Pursuit of Darkness

Kyndal locked the door to the bookstore, and then searched the parking lot for her mom, “Great, late as usual,” she muttered as she walked down the sidewalk of the strip mall to the coffee shop.

She ordered a caramel frappuccino, and then sat at a table near the window so she could watch for her mom. She thumbed through the book she had bought at work. It was another book on Fey to add to her ever expanding collection. A strand of her platinum blond hair had worked its way loose from her braid, she tucked it behind her ear and turned to the page to the next chapter. This chapter was about the Unseelie Court of the Shide , and its queen. She heard a car horn, and looked up to see her mom's car stopped at the curb. She tucked the book into her bag, grabbed her drink, and left the cafe.

Kyndal settled into the front seat next to her, “Why are you late this time?”
“I had a few last minutes thing I had to tend to,” her mom answered, “I'm ready to get home , though, these contacts are driving me crazy.”

“It's because your eyes are dry from not sleeping,” Kyndal told her as she pulled her book from her bag, so she could read it on the drive home.

“Is that another book on Fey?” Her mother asked, “I thought we talked about that,and you were going to stop this.”

“No, Mom, you said I was going to stop; I never agreed to anything,” Kyndal answered not looking up from the open book.

“What is it that you think you are going to find in these books?” Her mom's eyes dated back to the road. They were starting up the bridge about twenty minutes from home.

“Everything you refuse to tell me,” Kyndal answered her voice void of all emotion.

“Shit!” Kyndal, startled, looked up at her mom and that at the road ahead of them. The traffic was at a dead stop. They heard the sounds of sirens the same time they saw the motionless body of a very pregnant woman in the road. “She'll be dead before they reach her.”

“How do you know she's still alive?” Kyndal asked.

“Get in the driver's seat, so you can move the car when they come through,” her mom ordered as she got out of the car.

Kyndal scooted over into the driver's seat, and watched her mom in between the vehicles ahead of them. When she reached the woman she dropped to her knees, and placed one hand on the woman's stomach and the other over the woman's heart. Kyndal watched as the glamour that her mother used to hide what she was faded away. The golden glow of her skin rose as she pushed her power into the dying woman and her unborn child.

It seemed like hours that Kyndal watched her mother, although she knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. She pulled the car over to the shoulder as she heard the sirens grow louder. Her eyes stayed on her mother as the ambulance passed with the police cars trailing closely. The paramedics jumped from the ambulance as soon as it stopped, they reached her mother in a matter of seconds. They quickly went about checking the woman's vitals. When the police made it over to the scene Kyndal saw the paramedics motion to her mother, and then look up at the news choppers hovering overhead. The paramedics loaded the woman onto the gurney, careful not to sever the bond between the woman and her mother. As they wheeled the gurney to the ambulance her mother still did not take her hands away. Kyndal was stunned when her mother climbed into the back of the ambulance when they loaded the gurney into the back.

Kyndal jumped at a knock on the window, and when she looked up she saw a police officer waiting impatiently. She rolled down the window, “Kyndal?” Kyndal nodded, “Your mother is going to ride to the hospital. The paramedics did not want to risk separating her from the woman until her condition was stable. When she is able to leave a police officer will have to bring her down to the station to question her and then take her home. Your mother wants you to go home once the road is clear. She says not to worry, and that she'll explain everything tomorrow.”

Kyndal just nodded; she couldn't argue with the cop. She waited for the road to be cleared, and then drove herself home. She pulled into the parking stall, and then walked to the stairwell. She walked up the three flights of stairs up to their floor, and then down the walkway to their apartment. She let herself in, and locked the door behind her remembering to trace the runes symbols over the door like she had seen her mom do time and time again. She heated up some leftovers, and ate not tasting anything. She put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher, took a shower, and then curled up in bed with her book.



When she woke up she got ready for work and then went to the kitchen to grab some coffee, but it wasn't made. There was a note from her mom telling her that she wasn't going in to work today, and for her to take the car. Kyndal grabbed the keys, and headed for the door making sure to lock it behind her. Apparently I'll be getting my coffee elsewhere this morning, she thought bitterly. She wasn't really mad about the coffee; just upset that she wasn't going to be able to talk to her mom until she got home. She wanted to know what was going on. She understood why the paramedics had wanted her to go with them, but not why the cops had needed to question her. Now she was going to have to wait all day for the answer.

