Black Stars - The Mors Mortis Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 16 - A Lot of Explaining

All men kill the things they hate, unless, of course, it kills them first.

- James Thurber

Leah didn't sleep well that night. Her dreams were vivid and chaotic and they woke her many times.

First, her hands were chained as she sat in a dark cell, surrounded by the smell of rust, dirt and urine, with a familiar figure hovering in the doorway. Then, she was with a dark-haired boy, running from their house and tumbling into a car. 'It's going to be alright,' he was saying. 'I won't let anything happen to you. We just need to get them away from Seth.' Then she was at the bridge again, watching the boy with the promises run towards her and fall, her screams echoing as the rail broke behind her.

The scenes repeated over and over again and each time she woke biting down on her sleeping bag to stifle her screams.

It was only as dawn approached that she fell into a listless sleep, body and mind exhausted. As she floated along, another vision knocked on her eyelids, playing out with the hazy filter of a long-lost memory.

"Hold your hands up higher, Leah."

She was standing on a mat in a large room, fists raised in front of her face as the boy opposite her critiqued her movements. His black hair was unkempt, flying out at odd angles against his pale skin and falling into equally black eyes.

"They are up," Leah argued.

"Higher."

"They're already up high!"

He shot her an aggravated look, raising his fists to mimic her stance.

"Fine, come at me then."

Leah smirked as they began circling each other. She knew the way this boy fought when frustrated, it was hard not to when you frequently annoyed your sparring partner. But that was the youngest sibling's job, wasn't it? What would Seth's life be without her there to argue with? Danny was too mature to be baited by her taunts, but Seth was still an easy target.

Seth's eyes flashed their predictable warning a second before he lunged. Leah spun out of the way, grabbing his fist as it passed her body and darting behind him. His arm bent at an unnatural angle, making his weight buckle forward.

Leah smirked. "You were saying?"

Seth swore and struggled feebly. Leah heard someone clapping behind her and she spun around, releasing Seth.

Danny stood in the doorway, eyes glittering.

"Not doing so well today, Seth?" he chuckled.

Seth grumbled. Leah had just opened her mouth to ask Danny where he'd been all morning when a pair of arms closed around her waist and she was flung to the floor. She blinked up in surprise as Seth stood over her, grinning.

Laughter exploded from the doorway as Leah glared.

"That's not fair! Danny distracted me."

"Oh, its fair," Seth said. "You've got to watch your back, little sis. How else are you going to protect me?"

Leah's eyes slid open, the image of Seth's smirk dripping like paint down the branches above her. Streaks of light broke through the foliage and Leah guessed it was an hour after dawn.

She rolled onto her back, looking up at the sky through half shut eyes. A strange sense of unease was chasing away the peace her dream had brought and she stilled, listening.