A Land of Never After by R. L. Davennor

Author:R. L. Davennor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Night Muse Press
Published: 2021-09-22T03:15:24+00:00

“A blackened heart with children four

Three beloved, the last ignored

Dragon, Serpent, Wolf, and Crow

All shall make a deadly foe

Medallions forged, cast in gold

Too precious to be bought or sold

A priceless gift, a piece for each

Except the last, who is no Teach

One to the dragon, breath alight

One to the wolf who howls at night

One to the serpent, quick and cruel

None to the crow—forever the fool.”

While I read, Cedric made his way toward the previously forbidden shrine. In an act that told me such rules had been revoked, he gently lifted the portrait once I’d finished reciting, sparing it a pained glance before handing it to me.

Mother.

She was beautiful, and just as she’d appeared in my dreams. With dark locks, full lips, and a soft, round face, she would have stood out in any crowd. I trailed my fingers over the collection of freckles before settling upon her most distinct feature: her eyes, bright and fierce. It wasn’t hard to see why Cedric would have found himself drawn to them, nor why Elvira had recognized the same fire in mine. They might be one of the only features we shared, but it was impossible to deny the resemblance.

“Scarlett Ariel Maynard,” Cedric murmured. “Daughter of Lieutenant Robert Maynard.”

Another name I recognized from the book. “Wait… Blackbeard’s killer?”

He clenched his jaw. “The very same.”

“And how did that—”

“A story for another day. The one I want to tell revolves around this.”

Cedric produced a second item from the shrine: the thing I’d assumed was a necklace. It was a rather large medallion, forged of what appeared to be gold, and took up my entire palm when he placed it there. Just like the drawing, the medallion was triangular, containing small etchings of a dragon, wolf, and serpent.

I traced the faint lines separating them. “The medallion in the poem?”

“The very same. That heirloom was once in pieces, with each of the parts belonging to one of my siblings.”

“Why didn’t you get one?” The dismissive words echoed in my head—forever the fool—and I felt a burning need for the answer, no matter how painful.

Cedric’s jaw clenched. He raised his hook, and for a moment I thought he might strike me. Instead, he brought the prosthetic to his chin, scratching absently as he spoke. “‘Last born, least wanted.’ I wouldn’t have been kept around if my mother hadn’t died. Blackbeard became stuck with me, a spare, and I simply didn’t compare to the older three. I’m sure you can tell why Elvira despises ‘Crow’ so much. It’s a reminder of a painful time.” He snapped his head up. “But we aren’t discussing my shortcomings.”

Not wanting to say the wrong thing again, I waited for him to continue.

“None of us saw the medallions as anything but a status symbol. Blackbeard had another made for himself, and they became as known and feared as we were ourselves. Only once he died did his fondness for black magic and curses become apparent.” Cedric spared a glance at Scarlett’s portrait, now resting on his desk, before turning to look out the window.

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