A pale violet light appeared overhead that pulsed with blackness. Waithe held his breath. This was a Spirit, but so wrong. With each black pulse came a shockwave of despair that struck the deepest parts of his heart, ripping hope from it. Following that came a cold emotionless numbness that tore at the roots of his self, one that would steal freewill. That must be the Darkness!

Ceres' eyes shot wide open but unfocused. She shuddered as her breaths came quick and shallow. A string of faint mournful cries rose from her lips. The Darkness must have wrenched up her nightmare, the one of close dark places that terrified her. The others in the room suffered as well. They shook in their beds and clutched at the air as if to prevent themselves from falling.

Waithe jerked his head around. The Woman of Light said love would defeat the Darkness, but how? The spot on his cheek where she kissed him still tingled and the warmth that radiated through him still held. She did say she would strengthen those who would resist the Darkness. He willed his feet to move and kneeled next to Eira. He pulled the little girl into his arms and hugged her, calming her trembles.

"Little Eira, Ceres needs us. Help me call Phy. Will you do that for her?"

She nodded and closed her eyes. Waithe mentally called out to the Spirit Phy but was unsure if she could hear him. Within a moment Phy's green light appeared. She dashed about erratically, filling the room with green as she flashed.

Waithe knew what to do now. He closed his eyes and the vision came.

The lantern illuminated little of the dark forest as night fell. He called out, "Aala, where be you?" His little daughter was an adventurous soul, but had an unfortunate tendency to wander off. He motioned to his wife Fera. If they split up they could cover more ground. Progress came slowly through the thick brush and trees. A faint cry reached his ears and he headed toward it. He called out again, "Aala!" The little girl emerged from the darkness and ran to him. He knelt and scooped her into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder. "You be found again, little lost one. Safe be you now." Fera came up and put her arms around them both. She whispered, "We love you, Aala."

Ceres' eyes came to focus and she steeled her expression, then crawled from her bed and took hold of Waithe's and Eira's hands. She called out, "Anu, Dal, Myr. Life Spirits, come to us! Let us together chase away the Darkness."

Three more lights appeared: silver, amber, and umber. The lights flashed, becoming brighter and synchronized with Phy's green light. Ceres stood and held her arms up. The Life Spirits surrounded the pale violet light. Their light overcame the pulsing Darkness.

Ceres commanded, "Be gone, Nyx!"

The dark pulses stopped and the violet light disappeared. Waithe caught Ceres as she stumbled.

She said to him, "We are not done yet."

The Life Spirits slowed and hovered above Ceres. The shimmering lights of Magic came forth from her hands and shrouded everyone in the room. Black mists rose from them and dissipated. Alden and Jenn's breathing slowed and they opened their eyes. The shimmer went next to the guards, the two who stood watch and the others who slept in an adjoining room.

Ceres took a deep breath. She smiled as she looked up at the four Life Spirits above. "Thank you, my friends."

The color drained from Ceres' face and she slumped down. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Waithe picked her up and placed her gently on the bed.

*****

Jenn came back into the room frowning, three of her soldiers flanked her. Waithe lifted his eyebrows to her and she shook her head. "It is as you feared. Adelia is dead, her throat laid open in the carriage. The two soldiers who stood watch over her are dead as well." 

He shook his head. "I should have foreseen this."

"Nay, Waithe. No one could have envisioned the events of this night." She cast her eyes down to the bed where Ceres laid. Alden sat close and held her limp hand. "What of our Lady?"

Waithe answered, "Deep she sleeps. This be not the first time she faced such Darkness. It drains her."

Jenn tightened her lips and took a deep breath through her nose. "Day breaks. We should not stay here any longer." She turned to one of the soldiers. "Sergeant, with one of your men, take back the bodies of Adelia and our fallen in the carriage. Tell the others that wait at the border to meet us at the house of the Order of Medice. Then continue on back to Krinn and tell Lord Girald of what transpired here. Tell him..." She paused. "Tell him we suspect Lord Scias of this atrocity."

Alden jerked his head up. "We continue on after all that happened?"

"Aye, son. We must, now more than ever."

*****

Ceres slept enfolded within Alden's arms on his horse, the reins tied to Waithe's saddle ahead. Eira rode on Ceres' horse but kept close. No one spoke a word as they left Tarne behind them in the early light.

Late in the morning, Ceres began to stir, twitching in her sleep. Her eyes snapped open as she let out a deep gasp. She sat up as her arms flailed out.

Alden pulled her back against him. "Be at ease, Ceres. You are safe."

She took a few deep breaths and allowed herself to relax. Her eyes scanned the area. "Where is this?"

"On the road north of Tarne. We continue onward." Alden pointed ahead and announced to the others. "Let us stop under the shade of those trees ahead."

Ceres nestled back against Alden as he wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes again and let out a soft purr.

After they stopped, Waithe helped Ceres down from the horse and directed her to the base of a large pine tree. The brown needles on the ground provided a comfortable place to sit as she leaned back against the tree. She looked up at Waithe's face.

"My brave protector, would you prepare me a tonic so that I may regain my strength? You know the one."

Eira plopped down next to her with a big grin on her face. Ceres pulled her into a tight hug. "My dear little girl, I remember you called Phy for me. My hero you are"

Alden knelt next to Ceres and offered her a canteen of water. She drank deeply of it. He asked, "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted, but delighted to find myself among those I care about. You carried me all this way?"

He sat down next to her. "Aye."

She leaned her head against his shoulder as Eira settled in her lap. "Thank you."

Jenn gave Ceres a piece of flat-bread and sat down before her. Waithe returned with the tonic she requested. He grinned as she grimaced after downing it, a taste of her own medicine indeed.

Jenn said, "Lady Ceres, I am deeply indebted to you again. If you feel well enough, what was it that produced such horror? A vengeful Spirit?"

"That was Nyx, my Lady, the Death Spirit of shadows. But that not be her way, though. Spirits should not attack like that. She must be corrupted by the Darkness, like Ker before her."

"The Darkness? I thought that a fable."

"Nay. It is real. This Darkness would take your soul and mind. We all felt it. For so long had it remained hidden, but now as the Taint spreads it rises. This is deeply troubling."

Jenn said, "I should tell you, Ceres, that Adelia was slain last night. Could Scias have sent Nyx to harm us?"

Ceres opened her mouth wide, then shook her head. "Not Scias, but perhaps Raste. If so, then he has also fallen to the Darkness and--"

Jenn continued the thought. "And he closely advises Scias."

Alden asked, "What were the other lights that countered the Darkness?"

Ceres smiled. "They be the Life Spirits: Anu, Dal, Myr, and my dear friend Phy. The Darkness was so strong that I called them all, and I am grateful that they came so quickly. But I must also give credit to my dear protector. We have a connection that I do not understand. His wonderful visions countered the Darkness enough that I could call the Life Spirits. Without him, I fear we would all have succumbed."

Jenn asked, "Do you think the Reverend Quar had any part of this?"

"Nay, not directly. But she may still be involved somehow."

"Then, that is something we must ask her."