Iliana walked down the new stone street. The town council had decided to pay the workers building the western road nearby to come and build roads in their little town. It was nice. The road was built to guide the rainwater and snow melt along the sides. No more muddy roads.

A few leaves fluttered underfoot while most clung to the trees. The sides of the street were filled with reds and oranges, golds and yellows. The days were still comfortable and warm. But the chill started to creep in once darkness fell. The sun, setting at her back, painted the sky with reds and oranges richer than the colour of the leaves.

She passed by the houses. The older ones were made of wood, little more than log cabins with shutters. There was no luxury of glass windows when the town was first settled and only a few of the houses rose two stories. The newer ones were all two stories and made of brick with glass windows. The western road through Aestas brought trade and goods. It also brought builders and materials. Iliana wondered why those who built the houses didn’t also build the roads.

There were rumours the town council intended on building an aqueduct. The town was growing larger, too large for the wells. A small aqueduct would be enough to carry clean water from the nearby mountain fed river. Iliana had heard stories of the massive aqueduct in the capital of Aestas, Halina. It covered miles and had taken nearly ten years to complete. It sounded unbelievable.

She saw a little boy up ahead, one of her daughter’s friends. He was walking down the street holding his mother’s hand. A wide smile spread across his chubby little face when he recognised her, lifting his little hand to wave.

She was going to wave back. The mother, looking up to see who her boy was waving at, bent down to her son and said something that made the boy stop. Given the sharp look on her face, Iliana doubted it was good. The mother pulled the boy across the street while he looked back at Iliana confused.

Iliana, the smile fading from her face, kept her hand at her side. She breathed a sad sigh and continued on her way, her pace quicker with a renewed eagerness for the comfort of home.

“Mommy.” Lydia ran up, throwing her arms around her mother in a warm embrace.

Holding her dear Lydia close made Iliana forget about the boy. “How was your day?” Iliana kissed her daughter on the cheek.

“It was ok.” Lydia was a reserved child, like her father. She sat back down on the floor, playing with her toys.

Iliana gave her daughter a loving look, wishing the happiness she felt now would last forever, before going into the kitchen of their log home to start dinner. She stood in the kitchen a moment, wondering how different the kitchens in the brick houses were. Her kitchen was small. There was room enough for her to cook, but it became cramped if anyone decided to join her. It was only two steps from the doorway to the counter, and four steps from the wood stove on the left to the cupboards on the right.

It was enough.

Iliana had never known luxury. She wondered what the brick houses were like. A larger kitchen would mean more work. She would have to move further to make dinner. She also heard many had a separate room for dining, but that seemed like a waste of space. The living room sat empty and unused while the people ate.

She did fantasize about having a separate room for Lydia. It would be nice to have some privacy with Eryk.

“This town is being torn apart.”

Iliana jumped, pulled from her intimate thoughts as Eryk walked into the house.

“Hi Daddy.” Lydia’s voice piped up happily.

“Hi sweetie. Is your mother home?”

“I’m in the kitchen.” Iliana was hidden from view, throwing wood into the stove.

“They made her leave the market.” Eryk placed a loaf of bread and some cheese on the counter. “Rinda, the blacksmiths widow.”

“Why?”

Eryk scoffed. “People called her a Donum.” He shook his head in disgust. “No one even knew what a Donum was a month ago.”

Iliana shook her head sadly and continued cutting the potatoes for dinner. “People always have a name for something they fear. Witch, demon, Donum. It’s all the same. Poor Rinda.”

“Those priests were there. The whole lot of them. Exordium.” Eryk spat. “I’d never heard of them before they came into town. I don’t think anyone had.” Iliana had heard the priests preaching in the square. They called their faith a revival of an ancient religion that worshipped multiple gods. And they claimed that Donum were the half-breed children of demons. “They finished their church on the other side of town. I went with Mikel to have a look. There were more people there than I expected.”

Iliana placed the knife down. “I saw Jola today, on the street with Tomasz.” Iliana let out a shuttering sigh. “Maybe we should leave.”

