shadows

an unexpected discovery (5)

Tonight was a blood night, which was what the witches called a full moon under the influence of the red star, making the moon appear a deep orange that was almost red. But that wasn’t all of it. The light of the moon was tinged red too, colouring the night red. Everyone who stayed up on b****y night felt like they had put on red tinted glasses. That was frightening in itself. Add to it the old legend of the blood night being the devil’s night, everyone was terrified.

Tonight was the perfect night. All three agreed. They had been preparing for weeks. That they were working together on the book was no secret. Everyone in the shadows knew about the developments around the site. Word spread quick about the book having to do with the gods. And so, it was known to all that Krom and Eustace were deciphering the book somewhere secret. Only weeks ago, when they reported to the councils about their progress, did they deliberately let word slip out of their location.

Emerald’s blue castle. That was the only clue they let out. And that was all the clue many needed. Tonight would be the night the best of them would attack. Because word was that tonight Emerald was at the castle, with the book. For they had made an astonishing discovery.

The plan was to offer the big wolves as sacrifice.

Inside the book was an ancient rite, predating the gods too. A rite to call upon the god who owned the book. To call upon Tremor. The sacrifice would open the channel. The greater the sacrifice, the stabler the channel. The channel enabling Tremor to step out into tonight.

And then, offer up a vessel strong enough to house Tremor.

-

It was a voice as cold as the coldest winter’s night. It seemed to come from the night itself.

“Look at what we have here. One party. But two sacrifices. Not a real team, clearly. But both offering the same vessel. I can see why. Even I am tempted. Boy, do you have anything to say?”

Milan was still a blank. She knew too little, even after what the voice revealed. One thing was clear. The boy that the voice was referring to, it was Anton. She found courage from she knew not where. “No,” she said loudly. “He has nothing to say. Why don’t you talk to me? What are you?” She had Anton behind her as she looked around searching for the face, for the person the voice came from. She didn’t find him. Until she heard the laugh directly behind her.

Milan whirled around, and was still too late. She was standing be herself in the middle of the room. Near the wall opposite her was a shadow holding onto Anton as if a hostage. Her heart dropped into a frozen sea. Just the fact that she lost Anton like that spoke volumes about who she was up against. This was someone, something, much stronger than her. She wasn’t a match.

“What do you want?” She asked again.

“No, dear Milan,” the shadow answered, it’s tone somewhere between mocking and amused. “What do you want? No hurry. Allow me to let you in on a secret. I was summoned. This boy here, our dear Anton, was offered up as the vessel for me. What do you make of that?”

It wasn’t that she wanted that she wanted it to be true. It was just so easy to believe. When she considered it as true, everything made sense. Why her brother was so nice. Why Anton and she were welcomed so warmly to the castle. Why they were being treated so well. Why she kept feeling something was off.

“What can I do?” She asked. She didn’t have to explain.

There was a reason she felt an instant affection for Anton. She had been Milan all her life. But until her ninth birthday, that was all she was. Milan. An orphan fed and housed by the temple of Ethos, the god of orphan children. The temple even offered classes, which weren’t mandatory. There was even a wide variety. Children could opt for regular subjects that children in the day were taught. Or, if they were gifted, they could study the arts of the night. Or, children could choose the streets, learn directly from the world. Most chose the streets. Like Milan did.

The streets were a mean teacher. And they taught lessons quick. Milan, like most others, learned quickly that there was no such thing as a free meal. Which was why she was all the more wary of the temple. She didn’t attend any lessons, even after she discovered that she had a gift.

Then, on her ninth birthday, her family came looking for her. She was a Boloise, they told her. They took her home. They introduced her to the rest of the family. They introduced her to her brother, Krom, who was the only one who truly cared for her at all. They didn’t offer an explanation for how she ended up at the temple. They didn’t tell her anything. They just told her that now that she had returned to the family, she could continue to be as she pleased. She just had to remember that she was no orphan. She had a family. A powerful family too. And she could turn to them for anything.

Even though she left the streets, she didn’t forget the lessons. There was no such thing as a free meal. She didn’t feel a connection, a bond, with her family. And they couldn’t care less about her. Even between her and her brother, the one person who treated her as family, there was an invisible wall. Only now did she understand why.

When she looked at Anton, she saw a shadow of herself in him. There could be no stronger spark.

She broke out of her head as Anton smiled at her.

Anton then asked the shadow. “I was offered as the vessel, you said. What about her? Was she a sacrifice?” He could see what was in her head. He wanted to clarify her doubt, if that was the last thing he could do for her.

“And why should I tell you?” The shadow asked.

“I will offer myself up,” Anton answered. “I am quite certain that would make things much easier for you. And a lot more entertaining too.”

“You are right,” the shadow said, laughing out. “Yes. Easier. And much more entertaining. Let’s do this. I will answer you. And I will give her something as well. Was she offered as sacrifice? Yes and no. I told you, two sacrifices. One party. But two teams. One offered her up as sacrifice. The other didn’t. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which. I can see that it isn’t difficult. And now, dear Milan, here’s something for you. The both of us will leave it to our dear Anton here. Let him make the choice. Do you like that? So, Anton. One of you can stay. As you are. Alive. On the right side. Whatever you want to call it. And you get to make the choice. Go on then. We’re waiting.”

The shadow didn’t explain any further. But there were enough clues. Anton could fill in the blanks. Eustace and Emerald and Krom had used the book to summon Tremor. The intruders were offered as sacrifices. He was the vessel. Krom invited Milan too to get him here. But Krom didn’t want Milan to get caught up in this. Eustace and Emerald had other plans. They offered Milan too as sacrifice. There was clearly something about him that made him the perfect vessel. Tremor’s amusement proved that. Maybe that was the clue to figuring out the rest of the mystery. Unfortunately, he couldn’t ask. Not right now. Right now, he had to give an answer. And it wasn’t even a difficult one.

“She stays,” Anton said without hesitation.

“Of course,” the shadow said, laughing out harder. It then looked at Milan. “Goodbye then, dear Milan.”

There was nothing Milan could do or say. She stood rooted watching the shadow disappear into Anton. Then she looked into Anton’s changed eyes, before he disappeared into the night. And then, she collapsed. As far as she was concerned, everything was over. The world had just ended.