Deception

5 ¦ The Shadow Riders

Lightning struck the great oak at the far end of the field with a deafening crack of thunder. Gray clouds twisted in the sky, spiraling closer and closer to the earth until they touched the ground.

"Is it another tornado?" I asked, my heart pounding in my ears.

"No," Papa murmured. "This is no natural occurrence. Perhaps you did see a vision, Helena."

My heart leaped into my throat as a terrifying boom resounded and the funnel collided with the neighbor's fields. A furious gale blew across the plain, and I grasped Papa's arm to steady myself.

"What is it, Papa?" I asked. "What do you see?"

Papa clasped his hand over my mouth.

Twelve galloping horses emerged from the raging storm and raced towards our farm. My father squinted in the distance with a perplexed expression before his eyes widened with shock.

The ground trembled as the frightening steeds approached. An otherworldly whinny pierced through the air, one that struck awe into even the bravest men. I cowered in shock behind my father's strong frame and shivered as ice crawled down my spine.

Shadow Riders.

To my shock, Papa stood his ground. Was he going to fight them?

The Riders advanced on us, bringing unsettling darkness with each gallop until the sky above us turned obsidian. A howling wind swept through the plains and whipped dust into the air, blinding us and making it impossible to breathe.

A deep voice rolled through the air like distant thunder, chilling my soul to the very core.

"I ... see ... you," the voice boomed with an angry hiss. "We've found you, at last, child of Gatál."

"Papa!" I screamed. "They've come for the Falcon!"

Papa turned to me. "Go, Helena. Find your mother--she'll protect you."

"I'm not leaving you," I insisted as I tried to take his dagger from his side scabbard. "Give me a weapon! Let me fight with you!"

"Run, Helena!" he said in a frantic whisper as he gave me a shove towards the fields. When I looked back, he'd snatched his sickle with one hand and drawn a broadsword with the other.

As quickly as my short legs could carry me, I raced into the tall stalks of corn and hid behind the giant plants. I peeked in between the husks and watched the Shadow Riders gallop through the front gate towards my father.

I didn't even dare to breathe.

"Stay back, Lord Hesse," Papa demanded as he wielded his broadsword. "What business do you have here?"

The dark noble's voice boomed across the plain, augmented by some unknown dark magic. "Where is the device, Andreas?" he growled in reply.

"What device?" my father growled.

Clad in dark armor from his black metal helmet to his black leather boots, Lord Hesse exuded authority and strength. As Protector of Halcia, he wore black ceremonial robes that billowed in the breeze behind him. Bile rose in my throat as I watched him.

Lord Hesse looked like the devil himself.

His voice crept into my mind in a clash of guttural, harsh consonants and hisses. Come ... to ... me, Helena.

Although Lord Hesse simply sat on his black stallion in silence, his dark magic urged me towards him like a magnet towards metal--compelling me to follow his command.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I resisted his power. Don't listen, I told myself. Fight him.

"We have heard about your killing machine," Lord Hesse said to my father. "Master de Moravia betrayed you this morning to save himself during a raid."