“What?” Eryk was surprised.

“You didn’t see how she looked at me.” Iliana explained. “I think people have been talking about me.”

“People talk.” Eryk tried to brush it aside. “Especially Jola. I’ll talk to Aron in the morning.” He wrapped his arms around Iliana and pulled her close. “Jola has the biggest mouth in town, and Aron hates it. He’ll put a stop to the talk.”

“And if these priests hear? Why can’t we leave? Start new somewhere else.” Iliana placed her head on her husband’s chest and closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of the man she loved so dearly.

“Because these priests are everywhere, going from town to town and holding these trials.” Eryk said the word, trials, with disdain and a hint of laughter. The priests called them trials, but there was nothing just about them. An accusation was enough to find a person guilty of being a Donum.

“We know people here. The people here like you, they like us. Jola and her hens always need to cluck about someone.” He brushed her hair to the side. “It’s best for us to stay here. We have our life here, our roots.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “It will pass.”

Iliana smiled. It usually did.

Usually.

“Mommy? What’s wrong?” Lydia was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern. “Do we have to leave?”

“Nothing’s wrong sweetheart. And we aren’t leaving. Go play with your things. Dinner will be ready soon.” Iliana turned away, brushing her hand across her eyes.

Iliana and Eryk tried to make pleasant talk during dinner as though everything was normal and there was nothing to worry about. Lydia listened quietly, giving her parents an occasional smile, but Iliana saw the sullen look in her eyes.

Lydia knew something was wrong. “What’s a Donum?” She asked.

Iliana’s breath caught in her throat, she found it hard to breath.

“It’s noting sweety.” Eryk shook his head. “Just stories people made up to scare each other.”

“Tomasz said that they’re real. He said that they look like us, but they aren’t people. That they’re monsters who have unnatural powers and want to control us.”

“That’s ridiculous Lydia.” Eryk said dismissively.

“Well, Tomasz said that’s what his mom told him, and that those new priests are here to hunt the Donum and save us all.” Lydia was sliding down from her chair. “All done.”

“Don’t go far.” Iliana called out. “We have prayers.”

Iliana and Eryk cleared the table, then Iliana pulled the cushions out of a chest and lay them on the floor. The three sat on the cushions with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. Their breathing became slow and deep.

Iliana struggled to clear the fear from her thoughts. She had seen these inquisitions before. She had moved from town to town with her mother when she was little, trying to stay hidden. These men searched for Donum, trying to cleanse the land.

The fishermen Iliana remembered from one of the seaside villages would toss the nets out on the water, pulling up fish and other sea creatures they had no use for. The fishermen would toss the innocents back into the water.

These priests never tossed anything they caught back. They refused to believe their nets pulled up anything but a Donum.

Iliana took a deep breath and pressed the nail of her index finger into her thumb, focusing on the feeling.

What if they found me? She thought to herself.

Iliana focused on the pressure in her thumb. She needed to clear her thoughts. She needed to hear the guidance of the Omne.

She opened her eyes with a start when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Eryk asked, worried.

Iliana looked over at the sandglass, surprised. “Yes.” She tried to laugh. “I didn’t realise prayers were over.” Iliana took Eryk’s hand and let him help her up.

She went to the well behind the house to get some water for Lydia’s bath. The chill had come with the darkness. A soft breeze stirred the leaves on the trees of the woods that went deep behind the house.

Iliana’s steps slowed. Something was out of place.

The crickets and the frogs were silent.

Iliana stopped halfway to the well, listening, looking intently in the trees.

“Iliana.” There was a whisper from the shadows beyond the well. Iliana tensed, ready to turn back to the house. “Wait, it’s me.” Ala stepped out of the shadow of the trees and into the clearing behind the house.

“What are you doing?” Iliana breathed a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t know where else to go.” Tears streaked Ala’s cheeks. “They came to our house.” She sobbed. “Mikel tried to fight them off. They took Mila.”

