Black eyes stared down at Gloria. Seth’s cold hands tightened around her throat and a twisted smile was stretched across his face.

  “Is this how your father would do it?” The Lady’s voice cackled.

  Tears poured down Gloria’s cheeks and pooled in her ears. “Seth…” she wept, trying to fight back, but her arms felt heavy like iron and her hands kept sliding off Seth’s arms.

  “Gloria!”

  His grip loosened for a moment and Seth’s voice called out to her. “The necklace!” he cried. “Put the necklace on me!”

  Gloria blinked and saw the glowing talisman in her hands. She struggled to lift it, but it kept slipping from her fingers.

  “Hurry!”

  The grip tightened again and shoved Gloria through the floor into icy water. The suffocating grip was replaced by water rushing into her lungs. She looked up and saw a glinting light dancing across the surface.

  She tried swimming towards the surface, but something grabbed her leg and dragged her down, deeper and deeper into the murky depths. She thrashed desperately against the grip, but it reached higher. She looked down to see a hideous wraith climbing her body. Her black eyes gleamed with cruel pleasure and her white hair flared through the water like a lion’s mane.

  “Oh dear sweet Gloria,” The Lady’s whispered, her voice warbling in the water. “It’s not time to leave yet.” She climbed to Gloria’s eye level and traced her face. “We’re done when I say we’re done.”

  “Leave me alone!” Gloria cried; bubbles fleeing her mouth. She shoved The Lady back as hard as she could, but the water dropped, and Gloria began to fall through a dark void. No wind rushed past her ears, but her stomach lurched at the sensation of falling.

  Shadowy creatures reached out from the darkness, their silhouettes so dark that the abyss around them seemed to be like daylight. They grabbed at her wrists, ankles, hair—anything they could latch onto. “Hungry…” they hissed gleefully. “So terribly hungry!”

  Gloria tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth, and a voice whispered into her ear. “Fairies make a great snack!”

  The dream cracked like a mirror and Gloria’s eyes snapped open to a dark room, her screams piercing her ears. She struggled to sit upright, but something was tangled around her legs. She thrashed against soft fabric until she was able to rip it off and fling it aside. She shook, panting. A blanket?

  She pulled herself upright and her eyes darted wildly around her like a panicked deer. She felt a heavy sag beside her, then heard a voice in the darkness as a gentle hand cradled her face. “You’re awake. Thank Crim, you're awake!”

  A jolt of terror went through Gloria. “Get away from me!” she shrieked, slapping the hand away.

  She scrambled back until she met empty air and tumbled down to a hard floor. Gloria cried out in pain and looked up to see a dark shape rise from a bed, then crouch down across from her. She inched away until her back pressed against a wooden table.

  “Please…” she begged, curling up. “Don’t hurt me…”

  “Gloria…it’s me.”

  That voice…. She peeked back and saw a glowing sigil traced in the air before her.

  “Lux meridania.”

  A dimly lit orb of light lit up the room and Seth’s worried face gazed at her. “You’re safe,” he said softly and slowly reached for her. “We’re all safe.”

  Gloria tensed and pulled back. “Don’t…”

  Seth halted. He swallowed and his eyes quivered for a moment. “Look...” He let the orb float beside him. He showed her his left arm and chest. “No glowing scars. See? They’re gone.”

  Gloria lowered her guard a little and looked him over. He was right--not single a hint of blue were in them, only long, straight silver scars etched all along his arm and short jagged lines scattered across his chest.

  She looked up, searching his eyes for any hint of black. He gave her a soft smile and the light from his orb twinkled in his blue eyes. Gloria gasped and put a hand to her mouth, her vision blurring with tears. “Seth?” she cautiously whispered.

  Seth nodded. “It’s just me,” he whispered back. “She’s gone. She’s gone and…” His voice cracked. “She can’t hurt you anymore.”

  Gloria shook, then threw herself into his arms. “Oh Seth!” she wailed burying her face into his bare chest. Her body wracked with sobs as she melted into his warm embrace.

  Seth held her tight. “It’s okay. It’s all okay!” he murmured into her hair, his voice shaking. “You’re safe, we’re safe.”

  Tears poured down her cheeks and Gloria felt the smooth ridges of his scars against her cheek—the wounds that had started it all. She clutched him tight and wept louder. “I thought I lost you!”

  Tears dripped onto Gloria’s head and Seth’s voice rumbled against her ear as he sobbed. “And I was beginning to worry that you would never wake up.”

