Kiss the Darkness Ch. 08

How would Ismey react to knowing what it was she had given birth to? How would she react when she looked at her daughter and saw the true face of the Draveil? Everything that she had once believed in would be shattered. Nan could not allow this to happen. She loved Ismey and she did not want to cause her anymore hurt so she decided, for the sake of her mistress, to agree with Niobe's demand. Nan and Anna agreed that night that Ismey would never be told that she had given birth to twins that night, nor would the boy ever be told that he had a sister.

Nan handed the child over to Niobe and watched as the two disappeared into the storm. She never thought she would ever see the child again and planned to take the secret of the child's birth to her grave but that was no longer possible. Niobe's prediction had come true. Alexander's twin had returned and Nan feared, that she would be the death of them both.

***

Alexander had remained quiet while Nan told him the story of his birth and revealed the existence of the sister he never knew he had. He tried his best to wrap his head around what Nan had told him but it was all too much to take in. There were details of the story that Nan had kept from him. The true name of his father and his half demon linage. She had told Alexander that he was special, and that he had a path set before him that would change his life, though she was vague on that as well. The knowledge of these things only left him with more questions. Why was King Guillame so intend on killing him and his mother? Was it some plot of revenge against his father?

Alexander knew that Guillame was responsible for the death of his father, but all he was told was that they had fought together at the battle of the Rune sea, and that Guillame had somehow betrayed him, leading to his death. Now, on top of what he already knew, he discovers that he has a sister, a twin. Nan explained to him that the girl was born deformed. If knowledge of such a child were ever made known it would no doubt make it back to Guillame and he would discover that Ismey and her children lived. What more, the birth of a child with any disfigurement would likely cause a panic in the near by village. The child would be deemed as cursed, a product of witchcraft, and hunted down like an animal.

That, Nan explained to Alexander, was why she had made the decision to allow Niobe, the swamp witch, to take the girl. It was not only for her protection, but also the protection of everyone that she held dear. Ismey of course died never knowing that she had a daughter. Perhaps it was for the best Alexander thought. He wasn't sure if his mother's heart could have taken such news. He was sure that Nan had done what she felt was best, but now the girl she gave away, his sister, had come back to take her revenge.

What, he wondered, could have happened to her that caused such pain and bitterness? Had the old witch been cruel to her? Had she lied about wanting to protect her and merely discarded her? On one hand he felt pity for her. He wished to make things right and ease her pain. But, on the other hand, she had invaded their home, killed his servants, and in one night destroyed his world. Could he ever forgive such a thing? It seemed unlikely, but he was angry, and the horror of the night was still fresh on his mind. He sighed and leaned his head back against the well.

"Grandmother?" Alexander turned his head and caught a glimpse of Nan from the corner of his eye. "I know that all you have done was done to protect me. You have sheltered me and cared for me my entire life, but I am no longer a child. You do not need to shield me from the truth any longer. It's time you told me everything now."

"What truth is left to tell?" Nan spoke weakly and with great exhaustion.

"No." Alexander shook his head. "You have not told me the whole truth. And I mean no disrespect to you. I love you with all my heart. Blood or not you are my grandmother and I cherish you. But I know that you are not being completely honest with me. So much of what you've told me makes little sense, unless there is more to it than what you have revealed. Who was my father really, and why did the King despise him so? Why would he hate a man so much that he would wish harm to his unborn child? Was my father evil?"

"No!" Nan breathed the word heavily, and with great emphasis. "He was a good and noble man. Despite what many may think, there was not an evil bone in your father's body. His only goal was for peace. He aided the King in the battle against the Dronar as to form an alliance with Guillame. Your father and his people were outcasts. Years of conflict between them and Avimur had ended with your fathers people being banished from the Kingdom. There were many who were against your father and his dream of peace, but he also had many supporters. I firmly believe that his goal would have been realized if he'd lived. Guillame knew this too for many of his subjects were ready for the hate and fighting to come to an end.

His chose to murder your father and his warriors, rather then allow a truce between them. Those who had not been present at the massacre were forced back to their own lands, never to return. Only you and your sister remained and Guillame sought to have you murdered before you were even born so that he could eradicate the world of your kind for good, but his plan failed when your mother was allowed to go free. That is why we have kept you hidden. That is why the King can never know of your existence, for he would surly kill you."

