Come to Collect by Mary MacGillivray

Faeryn glanced around the darkened alley, hoping to see what followed her, but knew it wouldn't happen until her shadow willed it so. She shivered and continued walking through the ankle deep snow. Her boots made a pleasant crunching sound until she reached the back door of her small apartment. A shadow slid past her feet and toward a chair, becoming a handsome young man. He stared at her from his seat, smiling an all too familiar smile.

"Evening Faeryn, how's life treating you? Good I expect?"

"What did you come for Arath? To kill me?"

He smiled, "Of course not, I don't do that. Thought if you'd like I could call Azriel or Morrigan. They do the killing, I just collect debts," She rolled her eyes, "But you don't like to think of the debt you owe, do you? Have you forgotten?"How could she forget? It had been seven years since that night, the night she'd lost her future.

The night had started out normal enough, she went out with two of her cousins and her twin brother. They just wanted to go out, have some drinks, dance a bit, and go back to the hotel. But plans change, unexpected complications arise. The trouble started when her cousin Arin started feeling sick. She was feeling nauseous and dizzy, so her sister Rhea volunteered to take her home.

"Are you sure, Fae? I don't want to leave you and Will alone here. Your mom would murder me if something happened." Rhea glanced at her sister, "I could come back after I drop her at the hotel?"

Faeryn shook her head, "No, it's fine! Take care of her, we'll meet you back at the hotel later. I just need to get out for a bit, it's our first night here. Don't worry, I'll pass out your number to some cute guys before I go." Rhea rolled her eyes and left to take her sister to the hotel.

Will stayed at the bar for the most part, not drinking much. Just keeping a close, but not suffocating, eye on his sister. She had her auburn hair up in little curls and braids, accentuating her her slender neck. She wore a studded leather choker, wristbands, and thick soled black boots. Her ultra-violet tank top was cut to just below her ribs, showing off a slender stomach covered in black fishnet. On her back she wore pair of violet and black fairy wings, from her Halloween costume and her short, black, leather mini covered enough to keep her looking decent, leaving her striped black and violet thigh-high stockings to cover most of her legs. People stared at her like some kind of alien, but since it was the nearest club to their hotel she didn't care. Let them stare. She glanced at her brother, who smiled and motioned her over.

He handed her a drink and grinned at her, "You don't seem to fit in, my dear Fairy. I don't think they've ever seen that much black leather on one person." She rolled her eyes, laughing.

"And you fit in so much better?"

He shrugged and took a drink. He did look slightly more normal than she did. His shaggy, dark auburn hair fell in pieces across his forehead and brushed the collar of his black band hoodie. His black pants hung loosely just below his prominent hip bones and his black Vans boasted neon-green laces.

"You know, there are girls out there who would love to be dancing with you right now. Come on! Loosen up, have some fun!" She took a last drink and pulled him onto the dancefloor with her, pushing him toward a group of unsuspecting girls. She resumed dancing with herself to the pulsating music.

For awhile she was enjoying herself, watching her brother try to dance and moving her hips with the hypnotic bass. As Will was starting to loosen up and talk with the girls he'd been shoved into, their male companions appeared. Big, muscular, scary looking men surrounded her twin and started pushing him. Faeryn stopped dancing and started shoving her way toward her brother, ruffling quite a few feathers along the way.

When they pushed him, Will shoved back at them and that's when it turned ugly. One of the bigger ones grabbed him around the neck and dragged him toward the nearest door. At that point Faeryn didn't care who blocked her, getting to her brother consumed her mind. Nothing else mattered. She reached the door, but it refused to open. She pushed, pulled, and pounded on it until her fists hurt. Whatever they were doing, they obviously didn't want to be interrupted. She started screaming and yelling and kicking dents into the door until security pulled her away and forcibly removed her. She told them her brother was being beaten out back, but her cries fell on deaf ears. She was just some weird looking girl from out of town, screaming and probably high on something.