  Gloria sniffled as Seth pulled back. He smiled at her and raised his hands to cradle her face. But as soon as his fingers brushed against her neck, fear coursed through her. Her breathing hitched and she drew back as it all came colliding back. Seth’s tender face was instantly replaced with black eyes and a malicious grin. She could feel his hands around her throat and hear The Lady’s cackling echo in her ears.

  “Gloria?”

  She blinked and Seth’s worried face faded back. “Are…are you alright?” He tried to reach for her, but Gloria jerked back.

  The pain in his eyes was immediate. Seth’s lips were parted slightly, and his hands hung in the air reaching for her. But he curled them up and awkwardly put them in his lap. “I’m…sorry.” He looked at the floor. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  At that moment, a door creaked open and the light from a lamp entered the room. “What’s going on?” An old woman scolded. “What’s all this screaming?”

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Seth dismissed his floating orb and turned towards the voice. “Mrs. Angie!” He cleared his throat and climbed to his feet. “She’s awake. Gloria’s awake.”

  “What?” Mrs. Angie hobbled over in a simple white nightgown and grinned. “Well look at that! Praise Crim! I was wondering when you’d come to.” She turned a sharp eye to Seth. “Well don’t just stand there, be a gentleman and help her up.”

  Seth glanced from Mrs. Angie to Gloria, his eyes quivering with uncertainty.

  Mrs. Angie nudged him. “What are you waiting for? Help her.”

  Seth slowly stepped forward and held out a shaking hand to Gloria.

  Gloria stared at his hand for a moment. Desire and fear fought within her. She gulped and shivered as fear won and she shook her head. “I’ll…I’ll get up on my own.” She gripped the bed and struggled to climb to her feet. Gloria got halfway when her wobbling legs gave out and Seth caught her.

  Gloria gasped and stared wide-eyed at him. Seth’s face was pale, and his arms shook. “I’m sorry! You were falling and I—”

  Gloria looked away. “It’s alright…” she whispered.

  Seth helped her the rest of the way and lifted the sheets. His hands shook as he held up the blankets, but Gloria didn't move. Seth's face turned red and he let the blankets fall from his hands before retreating to his bed, trying to cover his scarred arm.

  Mrs. Angie looked between the two of them, then shook her head and set her lamp on the side table. The old woman lifted the blankets and tucked Gloria in. “Get some rest child. I’ll be back in the morning to check on you.”

  Then she took her lamp and left the room, pausing only for a moment to look between the two of them, before she closed the door leaving Gloria and Seth in the dark.

  Gloria shivered under her blankets. The darkness was oppressive. Fragments of dark memories came to her in the night. Dark shadows yearning for blood, the freakish smile of a wraith, and the sharp prick of a dagger at her throat.

  She gripped her blankets tight and peeked around her. She could be hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to possess Seth and strangle her in her sleep.

  Mine… Gloria could hear her whisper. He’s mine. Gloria hid under her blankets, curling up as best she could. The hot humid air became hard to breathe, but at least she had the illusion of safety.

  “Gloria?” Seth’s uncertain voice floated to her through the darkness

  Gloria trembled. “Yes?”

  “I…I missed you.”

  The simple words soothed the tension in her shoulders. Gloria peeked her head out from under the blankets. “Me too.”

  There was a pause, as she heard Seth hesitate in the dark. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he finally said. “Sleep tight,” he added before Gloria heard him turn over in his bed.

  “Sleep tight,” Gloria murmured and hid under her blankets again. She closed her eyes trying to go back to sleep, but Seth's twisted face flashed into her mind. Gloria tried to push the image away. She’s gone, it’s just him.

  Can you really be sure? The ugly voice in her mind whispered.

  Gloria curled under the blankets and soon fell back asleep, but no peace could be in her dreams.

  Elias stormed into Killian’s guest room and slammed the door shut behind him. Stupid water! Stupid seeds! Stupid arm!

  Growling, he peeled off his sweaty mud-stained undershirt and threw it in the corner of the room before flopping back onto the soft bed. He groaned as the soft folds enveloped his aching body and he tried to blink back the stinging tears of embarrassment. I just wanted to help…

  Nothing had gone right that day. He was fine the day before, but today…Elias glanced at his bandaged arm. Today, a child would’ve been more helpful than me.