"But why?" Alexander was more confused than ever. "Why should he wish to kill me? What harm have I done him?"

Nan smiled sadly. "None, my child. It is not you but your kind that he hates. His fear of what you are capable of has lead to this animosity from which I fear he will never let go."

"My kind?" Alexander narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand."

"Alexander..." Nan exhaled a long, slow, breath as she spoke. "I want you to understand something. There are many types of men in this world. Some are good and many are evil. But being from one race or another does not condemn one to be either good or bad. It is what is in your heart that matters. Your father was a good man, but the history of his people have not always been so. His kind have been feared for many years. That was what he sought to change. But I do not want you to think because you are descended from this race that you were born evil. That is not the case at all. You are a good man, like your father. Never allow anyone to tell you differently."

Alexander took a deep breath. His heart pounded as so many things raced through his mind. What 'race' could his grandmother be speaking of? The Amet, perhaps, mountain dwelling barbarians with brains the size of a pea? No, he could not see his mother falling in love with something like that. Perhaps his father was one of the Inadae, or Deidae, Elf like creatures of magic and masters of the elements. But if that were the case, should he not have inherited some kind of power from his father? The more he thought, the more confused he became. He wondered if he even really wanted to know the truth. As frighting as it was though, he realized that he had to know. It was the only way that any of this would make sense.

"Grandmother, please be honest with me. Who...or what...was my father? Was he even human?"

Nan closed her eyes as she exhaled. " The truth, Alexander, is that you father was..."

"A coward and a fool!" Both Alexander and Nan looked up to see the raven haired woman standing before them. She was glaring angrily at them both. She began pacing back and forth before them, a look of disgust on her face. "Your father was nothing! He was weak. He allowed his heart to dictate his actions rather than his head and that was what got him killed."

Alexander took a deep breath as he stared at the woman, no longer showing any fear he spoke to her in a strong and cold voice. "He was your father too." He sneered. The woman raised an eye brow as she looked at him and Alexander smiled. "Yes, I know now who you are and why you've come here. You want revenge."

"I want justice!" The woman yelled. "And you have no idea who I am. The old woman may have told you the truth, that I am your sister, but that is all you know. We are siblings, Ashar, twins. But that is where the similarities end."

Alexander shook his head. "Who is Ashar? My name is Alexander."

The woman smirked. "Ashar is your true name. In our native tongue it means 'the end'. I am Ashia, which means, 'the beginning'. These are the names given to us by the old Gods. Fitting, I think, since the dawn of a new era will begin with your death."

"I understand that you feel slighted." Alexander told her. "Rejected even. But you fail to understand that what my grandmother did she did out of love for us all."

"Love?" Ashia narrowed her eyes angrily. "What kind of love is it to throw away a child? To hand that child over to a witch? Your nurse looked at me and feared me. She feared what I would become and so she made certain that I was gone. Concealing my existence to even my own mother!"

Alexander shook his head. "She feared for your safety as well. She feared what people would think if they discovered you."

"How naive you are. She tossed me aside and kept you. Not because she feared for my safety but because you were beautiful and I was a monster. But as you can see now, I am no longer the monster that she feared."

"It's a glamour." Nan said suddenly. "Nothing more. You're still a monster. And now, your as hideous on the inside as you were on the outside."

Ashia nodded as she looked to the old woman. "Perhaps. Perhaps you are right. But who made me this way?"

"You were always thus." Nan told her. "Niobe saw it the moment you were born. She warned me of this day and God help me I took pity on you and let her take you away when I should have drowned you the moment I saw your face."

A look of pure hatred cross Ashia's face. She took a dagger from her belt and quickly cut the ropes that held Nan, then pulled the old woman to her feet. "Look me in the face." Ashia hissed. "Look at me the way you looked into my eyes when I was but a baby. I want you to see the hate in my eyes as the life drains out of you so that you can take the image of my face into the next life with you."

"Let her go!" Alexander screamed. "Ashia, let her go now!"

