The boating dock stood at the water's edge like a welcoming gateway to the realm of adventure. Weathered planks, worn by time and countless footsteps, crisscrossed in a mosaic of faded browns and grays. The scent of saltwater mingled with the earthy aroma of aged wood, creating a distinctive ocean perfume that drifted through the air, seagulls perched atop weathered posts, their calls blending with the rhythmic clapping of waves against the dock.
Boats of various sizes bobbed gently, tethered by ropes that creaked in time with the vessels' gentle sway. The water beneath the dock sang a soothing melody, completing the harmony of the scene.
In that moment, I felt like an adventurer.
"Come on, Tara! Stop staring! The ferry is getting ready to leave."
Mama's voice pulled me from the scene before my eyes. She stood ahead, animated, urging me to join her.
"Coming!"
Hurrying across the dock, I caught up just as she stepped onto the vessel.
"I'm so excited!" I said, grinning from ear to ear. It felt like a sunburst had exploded in my chest, and I couldn't help but smile.
A crew member guided us through the common area to our cabin. Once we dropped our bags off, we headed out to the deck to watch the shoreline shrink behind us.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, noticing her cheerfulness.
"Honestly, I've got mixed feelings, but I'm hopeful."
Her chest betrayed her, rising and falling quickly.
The ferry's horn blared, low, deep, and full, vibrating through the floor and walls. The dock slipped away, growing smaller as the vessel carried us farther from shore. My stomach flipped, half from excitement, half from the strange sensation of being on the water. Outside, the waves glittered beneath the sun, rolling and stretching endlessly toward the horizon.
"This is incredible," I whispered, almost to myself.
The water reflected the morning light, but Mama's gaze held a shadow; her smile was faint, her cheerfulness dimmed. She leaned against the railing, gripping it with white-knuckled fingers, her eyes drifting toward the distant shore. As she pondered, her face tightened. She glanced over at me stiffly. The ocean stretched endlessly before us, waves lapping against the ferry's hull as the wind tugged at my curls.
"Tara," she whispered. "We need to talk before we get to Velmora."
I scratched my face. "Okay, shoot."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "It's not like our island, Ombressa. Be careful, keep your head down, and don't talk about Beatrix."
A prickle of unease crept up my spine. "Why?"
Her expression hardened. "She doesn't have the best reputation."
She turned to me, eyes sharp with warning.
"Especially in the towns neighboring the port. They were the ones revolting when your father and I left years ago."
A scoff escaped her lips. "A couple of months after we settled on Ombressa, news spread that they'd been crushed."
She paused. "As they should've been," she whispered.
I nodded quietly, hoping she'd explain a bit more. Her brow lifted, as if prepared to defend Beatrix.
"They brought it on themselves. The priestess only does what Beatrix tells her to do. Their defiance was reckless. They should've found another way." She shook her head.
A chill settled over me, my fingers curling around the ferry's railing. The wind carried the salty scent of the sea, but it did little to ease the sudden tightness in my throat.
"All because of taxes?" I asked.
Mama clicked her tongue. "Is the reason important? What matters is obedience. Beatrix's word is law."
Her eyes met mine. "It's important, Tara, that you follow my directions. Keep your eyes open and your inquisitiveness to a minimum. And if anyone asks, we're just visiting family. Nothing more."
I hesitated. "I'm confused. You said they should've obeyed, but you didn't."
Mama's posture stiffened, her gaze flicking to me with a sharpness I wasn't prepared for. The ferry rocked gently beneath us, but the air was anything but calm.
"That was different," she said, clipped.
I held my ground. "How so? You fought back when things weren't fair. Why is it wrong for them to do the same?"
Her face softened. "You're right. That was a judgmental thing to say."
Wanting to escape the tension, I announced, "I'm going inside."
I found our assigned seats on the top floor and plopped down. Once I got comfortable, I reached into my tote bag, feeling around for the journal. Fingers closing around the worn leather cover, I pulled it free and flipped through the pages, searching for more answers.
Beatrix is a curse, banished for selfish ambition. She will try to seduce you with the things you desire most. Once she gets her claws in you, it will be hard to turn away.
Things were starting to make sense. He hadn't written that Beatrix would return, but that Mama would. My heart sank, even though I didn't fully understand why that would be a bad thing.
Ellumiel has watched over the heavens since the dawn of time. When she challenged him, she desired a new era, one where she would reign. Her reasoning is not well-documented. Without anyone restraining her, she will cast the earth into ruin.
