met.” He held up his hand, showing me the thumb ring that held my energy. I had a matching one with his energy on my own digit, and we could change the colors as a simple form of communication. I nodded my head to tell him I understood, then watched as he jogged away.
Chapter Two
Journal,
Ellis called earlier. We’re still on for this Friday, she just needs to confirm with the sitter for the little Cashling.
I’m excited to hang out with her. Not that I don’t see her all the time, but it’s rarely just the two of us. I love my brother and nephew, but sometimes a little girl time is just what the doctor ordered.
I picked up another shift this week. I have to do better about saving, or I’ll end up living with Dad forever, which is dumb since I have a house. I just need it to have electricity before I move in, apparently now the wiring is a stupid fire hazard. Why does everything cost so much? Of course, if I didn’t take that month in Cancun last year I would have been able to move months ago. What’s a few more months with Dad compared to a lifetime of awesome memories from that trip?
*****
“Well, are you just going to stand there with your mouth gaping open, or are you going to come in?”
I turned around and looked at the woman, Aahana. The Elfennol, or Ethnos I suppose, don’t age the way humans do. They don’t wrinkle up and become frail. Rather, there is a stiffness to them, and a certain quality to their energy that I can’t exactly explain, other than you could just tell. The best I can do is compare them to an old redwood back in California that I would sit next to and think. There is a feeling to the ancient, a hallowed feeling of immeasurable time bearing down on you. That’s how it felt around some of the Elfennol back in Eurybis, and that was how it felt to be around Aahana. Laurel once told me among our people, the stronger you are, the longer you live. I knew that this woman was very strong indeed.
“Who are you?” I asked, refusing to walk inside without knowing more about her. Ezra said to trust her, and I did… sort of.
“My name is Aahana, and I was once from one of the lesser families within the Leoht House. Of course, that has no meaning where we are. What does have meaning is that without me stepping forward and sponsoring you, no one would have stopped Kaylus from doing to you what he did to poor Arthur.”
My mouth dropped open a little when I heard she used to be an Elfennol, and from the same House as me. Not that it meant we were related or anything. Each of the three Elfennol houses had a multitude of families within them, owing their allegiance to the head of the House with which they were allied. My father just so happened to be the head of the Leoht line.
“You were —” I started to ask, then readjusted my priorities. I usually didn’t have time to get all my questions answered at the same time, so I had to make sure and ask the important ones first. “What does it mean that you’re my sponsor?”
“It’s basically a stay of execution. If you do anything to break our laws, I will share your punishment — which will be death, of course. Ezra, too, will face the same end. My son is convinced that the hope you represent is worth risking our lives.”
“Your son? Is Ezra —” I started asking, confused since Ezra had told me his mother was dead.
“No. I am Alexander’s mother. The Elfennol don’t acknowledge their relations who have fallen to the dark side, so to speak. My son, however, disagrees. Alexander has good intent for all of our people in his heart, and he says that you do as well. I wasn’t sure about Ezra until today.”
I knew it! I knew that Alexander, my bodyguard of sorts, had some sort of ties in the Clade ranks. He’d hinted often enough about it, but it’s such a taboo subject that I couldn’t ask him in case I was wrong.
“Have you heard from him? Is he okay?” During my fight with Kaylus’s Clades the previous
Chapter Two
Journal,
Ellis called earlier. We’re still on for this Friday, she just needs to confirm with the sitter for the little Cashling.
I’m excited to hang out with her. Not that I don’t see her all the time, but it’s rarely just the two of us. I love my brother and nephew, but sometimes a little girl time is just what the doctor ordered.
I picked up another shift this week. I have to do better about saving, or I’ll end up living with Dad forever, which is dumb since I have a house. I just need it to have electricity before I move in, apparently now the wiring is a stupid fire hazard. Why does everything cost so much? Of course, if I didn’t take that month in Cancun last year I would have been able to move months ago. What’s a few more months with Dad compared to a lifetime of awesome memories from that trip?
*****
“Well, are you just going to stand there with your mouth gaping open, or are you going to come in?”
I turned around and looked at the woman, Aahana. The Elfennol, or Ethnos I suppose, don’t age the way humans do. They don’t wrinkle up and become frail. Rather, there is a stiffness to them, and a certain quality to their energy that I can’t exactly explain, other than you could just tell. The best I can do is compare them to an old redwood back in California that I would sit next to and think. There is a feeling to the ancient, a hallowed feeling of immeasurable time bearing down on you. That’s how it felt around some of the Elfennol back in Eurybis, and that was how it felt to be around Aahana. Laurel once told me among our people, the stronger you are, the longer you live. I knew that this woman was very strong indeed.
“Who are you?” I asked, refusing to walk inside without knowing more about her. Ezra said to trust her, and I did… sort of.
“My name is Aahana, and I was once from one of the lesser families within the Leoht House. Of course, that has no meaning where we are. What does have meaning is that without me stepping forward and sponsoring you, no one would have stopped Kaylus from doing to you what he did to poor Arthur.”
My mouth dropped open a little when I heard she used to be an Elfennol, and from the same House as me. Not that it meant we were related or anything. Each of the three Elfennol houses had a multitude of families within them, owing their allegiance to the head of the House with which they were allied. My father just so happened to be the head of the Leoht line.
“You were —” I started to ask, then readjusted my priorities. I usually didn’t have time to get all my questions answered at the same time, so I had to make sure and ask the important ones first. “What does it mean that you’re my sponsor?”
“It’s basically a stay of execution. If you do anything to break our laws, I will share your punishment — which will be death, of course. Ezra, too, will face the same end. My son is convinced that the hope you represent is worth risking our lives.”
“Your son? Is Ezra —” I started asking, confused since Ezra had told me his mother was dead.
“No. I am Alexander’s mother. The Elfennol don’t acknowledge their relations who have fallen to the dark side, so to speak. My son, however, disagrees. Alexander has good intent for all of our people in his heart, and he says that you do as well. I wasn’t sure about Ezra until today.”
I knew it! I knew that Alexander, my bodyguard of sorts, had some sort of ties in the Clade ranks. He’d hinted often enough about it, but it’s such a taboo subject that I couldn’t ask him in case I was wrong.
“Have you heard from him? Is he okay?” During my fight with Kaylus’s Clades the previous
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