As soon as she was outside she ran around the building and toward the alley behind the club. She skidded on the loose gravel going around the corner and ran right into one of the thugs. She fell flat on her behind and for a second was too shocked to speak. She stared blankly at them and then realized who they were and jumped to her feet. Before she could stop herself she had shoved the one she ran into aside and tried to get past them, but a strong fist gripped her upper arm and halted her advance, "Nothing a little girl should see back there," She clamped her teeth down on his arm and he dropped her, clutching his bleeding wound, "Little bitch!" He made an attempt to strike her but she dodged and made her way to her brother, around the fleeing thugs.

"Will! Will, what did thy do to you? Look at me!" His head rolled to one side and she saw bruises darkening his throat and eyes. Blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth and dried blood was caked in a path from his nose off the side of his face. She saw that his hoodie had been ripped away and thrown aside, leaving him in a black, now nearly shredded, muscle shirt. She saw more bruising on his torso and stomach, he was bleeding badly from cuts all over his abdomen and arms.

She tapped his face a few times, hoping to bring him around. She felt an intense pain in her chest, she couldn't breathe, her twin was lying in front of her bleeding to death and she couldn't do anything. He was too heavy for her, and even if she could move him, what then? Her eyes filled with tears when she thought about why this had happened.

I just wanted you to have fun, Will. Just some harmless fun.

But it wasn't harmless and it had stopped being fun the minute someone put their hands on him. She was only half of a person without him. They had been together since before they were born, they shared life in the womb, and hadn't been apart since. Now he was dying before her eyes and all she could do was sit and blame herself. There was a sound close behind her, and she jumped. She glanced behind her and saw an attractive young man standing there, fixing the cuffs of his fine suit. She stared in disbelief.

"Hey! My brother's hurt, he needs help! Please, call the police or do something!" The young man smiled at her, and she felt cold chills running up and down her spine. His smile terrified her. He approached her slowly, ignoring the fact that there was a boy dying in front of them. With every step he took, she felt herself shrinking back and she felt for her brother's hand, squeezing it when she found it.

"Little girl, there's no a doctor on Earth can save him now. They stabbed from behind. Rather cowardly if you ask me, not that anyone did, but they couldn't even look him in the eye when they did it," His eyes swept over the scene before him, taking it in as nothing important, "He isn't dead just yet, but he won't be here much longer." She glared at him, tears spiling over, and squeezed Will's hand harder.

"Please! Don't just let him die! I'll do anything to save him, name it! Just do something... Anything... Will.." She sobbed, pleading with him with her eyes and her voice, he barely seemed to hear her.

"You know, I could fix this all with little effort. I just require a little something in return. Nothing really, especially to save the life of a loved one. A twin." His cold eyes fixed on hers and she felt the chill again, but it was different. Colder.

"All I ask is that, upon your death, I get your soul. That simple."

"It's yours! Just don't let him die.."

"Move aside."

Faeryn scrambled aside and the young man slowly waved a hand over the wounds that were killing Will. After a minute or so he smiled that cold smile at her, then took a few steps back.

Will's eyes fluttered open and he glanced at his sister, "Fairy.. are you alright?" Her eyes lit up and she sobbed his name quietly, not believing her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay Will. There's an ambulance coming for you, just try not to move."

He smiled and his head sank back onto whatever garbage he happened to be leaning back on. She turned and glanced at the young man, smiling his bone chilling smile at her. He nodded to her brother once, and turned away from them.

Seven years later, sitting in the cold darkness of her living room was Arath, the creature that had tricked her out of any hope for a future. She glared at him through the gloom, meeting his ice-cold eyes with her own equally cold gaze. He stood slowly, appraching her carefully.

"You don't have long. When was the last time you spoke to that delightful brother of yours? Perhaps you should call him."