Oh shit.
The only thing that can restrain her is the Dawnfire. If acquired, the Dawnfire is a powerful force, but one that requires total submission.
I read the paragraph twice, then once more. I glanced up at the slow roll of ocean beyond the window, its surface golden and shivering beneath the afternoon light. For a moment, I thought I heard something soft, like distant chimes. I blinked, tightening my grip on the journal.
Total submission.
That part echoed uncomfortably. My father didn't seem like the type to back down. Turning my attention back to the journal, I skimmed the hastily written lines, the pen pressing hard enough to cut into the page:
To walk with Ellumiel is to surrender the self; you know.
I rested my head against the seat. Rocking gently, the ferry lulled me into a daze until a haze settled over my thoughts. My limbs grew heavy. The journal slid from my lap onto my chest. I let my eyes close. It didn't feel like falling asleep. It felt like floating softly, slowly, weightless. When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer on the ferry.
I stood in a valley of shimmering golden grass that swayed without wind. The sky above was awash with pinks and oranges, like the inside of a sunrise. Towering trees with crystal leaves arched overhead, lining a narrow path. Each step forward lit up beneath me with a soft, iridescent glow.
Music surrounded me like breath.
"A new flame."
The voice didn't startle me. It had always been there, waiting.
I turned toward it.
He stood beneath one of the tall crystal trees, light gathering in soft layers around him, obscuring his face. His form shimmered beneath the folds of his robe, hues shifting like dusk and dawn woven together.
"It's been a while since someone has heard my melody," he said, his body still veiled in radiant mist.
I stepped forward, but the grass beneath my feet didn't bend. Each blade shimmered with iridescent threads, swaying not from wind, but as if stirred by sound.
"Where am I?" I asked.
"Luminal," he replied. "A space I control."
He turned slightly, but his face remained veiled in light. Still, I didn't feel afraid.
A sudden clarity struck me. "You're Ellumiel."
He tilted his head, almost amused. "You've heard fragments from your father, I assume."
I swallowed, the ache returning to my throat.
Ellumiel's robe stirred without wind. "You are just like him," he said with a chuckle.
I looked down, heat blooming in my cheeks. "He never told me any of this. About you… or what he was doing."
He stepped forward, not walking, but gliding, the light bending around him like a living cloak.
"The truth has weight," he stopped just a few steps away.
"Tell me," his voice dipped to a whisper, "what will you do with it?"
The light around us shifted subtly, like a curtain being drawn. Images shimmered into view, faint and half-formed. My father's silhouette, standing beside a small fire. His voice, low, reading from the journal. A woman's laughter, then silence, devoured by shadow. I reached out, but the vision dissolved like mist through my fingers.
"What was that?"
"Glimpses," Ellumiel said. "In time, you'll discover the truth. Showing you everything is unnecessary."
The trees swayed gently as the quiet hum returned, rising from the ground, up through the soles of my feet, blooming warm in my chest.
"So, keep waiting." I rolled my eyes.
He reached out. For the first time, I saw his hand clearly, light and sound woven together.
"How do I come back here?" I asked.
"Just listen."
His fingers brushed mine. The valley of light unraveled. Suddenly, a voice blasted through the intercom, yanking me from the dream.
"Attendees, please return to your seats."
Heart racing, I tucked the journal back into my tote, wiped my face, and scanned the room. Mama was gone. As passengers filtered in, voices rising in scattered conversation, I searched the room, my gaze darting until there. Her eyes found mine. She smiled warmly, already holding a plate of food.
Mouth full, she called out through a bite, "Sorry if I came off too intense earlier. I'm just nervous."
Then, with a playful smirk, "Did you find anything fun?"
"I brought a book with me, so I've been reading that."
"Studious as always," Mama teased.
I smiled just as an attendant appeared, asking which meal I'd selected.
"Chicken," Mama answered quickly for both of us.
A few moments later, a steaming plate was set before me: chicken, broccoli, rice, and a chilled bottle of water. We ate in companionable silence. Around us, the ferry hummed with the low murmur of conversation, the occasional clink of silverware, the rhythmic sway of the waves beneath. Eventually, boredom crept in. I half-listened to snippets of conversations around us, trying to pass the time.
"How much longer till we reach Velmora?" I sighed, tugging a folded blanket from my tote bag.
"About three more hours."
I blinked at her. "Wow, time flew by."