She skipped on the coffee and went straight to work after remembering that she had to open up. Mr. Lansing, the owner, had a doctor's appointment this morning and since he only worked in the mornings anyways he wouldn't be coming in. So Kyndal settled in for a long, lonely day. The store didn't have much business during the week, and it wasn't too much better on the weekends. They sold mostly occult books, and other than high school goth kids and the occasional college student there wasn't much demand for their merchandise. The only thing that kept them in business was that Mr. Lansing had connections and was able to get very rare and expensive books that you couldn't find at Barnes and Noble. There were a few collectors in the area and they knew that Lansing could get them what they wanted; they paid very well for that service. Kyndal was the only employee and had only been hired because of Mr. Lansing's more recent health problems. She had been coming into the shop since she was a kid. She hadn't had any money so she would read in the store. At first the elderly man had found her bothersome, but eventually his loneliness broke through. He began to smile when he'd see her come in, and then give her hot chocolate; not the instant kind but the real stuff. When he realized that she wasn't one of the homeless kids looking for a handout, but was genuinely interested in the books he began letting her borrow them. Eventually he began paying her a few dollars here and there to pick things up for him from the other stores in the shopping center, and that led to allowing her to wait on customers if he was busy or watching the store so he could make deliveries. Then about a year ago he had a mild stroke. It hadn't caused any permanent problems, but it made him realize he needed help at the shop. He offered Kyndal the job, and she had taken it happily. During the last couple of months she had taken over most of the day to day operations. Mr. Lansing still handled the special orders and the book keeping, but let Kyndal handle the rest. After disarming the alarm system, she opened the register for the day, flipped the sign on the door to open, and then sat down at the desk to start on her daily paperwork.

She had ended up being much busier than she had thought, so busy she had skipped lunch. She had finally chalked up the rise in business to the fact it was nearly Halloween, and had just been happy that she had something to distract her. When she closed the store up she went down to the cafe and ordered a sandwich and something to drink. After not having breakfast and skipping lunch her stomach was not happy with her. With food in hand she took a seat and went work quieting her growling tummy. She was about halfway through her sandwich when she saw the the newspaper that someone had left on the table next to her. The headline read “Missing Seelie Princess Saves Life” and below it was an aerial photo of the wreck last night with her mother hunched over the woman in the road. She reached over and grabbed the paper, and began reading frantically.

According to the paper her mother was a princess of the Seelie Court and she had gone missing for nineteen years. Kyndal was going to turn nineteen in a few months which meant that her mother had gone missing when she was pregnant with her. Kyndal continued reading tears welling up as she read the next part, Princess Kyndara went missing the night of her fiancé's death. Her late finance, Prince Baelyn, had been the only son of Queen Narkiris of the Unseelie Court. Kyndal grabbed her bag and her keys and rushed out of the cafe. She ran to the car, climbed behind the wheel, started the engine and sped out of the parking lot. She wiped her hand across her eyes trying to stop the tears that blurred her vision. She thought about the stories her mom had told her. Her mom told her that they were sidhe, and that her father had died. She hadn't lied; just omitted things, and Kyndal wanted to know why.

Kyndal knew something was wrong when she pulled into the parking stall. She could feel something in the air as she steeped out of the car. There was a tingle, magic, someone was using magic. She ran for the stair well and then up the three flights of stairs; taking them two at a time. When she turned the corner onto the third floor she saw the apartment door open. She had forgotten to do the wards when she left. She couldn't hear anything as she neared, that was the magic she felt, someone was trying to hide what was going on inside. She reached out with her magic to test the spell; it was just glamour. Kyndal let out a sigh of relief, if it had been something more substantial she might not be able to get in, but glamour was just to hide the fact that something was going on.

She moved towards the door, and readied herself to break through the magic. When she went through the door she froze. Her mom lay crumpled on the floor, motionless. There were two men in the room; one standing over her mother and the other was digging through drawers, “Tell us where she is!” the man standing over her mother yelled. Kyndal could hear her mother mutter something her voice barely a whisper. The man kicked her in the ribs.

“No!” Kyndal yelled rage flooding her body.

The man looked up startled, “Shut her up,” he spat the order at the other man.

The other man came towards her at a run, but Kyndal was ready. She turned her body to the left and kicked her right leg out straight planting her foot in the middle of his chest hard enough to knock him back a few feet. When he came at her again she switched legs catching him across his right cheek with her left foot. He fell to the ground, his head hit the tile of the entry way with a thud.

When she turned her attention back to the other man he was holding her mom up by her hair. “Leave my mother alone,” the voice sounded nothing like hers.

“You don't look much like sidhe royalty to me,” the man spat at her, “You just look like a scared little girl.”

