Page 1 of Charmed

One

EVANDORM CASTLE, LAND OF MURA

“I’ll bid two chickens—still alive.” Rhys Blackseed reached down, grabbing each bird by the neck, throwing them to the center of the table atop the pile of coins that had already been bet. He played cards with his brothers and the elf, Elric, out in the courtyard of his brother Zann’s castle.

The chickens flapped around, causing each of the men sitting there to pull their cards closer to his chest. All three of them backed away from the fowls.

“Did you really have to do that?” grumbled Darium, the eldest of the three Blackseed brothers. He took a swig of ale and thunked the tankard down on the table, still eyeing up the pesky birds. With one hand, he pushed a strand of hair from his eyes. He had a white clump of hair that melded into the rest of his long black locks. Having a stripe atop his head was normal for a sin eater. It reminded most people of a skunet—one of the pesky black and white furry animals of Mura that left a stench wherever it went.

“Those are my chickens, you fool!” Zann said in disgust. “Place your bid with something else. Try something that is yours instead.”

“What’s all the fuss about?” Rhys shrugged. “I’ll pay you back if I lose. I promise. Besides, I’ve got better chickens at Kasculbough to replace these scrawny ones.”

“My chickens are not scrawny,” scoffed Zann, feeling highly insulted. After all, he was a king now, just like his brother, Rhys. Zann felt that his chickens were highly superior to those of his brother.

“Are you two done squawking or do we have to listen to both of you henpecking away all day about things that don’t even matter?” Darium wanted to know.

“You’re right.” Zann nodded. “All right, place your bid, Darium. It’s your turn now. I’ve got things to do and I need to end this game quickly.” Zann’s long blond hair was so light that it almost looked white. The color matched his shapeshifting form of a wolf. Shapeshifting was his inherited power as the second son of the Blackseed family.

“You have things to do? What things?” questioned Darium. “You’re the ruler of Evandorm now, Brother. Surely, you can get someone else to do the hunting, if that’s what you’re referring to. You are no longer a huntsman to the king. You are the king,” he reminded him.

True, Zann was once the huntsman for the late King Drustan Grinwald of Evandorm. But now the king was dead, and Zann filled the position of Evandorm’s ruler. Reigning at his side was his new Elven Queen wife, Lira.

“But I enjoy hunting,” said Zann in his defense, looking over his shoulder at their wives who were gathered around a table filled with food. The women chatted, huddled in a circle, having planned an outdoor meal for today. “Just do me a favor and don’t let Lira know, but I have urges I cannot ignore.”

“Urges? What kind of urges?” Elric, who was Lira’s father, ground out. The short elf climbed atop the stump he was using as a stool and put his hands on his hips, probably trying to look threatening, but everything he did was only irritating to the brothers. Elric still held on to his cards. “If I find out you’re cheating on my daughter, I swear I’ll have your head, Blackseed.”

“Calm yourself and sit back down,” said Zann with a puff of air from his mouth. “Elric, I love Lira. I also love my stepdaughter, Valindra, and our new daughter, Leandra. I would never do anything dishonorable to hurt any of them.” Zann glanced over his shoulder again, smiling at his wife who waggled her fingers at him when she noticed. Little five year old Valindra was running around the courtyard, playing with Rhys’ two-year-old daughter, Lily-Rae. With them were the rest of their younger cousins, Thistle, Cricket, Lucio, and Leandra.

“Good to know,” sniffed Elric, slowly sitting back down. “I’d hate to think you’d be dishonorable, being a king now and all. Besides, it would be unacceptable and highly immoral. I couldn’t even look at you again if I thought it were true.”

“Whatever you say, Elric.” Zann shook his head, not really caring what his father-by-marriage thought of him. Elric was a sage who never stopped giving the rest of them trouble, or his opinion for that matter. When Zann found out Elric was Lira’s father, he had never expected that someday the irritating little man would be related to him. His brothers found humor in the situation. Zann didn’t. But for Lira’s sake, he decided he’d just learn to push past this milestone and tolerate the sage and all he did.

Darium pulled a silver ring out of his pocket and slid it forward, causing the chickens to peck at it. With a swipe of his hand, he shooed the birds away. “I bid this ring.”

“A silver ring? Really? Let me see that. Where did you get that?” asked Rhys, reaching out for it, but Darium slapped his hand away.

“Leave it, Rhys. It doesn’t matter.” Darium looked down at the cards in his hand.

“I’m just curious since I’ve never seen it before.” Rhys stretched his neck to inspect the jewelry.

“I’ve never laid eyes on it either,” said Zann. “Is it new, Brother? Did you perhaps buy it for Talia? If so, she won’t like the fact you are using it as part of your bid.”

“Nay, it’s not new, it can’t be,” said Rhys. “Look at it. It’s tarnished.” Rhys pushed a chicken aside to better inspect the ring. “It’s old. I’m sure of it. And it seems to have some kind of symbol in the center. It looks like a cross or something with a design around it.” Rhys reached for it once more and again, Darium slapped his hand away.

“Don’t worry about the damned ring,” Darium grumbled. “Zann, place your bet. After all, you seem to be in a hurry and we’d hate to slow you down.”

“I’ve seen that ring before. It looks familiar.” Elric was up on his feet again atop the stump, straining his eyes, to see it. He was so short that he only reached waist high standing next to the Blackseed brothers. From a distance, most people mistook Elric for a child. Standing on things was the only way he could see what was going on, or to be noticed.

“Nay, you haven’t seen it before and, no, you don’t know anything about it. Now let’s continue the game and stop this nonsense,” growled Darium, no longer wanting to talk about the ring.

“The Sin Eater stole it from a dead man! That’s what it is. Admit it, Sin Eater.” Elric pointed his bony finger at Darium in accusation.

“I did not. And I’m not a Sin Eater anymore,” Darium reminded him. “Well, only on occasions, but with good reason.” He looked down at his cards instead of at his brothers. “You are wrong, mage, about everything, and are just trying to stir up trouble.”

“I’m a sage, not a mage, and you know it.” Elric stuck his pointy chin proudly in the air.

“Darium, is it true?” Rhys looked over at his older brother. “Did you steal that off of one of the dead for whom you administered your services?”