Kelly Gay - The Hour of Dust and Ashes

I met his gaze. The intelligent light usually there was muted. A sigh of regret went through me.

“Have a seat.” He gestured to the old floral-print sofa against the wall.

Aaron took the chair by the fire as I sat down. Bryn perched next to me on the arm of the couch. An uncomfortable silence descended, which brought the tension between them into stark relief.

“So what is this place?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Looks like you’re renting it from the seven dwarves.”

A brief smile crossed his face. “It’s sanctuary. I find the house too loud, too busy this time of year with all the decorating and planning.”

“Oh, right. The New Year’s Eve shindig.” The League threw one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties in the city, going on four years now. Emma, Rex, and I had been invited and it would be our first League party. “Emma can’t wait. She’s already got her dress, shoes, and jewelry …” Unlike her mother. I had no clue what I was going to wear.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Bryn said suddenly. “She wants to help decorate the ballroom. I told her it was okay with me if it was with you. She can come early the night of and help with last-minute details, too.”

“Should be okay,” I said. “Rex will want to come, too, and make a nuisance of himself in the kitchen.” And no one could argue with that—one of Rex’s undying passions was cooking.

“While we’re on the subject of your daughter,” Aaron said, “have you given any more thought to her request to attend the League’s school?”

My eyebrow lifted. “She’s gotten to you, too, huh?”

“She did speak to me last night during her visit with Bryn.”

I went right to the biggest obstacle when it came to Emma attending the League’s school. “Honestly? I can’t afford it.” Not on my salary. Not since Will was no longer working and the child support had gone out the window. I was barely able to pay Emma’s tuition at Hope Ridge; there was no way in hell I could make the League’s astronomical tuition.

“We do take on a small number of scholarship students every year,” Aaron said. “Students who show promise academically as well as in crafting. I’ve taken the liberty of submitting my recommendation to have her considered. All you have to do is fill out the application and sign the release form so we can get a copy of her current school records. Then we can set the ball rolling.”

I blinked, totally caught off guard. Part of me was glad I couldn’t afford it because the decision was made for me.

“I can see you hadn’t expected this. I hope I didn’t overstep. My thinking was that if you knew attendance was possible … well, at least then you have options.”

“It’s fine.” Unexpected, but fine.

“She has a special gift, Charlie. Allowing her to explore it will only benefit her, challenge her, and serve as a measure of protection for her.”

I ran my fingers through my hair and sat back, staring up at the low ceiling for a moment. “I know. I just never thought my own child would be gifted like she is. I mean, my mother isn’t; I wasn’t really, not like Bryn. Will certainly wasn’t.”

“Ah, but you were. Both of you. You were able to communicate without words with Connor, your twin brother. And let’s not forget the very reason your body accepted the introduction of Charbydon and Elysian DNA was because your female line contains long-ago ancestors from both worlds. And Will demonstrated his aptitude for learning crafting, even though it was black crafting and behind your back. Gifts can skip generations, but, Charlie, I would’ve been surprised if your daughter wasn’t affected in some way.”

I sat forward again, bracing my elbows on my thighs and rubbing both hands down my face, letting out another loud breath. “She would be safer here.”

“Safer than anywhere else.”

“And learning crafting will help her protect herself and strengthen her abilities,” Bryn joined in.

“Defense and offense,” Aaron said. “She’ll study them both.”

“You do have a good academic program.”

“The best in the country. Our academic pgoes back eight years. And when we moved our headquarters here to Atlanta, the school moved locations with us. The last four years have elevated the school to one of the best in the country. Think on it … She can start spring semester, after the first of the year.”

I nodded, still a bit dazed by the turn of the conversation and the scholarship.

“So,” Bryn began after a long moment of silence. “As you know, Charlie saw the oracle last night …”

“The exorcists have all fled, left on their own or forced out,” I told him. “I think we have Grigori Tennin to thank for that.”

“ If he’s the one in charge,” Aaron mused.

“Well, there’s no doubt Tennin is a key player. If the nobles were to leave Charbydon, Tennin would become High Chief of all the jinn tribes.”

“True. But we mustn’t forget that there are nobles out there who believe in the old myths and who want war with Elysia. The Sons of Dawn might have started out as a jinn cult, with a jinn goal, but others, like Mynogan, believed.”

To most nobles it was near heresy to imply that they were related to the Adonai, that they once lived in the heaven-like world of Elysia, and were cast out into Charbydon by the Creator. That myth was so old and obscure, most people didn’t even know about it and the ones who did simply believed it was fiction. Only a small few knew it for what it was. The truth.

“Elysia is light. Charbydon is dark. Unpleasant,” Aaron said. “All it would take is exposing the First One as truth, not fiction, and the nobles will wage war for a better home, a more abundant home.”

Aaron was right. It was possible that Tennin might not be the leader of the cult. It could be a noble. Hell, Mynogan had been a noble from the royal House of Abaddon. You didn’t get much higher in status than that. He was dead, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more like him.

“Did the oracle say anything about the ash victims?” Bryn asked. “If she believed they’re possessed?”

“No,” I answered truthfully. “But we should assume they are.” And I hated to say it but added, “Even you, Bryn. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe.”

“And to that effect,” Aaron said, “the cult certainly won’t want an exorcist around to reveal the truth. They’ll want to maneuver the victims, use them …”

“Use me,” Bryn added, gaze fixed on Aaron, her words ringing with a touch of steel.

The strain between them increased with frightening speed.

Just when I thought things might escalate into something more, Bryn shrugged. “Unless they decide I’ve outlived my usefulness and have me jump off a building instead.”

Oh boy.

Hot rage mushroomed like an atom bomb, then spread out to swamp the room. An eerie, dead silence seemed to stretch for eons. Aaron went completely still, so poised it made me a little uneasy. The light was back in his eyes, making the green color brilliant. I’d never seen him like this before, this … inflamed.

But then, I’d never witnessed my sister purposefully provoke a Magnus Level warlock. I wanted to grab her hand and get her out of there before things escalated any further. And then give her a good lecture.

“What do you mean by that?” Aaron asked in a steely tone.

A smug smile twitched at the corner of Bryn’s lip. I glanced up, shot her a scolding look, and elbowed her in the thigh, jumping in before she could make things worse and start the fight she obviously wanted. “Two ash victims jumped from the Healey Building last night. We don’t know why they did it. I’ll be doing the rounds after this, talking to family, checking their homes … See if they left anything behind, a note, a reason …”