Child of Blackwen (An Artemis Ravenwing Novel Book 1) (28 page)

Jack wandered around the library shelves, keeping an eye out for any books that specifically mentioned the history of Arrygn’s dragons. Jack paced around, but stopped short when one book’s spine caught his glance:
The Winged Jewels of the Sky
.

Snatching the book from the shelf, Jack settled himself on the floor and leafed through the pages. He stopped once he found a chapter about dragon jewels and started to read:

The first noted war the dragons of Arrygn had was with the walking dead, or what are now commonly referred to as vampires. More specifically, they warred with the “full-bloods” of what is now Blackwen City, as well as other vampiric territories (several of which no longer exist). The vampires wanted to snatch the territories the dragons had seized during their own campaigns
.

While the victory rested with the dragons, they were impressed with a female warrior of the Ravenwing clan, the bloodline in control of Blackwen’s throne. The Queen of the Fire Dragons herself ordered that she be gifted with her own jewels, so that they could be melded with the precious weapons of the Ravenwing, the sai. The warrior’s bloodline was bestowed enough jewels to gift many future generations so that they too could have jeweled sai
.

Jack nearly choked.

The name of Ravenwing had returned again. He had not realized that bloodline stemmed from Blackwen City alone. Willow be damned, it was the only bloodline to rule the city’s throne! Artemis was a noblewoman!

He wondered how he was going to explain all of this to Artemis on top of seeing her mother’s murder in Kiare’s Mirror and then seeing the specter in person.

After a gulp, he continued on:

Since then, it has become customary for dragons of each realm to bestow jewels or jeweled weapons not only to their champions at the conclusion of war, but to the opposing warriors who impressed them. The jewels themselves are known to be useful in battle, as they are capable of containing the wielder’s essence within them and of
healing the warrior whenever necessary (dragons originally created jewels to be used as a healing tool). If the wielder is to pass from this world, their essence might still be contained within the jewels of their weapons. They must not be passed to another for use without purification. Unspeakable horrors can occur if the weapon isn’t purified
.

Dragon jewels are dangerous if not handled properly. They must be handled with the utmost care
.

“Yes, I’m well aware of that, thank you!” Jack snapped. “Soleil burn me! Artemis is from a noble bloodline that just so happens to have dragon jewels embedded in their weapons.”

Getting up, he slipped the book under his arm and pondered.

“The jewels of Tamina’s sai reacted when I threw them in anger.” Jack paced the library. “It is obvious her essence is still within the jewels. But why react to anger?”

After pacing some more, Jack stopped and groaned. He put down
The Winged Jewels of the Sky
, and gave himself a slap to the back of the head.

“Moron!” he yelled. “Tamina is a lingering spirit! She has
changed
, and that means the essence within the jewels has done so as well! She’s an angry spirit!
Of course
the sai would respond to another’s anger.”

Snatching the book again, he made his way to his study and grabbed a cloak.

“I need to find Callypso. Maybe this can help in the damned sai’s purification,” Jack said, finding himself feeling happier at the mention of the elemental’s name.

Talisa yawned as she walked into the study of Lady Clarayne. She sighed while rubbing her gray eyes. Talisa had been staying in the guest chambers of the Hall of the Elders since the night she spoke to both Shadow and Artemis. To her dismay, she was still clothed in her blue silk nightgown; her escort didn’t give her the chance to change into something more appropriate.

She was, however, able to grab her pointed blue hat. While her hair was gathered in a messy braid, the hat could help cover the mess at the crown of her head.

Talisa yawned once more and watched Lady Clarayne turn to face her. Talisa couldn’t help but feel pity for the woman; it appeared she hadn’t slept much either.

“Forgive me for waking you at this unspeakable hour, Talisa,” Lady Clarayne began. “I assure you, I wouldn’t have done so without good reason.”

Talisa inclined her head as her greeting and chuckled. “It matters not the time, my lady. What do you require of me?”

“I need you to lower the veils,” Lady Clarayne ordered.

That request woke Talisa.

“You believe Arlina will attack Ellewynth.”

“I’m following the instinct of a loved one.”

“Have you spoken to the vampire about Arlina?” Talisa asked. “Have you even spoken to Lord Celstian about this request?”

Talisa didn’t bother to include Lord Destrius; she knew better.

Lady Clarayne shook her head. “No need to. There would be no debate concerning the safety of the people in the city. Start gathering those unable to wield a weapon—”

“A child can easily wield a weapon,” Talisa muttered. She clamped a hand over her mouth when she realized Lady Clarayne had heard her. “Apologies!”

