Blackthorn

[ Chapter 3 - Finding A Cure ]

My eyes adjusted to the dimly lit cabin. My hands still reeked of garlic. Though it wasn't a pleasant smell, everyone in the Blackthorn was used to it. After all, it kept the vampires confined to the woods, only one hungry enough would step foot in a village. Nobles that passed in their fancy carriages on their way to the royal courts always commented on the smell of the villages; claiming the smell was so strong a beggar could catch a whiff all the way from Westfalin.

It was common knowledge—more like superstition... in Arwyn and everywhere else in the Blackthorn that garlic was used to fend off vampires. My step-brother would tease Sawyer and I when we were little about them. That led to keeping a single lit candle at my bedside at all hours of the night. Sometimes I could hear them; while everyone was asleep. The deafening squeak of their swarms as they blotted out the moonlight with a cloud of hungry bats. Out for blood. My blood—I always thought.

At least the garlic kept us safe.

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In my drowsy state of mind, I was able to make my way up to the ladder that led to the loft before collapsing onto my mattress beside the window. Under my weight it completely deflated. Loose bits of straw and goose feathers spilled out the seams. I refused to get comfortable. The straw itched, and the goose feathers tickled my bare feet.

My stirring had awoken Sawyer and he shuffled over to where I lay by the window. The beam of moonlight that pierced through it illuminated his face in the darkness of the loft.

"I found something that I think will help mother and Addie." He whispered. I leaned in closer, intrigued as to what he was hiding behind his back. I reached out and brought his arm around.

"A book?" I huffed. Suddenly going to sleep was a better option than listening to my brother's idea.

He shook me awake, "It's not just a book, it's mother's story book. The one she'd read from each night." I stared at the cover. It was hers.

I snatched it from his hands. "Where did you get this?" I demanded. He pointed to a broken beam in the floorboard.

"I found it beneath the floorboards." He answered, shuffling on the straw. We both heard Sebastian stir from the other end of the loft. He let out an unintelligible mumble, something about rats, and fell silent again.

We kept our voices low so as to not wake them.

Sawyer opened the book and flipped through the pages finally arriving at one. He pointed down for me to look but it was almost impossible to see. The clouds had moved in front of the moon and the loft was plunged into darkness.

My fear of the dark set in and my head replayed the scenario from earlier that afternoon in the forest. I reached for the candle at my bedside and a match to light it with. After fumbling with the matchbox I found hiding in the straw I struck a match and a small flame grew from the stick.

With the candle lit, the book was easier to see.

"The story of the Lady of the Enchanted Lake. What does that have to do with saving mother and Adelaide?" I asked. Sawyer flipped the pages depicting a noble prince on horseback.

He began telling the story I had heard hundreds of times, "The story goes that a prince of a faraway land left his home to win the hand of a fair maiden, but her father was gravely ill—"

"Like mother?"

"Don't interrupt me—now suitors had come from all kingdoms to offer the maiden precious jewels and extravagant gowns in exchange for her hand in marriage. But the maiden wasn't concerned with wealth, she just wanted to see her father well again. So she agreed to marry the first man that could provide a cure to heal her father—"

A flurry of squeaks was accompanied by a draft that blew through the loft. Vampires, searching for their next meal—maybe we were going to be their next meal. The breeze had blown the candle out, a trail of smoke floating up and out through openings in the thatched roof. I began to shake, half from fear, and half from the cold.

"Just relight the candle." Sawyer said. Before I could reach for another match a hazy orange glow emitted from beside me. It was a sprite.

"Sawyer look! A sprite!" I exclaimed. His eyes widened to the size of saucers.

She sat calmly by the windowsill, head nestled in her arms listening intently. I could only guess she had heard our voices and being curious in nature came to investigate. It seemed she enjoyed the story telling.

"Keep telling the story, Sawyer. I think she likes it." I whispered. He cleared his throat as quietly as he could without waking Isaac and Bash.

"—and so, determined to win the hand of the maiden, the prince journeyed to the Blackthorn because legend told of a lake that was capable of healing the sick and injured. However, the lake was guarded by a water goddess that through a deadly test of courage would procure the elixir needed to heal."

"Deadly test of courage? I don't like the sound of that." I mumbled. The sprite's eyes widened with shock and pressed her hands to the glass with anticipation.

I stifled a giggle, "She wants to know what the deadly test is."

"Well if you stopped interrupting me maybe she'd know." Sawyer huffed. I sighed and apologized.

"Continue."

"Thank you. The prince reached the lake and was faced with the legendary lake serpent. He emerged victorious and slayed the beast. He took the elixir back to the maiden and healed her father. They were married and—"

"Lived happily ever after." I sighed, my shoulders hunched from sleepiness. Sawyer reprimanded me again for interrupting him, but he wasn't the only one interrupted.

Isaac's groggy voice came from the other side of the loft, "What are you guys still doing up, go to sleep." He yawned, falling back onto his mattress. The noise startled the sprite on the windowsill and she flew off without question.

"Isaac, did you see the sprite?" I asked.

"The what?"

"The sprite."

"No. Go to bed." And so we did.