The Eyes of Death Book 1 - The Taru

Chapter 18

** Sandi walking down a corridor **

It had been a few days now, since Tali and Francine left for their trip to Rome. I felt lonely in this huge mansion, I barely knew anyone. The staff was nice and polite, but not the friendly talkative type. Guards were minding their own business, mostly pack talk. The only one who had shown any true sign of being friendly to me, was the banshee woman and she hadn't shown herself since the first time I saw her.

So in my loneliness I had started searching for books, not any kind, books on magic. But with little success. Francine had many small libraries, but mostly history, novels, and the likes. Nothing on true magic. But I was starting to learn the place a lot more, enough to know there were secret rooms. Some areas of the mansion didn't map out, blanks without rooms. So I was searching still for some secret library. Mind you, the history stuff I had found was great, I had learned a lot just by reading actual period books, the kind you don't find in stores, the kind you HAD to be there at the time to buy.

But still, I was lonely. My parents had both died when I was younger, my dad had been killed in a car accident when I was three years old, and my mom died during childbirth. Tali's mom had raised me up until I was ready to move out into my own apartment, so this was why me and Tali were so close, we were almost sisters. Not having her around was not something I had been through often, and now I noticed how much she meant to me. And she had only been gone for a few days now.

Today I was trying to find a secret room. I had found a spot where there was a large area that I could not find a door or stairway to. So I was looking for some secret way to get there, assuming there would be a room hidden. I was fondling with a wall sconce when I heard a shuffle behind me. I looked and there, straight behind me, the banshee woman was smiling at me, which made me jump in surprise.

"Don't do that please" I said holding my chest.

*What are you doing* she asked in her singing voice

"Sorry you scared me there. I am looking for a secret door to the space behind over there"

*Why is that?* She looked at me with her cute smile that said 'what ARE you doing'.

"I want to find books on magic, not the fake stuff, the real kind. I am tired of being useless and powerless."

*This is not where you will find those books my dear, there you will find some very sharp weapons and a private training room. Follow me I will show you what you are looking for.*

"Oh thanks" I smiled back.

"Say I never got your name."

*My name is Aurelia and I was born in France.*

"I never saw France or any other country then here actually".

*Don't worry, you will have plenty of chances to visit the entire world. Francine travels a lot*

"Why didn't her other donors travel with her over herell? I kind of got they didn't follow her"

*It's a complicated story, but here is the short version* She was leading me down a series of corridors while we were speaking.

*Did she explain to you what the Tainted are?*

I nodded "a bit, enough for me to know they are bad and enemies to pretty much everything"

*Exactly. They have been very active recently and made an attack on her last residence. Most of the human residents were either killed or badly injured. Francine had to move very quickly after that.*

This made me feel even worst about myself "Bleuh! And then they are gonna wonder why I want to learn magic. I feel so defenseless right now, I hate it. I saw my father die  when I was three years old. There was nothing I could do. No one in my family wanted to take care of me, so Tali's mom took me in."