Read Online The Dark Ability by D.K. Holmberg - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: D.K. Holmberg
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couldn’t shake the feeling that the man watched him.
There was a steady tapping sound, faint and distant, that he did not recognize. The soft whisper of a breeze blew through the cavern, playing across his cheeks with its cool touch.
“Hear what?” he finally asked the boy.
The boy’s smile widened. “You hear the song of the ore.”
Rsiran blinked and shook his head, pulling his gaze away from the lantern. “I don’t know what you mean.”
But he did. The sound of the lorcith, like soft voices in his head that had drawn him to the find. The same sound had guided his hammer while working in the forge. It was the sound his father wanted to drive out of him.
The boy narrowed his eyes. In the darkness, they reflected a soft green, almost glowing, so that he looked more like a cat crouched nearby. “There’s few enough of us who can, you know. Not really an ability, not like Sight or what the Seers have, but useful enough here.” The boy shifted, sliding to the side on his hands and feet. “Not sure how useful it is anywhere else but here.”
He looked at Rsiran, waiting for some sort of reaction. When he didn’t give one, the boy continued. “Don’t let others know you can hear it. You’ve seen what happens. Everyone wants to earn their freedom, but there are others who want something else—” He cut himself off with a shake of his head.
“What else?” Rsiran asked.
The boy raised a finger to his lips. “Can’t talk about it, even here.” He glanced to the lantern. “Maybe especially here.” He smiled again and looked at Rsiran. “You’ll learn to ignore the song. Especially if you want to survive. Better to bring it out in small pieces than all at once. Otherwise, the others…” He trailed off, turning to look toward the lantern with eyes that went wide.
Ignore the song. The same thing his father wanted of him. The pain in his back was punishment for not following his father’s instructions.
“Is that why you’ve been here a year?” Rsiran asked.
The boy shrugged, not turning toward him. “Better here than some of the places I’ve been. Here, I get food and a blanket. Same can’t be said on the streets.”
What must this boy have experienced to choose to remain in the mines, harvesting only enough lorcith to keep from drawing attention to himself? Compared to that, was his life so bad? “What did you do to earn this punishment?”
The boy turned. His smile had returned though his eyes looked hollow. “Punishment? I’ve had worse punishments. This is …work.” He laughed to himself then skittered back a step, crawling on hands and feet until the shadows nearly swallowed him. “And I didn’t do anything wrong. Just found in the wrong place.”
“What kind of place?”
There was a flash of teeth as the boy’s smile deepened. “You’re not supposed to sleep in the palace unless you’re one of the Elvraeth,” he said. “But I couldn’t help it. I was cold and that fire looked warm.”
The comment finally pulled his attention fully away from the lantern and Rsiran laughed. A few by the lantern looked over. He hoped the shadows were deep enough they couldn’t see him, but anyone with Sight would have no difficulty with the darkness. “You snuck into the palace ?” he asked. “How?” Only the Elvraeth entered the palace. Barriers were in place to keep everyone else out.
The boy slid another step closer, his smile unchanged, obviously pleased to tell the story. “The windows. Most of the time, they leave them open. Something about the sea breeze. If you ask me, the air in Elaeavn smells more like fish than salt, and I’d as soon shut that out.”
Rsiran bit back another laugh.
“Of course, up in the palace, they might be too far from the sea to appreciate the difference. Only when you get down near the docks do you notice the stink.”
“Why did you choose the palace?” Rsiran asked. There were plenty of other places to find warmth in the city.
The boy
There was a steady tapping sound, faint and distant, that he did not recognize. The soft whisper of a breeze blew through the cavern, playing across his cheeks with its cool touch.
“Hear what?” he finally asked the boy.
The boy’s smile widened. “You hear the song of the ore.”
Rsiran blinked and shook his head, pulling his gaze away from the lantern. “I don’t know what you mean.”
But he did. The sound of the lorcith, like soft voices in his head that had drawn him to the find. The same sound had guided his hammer while working in the forge. It was the sound his father wanted to drive out of him.
The boy narrowed his eyes. In the darkness, they reflected a soft green, almost glowing, so that he looked more like a cat crouched nearby. “There’s few enough of us who can, you know. Not really an ability, not like Sight or what the Seers have, but useful enough here.” The boy shifted, sliding to the side on his hands and feet. “Not sure how useful it is anywhere else but here.”
He looked at Rsiran, waiting for some sort of reaction. When he didn’t give one, the boy continued. “Don’t let others know you can hear it. You’ve seen what happens. Everyone wants to earn their freedom, but there are others who want something else—” He cut himself off with a shake of his head.
“What else?” Rsiran asked.
The boy raised a finger to his lips. “Can’t talk about it, even here.” He glanced to the lantern. “Maybe especially here.” He smiled again and looked at Rsiran. “You’ll learn to ignore the song. Especially if you want to survive. Better to bring it out in small pieces than all at once. Otherwise, the others…” He trailed off, turning to look toward the lantern with eyes that went wide.
Ignore the song. The same thing his father wanted of him. The pain in his back was punishment for not following his father’s instructions.
“Is that why you’ve been here a year?” Rsiran asked.
The boy shrugged, not turning toward him. “Better here than some of the places I’ve been. Here, I get food and a blanket. Same can’t be said on the streets.”
What must this boy have experienced to choose to remain in the mines, harvesting only enough lorcith to keep from drawing attention to himself? Compared to that, was his life so bad? “What did you do to earn this punishment?”
The boy turned. His smile had returned though his eyes looked hollow. “Punishment? I’ve had worse punishments. This is …work.” He laughed to himself then skittered back a step, crawling on hands and feet until the shadows nearly swallowed him. “And I didn’t do anything wrong. Just found in the wrong place.”
“What kind of place?”
There was a flash of teeth as the boy’s smile deepened. “You’re not supposed to sleep in the palace unless you’re one of the Elvraeth,” he said. “But I couldn’t help it. I was cold and that fire looked warm.”
The comment finally pulled his attention fully away from the lantern and Rsiran laughed. A few by the lantern looked over. He hoped the shadows were deep enough they couldn’t see him, but anyone with Sight would have no difficulty with the darkness. “You snuck into the palace ?” he asked. “How?” Only the Elvraeth entered the palace. Barriers were in place to keep everyone else out.
The boy slid another step closer, his smile unchanged, obviously pleased to tell the story. “The windows. Most of the time, they leave them open. Something about the sea breeze. If you ask me, the air in Elaeavn smells more like fish than salt, and I’d as soon shut that out.”
Rsiran bit back another laugh.
“Of course, up in the palace, they might be too far from the sea to appreciate the difference. Only when you get down near the docks do you notice the stink.”
“Why did you choose the palace?” Rsiran asked. There were plenty of other places to find warmth in the city.
The boy
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