Three chapters in one day! I'm feeling adventurous (that, and I have no homework, I suppose)! After Meagan's father's death, yet more bleakness enters the little Valkyrie's future, in the form of her sister Jenni... 

I hope you like it!


Curses


Meagan didn't wake up until noon the next day. She eyed the ceiling, not really wanting to get out of bed. What's the point? She thought bitterly. She'd rather lay there, depressed, all day. Eventually, she got out just because she was hungry. Not even bothering to change out of her pajamas or brush her teeth, she made her way to the kitchen. “Morning, Mom,” she said, without any emotion. She didn’t even glance in her mother's direction, instead going straight to the food cupboard.
She ached so terribly. It was a different type of hurt from when she witnessed the Chief Sorceress die. This time, she was numb, and angry at herself for not warning her father in time, and wrathful at the unknown kidnapper... and murderer. The word sounded sour in her mind as she repeated it over and over. Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. A coward too, she thought bitterly. Only a coward would attack in the dark. To make things worse, the whole attack-when-the-lights-are-out thing was completely clichéd.
Meagan scowled at her toast while she slathered butter onto it. She didn't even want to eat, but she knew her stomach would protest for the rest of the day. She placed it on a plate, sighed, and turned around.
Sheriff Carmen was sitting at her table. “Morning,” she said, far too cheerfully, and took a sip of coffee. There was a proper bandage on her head now, and either Carmen had fixed the torn sleeve or was wearing another uniform, because no sign of the tear remained. She was sitting next to Mrs. Pronozuk, who forced a smiled. Meagan felt embarrassed out of her mind. She was standing in her pajamas in front of Regnum's most competent officer! Somehow the embarrassment turned to anger, and it wouldn't just simmer down and die.
Meagan pointed an accusing finger at Carmen. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked.
“Carmen is questioning all witnesses,” Mrs. Pronozuk explained, “for the investigation.”
“Isn't it unpolite for her to interrogate someone right after their loss?”
“Impolite,” corrected Carmen, which angered Meagan even more, “and yes, it is. Unfortunately, I have no choice.”
“Why's that?” Meagan interrogated, her words dripping with venom.
“In case you were unaware,” Carmen said, slowly, calmly, and powerfully, “in the event that no other suitable heir can be found, the Council rules until one is. Hopefully you are aware of what slippery, vile serpents the  Liberalibus are- and, unfortunately, most of the Council belongs to that party. The Edendos are being terribly outnumbered. Needless to say, you should at least expect an increase of taxes.”
“So what? Things have always been that way.”
“Sooo...” Carmen repeated mockingly, “our benevolent rulers have ordered me to find the queen.”
“If they're in charge when no one else is and they like it so much, why would they want Bella back?” Meagan frowned, then said, “I suppose she might be so thankful she'll listen to everything they say, and eventually they'd get a monarch molded to their needs. That's risky, but if they don't look for her, it makes them look bad, and no one would respect them. Besides, it's better to pull the strings in the shadows and let the people believe they're being governed by another. No praise goes their way, but no blame, either.”
Carmen laughed. “What a smart little girl. You'd make a fine politician.”
“What do you think about all this?”
“What I think is of little importance. Now,” Carmen leaned forward, making eye contact and no longer smiling. “You shouted about the man and the lanterns. What did he look like?”
Meagan thought for a moment, and answered, “He was in shadow, so I didn't see much. He was limping, short- not much taller than me- and he was thin too, like a teen.”
“Is that it?” Meagan could hear the disappointment in her voice. Carmen had been hoping for a lead. The information Meagan gave her was just as useful as saying gold was hidden at the end of the rainbow. Meagan was disappointed too. If Carmen found the murderer, Meagan could... No, she couldn't. She wouldn't stoop so low as to enjoy the sight of blood as she slowly drained life out of the killer. She'd be no different from him.
Blood... that made Meagan remember something. “His eyes were glowing a bit,” she said. “They were red.”
Carmen raised an eyebrow. “So that's what I saw,” she mused.
“They had no pupils that I could see.”
“Mm-hmm. Well, that helps.”
Meagan couldn't believe it. “How?” she asked dubiously. It was so little to go on.
“Pupiless red eyes... that's a side effect,” Carmen muttered, “although purple is more common...” She trailed off, thinking, then snapped her fingers. “Boom! If that's what I think, I could track him with magic because traces of it would remain... Oh, no, wait... I forgot that it can't be tracked.” She cursed, and Mrs. Pronozuk frowned.
“What?” Meagan didn't understand a thing. “Traces of what? What can't be tracked?”
Sheriff Carmen stood. “Thank you for your time, Mrs. Pronozuk, and you too, Meagan. I'll be seeing you around.” She walked to the door, opened it, then stopped. “Oh, yes,” she said. “Meagan...” she turned. “Have you heard... a voice? In your dreams, asking you for something?”
“...Yes.”
“Don't listen to it,” Carmen ordered, and waved. She walked out the door, slamming it behind her, striding purposefully into the drizzling rain. Meagan stared at the sheriff's receding form. She was puzzled. Carmen knew about the voice. Don't listen to it...
Had Carmen been tempted to obey too?

