Chapter 1

The streaks of color from the rising sun had just begun to soften when Alex flicked the reins to urge the horses on. The cart roughly jerked forward, jolting Kara awake as she started to fall backwards in her slumber.

"Have a good nap, sis?" Alex laughed as she nudged her elbow in Kara's side.

Kara groaned in response and batted away Alex's arm. She arched her back in attempt to stretch out her now sore muscles from the hard-wooden bench of the cart. How she fell asleep against such an uncomfortable surface only served as a testament to her exhaustion.

"Remind me again why we have to leave so early?" Kara asked as she attempted to rub the last remnants of sleep from her eyes.

"Because I'm not going let that pesky bean farmer beat us out of our spot of the market again," Alex explained. "The last two times weekends, he's taken our slot at the front. And have you seen his peas?" She scoffed loudly. "I've never seen anything more shriveled and wrinkled in my entire life."

"Oh yeah," Kara yawned. "How could I forget?"

Alex narrowed her eyes at the disinterest in Kara's tone. When it looked as if her sister would nod off again, she tugged the reigns to the left, aiming at the dip in the road.

"Oh gosh!" Kara jerked as the cart clanged against the pot hole. "Where did you learn to steer?!"

Alex just laughed.

"Just wanted to make sure you were still with me," she said.

"We should install some sort of strap to keep me tied into this thing," Kara grumbled as she loosened her firm grip on the wooden bench. "At the very least, a bar or railing I can hold on to as you insist on taking this cart off road."

"Or you could just stay awake and keep the driver company."

"If you wanted that, then I suggest leaving two hours later."

Alex just rolled her eyes and continued to urge the horses. This time, she avoided the dips and holes along the road, but mostly for the sake of the produce in the back rather than her sister up front.

"What time did you get to bed last night?" Alex asked.

Kara shrugged.

"I got up in the middle of the night to get some water and I saw you were still awake in your room," Alex continued.

"I couldn't sleep," Kara mumbled, certain to keep her eyes on the road ahead of her and not on her sister.

"You were looking up out the window," Alex said, eyeing her sister beside her.

Kara stiffened slightly, her hands resuming the tight grip on the wooden bench. She stayed focused on the horses' movement in front of her as they traveled down the dirt road and waited for Alex to say more, but her sister stayed silent.

"It was like they were calling me," Kara finally whispered.

"Calling you?" Alex asked. "Like they did in the beginning?"

"Sort of. It was more like a jumbled noise then. Like many voices all at once, some angry, some happy, some sad. It was much easier to ignore. But this was just one voice."

"What did it say?"

"I don't know. I couldn't understand it. But it sounded like a woman singing. Her song was so beautiful, but so haunting. There was just this sadness to it…this longing." Kara shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it."

"Maybe a widow's lament?" Alex offered.

"Maybe," Kara shrugged. "I just don't know."

"Do you think you'll hear it again?"

"I don't know. I sort of hope not because I'd much rather just get some sleep and I'm exhausted, but…" Kara sighed. "I want to help her."

"Kara–"

"I know, I know," Kara interrupted. "There isn't anything I can do. I don't even know if she exists. But I don't want her to feel like no one's listening, you know?"

Alex sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Then stop hitting pot holes."

"Kara, I'm serious."

"It's not like I have much choice in the matter, Alex," Kara snapped. "I can't exactly close the curtains and pretend it's nothing. It comes to me whether I like it or not."

"Okay, okay," Alex sighed. "Just at least try to get some sleep, alright? You're not exactly the best company when you're tired."

Kara snorted and attempted to settle herself against the hard-wooden bench.

"Just stay on the road," Kara said as she closed her eyes. "And wake me up when we get there."

"I meant at night!" Alex replied as she tried to jab Kara's side, but Kara was prepared to dodge it this time.

