Page 36 of Daughter of the Darkened City

Enid’s hand slipped to Avenay’s again, giving it a squeeze.

“You can talk about it, you know,” Avenay said. “What you saw. If you want.”

Enid let her head fall against the cave wall, blowing out a breath in a puff that rested on the air. “You sound like the mind mages I went to for years.”

Her gaze slid to Avenay, humor there, even amongst the darkness that weighed on her.

Avenay shrugged. “Mind mages can be very helpful. They do good work.”

“I know…” Enid’s voice was soft, and she chewed her lower lip. “They never were able to help me, though.”

“Is that what you saw? The reason you went to the mind mages?”

Enid nodded. “I saw the day my family was murdered.”

Shivers ran along Avenay’s arm. She’d read the news articles about that incident. Enid’s colony had gone to the human capital, Venatu, to remove a temple on a ley line that the Cruel Lord had placed there. The entire colony was needed because they had to perform their demonic rite, one that was dangerous if there weren’t enough people. Enid’s father, having deposed the Cruel Lord of Shadows and taken over, had set up an alliance with the humans that shocked everyone. The human king had been kind and welcoming, and Lord Kian had gone to the capital many times before bringing his colony.

It was debated what exactly happened. Humans insisted the demons attacked, and the Hunters were only defending themselves. The demons insisted it had been an ambush and execution.

“You were there for that?” Avenay hadn’t realized Enid had been. She was young. She couldn’t have been older than thirteen when it happened.

Enid drew in a slow breath. “Yes. It was going to be my first rite, you know. I was so excited. It meant I was to become an official member of the colony.”

“Because the rite is done to tie your magic to each other?”

Enid nodded, a faint smile at the corners of her mouth. “You really do your homework. Yes, the rite involves the entire colony and priests, veiled under a full moon. The priests recite a prayer, and our power is drawn out of us, then the priests can tie it together, or untie it from something, before it’s given back, and we are all connected to one another. It’s done as part of a mating ceremony, or if there is a curse on someone, or any variety of things.

“The temple was on a ley line and demon magic was tied into it, making it impossible for elves to access. As part of our treaty, my father agreed to remove the demonic tie to the ley lie, and since we would need as much power as possible, we took the whole colony. Theydecided to take me and tie my magic in at the same time, as the rites can be long and difficult for priestesses to perform.

“The priestesses performed half of the rite, the part where our power comes out. They finished the prayer, but it can take hours for us to it back. In that moment, Hunters ambushed us, killing my family and capturing Kaemon. Dryston and I are the only ones who escaped.”

Avenay blinked in shock. She had never heard that side of the story. While many realms and leaders accepted that they didn’t know the whole story, they still secretly blamed the demons. Lord Dryston was barely tolerated and had trouble making good alliances because no one quite trusted them after what they did to the humans that day.

“Did they know your power would be gone?” Avenay asked.

“Yes. While in Venatu, Kaemon and I were befriended by one of the king’s advisors. He would show us the castle and city, telling us history while our parents and Dryston were in meetings. He gained our trust, and Kaemon didn’t realize he was giving him the information he sought when he explained the rite and told him the prayer. Kaemon still hasn’t forgiven himself for that.”

“I don’t think that’s Kaemon’s fault. It sounds as if the king intended to attack, no matter if they had the information or not. They must have already known the rite depleted your power.”

“Yes, I’ve told Kaemon that many times. But he spent ten years alone, many of those years in a cell, locked away with only his own thoughts. Maybe someday he will learn that it wasn’t his fault, but it may take a while.”

Avenay’s mind swirled. There was so much to unpack and so many more things she’d like to know, but she wouldn’t drudge up Enid’s trauma for it.

Enid eyed her with a raised brow. “I feel like you want to ask more questions.”

Avenay straightened, her feathers ruffling. “Not at all. I won’t pry.”

“I… I actually don’t mind when you ask questions. When people ask me how I feel about it, I hate answering. It seems obvious. I feel terrible. Like there’s a gaping hole in me that won’t be filled. But you’re straightforward. It doesn’t feel so big and serious right now.”

Avenay wasn’t certain that was a good thing but judging by how the stress had left Enid’s face, she would take it as it was.

“So, ask away,” Enid said.

“When you lose your power, what does that feel like?”

Enid pursed her lips. “Like all the blood has been drained out of you. It’s cold and quiet and calm in a way that a forest is calm when there’s a predator nearby.”

“Is the rite dangerous? Do you ever not get your power back?”

---