She eyed him carefully, taking out her cell phone, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, I've told you that isn't my job. I assure you he's fine, but like I said, you don't have long." He smiled his icy smile and disappeared. She dialed her twin's number and anxiously waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" His groggy voice on the other end surprised her for a moment, then she smiled softly.

"Hi Will. Sorry if I woke you, I just wanted to call to see how you're doing. I haven't seen you in months." She felt him smile on the other end, and she felt tears forming in her eyes. She would give anything to never hurt her brother, but it was unavoidable, "Will.. I can't stay on the phone long. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, you are one of the few reasons I'm still alive. You really are the other half of me, and not just because we're twins. You mean more to me than any other person ever has," She paused and sighed heavily, "This may be my last call for a long time, and I just need you to understand all of that."

"Faeryn, what's going on? Why can't you call again? Are you alright? Fairy?" He sounded scared, and that was the last thing she'd wanted, but she had to make her message clear.

"I have to go soon, Will," She paused, "Hold on a minute, I think I heard something.." She put the phone down and he could hear her walking away. There was an eerie silence for about a minute, then he heard a shout. He heard someone approaching the phone again, then the out of breath voice of his sister.

"Will.. Someone's in my house.. He came in and I surprised him.. I'm bleeding real bad, Will.. Oh god.. It hurts! I love you.. don't forget that.. Back off!" He heard her scream and the phone dropped.

"That's not funny Fairy! Get back on the phone, please! I need you.." He stared at the screen and saw that she had hung up. The screen flashed 'Call Ended'. He redialed the phone, praying for her to answer, and when she didn't he called the police.

By the time the police reached Faeryn's small apartment, her attacker was long gone and she was lying on her side in a puddle of her own blood. Her eyes gazed forward at nothing and her blood had stopped flowing. In her hand was a picture of herself and her twin brother, smiling like fools. Will recieved the call a few hours later, but by that time he already knew she was dead. He had known for hours.

There was an intense pain in his chest and heart, then numbness. The unseen bond connecting them has dissolved, that was when he knew.

Faeryn sat on a table staring at her brother, he was curled up on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. She felt the urge to throw herself down beside him and comfort him. She wanted to hold him and tell him that everything was fine, they'd get through it together. She knew he was right there, she could do it, but he would never know. Her soul lacked the ability to affect the physical world.

"You must have really loved him. You made a huge sacrifice to save his life, and you took his place in death. It hurts a lot now, but eventually it becomes a dull ache and he'll move on. They always do. You, however, can't do that." She turned her head to face an unfamiliar being, a tall man with dark, golden brown hair and radiant golden eyes. He smiled warmly at her, but she remained wary.

"I thought my soul was forfeit to Arath.. I exchanged it to save my brother," She gestured to the sobbing mass on the ground, "And for the last seven years I never once regretted it. I would have died without him, but he's a lot stronger than I ever was."

The man touched her arm softly, "Yes, I know all of that already. But I also know that your deal with him is invalid. Of course it is the reason you're no longer living, but that's part of why it's invalid," She narrowed her eyes, "First of all, you gave your soul away to save someone else. Secondly, Arath got impatient and arranged with a human to kill you. Last, and most important, you never once regretted your choice to save your brother and you made the most of the time you had with him. You didn't resent him for living while knowing you would die for it. Your soul is free, Faeryn."

She smiled sadly at the mysterious man, assuming he was some kind of angel, "No, it's not. Arath never had my soul, it was always Will's. He's my other half, and I can't move on without him. Is there any way I can stay?" "You can't stay with him, but you can watch. You can be there when he crosses over, but that's all I can do."

"Thank you," She moved over to her brother and touched him softly, "I'll be seeing you, Will. I love you." For a moment he calmed down and she felt like he was staring at her, she ignored it and followed the angel.

"I love you too, Fairy..."

