Daughter of a King (Daughters of Taeron Book 1) Read online

  “Well, it’s a good thing Emmet says I’m not a man yet; otherwise I’d be insulted.” He gave his sister a slight bow. “Come now, put on your gown. I’d like to take you for a walk before the ceremony begins.”

  “You mean to tell me she’s not dressed yet?” Samy pushed the door wide open. He was wearing finery of the same sort, a deep sapphire blue coat with silver trim, complementing his audacious nature.

  My hand covered my mouth to stifle a giggle as Benny, Samy’s sylph, slipped past his shoulder to see what the fuss was about. Caleb’s sylph, Clarence, was no doubt lounging in the hallway, more than used to these types of disturbances. Benny gave me a curt nod, his wings beating in rapid succession. I swallowed my humor and responded with the same.

  The three royal children of the sixth millennium were like a spectrum from dark to fair. Samy fell in the middle though he was the younger of the three, having been born a full two minutes after Huldah. His eyes were rich like soil and matched the curls atop his head. Blessed with above average intelligence, Benny often beamed in pride over his souling while his quill scratched detailed notes for Samy’s soul record.

  Samy’s vigor for life more than balanced Huldah’s quiet reserve while Caleb led them both in mischief and benevolence. It was a matter he’d taken quite seriously as Huldah’s hauntings had grown worse.

  “I could refuse, you know.” Huldah sat up on her knees with a scowl which earned an irritated meow from Mynx whose eyes were following the hovering Benny with great interest.

  “We won’t keep you.” Caleb dipped his head in a refined nod before he stepped back, taking Samy with him as Benny fluttered past just before the door closed.

  “There’s no ruining Caleb’s big day!” Samy shouted. “I’ll come in there and dress you myself if I have to.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. I’m fourteen years of age and quite capable. Thank you.” Crawling from the bed, Huldah scrambled across the room to her wardrobe and removed an autumn gown of cranberry velvet trimmed with fine golden thread of crawling ivy from bodice to hem.

  Samy chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”

  Marching to the door and giving it a solid kick, Huldah spun on her heel and hobbled back to the tall looking glass next to her wardrobe. She tossed the gown up and over her head in a tangled attempt to wrestle herself into it. Not only did the girl need a sylph, but a lady’s maid as well.

  Hopping from my perch on her nightstand lamp, my wings pulsed in a rapid flutter. Mynx made a lazy attempt to bat a claw at me, but I was ready—far from his reach by the time he sprung—and came down to where Huldah spun in a helpless circle. The slider’s clasp was lost in folds of velvet, and I could not manipulate the material while watching for the random swatting of Huldah’s hands and the prowling Mynx at the same time.

  With a flutter backward from the danger zone, I gave our bond a press.

  *There’s a slider, you silly girl. Take the gown off and try again.*

  “Of course, there is,” she snarled back, plucking the garment off with a huff and shake.

  “What was that?” Caleb called through the door.

  “Nothing, just, nothing,” Huldah spoke with exhausted annoyance.

  The slider was down in an instant, opening the dress bodice so that she could step in with ease. Her slender arms slipped through the cap sleeves intended to rest just off her shoulders. She pulled the bodice into place, holding it with a firm hand across her bosom while grasping at the slider’s ribbon that dangled just out of reach.

  Crossing the distance between us, I lifted the ribbon into her hand. A smug look crossed her face, she was pleased with her supposed victory. I shook my head. If only she knew how many times I’d been here to help without her knowledge. Behind me, the quill scratched the parchment and Mynx lounged with one eye still watching me.

  “Nasty cat,” I hissed and watched with horror as the quill scribbled down a quick sketch. I’d have to manually amend that last bit later.

  Huldah was back in front of the looking glass none-the-wiser of my existence or feud with her feline. She tucked the slender straps of her slip beneath the cap sleeves and then gave her hair a frown. It had been set in ringlets early this morning by her mother. Some were now flat with no time to fix them. Huldah’s consternation, though amusing, had me touch the bond again.