Iliana went to her friend, catching her before she collapsed. “Come inside.”

Eryk and Lydia came into the kitchen when they heard the sobbing. “Lydia, it’s time for bed.” Iliana stated in a commanding tone.

“Go to bed Lydia.” Eryk repeated with a gentle shove. “What happened?” He whispered after Lydia had left.

“They came for me.” Ala sobbed. “They said I was one of them. A Donum.” Her voice, tainted with a subtle hint of hysteria, started to rise.

“Calm down.” Eryk knelt before the chair Ala sat in and placed his hands over hers. He looked back at the doorway, worried that Lydia would hear. “Who came for you?”

Ala tried to take a breath, to calm herself. “Dominik came with some other people. I couldn’t see who they all were.”

“Dominik!? The tailor!?” Eryk asked, surprised.

“That priest was there too.” Ala’s words came in gasps as the sobbing returned. “He took Mila. They tried to take me. Mikel tried to stop them…” Ala’s head fell into her hands, overcome.

“Ala.” Eryk’s firm grasp on her shoulders drew her gaze up. “Where is Mikel?” Ala shook her head. Eryk’s eyes grew fearful. “Did they follow you here?”

“I… I don’t think so. I was in the woods for a long time. I was too scared to go anywhere.”

“We can’t keep you here.” Eryk pulled her to her feet. “I built Lydia a little hut to play in. I’ll take you there. It’s in the woods, not too far from here.” He turned to Iliana. “Get her some blankets and some wine.” Ala was shaking her head. “You don’t have a choice. I can’t have you here if they come looking for you. I’m going to find Mikel.”

Iliana stood at the window moments later, watching Eryk and Ala’s shadows blend with the shadows of the forest, consumed by the darkness.

The moon had passed its peak when Eryk returned. “They burned down Mikel’s house.” There was sadness in his eyes. “I followed the trail to the Exordium church. I heard…” He stopped, his head bowed, refusing to say anything more. His eyes hid something more than sadness, some horror that threatened to overwhelm him.

“Maybe we should leave. If this could happen to Mikel and Ala…”

Eryk looked up. “I am not going to be chased from my home by some holy men and a tailor. I’m going to get Mikel and Mila back.” He looked at Iliana with an intensity born of a simmering rage. “There’s nothing we can do until morning.” She knew the only way he could stop whatever horror was hidden in those eyes from consuming him was to fight back. To take a stand.

Saying nothing more, Eryk walked out onto the porch. Iliana gave him a moment before she peeked out the window and saw him sitting in the chair, keeping watch on the road leading to the house. Iliana looked at her husband. A part of her admired his sense of justice, his commitment to others.

Another part of her pitied him.

Iliana spent the night pacing. A dreadful sense of foreboding convinced her that torchlight would be seen coming toward the house.

“Pack some things.” The sun was starting to lighten the horizon when Eryk came in. “I want you to take Lydia and go to Serverius Fryderyk.”

“What about you?” Her voice was tainted with fear. Eryk’s gaze, a mixture of determination, anger, and dread, made Iliana feel cold and numb. He turned away, reached into the closet, and pulled out his town guard mail, shield, and sword. “Do you think you can get the guard to help you?”

“They wouldn’t let one of their own be taken.” He and Mikel had joined the guard together when they came of age. They had defended the town against raiders and hunted bandits in the forest together for years.

Iliana stepped up to Eryk, placing her hands on his face and forcing him to look into her eyes. “Come back to us.” Eryk leaned forward and kissed her before he walked out, saying nothing.

Iliana started moving before the door had closed. “Lydia.” Iliana shook her shoulder, pulling the blanket from the bed. “Wake up.” She threw the curtains open, letting the early morning sunlight stream in.

“I don’t want to do morning prayers.” Lydia whined, rubbing her eyes.

“We don’t have time for prayers this morning.” Iliana tossed a shirt and some pants onto the bed. “Get dressed.”

