Sea Of Sparks And Shadows

Hey everyone! This story has the last two chapters removed. To read them, please head over to Webnovel and search for this book. By doing so, you would be supporting me while also getting to know what happened to the Amaris and the crew. Thank you for reading!

The large mansion was quiet and dark. Every servant was back in their quarters, her grandmother was probably still sleeping, as were her aunt and cousin. But Amaris couldn’t get herself to lie in her bed let alone fall asleep. She paced the room for hours before she decided to do the one thing she was good at and that she was sure would help her focus her scattered thoughts; fix something. She pulled out the small prototype of the iron feather that was as long as her palm and as wide as her fist on the larger end. She picked up the tiny city globe and flipped it over. Grabbing for her screwdriver, she went to work opening it up.

Spirit, her first successful robot, watched her from across the room, sometimes floating over on his magnetic discs and finding her tools when she’s too unfocused to find them. His spherical body glimmered in the dim light and she was thankful for his company. At least, she wasn’t completely alone. Though if her aunt was to be trusted, she guessed she’d be in another country, utterly alone and hopeless, sooner rather than later. She sighed.

She knew she couldn’t stay single forever but she was seventeen for goodness’ sake. Sure there were girls who married younger but she hoped to fall in love with someone and marry them when she was ready and get away from her aunt once and for all. Not have her marriage be another move in her aunt’s endless games. She wanted her freedom. Was that so much to ask for? Apparently to her aunt, it was.

She huffed and inspected the workings of the old toy. True to her word, Lydia was right about the rusting pieces and the broken lamellae. The narrow tracks that hold the magnets in place and let them move them in the right directions were rusting and so, many paths were blocked and many pieces couldn’t be moved. The tiny comb on one side that were supposed to graze the cylinder’s surface and form the melody when it was spinning, had most of its thin teeth fallen. Truly the thing looked like it suffered for decades.

Amaris went to work immediately, detaching the small magnetic pieces from the tracks. it took her no time to have them cleaned and ready for their new home in her flying machine. She pulled out her cutting device and turned the key several times before the round blade began spinning. She cut the magnets into small pieces as her thoughts wandered once again.

Who does this guy think he is, anyways? Blatantly asking for her hand in marriage when they have never met! Sure he’s some Count from Linorva, she rolled her eyes, but that doesn’t give him the right to pull a stunt like this. As if her life wasn’t hard enough to begin with. Not only does Cynthia hate her and find her an embarrassment to their family’s name for being a bastard born non-power weaver, but her grandmother, the only person who has the power to defend her in this household is getting more and more ill by the day. She sighed, the perfect time for a prince charming to waltz in.

She yelped. Amaris looked down at her bleeding finger, then at the traitorous instrument still stained with drops of her blood. She let out a frustrated groan and stood up to go to her washroom. She let the faucet water cool away the sting for a few second before closing it and wrapping her finger in a handkerchief.

She sat back down and arranged the pieces of magnets together until they formed an unsymmetrical semblance of a hexagon. Good enough. She glued them together then placed it in the booster mechanism in the far part of the iron feather. she turned the tiny handle for a few minutes then pushed the button on the back. And just like that, the small device slid off her hand and flew across the room until it hit the wall and changed course. She smiled and breathed a sigh. She had succeeded. Though she didn’t have it in her to feel any true happiness or sense of victory.

What’s the point of building a machine that can fly when you’re chained to the ground?

It took the feather a couple of minutes to slow down then land softly on the thick carpet. Amaris picked it up and placed it on her bedside table then sat on the bed staring at it.

If only she could fly away too. Run to some other land where she could be herself and have no one judge her for her family ties or lack of abilities. She could open her own little shop for fixing machinery and making devices and spend her days far from the Medeis mansion and all the baggage that comes with it.

She lay down and hugged her pillow staring intently at the high decorated ceiling.

Why can’t she just do that? Why can’t she just run?

Well for one thing she has little to no money. She spent all her money on the pieces and tools she needed for her machines. And then, even if she did somehow get the money she needed, where would she go? Her circle of acquaintances was small outside of these mansion walls, let alone outside this city.

She spun her bracelet around her wrist as she groaned into the pillow. There’s no use thinking of this, she’ll just give herself a headache and no solution will come out of it. She should find a way to talk it out with this Count, make him announce that he mistook her for someone else maybe, or that he was ill informed. But if he already declared her to be his fiancé without even meeting her, was she willing to bet her life and future on him understanding the concept of consent and personal choice?

To make matters even worse, if this doesn’t work out, her aunt threatened her to have her name signed for the draft. She shuddered at the mere thought. She didn’t know what happened to the fifty people that were taken to the Emperor of Sinsecria every three moons. No one did. All they knew was that they never returned and she wasn’t too thrilled to find out why.

