Little Black Bird

How heavy has the world gotten these last few days? Have I been crushed and turned into something completely different?
Because I don’t feel like myself anymore.

“How could she do something like that?” “Sir, the powder is not working as effectively.”

“She nearly killed him! He still hasn’t woken!” “Neither has she!” “He would have destroyed South Woods without her.”

“Can you hear me? Just be okay.”

“She can no longer stay.” “They must leave.”

“Lark, please wake up. What is so good to dream about that you would leave me?”

The fair skinned girl awoke. Her usually bright eyes were pale like they were missing the strength to shine. She took a deep breath in through her nose. It felt as if she’d stopped breathing completely while she was asleep. The smell was warm and gentle, like hot tea on a bad day. Her vision adjusted and she realized she wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in her house, this tree wasn’t the one that bloomed flowers when she was sad. A pressure around her hand made her jump but immediately relax. That tan skinned male was sleeping soundly with his head on the side of the bed and hand grasping hers. He looked less brooding when he was asleep.

Skylark smiled and brushed some of his dark hair from his face. His face crinkled for a second before his gleaming emerald eyes opened with a start. He bolted up, blinking his eyes harshly to make sure he was awake and not just dreaming. “When you sleep you don’t look like such an old worry-wart, Luca.” She giggled giving his hand a squeeze.

A long sigh of relief escaped Luca’s lips. “Well you look dead when you sleep. So please do less of it from now on.” He retorted trying to sound scolding, but just revealing more so how overwhelmed he was to have her back.

“What’s going on, Luca? I remember shouting in my dreams. Why aren’t we home? How is Orin?” Everything rushed back to her as she began to speak. There weren’t enough words to express everything she needed. She wasn’t even sure how to ask most of what she wanted to know.

That warm smell grew stronger and Bast walked into the room. “Hush now child. All in good time. You need to eat and regain your strength. That was quite impressive magic to solidify the Voulg curse and remove it.” She sat on the other side of the bed and put a tray of steaming food and tea on her lap.

“Who are you?” Skylark bluntly asked not giving the tray a second thought. “I can see you and you aren’t what you always told me you were.”

The elderly woman gave a faint smile and shook her head. “You will be seeing a lot more of people now sweet girl. Don’t abuse your new gifts.” She stood slowly and walked to pick up an envelope. “Your mother, your real mother, begged me to keep you safe as her dying wish. I have done everything to try and uphold that wish. I am not a Faen as you now see. I am a Demi. I am Bast, protector of woman and child.”

Skylark turned to Luca in betrayal looking for comfort that he felt the same. Demi’s were powerful spirits that came back to the world with a purpose. She had known Bast all her life and was lied to; on multiple occasions now she realized. Luca’s gaze held no comfort from the shock; instead it was a sympathetic look. “A lot has happened while you were asleep. There’s a lot you need to be told about.” He told her in a quiet voice.

He was in on it now. She was asleep for a couple days and everything was different. Luca’s eyes looked at her differently. Both of them were treating her like she was going to break. Like one wrong word was going to throw her into fits. All of this fueled something inside her. It swirled and restored power to her limbs. Her eyes flashed with electricity. “I’m going to see Orin. Half psychotic and he was the only one that wanted to be truthful with me.” She pushed the tray aside and thrust herself from the bed.”

“Lark, we’re trying to tell you everything now.” Luca called trying to grab her hand and keep her from storming out.

Fury burned in her eyes now as she turned on the spot. “Now? Did you know I was adopted? Did you know I have some sort of guardian that lies to protect me? Did you know I’m some sort of freak with power? Faen aren’t supposed to have power! You saw what it did to Orin!” The power in her eyes sparked more as her voiced raged.

“I didn’t, Lark. I swear I knew nothing.” His words were always so calm. He was always so calm. What did it take to rattle him?

Bast moved to try and place her hand on Skylark’s shoulder. “Child, you cannot let the power win. If I had known the powder wouldn’t continue working on you, I would have just trained you from the beginning.”

Skylark slapped the hand from the older woman away. “Now you’re telling me that you drugged me. For what, to keep my power at bay?” A heavy pressure was setting in on the house and things were beginning to shake.

“Lucanous, you must calm her. The fury will consume her and the release will be worse than all of the Hysteria combined.” Bast shouted to the boy over the noise of the tree’s foundation being uprooted.

Luca moved slowly towards the enraged girl. “Little Lark, please don’t leave me again.” He held his hand for her to grasp. “You were my light when the world was dark. You have my life imprinted on your arm. What am I without my light?” He started in a shout but as everything settled so did his voice.

The bright sparks of blue died in Skylark’s eyes and she collapsed into Luca’s chest. Her breath was shaky but she spoke with a humor in her tone, “Lucanous, huh? Sounds pretty pompous.” He smiled gently at her, holding her up from the ground with one arm and the other brushing her smooth hair down. “Can I see Orin?” She asked weakly. The strength that consumed her moments ago had fallen away.

