Sandra Hults
Author
In the silence…
Inspired by: The Sounds of Silence – Disturbed
Current Reading: The Borgia’s – GJ Meyer
Brought to you by: The Figment Writers
Gee, my dear hostess, you really know how to throw a curve ball to the sick author. This was out of left field so my response is very loosely tied to the image. So this was our prompt this week:
The curve was not as far out of left field as I thought but we are back to fiction this week. This ties into book 5, The Shadow’s Journey, but I have not yet figured out how. I do think this story line may be very important in light of things to come for Maeseloria. As soon as I saw this image, I knew who wanted to talk. Hope you enjoy!
No man need know Fate’s design before his designated time. In spite of his beloved’s sufferings, he had his own issues to address. The words rattled around his head like a dead litany and left him adrift at sea. Nicholas once spoke those words to a beloved sibling. He wrestled with what he knew Fate would call not only him to do but what simply must be. Neither brother knew what legacy his sister left them. His daughter could not be given the Taltos heritage. She was a royal and would be called to the Light like her mother before her. Thus, his dark inheritance could never be Kira’s. Nicholas scowled as he stared out into the night.
The sun had long since set on the capital. In a way, he was as comfortable with the night as a Kindred. Nicholas walked the line between light and dark so often that the thought never concerned him as it once did. Once, ages ago, he thought his Faith deserted him in that dark cell. He was secure that his soul belonged to the Light. Why else would Fate have shouldered him with this responsibility? In truth, he was more secure now than he once was. Yet, if he was so confident in Fate’s design, why did he hesitate to bring the truth to light for the Redwynd brothers?
His travels brought him to, of all places, the cathedral. The hour was late and he expected the holy place to be empty. Nicholas’ strides brought him through the doors and to an empty pew before he could give it conscious thought. What drew him to this holy place? Nicholas drew a deep breath and released it. “You do not wish to disturb the lives they’ve built, brother mine.” The voice shook him. Had it really been almost a century since that dulcet voice touched his ears? His sister’s rich, earthy tones touched his ears.
“Bri…I…” Nicholas started as the world began to blur. The specter before him shook her head and silenced him with a raised hand. This gesture was common signal between them. Time was short. These moments would not allow for the way his heart fractured at her face before him. He nodded and locked his jaw to keep that flash of raw pain in. The wound never healed. Time did not afford him the luxury of goodbye. In a sea of loss, this one pained him the most. Family meant as much to his clan as the one his sister married.
“I know. I’ve watched. As much as you wish it love, you cannot keep this secret. You know Fate will call them as it will. All you can do is protect my boys along the way.” Brianna’s tones as gentle in death as they were in life. His sister had fire, to be sure, but she softened that temperament with a gentle grace he had never seen in another until Alexandra. “Teach them as only you can. Know that I loved you and missed you until the day I died.” His sister’s dark hair curled in the same mess he remembered in life. Her amber eyes were the only thing that differed from the classic Taltos looks.
In spectral form, she settled into the pew beside him. “This was the only place I could break through. The blessing was strong enough to reach you. The cleric you trained brought the blessing back.” His sister’s voice was filled with an awe he never heard before. “I prayed for this. Wherever you were, whatever you have done, your actions were to this end, Nic. What Jamison destroyed, you brought home.”
“What good did it do you at the time, Brianna?” Nicholas scowled. The point brought rage he thought he had long since put to rest. True, he saw her point but Nicholas resented their separation more than most could have understood. Her chiding look brought a rush of color to his cheeks. Brianna, he swore, could reduce a man to a child with that look. “I logically understand. Truly, I do but this does not mean heart accepts it. I do not want this for them. Specifically, I do not want this for the younger one. You know what heartache this has brought me. Even now, the secrets keep a wall between me and mine.”
“As they have for generations before us, Nicholas, do not be ignorant. Fate will give them these burdens whether you want to or not.” Brianna’s matter-of-fact tones, though brutal, were correct. In life she may have resented the burden her brother carried alone. In death, she understood their legacy was a larger part of Fates design. “Teach them. Prepare them, brother mine. Thank you for putting me to rest with the family.” Then, with whispered words of love, his sister was gone. Nicholas sat alone in the cathedral well into the night. Could he burden the youngest Redwynd with the family legacy? How long would Fate allow him to leave them to their happiness?
That question battered around his head when his beloved Alexandra interrupted his thoughts. Beloved, would you care to explain this? She reached for him and replayed her dream’s image. The string of curses that answered the images indicated to her that the dreams had some relevance. Fate answered his questions before he was ready to address them. If you do not speak to Jaylor I will.
As always gang, feedback is welcome. I hope those of you on the mailing list enjoyed the October newsletter and the second installment of The Guardian’s Fall. Two weeks until The Light’s Guide release. I can’t wait to get that book in my hands to see how the physical copy turned out! I will share with you all as soon as I have it. Until then, stay out of trouble, gang!
Sandra Hults 
Another intriguing installment, friend! You know I love me some Nicholas. 😉
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