The Last Singer (The Falcon Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  The Last Singer

  The Falcon Chronicles Book 1

  Marjorie Lindsey

  To the young girls who are finding their voices in the world.

  To the young women who are testing their voices in the world.

  To all women whose strong voices add to the harmony of life.

  Welcome and thanks for reading my book.

  I hope you enjoy Brynna’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Please visit my website MarjorieLindsey.com and subscribe to my newsletter to learn about new releases and special offers!

  Have a great day!

  Marjorie

  Contents

  1. No Way Out

  2. Femin Heritage Revealed

  3. Intruder From The Sky

  4. A Celebration

  5. What’s In A Dream

  6. Unwelcome Journey

  7. Hypor City

  8. An Old Friend

  9. A Terrifying Threat

  10. The Recpod

  11. Work Break

  12. Cave of Secrets

  13. A Covert Investigation

  14. Rebel Attack

  15. The Premier Strikes Back

  16. The Betrayal

  17. Confinement

  18. A New Friend

  19. The Tattooed Trio

  20. A Deal With The Devil

  21. Delio’s Deception

  22. Diary Revealed

  23. Steepchase Is On

  24. The Games Begin

  25. A Dead Deal

  26. Escape From Hypor City

  27. The Second Diary

  Reviews

  The Falcon Chronicles News

  The Lost Prophecy: The Falcon Chronicles Book 2

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  1

  No Way Out

  I’d never won an argument with my father and deep down I didn’t expect to win this one, but I had to try.

  “What if—”

  Father’s hand chopped the air like a guillotine. “Enough. You are eighteen. Tomorrow you must go to Hypor City. It’s the law.” He pushed away from the kitchen table and placed his empty glass carefully into the sink then glanced my way. “You’re shivering, Brynna. Go back to bed.”

  My thin nightdress offered little protection against the cold kitchen air; bare feet didn’t help. I trembled but didn’t move, other than chafing my arms with my hands as I watched his movements.

  Beyond him, through the window, the sun slanted early morning light across his gaunt cheeks. He winced as the first yellow rays stabbed his red-rimmed eyes. He lifted his hand, rubbed his brow then walked toward the outer door. He stopped to pull on boots and a padded jacket before stuffing a pair of thick gloves into his pocket. Every action slowed by fatigue.

  Part of me wanted to let him go. I knew his need to enjoy a quiet moment with his falcon; it was something we had in common. But time was running out and my future was at stake.

  His fingers lifting the door latch acted like a trigger. My teeth chattered as I spoke. “B-but there must be exceptions—special circumstances.”

  From over his shoulder, he fixed me with an annoyed stare. “Not for us. How would it look if a councilor’s daughter was excused from work duty? Be grateful you’ll be able to come home to our island on work breaks. Others don’t have that privilege.”

  “But Mother’s eyes are getting worse. She’ll soon need help.” I gnawed at my bottom lip, tasting blood when I bit too hard.

  “Your mother is my responsibility. You are considered a citizen of Hypor City and must fulfill your commitment.” He opened the door a crack. “That’s my final word.”

  The lock clicked quietly behind him.

  It was an untenable argument, but I still hated that I’d lost.

  “You won’t win against Father.” Jarryd, my brother, stepped out from behind a hallway pillar.

  How much had he heard? Probably most of it, by the way he shook his head. Normally we had a good relationship but he couldn’t understand my resistance to going to Hypor.

  “Mind your own business.”

  “You have to grow up sometime, Bryn.” His patronizing tone was unbearable. “Your friend Calia was excited to go. Why aren’t you? What are you afraid of anyway?”

  His unusually perceptive question ripped at my heart.

  What do I fear?

  That I won’t like my job.

  That I won’t fit in.

  That I’ll be found out.

  “Nothing you’d understand.” I snarled back at him to conceal my hurt, shivering all the while.

  He heeled off his slippers and pushed them toward me. “Put these on.”

  Ignoring his offer, I stalked past him and headed for my bedroom. Changing my nightwear for a warm tunic, tights and boots, I made for the back door. Needing a sympathetic ear, I followed the path to Mother’s sanctuary.

  2

  Femin Heritage Revealed

  Mother’s pride and joy, the old greenhouse, stood in its own garden.

  Fifty yards from the house beyond several arrays of solar panels, it was here that I’d first learned to sing surrounded by lush flowering plants, aromatic herbs and plump vegetables. Next to the forest, it was my favorite place to be.

  Today I didn’t stop in the doorway to smell the lemon thyme and sweet basil that Mother had planted strategically at the entrance. Neither did I stop to admire the plate-sized blue hibiscus nor the ballooning skirts of the golden mallow.

  “You’re early.” Her worsening eyesight had sharpened Mother’s already acute hearing.

  “I couldn’t sleep.” I didn’t mention my conversation with Father.

  “Tea?” She spooned dried leaves into two cups and filled them with hot water.

  When she handed me one, I smelled the aroma and smiled at her choice. “Chamomile?”

