Chronicles of The Crescent Court

1

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Screams. 

From the moment my spirit floats back from the stars and into the waking world, they are always there. Faint, but still-echoing screams that drift further and further as I open my eyes. 

The dreams always seem to leave me uneasy, at first. If I could recall any of them I'm sure they'd drive me far beyond that. But it's rare that I do. 

Instead, the phantom feeling of fear slips from me overtime and I ease into the everyday numbness of living amongst the isolated realm of my caregivers and myself. The screams quiet. 

But here, I was not asleep. Here, in a new darkness we'd been walking in for far too long, I felt those same sensations. I could hear the whisper of a pained scream following each unsteady breath. 

I pressed my nails firmly into the palms of my hands, tried to ignore the growing tension within my stomach, and focus only on the sound of the heeled footsteps, several far paces ahead of me. 

"Time is being wasted, Eden. Can't you move any faster? Do I need to cast on your legs to quicken you?" 

Almeda, one of my guardians, had facial expressions one only needed her voice to fully imagine. Without looking, I knew brilliant silver eyes were darting and rolling as she heard my clumsy steps and forced breath. Her brows were furrowed, concentrating deeply on her senses in the way all gifted beings did. 

She was anxious, even more so since we'd left our newest woodland abode this morning. 

I picked up my speed as best I could, but my nerves were already fraying. Each moment feeling like a pull to an already taunt string. 

Just focus on your steps, Eden. 

My fragile, personal encouragement shattered almost instantly. The screams went silent as another sense took my full attention. 

Cool air traced lightly against the exposed skin of my neck, almost deliberately!

Before I could understand it, my body was jerking forward, hand rushing to protect the vulnerable skin. 

"Stop." 

I looked toward the direction of Almeda's voice and obeyed despite the trapping a scream behind pressed lips. 

"Adeline?" her call echoed back against stone walls. 

Instead of an answer, the striking sound of a matchstick. A growing glow of ember drew closer to us and with it , a deep sigh of relief left my chest.

My only other teacher and guardian shuffled toward us. Her round face filled with annoyance as her feline like eyes darted back and forth between her fellow witch and myself.  

"What took you so long?" She asked.

Almeda simply looked back at me in response, my eyes immediately shifting downward. Adeline huffed, very usual for her. 

"Has he come yet, Adeline?"

"No but I can sense him," Adeline's pointed noise crinkled, lips twisted, "that stench isn't too far off either."

I had no clue want stench she meant. The whole damned alley smelled of mildew and muck.  I wouldn't bother asking who's arrival they anticipated. They hardly explained their reasons for anything to me. 

Instead, I watched silently as the witches conversed between themselves. 

Tension lessened with the warm light of the lantern nearby. Wrapping my arms around myself, I at least felt fine enough to let my thoughts drift and consider how bizarre all this really was. 

I could feel its trickling from them even now. I wasn't the only one dealing with nerves but...the fear they held was not the same as my discomfort. 

Discretion. The ultimate creed of my guardians for nearly twenty years.

 We were never to all be in the same public place at once, never to reveal our true names or identities, and I was never, ever allowed to exit our forest abode without some spell of concealment they'd perform every night and again every morning. 

"Hiding my shame," They would say.

Despite the beatings I'd received, the various lectures, and instructions on how to conduct myself for the sake of their rules being upheld, here we were. Breaking every, single, one. 

I'd never argued before and had stopped bothering with the questions long ago, but I couldn't help my feeling something was off. What was the reason?

I bit my lip at the thought but was disrupted one again.

That same cold, ghostly feeling against my body, making my skin crawl and nearly gagging me with the new, retch-like scent accompanying it.

"Quite a pretty one you are." a deep, gravelly voice spoke from behind me. 

What little peace I had shattered as my eyes trailed up the body of a hooded figure standing uncomfortably close to me. 

The fit he wore was ragged, covered in grime with a distinctive smell of herbs and dirt so intense I wanted to gag.

 A deep chuckle poured from beneath the hood. 

Adeline and Almeda seemed to phase over to our position while I stood, frozen in place. Their faces remained calm, but the tension behind their steady gazes told a different story. They focused on the man as if he were a dangerous predator. 

"Was is too much trouble to show yourself sooner or does leaving your customer waiting give you some sense of importance?" Adeline growled, despite the significant bulk and height the stranger had over her miniature frame. 

"My apologies, Ms. Adeline, had to make sure you weren't followed. We all enjoy our privacy. But, you asked me to show and," his hand went to remove his hood, "here I am."

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