by Regan Claire
We’re going to prove them wrong, though. I’m not sure how he’s going to do that, but I’m going to knock Connor on his ass the next time he brings up practicing. I know I can. I’m stronger than he is, at least when we’re using our abilities. I can’t do that with my dad, but having Connor back off and back in my corner will mean a lot. It hurts that he doesn’t trust me.
When I told Derek that, he stopped and turned me to look at him. “Anyone that doesn’t see what you’re capable of is a fool, Gabby.”
I asked him, “Are you a fool?”
And he was all “I’m a lot of things, but never a fool.”
AND THEN HE KISSED ME.
Like, a lot.
Holy crap, I’m in love with him. I know I am. What’s more, I know he feels that way about me, too. He doesn’t need to say it. I can feel it.
I know it’s irrational and just plain crazy.
But I’m not exactly known for my rational and sane behavior, so it’s cool.
*****
A brief walk through my house proved it was empty, but I knew he was close so I walked out the back door and was greeted by about two dozen people standing in my backyard. Ezra was sitting on one of the stairs, waiting. I walked down until I was standing on the step above him.
“Sorry it took so long. Cash woke up!”
His face split into a grin, and I knew he was happy because of how happy I was. “That’s amazing. Does he seem back to normal?”
I paused. “For the most part. As normal as I can expect, I guess.” I let myself feel Cash’s loss for a minute because I could without fear of Cash sensing it, then I clamped it down. I would not get in the habit of dwelling on unhappy things. “The real reason it took so long for me to get here was that my father got a message to Alexander saying the Council will be here by nightfall,” I told him.
“Really? I thought they weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow.” He looked up at me.
“Yeah, but I guess now they’re in a hurry. They probably heard rumors about my being seen with Clades.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the crowd of people standing around, not moving or sitting. Just standing there. I looked up the stairs at Alexander’s motionless form. He was doing it because it was his go-to mode when he was taking my safety a little too seriously. Well, my life was a big deal, so not too seriously.
“Ezra? Why are they all standing like that?” I leaned over, whispering.
“Because I asked them to.” He didn’t sound happy about their complete obedience.
I raised one eyebrow, silently asking if he was okay. He just shrugged a shoulder and mouthed ‘“later”.
“So, were all these people spying on me?” I knew there had been Clades in the area, watching, but had no idea there were so many.
“Mostly. There are a few that I couldn’t track down — probably my father’s people — and another who didn’t make it.” He was staring straight ahead now, and something about the way he said that made me think his morning had been a lot more eventful than mine.
I sat next to him on the stairs. “What do you mean?” I asked after throwing up a sound Shield around us.
“Three of the men were not doing so well when I reached their safe-house. They’d been marked by my father, but refused to follow him once word got out about what happened. Their spirit was being eaten away like your cousins was. I was able to save two of them, since they weren’t human — they’re the ones standing closest to us with the reverent look on their faces —” He sounded annoyed by that. “But I’m still getting the hang of these abilities and didn’t act quickly enough. The other person didn’t make it.”
His hands were resting in front of him, clasped together so tightly his knuckles were white, even though his voice betrayed none of his emotions.
I placed a hand over his. “Hey, it’s not your fault.”
“I know. But I have no idea what I’m doing and need to train. But besides the two that I was able to save, all these men are acting as if I’m my father because of my Thanatos abilities. They’re terrified. That’s why they’re standing like that. They’re in formation, and when I told them to relax, about a third of them prostrated themselves because they thought I was displeased.” He sounded equal parts hurt and exasperated.
“That must have been an interesting sight.” I kind of wish I had seen it.
Ezra looked sideways at me, the corner of his mouth twitching. “It would have been more interesting if it was happening to someone else.” He stood up, and I followed suit. “I don’t sense any more of my father’s taint on any of these people. But, I’d feel better if you would take a look, too.”
I dropped the sound Shield, amped up my Fire Temper, and looked at the men and women in my yard. When I saw no inky stains on their auras, I increased my Temper to an almost uncomfortable level, and walked among the people, eyeing them up and down in case they were marked like Cash had been instead of the all-over inkiness.
“They all check out. Clean bills of health. Now what?” I asked him.
Ezra stepped forward and addressed the people. “The Elfennol Council will be arriving this evening. Della and I need to be informed on when they arrive, and how many people they have with them when they do,” he said in a loud voice. “We also need to set up a watch around the island, for anyone else who may be an ally to Kaylus.”
Two Clades separated from the pack, stepped forward, and volunteered to head up each of the tasks that Ezra set. Ezra touched two fingers to one of the gems which adorned them — whichever one they used as their primary communication gem, like a cell phone — and gave a small amount of his energy to it so he could reach them if he needed to, and receive updates. The two men then grabbed a handful of people each, and left to fulfill their new jobs. The only people left now were Ezra and I, Alexander still on the deck, and the two Clades whom Ezra had saved.
Ezra directed his attention to them. “You understand why you weren’t chosen for either task, right?”
