“Finally, the Earth of the north." My father added his hand, and the ground
shook as blades of grass broke through the hard soil.
Gram cried out, "With the blessing of Danu, we prepare our task."
The threads of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air twisted between each of us and hovered above our hands. Our rings pulsed between a soft lavender light and a
bright white one. I was sure all of Starten could see us, which made me anxious.
My ring finger stung as if I was being burned. I stared in shock as the metal
and stone melted into my skin. Though I could no longer see it, I felt its presence. It was as if it were reminding me of my oath.
Gram took my hand and squeezed it. Her brown eyes were bright and shone
with tears of joy. “Bright Blessing, Danu. Our bind is now skin deep.” Gram picked up her bag. “Ok, it’s time for us to put our family back together."
We marched towards the Drygen estate.
When we reached the top of the mountain, my father whispered, “Be on the
lookout for guards.”
I tapped him on the shoulder and pointed towards a sleeping man propped
against a tree. I hope all of Drygen's staff are this diligent.
Gram opened a blue pouch. We watched quietly as small tendrils of smoke
slithered from the bag towards the slumbering guard. When they wrapped
around his hands and feet, he shifted and opened his eyes. Looking down at his
bindings, his eyes widened, and he began to cry out for help. He was silenced as
strands of silver entered his open mouth and nostrils. He struggled for a few minutes before he collapsed.
“Is he ok?” I asked, nervous that we had hurt him.
“He'll be in a deep sleep for many hours and should wake with no idea as to
what happened.” Gram rifled through his pockets, where she found a small flask
and a set of keys. She shoved the keys into her bag. Opening the bottle, she dumped the contents over the man and threw it on the ground next to him. “If he
is found, they will think he had too much to drink and passed out,” she said with
a devious smile.
Once the first guard had been dealt with, we crept further onto the property.
My father insisted we stay behind a tree while he checked the immediate
surroundings of the house.
I watched him creep away into the darkness and, suddenly, he disappeared.
Panic filled me. Has he been caught?
“There is only one other guard stationed at the front.” My father appeared from behind us.
I jumped in fright. He had made no sound upon his return. "Don't scare me like that," I hissed.
His green eyes almost sparkled. “I'm sorry." My father wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. Then, he pointed high up, indicating a set of
windows. "We should be able to avoid the guard if we enter over here."
I stared in awe of the house. Realization hit me. Eliza left our warm home to
live in this cold monstrosity.
The three-story mansion had a long staircase extending to the right from the
second level patio. A stairway on the left began on the ground floor and twisted
to the third story. Partially open drapes on the end of the middle level caught my
attention. Something inside told me it was the room we needed.