I nestled into the seat, twisting to find a comfortable position. But the moment my eyes shut, the pull returned quietly, insistent, like gravity but gentler. I surrendered to it, hoping he'd still be there, hoping he'd show me more.
And then,
Darkness.
A cave mouth. Jagged and wide, rising before me like a silent threat. I stepped forward, drawn to its shadowed threshold.
"Not again," I whispered.
I tried to turn around, but my body refused to obey. Drawn forward, I stepped inside.
Somewhere deep within the cave, the low thrum of drums echoed like distant thunder, nearly swallowed by the sound of water rushing beneath the stone. The air was cool and damp, rich with the scent of flowing streams. Beneath my feet, the earth whispered with unseen movement.
Crystals embedded in the cavern walls caught stray beams of fractured light, casting shifting kaleidoscopic colors across the stone. At the chamber's center, a still pool mirrored the dazzling reflections, its surface unmarred except for the glowing symbols that curled and flickered like living embers across the water. A golden light pulsed at the pool's heart, slow and steady, like a beckoning heartbeat.
"If you want to know more…"
The voice slid into my awareness like a warm breath.
"Step into the water."
His presence bloomed around me, invisible yet pressing close. I hesitated, hovering at the edge of the pool as the music swelled. The drums thundered louder now, rhythmic and alive, vibrating through my ribs. The golden glow at the center flared, calling, steady, and hypnotic. My limbs no longer belonged to me. Step by step, I moved forward, compelled by a force I didn't understand, but couldn't resist.
"There's no going back."
The shimmering surface rippled beneath my steps, symbols flickering and shifting, rearranging themselves as if to welcome me. The warmth of the light felt alive, calling me deeper. I took a small step into the pool's shallow end. As I slowly submerged myself, the crystal seed's light burned brighter, pulsing with a life of its own.
Suspended in the middle of the pool, I reached out and touched it. Heat surged through me.
"This will bind my power to you."
The golden light flared, and pain exploded in the center of my chest. I let out a desperate cry.
Tendrils shot out of the clear water, wrapping around my arm. They snaked along my body, and with each passing second, the excruciating pain grew more intense, nearing the edge of unbearable. The golden light, once warm and inviting, now seared me, exposing every hidden crevice of my soul.
I gasped for breath, vision blurring with tears, as the tendrils from the crystal seed bound me tighter, constricting like a serpent. The room danced with shadows and scorching light as my body convulsed. A kaleidoscope of emotion rose within me: fear, agony, and that familiar sense of purpose.
The tendrils wove into my core, setting ablaze every trace of darkness. As the pain reached its zenith, a surge of searing energy burst from the center of my chest, launching my upper body backward into the pool. The room shook. The golden light condensed into a radiant aura, enveloping me. The tendrils, their task complete, dissolved, leaving no trace behind.
With trembling limbs, I stood in the golden light.
The voice, now a whisper echoing through my mind, declared, "Wake Tara."
Stunned by what had just occurred, I couldn't respond.
"Wake Tara."
"Tara, wake up."
"Wake up, Tara!"
Suddenly, my body lurched forward, a cold shock like an ice pack pressed to my forehead.
"Tara!"
"Huh," I groaned. "What's going on?" I shouted, my body still vibrating from the encounter.
"Are you okay? You were squirming in your sleep, then you started sweating like crazy."
My eyes fluttered open, and the harsh ceiling light replaced the golden glow of the cave. Disoriented, I tried to make sense of my surroundings, the memory of the dream still clinging to me.
"Are you all right?" Mama asked gently.
"I… I think so," I stammered. The room felt dull, almost lifeless, compared to the spectacle I had just witnessed.
"I thought you were having a nightmare." Her eyes held a mix of worry and relief.
I rubbed my hands over my face. "It felt so real."
Mama's brows furrowed with curiosity. "What? What did you see?"
I chuckled. "Probably just my overactive imagination. I had a dream about the story I read earlier today."
Mama's concern deepened. She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"I thought this might happen. I'm so glad it's happening now."
"You're happy I'm having a dream?" I asked, confused.
"These dreams aren't accidents," she said, her voice calm and steady. "They always begin around your age. It's a sign, you've got a gift."
She moved in and hugged me. There was a long pause as she pulled back, fixing her gaze on me like she was navigating the delicate strands of a long-held secret. I tried to squirm away from her gaze, keeping my eyes low. Still dazed from the daydream, I didn't answer her.
