Chapter 1
Carefully crafted secrets have kept me hidden from my true self since the day I was born. Knowledge that had been kept locked away sheltered the truth in darkness and shadow until the most unexpected occurrence exposed a side of me that I had no inkling existed deep within.
At sixteen years of age, life as I knew it, changed.
The memory of that fateful day still haunts me. A constant reminder that lingers in the corners of my mind.
For most of my childhood, I had spent the entirety of my days out in the family garden of my home. The small patch of land adorned with wildflowers and garden plants had been my most favourite place in the entire Continent. The day I was taken, I’d been working in our family garden, tending to the vegetable patch, and observing the flowers that were in full bloom - just as I always had. Though this time something remarkable happened, something that altered my reality and changed my fate.
Wandering about the garden was my favourite pastime. I loved nothing more than to tend to the flowers my mother would grow and assist my father in planting the root vegetables we grew on our small patch of land. We lived in a small village named Terarian, a quiet piece of land in the Kingdom of Marilla. There wasn’t much land on our plot, but it was enough for our small family.
Perching on the edge of our garden, I smiled to myself as I took in the display of vibrant shades of petals before me. There was one flower in particular that caught my attention. A beautiful, dainty peony had begun to wither away. I’d thought it to be a shame and simply touched the withering petals, wishing that there was something I could do to help revive this gorgeous bloom to its prior state.
As I smoothed the petal between my fingers, a warmth radiated from my skin as I gently brushed the curled, browning edges. Not for a moment had I thought the gesture would do anything of note. How could it? There was nothing to be done for the small bud that was drooping sadly in amongst the brilliant emerald leaves.
Brushing the petals one last time, I sucked in a sharp breath as I watched the petal returning to a vibrant fuchsia, uncurling, returning to a beautiful, full bloom once more.
Stunned in silence, my eyes widened as I stared at the flower. At the once paled petals that were now full of life and gleaming in the sun’s rays.
My hands shook uncontrollably as I lifted them in front of me.
Had I done this?
How in the name of the Gods was it even possible?
I scrambled away from the bush, collecting up my skirts as I ran back to the house.
“Mom!” I shrieked, blasting through the door.
The door bounced off the wall of our small home as I came face to face with my older brother Alax. He stared at me incredulously, a sandwich gripped in his hands as he quirked a brow at me.
“Alax, you have to see this!”
My brother rolled his eyes at me and stuffed the sandwich into his mouth. “I don’t have time for another one of your wild stories, Thea,” he retorted between chops of food.
I grumbled under my breath and stormed past him. Of course he would shrug it off. He never cared for anything his baby sister achieved, especially when it was something as inconsequential as gardening. He had much bigger things to consider now that he was supporting our father with work and bringing home a few extra coins from a day of labouring on the docks of our Kingdom.
When I entered out living space, I found my mother and father chatting away as they dusted the bookshelves and mantelpiece in sync.
“Mother, I need to show you something!” I said exasperatedly as I stumbled through the doorway.
My mother spun around, duster in hand as she glanced over at me.
“Hm? And what is it you need to show me, love?”
“I think I just brought a flower back to life!” I beamed.
At this, my father halted too and turned slightly. My mother simply glanced at my father upon hearing what I had done and I noticed they both paled in complexion. My father chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully as he ran a hand through his hair in contemplative silence.
Eager to show them what I had done, I bounded over to my parents, grasping each of their hands and dragged my parents out of our home, beaming brightly as I showed them the peony bush where the flower was blooming once more.
We paused in front of the bush and I swept out an arm, showcasing my flower.
My parents seemed to be at a loss for words, but I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face as I stood before them.
“Thea, love,” my mother paused, as though contemplating her next words. “Why, that whole peony bush has always been in full bloom.”
“I swear, this one was beginning to wither. I- I brought it back… I don’t really understand how though.” I shook my head, all the while, smiling widely at my parents.
My father stepped towards me, tucking me under his arm. “Althea, I know that you are proud of your work in this garden-”
I shrugged his arm off and stared at them both dubiously. “I did! If you don’t believe me then I will have to prove it to you.”
Marching around the garden I set off in search of anything – anything that showed a single sign of decay. Spotting a cabbage that had begun to turn in the blistering heat of summer, I bent down and brushed the surface softly. My hands began tingling once again. A small smile crept on my face as I smoothed the crusting surface into a glossy leaf, full of hydration. Feeling proud, I turned towards my parents who both looked terrified.
Not exactly the reaction I had hoped for.
“What’s wrong?” I asked softly.
My father looked hesitantly at my mother, worry and panic stricken across her soft features. It was as though she was rooted to the spot by fear. Sighing, my father took a step forward, “Thea, I think we need to talk-” he started, but was halted mid-step towards me, as a tall spiral of mist appeared between us.
“Althea Samaras,” a woman’s voice called from the hazy fog of grey.
