The Prophecy Unveiled

By Andrea Wilson

THE FATE OF TERAGOVIA LIES IN ELIZA'S HANDS - Book 2 in the Dark Moon Series

Eliza's fate as the Midnight Daughter has put her in the spotlight, but is she up to the task? Abandoned by her closest ally and friend, she must now navigate the waters of this position alone, but fate brings a Fae man in her path and Eliza is left re

• Language: English
• Publisher: Possum Prints Publishing Pty Ltd
• Release date: Jun 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645818628

Andrea Wilson

Andrea Wilson was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia and holds several degrees, including Environmental Science, Mathematics, Theology and Education. Having had a fairly eclectic working life, she has now worked as a teacher for the past 17 years but also runs science workshops and writes books on the side. Andrea started out writing stories for her boys. When she discovered that she enjoyed the process, she decided upon a career change and wrote a non-fiction science book for teens about climate change. She has followed this up with a fantasy fiction series aimed at a teenage and YA audience. The series touches on climate and care for the environment and is female-positive, with matrilineal societies and strong female characters. In a life filled with adventure, Andrea has hiked and travelled all over Europe, completed a 100km walk over 24 hours for Oxfam and a weeklong hike off trail through the wilderness zone in Australia with just a backpack, a map and a compass. Today, after experiencing life in the UK for a few years, Andrea is back in Melbourne, living with her husband, two sons and their pet Labrador. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time outdoors with her family, hiking, foraging and rough camping. She also plays piano, enjoys spending time with friends and attending music festivals at home and abroad. As far as the future is concerned, Andrea wants to become an established writer, buy a large caravan and travel Australia with her family for a few years before travelling internationally with them. You can contact Andrea Wilson at [e-mail]

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Possum Prints Publishing Pty Ltd

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Chapters

1. The Market

2. The Trial

3. A new companion

4. Learning to remember

5. News from the north

6. Last day in Teragovia

7. The journey begins

8. Eloy Achebe speaks his piece

9. The vote in the woods

10. Dreaming out loud

11. A walk down memory lane

12. The forest comes alive

13. Maud’s advice

14 An ambush

15 Trust building for beginners

16 The fallen City of Finnos

17 Ayla’s apparition

18 The source of all things

19 The home that once was

20. The march to Azalea’s Realm

21. An audience with Azalea

22 Azalea’s rejoinder

23 Prisoners in Azalea’s lair

24 Prison break

25 Back in the woods

26. The battle against the Bardorians

27. Allies from the East

28 Back to Teragovia

29. An emergency meeting

30 The betrayal

31. The Oracle has a say

 Map of Elatonia

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Chapter one

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The market

The Whispering Woods Market was busier than Eliza had expected. Swarms of whisperers and fey flooded the narrow alleys between the rows of stalls. From the long dresses of some of the women, she was sure there were a handful of humans in their midst too. This monthly market was the last frontier, the last relic of the Golden Age of the realm when humans, fey and whisperers lived together.

The heat crackled on the tin roofs of the makeshift stalls in the clearing. Each stall contained something different - herbal medicines, essential oils, fresh produce, teas, wild honey, jams, cakes, ornaments, clothes, paintings, tools and refreshments. Eliza stood by a produce stall with bushels of fresh lettuce and sprigs of rosemary in her hands. The potatoes and onions had been pulled out of the ground just the day before and were streaked with dirt. The tomatoes were plump, bigger than any she’d seen in Teragovia. The carrots came in various hues - purple, white and orange. She craned her neck to look at Maud and Seena, who were busy at the stall that displayed wood carved items like small boats and ornately decorated chess boards. She left the juicy tomatoes behind to walk up to her friends. A willowy fey woman tugged at her elbow and handed her a cup with steaming amber liquid. Eliza raised her eyebrows at the woman who looked old and yet had not a wrinkle on her skin.

‘Ah, go on, it’s only a wee elixir. It’ll keep you from ageing. Why, just look at me now!’ she said, her voice raspy like an old lady’s, although her features betrayed no signs of age.

