Disclaimer: I don't own the Black Jewels.
A/N: I'm trying, I really am, to get chapters up quick. Thanx again to my reviewers!
* * * *
Shayna tapped on the door to her mother's study. She heard a muffled, "Come in," took a breath, and opened the door. The way the summons had been worded clued Shayna in that this meeting was not one between mother and daughter, but rather one between Queen and witch.
Gabrielle was standing by the window, looking out at the falling leaves. She didn't turn to look at her daughter when the door closed. "Tell me, Sister," she began, "You are learned in the Black Widow's Craft?"
Shayna stepped into the center of the room and replied, "Yes, my Queen."
"And you know how to read a web?"
"Yes, my Queen."
Gabrielle turned around. She flicked her wrist at a small table near the wall behind Shayna. A rather large web and frame appeared. Gabrielle motioned toward it and said, "Tell me what you see."
Shayna obediently went to the web, partly wondering what was going on, partly honored that her mother would let her read a personal web. She closed her eyes and let the Black Widow side of her reach out for the web. She touched a tether strand. Visions poured into her head.
Shayna.
Shayna pulled back for a second, startled to hear her name reverberate inside her head, then hesitatingly brushed her finger against another tether line.
Blood.
Shayna opened her hand and gently pressed her palm into the center of the web as she'd been taught to do, touching all of the strands.
* * *
She was standing in a clearing in the middle of the Dea al Mon woods. A circle was drawn into the perfect mid-winter snow. A few Warlords stood off to one side.
Shayna stepped into the circle and looked at herself. She was clad in the traditional Dea al Mon garb- tunic, leggings, and soft leather shoes. On her belt was a handcrafted knife, and she could feel the weight of her Red Jewel around her neck. Her Red ring pulsed with power on her left ring finger.
She saw movement on her right and watched as a young Dea al Mon witch stepped into the circle to face her. She too wore the Red, and Shayna could feel the woman's power radiating out of her. Her own power ran through her veins, a warning throbbing in her blood.
The sky was beginning to darken. Torches were lit around the circle, and Shayna could now see the witch's face more clearly. Her green eyes narrowed as the wind changed and carried the woman's psychic scent toward her. She felt anticipation grow in her, along with a hunger. for blood.
Suddenly, the girl lunged toward her. At the same time Shayna drew her knife and threw up a Red shield, the girl sent a wave of Red power at Shayna. Shayna's shield fought against the tidal wave of power, then collapsed, taking down that wave with it. The two witches clashed, knives flashing in the torchlight.
They broke, circled, clashed again. Over and over and over. Shayna held her own until she felt a stream of her Red power flow away from her.
The woman was siphoning off her power!
Shayna tried, futilely, to withdraw and hold onto that power, but couldn't fight the pull. She then sent a burst of Red power along that stream, and the witch fell. Shayna took that opportunity to slash at her, ripping the woman's arm open.
The woman came back to her feet and struck at Shayna, who didn't have time to prepare. A spear of Red power struck at her chest, throwing her to the ground.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't muster up her power to throw up a shield. Then, she felt a knife thrust into her chest.
Her vision went fuzzy and gray as her blood poured out of her body. Just as things went black, she heard a voice scream, "NOOOOOOOO!"
* * *
"NOOOOOOOO!"
"Shayna!"
Shayna collapsed on the floor just as Gabrielle reached her. She put her arms around her daughter, rocking her softly and muttering. Shayna was shaking violently and tears streamed down her face.
When she calmed down, Gabrielle leaned back and looked at her daughter. Shayna's face was tear-streaked and red, but her expression was fiercely bitter.
"What's to become of me?" she asked softly.
Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Shayna, I. I just don't know. You know that the webs are accurate."
Shayna's voice shook. "So I'm going to die."
Gabrielle just looked at her.
Shayna got up and walked out of the room, saying, "Well if that's all the time I have, then I intend to enjoy it to the fullest."
Gabrielle's face fell into her hands as she began to cry.
* * * *
A/N: the secret is out! Hehehe! But funny, I honestly don't know where this is going. Hm.