True Heart by Gillian Klein

Darkness, silence, it was a perfect night. There were no clouds, and the stars glowed like jewels. Chara remembered happier times, when she would walk around the parks on nights like this, but, tonight was definitely not one of those nights. The moonlight glittered against her silky white hair and her silver eyes glowed. A midnight black bow held her hair back, making it seem an intense white, like sun on new fallen snow. A silken black string around her wrist held a shimmering purple jewel that seemed to glow from within. Across her back was a wooden staff, hooked at one end, with a blade at the other. In the center of it was an odd looking crest made up of six circles, four of them were interconnecting, with one on each side, connected with a line. She wore a sleek black outfit with many pockets that did not even make a whispering noise as she walked. Her soft black shoes made no sound as she trod on the roof of the museum.

She took out a small card, and swiped it against the window, a red light on the security alarm turned green and then deactivated. Chara opened the window and silently dropped to the floor. She quietly walked through the museum, going through many exhibits before she found what she was looking for. A golden statue of a cat, dating back to ancient Egypt, sat in the middle of the room on a pedestal. She reached into her pockets, and drew out an old can; she carefully looked at the lasers that might alert others of her presence. Then she removed the staff from its’ harness on her back, and in one sleek movement, replaced the statue for the can. She drew a rope from another pocket, and within minutes was on her way back home.Chara bit her lip. Every time she stole, a new weight seemed to be in her heart, but she had to do this, she kept on telling herself. It was the only way… ‘Six more’ Chara thought to herself.Chara entered her small, grubby apartment, and quickly closed the door. She took the purple jewel around her wrist in her other hand and commanded “Crystal disguise, deactivate.” There was a flash of purple light, and Charas’ hair turned raven black, her eyes cobalt blue, and her skin tanned to look like someone who spent a lot of time in the sun.

“Mira, I’m back.” Chara called out, sticking the cat statue on a table near a small couch. A strawberry red kitten with milky white splotches came from behind a door and mewed. “Hello, Mira.” Chara said, picking up the kitten. Mira, if it was possible for a cat, looked a little concerned. Suddenly, Mira bolted behind the couch.

At that moment, a window slid open, and two hideous beasts walked into the main room. They had wide, gaping jaws, and blood red eyes, their bodies were covered in a thick dark fur, and long, yellow 3-inch claws came from their paw like hands and feet. They both wore red outfits with spikes and armor. “Do you have the item for our mistress?” One asked in a rasping voice.Chara picked up the cat she had just stolen. “Yes here it is. Be sure to tell Majo, your mistress, that I’ve kept track. I owe her six more items, and then she changes Mira back, and tell her, once she does, I’ll keep our other part of the bargain.”“You don’t really have a choice but to agree to our mistress’s terms, but we will deliver your message with this item to our mistress.” One creature said, while snatching the cat from Chara with an amazing firmness in its awkward grip. “We will see you again when you steal another item for our mistress, White Cat.” Then the two creatures left the way they had entered.“It’s okay now Mira, you can come out.” Chara called, looking behind the couch. Mira ran to Chara and leapt into her hands. “Just wait Mira, I’ll get six more items, and you’ll be back to normal. I promise I’ll get you back to normal.” Chara said, stroking the kitten.

Quietly, Chara set Mira down, and dressed in a long sleeved night shirt and long pants. After that, she hid her clothes underneath her dresser, along with her purple jewel and the black ribbon she used to hold her hair back. But she took out a small photo album before shoving the dresser back into place. She went back to the main room and unfolded her couch into a bed, placed blue covers on it, and slid into bed, sitting up to look at the photo album. Mira curled up on a pillow next to her. The first picture, was a picture of her, 15 years old, a 9 year old girl with strawberry red hair and the same blue eyes, and a man in his mid-30s with blond hair and brown eyes. Chara sighed sadly.

There was a picture behind this one. It was a picture she kept secret from everyone. It was a group shot, with 6 people in it. In the center, there was Chara, with her white hair and silver eyes, wearing a white turtleneck shirt with the same crest on her staff embroidered in over her heart, she also wore white pants, but she also had white cat ears and a white cat tail. Around her were others, wearing different costumes, but each one had the same crest right over the heart and a purple colored crystal.