Suddenly, there was a shy knock on the door and Amaris sat up. “yes?”

The door slowly opened and Vanya stepped in. “hey,” she whispered and closed the door behind her with a tentative smile. She stood there in her blue night gown and her dark blond hair for once free and cascading down her back.

“hi,” Amaris huffed and lay back down with her feet swinging against the bed legs. She heard muffled footsteps before her cousin lay next to her. “couldn’t sleep?”

“sleeping isn’t exactly at the top of my priorities right now.” She scowled at the ceiling.

“are you leaving?” Vanya’s voice was small, almost as if she was scared of the answer.

Amaris sighed. “I don’t know.”

“the Count can’t be that bad, right? Samantha, my friend from Linorva mentioned him once and she said he was the most handsome man she ever saw.”

“very comforting.”

“hey you’ll have to marry anyways, so why not have someone rich, well respected and easy on the eyes?”

“because I don’t respect him. Why didn’t he ask me personally? Why did he just skip that step completely? I don’t even know his name for crying out loud!”

“It’s Noah Wilde, Count of Swiftborn.” Amaris looked at her and Vanya blushed. “I found the letter he sent mother in her office.”

“really?” Amaris turned completely to face her. “what did it say?”

“not much,” Vanya shrugged. “it was very business-like. He just said he planned on marrying you and that he would like to meet you tomorrow and discuss the details. He also wrote something about having your bags packed so you could leave within the week.”

“great.” She muttered then jumped to her feet. “I can’t do this. I’m leaving. I don’t care where or how but my freedom is the only thing I have and I will be damned if I let her take it away from me too.”

She knelt down and dragged a satchel from under the bed. “no offense,” she added after a thought.

She marched to her closet and started taking out her clothes. She shoved a few pants and tunics in the satchel along with her denim overalls. her hand reached for the next thing in the closet; her dark green gown, one of the two she owned, both presents from Vanya and her grandmother. She scrunched her nose at the garment then put it back in the closet. Just looking at it made her feel like she couldn’t breathe. Heavens, why do people enjoy wearing them?

“I knew you were going to say that.” Vanya sighed. “are you sure you don’t want to give him a chance? Maybe he’s better in person? Maybe you will get along?” her tone was bordering on begging and Amaris could hear it thickening.

“no, I don’t think that will happen and if I back off now then there’s no way I can make it if I change my mind. You said it yourself; he wants me to leave within a week. I’ll make it easier for him; I’ll leave now.”

She looked at her cousin and saw her hands trembling and her head bobbing. “Vanya…” she sighed. She went and hugged her then pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

“Listen, I don’t want to leave you either. I really don’t. But if your mother insists on marrying me off to a complete stranger, not only that but kicking me out if this doesn’t succeed, then I’d rather leave with whatever pieces left of my dignity before she snatches away that too.”

“I understand.” She nods but she still wouldn’t look her in the eye. Amaris hugged her one more time before getting back to work; emptying all her drawers and her shelves. Spirit, seeing her rush back and forth around the room, floated to her side too and moved whatever he could with his skeletal wire-y arms. After a moment, Vanya’s hand grazed hers as she reached for a hanger.

“you should take this jacket; just because it’s warm now doesn’t mean it’ll stay like this in two weeks and heaven knows when you’ll get the chance to go to a dress shop, let alone a proper seamstress.”

Amaris only smiled and they both worked in synch.

“Where are you going to stay?” Vanya asked. Her voice was steady, strong, or at least trying to be.

“I don’t know.” Amaris groaned and fiddled with her bracelet, turning it around and around her wrist. “I’ll figure something out. Maybe I’ll sell that necklace grandma gave me,” she mused. “Or maybe I’ll-”

“Wait here, one moment.” Vanya cut her off and rushed out of the room without another word. By the time she came back, Amaris had two bags full and ready on the ground with her clothes and tools as well as Spirit’s shut down body. She sat on her bed in the only dress she was willing to take; a short dark beige skirt with a matching blouse like top. She wore a brown vest over it and had her hair up in a high ponytail once more.

Vanya closed the door then brought out a box from behind her. Amaris squinted at it in the now dark room, but as Vanya got closer Amaris’ eyes widened at the glittering box. “Vanya…?” she asked tentatively, her eyes still locked on the small box.

“Ris, please. It’s the least I can do.” She sat next to her, the jewelry box between them. She opened it and picked up a handful of necklaces and earrings. She took Amaris’ hand and lay them in her palm. “Take them. Sell them and buy a ticket to Paradelia. I’ll write you a letter. I have a friend there, Zinnette, she inherited a mansion all to herself and always complained about lack of company. I mentioned you once and she said that she would love to meet you. She would love to have you around. Just… just take care of yourself.” Her hand tightened on Amaris’ wrist as she finished her speech.

“But what if Cynthia finds out?”

