Heir of Darkness

Chapter Three

Walking home, alone, the sun was setting and I realised that I had been at The Circus for far longer than I thought I had. There was a magic about that place that seemed to alter perception and senses. And ruin friendships.

When I suggested we break our friendship off until feelings were sorted out part of me believed that I would never be friends with Parker again. I tried to ignore the feeling of loss and sorrow but it weighed heavy on my heart as I dragged my feet across the muddy paths.

I passed the centre of town on my journey home, catching the crowds leaving the tent, some with terrified faces and others with looks of joy and excitement. The children clung to their mother's skirts as they darted across the courtyard, wanting to hurry home as soon as possible.

Many faces drew their gaze to me as I past, remembering the scene that happened only an hour or so earlier. They turned to their partners and friends whispering in hushed tones although I caught words and phrases as they past me. "Poor thing, to be embarrassed like that", "I don't believe it. I mean Parker Wells and Ebony Winter?", "I wondered if he's had her in his hay barn yet?" That last one was followed by a smack from mans wife before she let out her own stifled laugh.

Looking past them my eyes fell on the Boss of The Circus. He tipped his hat to me and spoke, "Come when the sky is at its darkest and the moon at its highest point."

Hurrying past I ignored his penetrating gaze and jogged down the narrow streets and cobbled paths till I finally came across my own small home, situated on the edge of town. Only then did I realise that the Boss hadn't spoken to me out loud. His lips ever moved and he was too far away for me to hear him properly without shouting. He had spoken to my mind.

A shiver went down my spine and I pushed all thoughts of magic to the back of my mind, hoping they wouldn't resurface ever again.

By the time I was walking up to the gate, having escaped the centre of town, an unsettling dusk had fallen creating an eerie atmosphere around the house. The edge of the ForbiddenForest seemed darker, and scarily, more inviting. It's intoxicating lure seemed to snake out and grab me around the waist, pulling me in. But, fighting against it, I flung myself through the broken wooden gate and up the shaky path until I was bundling myself through the doorway.

My mother and father were home. I should have known that when I noticed the wooden cart outside, empty because everything had been sold in the market from the other town.

"Ebony!" my mother cried out when she saw me. "Where have you been? We came home and you weren't here! I thought we told you to stay here while we were gone!"

"Sorry mother I-" I started to say but she interrupted me, her dark hair billowing around her face and she paced around the room angrily, "It was Parker wasn't it? It's always Parker. He's too much trouble for his own good let alone you! I can't believe I let you be friends with him for this long."

My mother would forget she ever said this in the morning. She has always loved Parker. Always. She was gratefully for him on the day he stood up for me and happy to see him continue to do so as we grew older. She was just upset at me and didn't want to blame me therefore she targeted someone else.

"It's okay mother. I'm fine." I reassured her and gave her a swift hug and squeeze before turning to my father.

At nearly six foot he was a taller than most men in our village although Parker beat him by a couple of inches. He had broad shoulder's and farmer's tan despite the fact he spent many hours of the day in the basement tinkering around trying to fix things to sell at the next market along with the few vegetable we grew in the garden and the flowers that bloomed. He had green eyes that matched my own and a mass of brown greying hair that brushed the bottom of his neck.