Placing a smile on her face, she said, "We'll talk more about this when we get to the chateau. How exciting!" She clapped her hands. "We've got thirty minutes left, so go to the bathroom and freshen up."
Thirty minutes sped by, and as we stepped off the ferry onto Velmora's soil, a weight settled on my chest. The air itself felt thicker. A gust of wind kicked up dust from the cracked pavement, swirling around the feet of those waiting on the dock. I pulled my sweater tighter around myself.
Ahead, the town stretched out like a lifeless husk. The buildings stood tall and shadowed, their facades stained by time and neglect. Grimy windows lined the walls, and the streets reeked of stagnant water and decay.
Wilting vines curled around rusted iron fences, their leaves yellowed and brittle. In the distance, the skeletal remains of what might once have been a riverbed carved through the land, its banks cracked open like old scars.
I kept close to Mama as we moved through the throngs of people, most of whom barely spared us a glance.
A group of barefoot children, smeared with dirt, sat in the corner of a collapsed building. Their eyes were hollow as they tracked the movements of travelers with something between curiosity and hunger.
Then, the statues. Coiled serpents with stone bodies, weathered but menacing, loomed from every corner. Some perched on rooftops, mouths parted in silent command. At street crossings, others stood tall, offering bowls of rotting fruit. Melted wax from thick black candles pooled at their base. The scent of burnt incense and something sour clung to the air.
"Mama," I whispered, glancing toward the massive structure at the heart of the town.
"Don't stare," she muttered under her breath. "And remember what I said on the ferry."
We made our way through the crowd toward the waiting car, weaving past beggars who stretched out trembling hands, their skin sallow and eyes sunken. Inside the car, she told the driver to go quickly, and soon we were speeding through town, away from the port.
The farther we drove, the more the town began to change. The slums gave way to wider streets, and the air smelled less of sickness, more of spice and perfume. Shops and establishments appeared behind iron gates and polished wooden doors. Silk banners bearing her sigil were draped from balconies.
Laughter and the clink of glass rang out from shaded restaurants, where men and women lounged on velvet cushions, sipping from ornate goblets. Their opulence felt obscene against the hunger lurking just beyond their doorsteps. Soon, the gaudy wealth fell away, replaced by a one-way road lined with lush trees. At its end stood a single house, high on a hill.
"We're almost there," Mama murmured.
I turned my gaze forward, watching as the landscape shifted once more. The road climbed, winding through fields of golden wheat, the first sign of authentic life I'd seen since stepping off the ferry.
Then, far ahead, the chateau rose: a grand, sprawling estate, untouched by the ruin behind us. The car slowed to a stop in the circular driveway, gravel crunching beneath the tires.
As the driver shifted into park, I murmured, "Thank you."
Then, glancing at Mama, I gestured for her to pay him.
"Oh yes, I'm sorry," she muttered, fumbling with her purse. Her hands moved quickly, almost frantically.
I hesitated, watching her. She was usually so composed, so sure of herself. But now, she seemed…unsettled. Her movements were rushed in a way I'd never seen before. Before I could ask, the chateau's entrance caught my eye…my attention.
A woman stood there, small in stature, her hands clasped neatly behind her back. She observed us with quiet patience, her expression unreadable.
Mama turned, following my gaze. "Tara…" Her voice trailed off, her posture stiffening slightly.
I grabbed my bags and stepped forward. As I reached the woman, I placed a hand over my chest, a polite yet eager greeting escaping my lips.
"Oh my gosh! Hi, it's nice to meet you."
The woman's lips curved into a soft smile as she embraced me gently, though with a certain awkwardness, as if unsure of the gesture. After a moment, she pulled back to study me properly.
"You look just like your father."
I returned a cordial smile. "Thank you. He was a handsome man." I giggled.
"Merida, please take Tara's bags and show her to her room!" the woman called.
"Yes, ma'am," a voice responded as a younger woman appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She gave me a quick nod.
"Follow me."
"Come, Milaya," the woman said warmly, reaching for Mama's hand. "We have so much to talk about."
Mama exhaled, nodded once, and stepped forward, leaving me to follow Merida into the house. Inside, my room was nothing short of opulent. Plush velvet drapes framed tall windows, and a chandelier cast a golden glow over intricately carved furniture. Everything felt rich and indulgent, a stark contrast to the simple, practical home I'd grown up in on the island.
As I set my bags down, I let out a slow breath.