Child of Blackwen (An Artemis Ravenwing Novel Book 1) (13 page)

Jack felt Talisa push his jaw shut. He hadn’t realized it was hanging in the first place.

“It’s rude to gawk,” Talisa said while walking toward the well. “It seems I’ll have to instruct you in manners as well.”

“B-But…”

Jack couldn’t finish his sentence. He was in awe of the sacred ground he now stood upon.

“You know of this place.” Talisa smiled. “Good. You’ll become more familiar with it during your apprenticeship.”

“Talisa, this is sacred ground.
Kiare’s
sacred ground,” Jack noted. “How is this possible?”

“You know the color of my robes indicate that I am a vassal of Kiare. Long ago, I was appointed the guardian of the Grove of Kiare’s Mirror,” Talisa explained. Her nails tapped along the edge of the well. “I have always brought my apprentices here, to test their heart as well as their spirit. If they successfully open the gateway and see into the mirror without being overcome by greed for power, then they are worthy of my tutelage.”

“What happens if they fail?”

“Are you certain you wish to know?” she asked.

Jack gulped and shook his head.

“Never ask the questions you do not want the answers to,” Talisa instructed.

Fair enough
, Jack thought. “How did you earn the right to become the guardian?”

“When you serve the realm for as long as I have, even the goddesses learn to appreciate you,” Talisa answered. “No, I will not reveal my true age to you. Get that question out of your mind.” She paused a moment. “All I will say is that I am one of the oldest living servants of the water goddess. She saved me from a future of darkness. I walk the pathways of this world for as long as she desires.

“Kiare wanted someone who would not be corrupted by the power of the mirror. She wanted someone who would use the mirror in a time of need, like war, and she granted me the privilege of weeding out the overzealous bastards from the ones who genuinely wish for my tutelage. It is important to her that my legacy continues in others, for the sake of the Woodland Realm and Arrygn as a whole. The mirror is also used in determining who should join the ranks of the Elders in each elven realm.”

Goddesses, what have I gotten myself into?
Jack thought. “So my next test comes from the mirror. What am I supposed to see?”

“The mirror shows the viewer one of many possible futures,” Talisa explained.

“Hence why it must only be used in a time of need,” Jack said, now understanding what would happen if one took advantage of the mirror’s power.

“Yes.” Talisa moved aside and motioned for Jack to look into the mirror. “A warning, however—”

“Not everything I see will be pleasant,” Jack cut her off. He peered into the water. “Yes, I understand that part well enough.”

Jack grazed the surface of the water mirror with a finger, and it responded with a glow.

Tribute
.

Jack was startled when he heard the word in his mind, though he should have expected it after his event with the trees. He looked at Talisa, and she tightened her lips. He was on his own again.

He tapped his fingers along the surface, and the glow brightened along his fingertips. An idea for a tribute came to him.

“I don’t suppose you have anything sharp on you?” Jack asked.

Talisa’s brow furrowed. “For what?”

“It would be helpful right now if you did.”

Talisa shook her head, and Jack sighed. He wasn’t one for carrying knives, but he made a mental note to start doing so.

He soon found a few small rocks and struck one with the other. A few sharp pieces fell to the ground after a several strikes, and Jack picked one up to inspect it. Satisfied, he returned to the well and held a finger above the water mirror. He made a clean cut in the tip of his index finger, and a few drops of blood fell into the surface, dispersing in swirls.

Accepted
.

Jack dropped the rock shards to the ground, and he pressed his finger against his palm to staunch the bleeding. As he looked into the mirror, he saw images beginning to form. He didn’t even notice Talisa move closer to the well, curious for what was to come.

Before the images were fully formed, the voice of the mirror spoke once more to Jack:

You will see what no other has seen before. Beware the repercussions, elf mage. It could alter the age of peace Arrygn has long been promised
.

“Wait, wh—” Jack said.

The images formed and silenced him. Jack saw a woman running in parts of the forest he did not recognize. As he studied the woman, he felt his stomach drop—she had long, dark brown hair, pale skin, and wore dark clothing. Her right shoulder was caked with dried blood.

Artemis?
Jack asked himself.
What happened to you? What are you doing?