Chara leaned back and closed her eyes, she remembered when she had been part of the Crystal Guardians, she longed to take her purple crystal, call out ‘Crystal Transformation’ and go through the change she had gone through so long ago. Now looking at the photo, she knew she missed everyone, Fox Fire, River, Forest, Ying yang, and Wing, she missed Wing most of all.But something had happened, and now, there was no way she could go back. She used her Crystal Guardians card to sneak into places to steal things, when it was meant to be used to protect; she knew that with what she was doing now, she would never be welcomed back there again. It was the only thing she could do, but she felt horrible. Everyone had been so nice to her, they had been such good friends. But now, she had deserted them. ‘Would they even understand why I’ve done things?’ Chara thought desperately. She knew they would, they had been her best friends, and they knew that Mira was her only family left. They would have understood, but she couldn’t tell anyone. Chara sighed, she pushed the picture back inside the album. She put the thin album underneath her pillow, and fell asleep.

The next morning, there was a story in the news about how the cat was stolen. Chara fixed herself breakfast, and made sure that Mira had food and water. Chara knew it was about time for another move. Every so often, Chara would move to another city, to throw off her old team mates. She knew they must be guessing what she was doing by now, but, at least they never knew where she was moving next. It was summer vacation now, which meant nothing to do except wait for Majos’ next demand.Chara’s memory brought her back to the day Majo had come. It was so unexpected. Chara and Mira had been living with Altair, a family friend who had adopted them when Charas’ parents had died. Chara had learned a few years ago that her parents used to be part of the Crystal Guardians, and after her powers had been awakened, decided to follow in their footsteps. Suddenly, those two monsters that came to collect what ever Chara had stolen had burst in through the door, and had killed Altair before they had time to even react. Chara had transformed, but she was quickly cornered. Majo was planning on turning her into a cat, but when the spell hit Mira instead, Majo made a deal, saying that if Chara stole 50 items for her, and gave up hero work, she would turn Mira back into a human, and leave her team mates alone. This was her family and friends Majo was talking about, Chara had to agree to Majos’ terms. That had been 4 months ago, and already, she was down to six items. Just six items and Mira would be her old self again. Chara just loitered around for the rest of the day, and caught up on her sleeping. After dinner, it was dark and the moon was out. But, it was still early enough, so Chara decided to take a walk around the park. She wished she had something to occupy her time, when her thoughts were free to wander they always turned back to the ones she wanted to forget. She thought about Wing, who was her best friend and crush back in the Crystal Guardians.

She had met Wing at school, his real name was Hosagi. They started talking about the swim team they were on, which was where they had met, and had become good friends. Chara wished she could go back to those days, but she couldn’t now or ever.

A cold breeze rustled through the trees, causing flurries of leaves to fall to the ground. Chara looked up, and saw a streak of purple across the sky. Only a few people could see this.

“Hello, my old friend.” Chara said, addressing the purple light, “I’m sorry that you’ve come back to see things take a turn for the worse like this.” It was this light, which had awakened her powers and her parents as well, so many years back. But, even though Chara had powers, they weren’t strong enough to break the spell Majo had cast on Mira. “You’re the one who got me into this mess, now how do I get out?!” She demanded to the silent light. Chara didn’t get any answer, but, she wasn’t expecting one anyway.What was she going to do? Chara had asked herself this millions of times, but she never got an answer. Chara guessed she would steal the rest of the items, and spend the rest of her life avoiding her old friends. She didn’t want to do that, but, she had to protect her friends, and, that was the only way she could. Silent tears fell down her cheeks. She wiped off her tears on the sleeve of her shirt, trying to get herself to stop crying.“I thought I might meet you here. You always did like to walk around at night.” A male voice said behind her.
Chara felt her face pale as she whirled around. Behind her was a boy with brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Hosagi!”