‘What’s in this brew?’ Eliza asked, lifting it to her nose to smell it. It was fragrant and sweet, like a medley of flowers alone had come together to produce this concoction.

‘Now if I told you that, there wouldn’t be much point in me setting up a stall here, would there now! If it helps you to know, it’s nothing I wouldn’t eat for breakfast myself, lassie.’

Eliza sipped it slowly and wrinkled her nose. It smelled much sweeter than it tasted. ‘It’s lovely,’ she lied. ‘But I haven’t got any coins to purchase a bottle.’

The woman tut-tutted and waved her off dismissively for wasting her time. Eliza did have a few coins tucked safely in a leather purse in her pocket. The Council gave the winter daughters - or the Daughters of Elatonia as they were now called - a small allowance each full moon so that they would have some kind of money to their name.

She walked up to Maud and Seena who were passing a finely carved pawn between them and arguing about whether Seena could carve one of comparable quality. Listening to them bicker like siblings, Eliza’s heart fluttered happily. These small joys were hard to come by these days, and they crept up on her unannounced. All she could do was hold onto them until they slipped through her fingers and faded away. Try as she might, there was no forgetting that it was Amelie with whom she was supposed to make this trip to the market. The enraged disappearance of her friend weighed heavily on Eliza. While the rest of Teragovia believed that Amelie had been taken by Roran Storm’s shadows when they breached Teragovia a couple of weeks ago, only Eliza knew the truth. Amelie had not been taken; she had voluntarily chosen to leave. When Eliza’s powers had been revealed at the showdown, Amelie had construed the event as a betrayal that Eliza had carelessly concocted. Not knowing how she could face the Teragovians after this revelation, Amelie had turned on her heel and disappeared into the night. Eliza knew that keeping this a secret was wrong, that it could even be detrimental to Amelie’s well-being, but no matter how many times she tried, she could not force the words out of her mouth.

Finally, Maud convinced Seena to spend the rest of the day carving up her own chess pieces to settle the discussion once and for all. Seena twirled the heavy wooden piece between her fingers and nodded slowly. It was decided then! The sun battered its bright, hot beams on top of them. Beads of sweat clung to the furrows of Eliza’s eyebrows. They purchased cold blue pea and lemongrass tea from a young fey girl who had no stall, only a large earthen pot full of a light blue liquid. She stood the silver cups in a line in front of them. With an elegant flick of her wrist, she squeezed drops of lemon into the blue liquid and swished each cup. Like ink moving through water, swirls of deep purple coalesced with the light blue.

‘Voila!’ said the fey girl, visibly proud of herself.

Sipping on their now purple drinks, the girls smacked their lips. ‘Just the sort of thing you need on a hot sunny day!’ Eliza said.

‘So the Midnight Daughter approves, does she now?’ said Maud, her face lifting into a cheeky grin.

‘Yes, it’s got the official stamp of approval so you’re allowed to enjoy it too,’ said Eliza, grinning back. At first, her response to these types of comments had been to flush with embarrassment and look at her feet. As the days had gone by, she had begun to truly believe that no one seemed to hold her newly acquired position against her. In fact, the others were nothing short of supportive. They teased her more than she would have liked but she was learning to see this friendly sparring as a part of some greater shared intimacy than a sign of disapproval.

Maud grinned and lightly punched her arm. Aoife rocked up behind them, holding a dark green stone necklace in her hands. ‘Look what I got!’ she said, holding the stone up to the light so its colours changed from green to yellow to blue and brown. ‘The woman at the stall told me that it’s excellent for clarity of mind and endurance - both of which seem like vital qualities for the Daughters of Elatonia.’

