Appointed by J. F. Jenkins Page A

He was even more touched by the gift when he noticed the tickets were to a special sampling of movie scores, one of Anj’s favorite things to listen to. The two made eye contact, and then he watched his brother open the box with his gift inside.
    â€œYeah,” Zes said, his voice trailing off as he focused on getting the tape off the top. “I made sure the dates lined up for when the school goes to the city over break. That way Mom can’t stop—” He finally got the box top open and pulled out the contents, a rectangular obsidian pendant hanging on a silver chain. It looked a lot like a dog tag, only without all the letters printed on it. “What’s this?”
    â€œA necklace.”
    â€œRight, but I mean, knowing you it’s not just a necklace.”
    Anj nodded, smirking. “Yes, you know me well. It has a match that I have so no matter where we are, we’ll be able to talk with one another. With you going off to some big school next year, I figured it would be more convenient than a cell phone.”
    â€œWe’re both staying at Vala for college. Wasn’t that the plan?” Zes ran his fingers over the smooth stone. “It’s beautiful. I feel something strong in here. There’s powerful magic.”
    â€œYes, and more than a simple communication spell. That might be all I’m able to use, but your magic is so much stronger than mine. Since it’s earth-based, though, you also get an extra advantage. If you look in the pendant, it will show you whatever you want to see, and you can use its power to travel through glass mirrors.”
    Zes stared down at the pendant while playing with it. “Sounds complicated. But I like it. It looks cool too. Thank you.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. I figure when you go away, then you can also use it to see Cheyenne. Just don’t get creepy and stalker-like with it,” Anj teased.
    â€œI’m not going away. I told you. I want to stay here for college too,” his brother insisted.
    â€œOh, I know. I just… ” have seen you go off to a bigger school, a normal one. But Anj couldn’t say that. “You’re so smart, Zes. You can go to any school you dream about. Sometimes I think you hold yourself back too much for my sake. With what you want to study, it would make more sense to me. That’s all.”
    Zes laughed. “You want me to go. Is that what you’re saying? Go on, be honest. You’re kicking me out!”
    â€œAre you kidding me?” Anj threw a piece of wrapping paper at his brother. “The last thing I want you to do is go away.”
    â€œI’m kidding, but in all seriousness, I like it at Vala.” Zes brought his legs up underneath him.
    Anj nodded, feeling the same way. He loved the school. It gave him a sense of belonging and security he’d never had anywhere else before.
    â€œSo we’re finally getting a pet!” Zes changed the subject. For some reason, he didn’t like to talk about what was going to happen after they graduated.
    Anj sat back in his chair and rolled his eyes. “Yes, finally. Though the idea kind of makes me nervous. It doesn’t seem all too practical to me.”
    â€œBut it’s a dog! How long have we been asking her for one of those?”
    â€œA while.” But it was more like Zes had done all of the asking.
    Anj liked animals when he felt safe around them. Most dogs made him nervous because they tended to jump and lick a lot, two things he wasn’t fond of. Gooey, slimy tongue was not a sensation he enjoyed. He liked cats more, because they were easier to take care of, independent, and came to him for attention. Still, the company would be nice. A guide dog would be well-trained, so it would put most of his fears at ease, right?
    Zes sipped his tea. “I feel like she’s making progress. Letting go a little bit. Do you think graduation has something to do with