  *The crystal hairpin Caleb gave you at your last natal day, it’s on the vanity.*

  With a smile and slight skip across the room, Huldah found the pin and set her hair in a quick but regal up-do. A dab of smelling oil to her neck and wrists was next. She took one last glance at her reflection before she stalked to the door and swung it wide.

  “There, I’m ready.” Her hands went straight to her hips.

  Samy didn’t miss a beat as he looked his sister over from tip to toe. “Haven’t you forgotten something?”

  Huldah looked down to where Samy’s gaze rested. She rolled her eyes and hurried back to the wardrobe to collect her shoes. “Let’s get this over with,” she snarled as she rejoined her brothers at the door.

  “Your misery is noted.” Caleb gave Huldah a smile with an offer of his arm. “Now how about we try to enjoy these last moments together?”

  Clenching her lips shut, Huldah’s silence was response enough.

  Departures

  “Because there is a plan for us, we will dare to live.”

  -Audreana, daughter of Erith, 1st Millennium

  The boys flanked Huldah as they approach the stairwell which would lead them into a throng of well-wishers down below. Benny and Clarence gave me pity smiles as I flew behind Huldah. Mynx raced past and padded down the rug that covered the center of the stairs. I sighed with relief as the dark monster slipped from view. Clarence snickered. My disdain for the senior sylph nearly matched my feelings for Mynx, so I paid him no mind.

  “We must do this, sister,” Caleb’s voice registered just above a whisper. “You need to accept the path set for each of us.”

  “How am I to leave my family for an unknown place to be tried through any variation of obstacles and experiences, all while my mortal body rots and death is the only way home?”

  Samy shrunk from the imagery Huldah questioned, as did I. Clarence, ever the judge, clicked his teeth in disapproval while Benny seemed unphased and Caleb courageously tried to answer as he guided his irritated sister down the grand staircase.

  “To stay in the Realm would not be sufficient. Mortality is an intricate part of the Taeron lifecycle, is it not?”

  “Please, whatever you do, don’t start quoting The Book of Journeys to me now. I’ve had my belly full in class with Mistress Sylvania droning on and on about it.”

  Sylvania. I couldn’t help but shudder. She was my aunt as well, Francine’s twin sister. Unlike Francine and I, Sylvania had earned the immortal classification of Creator while I was away from the Realm on my mortal journey. This made her full-sized and in full view of premortal soulings. She’d never chosen an espousal bond though some had tried to win her favor. As a result, she had no soulings of her own. Instead, my awkward aunt chose to spend her immortal years boring soulings with lessons in Taeron history and traditions.

  She made my skin crawl, with her spindly fingers and dark appearance. In all my years, I’d never seen a sylph or Creator drawn to just the color black. There was something just not right about it. Clarence, Mynx, and puffed-up Sylvania were all cut off the same bolt of nastiness.

  “The mortal journey is a proving ground.” Samy paused on the stairs to clear his throat and hunch his shoulders. His impersonation of Sylvania was unmatched. He raised a finger into the air and squinted his eyes.

  With a shrill, nasal tone he began, “Mortal life is the initial experience in choosing for oneself a vibrant future. To care for your own destiny is vital. As you come to know yourself and define your character, you will also learn to live with the consequences of your agency. It is true,” Samy continued his mockery, “the Taeron Celestial Rule, or TCR as I like to call it, governs our greater lifecycle. But in mortality, well, the TCR functions more like a guideline. Afterall, how can you know who you really are if you are bound in a state of innocence forever? Use your free agency well, young soulings, for death will come upon you when it is least expected.”

  He wiggled his fingers at Huldah who did her best to stifle a laughing fit. Caleb shook his head in dismay. I glanced at Benny and Clarence, both flabbergasted by their charges.

  “They’ll learn soon enough that a mortal life is no laughing matter.” Clarence huffed, with a quick scribble on Caleb’s scrolls. He had not enchanted his quill and parchment as a matter of pride. Benny snuck a wink in my direction. It was my turn to stop a giggle now.

