Breaking Free

In The Dark Part 1

    Afternoon turns to twilight as we search and look for books. Reah shut the shop down so we can work in peace. I started cracking open books as more piled around me. The Corbin family was at the epicenter of a lot of war and bloodshed. I’ve never come across a good deed that anyone has ever done within that family. Killian took over the throne as king when he killed his father. Now it says that his father betrayed the country by letting a witch family hike through human lands to get to the elven cities without punishment. Now the elven lands are heavily guarded and they don’t participate in any war or fighting. They are the most secluded of the races and they only deal with traders once a month.

    The convoy of witches that were let past was a trading convoy, not stray witches. They knew they were on the Corbin territory but the other road was flooded and it was the only option. Killian’s dad let them off and let them continue. Well, needless to say, that was against the law. When confronted, his dad simply said he was tired of bloodshed. With no emotion, he lunged at his father, killing him instantly. Pushing his body aside, he took the crown an sat on the throne. His mother ended up running away and has never been found. Now for some reason, deep down, I believe she is alive. I wonder if it was that woman in the dungeons.

    There are countless wars, all circling back to the Corbin family. I spent hours reading and counting the deaths of innocent people and children. The stories accounted for more than 10,000 deaths outside of war. Countless cities burned to the ground just in the name of sport. There are only a few towns left, but each race seems to have one main city and smaller ones behind, shielding them from war.

    “This makes me nauseous reading,” I have to stand up to stretch and get away from this table. “These people are sick.”

    “You knew that though Mir,” Salem responds sleepily. We’ve been up for hours, and I feel bad because they both need sleep.

    “Why don’t you all get some sleep? I’ll keep going through this.”

    “Are you sure? I’ll be happy to stay up too.” Reah chimes in.

    “I’m sure. I’m not even tired thanks to the added stress that I developed today.”

    “If you say so, we will be in the back.” Reah kept her home attached in the back. “Feel free to come and eat whenever.”

    “Thank you Reah, you’re the best.”

    “I know.” She smiles ear to ear.

    Once they are gone, I go back to the book I was reading. I finally hit the timeframe when I was born. Jumping in, I take notes on any sign or anything that sounds off. I need answers and I won’t stop until I find them. I sift through articles from the wars and the accounts of the Corbin family. Something caught my eye and I inspected further. The reporter snapped a picture of Maura holding a little girl covered in blood on the street. captions read: “The Corbin family adopted a stray girl found on the war-torn land”. There was an interview with Maura and Killian explaining they found her lying next to a building unconscious. I’m guessing this was me. I came across yet another book on the war that took place here in Starhaven. I flip to a new page, scribbling everything I see fit to help me look and connect the dots.

    There was a magnetic field pulling me and wanting me to skip everything and turn the pages. Overwhelmed with emotion, I follow my heart and flip ahead. I’m skimming the book frantically, trying to find out why my heart ached for me to flip ahead. Forcing myself to at least skim each page, I note down everything I think is needed for my research. The closer I got to the back, blood rushed through my veins, the desire to know to grow exponentially. I have to give in or the pain will keep getting worse. I flip to the back and let my heart guide me. I found the paragraph almost instantly and read it out loud to myself. It was a diary entry that was found from a family the Corbin’s kidnapped and locked away.

    We have been imprisoned in a dungeon on the outskirts of Starhaven. My husband and I are going to die soon. I wish I could have known if my daughter made it out alive. The spell I cast was powerful, but I don’t know how long the spell will keep her hidden. I never wanted her to see war. I know her memory was developed enough to see us, but the only image she would have seen was my bloody face over her. Luna Raye, if you ever see this, know your father and I love you. Seek out the ancient city of Highkeep, the elders will give you all the information you will ever need. We love you so much, Luna. Don’t blame yourself for what happened to us. We love you. Find your brother. He will help you. I hope that spell doesn’t change how you look too much. You’re a beautiful girl. We love you princess.

-Vin and Lil

    I jot down the names and delve into the public records of families. The Alexander family was a high-ranking line of witches. The bloodline stops and the girl Luna mentioned in the letter and an older boy named Keith. Pushing over I flop out another book on the Alexander family. I learn the legacy of the family that built everything from the ground up and I hover over the family portrait of the Alexander family. It’s a bit blurry but I can see the last known pictures of that family. My eyes drop to the little girl, she couldn’t have been over two, and as I studied her closer, something eerie came over me. She has a mark on her left arm and looking down, it matched mine. Now that could be a coincidence but looking closer, she has a spot on her ear, in the same spot as me on my ear, as well. The pendant on her necklace, a teardrop gem, shone in the picture. I drop back into the chair, my hair falling over my face. I pull out the only thing I’ve ever had before the Corbin’s, a necklace in a box, and open it slowly. The necklace in the picture and the one in the box I've carried since I was little matches perfectly. I know who I am now.

    The next pages after the one I read from who I assume are my mom and dad, there were a few notes on my brother and his whereabouts. It looks like he is in Highkeep, but there’s an issue. I am human. I think. Well as of now my blood has always been human. Only witches are permitted to enter Highkeep. Not even traders could go into the city. Then I remember, the note stated that there was a spell cast to disguise the blood. How would that even be lifted? How and what changes on the appearance? I have too many questions. Grabbing a spellbook, I looked for any type of spell that matches the one described. I couldn’t find anything at all and I was getting frustrated.

    “Mir everything okay?” I hear Salem mumble as she’s waking up.

    “Not really. Well maybe. I think I know who I am.”