Daughter of Dusk

A silvery mist lingers from my fingertips, dancing through the black shelves and over the wooden floors of my precious library until a shimmering fog reaches up to the stone ceilings high above. It reminds me of what I imagine the sky outside to look like: a gray mass of clouds that stretches as far as the eye can see, so thick that not even the sun’s rays could shine through. Of course, there’s no sun here in the dark world of Zala, so who can say for certain?

If only I could leave this prison of a Manor and see outside for myself.

I concentrate my energy again, this time condensing the translucent shadows together in my hands, watching them grow darker with each passing second.

Father’s booming voice echoes in my mind as the energy builds.“I took you in, Luna. Raised you for seventeen years. Permitted you free reign of the library. The least you can do is obey one very simple rule: never leave this Manor.”

The shadows blacken and my face contorts as I throw the darkness at an empty wall with a bang. The shelves lining other stone walls vibrate at the sound, like they’re desperate to protect the knowledge within their stories: my one escape from this life.

I stop with a gasp, opening and closing my hands. Have my attacks been that loud before? I suppose I have been practicing more often; perhaps it’s starting to pay off.

I’m about to continue when the doors of the library creak open, and I hastily send the mist away as Nox and Melinoe – my older brother and sister – come into view.

Though we all share the same brown eyes and straight black hair, my resemblance to them feels nonexistent. But the biggest difference is how much darker my olive skin is to their pale complexions, as though all the saturation has been taken from them.

“Luna, what was that noise?” Melinoe asks as her gaze narrows on me. She’s made her eyes look bigger with dark, dramatic shadows across her lids, enhancing her contempt.

“I was practicing,” I mumble.

The two of them step further into the room as Melinoe speaks again, running a hand through her shoulder-length hair. “For what? The next time we use you for target practice?” she says with a cackle.

They step closer and tower over my small stature as if they’re awaiting the perfect moment to strike their prey.

“I – it won’t be so easy next time. You’ll see,” I mumble as my hands vibrate.

Nox looks between my hands and me, then back to his sister. “Aw, look, Mouse is shaking. You must have scared her.” He turns back to me with his cold, calculating gaze, like he’s determining the intricacies of an evil plot. “If you’re so scared, why don’t you just scurry away?”

I quickly put my hands behind my back as my heart thumps against my chest. “I’ve asked you not to call me that.”

“Like I care,” Nox sneers, crossing his arms over his dark gray sweater before tipping his chin up. “We have more important things to worry about, like conquering the light world of Enas.”

A ray of hope shines through the fear of his words. If Nox and Melinoe are wanting to conquer Enas, that means they know how to get there. But I thought transportation magic was a lost art from the days of the war. At least, that’s what Father has always said.

“But . . . how will you survive there without amulets? The sun of Enas would take away your powers, wouldn’t it?” I mumble.

Nox’s glare pierces me like shadowy daggers. “Watch it, Mouse.”

My heart pounds faster. “I didn’t mean to suggest – I only meant that I’d hate to see such a thing happen to the future rulers of Zala,” I backpedal before summoning all the courage I can muster. “Why are you wasting your time with me anyway? I thought Father wanted to meet with the two of you.”

“How would you know anything about that?” Nox snaps. “You’re not even in line to rule. You’re a disgrace to Father, to his legacy.”

The comment drives a knife into me, but I bite my tongue and force myself to hold eye contact with them. “If – if that’s all you have to say to me, then please leave.” I rub the back of my neck. “I know I wouldn’t want to keep Father waiting.”

Silence wraps around us. Sucking in a sharp breath, I sidestep toward the bookcases to rush past them. But then Melinoe’s fingers weave through my waist-length hair and she tugs me back, forcing me to face her once again.

The motion happens so fast that all I can do is grimace. Her gaze darkens as shadows form in her other hand, ready to attack. The bell sleeves of her black tunic dress obscure part of my vision, cloaking my left eye in darkness.

“Watch it you little bitch. Don’t forget your place,” she hisses, letting me go.

I take a few steps back as the courage fills me again. “Of course. How could I ever forget?” My tone comes out more cynical than I intended; I pray she didn’t notice.

But as her gaze ignites, bursting and threatening to destroy anything in her path, my eyes widen and my wishes fade to dust. I should have kept my mouth shut!

Before I can say anything else, the darkness in her palms sparks into chaotic black flames as she dives at me, knocking me to the ground.

I contort my face as white-hot pain lights up my shoulder. “Get off!”