Although Eliza could never quite forget that in a week’s time, they would begin their march to Fionnos to uncover the second part of the prophecy, moments like these exposed the truth to her more abruptly than she could bear. The journey to Fionnos and then to the fey queen, Azalea’s realm, was bound to be a dangerous one. They would be crossing highly monitored human territory, strongholds of Bardorian soldiers and open lands in which they would be like sitting ducks. And yet, there was no choice but to persevere as the prophecy contained the information they needed to defeat Grandalford and set the trapped whisperers free. And what of Roran Storm? The former Teragovian who years ago had fled his beloved city and returned to unleashed an eerie darkness upon it so he could try capturing the Midnight Daughter for a purpose that was still unknown. No one was quite sure what he would do with her if he had her, but his motives were every bit as dark as the power he wrought. Their mission was to be kept secret even from the other Teragovians as the smallest breach could compromise their safety if Roran Storm got wind of the fact that the Midnight Daughter would be stepping out of Teragovia. When the party leaves in a week, the city would be told that the Daughters of Elatonia and Eliza were retreating deeper into the Oracle’s lair to be trained deeply in the Ancient Magic; and that was all.  While in reality, the daughters would pack their bags and set off in the dead of the night on the most dangerous journey of their lives!

Eliza was shaken out of her racing thoughts by an unexpected sound. The loud voice of the singer who played with his band rang out, ‘come join us, Elatonians! If there is any amongst ye who wishes to break into song or take charge of an instrument, don’t be shy. Walk right over and stake your claim!’

She wandered to the transient mob of people that stood in front of them, chatting gaily amongst one another. Although the fey stood with the fey, the whisperers likewise with their own kind, and the humans rushed in and out of the market without staying long enough to enjoy the song and dance, the fact remained that this market was unique because it was the only one in all of Elatonia where all three breeds could mingle together without any harm befalling them.

A young man walked up to the singer and said a few words to him. The singer looked at him coolly, as if he was about to refuse his offer, but then sighed and nodded, gesturing with his hand for the man to take his spot. When he began to sing, the blood in Eliza’s veins ran hot. His voice was sweet and dreamlike, and he sang a song she had never heard before. It was about a boy who lived in the trees and only knew of the tidings of the rest of the world because the birds and the bees told him. Eliza watched him unabashedly, his high cheekbones, his dark hair, his brown skin, his lean frame, his long lashes. He sang with his eyes closed as though he could conjure the memory of this tree in his mind’s eye. Her breath stopped short in her throat as she listened to him sing and watched the way he ran his hands through his coal-black hair as he belted out the chorus. When he opened his eyes for an unbelievably long second, they made eye contact. He held her gaze, and she drank him in until he broke away, turning his face to the sky and lifting his hand to the place from where the birds watched the world and brought it to him in soft twitters. Eliza touched her face and found that it was hot.

Even after his song, once he had returned to his former status as an ordinary member of the crowd, Eliza’s eyes followed him. She couldn’t help herself. She left her friends behind and walked a few paces so she could continue to feast her gaze upon him. He strode away from the bustle of the marketplace and stood at the edge of the clearing by a small pond. He didn’t see her, but she could see him. He took out a piece of bread from his pocket and broke off chunks of it, and threw it in the pond. The mallards quacked loudly and snapped up the bread in their flat yellow beaks. From above, a kite cooed, and he stretched his arm out. The kite, large and fearsome, with talons like daggers, landed gently on his forearm and stayed there peaceably, as though it had no other business to attend to. Eliza was mesmerised.

He turned to face her, his animal instinct telling him that he was being watched. She flushed and backed away, but he gestured to her to come closer. ‘I’ve got some more bread,’ he said, rustling through his pocket.

‘I’d hate to disturb you,’ Eliza said shyly, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

‘You won’t. The duck will be pleased, at any rate.’

Eliza walked up and took the bread from his outstretched hand. The kite regarded her with suspicion but stayed put on his arm.

‘I’m Eloy,’ he said.

‘Eliza. You’ve got a fine voice; I heard you over there, with the band.’

‘You’re too kind. Its cheap entertainment is all it is - a good voice.’

‘Do you get to use it very often?’

‘My usual audience tends to have four legs or wings, but since I don’t know anyone here, I thought I’d give it a go.’

‘Where do you hail from?’

