Wings of Darkness

Chapter Three

Tamzyn rummaged through their cabinets back at home. She grabbed anything that looked like it might be of use and stuffed it into her sack. She made sure to change into pants and a blouse. She figured practicality was more important than fashion, and she didn't really like dresses anyway; the corsets made it so hard to breathe. As soon as she had everything she needed, she drew her pack closed, slung it across her back, and strapped her knife to her thigh once again. She stormed out of their apartment, not even bothering to lock the door. She was on a mission.

Tamzyn stalked to the woods. She knew Claire was probably long gone, but she had to start somewhere. When Tamzyn reached the clearing, her first plan of action was to search for footprints. It was a bit tricky to find some, considering that ash is such a fine substance that it tends to shift easily, but luckily there hadn't been any wind since the freak occurrence, and Tamzyn had a trained eye. Tamzyn used the skills her father had taught her when he had brought her hunting years before to track the path the women took. It was one of the only useful skills her father ever gave her. Tamzyn followed the footprints and marks-- marks created by her sister's unconscious body being dragged across the ground-- until there was no more ash and she had to search for broken twigs and bits of ripped fabric left behind in the hurry to steal her sister. Tamzyn followed their tracks for what felt like hours before it stopped. The trail just stopped. Then she remembered... the women had wings. They were women that weren't women.

Tamzyn stood there, shocked at the memory when she heard a crunch behind her. she whirled around, drawing her knife from its sheath. A tall figure stood there, a cloak hiding its features. "Who are you and what do you want?" Tamzyn inquired sharply.

"I want to help you," a deep, rough male voice slipped from beneath the hood of the cloak. It sounded as if he hadn't spoken in years.

"I don't need help, especially not from a strange man who seems to have been stalking me in the woods."

"Oh, but you do," he purred, "because I know where your sister is."

Did he order those women to take her from me? Tamzyn rushed forward, her dagger poised to strike. The man caught her arm before she even saw him move it. "What do you want?"

"Come with me and I'll tell you; if you don't, I'll kill you."

Tamzyn would rather die than go with this man, but this wasn't about her, it was about Claire. Tamzyn nodded once, she met eyes with the man as she did so, and fell unconscious. The last thing she saw were his eyes, black as night but for the flecks of silver which made it look as if his eyes were a clear night sky.

~~~

Vashti led Claire down a series of hallways. the walls were adorned with vibrant paintings of flowers, women with otherworldly beauty, and animals. Claire recognized some of the animals, but there were others she wasn't even sure they existed. At last they came to a set of arching wooden double doors. Vashti took a last glance at Claire before reaching down to pull on the golden handles. A grand dining room lay before them. Red and gold floating orbs of flame lit the room. The walls were warm swirls of color, and Claire couldn't tell whether they told one big story or many small ones. In the center of the room was a long table, large enough to seat twenty, which was draped in white silk.

All sitting at one end of the table were two other women. They both had wings resembling Vashti's, though the designs were different. They both turned to look at Claire as she stood there. They both addressed her with a smile and welcomed her to sit between them.

"This is Azar," the woman at Claires left shook her hand, and Claire met the woman's brown eyes framed by sleek black hair. "And that's Sanaz," Sanaz smiled sweetly as she went to wrap her arms around Claire. Claire was taken aback by the embrace, so she sat there while the other woman squeezed her. With her wide blue eyes and hair so pale it was nearly white Sanaz looked to be Azar's polar opposite.

Sanaz released Claire and called, "Servants!" A few girls that looked roughly around Claire's age bustled out of a door that Claire hadn't noticed before, all bearing steaming plates of grand meats and starches slathered with gravy and bowls of various soups and broths. All the dishes were laid out upon the table. Claire could't see why there was a need for so much food for just four women. One of the servants placed a cup of tea in front of Claire and they met each others' gazes. Claire could've sworn the girl looked nervous, pitiful even, but the look was gone in a flash.

Vashti dismissed the servants and as soon as they were gone she took Claire's plate. The three women passed it between them, each piling a different item onto it until it was heaping with food. They all stared intently at Claire, not yet dishing out food for themselves, just waiting for her to take a bite. Claire took her knife and fork, which were probably worth more than the apartment she and her sister shared, and cut a piece of meat. A moan escaped Claires lips as the flavors burst in her mouth. It was the most divine thing she had ever tasted. "Oh my, what is this?! It's truly delightful."

Vashti let out a laugh, "Oh my dear, you do not want to know." Claire kept eating anyway, and the three women, seemingly satisfied with that, put food on their own plates.

Once Claire was full beyond the point at which she was surprised she wasn't bursting at the seams, she finally came back to all the questions she had. "I don't mean to offend you, for you all are quite kind it seems, but I still don' t know what I'm doing here."

"That's simple," Azar spoke matter-of-fact, "You are to be our queen."

A/N Who's your favorite character so far? Let me know and please make comments, whether you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or even just like a particular part. Feedback is appreciated, thank you ;)