The plea doesn’t slow her down. If anything, it motivates her to keep going. Energy pulsates through my fingertips and a translucent shield forms between us, protecting me from another fiery hit. The snapping of her flames tunnels into my ears as her attacks come toward me, a chaotic force that cannot be contained. Nox stands to the side, emotionless, waiting to see who the victor will be.

Each inky blow hits my barrier with a loud whoosh as pain from my shoulder starts climbing to my fingertips. My arm begins to tremble, and the next attack cracks my shield. I shut my eyes tight. I think I can get out of this, but I only have a few more seconds before my protection shatters into a million pieces. . .

I let my shield break and move my head as another fiery attack strikes the stone beside my ear with a bang. Ignoring the ringing in my ears, I build up energy between my fingertips and send a smaller version of the shadowy beam against her chest. It throws her backwards, giving me just enough time to rise to my feet.

She steps back, standing next to our brother as her gaze pierces my soul. “You will pay for that!”

I shut my eyes and raise my hands in defence, readying myself for another attack, when the doors of the library fly open.

“Enough!” The room goes cold as a powerful voice echoes through the air. One I know all too well.

The attack from Melinoe doesn’t come, but the dread tightening around my throat knows this is far worse. I roll my shoulder with a wince and clasp my hands behind my back. I can always heal my injury later; I have bigger problems right now.

Father comes closer, dropping the temperature of the room with every step. He’s tall, foreboding, just like Nox and Melinoe; even looking at him for half a second sends a shiver through my bones. I fix my gaze on the stony ground.

“How am I supposed to prepare your siblings to rule Zala when you are constantly getting in their way?”

I tune out his voice until I realize his shoes are directly before mine, and my heart thumps loudly against my chest.

I quickly meet his intimidating gaze. His dark features and robes stand out among his pale, almost translucent skin. But it doesn’t suggest physical weakness. If anything, it adds to his eerie, powerful aura, one that could steal any light it touches before turning your blood to stone. “I’m sorry, Father. But I – Melinoe, she attacked me.”

“That’s bullshit!” Melinoe shouts.

“Enough, both of you!” He sighs loudly before turning back to me. “Whatever happened, I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour, Luna. I don’t care who started it. Your brother and sister will rule Zala one day, and you will treat them with respect. Do I make myself clear?”

I glance at Melinoe as she shoots me the smuggest smirk imaginable. I can almost hear her voice: shut up and take the blame you little brat.

I swallow my anger and look back at Father. I was just protecting myself! I want to say. But the courageous words I had for Nox and Melinoe are stuck in my throat, like a force is constricting them, preventing their escape.“I – I understand.”

He nods and turns back to my brother and sister. “Head to the study. I’ll be there shortly.”

Nox and Melinoe quickly exit the library, and Father turns back to me. “Why are you starting fights with your sister?” He demands.

I bite my lip. “I – I didn’t. I was defending myself.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” he hisses. “You’re just angry she banged you up last time you trained with us, aren’t you?”

“No! I –”

“And now you’re starting fights to get your pride back.” He sighs. “God, after everything I’ve done for you, and this is the thanks I get? The least you could do is show some respect and appreciation.”

“I didn’t mean any offence,” I mumble as his words tunnel into my skin like thorns.

“Stubborn, just like your mother,” he scowls. “Is that who you want to be like? A traitor to my rule? To Zala? Someone who wanted nothing more than for me and my legacy to burn in the sun?”

My ears pick up at his words, but I keep my mouth shut. “No, Father.”

He sighs again, stepping forward, and I fight the overwhelming urge to back away “You know what? This isn’t the first time you’ve attacked your sister. Something must be done about your behaviour. I’m assessing their fighting skills next week, and I think you should be a part of it.”

Fear buzzes in my chest. He wants me to be their target practice again.

“But this time,” he continues, “they will not be holding back, even if you are on the brink of death. I expect you to hold your own, but if you cannot, then so be it.” His tone is colder than ice. “Or perhaps the dungeons sound more appealing to you?”

I quickly shake my head. “No! I – I’ll spar.”

“That’s what I thought.” He pauses. “Let me make one thing very clear, Luna. Power is everything to a leader of Zala. I would hope you would know that after all the time you spend in your precious library. But you are not Nox and Melinoe’s full siblings, and I will not have you getting in their way as heirs. Your mother’s blood in your veins makes you an heir to nothing, a weakness in my legacy. To maintain power is to show no weakness. You will be erased from history like transportation magic, and if this is the only way to get that through to you, then so be it. Do you understand?”

