Wings of Deceit

Chapter One

She wasn't home. It had been several hours since our mother had left to attend the weekly village meeting and she still wasn't home. Had something happened? Was there information about the war that had dragged the meeting past its normal length?

My sister paced back and forth in front of the fire, the flames greedily consuming the few logs that were left so its heat didn't dwindle, waiting for the sound of the handle on the front door to turn or even footsteps walking up the path. Haera bit her nails as she walked, her mind lost to a storm of unwanted and terrifying thoughts.

"She's going to be fine, Haera," I assured her, patting the chair beside me, an offer to get her to stop wearing the carpet away. "In a few weeks' time, we'll be getting people from all over the kingdom coming here to take shelter from the war. Silverwood is a village so small and far away from the main cities that we're not even on the map, so they reckon we'll be a safe haven. Everyone is probably discussing where to put the newcomers."

"Enough, Zofia." Her glare cut me like a sharp, frigid blade of ice. "Something isn't right and you know it too." Taking a small strip of fabric from her pocket, she placed it in her mouth as she began to tie up her dark hair.

"Please, wait a little bit longer. We were asked to stay here while the meeting takes place." I stood from my seat, making my way to the door with the hope to stop her from leaving.

The last time something like this happened, it was our father who had gone missing. Known to be one of the best hunters in the village, he was often asked to gather food for several families, especially the ones who couldn't fend for themselves. When he didn't return one evening, we sat in front of the fire waiting for him to return. Thoughts had eddied through our minds about what had happened to him. Maybe he had been caught up talking to some of the villagers? Perhaps he had encountered an animal too large and dangerous for him to hunt down?

Haera had ventured out into the darkness to find him, accompanied only by a spare dagger he left behind, only to return with news of his death.

"No. I need to make sure she's safe." My sister pulled on a pair of hunting boots, lacing them all the way up to her knees. "You can stay here if you don't want to disregard mother's wishes, but I am going to make sure the meeting has ended a little later than usual and there's nothing else at play."

Despite Haera being my elder sister by four years, we matched evenly in height. Her amber eyes glared into mine, challenging me to stand up against her — against a determination so strong that not even the fiercest of wolves could ever dream to rival it.

"Fine," I gave in, stepping to the side to allow her to pass, "but be careful. If there is something amiss, come back and get me. You are not to face it alone, understood?"

"If anything has happened to our mother, I will make the bastard who hurt her pay."

"And I won't stop you, but if anything has happened, even though I doubt it very much, I can be there to heal her." I felt my magic flare up in response, making my skin tingle as it danced along it.

Considering Silverwood Village was so far from any main city or town of the Kingdom of Aerla, having anyone blessed with the magic of the Goddess was incredibly rare. If it weren't for our mother who had forced us to visit the temple once a week, I might have never caught the Goddess' eye.

Haera sighed in defeat, remembering to fetch one of father's daggers to bring with her. "Okay. If she returns while I'm out, let her know where I've gone and tell her to stay here."

"Will do," I replied with a short smile.

My sister nodded in my direction before she left, dagger in hand and determined to find our mother, leaving me alone.