.”

I collapse against his chest. “I don’t understand,” I sob.

He wraps his arms around us. “I know,” his voice quakes. “I wish I could take this from you, but I can’t, sweetheart. You must be brave… for Mama. For Malvoria. For me.” Releasing us, he plants a kiss atop our heads. “I love you both until Eternity.”

Then, he is dragging us to the side door. He halts as shouts from men echo outside along our small valley estate. Grabbing the handle, Papa straightens his spine. “Remember to run when I tell you,” he whispers. “Don’t look back… no matter what.”

Reluctantly, we nod our heads.

Then, we follow Papa out of the burning house to face whoever awaits us.

Upon our exit, I cough violently as I breathe in the first gulps of fresh air.

My legs tremble as I steady myself. Then, something in the haze catches my attention.

I squint my eyes to see who our attackers are, and my heart plummets when I recognize the obsidian armor of twelve soldiers…

standing alongside the prince that I loved.