Page 28 of Daughter of the Dark Sun
“He will be otherwise occupied in the capital of your Federation. Do not worry about him, sweetling. There is a war to come. Allies to recruit, weapons to ready. Your coming marks the beginning of the end, this is what the Oracle tells me. Her visions are not always clear, but in each there is a man by your side. Consumed by the shadows, sacrificed to do what must be done. You must find him, Apattar.”
“Consumed by shadows?” she asked, the question heavy on her tongue. “What do you mean?”
“In truth, I do not fully know; dreams can be hazy. But always, the man is shrouded in shadows, with a storm in his eyes and blood in his dreams. Your paths will cross, of this I am sure. And once they do, you will bring him to me.” A smile spread across Laisha’s face, toothy and awkward as if her muscles were trying to remember how to move.
“I know this man,” Apattar breathed. “Not who he his, but we have met before. His eyes… I could never forget those eyes. Gray and silver, dark currents that pulled me in until I was drowning. There is something evil about him. He would twist me if I tried to touch whatever darkens his mind.”
Laisha stood tall and looked to the north, past the dread volcano that seemed to grow with each passing day. Her face grew wan, and for a moment, Apattar thought the slaver who somehow thought the young woman special might cry. With a jerk of her head, Laisha turned back, a somber look on her face.
“There are many evil things in this world. The wounds festering in the darkness of the Night are not among them,neha.Perhaps what you are afraid of is that he is yourliraes. It cannot be a coincidence you already know of whom I speak.”
Apattar’s heart stopped when she heard the wordliraes. That already impossible dream of freedom seemed within reach at last. But the prospect of love, a connection forged by the First Harmonic itself? The thought never touched the edges of her thoughts, even as a girl, when the world was not quite so dismal.
A fire ran through her veins, restarting the beat of her fractured heart. It quickened, rising faster and faster with anticipation of what aliraescould mean. Love, for most, but who could want her? Fear and subservience, loyalty perhaps. But love? Confusion mixed with excitement, an entire life of possibilities laid out ahead.
“You speak of an impossibility. I am not meant to be loved,” she said at last, averting her gaze from Laisha.
“You were also not meant to live, but here you are. Is it so hard to believe blessings do exist? I must leave now, the future is yours to decide. But you will know how to find me when it is time—if you wish.” The pale woman flicked her wrist as she spoke. A shimmering opaque portal snapped open in front of Apattar, waves of dry heat pulling her into a comforting embrace.
Laisha leaned down and kissed Apattar’s forehead, soft as a spring breeze. The faint scent of lilac and roses wafted through the air as the pale woman moved backwards, soft violet eyes clouded with tears. Apattar had rarely seen the woman express emotion; even her laughter somehow felt hollow. Apattar knew the woman did not share all she knew, but she could not collect her thoughts enough to ask anything else.
A liraes? Do not twist my heart with such cruel impossibilities!
“I will be thinking of you, sweetneha,”Laisha said as she pulled away. “Many long years may pass before we meet again, yet you have brought this old black soul a spark of hope. Thank you, Apattar, who calls herselfevranenith. Thank you. Listen toyour heart, sweetling.” Laisha caressed Apattar’s scarred cheek, then stepped back and urged the woman onwards.
Apattar turned and took a step forward, then looked back one last time at Laisha, now silently crying behind milk-white hands. She turned back to the portal and ran through before her tears came as well.
This could be the start of her life, she told herself. She would not find herself in a gilded prison—or worse. Not again. She would rather die or try to kill anyone who stood in her way.
A final wisp of cold air licked at her heels. The portal snapped shut, leaving Apattar without her senses in the suffocating heat.
After the shock of the desert heat lessened, the runaway found herself ready to return home. A soft melody, full of sorrow and hope, blew past with the breeze. Apattar sang along as she crossed the hot sands, inching ever closer to the long-awaited turning point of her life.
fifteen
Spider Silk
“Come, brother! The sunis already climbing the sky, yet you’re in here sleeping the day away. I believe it is still considered rude to ignore social decorum, despite all your numerous attempts to break them. Come, up. Up!”
Adon’s bright and clear voice pierced Therat’s ears. A grumble rose from his throat in reply. He shifted and pulled the cotton sheets over his face, ignoring his brother.
Not today. Not with her around.
“Therat! I don’t need to ask nicely.”
A flutter of wings filled the air. A beak pecked at the exposed soft flesh of a foot dangling over the edge of the bed. Therat kicked back, squarely hitting the bird before tossing the covers aside. He bolted up, a look of mild annoyance on his face.
This was a common game of Adon’s. At the foot of his bed stood the young man with long curly black hair, soft gray eyes sparkling with delight against his burnt sienna skin. A flurry of tan feathers fell around him, disappearing into a golden shimmer before they hit the floor. A sly grin flickered across his face.
“Good morning at last, dear brother.” Adon sat at the foot of the bed. “What is left of it, at least. Come, try to have some fun today. It is Ninann’s coming of age, after all. Your brooding could use a break. This may be our last big adventure before the ships leave port next month.”
“Get out, Adon,” Therat barked in reply, not caring how harsh he sounded. “Go spend the day with your friend, but leave me alone. Please.” Therat’s shoulders rolled with a heavy sigh as he ran tattoo-covered fingers through his shorter black curls.
Ninann served as a reminder of everything he had sacrificed in life, all the bonds and friendships unattainable for someone like him. The shadows were his companion instead, slowly driving the man toward insanity. How long would he suffer, holding onto scraps of his mind? He tried to remind himself of the promise he had made to his mother.
Therat glanced at the floor, observing a small puddle of bile and wine already half-dried on the cracked dirt floor. He shoveda pillow off, covering the mess before his twin saw it, then turned back with a frown.
“Gods, this again?” Adon said, hands flying up in exasperation. “You are my soulbound, I am not leaving you forever if I marry her!”