“Where’s daddy?” Fear was creeping into her young voice. The late-night visitor, the missing father, the skipped prayers, and the rushed morning. Iliana could see the connections being made in her daughter’s young mind. “Is it those men? The priests that you and daddy were talking about last night?”

Her little eyes went wide, understanding dawning on her. “We have to leave now, don’t we?” She asked in a small voice.

“We’re going to go to the church.” Iliana rushed, gathering clothes into a bag.

“Will daddy be there?” Lydia put on the clothes Iliana had tossed onto her bed.

Iliana looked over at her daughter and saw a deep and uncanny understanding for one so young. “He’s going to meet us there.” Iliana flashed a brief, reassuring smile, hoping she was convincing. The doubt would be infectious. It would make things harder.

Mother and daughter walked out the back door and passed the well. “Where’s the hut daddy built?” Iliana led the way through the trees.

“By the creek. Near the cliff face.” Lydia pointed to the northeast.

“Is there a path?”

Lydia shook her head. Iliana motioned for her to lead the way. “Hurry.” Lydia took the task with a seriousness born of understanding.

They had gone a less than a kilometer when a noise brought Iliana to a halt. “Wait!” The harsh, whispered command brought Lydia to sudden stop. She froze in place, unsure of what to do. Iliana continued to listen.

There were voices.

She walked up to Lydia with care, trying to move in silence. Twigs snapped underfoot, branches reached out and pulled against her clothes before snapping back with the rustle of leaves.

Iliana pulled Lydia down into the brush when she reached her, surprised and relieved the voices seemed unaware of the movement in the woods. The two listened. Lydia held her breath, her body stiff with a fear made worse by the look in her mother’s eyes.

Iliana tried to hear what was being said, but they were too far.

“Those voices, is that where your hut is?” She bent down to Lydia’s ear, her whisper softer that the leaves rustling in the wind. Lydia nodded once. Iliana pulled off her cloak, handing it to Lydia. She pulled two thin lengths of cord from her pack, belts for some dresses, and wrapped them around her pant legs, keeping the fabric tight around her legs to avoid getting caught in the brush.

Something she had learned from Eryk. She thanked the Omne for the foresight to wear pants.

She tucked her shirt into her pants. “Wait here.” She mouthed to Lydia, pointing to the ground. Lydia grasped her mother’s arm, her eyes panicked. Iliana took Lydia’s face in her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. A calmness, an understanding, passed over Lydia. She let go of her mother’s arm and lay down on the ground, crawling underneath a bush.

Iliana moved toward the voices, confident Lydia would wait there until it was dark. She would go back to the house and hide in the cellar until daylight if she was still alone. Then she would go to the church.

Iliana stayed low to the ground, keeping close to the trees where the brush was sparser. She tried to pick out the clearest path, hoping to avoid shaking the brush as she passed. She paused every few steps, listening for any change in the voices.

She stopped near a tree. The men were still hidden from view, but she could hear their voices clearly enough.

“He put up some fight.”

“He always was a fighter.”

“Too bad.”

The voices were familiar. These had been friends to both Eryk and Mikel. Jozef, the first man, hunted with both of them. The second, Artur, had known Eryk since they were babes. And Boris served on the guard with both for the last three years.

“He should have stood aside.” There was a hint of regret, of sadness, in Artur’s voice.

“No. Not Mikel. Never Mikel.” Boris sounded tired.

“He made his choice.” There was no sympathy in Jozef. He was a hard man. “Ala is a Donum, and he knew it. He was protecting a monster. And the poor girl. Who knows what horrors the girl saw?”

“Where do you think they’ll take her?” Artur had been like an uncle to Mila.

“They’ll take care of her.” Jozef was indifferent to Mila’s fate. Iliana could smell smoke. “There. Let’s go.”

She listened to the movement of the men through the woods. She waited for the sounds to become muffled by distance before moving. She was cautious, scared of what she might find.

She remembered seeing the burnings when she was a child.