His dark energy swallows me whole, but I manage to come to the surface for one last sentiment. “Yes, Father.”

“Then prove it. You have a week to prepare. Do not make me regret showing you kindness.”

And with that, he strides out of the room and turns down the hall.

The dark aura weakens as he moves further away, and I can finally breathe, as though I’m taking my first sips of air after being submerged underwater. My hands tremble, matching my wobbling knees as they nearly give out from under me.

As the dark veil diminishes, my mind runs wild as past words echo in my mind.

“Erased from history like transportation magic.”

I thought transportation magic was forgotten . . . not erased.

Transportation magic was how Shadow Wielders got to Enas during the War of Darkness; history books have been ever clear about that. But I’ve never come across the specific technique in my reading. Perhaps it’s been hidden away, much like my own presence in this world, only shown to a select few. It would certainly explain why Nox and Melinoe seem to know about it.

Even so, history suggests it was used by almost everyone in Zala during the war, not just the royal family. Perhaps there are Shadow Wielders outside these stone walls who still know it.

Maybe someone outside the Manor can teach me.

My heart pounds at the thought. No, how could I even think of such a thing? Father has been clear about one rule for the seventeen years I’ve been alive: this Manor is my prison. I cannot leave this place, and no one can know who I am.

But then, if no one knows I exist, would anyone know who I am if they see me? I can just hide my lineage if anyone asks. Easy. No one has to know the truth.

I look down at my hands. Can I really do this? Leave the Manor in search of a technique from a bygone era?

But then, I remember the fate that awaits me in a week. A deadly sparring match with my brother and sister as punishment for defending myself.

I’ve been practicing on my own, but I know they’re stronger than me.

If I go through with the fight next week, I’ll die.

But then my stomach lurches as I imagine the alternative: the dungeons. I’ve only ever been down there once, eight years ago: a mercilessly cold expanse of dark stone and nightmares, a place where light goes to die.

My eyes widen. I have to get out of here.

But it’s not enough to just leave the Manor. If I stay in Zala, I’ll be on the run the second Father realizes I’m gone. And what if he finds me?

I shudder at the thought. I must get to Enas to truly escape my fate.

If I can keep my search for transportation magic a secret, I could get to Enas before the spar next week, and my family would be none the wiser. I’m not sure they’d even think to look for me in Enas, especially if they think I don’t know about transportation magic. And I know none of them would be willing to give up their powers to find me.

I would need to find an amulet to keep my own shadow abilities safe from the sun, but if it really came to it, I’d give them up to get to Enas. Besides, perhaps it would be worth feeling the warmth of light on my skin, as well as seeing real colour beyond the grayish hues of Zala. My precious books carry representations of what Enas looks like, but there’s only so much the muted inks of this world can accomplish. I can almost picture the true colour of Enas in my mind’s eye: the vibrant greens of their trees, or the blue of the sky embracing the world. And then when the sun says goodnight, watching the blue fade to bright purples, oranges, reds, and everything in between fade together in a twilight sky . . .

Before I can talk myself out of it, I shut the library doors behind me and head down the hall.

If there’s a good time to leave, it’s now, while Nox and Melinoe are in a lesson with Father. I can use an exit in the servant’s quarters, in fact. And since it’s past curfew for servants, I can slip away, unnoticed.

The gray walls of the tall corridor tower over me, threatening to cave in on me with every step. The stone is infected with tiny cracks, as though a disease has taken over their lifeline, serving as a reminder of just how long this prison of a Manor has been standing, steeped in my family’s dynasty of rulers.

Or, I should say, Father’s dynasty of rulers.

I’m so lost in thought, I don’t even notice running right into someone coming from the opposite direction.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say without looking up, assuming it’s one of the servants.

“It’s okay, it happens,” the male voice replies. It’s softer than I thought it’d be.

Wait, I’ve never heard that voice before.

Time slows as I turn, hoping to catch a glimpse of the speaker. His back is to me now, but he’s not much taller than me – I don’t think – with whitish blonde hair that nearly illuminates the dark hall around him.

Hmm, he must be a servant.

But only the servants who work with Father are up this late.

My eyes widen. If he tells Father I’m in this area of the Manor . . . oh no.

I just got myself caught before I can even try to escape.

The ground seemingly gives out from under me, and I reach out a hand before my body turns to ice. “Wait!”