"I think not. This woman judged me when I was innocent and cast me aside. Had I been afforded the same kindness and love that she showed to you perhaps things would have been different, but instead she choose to listen to the lies of a witch. She has chosen this fate herself by the actions that she took so many years ago."

"It's not too late to change things." Alexander pleaded. "I know of your existence now. You are no longer alone. Just let my grandmother go and all will be forgotten. We can start over."

She turned and stared at him as though he had just suggested something that was completely ridiculous. "Do you think that is what I want?" She asked him. "Do you think I came here to be reunited with my long lost brother?"

"Then what?" Alexander asked her. "If you wanted me dead you could have killed me by now. Why else would have come here but to meet the brother you never knew?"

Ashia laughed as she listened to him. "My dear brother, I came here out of necessity. I mean to destroy my enemies. Those responsible for the grave injustices that were done to me. But to achieve my goals I need power. You, my brother, were never meant to be born. Your life is not your own and by allowing you to live the strength and energy that should have been mine was robbed from me.

I came here tonight to take back that which was mine but when I saw you, how weak and pathetic you are, I knew that you had nothing to give. You're a disappointment to me as surely as you would be to our father. Nothing but a weak and disgusting human. Still, a part of me felt pity and so I chose not to kill you. At least not yet. I've decided to offer you a chance to save yourself."

"What chance?" Alexander didn't trust Ashia but he didn't know what else to do but to hear her out. At this point, he would do almost anything to save his grandmother. Even if it meant giving up his own life for hers.

"You will join me Ashar. Ride with me and together we will take revenge on those who hunt us down and mean to destroy us. Forsake your life here and all those whom you thought were family. Prove your loyalty to me and I will spare your life."

"How am I to prove my loyalty to you?" He watched her, his suspicions growing.

"Kill this old hag and I will know that you are with me."

Alexander's eyes went wide suddenly. Kill Nan? The woman who'd raised him after his mother's death? How could he even consider doing such a thing? She wasn't his blood but she was still his grandmother and he still loved her. But, if he refused then Ashia would surely kill them both. He looked at Nan. Her face was cold and stern but she was also weak and ailing. She hadn't even the strength to fight against the women who held her.

Nan slowly locked eyes with Alexander and gave him a weak smile. "It's alright." She told him. "I'm old and my time is at an end. Do what you must to survive."

"What is your decision?" Ashia demanded.

"I'll do it." Alexander sighed heavily. "But I'll do it quickly, so she does not suffer."

"That's fine." Ashia nodded to one of her men. "Untie him."

A tall, heavily muscled, man came forward and did as commanded. Alexander watched the man as he cut the ropes that bound his hands. The man was huge, a true barbarian. He was bald and clean shaven but his face was marked by tribal symbols. After he'd cut Alexander free he stepped back and awaited further commands.

Ashia forced Nan to her knees and gripping her hair tightly held her in place. She tossed a dagger to the ground before Alexander. "Make it quick." She told him. "The longer you take the harder it will be for you. Your first kill is never easy but with time you will learn that it can be an art form."

Alexander picked the dagger up and gripped the hilt in his hand as he brought himself to his feet and stood before his grandmother. His hands shook as he looked into the old woman's eyes. A tear slipped down Alexander's cheek. "I love you." He whispered.

Nan's eyes swelled with tears and she closed them slowly. "I am ready." She whispered.

Alexanders fist tightened around the hilt of the dagger, causing his knuckles to turn white from the effort. He raised it up, holding it out before him, ready to strike. Ashia grinned as her eyes darkened. Alexander glared at her as he clinched his jaw. Her smiled faded when she saw the hate and fury in his eyes. "Do you honestly think I would chose YOU over my family?" He spat the words with venom as he spoke. "Now who's the fool?"

He turned suddenly with the dagger in his hand and lunged forward, thrusting the blade into the belly of the bald barbarian. The man gasped then howled with rage and pain as he gripped his wound and coughed. Blood spurted from his mouth and he reached for his sword but Alexander stabbed him again in the neck. The man fell to his knees then toppled over onto his side, his head hitting the dirt with a loud thud. The others were still around the camp, drinking, and eating while laughing and sharing stories about their victory. None of them yet aware of what was happening.