Apple in Sunlight by Saraj

I stood in the oldest hall of the palace; hands pressed against the brick sides of the window I was leaning out of, waiting for the sun. My breath curled briefly in a gentle silver mist, then whirled up and into the dim sky, followed by another short breath that danced clouds upon the silent morning air. The darkness was melting into early, sweet sun after long cold moon, and I could feel the shaking of my hands slow and then stop. When Prince found me my face was still tilted up into the blinding brightness, eyes closed, soaking up the golden sun. He stood by me for a moment, came and watched the town below scurry underneath the pale, cloudless sky.

“Breakfast is ready,” he said, one hand resting just above his eyes, casting long spidery shadows down his dark cheeks.

“We’ll be there in a minute,” my brother Finbar answered for me, and I jumped. He always appeared when you least expected it. Prince bowed slightly, no more than was proper, and whisked away. Finbar turned towards me. I took one last breath in the bright sunlight and faced him. “Ready for breakfast?” He asked, smiling.

I shook my head.“Not hungry,” I mumbled.

This time Finbar’s smile was a bit forced. “Sorcha, you haven’t eaten for days. You’re going to wither away.”

I made a small, inconsequential noise designed to dissuade him, although of course it did nothing of the sort. Finbar could be very stubborn.

Now his face was serious, dark eyes pinning my light green ones in place. “Sorcha, you have to eat.” I started to protest. “No choices,” he said firmly, then grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hall of gray stone.

As I stumbled after him, I looked at his hand on my arm: tan on white. We’re not really brother and sister- not even close. He’s from a country far to the west, distant and generally out of mind of the people of Farya. His tan skin, white-blond gold hair, and black eyes contrast so sharply with my white skin, thick black hair, and light green eyes that no one could ever believe we’re related. But it’s not relation of blood that counts- it’s relation of spirit. And my mother had cared for Finbar ever since he showed up on our doorstep six years ago. At the thought of my mother, any appetite I might have had withered away.

Before I knew it, I was seated in a huge velvet chair with elderly servants ceremoniously depositing ridiculous amounts of exquisite food on my china plate. The royal table itself was laden with pork buns glistening with honey, soft pears, fresh apples, crisp parsley, light, feathery pancakes baked to golden-brown perfection, buttery toast, and pitchers of milk and cream and syrup and wine. I pinched off a bit of apple skin from a round, firm-skinned scarlet apple and rolled it thoughtfully between my fingers, staring off into the distance.

Next to me, Finbar not-so-subtly dug his elbow into my ribs.

“I said, ‘Would you like to say grace, Lady Sorcha?’” Prince stared at me expectantly, his pale eyes drilling holes through my skull. Cheeks hot, I quickly recited the customary thanks and watched silently as Prince, Finbar, and Kieran, the court dancer, ate heartily.

Finbar jabbed me again. Under his supervising glare, I forced myself to take a bite of apple, and quickly spat it out in disgust. A worm wound its way slowly through the apple’s black heart. “Ew!” I exclaimed, wiping my mouth. Suddenly I noticed Prince and the dark dancer, Kieran, watching me, intent. Hostile might be another word, I thought gloomily as Finbar led me from the hall.

“What is wrong with you, Sorcha?” he hissed at me when we were in the gardens.

“Mother’s dead, that’s what’s wrong with me,” I shouted, just before the tears started to roll down my cheeks. Finbar sighed and sat down on a bench near a rose bush. He picked one and twirled it absently between his fingers. “She’s been gone for three months now, Sorcha.”

“I know,” I said, wiping my eyes. “Don’t you think I know?” I grabbed the lowest branch of an apple tree and swung up into it, even though I knew Prince would scold me if he found out I’d been climbing trees. “Do you expect me to forget her after three months? Did you forget her?” I said angrily.

“Don’t be stupid,” he growled, and from my upside-down position in the tree I could see his eyes were cold. Finbar rubbed his forehead and sighed. “No one’s asking you to forget anyone,” he said in a gentle tone.