‘I was born on the other end of the Woods, but nowhere has been home for a long, long time. There’s not a lot in this realm for half-breeds, is there? The singer only let me sing because he didn’t want to kick up a fuss and dampen everyone’s Sunday. I’m used to it, though, sad as that may seem.’ He looked at her from the corner of his eye before looking back down at the ground, his face and body expressing the sadness of his situation clearly.

Eliza shook her head, unsure of what to say. She felt angry on his behalf; why should he be treated differently because he was a child of two channels? The fey in him was evident, but what was the rest? Was he half-human or half-whisperer? She didn’t know if it was polite to ask. He had the dark colouring of the fey and the small nose and hazel eyes of either human or whisperer. She had never met anyone with mixed parentage before, and she thought him to be exquisite.

‘There is much in this realm that could do with changing,’ Eliza said at last.

‘Aye. You’re from Teragovia, are you?’

‘My parents were from Earlford, but I live in Teragovia,’ she said.

‘Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Eliza from Teragovia.’

‘Likewise,’ was all she could muster. They fed the ducks silently after that, Eliza’s body burning up with a kind of heat she had not felt before. When they parted ways, she felt her body constrict with a strange kind of sadness, a delectable urgency that made her want to reach out and stop him. To what end, though? She walked around the market in a daze, her heart beating like a drum in her chest. She wasn’t sure what was going on within her as she had not felt anything quite like this floaty feeling before. Her eyes kept searching for Eloy, but he was nowhere to be found.

Just as she was about to leave the market with the Daughters, she saw a commotion kick off a few feet away. A set of burly Teragovian guards had pinned someone to the ground. They tied his hands behind his back and pulled him up. Eliza was startled to see that it was Eloy! They marched him out of the markets, kicking or punching him every time he raised his voice to protest.

‘There’s no teaching half-breeds, is there? Thieves will always be thieves!’ one of the guards said, her voice hoarse and angry.

Eliza caught Eloy’s eye, and something invisible was instantly communicated between them. She knew right away that whatever had happened had to be a terrible misunderstanding! Eloy was innocent! He was being marched off to Teragovia to be thrown into a dungeon with other thieves, this boy who sang to birds and deer and bees. A dark prison was no place for him! Unsure of what compelled her to do so, Eliza ran from the market as fast as she could, knowing that whatever the cost, she had to save Eloy!

Chapter Two

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The trial

By the time Eliza reached Teragovia on horseback, the weather had changed ominously. The singe of the burning heat that emanated from the clear sky had been replaced by a sheet of low slung clouds that brought with them gusts of chilly wind. The weather, once consistent in the form of seasons, each with its own special character, was now in a state of pandemonium. It changed erratically, without warning, as though the realm was being punished somehow, as though chaos was constantly bucking and rearing behind them, reminding them that there was nothing they could take for granted.

She jumped off her horse outside the prison and told a little girl who was playing with marbles to keep an eye on it. Eliza had walked past the prison several times before but had never had reason to go in. Teragovia was a small and peaceful city; it was a city made of refugees and free folk, and there was hardly any cause for crime in it. The Council governed with the dictum of equality in their hearts. No one in Teragovia lacked a roof over their head, food to eat or access to medicine. Whatever petty crime was committed was rare, and the trials that followed were spectacles in the city square. In fact, the prison looked nothing like Eliza’s tower in Bardoria, where she had spent eleven years of her life. Her cell had been cold and grey, with only a small rectangle for a window that allowed her to glimpse the outside world. The Teragovian prison was a brightly coloured building, much like all the others that stood on the street. Its rustic rose colour and baskets of flowers hanging from the large windows made it appear cosy and welcoming rather than cold and daunting. Eliza knocked on the door with shaking hands.

It creaked open, a guard in a red and gold tunic standing there with a spear in her hand. Her hair was short, cropped close to her skull, and she had a severe expression on her face. ‘Greetings, Midnight Daughter. How can I serve you?’

Eliza was still not used to people knowing who she was. ‘I’m here about’ she hesitated, her words catching in her throat, but she summoned the courage to continue, ‘I’d like to know what happened to Eloy…the boy that was picked up at the market earlier today…I presume he’s been brought to the prison?’