Alexander turned his attention away from the fallen warrior and back to Ashia who was now staring at him in shock and rage. She pushed Nan to the side then drew her sword and advanced on Alexander. He held the bloody dagger out before himself, ready to fight. Ashia laughed as she watched him.

"You got lucky." She hissed at him. "Keir was a brainless brute, but I am not. You won't be so lucky again."

Alexander was scared. He'd never been so scared in all his life. He looked at the dagger, the blood on his hands, and he began to shake. He'd never before taken a life and he didn't like the way it made him feel but he couldn't stop to think about that just now. He was so angry that all he wanted to do was lash out and hurt Ashia, this woman, who had come and caused all of this misery. Sister or not he wasn't about to let her win. He couldn't. His grandmother's life depended on it. "Just take your men and leave this place." Alexander pleaded with her. "You have your revenge. You've killed our servants and destroyed all that we had. What good is murdering an old woman now?"

"I care not what happens to that old hag!" Ashia pointed an angry finger at Nan. "She is not the one that I came here for. Her suffering would do nothing to ease the pain that I've felt my entire life. She was nothing but a pawn, tricked by an old witch. It is you, Ashar, that I want to see suffer. It is you who have robbed me of what is mine. I was born first, I am the stronger twin, and it is I who should have the 'bas a thoghairm'."

Alexander narrowed his eyes as he shook his head. "I don't know what your talking about. What ever that is, I don't have it, so you've wasted your time here."

"You have it." She told him. "I can feel it inside of you. You just haven't realized it yet, but it's there, hidden deep within your soul."

"Then take it!" He screamed at her. "Whatever it is take it! I don't care. Just leave my grandmother in peace and take what you've come for."

"Oh I plan to." Ashia hissed. "And I'll take your head as well!" She raised her sword and brought it down hard and fast, aiming for Alexander's neck. He instinctively blocked her blade with the dagger but the force of the blow snapped the daggers blade in half and knocked him to the ground. He could hardly believe the strength behind Ashia's blade and the power with which she wielded it.

Alexander tossed the broken dagger to the ground and scurried to get away as Ashia brought down another powerful blow. The tip of the blade sliced across his leg and he cried out in pain. Blood poured from the wound and he struggled to stand on the injured leg but still he managed to pull himself to his feet. The clanking of the metal must have alerted the other men because Alexander could see them as they came charging down the hill side. He knew that it was over now. If Ashia didn't kill him her warriors surely would.

He was out matched, out numbered, and had no weapon but something inside of him would not allow him to give up. Not to her, not to anyone. As she advanced again he quickly picked up the bucket to the well and swung it out in front of him. Ashia moved to the side attempting to block the blow to her sword but she had underestimated Alexander. His intention wasn't to disarm her but to strike her directly.

The bucket shattered against the side of her head, stunning her. She stumbled backwards then suddenly felt her weight shift and she fell to the ground. She realized then that the old woman, who had been sitting on the ground next to the well, had actually reached out and hugged Ashia's legs, causing her to lose her balance and fall.

"Damn you, you old crone!" Ashia shrieked with rage. "You'll pay for that." Ashia struggled to regain her footing but Nan suddenly flung herself onto of the much younger woman and tried to hold her down though her strength was waning.

"Get off me!" Ashia hissed and she gave the old woman a hard slap across the face.

Nan gasped from the shock of the slap but it only made her more determined not to let go. "Run Alexander!" She belted out in a weak and shaky voice. "Go now child for a can not hold her long."

Ashia continued to struggle against the old woman. She was strong but Nan had a good hundred and fifty pounds on her and though she was weak, her weight and will power more than made up for her frailty.

Alexander hesitated only a moment as he watched the scene unfold before him. 'Run.' His grandmother had told him. She was ready to sacrifice herself for his safety but he could not allow that. Even if it meant defying her he was not about to run away and leave her at the mercy of his deranged sister but he didn't know what to do. Ashia's mercenaries were almost on them and if truth be told, Alexander was not a fighter. His grandmother had taught him books, art, and arithmetic. Malcolm had schooled him in farming and hunting though he was never that good at the latter. Alexander was a kind and gentle soul. He knew the importance for meat but never had the heart to dispatch the animals himself.