He saw her stop and reach into her boots for a weapon he did not recognize. They were thin blades the length of his forearm with curved prongs extending from the extensively onyx and garnet jeweled hilt; definitely something that Artemis would have.

Another woman came into view, stalking Artemis from behind. She had short red hair and cold, gray eyes. The woman had black clothes that clung tightly to her body, a lengthy black coat, and boots that made Jack cringe, especially at the sight of the heels. She too carried weapons like Artemis’, only the jewels in the hilt were all onyx.

Jack’s nerves worsened as he realized the woman looked as if she was related to Artemis.

The woman lunged after Artemis and missed as Artemis sidestepped.

“You’re still sloppy, Arlina,” Artemis said, her weapons raised.

Jack frowned, noticing her eyes as well as the voice difference. The eyes were violet, not hazel. And the voice…the voice was much older and so soft. Artemis’ voice was soft only when she spoke to Shadow.

You’re not Artemis
, Jack realized.
You’re the other side of the mirror—her mother
.

The woman named Arlina snarled as she pointed the sharp, thin blade in Artemis’ mother’s direction.

“Your time is ending, Tamina!” Arlina spat. “You and your halfbreed brat are all that’s left in my way before I can claim my right as Mistress of Blackwen City.”

“Killing off the Ravenwing clan doesn’t give you the right to be leader, Arlina,” Tamina said, disgusted. “It only makes you a common animal. Even pigs have more honor than you do.”

“They have more honor than
you
, dear sister,” Arlina answered, equally disgusted. “You brought a diluted bitch into the world after mating with that human.” Arlina dramatically shuddered. “I wouldn’t enjoy the kill as much as I could if she were a full-blood.”

“Watch your tongue,” Tamina threatened, her irises shifting to red. “You won’t find Artemis. Even when you think you have, just remember that not everything is as it seems.”

She was Talisa’s friend all right
, Jack smiled.

“Spare me the drivel.” Arlina rolled her eyes as she ran after Tamina with raised weapons. Her gray eyes made the shift to red as well. “Tonight, you die.”

Oh, that’s original
, Jack mocked. The two began to fight, and another thought came to him.
Wait a minute, the mirror is supposed to show me one of many possible futures. Artemis’ mother is dead. She
is
dead, right?

Then he remembered the mirror’s words—
you will see what no other has seen before
. Jack felt his stomach churn.

He knew what the mirror planned to show him.

Jack watched as Tamina dodged Arlina’s strikes with a fluid grace, almost as if she were dancing. You could tell she spent time with the elves with the way she moved. The dance went on for some time before Tamina’s weapon hit her mark. Arlina backed away as she clutched her shoulder. Crimson blood dripped from her claw-like fingertips.

“Do you yield?” Tamina asked while twirling the weapon to rid it of Arlina’s blood.

Arlina glared at her sister, and she spat saliva, which landed on Tamina’s feet.

Tamina sighed. “You are a fool, sister. I truly wish it didn’t have to come to this.”

Despite the shoulder injury, Arlina dashed after Tamina and resumed her barrage of attacks. Tamina dodged them with more ease, and struck at Arlina’s other shoulder. The odd weapon went much farther in than the previous strike, and the blade now protruded from the other side of her sister’s body.

Jack cringed, rubbing his own shoulder.

Arlina retreated once more, and she fell to her knees while clutching the other shoulder and Tamina’s weapon. Tamina twirled her free weapon
and walked toward her sister. Her face showed no signs of remorse; Jack wondered if Artemis would be the same if she were to fight.

Returning his focus to the scene, Jack noticed Arlina’s hand slipping inside her jacket. Tamina continued to advance and did not seem to notice the gesture as he had.

Tamina stood before Arlina and grabbed the hair from the back of her head, forcing her to look Tamina in the eyes.

“You can answer for your crimes to Avilyne herself,” Tamina whispered. “Let the goddess of death cast her judgment once I send you to the pathways.”

“Not before I send you there first,” Arlina declared with a smug expression.

Before Tamina could deliver the killing blow, Jack was startled by a loud blast. He heard Talisa gasp beside him.

Tamina’s face twisted in pained horror, and Arlina grinned. Tamina’s waist moistened with her blood, and Jack felt himself shake. He stared at the weapon in Arlina’s hand and recognized it to be a flintlock pistol.