Due to Alex's diligence, they had been the first to arrive at the market. They were now the ones setting up at the prime stall as the pesky farmer with the shriveled beans arrived. He glared at them as he passed by. Alex just smirked in response only causing his gaze to darken. Kara just rolled her eyes and took on the job of sorting through the produce that Alex unloaded from the cart in an attempt to create an alluring display of fruit and vegetables on their limited table space.

Now the farmer had approached their stall, most likely in an attempt to study these two young women and analyze what threat they posed. His browed furrowed when he saw their impressive display of round melons, plump purple radishes, and ears of thick corn. When his calloused, dirt stained fingers picked up one of the clean ears, Kara had to fight back the urge to snatch it back from him.

"A bit early for corn, isn't it?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, you just got to make sure you space them out properly," Kara smiled. "You going to buy that? I can cut you a deal if you buy the radishes with them. Maybe I'll even throw in some beans."

The man just scoffed and turned away, tossing the corn behind him as he left. Kara quickly moved to catch the corn before it hit the ground, but accidently knocked several melons off the table in the process.

"Space them out properly?" Alex asked as she dropped another crate of radishes on the table. "Really, Kara? You couldn't have said fertilizer or sunlight or something that sounded remotely plausible?"

"Oh, yes because I know everything about farming," Kara grumbled as she picked up and wiped the dirt off the melons.

Alex rolled her eyes as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Just finish unloading the cart," Alex ordered. "I'll take over the display and answering questions."

"Ugh, fine," Kara groaned as she stood up. "But you owe me."

"I don't owe you anything. Besides with your strength, you'll unload that cart twice as fast as I ever could."

"You're just saying that so you can rearrange my display."

"Well, who in their right mind puts the radishes next to the potatoes! They're in compatible! Or the melons on the end of the table. You don't put the round produce on the edge. They're just going to roll off constantly!"

Kara rolled her eyes and went to work unloading the rest of the cart.

The sky was clear today and the temperature had warmed up nicely which drew a nice sized crowd into the market. And business was going quite well for the two girls. Alex was selling the produce almost as fast as Kara unloaded it. People were buying the potatoes even if they were next to the radishes and the melons even if they had rolled off the table and corn even if it was a bit early.

As the sun reached its highest peak in sky, the crowd began to die down a bit for lunch. Another round of people would typically surge in the early afternoon, and if business continued like it had, Alex and Kara could expect to be home for an early dinner. Sitting on an upturned crate, Kara bit into her lunch of sweet corn while Alex remained standing, attempting to lure customers in with promises of unbeatable freshness and taste.

"Tired?" Alex asked as she saw Kara lean her head in her hand.

"More from lack of sleep than moving crates," Kara explained as she took another bite of her corn.

"I don't know how you do it."

Kara shrugged. "Same way you grow stuff, I suppose."

"Yeah, but that's different… oh no," Alex suddenly stood up straighter and turned to completely face the front.

"What?" Kara asked as she stood up to look. "Oh."

Kara let the corn fall to the ground beside her as she quickly wiped the corn juice from her mouth in an attempt to look at least somewhat presentable. She attempted to adopt the same straight back with arms behind her position of her sister, but Alex always had better posture and a cooler head than her. Of course, Alex had much more experience with this family than she had, but Kara doubted that it would make any real difference how much time with them would make. She'd always feel the same dark, unsettling feeling clench in her stomach.

A path always seemed to appear before the Luthors where ever they went and today was no exception. The crowd parted to make way for the regal, dark haired woman known as the famous Lillian Luthor. One look from her alone had been known to make full grown men cry. Beside her walked her son known simply as Lex. The skin on his bald head gleamed in the sun light as he moved. Rumors claimed he lost his hair in a fire when he was young while others said it had been removed by a court order to prove he wasn't hiding a witch's mark there. Regardless, he somehow made the look all the more threatening.

Behind them walked the pale skinned, raven haired beauty that was Lena Luthor. While older folks agree that she was the bastard daughter of the Luthors, they argued which parents were hers. Some said that she was the only thing left of Lillian's husband so Lillian tolerated her, only taking her in when she was older and had no place to go. Others claim that her cold eyes could only have come from the blood of Lillian herself. One thing was for certain though: whether it be because of gender or blood, Lex was the favorite child.