I swung up and grabbed an apple that was hanging near my head. “There are some people I wish I could forget,” I whispered fiercely, spitting the apple savagely on a nearby twig.

“Bronagh,” Finbar sighed, even though I had thought he couldn’t hear me. “Sorcha-”

“I dream about Mother,” my voice cracked when I said it, and I unspeared the apple with shaking hands.

“How often?” he asked sharply. Here in Farya, everyone dreams- it’s not a rare thing. But there is a serious superstition in Farya concerning dreams: Supposedly if a dream comes back too many times, the dreamer is a witch. The previous King was old and his aging mind feared the nightmares of the witches, the “Dark Prophecies”, so much that he passed a long and detailed law concerning them. If the witch tells of a good dream, she is allowed to live, but in solitary confinement. If she tells of a nightmare, the witch is put to death. Finbar’s told me ever since I can remember that everyone has repeat dreams: it was only the King’s own foolishness that made them into prophecies. Still, people in Farya don’t often talk of dreams.

I pretended to think about his question. “Seven times,” I muttered at last, peeling the apple on a long, sharp stick. The strip came out jagged and curled into a dark spiral when I let it fall to the ground below.

He let out a long sigh, then yelped. One drop of blood from the rose thorns slid down his finger. Finbar smiled ruefully at me and tossed the rose away. “It wasn’t Bronagh’s fault,” he began, but I slid down out of the tree and raced away.

I ran, feet pounding across the flat, clean-cut palace grounds until my head spun disconcertingly, then I curled up in the corner of a courtyard and slept. Safe from nightmares underneath the sun’s warm embrace.

There was a dancer in my dream, dark-skinned and beautiful, with golden bangles shimmering all along her arms. After a moment I realized it was Kieran, the court dancer, flowing from one movement to the next, long golden hair flashing brilliant underneath the noon sky.Suddenly, the dream changed, as dreams will do, and Kieran became Mother. Mother! Mother? Wake up! I shouted in the dream, shaking her.I’m sorry, Sorcha. Bronagh was standing beside Mother and I, shaking his head. He had his doctor’s face on, and I hated him, wanted so badly to wipe that incompetent look off of his face. It’s just pneumonia! I yelled at him. She’s not supposed to die from it! What did you do to her? Why can’t you save her? And he shook his head and shook his head and Mother wouldn’t get up.When I woke I was in my room in the palace, looking up at the dim outline of the canopy overhead in darkness. Crying, I pulled the covers up over my head and waited for morning, tears following one another down my cheeks until there were too many to count. I couldn’t sleep in the dark, I was shaking too much; couldn’t close my wide eyes, I was afraid I would see Mother behind them.Morning found me at the window again. I was so tired I could barely stand, but the sigh of relief I could breathe when the sun’s first rays peeked over the mountain made the terrible night fade a little from my mind. Suddenly Kieran and Finbar appeared at one end of the corridor, speaking in quiet, solemn tones. Finbar glanced up and saw me swaying on my feet.“Sorcha,” he said gently. “Bed.” I didn’t resist.I dreamt of Kieran walking with Finbar. I’m worried about Sorcha, Finbar said.She’s so quiet. And she eats nothing. Why? Kieran questioned him.Since Mother died she’s talked little and smiled less, Finbar said wearily, and then they both faded into the shadows.When I woke it was getting dark again in my bedchamber, and I rolled quickly out of bed and went to the oldest hall in the palace. It had windows on both sides, so it was the first room in the palace to be lit, and the last to be dark. I stared out at the fading light of the sun, and the candlelit windows that flickered to life in the indistinct houses of Farya below, feeling the air grow cold.“This morning you looked like you thought the sun had died,” a voice behind me laughed. I whirled around to find Kieran standing there. I knew her name, vaguely, and that she danced, but nothing other than that. She held out a bangled hand and said, “Kieran. You must be the girl Prince took in.”“Sorcha,” I said shortly, shaking her hand. “It was Finbar’s idea.”“Prince doesn’t usually take in orphans,” Kieran said, and I stiffened, but the comment was only thoughtful.“It was Finbar’s idea,” I repeated.“Prince said that he and your mom go way back, whatever that means,” Kieran giggled, then sobered. “I brought you something.” She produced half of a brilliant scarlet apple, juicy and freshly cut. “No worms this time,” she held out a pinky. “Promise!” I stared at her, then remembered pinky-promises from when I was a little girl. We linked fingers. “Thanks,” I said quietly, then went back to staring out of the window at the advancing night. The shadows began to curl in along the lines of the gray bricks, then slither down towards my feet. Kieran stood beside me, watching. Suddenly I felt the darkness pull up over my face, and I flinched.“You don’t like the night,” she commented softly.“It’s when I dream,” I agreed hesitantly, “Of mother,” I added as an afterthought. She seemed like she was about to say something, but I turned and headed upstairs to my room so she wouldn’t see my tears. I lit a candle and stared into the flickering flame for a long time, back pressed tensely against the corner of the room, turning Kieran’s apple over and over in my hands.I didn’t mean to dream, but suddenly I found myself asleep. Mother was the first thing I saw in the dream. I tensed. No, no, Mother! There’s a candle. The room is light. Bronagh, don’t bother me now. Stay locked away. I will run long enough that you will never find me. But Mother wasn’t lying down. She was sitting up in a beautiful white dress, her black hair piled up on top of her head, shining. She laughed, and suddenly I realized how long it had been since she laughed- I hadn’t heard that sweet sound since her sickness came. Mother turned to me and held her arms out, one hand closed around something, her gown rippling around her like the folds of the sea.Sorcha, child, come. I have something for you. But I couldn’t move.I can’t come, Mother! I can’t move! She knelt and rolled it across the floor to me, a scarlet apple brighter than any I’d ever seen. Then she put her fingers to her lips.Hush, she whispered. Sorcha…