Kyndal let her glamour drop. Her hair began to shine like the sun on a beach of white sand, and her skin was pure golden glow. “I guess you are sidhe after all. Doesn't mean you're not scared.” The man replied pulling a knife out from behind his back.

Kyndal put her hand out as if that would stop him from what he was about to do. Power rushed forward into the room. Suddenly red slashes spread across the skin on his arm. It wasn't until the red began dripping that she realized it was blood.

“What the hell?” The man muttered.

Kyndal's hand began to shake and she flexed her fingers to stop them. The slashes in the man's arms grew deeper and the pain forced him to drop the knife. A noise behind her caught her attention, and she turned to look and saw the other man trying to get to his feet. Then she heard the man's screams she looked back at him and saw that a deep gash had spread across his his throat and blood was beginning to spill out. The screams became gurgles and gasps and he slumped to the floor.

When she turned to look behind her again the other man was on his feet and backing towards the door. When he looked up at her he bolted. Kyndal went to her mom; she was still and cool to the touch. Kyndal fell to the floor and pulled her mother into her arms, “Mom. Mom, please,” Kyndal cried.

“Kyndal, I'm too weak. I am dying,” her mother's voice was barely audible. “There is a letter for you in my dresser. It will explain everything.”

“Mom, no. You have to live. I need you,” Kyndal cried hysterically.

“We don't have time, Kyndal. You have to leave, you're not safe. You must live,” her mother replied.

“But you can heal,” she sobbed.

“You have to leave now. I love you baby.” Kyndal felt her mother's heart stop; she was gone.

“I love you Mom,” Kyndal whispered before sliding out from under her mother's body.

She got to her feet and went to her room. She grabbed some clothes, the picture of her and her mom off of her dresser and a few books from her shelf and threw them in a bag. Then she went to her mom's room, and searched her dresser. She located the hiding spot and found an envelope, She stuffed that into her bag along with a bottle of her mom's perfume. Then she went back into the living room trying not to look as she stepped over the bodies. She went to the kitchen and pulled down the cookie jar from the cabinet over the refrigerator. She pulled out the stash of money and pushed it into the bag as well. Then she was back in the living room, she called her glamour into place before stepping outside. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She traced runes over the door and added a few extra just to make people avoid even knocking on the door. As she walked downstairs, and then out to the car she looked around for any signs of the other man, but didn't see any. When she got in the car she tossed her bag into the passenger seat where she had left her purse. She started up the car and pulled out of the stall. She pulled out of the parking lot and headed east out of town.



She drove for hours only stopping once to get gas. She had no idea where she was going to go. The only home she had ever known was the apartment, and her mom was all she had. After she crossed the state line into Louisiana she began looking for a hotel. She pulled into the first decent looking one she saw, and checked in. Luckily the room was on the first floor so she was able to park right in front. After letting herself in the room and closing the door behind her she locked the deadbolt and traced runes the door and the windows. Then she did the door frame and windowsills that way if someone managed to break down the door or shattered the windows they still wouldn't be able to come in. She pulled some clothes from her bag and went into the bathroom. She stripped the bloody clothes from her trembling body, and then turned on the shower. She stepped under the stream and tried to wash away the images with the blood. When she was clean she turned off the water and stepped out of the tub. She dried her body and then twisted a towel around her hair turban style. She pulled on a pair of panties and slid a t-shirt over her head. She rolled her bloody clothes up in the towels she had used to dry off and shoved them into a plastic laundry bag the hotel had provided. She would discard them somewhere when she got back on the road. She climbed on the bed and reached for her bag. She found the envelope she had retrieved from her mom's dresser and opened it. She pulled out the folded pages, her eyes teared up at the sight of her mom's handwriting. She had to blink a couple of times to clear her vision so she could read the letter.


Dear Kyndal,
I'm writing this letter in hopes that you'll never have to read it. If you are reading
it something awful has happened. There are two parts to this letter the first will tell you
the true story of who and what we are and why I hid it from you. The second part will tell
you what to do if you find yourself reading this without me by your side.

My true identity is Princess Kyndara NicTyrin of the Seelie Court. My father was
King Tyrin, ruler of the Seelie Court, King of Light and Earth. My mother was Queen
Baleesa, co-ruler of the Seelie Court, Queen of Illusion and Beauty. When my mother was
eight months pregnant with me she and my father were attacked in an apple orchard
inside the Seelie Sithen. My father was killed first. The attackers were scared away,
before finishing off my mother, by the royal guards. My mother, who had great healing
powers, was able to keep herself and I alive until the Court Healer arrived. They did a
caesarian section, but were unable to save my mother.