  The banter ceased as the children stepped onto the landing. A great crowd was gathered in the gardens just beyond the stairs. Caleb steered their party in the opposite direction. He knew, as everyone in the immediate family did, that large groups agitated Huldah and her situation. Such a gathering would increase the odds of an episode and that would not do.

  The children’s faces took in their surroundings as Caleb swung the garden doors wide and they hustled down the exterior arched walkway. Their eyes wandered across the adjacent grounds. As young children, they had rolled down the hill that extended from the open corridor, making a wild ruckus before racing back to the top only to do it all again. These memories would be veiled from Caleb once his ship slipped beyond the horizon. It made my heart sad, lifecycle or not.

  “Do you feel prepared?” Huldah whispered. I could feel the ache in her heart pound across our bond. Her sad eyes fixed on his face, waiting for an answer.

  “Our parents are exceptional. I don’t believe they would send their children or any other souling off on a journey that lack
ed purpose. As creators of our Realm, they’ve made available a foundation that has prepared me to the fullest extent possible. When I sail beyond the horizon, the rest will be up to me.”

  Huldah and Samy exchanged a glance. I was glad they would have each other when Caleb was gone.

  “What would you have me say?” He sighed, patting her hand. “The journey must be taken. Do I feel a tickle of anticipation, possibly even fear? Yes. But I’d rather not express that to my doubting little sister.”

  The trio fell silent as they walked to one of their favorite getaways. A sunken overlook was built into the back of the castle. Beneath it, the foaming sea beat upon jagged rocks. The royal children had named this place the “Stairs to Nowhere” and often spread blankets and books in the nook, passing hours away, content with one another for company.

  “For old times’ sake?” Caleb brandished a smile for each of his younger siblings as they came to the end of the covered corridor.

  “Of course.” Samy nodded in an attempt to be brave.

  “There doesn’t seem to be any other way.” Huldah sighed, her grip growing tighter on Caleb’s arm.

  We three sylphs fluttered behind, holding our collective breath. It was a shame that we weren’t more friendly to one another. Our time with the children was often passed in silence. Benny did, however, offer a few jovial words when Clarence wasn’t around. And now that was ending too.

  Clarence had made the ultimate commitment and would travel to the Cathedral of Conscience where his body would rest while the essence of all his collected knowledge and experience would meld into Caleb’s subconscious upon his mortal birth. Caleb and Clarence would endure this mortal journey together. It would be he who would help Caleb remember his identity and all he had learned within our Realm while leading him toward safety.

  Such an act of service all but guaranteed the rise from sylph to Creator, though not all chose it. Francine could have been raised to the Creator classification, but she stayed on, devoted to her work as Master Keeper of the Sylphs. I wasn’t sure, no matter how much I loved Huldah, that I could endure another mortal experience. There were too many variables; it was the one thing I hadn’t thought through when I bonded with her.

  Caleb released Huldah and rested upon the half wall overlooking the sea. His gaze was not one of ease, brows clenched at the center as he considered something of importance. The ocean air was thick and stirred around the children. If Caleb was feeling any fear, he did not show it.

  Moved by his determined display, I pressed against the bond with Huldah.

  *Caleb has always been sturdy and strong. He will do well in the mortal journey and pass his test. You will be together again, I’m sure of it. Be strong for him in these final moments.*

  Shock rippled through me as Huldah’s voice filled our bond with a snap of frustration.

  *Easy for you to say.*

  Benny’s quizzical gaze surveyed my face. I could not hide the surprise I felt.

  “She spoke across the bond,” I whispered, eyes wide and blinking.

  “That’s good.” He nodded with fervor. “It means the bond is growing. Sometimes it feels as if Samy will never stop speaking across ours.”

  The children couldn’t hear or see us, our work was cleaner that way. Seldom did we speak during their active hours but this, it called for comment. Clarence huffed, looking down his nose at the two of us as if he had better things to consider.