“It’s fine, Talisa.” Lady Clarayne smiled. “I want you to take those we do not wish to fight to the open forest, and hide them past the veils.”

“Very well.” Talisa tipped the brim of her hat and smirked. “And what if your people decide to curse me for interrupting their slumber?”

Lady Clarayne laughed. “Then I trust you’ll remind them of the pains you put your apprentices through.”

Talisa rolled her eyes, but nonetheless smiled. “That’ll work.”

rlina kicked through the frail wooden door of the cottage and was surprised at the disarray of broken glass and furniture within. She found herself pouting; someone had destroyed her sister’s home before she could
.

Ordering her scouts to stand watch outside, she went inside to investigate. It was hard not to make her presence known to anyone who might have remained in the home, as Arlina couldn’t avoid stepping on the sea of glass shards
.

Still taking in the sight before her, she caught a familiar human scent. It grew stronger the closer she moved to what was once a bedroom. She gripped a sai hidden within her boot while she slowly pushed the half-hinged door. Arlina pursed her lips at the sight of a human male sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. His back was to her; his shoulder-length black hair was in a crazed mess that mirrored the state of the cottage, and she noticed his tunic and vest sported claw-like tears
.

Arlina couldn’t help but smirk, as she then understood what happened
.

“Gavin,” she called, taking a firmer grip on the onyx-jeweled hilt of her sai
.

The man she called Gavin didn’t respond. Arlina decided to move in front of him, and when she noticed a flintlock pistol in his right hand, she knew to keep her distance. The hazel eyes that peered at her through strands of stringy black hair were dark and angry; Arlina found it enticing
.

“What do
you
want, you hateful full-blood bitch?” Gavin demanded as he stood
.

He was much taller than Arlina, and he was of a burly build. Arlina thought he was wasted as a human. He was wasted even more once he made it a habit to bed her sister
.

“Hello to you as well, my bastard of a brother-in-law,” Arlina replied, folding her arms and pointing her sai outward. “Where is my dear sister, and where did she take that little brat?”

“They’re gone.” Gavin looked away while tapping the barrel of the flintlock pistol. “Gone before I could kill them.”

Arlina raised a brow and didn’t bother to hide her amusement with him anymore. “Yes, and the tears in your clothing aren’t any indication that you tried.”

“Shut up, you corpse hag!” Gavin seethed
.

Arlina shrugged. “As far as I was concerned, you were so madly in love with my sister.” She began to pace around him, taking pleasure in his rising anger. “You were overjoyed at the birth of a daughter. The dishonorable merchant was suddenly living a life of legitimacy. What a laughable concept!”

“As far as I’m concerned, my daughter never lived. That hellspawn monster that masquerades in her body destroyed her soul the second it was born!” Gavin cried, as tears welled in his eyes
.

He glared at Arlina as she began to laugh hysterically
.

“Oh, my apologies!” she said, now hugging her waist. “I’m just surprised, really. How is it that a well-known merchant such as yourself—wait, let me rephrase that. How is it that a well-known smuggler such as yourself never encountered a dhampir child before? You’ve had dealings with vampires before!”

“I fail to see the humor in this, Arlina.”

“You’ll forgive me if I see the humor in the fact that you had no notion you were bedding a corpse all this time! Did you honestly believe that the look of hunger on dear Tamina’s face was that of lust? She wanted to
eat
you, you pathetic waste of a human!” Arlina exclaimed, while her laughter continued
.

She stopped laughing when Gavin held the flintlock pistol inches from her face. Arlina sighed and tapped her sai with a clawed finger. “What? You’re going to shoot me now?”

Gavin narrowed his gaze at her. “If I know Tamina well enough, she is heading toward Ellewynth. She’s going to that bastard elf, Shadow, and that crone stuck in a maiden’s body, Talisa. What you choose to do with that information is up to you.”

“My, my!” Arlina gave an exaggerated gasp. “I actually expected to be shot in the face, and here you are being generous!”

“You are truly annoying, Arlina,” Gavin cursed
.

“You know, when that kind of generosity is given to me, the person usually expects something in return,” Arlina mused. “What is your price?”

Gavin loosened the grip on the pistol and let it swing with the hilt facing her so she could grasp it. “I want to return to my home city without being hunted by your lapdogs. I want nothing to do with this life anymore…I want it behind me.”

“And?” Arlina asked, gesturing toward the pistol
.

Gavin handed it over to her and then made his way to leave. Stopping at the half-hinged door, he turned. “When you find her, make sure she knows
exactly
what she’s done to me.”