The one on the left spoke up. “Of course. How can you trust us when we were your father’s pawns only yesterday.”
“Lord Ezra, we owe you our lives. If you don’t trust us, we will help in whichever way we can until that trust has been earned,” the other one said, and I saw the reverent look that Ezra had mentioned. It was smart to keep these guys close to us, but I had a feeling they would be loyal to Ezra, no matter what.
“We intend to give you that chance.” Ezra looked at me, then over his shoulder at Alexander still standing at the top of the stairs, and with a small head nod, motioned for him to come down.
“Alexander, do you have any ideas on how to use these two considering their past affiliation with Kaylus?” Ezra asked him once he made his way down.
Alexander wasn’t big on facial expressions most of the time, but I could tell he was pleased that Ezra sought his advice on the matter. Maybe he just wanted to show off all his brilliant ideas. “I do. First, I would like to ask them both everything they know about your father and what his plans may be, including the names of every other person they know he is in contact with. Once the Council meeting is over I can send people to track down and watch any of his allies that have not already disappeared from where they should be.”
“That sounds good to me.” I wouldn’t have been surprised if Ezra already had asked some questions, but I knew that Alexander would be able to roust out any information that may help us. “Oh, we need to discuss what is going to happen once the Council gets here. Where should we meet?”
“Will you two please wait inside for Alexander?” Ezra asked the two men he saved, and I realized as they walked up the stairs that I didn’t even know their names. Would it be too undignified to ask the Ethnos to wear nametags? “Is there a meeting place, yet?” Ezra asked.
“No. It is something we must decide on very quickly. Lord Derek is currently speaking with a few members of our house and informing them about what has been going on, so that they are warned and prepared to stand by thei
r Lord in case the worst happens.”
I didn’t ask what the worst would be.
“I think I know of a good place for the meeting,” Ezra said. He took a small step closer to me, so that we were once again touching. “There’s a wildlife preserve south of here. If we go after dark, I doubt there will be any humans about. If we set up on the sound side, it will be more difficult for any guests to pop up without our being aware. There’s not really much cover for our people besides the water, but —”
“That sounds great to me, Ezra. I think I know the place that you’re talking about. Or, at least the park.” I seemed to remember passing through it with Uncle Connor and Cash before jumping in the water for our testing with the Elfennol. If it was the same area, it was definitely secluded enough. For a moment, I entertained the idea of having the Council come to my house for dinner or something instead. I pushed it quickly away. If something went wrong, and with my luck something always went wrong, I wasn’t in the most abandoned part of the island during the winter. I didn’t need neighbors to see something crazy, or worse, get hurt. And I definitely didn’t feel like being hospitable to people who might side with a millennia old prejudice and fear of the unknown rather than be willing to change for the benefit of… well, everything.
The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to planning exactly what we would say. Derek informed Alexander through his gems that he would head to the area Ezra had suggested and set up a specific location with some of our people. We were supposed to wait to head over when we got word the Council was near. Laurel, who was supposed to meet up with us that day, was sticking around the compound and helping with the networking. She’d come to the meeting with my father. Alexander spent a good amount of time with the two Clades whom Ezra had saved. Their names were Jeremy and Sander, and I know that neither gave Alexander as much information as he would have hoped. Not that I was a mind reader or anything. Alexander told me and Ezra in so many words. He also said that there were a few leads he could follow up, even though they would just confirm suspicions he already had. While he’d been doing that, Ezra and I had talked to Lena and Ian. I wasn’t sure it would be a good idea for them to come, but I wanted more people there who I could trust to help Ezra. As a Thanatos, he would be best able to convince the Council of exactly how dangerous his father is, but it was a double edged sword. There was always a chance that in proving his father was a danger, the Council would decide that he was the bad one and try to dispose of him before his “darkness” spread. Which was bologna. I didn’t intend on letting him leave my sight, let alone my side, until this whole thing was over and done with.
Right before it was time to go, I changed into a nicer shirt and pants that Aunt Ellis had given me, and made an attempt to look like I knew what the heck I was doing. Or maybe it was so that I would stand out in my oh-so-human clothing. I wasn’t just Ethnos— my human heritage had made me more powerful than any of the Council members were, at least once I had better control and understanding of what I could do. I wanted them to remember that when they looked at me. I wasn’t exactly sure what the future held, but I was beginning to have an idea that the fate of the Elfennol would rest on the fact that I was half Dunamis. I wasn’t going to let them forget that. I wasn’t going to forget it either. Not when it seemed like so many things circled back to the fact that I was a bit of both worlds — not when the guy I seemed attached to shared a remarkably similar heritage.
Chapter Twelve
Journal,
Hah! Gabby 1, stupid brother 0.
Connor ambushed me again yesterday about practicing. This time, instead of yelling at him for yelling at me (even though I was really tempted) I agreed.
Sorta.
I told him I’d meet him last night at Jockeys Ridge and he had to throw everything at me. If he still didn’t think I was ready afterwards, then I would agree to more practice.