As the Luthors continued to walk, Kara's eyes widened as she realized with a start that they were headed straight towards their stall. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she wiped her sweaty palms against her cloth apron and wonder how on earth her sister remained calm and collected beside her with her head held high.

Lillian stopped in front their stall, Lex flanking her right with Lena on the left, but a few steps behind. The hair on the back of Kara's next stood on end as she felt Lex's eyes grazed over her and she fought the urge to flinch back. He smirked when Kara's gaze quickly dropped to the ground. Alex, however, held her stare firmly with them, determined not to give them such satisfaction. After a few tense seconds, Lillian finally spoke.

"Do you have the supplies I asked for?" her calm but stern voice sent chills down Kara's back.

"Of course," Alex replied as she bent down and reached for the cloth satchel under the table. "I hope everything is to your liking."

Lillian gave a slight nod of her head to Lex who then took the satchel from Alex's hold. Carefully, he removed the ingredients from their cloth wrap one by one, checking to ensure that everything was in order. And it was. Alex knew better than try to swindle a Luthor. Everyone knew better. Those that had to learn still bore the scars.

"Sage, poppy, honey suckle," his lips curled as he held up a branch of spiked green leaves and red berries. "Even holly. And all fresh."

"As I told you," Lillian said as her head turned back towards Alex. "The Danvers always have a way of procuring the freshest ingredients. Regardless of the season. Someone say it's due to their green thumb." Her eyes gleamed before her voice dropped a tone. "Or say it's magic."

Alex's nostrils flared, but otherwise, she remained unfazed. Unlike Kara whose heart leapt in her chest as her eyes quickly darted across the market, fearful someone overheard. Luckily, everyone seemed too busy in their own business to care about theirs. And of course they would be. A Luthor wouldn't make such a suggesting comment unless they were sure they could get away with it.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Alex asked in an even tone.

Lillian raised an eyebrow, most likely surprised that Alex didn't take the bait, but the she dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

"Lex, pay the woman," she sighed as she started to turn her gaze away. "And Lena, be a dear and gather the flora and the pick up some of those carrots and corn for the house."

Lex tossed a bag of coins towards Alex a bit hard, but she caught it easily, not even breaking her gaze with him as he did. She didn't need to count it. The Luthors prided themselves too much in their wealth to cheat a simple produce farmer. His lips twitched in a sly smirk as he turned to follow his mother, leaving his sister to gather the plants and food demanded of her. Her movements were quick but graceful and fluid as she rewrapped the flowers and branches and placed them inside her satchel along with the vegetables Lillian asked for. Movements so graceful and fluid that it went unnoticed when her pale arm carelessly knock the holly branch off the table. It wasn't until she had turned and begun to leave that Kara spotted in on the ground next to her feet.

"Wait!" Kara called out as she scooped up the branch in her hand and raced after her.

It wasn't until Kara had placed her hand on Lena's cloaked shoulder did Lena stop, flinching and twisting out of Kara's grip to face her. Kara's heart skipped a beat as Lena's hard, almost murderous look in her eyes cut through her. A gaze that could only be brought from a Luthor.

"You dropped this," Kara explained in a small voice, holding up the holly branch as evidence.

Lena's gaze automatically softened and drifted almost towards fear before she reigned it back in. She plucked the holly from Kara's hand and carefully placed it back deep within the satchel to ensure that it wouldn't fall out again.

"Thank you," she murmured before she swiftly turned to catch back up with her mother and brother.

Kara's response caught in her throat. She held out her hand to stop her, but Lena had already left and Kara's legs, much like her tongue, briefly forgot how to function. All she could do was watch the raven-haired woman disappear into the crowd.

"Everything okay?" Alex asked when Kara finally did make her way back.

"It wasn't the stars," Kara whispered. "It was her. She's the voice at night that's been calling me."