The next few days were overcast, rainy and dreary. When it didn't rain, fat rain clouds looking ready to burst hung over everything. A depressing gray fog hung over everything, like a woven shroud of cloud.
The weather fit Meagan's mood perfectly.
Meagan barely ate, and spent most of her time wandering aimlessly around the house. She dreaded the upcoming trip to the hospital to tell Jenni the news, even though her sister was still unconscious. Mrs. Pronozuk kept putting it off, and watched sadly as her daughter sank lower and lower into depression.
Four days after her tragic loss, Meagan sat on her bed, polishing the blade of her Sword of Fallen Heroes. It had a soft bluish sheen to it, and her reflection looked up at her. Meagan smiled wearily. The reflection smiled back, looking drawn and tired, worn.
A subtle, persistent tapping noise on her window made Meagan look up. Sighing, she walked to her window and opened it, looking outside. A pigeon hopped into her room, dropping a small message from its beak. It said something in the birds' warbling tongue, then flew away. Meagan picked up the scrap of paper and read its message.

We have things to talk about.
-Sheriff Carmen.

Meagan crumpled the paper and threw it at the wall. It only went about a foot and a half forward before it gently and lazily wafted to the ground. Irritated, Meagan viciously tore it to pieces. She didn't have anything against Carmen- in different circumstances she might even have liked the sheriff- but she didn't feel like helping her. Carmen had failed to protect Bella and had barely gotten injured while her father had died.
After a while of doing nothing, another pigeon arrived. Meagan barely glanced at the scrawled message.

How foolish of me- I didn't tell you where.
Meet me at the park.
-Sheriff Carmen

Meagan sighed. She didn't really have anything else to do. Meagan shouted, “I'm going for a walk!” Then she strode out, still clutching the message in her hand. It was still raining. Meagan didn't care. As she walked along, she refused to make eye contact with anyone, instead glaring at the road and her feet. Ten minutes later she reached the park. Poplar trees dotted dirt lanes lacing around a small, man-made lake and several fields and woods. A gazebo was in the center of the area. Meagan was fairly certain that was where Carmen was. Even with the second message, Carmen hadn't been very elaborate in her instructions.
Meagan sighed once more. It seemed to her that she had begun sighing frequently lately. There were some children playing tag nearby. Meagan observed silently, remaining in one spot. She remembered when she was their age, about eight or nine, feeling terribly grown-up. She had been certain it was impossible to feel older, but that was then. Now, it seemed to Meagan as if the rest of her childhood had been snatched away in one night and was replaced with dreary, dark depression.
One of the children, a male fairy with silver, insect-like wings, tripped and fell close to Meagan. No one helped him up. Meagan frowned, but was not surprised. The world was so painfully cruel.
But not she. She did not like to think of herself as cruel, though in truth she was unsure of her nature now. Meagan walked to the boy, and held out her hand, while avoiding his gaze. The boy took it. She helped him up and left without so much a word once he stood. Behind her, she heard the boy laugh and cry out, eager to join the game again.
Meagan soon came to the gazebo. It was a white, plain pillared structure with no walls, an arched roof, and hanging baskets adorning it. Few people milled about it. Meagan saw Carmen through the gap between pillars. She was wearing civilian clothing, and dark sunshades. There was no weapon on her, but Meagan knew she probably had at least one concealed somewhere; someone had once told her that Carmen was slightly paranoid.
Meagan walked onto the tiled floor of the gazebo, straight to Carmen. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
Carmen smiled. “Oh, hello! Beautiful day, mmm?”
Meagan scowled. “Cut to the chase, sheriff.”
“All right, all right!” Carmen laughed. “Don't be so uptight.” She inspected her gloves for no reason that Meagan could see, then continued, “You told me that you heard a voice asking for something.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you have a dream of a Dark Tome?”
“Yes.”
Carmen sighed. “This is going to sound scary, but I need you to bear with me. I need you not to sleep, for as long as you can.”
“Why?!” Meagan was startled.
“Every time you sleep, you run the risk of contacting the voice or crossing the threshold. I know a way to prevent it, but until I can verify the method, you need to stay awake.”
“For how long?”
“Only a day or two,” Carmen said reassuringly. “Not that long. Besides, you kids these days drink coffee, right?”
“Do you have these dreams?”
Carmen nodded. “Yes, but the voice's owner and I are well acquainted, and I cross the threshold in more dangerous places.”
“What are these dreams?”
“Side effects. It makes sense for me, because I've been there, but you...” Carmen paused, then shook her head. “Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that the Circle is choosing a party to rescue Bella.”
“But there aren't any leads.”
“That's what I said, but since when did the Circle listen to me?”
That puzzled Meagan. “Aren't you a wizard, though? You use magic, and you look like one… well, except for your eyes, but the Chief Sorceress had eyes like that too.”
“They'd like you to think that I'm one. No, I'm not.”
“What are you then?”
Carmen grinned. “I'm a mystery.”
That answered nothing, and Meagan was slightly irritated, but she didn't show it. Instead she said, “About this party, though... where would they go?”
“To Dryadales, the elven kingdom. They have a wise woman there who might have a clue as to Bella's whereabouts. The elves are rather skilled in the art of divining.”
“That's trickery; no one can tell the future!” Meagan exclaimed.
Carmen gave a sly smile. “Not all of it.”