My uncle took the throne after
my parents deaths, and became King Tyris, ruler of the Seelie Court, King of Light and
Illusion. My uncle was never overtly cruel nor was he affectionate; he was simply
indifferent to me. When I became a young woman he held an inter court ball, which
meant that member from both Seelie and Unseelie courts were invited to attend. There
I met Prince Baelyn, heir to the Unseelie Throne, Prince of Air and blood. We danced
most of the night, and fell deeply in love. After that night we began sneaking out to meet
in secret. Then I became pregnant and everyone found out, and according to Sidhe laws
we had to marry.

We were so happy that we were going to be able to really be together that we began
planning the wedding right away. A few months went by and things were going well, the
wedding was only a week away, and there was talk of the courts uniting as one. Baelyn
had come to court to discuss the possibility with my uncle; he would be taking the Unseelie
Throne after our wedding. Things went horribly wrong that night.

Lord Alewin of the Seelie Court challenged Baelyn to a duel. Baelyn had to accept, and
being the challenged party he was able to choose the weapons. He chose swords; the
challenge was not to the death and he would heal from a few wounds rather quickly.
Normally that would have been true, but somehow Alewin had gotten an enchanted
sword. Baelyn was killed that night. Alewin was taken into custody by the guards and
executed on the spot.

Later that night as I went to my room I heard two of the other Seelie Lords talking. When
I heard they were discussing Baelyn's death I listened in. One of them claimed that the sword
had been given to Alewin by my uncle. He had wanted Baelyn dead for fear that he would take
the Seelie throne as well.

Then came another shock; he also claimed that Tyris had been behind the deaths of my
parents. I became very afraid, afraid for my life and afraid for you Kyndal. That night I left the
sithen like I had all those nights I had gone to see Baelyn, but that time I didn't go back.

I used glamour to hide my glow, I got colored contact lenses for my eyes, and I cut my hair.
I found Fey that would help me, and got a fake ID and everything else I needed to live as a human.
When you were born I used my glamour to hide the fact that you were Sidhe too. When you were
old enough I taught you, which I know you remember. The rest of my story you know.

Kyndal, I know you're upset with me that I never told you, but the less you knew the safer you
were. I want you to know that your father loved you and wanted you very much. I love you so much,
Kyndal, and there were so many times I started to tell you but stopped because I had to keep you safe.


Now if something has happened to me and if you are reading this alone the next
part is very important. You have your father's strong will and his stubbornness, but you
need to do exactly as I tell you. Wait until it is night time, turn out all lights where you
are. You must have total darkness. Then recite these words out loud:

Queen Narkiris, Queen of Air and Darkness. I plead for your ear. I am the
daughter of Princess Kyndara NicTyrin and Prince Baelyn, prince of Air and Blood. I
am blood of your blood and flesh of your flesh. I am in danger and need your protection.
Please, help me.


Queen Narkiris is your father's mother, your grandmother. She will send
someone to find you and keep you safe.
Love Always,
Your Mother



Kyndal folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. She set the envelope on the table beside the bed. It would be daylight soon, so she couldn't call for help now; it would have to wait. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV, there were reports about her saving the woman on the bridge, She had given birth to a healthy baby girl, both mother and baby were doing fine. The mother had chosen to name her baby Kyndara, after the woman who had saved them. There were no reports about her mother being found dead, so Kyndal turned it back off. She picked up her book and began reading the chapter on the Unseelie Court and it's queen.

It was nearly noon before she fell asleep. Kyndal had pulled out the other books she had brought and went back over each one. She found information about her mother and father, her grandparents, and her great uncle. She read everything she could find about them. She read about the courts and the way they functioned. She read about their laws and beliefs. When she had first read these books she had been searching for answers, but she hadn't known the questions. Now it all meant something; every word held so much meaning for her. These books weren't just books; they were her family history.

When she woke up it was nearly dark. She searched the phone book for a local pizza delivery place. She called the number, and placed an order for a large meat lovers and a two liter coke. When she got off the phone she pulled some clothes out of her bag. After getting dressed she picked up the bottle of her mom's perfume and sprayed some on her wrist. Her mom had worn the scent for as long as she could remember and only now did Kyndal know the significance; the perfume smelled like apple blossoms. Kyndal smiled a sad smile for her mom, and then went back to her books while she waited on the pizza.