  Caleb tugged at the bottom of his coat before turning away from the sea and reaching for his siblings. He put a hand on each of their shoulders, forcing them to meet his eyes.

  “There is something we must resolve,” he announced. They nodded in unison. “You will depend on each other, now more than ever. Huldah, there is to be no more hiding in the castle tower and refusing to take part in your birthright. You are Father and Mother’s only daughter. Hauntings or no, you must choose to live.”

  Quivering beneath the truth, Huldah’s face fell into a frown as she blinked away tears.

  “Samy, you are to protect our sister, even from herself if need be. You are a fair balance, the two of you, though I doubt you know it yet. Soon I will be gone, and you must be quick to sort it out.”

  Samy clasped his brother’s arm. “You can count on me, Caleb. I won’t let you down. We’ll be together again, you’ll see.”

  “I have no doubt.” Caleb smiled at his youngest sibling.

  “I hate this and it’s making him happy,” Huldah whimpered.

  Alarm rippled through me. Did she mean Samy or—I touched the bond and could feel a rising heat just beneath the surface. Clarence and Benny jumped on high alert as Caleb released Samy, grasping Huldah by both shoulders.

  “You must fight against this Darkness when it comes,” Caleb ordered as he bent his knees so that their eyes were level. “Command the Darkness away, just like we’ve practiced.”

  “And if he doesn’t go?” Tremors shook Huldah as her jaw flexed against the plague that ailed her.

  “Family lasts, you can trust in that,” Caleb growled. “Force it away. It will not have you today.”

  “You can do it, Huldah,” Samy encouraged, though his darkened eyes and worried glance at Caleb gave him away. “You’re in control, not the Darkness.”

  Huldah’s eyes shut. Her fists clenched at her sides as I pressed against the bond, pushing all my strength against the heat searing it. My fingers burned. I’d learned to divide the focus of the Darkness, diminishing its power over Huldah’s mind.

  A horn blared in the distance. Caleb’s head jerked toward the harbor. The time had come for departing soulings to make their way to the ships waiting to carry them beyond the horizon.

  “Not now,” Caleb snapped.

  Huldah trembled. I was certain Caleb’s grip was the only thing holding her up.

  “You have to go,” Samy said, taking his place in Caleb’s stead. “Send Emmet, he will help me move her to her room.”

  Huldah’s body sagged, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Her battle with the Darkness was mental now. She would resist; she always did.

  “How can I leave her like this?” Caleb cried.

  “Because if you don’t, the Darkness will gain a victory. Father told us, remember. He’s a sick soul that would see us all under his control. Don’t give him that. I have our sister and promise that she will not succumb to this evil as long as I exist.”

  Samy’s eyes shone with a fierceness I’d never seen. Benny clapped his hands a single time as he beamed with pride. Clarence was fluttering high, his head swiveling from Caleb to what he could see happening over the castle walls.

  Caleb shook himself, replacing worry with determination as he gave Samy a curt nod. He placed a gentle kiss upon Huldah’s forehead, though her eyes remained closed.

  “Until we meet again.” He breathed before making a sharp pivot toward his destiny with Clarence hovering after him.

  Broken Things

  “Keeping at times will hurt the heart, but also has the power to mend the broken.”

  -Francine, daughter of Kaliph, 2nd Millennium

  My wings drooped as I watched a helpless Huldah cry herself to sleep while the Departure Vessels slipped beyond the horizon. Caleb was gone. The Darkness had released his control over her just as the vessels had drawn anchor and moved away from shore. Huldah didn’t get to say goodbye.

  Leaning against the cool stained glass of Huldah’s window, I crossed my legs, considering what could be done to help my weary souling. The night hours would be slow to pass, and I hoped Francine would arrive soon to impart some wisdom.

  The sun left behind skies filled with orange and pink which quickly turned to a deep purple with the chill of a star-filled autumn night. Memories of a time when I had sailed into the horizon flooded me as a shiver crawled across my skin. I had not known the kind of mortal journey one would envision and hoped Caleb would fare better.