The Glass Dagger

Chapter 2

Eloren couldn't sleep. Rage and embarrassment pulsed through her blood, making rest impossible. A long, warm soak in a tub failed to calm her. Even Lyatt’s charming attempts to cheer her up had failed, and she had eventually sent him away so that she could pace and pout and fret in miserable peace. She spent the rest of the day hiding in her room, terrified to show her face. In one swift move, she had ruined her future. She was certain of it.  Slapping Akkan felt glorious and justified in the moment, but she spent the rest of her evening in horror of the consequences. Would he call off the engagement? Would he send her home, to face her brother in shame? Would he lock her in a dungeon? Her imagination came up with all sorts of gruesome possibilities, each worse than the next. Now she was afraid to sleep for fear that her nightmares would torment her further. She lay in bed festering until an odd sensation rolled over her. 

Her skin tingled. She squirmed against the sheets in hopes that her movement would make the strange feeling go away. The irritation on her skin only increased. She sat up with a frown. This was the same uncomfortable sensation she had felt entering the city, and every time she passed within a couple feet of a mage or spellcaster. 

A movement in the dark caught her attention. She yanked her blankets up to her chest like a protective shield and squinted across the room. There it was again. Was that…a bird? A series of short, melodious chirps confirmed her guess. A bird. How odd. What was a bird doing in her quarters? She scooted to the edge of her bed and set her bare feet against the cool stone floor. She could just make out flashes of color - blues and greens - as the bird hopped from the top of her wardrobe to the rug in the center of the room. She stood slowly, balancing herself on the post of her bed, and moved toward the window where she groped for the heavy curtain. Moonlight streamed into the room when she pulled the thick fabric aside. She turned to see the bird-

And gasped. 

The bird was gone. In its place a woman stood, barely visible in the pale moonlight. Her skin and hair were darker than any Eloren had ever seen before, her intense eyes exotically shaped. Her cheekbones were dramatically high and her lips were plump and shapely. She was stunningly, unusually beautiful. She wore a simple, lovely gown in colors that reflected the brilliant plumage of the bird that had miraculously disappeared. There was something altogether unreal about her. Eloren thought she was going to pass out from the wave of tingles that overtook her whole frame. 

“Who are you?” she stammered, her hand rising to her forehead.  

The woman turned to face Eloren, her expression one of surprise. Her lips moved, and a few moments later Eloren heard a rich, womanly voice echo in her head. You can see me?Eloren blinked in confusion. 

“Yes.” She answered, her voice hoarse with anxiety. “Who are you?”

The woman tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. I have tried for years to be seen. Again, there was an odd delay. Her mouth formed the words and a few moments later Eloren heard them in her mind. How is it that you can see me? Have you been Lifted?

The term "lifted" was surprisingly familiar to Eloren. To be Lifted was to be blessed by the sage Sihv, whom Eloren and her people worshipped. Those who were Lifted held great powers, or so it was rumored. Eloren had heard only stories, and none of them applied to her. What surprised her most was the familiar term in an unfamiliar land, in the most unfamiliar circumstances.  

The ghostly woman frowned when Eloren hesitated. Your form trembles. You need not fear me. The woman took a step toward Eloren, and once again she was hit with a wave of tingles that made her knees buckle. She swooned and caught herself by clutching the curtains she had just opened. Her eyes widened in alarm when she focused once more on her strange visitor. Eloren had stepped between the woman and the moonlight pouring in her window. Everywhere that a shadow was cast on the woman, she disappeared entirely.