A/N: I'm trying, I really am, to get chapters up quick. Thanx again to my reviewers!
* * * *
Shayna tapped on the door to her mother's study. She heard a muffled, "Come in," took a breath, and opened the door. The way the summons had been worded clued Shayna in that this meeting was not one between mother and daughter, but rather one between Queen and witch.
Gabrielle was standing by the window, looking out at the falling leaves. She didn't turn to look at her daughter when the door closed. "Tell me, Sister," she began, "You are learned in the Black Widow's Craft?"
Shayna stepped into the center of the room and replied, "Yes, my Queen."
"And you know how to read a web?"
"Yes, my Queen."
Gabrielle turned around. She flicked her wrist at a small table near the wall behind Shayna. A rather large web and frame appeared. Gabrielle motioned toward it and said, "Tell me what you see."
Shayna obediently went to the web, partly wondering what was going on, partly honored that her mother would let her read a personal web. She closed her eyes and let the Black Widow side of her reach out for the web. She touched a tether strand. Visions poured into her head.
Shayna.
Shayna pulled back for a second, startled to hear her name reverberate inside her head, then hesitatingly brushed her finger against another tether line.
Blood.
Shayna opened her hand and gently pressed her palm into the center of the web as she'd been taught to do, touching all of the strands.
* * *
She was standing in a clearing in the middle of the Dea al Mon woods. A circle was drawn into the perfect mid-winter snow. A few Warlords stood off to one side.
Shayna stepped into the circle and looked at herself. She was clad in the traditional Dea al Mon garb- tunic, leggings, and soft leather shoes. On her belt was a handcrafted knife, and she could feel the weight of her Red Jewel around her neck. Her Red ring pulsed with power on her left ring finger.
She saw movement on her right and watched as a young Dea al Mon witch stepped into the circle to face her. She too wore the Red, and Shayna could feel the woman's power radiating out of her. Her own power ran through her veins, a warning throbbing in her blood.
The sky was beginning to darken. Torches were lit around the circle, and Shayna could now see the witch's face more clearly. Her green eyes narrowed as the wind changed and carried the woman's psychic scent toward her. She felt anticipation grow in her, along with a hunger. for blood.
Suddenly, the girl lunged toward her. At the same time Shayna drew her knife and threw up a Red shield, the girl sent a wave of Red power at Shayna. Shayna's shield fought against the tidal wave of power, then collapsed, taking down that wave with it. The two witches clashed, knives flashing in the torchlight.
They broke, circled, clashed again. Over and over and over. Shayna held her own until she felt a stream of her Red power flow away from her.
The woman was siphoning off her power!
Shayna tried, futilely, to withdraw and hold onto that power, but couldn't fight the pull. She then sent a burst of Red power along that stream, and the witch fell. Shayna took that opportunity to slash at her, ripping the woman's arm open.
The woman came back to her feet and struck at Shayna, who didn't have time to prepare. A spear of Red power struck at her chest, throwing her to the ground.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't muster up her power to throw up a shield. Then, she felt a knife thrust into her chest.
Her vision went fuzzy and gray as her blood poured out of her body. Just as things went black, she heard a voice scream, "NOOOOOOOO!"
* * *
"NOOOOOOOO!"
"Shayna!"
Shayna collapsed on the floor just as Gabrielle reached her. She put her arms around her daughter, rocking her softly and muttering. Shayna was shaking violently and tears streamed down her face.
When she calmed down, Gabrielle leaned back and looked at her daughter. Shayna's face was tear-streaked and red, but her expression was fiercely bitter.
"What's to become of me?" she asked softly.
Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Shayna, I. I just don't know. You know that the webs are accurate."
Shayna's voice shook. "So I'm going to die."
Gabrielle just looked at her.
Shayna got up and walked out of the room, saying, "Well if that's all the time I have, then I intend to enjoy it to the fullest."
Gabrielle's face fell into her hands as she began to cry.
* * * *
A/N: the secret is out! Hehehe! But funny, I honestly don't know where this is going. Hm.