Prologue
She stood in the shadow of the trees, blood dripping from her hand. With cautious steps, she moved into the light toward the small, silent shack. Even though there hadn’t been trouble in years, she was taking no chances. She looked around once more before opening the door and stepping inside.
“Rea?”
Rea rushed over and helped her mother sit up. “Slowly, Momma.” Keeping a hand on her shoulder, she knelt in front of her.
Her mother reached out to lay a gentle hand on her face. “I was worried, you were gone a long while.”
Rea motioned to the table where she’d dropped her kill. “Rabbits are getting scarce here.” She pulled the blanket up and tucked it around her mother’s shoulders. “We may have to move to a new area soon.” Rea moved over to stir the coals in the fireplace. “It’s getting too populated here.” Her mother’s cough had her turning back. It was getting worse by the day. Quickly she moved to ladle out a cup of water from the bucket and bring it to her mother.
Sipping the water, her mother took a few breaths, waiting for the spasm to clear before speaking. “I’m not going to be making any more moves, love.”
Rea looked at the tattered gloves on her hands. “We could go into town with people—or, or I could go into town and get an elixir. If you’d let me help…”
“No, Rea. You’ve been doing that for too many years now.” She shook her head. “I’m tired. I’ve lived lifetimes more than most.”
Unwilling to let her mother see the tears in her eyes, Rea turned away. “Do you regret it?” She glanced over to see her mother sitting on the cot, that faraway look on her face again. She sat down at the table.
“Staying?’ Her voice was shaky, “no, not for a second.”
Her mother’s health had been declining for the last ten years. When she was young, before her ability developed, they’d stayed around people so her mother could feed. Once they realized Rea couldn’t touch people… their lives became a blur, always on the move, never staying anywhere too long. She paused skinning the rabbit to look around the small shack. As dismal as it was, they’d lived in worse places. “Tell me about it again, Momma.” She knew the story by heart, but it always lifted her mother’s spirit to tell her about where she came from, and how she met her father.
“I’d never been to this side before.” She exhaled a loud breath, “we were advised to delay coming over until after the war. We knew we shouldn’t come, but then we would have forfeited our turn and would have to wait for the selection, hoping that our names were drawn again.”
Rea didn’t interrupt when her mother paused, she knew she was reliving the emotions of the past.
“They made certain we’d come out in a safe area…” she made a noise of exasperation, “or as safe as any place could be. Kin fighting kin, it was madness. You know all of this, Rea…”
Rea pulled off her blood-soaked gloves and pulled on clean cotton ones, then got up to add some wood to the fire. “I know it, but I could hear it every day and never tire of it, Momma.” She straightened up and looked at her. “Do you think your friends went back over?” Her mother’s memory didn’t always work lately, so anything Rea could do to help, she did.
Her mother blew out a breath. “I imagine they did.” She shook her head. “I cursed myself for a week when we were separated.”
Rea went back to the table and began to slice the flesh from her kill. “Would you truly have been arrested if someone had seen your devices?”
“Our porters? Yes. The light bulb didn’t exist over here, not for fifteen years after we came over. Technology like our porters would have created chaos and worries of conspiracy…”
“I heard talk they have electricity in the city now.”
Her mother smiled. “That is something I have missed.”
“I hope to see it someday.” Read admitted.
“You will, daughter. You’re going to live long enough to see many amazing changes in this world. Rea—I want you to do what you have to in order to survive and keep going. Never look back.”
Rea picked up the pan, full of cleaned rabbit, and placed it on the fire to brown the meat. She couldn’t listen to her mother speak of when she was no longer there. “Do you think I’ll live as long as you have?”
“You could live much longer than I. Your father was quite a relic when we met.” She chuckled softly, “his words, not mine. I’m not sure how old he was, precisely.”
The sizzling of the meat was the only sound in the small space for a few moments.
“All three of us gave our porters to Synova to keep in her clutch. I hadn’t thought to bring one, or you wouldn’t exist.” She made a soft noise, “I’m glad I forgot.” Another pause. “My only regret was I never did get to see the new kings. Your grandmother said they were blond and beautiful. The whole realm was alight with the promise of the prophecy being realized.”
Using a cloth, Rea took the pan off the heat and set it on the table. Opening the cupboard, she hoped there were enough potatoes to turn the meal into a stew. “Do you think my father is still alive?” Rea knew anything was possible.
Her mother made a soft sound. “I don’t know. Our love was forbidden since time began. When they found out we were together, they took him away. He would have loved you with all of his heart.”
Rea looked over to see her mother laying back down.
“Don’t go near any with eyes as dark as coal, Rea, you are the result of a love that shouldn’t have been.” Her mother closed her eyes. “I don’t know what would happen to you if they found out.”
Rea watched her breathing settle. “I won’t, Momma.” She whispered.
Waiting a few more minutes, until her breathing was the steady rhythm of sleep, Rea pulled the gloves from her hands and went over to her mother. Kneeling down, she placed her hand on her mothers’ neck, as she did each time she slept. Rea knew it wasn’t what her mother wanted, but she wasn’t ready to face the world without her. “I’m sorry, Momma,” she whispered under her breath, “I need you too much to let you go.”