When the pizza arrived she was ravenous. She ate almost the whole pizza and drank most of the coke. She had turned the television on while she ate like she and her mom used to do on Saturday nights. It was completely dark when she finished eating. She looked over the words several times so that she had them memorized since she would be in total darkness when she did this. She went through the room and turned off every light. She sat on the foot of the bed and closed her eyes, “Queen Narkiris, Queen of Air and Darkness. I plead for your ear. I am the daughter of Princess Kyndara NicTyrin and Prince Baelyn, prince of Air and Blood. I am blood of your blood and flesh of your flesh. I am in danger and need your protection. Please, help me.” Kyndal had held her voice steady but it wavered on the last three words.

She sat still in the darkness waiting for something because she didn't know what else to do. Then she heard it, almost like a whisper, she concentrated on the sound. It was a voice; a woman's voice, “If you are my granddaughter call me in the old way so that I may look upon you.”

“But I don't know how,” Kyndal said aloud into the darkness.

“If you are of my blood you will find a way.”

Kyndal turned on a light and grabbed for her books; she remembered something about the sidhe being able to communicate through mirrors. She found the chapter and read through it. They showed the runes but they weren't right. Then she remembered her mom putting runes on the mirrors at home. She went to the mirror and traced the runes she had seen her mom use in reverse. Then she laid her hand on the edge of the mirror and said, “I wish to speak to Queen Narkiris of the Unseelie Court, Queen of Air and Darkness.”

The mirror went misty and then she could make out a room that was not the one behind her. As the image cleared she could make out a dark stone wall, and a throne that appeared to be made of black marble. On that throne sat a woman, she had long black hair that fell in loose waves over her shoulders. Her eyes were the triple iris of the sidhe; the outer ring was as black as her hair, the second ring was the gray of a stormy sky, and the third was a ring of silver that circled her pupil. Her face was perfect, completely void of lines, her nose was straight with a slightly rounded tip that turned up just a bit and her lips were full and painted a dark crimson. She was dressed in what looked to be a black silk robe fastened tightly at her narrow waist, “I see you figured out how to use the mirror” the woman replied.

“Yes, Queen Narkiris,” Kyndal said bowing.

“You do not have to bow, child,” Narkiris said, “What is your name?”

“Kyndal,” she replied simply.

“You look like your mother, but I see my son in you as well. Tell me what has happened that you felt the need to call on me after nineteen years,” Queen Narkiris commanded her voice held some bitterness.

Kyndal told the queen the whole story. How she had grown up not knowing who she was, and how her mother had saved the woman on the bridge. She told her about reading the newspaper and being so angry at her mom. She told her about the men and what she had done. Then she told her about the letter and what her mom had written. “Now that my mother is gone you are all I have,” Kyndal finished her story.

“I have to confess that I was so angry with your mother for running away I had thought about finding her and killing her. I am still upset that she hid you from me, but I can understand why. All that matters is that you have come to me now,” she said sighing, “We have much to talk about, but we don't have much time. No doubt it was Tyris that sent those men after your mother, and now he will know that you have come into your power; he will most assuredly try again with you. You said that you made the man bleed to death?”

“Yes, Queen Narkiris,” Kyndal answered.

“You have the hand of blood, that was one of your father's powers, and you could hear me when I talked to you in the dark. That means you also have the hand of darkness, one of my powers. It seems that you are more Unseelie than I thought.” The queen's face said that she was very pleased.

Kyndal knew not to thank her, among the Fey, when you thanked them it meant that you owed them something, “You are much more beautiful than my books described.”

The queen smiled, “I see that your reading has done you well; you know our customs. I will sen d one of my guards to fetch you and escort you here. You will be under my protection and the fear of incurring my wrath will keep you safe.”

“I'm sure that no one would wish to anger you, Queen Narkiris,” Kyndal replied.

“My guard will be there tomorrow morning and by this time tomorrow
you will standing before me in person,” the queen replied, “Until then, Granddaughter, stay safe and if you need anything else you know how to contact me.”

“How will your guard find me?” Kyndal asked.

“I am Queen of Air and Darkness, you willingly called upon me. I know exactly where you are, and so shall my guard,” she answered Kyndal's question with a smile, “Good night, Granddaughter.”

“Good night,” Kyndal replied. The mirror went back to normal and Kyndal stood staring at it for a few moments. She had a grandmother, no she wasn't the type that baked cookies and knitted sweaters, but she was Kyndal's grandmother. She wouldn't be left alone, with no one to care about her. She wasn't an orphan. She had family that wanted her and a place to call home. She would be okay.

Kyndal took to her books again, she wanted to be prepared for what she was about to encounter. She wanted to know how to behave and what to say. She would make her grandmother proud; she would be perfect.