The brunette boy looked to Bast for a sign of approval and nodded to the girl in his arms. “We’ll see if he’s woken up yet. You’ve been out for six days, little bird.”

Skylark got to ride on Brein as the odd company made its way from Bast’s house on the outskirts of town to the center where Pomprey house was. She wasn’t told much on the way there. Only that her real name was Skylark Testria and she saved Orin’s life.

The house looked different to her. The tree seemed to welcome her back. She slid off of Brein’s back and walked into the house with Luca and Bast. Hands were bustling around and things seemed busy. She wondered if there was discord about the fact Orin won by use of a Voulg. Orin would be a fair king, Skylark always thought that.

“What do you think you are doing in my house!” A woman screamed as she held her dress to storm down the main steps.

Skylark looked up to see Adara completely consumed by anger. It was going around apparently. Bast stepped in front of her path. “Adara Pomprey, you know very well you are speaking to a Testria. One that in fact saved your eldest child’s life.”

The woman that she once knew as her, cold and unforgiving, mother stopped in her tracks and made a disgusted face. “What do you want?” She asked sounding very tired.

“Is Orin awake?” The girl asked tilting her head to see around Bast. Her long blonde hair was free and falling in a wavy mess around her shoulders.

Loud footsteps stopped Adara from saying a word. A gruff man with a large greying beard was walking out of the back room behind the stairs. He had deep eyes and a rather large nose. “Orin has awoken. Come, my child. I told Bast and Lucanous that I selfishly wanted to tell you the terrible secret I have kept from you.” The King, Mikin, held his large hand for Skylark.

Skylark placed her small hand in his and followed him up the stairs. “Can I still call you father, Mikin?”
“If you still wish to after everything is revealed, I would be proud to still have you as my daughter.” They travelled through the large house. Standing outside Orin’s door, Mikin sighed and made resolve. “We will finish speaking once you have seen Orin.”

The tall girl opened the door to see her brother, weaker than she’d ever seen, on the bed in the center of the room. He smiled when he saw her, not the sinister smile that he’d given her by the fire, a kind one. “Little sister, are you okay? I never…” He faded off in embarrassment. Skylark had never been anything but a sweet girl and he tried to kill her.

Skylark sat herself on Orin’s bedside and stroked his arm. “It’s not your fault. The Voulg manipulate fears and then take over and make you someone else. My big brother could never be so cruel.”

He laugh escaped his mouth. It sounded painful and he winced but it was a laugh. “Thank you, Skylark. I owe you my life. When everything settles down, I hope we can talk more.” He smiled and faded into a light sleep. The dark magic took a toll on his mind and body.

She left his room and followed the large man to the balcony on the top floor of the house. He took a deep breath before turning to her.

“Skylark, Bast brought you to us for protection. I cannot say you had a great childhood, but at least you had one. My dear, you are not a Faen. You are a Faeren. Your mother stayed hidden long after the Hysteria and held onto her sanity long enough to see you born and put into good hands.” He crossed his arms with a look that she couldn’t decipher. “I’m sorry to say, but you are no longer safe here. I cannot tell you much, because I do not know it. You must travel to the North Woods. There is a great library there. You can learn everything you need there. From there, you must make your own way. Hopefully you will find your way back to us someday.”

Skylark jumped to give him a hug and thank him for everything. “We’ll see each other again, father.” She didn’t understand why, but she knew this was right. She had to find out more, more about everything.

Luca was waiting for her downstairs. “So we’re going to North Woods?” She more told than asked. She assumed he had already been informed of all this. “Where’s Bast?” She looked around the large room.

“Unfortunately child, I am too old and weak to go with you.” Bast stated coming from a room with two backpacks. She set the packs down and took the saddened girl’s hand. “I have gifts.” The envelope she grabbed earlier was pulled from her pocket. “They are small, but they will help. This ring will hide your power signature until you learn to control it. These herbs will make your hair dark. No one will be looking for a dark haired Faeren girl.” She slipped the small bead ring on her index finger and put the bowl of smelly dark liquid in her other hand. “Lucanous, take care of her.”

They said their goodbyes and left the town towards the North. They stopped at the river to put the herbs into Skylarks hair. She rinsed the smell from her head and flipped her wet hair back. “Well, does it suit me, Lucanous?” She asked almost snorting as his full name came from her mouth.
“I think it brings out your eyes.” He replied picking himself up off the ground. “Please stop calling me that.” He continued as he handed the snickering girl her backpack.

“But why, Lucanous? It sounds dignified; like you’re some sort of big man in charge.” She laughed herself almost to the ground, but Luca caught her arm.

He looked her dead in the eye. “I am the big man in charge and I charge you to call me Luca.” They both stared at each other with a blank look in silence before busting up into laughter and falling onto the ground. They couldn’t seem to do anything but laugh for a while. Like the weight of the past days had forced them into this delirium.

Skylark stared up through the trees and into the sky as her laughter died down. She held her stomach from the muscles now hurting. “We’re going to find out all about what happened to the Faeren and what you are. So this is it.”

“This is it.”