The guard nodded. ‘Aye, he’s in a cell at the back. He’ll be tried in the city square tomorrow morning.’

‘On what grounds has he been arrested?’

‘Petty theft, it would seem. My comrade says he took a loaf of bread from one of the whisperer stalls.’

‘Arrested for a loaf of bread? That seems rather harsh to me!’ Eliza said, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown.

‘It appears that this boy had a reputation for theft. He has been caught over and over again, stealing bits and bobs from various stalls. If he is not imprisoned, he will not be stopped.’

‘Was he only ever stealing bread and fruit?’ Eliza asked, trying to understand his motivations.

‘Usually, yes, but he has been known to lift a precious stone or two, a jar of medicine or a dagger.’

‘But those items imply that he is fighting for survival, and his theft is more a cry for help than evidence of evil intent. I request you to release the boy!’

The guard shook her head. ‘I’m afraid I can do no such thing. The boy will be tried tomorrow morning. If you wish to defend him, you may do so in front of the grand jury.’

No matter what Eliza said, the guard would not relent. She walked back to her lodging, exhausted and burning with shame. The words of the guard who had arrested Eloy rang in her head; his slur about half-breeds and Eloy’s remark about how the world looked at him differently made her stomach churn. Although she had only spoken to Eloy for a few minutes, she believed in his goodness. The way he sang from his heart, the fact that he shared what little food he had with the ducks, the way the kite nestled on his forearm - Eliza was a daughter of the earth, the signs that guided her were all sent to her by the creatures of the forest. If the birds and the bees had decided that Eloy was a good man, then Eliza would abide by this judgement and do whatever she could to save him.

Eliza slept restlessly that night. As per the Oracle’s suggestions, she had stopped resisting the dreams that stirred and shook her conscious mind. She expended more energy in fighting these dreams than in leaning into them and allowing them to take her places. The Oracle had said to her, ‘when it is time to go on a journey, it causes us more pain to subdue the itch to travel than to do the needful and simply go!’ Her dreams had not yet succeeded in conveying anything clear to her. A jumble of garbled images and words and songs appeared before her, coated in bright light. Everything in her dreams was alive with vibrant energy. These sightings throbbed inside her vigorously and made her toss and turn without giving her the satisfaction of actually uncovering something. That night, Eliza’s mind was consumed by frantic images of entwining vines wrapping themselves around pillars and taking down buildings. The same images of destruction that had plagued her since her moon day returned as they often did - dead trees, bloodstained streets and a deep blackness swallowing the world. And then, for the first time, she saw a large white kite, with a wingspan wider than a house, flapping its glorious wings and vanquishing the darkness.

When she awoke, she was covered in sweat as usual, but she felt certain that the appearance of the kite was no coincidence. It had to mean what she thought it did; it had to! She dressed hurriedly, not wanting to be late for the trial. She splashed cold water on her face and set off down the path to the city square.

A small crowd had gathered in the square. It was quite the event after all! Teragovians were not used to such affairs, and try as they might, they could not peel their eyes away from the spectacle. The platform where the band sang in the evening had been turned into a makeshift courthouse. A presiding jury sat on a bench, and a wooden witness box had been put together. The crowd stood in an ever growing semi-circle around the event.

When they brought Eloy to the witness box, Eliza’s breath caught in her throat and a gentle heat spread through her cheeks and chest. His downcast eyes, the dark brown of his flushed face, the defiance in his posture - all of it was more beautiful to Eliza than anything she had seen before. She wondered if her motives were pure - did she truly believe in Eloy’s innocence, or did she want him to roam free so that she could get to know him? The doubt crept in, but then she remembered the beating wings of the kite in her dreams and knew that she was being guided into the actions she was about to take.

She pushed her way to the front of the crowd and tried desperately to meet Eloy’s gaze. He stood in the box with his wrists bound, his eyes staring defiantly up to the sky, looking over the faces of the viewers, flashing with pride and elegance. Eliza looked up at the sky and saw that gulls, ravens and jackdaws had begun to swoop overhead. Further up, kites sailed between the clouds, their wings glistening in the