Miriam slapped his shoulder and put a halt to his vile train of thought, saving us both many nightmares. The prince of darkness looked dumbfounded and slightly offended.
‘It’s all a part of life, no? Why don't you live a little, Miriam, before you settle for that brick of a man who thinks spontaneity means switching legs mid-stride… Unless it’s about his third leg?’
Getting flustered at their openness with critique and matters of intimacy, I considered going back to the estate before it escalated.
Though I never considered myself a prude, witnessing the ease with which those people approached the subjects made me consider the possibility that I was a little too restrained.
And so I forced myself to stay rooted in the spot, though every instinct in my body screamed to leave and save myself the embarrassment of shedding light on my inexperience.
Examining the faraway trees and violet bushes, I wondered whether they would ever deem me worthy to connect. Following the lord’s assurance that we shared blood, it meant the land should respond to me accordingly over time. But rarely did magic work out the way one expected.
‘Hello? Are you still with us?’ Miriam’s breathtaking eyes narrowed as she pushed a strand of my hair off my shoulder.
No. She tried to push the serpent off, but her hands just glided through it.
Her brother chimed, winking in a sly way. ‘Is he limiting your oxygen intake by any chance?’
At least they were poking fun at my absentmindedness and not other things.
‘Did he know you were my relatives when he agreed to trade me off?’ The question burst out of me before I could even decide if knowing could provide any relief.
‘No,’ he responded, tone grave, eyes burning with emotions I couldn’t pinpoint.
The words hit harder than I expected; the ground suddenly felt less solid beneath me. I started to hope he knew I would be safe. That he didn’t just pawn me off without making sure I would be taken care of. That wasn’t the case.
Discouraged and resentful, I was aware of my need to let it go—to let him go. But it felt like losing a part of myself in theprocess. Like the second I cut him out completely I would bleed out.
Dwelling wouldn’t help. ‘What did you mean when you said your father sensed me?’
‘Our father,’ the temperamental commander of strays blurted, as if offended, before walking off and disappearing in a cloud of twilight.
‘There is a great deal of compassion under that persistent cover of irony and bickering,' the grey-head explained, offering grounds for his behaviour. ‘Shadow powers are different from your regular elemental ones. They have a different meaning and capacity for all of us. Take Alec, for example. He is a necromancer; that’s why he’s always being followed by his hoard of pets.’
She paused, searching for something in my expression. ‘The deceased feel closure and a sense of belonging with necromancers. Though, as you might have noticed, judging by the drifter around your nape, they can grow attached to any shadow wielders.’
My thoughts travelled back to my conversation with the lord, which confused me so much I was still uncertain about my stray’s state. ‘So the snake around my throat is dead.’
Miriam’s eyes glistened as she spoke about death with reverence and respect. ‘Yes and no. Death doesn’t always mean the end; it can mean new beginnings. Look at your snake—it died, yes, but it’s still here, isn’t it?’
My mind wouldn't let it go. How far did their powers go? Were they immortal? ‘Can everyone become a deceased shadow version of themselves?’
‘No, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Though I’m not the best person to ask, necromancy is Alec’s suit.’
We walked along the stygian field of grass, edging into a small patch of forest. Not like the one at home.
This one was plagued by a sort of glowing mushrooms that looked poisonous. Feeling comfortable in the girl’s presence, I allowed myself to drift miles away into my reflections.
Miriam gave the impression of being approachable and cautiously pleased with the idea of having a sister. And even though today had twisted my world upside down, and it was daunting, when I looked into the very depths of my soul, I knew having a real family had always been an unachievable dream.
For the first time in a long while, the idea of belonging didn’t sound like a fairytale.
My investigative impulse pushed me to enquire about the girl I was beginning to like. ‘What’s yours?’
‘Efialtiskinesis mostly.’
Did she just sneeze?
‘What hell is that?’ A flicker of genuine astonishment broke through before I could compose myself.
