Crystal Shade Episodes 01

mother,” said the defiant and secretive little girl. Her soul yearned to share her strange, vivid dream with her, but not now. Maybe later. Her mother smiled tenderly and shook her head in amusement.
    In her blue saree, Grace looked around the large room. The sapphire sun, Sachylia had already left the horizon, its rays flowing into her room. The wooden bed on the other side of the room was empty.
    “Is Aurora awake already?” she turned to her mother.
    “She is not sleeping all the day away as you do sometimes.”
    “I just...” She paused for a thoughtful moment, “Had some work to do last night.” Grace gestured and tried to seem mysterious and important, imitating her father. “After I worked so hard, I have every right to sleep as long as I can.”
    “You always learn the worst things from your father, young lady.” Amused by her headstrong daughter, her mother shook her head.
    “And I always have the right, Lady,” Grace added as she crossed her arms and raised her nose with pretended defiance.
    “Like this one.” Her mother smiled warmly, but then she turned motherly serious. “You do know the Daharra come to snatch young ladies who do not sleep at night.”
    “The shadow mingan is just a legend of the adults, mother,” Grace determined as her little heart dictated to her.
    “Never forget, every legend has truth in its voice,” responded her mother in an icy tone. “The Daharra always know when you’re sleeping and when you’re awake. It is always watching, unseen from the darkness. And when the Daharra sees you’re not sleeping, its cold howling is a warning it’s coming to get you.”
    Grace remembered the night when, under the protective cover of darkness of her blanket, she had worked to finish Aurora’s gift. She really had heard the howling of a mingan. Maybe the Daharra have warned her it will come and snatch her. She already wondered why the shadow mingan spared her. Her eyes peeked at the small light crystal near the bed, which gave her the tiny light under the blanket to protect her from darkness.
    “A crystal’s brilliance mirrors its shadow; only sleep and sweet dreams can hide you from the shadow mingan, young lady,” her mother continued almost silently as she also looked at the light crystal.
    Grace held her breath as silence settled. Her consciousness waited for the help of her protective inner voice, which always whispered what to do, even in the most desperate moments, like this one. Except now, even the voice that always guarded and guided her remained quiet.
    The little girl looked at her mother worried; her sleepless eyes begged for motherly protection. She feared the creature will come for her tonight and as every light has its own shadow, - shadow, which is the land of the dreaded Daharra -, no one will be able to protect her.
    “Usually there is no hope for a sleepless soul,” her mother just shook her head resignedly as she watched her daughter, then she took a soft sigh. “But I’m sure the Daharra has forgiven you, for now, because selfless, you were awake to make a gift to give happiness to your sister.” She leaned closer to her daughter to whisper into her tiny ear. “But to earn its full forgiveness, you’ll have to go sleep earlier tonight. You must promise.”
    “I promise,” smiled Grace while hope mirrored in her eyes and embraced her mother. She felt her mother may be right and maybe, just maybe the creature wouldn’t snatch her as the sun goes down. Her mother’s seriousness was replaced by happiness and she gave relieved Grace’s cheek a kiss that for a change watched her savior with endless love.
    “Come, Princess. Maybe we’ll wait for you before we go to the feast of Odess’iana. But if you do not hurry, Aurora is surely going to eat your breakfast too.”
    “I give my portion to her,” Grace played her majestic princess role further. “She is my little Princess sister after all. What is mine is also hers.”
    “Well now, her majesty is a giver and merciful as always.” Her mother bowed her head respectfully. “Princess Aurora is surely going to enjoy your gifts. Moonlight jam, Andrenian bread, apple cake, spicy frozen whipped cream with cocoa, and…”
    “With the exception of this once, Lady Margey,” Grace interrupted quickly while she shoved her blanket off, and sprang out of the bed.
    “Is there Ambrosia too, mother?” excited, she asked.
    “The freshest Ambrosia that you ever drank, your majesty,” Lady