When I woke Kieran’s apple was brown on the floor beside me, and there was a scarlet apple pressed into my hand.I wandered out into the halls, dazed, feeling as though I hadn’t slept at all. Slowly the palace darkened. I passed Finbar on my way into the oldest hall in the castle. He stopped me with a touch on my shoulder.“How are you feeling?”I handed him the apple and said, “Hungry.” He grinned, even though there was a bit of confusion in it, and he walked off, bouncing it in his hand.When I arrived in the oldest corridor of the palace, Kieran was waiting for me. For a moment we watched the sun sink ever lower in the sky being painted deep cobalt in swift strokes. Then she spoke. Her words were soft, but echoed in the emptiness of the corridor, and my heart, which was just beginning to fill up.“Sun fades to moon,” Kieran held her dark hands up to the fading breath of day, lighting them chocolate among the brilliant golden dust motes filling the halls. “And day to night.”I stared out at the dancing sun shafts just winding their way through the treetops below, watching. Kieran turned slightly toward me in the dimness, and she must have seen my wide green eyes trying to gulp down the last shining rays. “Don’t be afraid of the shadows,” she said softly. “Don’t try to forget them. You can’t, no one can. It’s because human nature is never strictly good or evil. You can’t carve out a human soul in a rigid line like the rose’s thorn. It’s an apple peeling, sweet and curled and eaten up by worms in some places. Darkness shares with light- it’s unchangeable. If we forget the person we must never become, how are we to prevent that change? In the depths of despair we find the beginnings of hope.”How do you respond to something like that? I closed my eyes, but there were no tears to hold back now, and I stood unmoving long after Kieran had danced away. In my mind, I could see the shadows curling first in among the lines of the gray bricks, then slithering down towards my feet. In a moment I felt their cool, inquisitive stroke on my cheeks, and this time, the taste of apple still bright in my mouth, I did not pull back.