She came to the creek and could see the small hut. Flames licked at the straw roof. But there was no screaming.

Ala was gone.

They stayed to the trees and came to the Serverian Church around midday. Iliana went first, leaving Lydia crouching in the bushes, hidden from sight.

“Serverius.” Iliana fought back the tears when she saw Fryderyk open the door.

“Thank the Omne.” He pulled her close. “I feared the worse when I heard about Mikel and Ala…” He looked around outside. “Where are Eryk and Lydia?”

“We need somewhere to hide.”

“Of course.”

Iliana motioned for Lydia.

“And Eryk?” Fryderyk asked, shutting the door behind them and leading them through the kitchen to a small dining room.

He understood the meaning of Iliana’s glance. “Lydia, why don’t you take your things upstairs?”

“Really?” The church hall had been a common sight. A boring sight. But the children often whispered about the hidden secrets tucked away in the parts of the church only the chosen could see. She ran off, up the stairs before anyone could change their mind.

“The fortune of being a child.” Fryderyk flashed a faint smile. “Distractions come easily.” The smile vanished. “Eryk?” There was dread in his voice.

“He went to find Mikel. He told me to wait for him here.” The sadness in the priest’s eyes belied the calm nod of understanding. “What’s happened?”

“Please.” He pulled a chair to Iliana and turned to the kitchen. He came back with a carafe and two glasses. Iliana was still standing, her face pale. “I haven’t heard about Eryk.” He stated, handing her a glass and pouring some wine in both. He gave her a pained look and emptied his glass.

“Mikel was brought to the town square before sunset.” Fryderyk filled his glass again. “Szymon was there.” The Exordium priest. “I’m not certain why, but no one from the town council stopped him.” He finished his glass and poured himself another. “I think they’re afraid.”

He stopped and gave her a pleading look. “What happened to Mikel?” She asked.

Fryderyk let out a shuddering sigh. “Szymon accused Ala of being a Donum, of using unnatural powers to ensure Mikel’s fields would be bountiful. He claimed Mikel knew.” The man bowed his head and tried to hide the sob.

“The town guard?” Iliana whispered.

Fryderyk looked up, a tear running down his cheek. He shook his head, drinking his wine in a single gulp.

The glass slipped from her fingers unnoticed, shattering on the ground. “I need to find Eryk.”

“There is nothing you can do now.” His firm grasp on her arm hurt. “He may still be alright.” The pain of the grasp contradicted the tears flowing down his face, the compassion in his eyes. “You would only make things worse.”

Iliana tried to pull away, tried to deny the truth. She collapsed into the chair, defeated. Fryderyk slid his wine glass to her. She took it with numb hands and sipped. Berries, and vanilla.

“What if…” I can’t tell him. I can’t tell anyone. She thought to herself. “There must be someone who can stop them. Stop all of this.”

“Yes. The town council could stop them. Or the regional Prefect. Or the Aestan government. But here we are.” There was defeat in his voice. “Our people have forgotten we have a responsibility to act for the betterment of our neighbours.”

Iliana thought a moment, sipping the wine. “Everyone seems afraid.”

“Rightly so. But the Omne has already decided the path we must walk and given us the power to do so. Failing to follow it will only bring us hardship and punishment in the next life.” He reached out, taking her hand in his. “You seem tired.”

Iliana nodded, finishing her glass. She rarely drank.

“Try to get some rest. I’m sure I can keep Lydia distracted for a few hours.” He smiled, trying to be comforting.

“And then what?” There was a pit in Iliana’s stomach. “What do we do if Eryk doesn’t come? Where do we go?”

He squeezed her hand. “You’ll be safe here.” He rose from the table and went to the stairs Lydia had run up earlier.

Iliana sat alone, her mind wandering with the numbing effect of the wine. She poured herself another glass, grateful for her own distraction, and pulled the chair over to the fireplace. She sipped the wine, enjoying the vanilla on her tongue while she stared into the flames. Her thoughts would shift to Eryk, but it almost felt like it was a dream. I felt unreal.