Dusk fell fairly quickly for a summer night. For the staff running the day shift of the hospital, it wasn't quick enough. Since the collapse of the Meeting Hall, there were so many patients and so few personnel that they were all severely overworked.
Nurse River entered Patient 406's room, and took the girl's temperature. “Your fever's broken, sweetheart,” she told the young girl with a smile. Lately this patient had done nothing but improve. Just that morning she was deep in a coma, but here she was awake and very well! River had no idea how she could suddenly get so much better.
The girl said, “Can I go home?”
“Not tonight. We need to keep you in case it comes back.”
The girl closed her eyes. “They won't be happy.”
“I'm sorry, who? Your family?”
“No, not my family. Them.”
“I don't know who...”
“That's okay. Barely anyone does, nowadays, but people will soon enough.”
River sighed. Rambling normally didn't last after the fever. She'd have to have someone check in on her condition. “Is there anything I can get you?”
“No, no, I'm fine.”
River smiled. “All right, then. Holler if you need anything.” Then she rushed out of the room. Patient 409 was yelling up a storm, crying for a nurse. It was hard to imagine that the only thing wrong with him was a broken leg. Most likely he would go home tomorrow to make room for more seriously ill or injured patients. Every nurse and doctor in the 400 corridor would be glad to see him go.
River glanced at her watch. Her shift had ended, but she had to wait for a replacement to come along before she could leave. The night shift was always, always late. This irritated her and her coworkers a great deal.
When she reached room 409, she gave the patient a painkiller and was filling out a medical chart when she heard a great crash behind her. River whirled around and sprinted back to room 406, certain that was where the sound had come from. She was scared something terrible had occurred.
Breathless, she entered the room and felt a draft. Strange, she thought. Aren't these windows unable to open? River searched the room with her gaze. The girl was gone, and the window was broken. Fragments of broken glass and a little blood littered the floor. No doubt the girl jumped through the window and had cut herself trying to escape. Trying to escape... why would she do that? River groaned, then dashed outside. They were on the fourth floor, and jumping from that height would break a few bones at least. The girl had wings, but they would have been weak from inactivity.
Fearing the worst, River ran outside, but there was nothing there. No body, no crying girl unable to move because of her broken bones. There was just a small depression in the grass where she must have landed. River rubbed her eyes. How could she have not hurt herself and gotten away that fast?

Hey, I just finished reading this chapter and I liked it. I have not read the others, but now I am going to. keep up the work, and I will tell you what I think of the past chapters..

zanderlex : Thank you very much! Personally, I thought the other chapters were better... but I'm glad you liked this one!

Dragonlord Stephi : Fantastic work miss Dragon . I actually liked this post before I read it because I knew it would be great and it did not disappoint . I'll need the links for the next 2 chapter so I can read them tommorow ;D 

Coming right up! I will send the links in a PM.