  She draped her shawl around her shoulders and carried her cup to her favorite corner seat. “I know you’re worried about going to Hypor City.”

  “I’m not like Jarryd, who seems to fit in anywhere.” I lifted my cup and blew on the hot fragrant liquid before dropping into the seat beside her. “What if I don’t like my job? What if people don’t like me? What if someone suspects…?”

  “So many what ifs.” Mother laughed. “You won’t know about your job until you try it. I’m sure you’ll make new friends. As for being Femin, there’s no reason for anyone to suspect, providing you obey the rules.” She hesitated, and then her voice took on a wistful tone. “You can’t stay on our island forever. It’s time to grow up.”

  “That’s just what Jarryd said, but he doesn’t know what it’s like to be different.”

  “You know you have a special gift, but others do not. Perhaps one day you can show the world who you are, but for now it must remain our secret.”

  For as long as I could remember, I’d spent mornings in the greenhouse with Mother. She gave me language lessons and taught me to sing. On my fifteenth birthday, everything altered.

  That morning three years ago, coiling my long hair on the back of my neck, I looked into the mirror and got a shock. One of my blue eyes had turned amber.

  I tore out of the house and fled along the path to the greenhouse.

  “My eyes! Something’s wrong with my eyes,” I yelled as I entered. “What’s happened to my eyes?” I was unable to stop panicked tears.

  Mother squinted as she examined my mismatched eyes, then nodded and smiled as her fingers probed the neckline of my tunic and found an outline on my shoulder. “You have the birthmark as well.”

  I twisted my head and pulled at my shoulder until I sa
w the tiny raised shape. “Where did that come from? I don’t remember seeing it before. It looks like a falcon.” I dropped onto a nearby bench. “I don’t understand why you’re smiling. I look like a freak.”

  “Don’t overreact. Today I can tell you that you are part of a special sisterhood. You are Femin and a healer.”

  Healer I understood, but it was the first time I’d heard the word Femin.

  I wrinkled my nose in confusion. “What’s a Femin?”

  She sat beside me and took my hands in hers.

  “Femin are, or were, singers from my village. Some were able to heal with their voices. The skill of healing appears at random. All Femin sing, but not all singers are healers. The Genetrix—the leader—of the first feminary was a healer. She founded the feminaries as sanctuaries. Femin were preservers of life, able to travel to other lands, cure diseases and provide aid. I am a healer and now so are you—or will be. You have a lot to learn.”

  “Why can’t you heal your eyesight?”

  She shook her head. “Only the Genetrix can heal my eyesight.”

  “You could go there—get healed, couldn’t you?”

  “When I left the feminary to marry your father, I lost my standing as part of the sisterhood. The Genetrix will no longer acknowledge me as Femin.”

  “That is so unfair.” Injustice flared my temper. “You’re still a healer.”

  “I’ve learned to live with it, my sweet. Nothing can be done to change her mind.” She smiled absently. “I still have wonderful memories of the feminary as well as a loving family.”

  “What was it like? Traveling and healing?” It was something I’d yearned for. To see what was beyond our island.

  “It was exciting, visiting new cultures and new lands, but oh so long ago. When I settled here with your father, I restricted my visits to neighboring islands. When my eyesight started to weaken I had to stop completely. Now, Old Joe from the village delivers my healing potions by boat when needed locally.”

  “So it was on your travels that you learned all the languages you’ve been teaching me.” I’d sometimes resented having to be inside on a sunny day, declining nouns or conjugating verbs, but now I understood the value of the lessons. Knowing several languages also meant I was able to qualify for a good job in Hypor City.

  Mother continued. “Yes, it was a valuable experience. Perhaps one day you will have an opportunity to see the world as I did.”

  I liked the idea of belonging to a sisterhood of healers, especially ones that were able to travel. Maybe if I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have felt so lost and different growing up.

  “Why didn’t you tell me all this before now?” Resentment leaked into my voice.

  “It was common practice in my village to wait until a girl became a woman before revealing the responsibility of our heritage. Also, even though you were singing almost before you could speak, I wasn’t sure that you would be a healer.”

  “What about the falcon mark on my shoulder?”

  “That’s the sign of the healer. I have one too.” She pulled up her sleeve and revealed a darkened patch of skin, profiling a falcon.

  I thought of Circe, my raptor. “That explains why I like falcons. What about my eyes?”

  She didn’t answer immediately, instead retrieving a small battered trunk from behind a stack of empty plant pots. Once opened, she flicked through several items, finally removing a crinkled leather pouch. Inside was a blue lens, which she presented to me. “This belonged to your grandmother. She had mismatched eyes as well. Use it to cover your amber eye, then no one will suspect.”

  “Suspect what? Being Femin doesn’t sound like a bad thing. Why do I have to hide my eyes?”

  “Be patient, there’s more to our story.” She sipped her tea before continuing. “Three years ago, the Genetrix at Prima Feminary recalled all Femin. Healers no longer travel and singing outside the feminary is now forbidden. Your unusual eye coloring is a rare Femin trait. It would be easily spotted in Hypor City and reported. The same for your birthmark. Always keep your shoulder covered.”