I don’t get to show off very often. I’ve been practicing by myself since Mom died and Connor was Tested. When I got there my typical five minutes late, Connor looked all honorable, like he was feeling sorry for me since I’d have to admit I needed more work. What he asked at first was just simple beginner stuff.
I completed those easily — Bend each element. He even brought a bottled water for me to use! AND a lighter! As if I couldn’t created my own.
I played along. Next task, create a Shield with each element, one at a time. Then Temper, one at a time.
I got bored.
“Connor, seriously. This is taking too long. What’s it going to take for me to be able to go home and go to bed already?” I asked him. I wasn’t actually tired, but I faked a yawn. He mumbled something about being disrespectful.
“We’re going to spar, Connor. And when I beat you, you’re going to leave me alone, and bat for me next time Dad starts, okay?” I told him. I smiled when he laughed.
It took less than five minutes. Connor is physically stronger than me, and no matter how much I Temper, he’ll always be stronger than me if he’s Tempering too.
But I’m fast, and my Bending abilities are great. There’s not a waking hour that goes by that I don’t use them, and just because I’ve never sparred with my brother doesn’t mean I’ve never sparred. A lot of the locals have their own abilities, not to mention the cousins. If Connor didn’t take the time to find out how good I’d gotten, that’s his own fault.
I created a hole under him, then closed it like a grave once he fell in. Then I pushed him back up, took the water from my Well, and shot it at him in a fine spray like a water gun, just hard enough to sting. Once I was done with that, I created a Shield around him, blocked the sound and sight from it, and flung it through the air. Of course, while my brother was mid air, I gave him back his ability to see and hear, and set the Shield on fire, then brought him back down to the ground and let the Shield fall so he dropped to the ground in a heap.
He laid there, gasping. Then laughing, hysterically. I walked over to him and looked down, holding one of my hands out to help him up.
“Okay, you win. I’ll get dad to back off. You’re more than ready for whatever the Elfennol throw at you,” he said once his laughing subsided. He took my hand and stood up, but pulled me down so I landed face-first in the sand.
“Don’t make me kick you butt again, big brother,” I told him once I got to my feet and wiped the sand from my face.
“Yeah, now that I know you can do that, I’ll start fighting dirty, baby sis.”
I’m looking forward to it. Seriously. And it’s nice to have Connor on my side again — nice to have him trust me. I need to remember to thank Derek the next time I see him, whenever that may be. I hope he’s had the chance to prove to his people he’s strong enough, too.
*****
It wasn’t long before we got word that the Council had been sighted about an hour out. The scouts who had discovered them sent word to Ezra through the gemstones, and Ezra directed them — and all the other scouts in the area — to follow at an extreme distance. My palms started to sweat on the car ride over. It would have been faster to run, but Alexander said it would do the other Council members good to see that we all could fit into the human world. The threat of exile would not hamper our goals in the least. Really, I would have taken the Jeep anyway since Connor and Toby were both attending the meeting, and there was no way I’d let them drive while I ran ahead — not that I feared for their safety, but it felt rude. It wasn’t hard to find the site that my dad had chosen with my Fire Tempered sight, though it was difficult to look at because of all the light from the energy. There’s no way that he’d gathered all the members of the Leoht family to attend, but it looked as if there were at least a few dozen in attendance.
When we got out of the car, I warily walked over. It was the perfect place: several acres of land with the ocean on one side, and the sound the other. No way an enemy could sneak up on us. The Council was due to arrive at any minute and I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea if the crowd of people Derek
had brought together would really stand with my father if things went poorly. When Ezra grasped my elbow, I realized that I was geared up for a fight. I allowed myself to deflate a little. If I went into this meeting expecting a physical confrontation, then it would definitely happen — and I would probably be the instigator.
Right as I let my shoulders droop from the realization, Laurel and I spotted each other. She was in the typical militant-styled garb used by the Effenol soldiers, and it still surprised me that she looked as much herself in them as she did in the flowing chitons she draped herself in at Eurybis. Laurel all but ran over to me, stopping just short of Ezra. Unease washed over her face, and I didn’t know if it was because Ezra was a Clade, because he was Kaylus’ son, or because she knew enough to be afraid of his Thanatos abilities. Either way, I instinctively stepped closer to him, close enough that our aura’s snapped together, and her eyes widened and mouth dropped open a fraction as a result.
“Would you fight for it?” she asked me after her features fell back into a more neutral expression. It took me a second to understand what she was saying. A few months back, we’d had a frank conversation about my relationship with Dove, and whether I knew if it was worth fighting for. I responded rationally — that it was too early in our relationship to make a kind of assumption like that. She basically told me that if I didn’t already have an idea, then it wasn’t worth it. Real love, or real “pre-love” isn’t rational. It takes hold of you like a dog with a bone and, if you’re smart, you hang on as tightly as you can and try to remember who you are as you spiral into the promise of forever. I looked at Ezra beside me, who remained stoic under both our scrutiny. When I looked back at Laurel, my friend, I gave a small nod.