I stumbled back, staring in shock as a woman stepped out of the mist. She wore a long navy dress and held her hands clasped together in front of her stomach. She looked up from her hands and I noticed her eyes; they were an endless grey swirl, streaks of silver glinting in the sunlight, piercing in every way. Her sharp jawline and high cheekbones gave her an air of importance, matching the way she carried herself as she strolled into our garden. Her jet-black hair was pinned up in a simple twisted bun. She looked like pure elegance as she gracefully swept across the blades of grass towards me.
“You must come with me.”
I blinked at her. “Who- who are you?” I stuttered.
My mother tore away from my father, running toward me, shielding my body with her own.
“You will not take her.”
The woman simply cocked her head to the side, ignoring my mother completely.
“Althea, I sensed your magic. You must come with me to the House of Amaris, where I can help you to control it.”
My whole body tensed at her words, one in particular bounced around my head, repeating itself over and over as I tried to make sense of what was happening.
Magic.
I had magic.
But how was such a thing possible?
My mother spun around, cupping my face. I was frozen to the spot, staring up into her eyes. Like mine, they were a bright, olive green, perfectly complementing our pale skin tone. I had inherited most of my features from my mother. We were almost mirror images, only her face was beginning to show signs of age, whereas mine was still full of youth. The only stark difference between us was our hair – where hers was a rich, chestnut brown, my own was a sandy blonde, like my father’s.
“She is only sixteen… Please, do not take her from us.” My father begged, stepping towards the mysterious woman.
I watched as she raised her hand, flicking her fingers in his direction. A gesture of dismissal.
My eyes widened as that signal sent a sudden strong breeze at him, causing him to skid backwards on the grass.
“I don’t understand,” I mumbled, my gaze flitting from where my father was regaining his footing as he stood, to my mother’s face once more. “Mother, what is going on?”
I searched her eyes as they slowly began to fill with tears, the green within glistening like a pair of malachite jewels. After one deep breath, she spoke.
“Thea, you… you possess magic, just like my mother did. I had hoped that you wouldn’t have inherited it, but it seems as though,” she peered at the vegetable patch beside us, “you have.”
“Why did you never tell me this?” I queried. Surely this was some kind of mistake. Magic is something only the most powerful of mages in the realm possess. It is a rare gift to obtain, even rarer to wield. I glanced at the woman behind my mother’s head, but quickly returned to my mother’s eyes that were now swimming with tears.
“Your father and I hoped it would never come to this. After all, I never inherited the gift, so I prayed to the Gods that you wouldn’t either.”
The calm voice of the woman interjected, “She will be taken care of at Amaris, that, I swear to you.” She stalked toward us, her navy skirts billowing in the summer breeze. “You know that she must come with me. It is law.”
Something in my mother’s eyes snapped as a tear rolled down her cheek. She whirled to the woman and spat, “I know the damned law.”
My father, who had regained his balance, walked over to us, and pulled both myself and my mother in for a tight embrace. “Calanthe, you know we must let her go. I know it’s not fair, but we must. She will be safe there.” He breathed into my mother’s hair.
I felt a loving kiss planted on the crown of my head and then I was released. Shock still rippled through me, much like a pebble breaking the surface of a pond, as I turned from my parents and towards the woman.
The woman simply extended her hand towards me, waiting for me to take hold. But… I had so many questions for my parents. I couldn’t go. This was all wrong.
“Thea, love…” my father’s voice trailed off. “You must go with her.”
“But, I-”
“Listen to your father, Thea,” my mother said softly. “We will see you again. I swear it.”
I stared at my parents, mouth agape and shaking my head. “Why?”
“Because you must learn to control your magic, Althea.” The woman’s voice cut through before my parents could respond. “It is time to leave.”
I turned, staring at that woman, contemplating her words. “And why would I leave with you? I have no idea why you are even here or what it truly is you want with me.”
A smile formed on her face, her piercing stare meeting my own. “My name is Heleyna Winnow. I am the high sorceress of the House of Amaris. Now that we are somewhat acquainted,” a pause, “please, come with me, I will be able to explain more once we arrive at Amaris.”
No, no.
This was all wrong, it had to be.
“Thea,” my mother’s voice pleaded and I couldn’t stop the swelling emotion that threatened to burst through my chest. “Please go, she will explain everything to you better than we ever could. I am so sorry I hadn’t seen it in you sooner.”
Steeling myself, I nodded meekly at my parents, turning to face the mage who was now standing across from me.
“I can teach you how to control it at the House of Amaris, there are others like you. You will be safe, I swear it by the Gods.” The woman spoke softly and I reluctantly, I placed my hand in hers, looking over my shoulder at my parents.
It was clear that I had no choice in the matter. They both smiled sadly at me, my father giving a subtle nod of his head as if to urge me onward. His saddened smile providing me with a small piece of bravery that I latched onto tightly. My mother clung to my father’s arm as if for support, watching as I departed and stepped away from them and towards the stranger and violent swirl of mist that was still spiralling beside her.
“I love you.” I whispered, mist enveloping me.
I watched as a tear slid down my mother’s cheek as my parents both responded with, “We love you, Althea.”
But that was three years ago.
The last time I saw or heard from my family.
