02. The Midnight Visitors

The chapters aren’t very long, sorry about that but hopefully as the story picks up speed, so will the word count. Since today was the official open day, I give you the second chapter. Also in the sidebar there is a link to some link back buttons I made, if you could link to Moondust on your websites, profiles etc it’d be much appreciated.

It took hours for Raina to wake up and by the time she did the kitten was fast asleep beside her. As she stirred, she realized it was dark outside and distantly the song of crickets broke the otherwise silent night.  The moon was low and the glow barely managed to pierce the thick tree line that hid Raina’s home from the rest of the world… and tonight, she supposed as she looked towards them. It hid her from the Mother Goddess as well. Sighing Raina moved to her feet, cradling the kitten against her  chest and wandering back towards the still open door to the kitchen. The kitten purred when they crossed the threshold into the warm kitchen, the smell of shepherds pie still thick on the air. From the other room there was soft voice singing. A very male voice. ‘Mirror?’ Raina asked, she wasn’t really bothered.. it had to be him, just the same she put the kitten down on the floor and reached for the chefs knife on the chopping board. The clock by the window caught her eye, it was just past midnight. She’d been asleep a long time.

Still. The knife in her hand wasn’t really as comfortable as her daggers.. her sword. But it would do the job. If needed. Peering around the corner there was no one in sight, but the mirror appeared to be asleep. The singing had stopped when she had spoken, the mirror could have been teasing her.. she supposed. So she paused in front of him and said ‘Mirror?’ the mirror stirred.. he had genuinely been asleep, it seemed. He looked surprised to see her.. but things with fairy magic weren’t always what they appeared - and Raina’s mirror was never the exception to the rule. She’d learnt that the hard way once or twice before she let suspicion cover her relationship with the mirror. Still, the lounge room appeared to be free of anyone besides the mirror and now her and when she let her magic out, to feel around the house.. there was no one to be found. Well, at least there was no one in the house. There was a curious mixture of magic near the front door.

Raina tucked the knife in her belt and approached the front of the house in silence, her feet barely touching the carpeted floors. She had drawn her magic back into herself, but she knew they had to have detected it in the short time it was allowed loose. She stood not behind the door when she reached it, but beside it because the front door had a beautiful stained glass design in it and they would surely see her through it. But by the door she could now hear them. hear five different heartbeats, five sets of breath - though one was quieter than the others. A low male voice queried in the dark outside ‘Did she hear you?’

There was silence and then a whisper that seemed to crawl along her spine answered the unknown voice ‘Oh, she heard.’ It seemed to Raina that she could hear the smile that went with it ‘She’s just beside the door.’ Raina frowned, her hand shifted to the knife and then she quickly opened the door, so quick in fact that it scared everyone but a male with long platinum blond hair and a gentle smile. That voice curled alone her skin again and though his lips did not move, she knew it was him - it said ‘shh, Raina. We mean no harm.’  He wasn’t a human, sure enough but he wasn’t her kind either. At least he wasn’t exactly her kind. He was not a shining one. With a cautious glance at the other four who were trying not to look at the knife she had once again in her hand, Raina looked to the one who had the voice tricks and said in a tone that could only be achieved when one was trying very hard not to yell.

‘Since you know my name, I should know yours. What is your business here tonight? Why so late?’ despite her age Raina couldn’t help but blurt out the stream of questions. All of her restraint was stripped away at the presence of someone who was related to her kin in a way.. after so very long she couldn’t seem to help herself. The blond smiled gently.

‘My name is Cian, our business, as you put it is quite simply you. As to the time, I confess it was not my idea but Sophia’s.’ he nodded towards a woman standing a little back from the group. She had beautiful dark skin and almost black eyes, her hair appeared to be a rich brown but in the low light was reduced to a shade lighter than black, despite Raina’s excellent vision.

At mention of her name Sophia looked fully at Raina and decided to speak up for herself. Her voice was thick and warm, but it held no tricks like Cians. ‘I  for the time, but you see it is better for me to travel at night and I very much wished to be here to greet you.’

‘Oh.’ Raina blinked, watching the woman. Her eyes flickered over all the others and then settled back on her. She, too wasn’t human - though it was less pronounced than it was in Cian.

‘We’ve come to welcome you to Blackridge, Ms. Raina.’ Sophia prompted. ‘May we come in, please?’ Raina, not sure what to make of the group but sensing no ill intent she nodded and moved out of the doorway, ushering them inside. The group which consisted of Cian, Sophia, a tall dark haired woman with stunning blue eyes, a heavier set man than Cian with hair the colour of desert sand and a girl who looked barely eighteen who was looking at her shoes, but was cuddled up in her hooded cloak. She looked uneasy, though it seemed to amplify around Raina. Which lead Raina to wonder just what had been whispering about her around the town.

Well. She was about to find out, it seemed.