She set her empty glass on the floor and curled up on the chair.

“Mommy?”

Iliana turned toward Lydia. “What time is it?” She stretched, rising from the chair, her body stiff.

“It’s dark. Serverius told me to come say goodnight.” Lydia leaned in closer. “We haven’t done any prayers today.” She sounded scandalised, afraid the priest would hear and be mad.

Iliana chuckled. “It’s alright sweetie.” She gave Lydia a kiss. “Off to bed.” Iliana took her glass from the floor and poured herself some more wine. She went back to her chair and sat by the fire, waiting for Fryderyk to come down.

“You look a little better. A bed might be more comfortable than the chair though.” Fryderyk came into the room with a new wine glass. He poured himself a glass and pulled a chair next to her.

“Anything from Eryk?”

Fryderyk shook his head. “I had the boys go about town and listen to the talk. There’s nothing about him.” He was about to say something more but hesitated.

“I want to know.”

He sighed. “Ala’s been found. She’s sitting in the gaol, waiting for her trial in the morning.”

“You mean her execution.”

Fryderyk sat in silence, drinking his wine. He stood up and gave Iliana another comforting smile before leaving her alone again.

Iliana waited until the moon had passed its peak. She snuck upstairs, her cloak tucked under her arm, and found the room where Lydia was sleeping. There were two beds. The empty one was for her. She stood in the doorway, looking at her daughter.

Iliana had been the same age the last night she saw her own mother. They had been forced to run in the darkness. She had gotten separated from her and could never find her again. The memory made her hesitate. She didn’t want to lose Lydia, or to have Lydia wander through life alone. She could feel the panic begin to build.

She took a long, slow breath, finding her resolve. The full moon lit the way ahead. She had a long way to go without being noticed.

But it was dark.

And late.

She stayed in the shadows, keeping close to the trees on the outskirt of town. She pulled the cloak around her, holding it tight, trying to keep the chill away. She came to the new Exordium church. It was more extravagant than Fryderyk’s Serverian church and more than twice the size.

She walked around the building, finding a door at the back. Unlocked. The door opened with a screech, the sound echoing in the darkness, making her freeze. She held her breath, listening.

Nothing.

She moved in but left the door open and waited while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The only light was that of the moon filtering in through the windows and the open door. She stood in a kitchen, frozen. She remembered what Eryk had said about the church when he had gone looking for Mikel. She remembered the look in his eyes.

Iliana took a deep breath, gathering her courage. She moved down the hall, passing empty rooms.

The stairs were at the end of the hall. She took the stairs with slow and measured pace, careful to make no noise. She peered into the first room, surprised to find the ground littered with toys. The soft breathing of a sleeping child could be heard in the shadows.

Why is there a child in the church? She wondered, thinking of Lydia hiding in the Serverian church. She realised that it might be Mila, but now wasn’t the time to do anything about that. If her plan worked, Mila would be safe.

She moved on and dared to enter the third room, hopeful. She found who she was looking for in the light coming through the window. Szymon.

If he left, the others would follow.

Iliana placed her hand on the man’s chest and closed her eyes. She pictured the man standing before the townsfolk, saying he was wrong. He apologized for wrongfully accusing Ala. The town was safe, and the people could rest easy. He took his men and left, never to return.

Iliana opened her eyes and gazed down at the man. She was unsure of what she felt more. Satisfaction? Remorse? Hatred? Fear? She had no time to wonder. The weariness was already starting. Iliana walked from the room, trying not to stumble. She braced herself onto the wall, climbing down the stairs.

She walked out into the night, leaving the door open. She walked out toward the trees. Her head was starting to feel light. She knew the dizziness would overwhelm her soon. She needed to find someplace where she could hide.

Iliana crashed through the woods. Her care for remaining hidden forgotten. A root caused her to stumble forward and collapse. She lay on the moss-covered ground of the woods. The smell of earth and leaves drew her in.

She let the weariness take her.