“She won’t. I have tons of jewelry. More than I can wear in year. Some missing necklaces and rings won’t be raising flags.”

“But-”

“Take it. Please. I wish I have the power to make mother less horrible to you and make you stay but I can’t. So let me do what I can now. You’ve been a wonderful big sister for me all these years and this is my one chance to repay you.”

Amaris pulled her into a hug and she felt her cousin shaking in her arms, a small whimper escaping her lips.

“I’ll write to you as soon as I get there.”

****

It was still dark when Amaris reached the dock. She bought her ticket and was told to go port C16. As she moved forward through the dark empty platforms she realized that someone was following her. Slow, heavy footsteps echoed hers and no matter how fast she walked, they never seemed to fade away. Soon she heard whispers and snickers behind her and she clutched the strap of her back pack even tighter. There were two of them.

She skimmed the horizon for any sign of help or shelter. Nothing.

Not a move, not a sign, not a person. Only the lapping of the waves and the whistling summer wind cutting through her slowly panicking thoughts.

She should have brought with her a dagger, or at least a small pocket knife. Her heart was beating faster and Amaris wasn’t sure if it was from fear or the speed at which she’s walking.

She peaked from under her hood and thanked the heavens, the spirits and every holy power as she saw the sign that read C16 dancing under a street lamp. She could barely make the letter and numbers out in her haste. She looked to the side and there it was; a ship was there with its boarding ramp set in place. She wondered briefly why it was set in place with no staff around but was too thankful it was to give it much thought. She looked around once more and noticed a small side street to her left. She could see a few huge wooden cargo boxes peeking from the corner and suddenly a plan formed in her head.

She took one deep breath, then suddenly, she sprinted off and slid into the side street.

“what the-” she heard one of the men say from. The pounding of feet followed. Amaris crouched behind the first box and waited until the two men rushed by her before she jumped up and retraced her steps. She caught a glimpse of the stalkers and her blood froze over. One of them was blond and short. More a boy than a man. He didn’t worry her. The other one however, made her want to disappear from that dock completely. The alley was dark but she could still see the outline of his huge dark wings. A Skydancer.

She backtracked quietly but as soon as she turned the corner she stumbled into a bucket. It clattered louder than the temple bells and rolled in front of Amaris.

Her heart stopped beating completely. Her lungs, stopping their labor.

Then, Amaris ran.

She ran faster than she ever did in her entire existence. Across the dock and up the ramp. She could hear them running too. Suddenly, she couldn’t move forward. Something was holding her back. She looked down and found her satchel stuck on a hook in the ramp. “Come on,” she whispered and pulled at it, to no avail.

“Hey!” Someone yelled she looked up and the blonde boy was running through the dock towards her, the Skydancer not far behind. “You can’t go up there! Come down!”

“Shit!” She muttered and pulled at the strap one more time. It ripped completely. She watched helplessly as her bag fell into the ocean and all she had left was a useless strap. But she had no time to mourn her loss. She sprinted up what was left of the ramp and scanned the deck for an escape, a hiding place, a person…anything.

She spotted an open door and rushed to it.

She could hear the thumping of feet on the wooden ramp.

She was in a long corridor.

“Did you see where she went?”

She tried opening the first door. Locked.

“Check the front and I’ll check the back.”

The second door. Locked too. “Come on!” she huffed under her breath.

“Lady come out, we just want to talk.” The voice was harsh, bored even, but young.

Third forth fifth. Nothing. “Please,” she whimpered. The sixth door swung open at the first try and Amaris sighed.

She stepped in and closed the doors immediately. The space was small and cramped with boxes and brooms and mops. A supply closet. Amaris took off her backpack and sat on an upside down bucket. She put her ear to the door and listened for footsteps or voices. At first she heard some faraway echoes, but then even that faded. Never the less she kept listening. She opened her backpack and took out he biggest heaviest wrench. She clutched it in both hands as tightly as she could, hoping that the fact that she has at least that as a weapon will calm her drumming heart. She didn’t dare even breath loudly as she kept her ear glued to the door.

Amaris didn’t know how long she stayed there, shaking and scared and ready to attack anyone who opened the door before her body relaxed. Her head, finding the cracked wood a comfortable pillow, as she sunk into the clutches of sleep, the events of the day and night enough to chase away any visiting dreams.

She didn’t wake up until she felt her cheek collide with the floor. She opened her eyes and looked around, trying to remember how she got there. The door to the small closet was wide open and she was now lying in the middle of the corridor. Half a dozen men stood around her, staring.

“well look what we have here.”

She was in trouble. That much, she could tell.

Hey everyone! This story has the last two chapters removed. To read them, please head over to Webnovel and search for this book. By doing so, you would be supporting me while also getting to know what happened to the Amaris and the crew. Thank you for reading!