SHORTS FROM THE SHELF features short serialized fiction by author Shannon Muir, administrator of SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF, that may be later released as part of e-book or print collections. The story line featured currently is “Darque Into Light,” the seventh and final installment of the Myanna Moore serial, which will run over the next several weekends. This is Part Two.

Firinne shuddered.

“I try not to think about it anymore. It came from such a dark period, in all our lives.”

“One we thought was over when Edana went to jail. This is Darque we’re up against, trained under Edana herself. We need every weapon at our disposal.”

“I’ll contact Marva about it,” Firinne responded.

Marva was Firinne Knox’s younger half-sister. She’d started the journal when she and Firinne were held prisoners together, as a way to record the things that Firinne had visions of and would later forget. When their location was moved, Myanna discovered the journal and preserved it, eventually getting it back to them. After everything ended, Marva promised to keep the journal protected and hidden.
Myanna watched as Firinne dialed the phone and waited.

“Hi, Marva. Yeah, it’s Firinne. Look, we have a situation on. I’m at Myanna’s office, and well, she wants the journal.”

A long period of silence went by.

“Yes, I know we vowed never to speak of it again. But Myanna is sure that Darque is on the move. She’d hoping maybe there’s some clue in the journal that we missed before. If it was anyone but Darque, I wouldn’t even be calling. But we both know all the things that Darque has done.”

Firinne hung up the phone.

“She’s says she’ll be right here, and hung up before I could say more.”

Marva kept her promise and came over as soon as she could. With shaky hands, Marva put the journal into Myanna’s palms.

“I so hoped we could leave all this behind us. I hope digging up the past is worth it.”
Myanna started reading through the entries again. A lot of it she already knew, but something now stood out to her that would have been of little consequence before.
“Hmm, this entry is interesting.”

She watched Firinne and Marva perk up.

“It says here that Firinne had a vision once, with her mother and Andreas Joosteen, her rich Mediterranean lover. They were talking about a photo she noticed in his mansion, where he was seen with a twin brother, and Firinne’s mother asked about it. Andreas said something that wasn’t clear, other than the brother usually lived in Greece but was staying at one of his other local homes while visiting in the States.”

“Andreas Joosteen has a brother?” Marva spoke up first. “His son Ormond’s never said anything about that.”

Ormond turned on his father and assisted Firinne, Marva, and the others with their victory.

Myanna closed the journal.

“I wonder if he even knows. I’ll check my contacts and run some property searches to see what I can find that Andreas Joosteen may have owned near where you grew up, Firinne. There might be clues there.”

“I have no desire to return back there,” Firinne emphasized.

“I know, and I respect that. But you might be the only link that can get us the answers we need. If I can find another way, I will take it. I promise.”

Myanna handed the journal back to Marva.

“Keep this safe.”