I thought only sailors and merchants used those
, Jack thought.
What is a
vampire
doing using one?

“Didn’t think I’d confront you without a trick up my sleeve, did you, sister?” Arlina mocked.

“I knew you were dishonorable,” Tamina started, as she coughed up blood and glared at Arlina, “but to rely on
that
…how far you’ve fallen, Arlina.”

Arlina grabbed Tamina by the back of her head.

“This,” Arlina said, while waving the flintlock pistol, “you should thank your human husband for.”

Tears welled up in Tamina’s eyes. “Gavin?”

Arlina noticed Tamina was growing weaker the longer the gunshot wound bled out. Arlina violently shook Tamina’s head to keep her awake.

“Stay with me for just a little longer, you pitiful excuse of a Ravenwing woman,” Arlina whispered. “You should hear this before meeting the goddess of death.”

Tamina shut her eyes. She cried out when Arlina shoved the flintlock pistol into her wound.

“Before your lovely husband told me where you ran off to, we both agreed that I was the better choice to carry out your demise. He gave me this wonderful gift,”—Arlina dangled the pistol in Tamina’s face— “and in return I allowed him a…safe…return to the city of his birth. The catch, however,”—Arlina raised the flintlock pistol to Tamina’s forehead— “was that I had to shoot you once, just once, as if it came from him. Pretty diabolical for a human, wouldn’t you say? He would have made a hell of a vampire, you know, but I didn’t feel like soiling my lips with his filthy blood. After all, we both know where he’s been.”

Tamina spat her blood in Arlina’s face and received a smack from the butt of the pistol in return. Arlina wiped the blood away, and Jack felt his hands curl into fists.

“The first shot was from him, sister. This one,” Arlina began in glee, while pushing the pistol against Tamina’s forehead, “is from me.”

Tamina didn’t dare look away from Arlina; her stare was defiant.

“I’ll see you soon.” Tamina smiled while streaks of blood dripped from her lips.

The vision ended at the sound of the blast.

Jack fell on his back, horrified. He glanced at Talisa, who moved a great deal away from the well. Her face was streaked with tears.

“My dear friend…” Talisa whispered. “Willow be damned. I’m so sorry.”

“Why did the mirror show me that?” Jack snapped as he stood up. “Why did it show me the past?”

Talisa could not look at him. “I do not know.”

“You’re the guardian!” Jack yelled. “You
should
know!”

Talisa slapped the back of his head, and Jack yelped. The slap was much harder than the ones before. He knew he was heading into dangerous territory, but he wasn’t going to back down.

Not now.

“Idiot, this never happened before!” Talisa cried as she wiped her tears away. The effort was futile, as she continued to sob. “Never in my time as guardian have I seen the mirror show the past to another before. It has to be because of what you are.”

“What in Avilyne’s hell does that mean?” Jack demanded. “I’m
just
an elf!”

He didn’t want to mention to Talisa that he had continually been called an elf mage—the being he feared most—throughout the test.

“No. No, you’re not.” Talisa looked at the well. “You are an elf mage, particularly of the old mage bloodline of this realm. It is why you have darker features, why you can use magic with ease and oftentimes without control, and it is why you found the gate as quickly as you did. Shadow suspected it after seeing you as you are now as well as hearing Artemis’ stories about you. After this little event, I can very well say that I agree you are one.”

Jack was furious. “
That
is why my aunt couldn’t stand the sight of me and why no one speaks of my parents? Because they all knew?”
No wonder the old goat abused me whenever she could…she thought if she belittled me enough, I wouldn’t dare think myself powerful enough to end her
.

“Yes,” Talisa admitted. “The last known elf mage caused the first war between us and the dragons. He betrayed us and hoped Ellewynth would be destroyed. This particular mage bloodline is volatile…you need my help if you want to stay as your jester self. As you’ve learned in Artemis’ case, the elves do not forgive past indiscretions.”

Jack wanted to find something and smash it. He wanted to wreak havoc. However, something inside him held him back.

“Why did the mirror show me the death of Artemis’ mother?” Jack asked, softening his tone.

“I don’t know.”

Jack realized she truly didn’t. “Something is going to happen soon….isn’t it, Talisa?”