  Pinewood was pulling itself back together after The Second Winter—the name the villagers gave The Lady’s cursed winter—dead crops needed to be cleared, flooded fields drained and re-plowed, fences and roads repaired, seed sown, as well as a host of other work that needed to be done.

  Elias did his best to help, but his arm was steadily growing weaker. First, he tried to help haul bags of seed from the storehouses onto wagons, but when he tried to carry a bag, his right arm would periodically lose its strength, and he would drop the bag on the floor.

  He tried to push through, but on the third bag, he stumbled forward trying to maintain his grip. He tripped and both he and the bag fell to the floor with a dull thud, splitting the bag open and spilling grain everywhere.

  Next, he tried to deliver drinking water to the farmers and oxen as they plowed, but whenever he gripped the bucket handle, his hand burned and gave out, dropping the bucket and spilling water into the already thick mud. He tried delivering one bucket at a time with just his left hand, but he kept slipping in the mud until his shirt was more brown than white.

  Finally, Elias tried handing tools to the farmers fixing fences, but he kept dropping them. The final straw came when he was working with Killian, and a mallet slipped from his fingers and crashed onto Killian’s foot. The older sandy-haired man sucked in his breath and bit his lip to keep from shouting.

  “Sorry!” Elias cried, before wincing as a stab of pain shot through his hand. “Sorry! Sorry!” He scrambled to find the mallet in the mud. He picked it up with his left hand and wiped it off with a clean corner of his shirt before handing it to Killian.

  Killian sighed and put a hand on Elias’s shoulder. “I think it’s time you were done for the day.”

  Elias’s face fell. “But I want to help, sir. You’ve done so much for me and my friends.”

  Killian nodded. “I know, but you seem to be struggling today. Why don’t you head on back and let Nedra know I’ll come home around sunset.”

  Elias’s face felt hot, and he could feel the other men stealing glances in his direction. “I’ll do better! I promise! Give me another chance!”

  “Elias, please…” Killian squeezed his shoulder.

  Elias looked down at the ground and he swallowed. “Yes sir…” he mumbled then he promptly turned and tried not to run back to Killian’s house.

  Now here he was, lying in Killian’s guest room, stewing and feeling useless. Elias looked back at his arm again. The bandage was wrapped up to his elbow now. He gulped as a ring of black crept past the cloth wrap and black spidery tendrils reached ever higher on his arm.

  “This is beyond my skills, Elias…” Mrs. Angie’s voice echoed into his mind. She’d rubbed ointment on his arm that morning after he went to see Master Seth. The cream soothed some of the pain, but nothing seemed to slow its spread.

  He’d tried not to look, but Elias couldn’t help but stare at the blackened skin and ashen nails that were beginning to turn pearl white. He gagged when he saw charcoal-black flakes of skin peel off his shriveling fingertips and slowly float to the ground.

  “I know there’s more to your story than you’re telling me,” Mrs. Angie said, leveling a look at him. “You didn’t get this from frostbite. This is something darker.”

  Elias avoided her eyes and stared at the floor. He felt bad enough for lying the first time.

  Mrs. Angie sighed and wrapped a clean bandage on his arm. “I won’t press. I can tell you and your friends have been through enough already.”

  Surprised, Elias looked up at Mrs. Angie. She gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, you and your friends seem like good folk to me.” She looked down at his arm. “But you do need to find help and soon. I’m concerned about what might happen if it reaches your heart.”

  My heart… Elias thought, returning to the present. He'd tried to put the thought out of his mind as he worked, after today... He hesitantly reached out and touched the creeping blight. There was a slight sting, and a shiver went down his spine. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

  I should tell Master Seth…

  The boy gulped as Father Verdas’s furious face flashed into his mind and his bellowing words to Master Seth echoed in his ears: “Leave! Before you desecrate this place with your cursed filth!”

  He tore his eyes away and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe I don’t need to tell him yet. He just woke up. He needs time to rest. Besides, Gloria’s not even awake yet and we can’t leave without her.

  Elias sighed. He’d drag himself to Westfjord for me.

  The thought hung in his head for a moment, before Elias shook his head. No. He’s pushed himself far enough. Especially for me. It’s time for me to return the favor.

  An uncertain smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah…I’ll tell him in a day or two." He nodded to himself, hoping to seal the lie.

  It’s not spreading that fast. I can wait. I’ve got time.

  A painful tingle went up his arm. He winced and looked back—the creeping tendrils stretched a little bit further up his arm. Elias shuddered. I have time…don’t I?