Dark Realm 60
Brinley awoke way past dawn. She blinked her eyes as she slowly sat up. Her head pounded. Brinley got dressed to hurry outside.
“Where are you going in such a huff?” Pyramus asked, sitting next to a red and green caravan.
Brinley twirled around so quickly she almost fell. “I was searching for you. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Excuse us.” Pyramus nodded to the young man who sat next to him. When the man left, Pyramus patted the empty seat. “I did not wake you because I thought you needed sleep. Was I wrong?”
Brinley dropped her head sitting beside him.
“So, tell me why I found you at the tomb.”
Brinley exhaled. “I don’t know.” She dropped her head.
Pyramus grunted.
“Okay.” Brinley lifted her head to stare at him. “I am alone, and I hate it.”
Pyramus raised his bushy white eyebrows. “Why would you think you’re alone?”
“For the last couple of years, my life turned completely around. I got hit with a shitstorm of questions. I thought I was normal. I thought I knew who I was. Poof, all gone. I look around at the people and it pisses me I don’t get to feel what they feel.”
“What feeling is that?”
Brinley cleared her throat. “Am I unlovable?”
Pyramus chuckled. “Love surrounds you.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
Pyramus stood up. “Follow me.”
Without question, Brinley followed the old man toward the trees. “Look over there. Tell me what you see?”
“Trees,” Brinley answered with a shrug.
“Look past the obvious. See the ethereal. Allow me to share my memories with you.” Pyramus waved his hand. As Pyramus told his story the shadows acted out the tale.
Brinley gasped. She opened her mouth but instead continued to stare at the shadow people.
“I was young once, full of potential. Long ago, I had a job making deliveries all over town, even to the castle on the hill. No one dared to venture into that haunted forest. Maybe I was dumb, but I took the job. On one delivery I saw this maiden. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. It was known the countess was delusional and she hired young maidens to work for her, but those girls never came home again. I didn’t want that for her. There were days where I pretended to forget supplies so I could see my sweet more than once a week.”
“Who’s the countess?”
“Her name is Elizabeth. The Blood Countess.”
It took Brinley a few minutes to go over what Pyramus told her. “How old are you?” Brinley whispered.
“Old enough to know better.” Pyramus laughed.
“How are you still alive?”
Pyramus laughed again. Pyramus pulled out a small glowing vial.
“What is that?”
“It is called The Elixir of Life. Leonora gave it to me the last time I saw her.”
“What’s in it?”
“A bit of Leonora’s essence.”
“You’ve kept it this entire time?”
Pyramus nodded slipping the vial back underneath his shirt. “Listen to my story.”
“Sorry.” Brinley nodded.
“Sometimes Leonora would come early so we could steal a bit of time together. The castle was bleak and looming. Its base and towers were made with the thickest limestone. The castle lay in the shadows of the trees, but Leonora gave the place life. We would walk down the paths leading to the flower garden, it was there she told me of the horrors taking place within the walls. I wanted to save her, to whisk her away the horrors. I cringed at the stories of bloodletting and showers of blood. The countess was evil. I begged Leonora to leave with me, but her heart was too good. She wanted to save the other women. The night before Leonora didn’t arrive. I waited and waited, but she never came. I went back the next night and I found her. On a pike on the castle wall were the heads of the ones who have wronged the countess, my love included.” Pyramus exhaled.
Brinley’s unblinking eyes released her salty tears as the illusion faded. “Elizabeth killed your wife.”
“Well, we never were married but my soul longs only for Leonora. One day I will see her again.”
“How did you do that?” Brinley turned to look up at Pyramus. “With the shadows?”
Pyramus smiled, wiping her tears away. “It’s called shadow casting.”
“Can you teach me?”
“Yes, I can. It won’t be easy.”
“Nothing should ever be easy.” Brinley winked.
“Come, our first lesson begins now.” Pyramus led Brinley deeper into the wealth of trees. “Throwing an illusion is difficult. You must allow yourself to be completely free. Stay still and close your eyes.” Pyramus stood frozen.
“Hear the voices inside of you, calm them, project them from your mind to wavering shadows around you. Feel the breeze. Focus. Try it now.” Pyramus stepped back.
Brinley rubbed her palms on her pants trying to focus.
“Focus.” Pyramus stood beside Brinley. “Raise your arms with your palm outstretched and wiggle your fingers. Feel the energy moving from the crown, down through your neck. Visualize your gift flowing from your chest and down your arms. Let the power flow from your crown down to her feet. Feel the power, acknowledge your power, don’t fight against, except it.”
“My power is only on my right side,” Brinley mumbled when she glanced at Pyramus, his eyes were closed.
“Focus.” Pyramus opened one eye to stare at Brinley. “There is a gate within you that remains blocked. You need to find the key. Why do you hesitate?”
Brinley dropped her arms to exhale. “When I open myself to the power it changes me, and I don’t know if I can control it.”
“If you couldn’t handle your gift, you would not have been given to you. Have you hurt someone using your gift?”
Brinley sniffed. “Just once.” She licked her lips.
“What happened?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it matters now tell me how.”
“I’m searching for my past; a professor sent me to find Cillian.”
“Aw, the centaurs are a pride people.”
“Not all of them. Some of the centaurs were slaughtered because of me. I wanted to save as many as I could. I went to save the young ones, but I was too late. I only found one, Ren.” Brinley’s voice broke. “I wanted to save her. I wanted to protect her, but instead, she saved me from Keir’s poisonous arrow. She died in my arms.” With Pyramus behind her, she didn’t have to hide her tears.
“And then what happened? What did you feel?”
Brinley wiped her face. “I felt overwhelming anger growing in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to hurt him.”
“And did you hurt him?”
“I tore him in half without touching him. I don’t even think I used my lightning. I was so angry. All I wanted to do was pull him apart limb by limb.”
“You tore his limbs off?”
Brinley nodded. “Yes. I was livid. I wanted to hurt him.”
“Your anger is something you must not fight against.”
“Wait.” Brinley turned around to Pyramus. “You want me to kill people?”
“No, I’m teaching you not to fight against yourself. You are not evil nor is the power inside of you. I know it scares you, but I believe you can control it. Dig deep into how you felt when Keir killed Ren.”