  “Why has the Genetrix forbidden singing?”

  “Her motive is a mystery. I left the feminary many years ago and only know about the ban on singing because the council on Hypor City agreed to uphold her edict. When you father told me of the decision, I was stunned.”

  “But we still sing here.”

  “Yes, but only the four of us know, and Jarryd understands that it can’t be mentioned. It’s why I asked you not to sing in front of your friends.”

  “Can I tell Calia about being a healer, maybe just the herbal part?” What would she think about my new abilities?

  “No.” There was finality in her tone that I didn’t often hear. “This is our secret. You must not tell anyone—including Calia.”

  “Why?” I didn’t like having to keep secrets, especially from my best friend.

  “The Genetrix is powerful and her reach is long. If she suspects you might be Femin, she could demand your arrest and transport you to Prima Feminary. You might never be released.”

  My throat tightened. “Could she do that? Wouldn’t Father be able to stop her?”

  “Things have changed at the feminary and in Hypor City. There’s a new Genetrix and a new head of council. I know it’s difficult to understand, but we must be cautious and silent.”

  I was stunned, lost for words. I couldn’t take it all in. Overnight, I’d become a different person. A person with dangerous secrets.

  “Starting tomorrow, I will teach you specific tonal vibrations. Low ones heal by calming inflammation and negative energy in the body. I’ll also show you the plants I use to make the tonics, potions and salves.” Her hand dropped softly over mine. “With care, no one will suspect that you are Femin. Over time, you will come to appreciate your wonderful gift.”

  Since that conversation, I’d pushed the warnings from conscious thought. Instead, I focused on learning the secrets of tonal healing and the intricacies of herbal preparations. One day I hoped to become a Femin healer and travel to other lands, but for now, I had to face the reality of five years of work duty in Hypor City.

  “If I can’t sing in Hypor City, I might lose my healing skills.” What I’d learned from Mother had become second nature and part of my being. “How can I survive without singing?”

  “I’m sure you’ll find a way. Femin are strong and resourceful.” She touched her fingers to my face.

  I pressed her palm to my cheek. “I don’t like leaving you alone.”

  “You mustn’t worry about me. As long as I’m on the island, I can see well enough to find my way.” She smiled but her eyes no longer sparkled as they once had. “Drink up and let's enjoy our last morning singing together.”

  “Not our last. I’ll be home on work breaks. We can sing together then.” More for me than her, I held onto the thought that I’d be able to return to the island. One of the few privileges of being the child of a councilor. The visits would only be for a couple of days but gave me something to look forward to.

  We sang all our favorite songs well into the afternoon. Our harmonies were sweeter than ever. Eventually, we stopped for refreshments. The silence, usually so noticeable after our vocal sessions, was broken by a strange buzzing. The grating noise rose and fell like a wave.

  As Mother listened intently, I searched the sky overhead. Suddenly, she pointed toward the door. Sprinting the length of the greenhouse, I scoured the landscape through the glass, but nothing marred the view of the wildflower field and the forest beyond. The buzzing gradually faded.

  “That was bizarre.” I walked back to join her. “Have you ever heard anything like that before?”

  She hesitated. “No, but I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

  I wasn’t convinced.

  3

  Intruder From The Sky

  The sun was low in the sky when I left Mother at the greenhouse.

  We hadn’t discussed the buzzing again, but I de
cided to mention it to Father and Jarryd. They might know the cause. Perhaps someone from Hypor City was testing a new lander. I’d heard Father commenting that the councilors were always demanding upgrades to their transportation.

  I dawdled on the path to home. Thoughts of leaving the island tomorrow were plaguing me again. My chest felt heavy. When I spied the falcons’ mews I veered toward it. Seeing the birds always lifted my spirits.

  Father’s raptor eyed me carefully when I greeted it but didn’t move on its perch. I crossed to the opposite cage and pulled on a glove. My falcon edged closer to the wire mesh. With a distinctive white chevron on her black chest, Circe made a striking picture. I opened the cage and thrust in my arm. She quickly hopped on, eager to get flying.

  The heavy morning mist had long since burned off, leaving the air fresh and the ground moist. As I walked through the forest, the sun pushed long shadows through the green canopy and across the well-worn path. For the first time in my life, I felt at odds with the lush beauty around me. How could the day be so perfect when my life was in turmoil?

  Circe fluttered her wings impatiently. Reaching the clearing, I lifted my arm. Strong talons punctured my skin as she thrust into the air.

  “Ouch…Circe!”

  Glove off, I sucked the red glob forming on my wrist then looked up.

  It wasn’t her fault. She’d done what came naturally to falcons—secured her grip—before splaying the feathers of her powerful wings and thrusting her sleek body skyward. The fault was mine in ignoring the new leather gauntlet my father had given me, instead favoring my old gloves—thin as paper bark in places. Her raking talon had found a weak spot.