Moon of Darkness ~ Eclipse series book 1

2.

I can't remember much of my early early childhood. The part before I was seven. They slip away like mist on a sunny day. All I can recall are blurry pairs of wings, a pointed horn, white shapes, an elf's face. But they're going. Going far into another land. And all I can dredge up are the memories of after I was seven.

It was mostly made up of struggling on the brink of death. There was no help. No assistance. We had to find food ourselves with no knowledge. There was a forest, though. We got most of our food from there. Sometimes, in the summer, things could actually go OK, unless our quarry tried to run away or if the plants withered. Me and Hataki and Desna would have gone digging for roots. Or playing with what few friends we had. We were too weird, the other children used to say. With our multicoloured eyes and half-pointed ears. It was like we were half-magicreature, they said. This would normally have been followed by speculations on what our parents were. One Puritan boy , Holp, came up with the theory that they were mutated zombies.

I used to hate Holp with a passion so fierce that it ate me up. It was unbearable to hear him slander my parents and I couldn't do anything because they weren't even around. He was the one who led the other kids into thinking we were weirdos. He was the one who taunted out parents' absence. He was the one who started the rumour of us appearing from nowhere.

One fateful winter, 4 years ago, when I was nine, was one of the worst times of our lives. We had literally next to nothing to eat. Really. There was only lichens and snow. Forever and afterwards in my life, I call that winter 'The Bitter Cold'. And it was bitter in more than one way.

I had been trying to beg on the shadows without the Puritans seeing (begging was, and is, considered an eyesore), and Holp had just come out of the house opposite mine on Charge Road. He looked as smug as a Puritan can be. Suddenly, all my humiliation drew together into a defiance. I threw away my begging bowl and strode out into the thickly tumbling snow and the spiteful wind, trying to look as arrogant as possible. Which, considering my hollow cheeks, frostbitten fingers and tattered clothes, was near impossible.

"We-ell," he smirked, an early  version of Dresden and Tornu. "How's the mini-zombie coming along today? You look in the peak of health." His voice was mockingly sarcastic.

"If I'm in the peak of health, then you're not," I shot back.

The smile disappeared like it had never been there, to be replaced by a face that seemed as though he was sucking on a doubly sour lemon.

"You're worthless," he hissed, teeth bared in hatred. I had never and will never know the cause of his vindictive anger towards me. "Just because you're a magical doesn't make you Queen of the world. Exactly like those darned sisters of yours. Your parents were the same. Nothing and worthless!"

Riled, my body stiffened and my eyes shot green sparks as his insult to my parents bounced around my head. Another one. It was time for revenge.

"Go to hell!" I snarled. "Who are you to criticise my parents like that? Who are you to spread rumours about my family?" I could feel my Elemental magic veering crazily out of control, causing snowflakes to whirl around us like white hawks. "You're pathetic. Why do you hate me so much, of all the magicals at school? I've never done anything to you, so GET AWAY FROM HERE before I do, you bastard!" 

He gave a sardonic laugh. "Why?" he asked. "You want to know why? Well, think this." He began advancing towards me, and I dropped into a natural, defensive fighting stance. The snow crunched under his feet like shards of broken glass. "The magicals are never going to win!" he suddenly screeched. "Puritans will always win in the end, so don't go thinking you can change that!"

"What do you mean!" I shouted. "I don't!" Then my anger transformed into incredulity. "That's the reason why you hate me? Because you think I might resist?"