Status: Incomplete
Darklings
Prologue: Erin
“Where have you been Erin?”
She barely glanced at him as she took off her coat and let it fall carelessly onto the couch. She didn’t need to look at him to know that his arms were crossed, his eyes accusing. She knew what he thought, what he believed she did in the midnight hours but she was far beyond caring about the petty suspicions. Let him see what he wanted in her absences. In the end, it would just make things easier for him. She never should have entangled herself within his life, and now was the perfect time to let him go.
“Nowhere Alex, go back to bed. It’s late,” she replied, tugging off her scarf. It was cold outside, but then again, it always was. Home was Nome, high in Alaska, where it snowed and ice slicked the roads. It was always cold, but then again, it was not as cold as where she was going to be. Or had been. She shuddered at the thought of her immediate future, and Alex mistook it for coldness, not fear. His suspicions were forgotten as he walked to her, wrapping his arms around her. If there were one thing she would miss of him, it would be this, his simple, comforting warmth. It seeped into everything, could make her feel like she didn’t live in a land of cold winds, snow and ice.
“Talk to me Erin, please,” he murmured against her ear, his hands stroking the tangled curls of her hair.
She wished she could tell him the truth. About everything. Tell him every secret and memory that she cradled within herself. But she couldn’t. He was an outsider, and he had to remain so. She never should have gotten involved with him, and what was worse was that she had known it could never work the entire time. Known what it would do. He wasn’t one of them, one glance told her that. Just as she had seen before with her own parents, bringing him into her world was a mistake. But instead of listening to the past, she had married him, let herself get carried away with dreams and ideas that she hadn’t dared to let herself have before.
“Just go to bed,” she repeated. “It’s two in the morning. Just go to sleep.”
She detached herself from his grip, and ignored the hurt confusion on his face as she turned away.
“The Veil’s tearing and you know it, and you still want us to go into the Winterland during the polar night?” she asked the Mother. “That sounds more than a little silly to me Mother, if you don’t mind me being so frank.”
The Mother eyed her carefully. “I do mind, surprisingly. But, if I am to be frank, you are not going to a polar night. Prudhoe Bay will simply experience rather dark days, but no polar night.” Her voice was tight and controlled, as her sharp eyes surveyed her guest. They had the same eyes; they all had the same eyes. It was the marker, the thing that showed them to be what they were. “And what do you mean the Veil is tearing? Are you implying that the Brotherhood can’t keep their side of the promise? Considering they are your only protection, I doubt that’s a wise move.”
“Doubt all you want, I still had a double entrance. The two worlds don’t touch. If the Veil is working properly, then why did I have a vision of a death here, while there?” She shrugged, ignoring the steaming cup of tea in front of her. “But ignore me if you wish. Send me to Barrow or Prudhoe Bay. You’ve made it clear that you listen to no one except the Father.”
The Mother remained composed. “Erin, you’ve made it perfectly clear throughout your life that you flout all responsibility. Why else would you marry that McNally man? Your rebellion has been allowed, but now it must stop. We need you.”
She scoffed. “No, you need what I can do. You need the fact that I can survive prolonged contact to the Winterland. Believe me, I never mistake the two.”
The Mother dismissed her words. “And here are the divorce papers. File them now, so no more time is wasted upon him. Of interest, Sofia, your daughter… was she one of us?”
She shook her head. “No, she had Alex’s eyes.”
She barely glanced at him as she took off her coat and let it fall carelessly onto the couch. She didn’t need to look at him to know that his arms were crossed, his eyes accusing. She knew what he thought, what he believed she did in the midnight hours but she was far beyond caring about the petty suspicions. Let him see what he wanted in her absences. In the end, it would just make things easier for him. She never should have entangled herself within his life, and now was the perfect time to let him go.
“Nowhere Alex, go back to bed. It’s late,” she replied, tugging off her scarf. It was cold outside, but then again, it always was. Home was Nome, high in Alaska, where it snowed and ice slicked the roads. It was always cold, but then again, it was not as cold as where she was going to be. Or had been. She shuddered at the thought of her immediate future, and Alex mistook it for coldness, not fear. His suspicions were forgotten as he walked to her, wrapping his arms around her. If there were one thing she would miss of him, it would be this, his simple, comforting warmth. It seeped into everything, could make her feel like she didn’t live in a land of cold winds, snow and ice.
“Talk to me Erin, please,” he murmured against her ear, his hands stroking the tangled curls of her hair.
She wished she could tell him the truth. About everything. Tell him every secret and memory that she cradled within herself. But she couldn’t. He was an outsider, and he had to remain so. She never should have gotten involved with him, and what was worse was that she had known it could never work the entire time. Known what it would do. He wasn’t one of them, one glance told her that. Just as she had seen before with her own parents, bringing him into her world was a mistake. But instead of listening to the past, she had married him, let herself get carried away with dreams and ideas that she hadn’t dared to let herself have before.
“Just go to bed,” she repeated. “It’s two in the morning. Just go to sleep.”
She detached herself from his grip, and ignored the hurt confusion on his face as she turned away.
“The Veil’s tearing and you know it, and you still want us to go into the Winterland during the polar night?” she asked the Mother. “That sounds more than a little silly to me Mother, if you don’t mind me being so frank.”
The Mother eyed her carefully. “I do mind, surprisingly. But, if I am to be frank, you are not going to a polar night. Prudhoe Bay will simply experience rather dark days, but no polar night.” Her voice was tight and controlled, as her sharp eyes surveyed her guest. They had the same eyes; they all had the same eyes. It was the marker, the thing that showed them to be what they were. “And what do you mean the Veil is tearing? Are you implying that the Brotherhood can’t keep their side of the promise? Considering they are your only protection, I doubt that’s a wise move.”
“Doubt all you want, I still had a double entrance. The two worlds don’t touch. If the Veil is working properly, then why did I have a vision of a death here, while there?” She shrugged, ignoring the steaming cup of tea in front of her. “But ignore me if you wish. Send me to Barrow or Prudhoe Bay. You’ve made it clear that you listen to no one except the Father.”
The Mother remained composed. “Erin, you’ve made it perfectly clear throughout your life that you flout all responsibility. Why else would you marry that McNally man? Your rebellion has been allowed, but now it must stop. We need you.”
She scoffed. “No, you need what I can do. You need the fact that I can survive prolonged contact to the Winterland. Believe me, I never mistake the two.”
The Mother dismissed her words. “And here are the divorce papers. File them now, so no more time is wasted upon him. Of interest, Sofia, your daughter… was she one of us?”
She shook her head. “No, she had Alex’s eyes.”