thanked Mother Earth for honoring my request and asked her to watch over my friends.
When we got back to the house, I made Clayton some onion and potato soup from the vegetables in the cellar. Kind as this man was to me, I was still nothing more than a servant to him.
The soup was not the feast I had been hoping for in the wagon this afternoon, but it was quick to make. I set my empty bowl on the wooden table and stared intently as drops of broth fell from the well-kept hair around Clayton’s chin.
“May I ask you a question?”
Clayton held out his bowl to me in response. I wasn’t sure what to make of the look on his face, so I refilled the bowl and asked the question anyway.
“I heard a lot of the children tonight talking about someone named Joshua.”
Clayton’s eyes narrowed in response. Somehow he managed to grunt and swallow at the same time.
“They said he isn’t… human.”
Now he chuckled. “He’s human enough. The people that lived here before us were dangerous. Conniving little gnomes they were. Joshua was one of their leaders; he helped us purge this town. No need to be afraid of him. He’s a friend to us.”
I took our bowls to the sink and acted like I was cleaning up so that I could turn away from him and brace for the next answer. “So the people who lived here before? They’re dead?” I bit my lip.
I certainly didn’t expect Clayton to laugh, but he did. “Boy, those kids in that orphanage must tell some stories. Let me set the record straight so you don’t have nightmares. The people that lived here before were sort of… magical… you know? They respond to herbs and stuff. Most could be controlled.”
Most. The word was emphasized in my head, but at least there was hope. Still, I had to get him to finish the thought. “Most?” I asked. “How did the control work? What about those who couldn’t be controlled?”
“Don’t ask too many questions about magic. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”
Try me , I thought, but kept my expression inquisitive.
“And as for those who couldn’t be controlled? Well kid, that wasn’t my job.”
He avoided my question, so I tried a different approach. “Magic? Like what happened tonight with the other kids? Do you think Joshua did that?”
Clayton visibly stiffened. “No. Joshua has been at the parliament building in meetings with us all night.”
Now I stiffened. I had hoped Joshua had been killed or “controlled,” too. After all, I couldn’t think of any reason why the humans would still need him. But he was still alive, in the town, and I was right where he had told me to wait for him.
Clayton once again misread my expression. “Don’t worry about it. Whoever cast the spell tonight will be caught. Joshua will see to that. And I’m here. You’ll be sleeping just one room over.”
My body was exhausted but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I had to come up with another excuse to disappear.
I knew exactly where I would go. No one in town knew what my father did except him and the patriarch—the appointed leader of our people. Because of the secrecy of his work, his office was located in the parliament building, near the back, toward a far corner. The entrance was hidden. He’d shown me his office once before; I was certain I could find it again. My mind sifted through images of the partially destroyed building. I was sure my father’s office was on the side that hadn’t been damaged.
At this thought my heart skipped a beat. If my father had been working during the attack, or if he had escaped, he could be in his office right now waiting for me.
Clayton eyed me pensively. Again I had to push down the bubbling fear in my stomach as I worried that my face had given away my thoughts. Thankfully, this man seemed oblivious. “I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he said, changing the subject, “but I would like to know what happened to Max.”
Sadness tugged at the corners of my mouth, an emotion that
When we got back to the house, I made Clayton some onion and potato soup from the vegetables in the cellar. Kind as this man was to me, I was still nothing more than a servant to him.
The soup was not the feast I had been hoping for in the wagon this afternoon, but it was quick to make. I set my empty bowl on the wooden table and stared intently as drops of broth fell from the well-kept hair around Clayton’s chin.
“May I ask you a question?”
Clayton held out his bowl to me in response. I wasn’t sure what to make of the look on his face, so I refilled the bowl and asked the question anyway.
“I heard a lot of the children tonight talking about someone named Joshua.”
Clayton’s eyes narrowed in response. Somehow he managed to grunt and swallow at the same time.
“They said he isn’t… human.”
Now he chuckled. “He’s human enough. The people that lived here before us were dangerous. Conniving little gnomes they were. Joshua was one of their leaders; he helped us purge this town. No need to be afraid of him. He’s a friend to us.”
I took our bowls to the sink and acted like I was cleaning up so that I could turn away from him and brace for the next answer. “So the people who lived here before? They’re dead?” I bit my lip.
I certainly didn’t expect Clayton to laugh, but he did. “Boy, those kids in that orphanage must tell some stories. Let me set the record straight so you don’t have nightmares. The people that lived here before were sort of… magical… you know? They respond to herbs and stuff. Most could be controlled.”
Most. The word was emphasized in my head, but at least there was hope. Still, I had to get him to finish the thought. “Most?” I asked. “How did the control work? What about those who couldn’t be controlled?”
“Don’t ask too many questions about magic. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”
Try me , I thought, but kept my expression inquisitive.
“And as for those who couldn’t be controlled? Well kid, that wasn’t my job.”
He avoided my question, so I tried a different approach. “Magic? Like what happened tonight with the other kids? Do you think Joshua did that?”
Clayton visibly stiffened. “No. Joshua has been at the parliament building in meetings with us all night.”
Now I stiffened. I had hoped Joshua had been killed or “controlled,” too. After all, I couldn’t think of any reason why the humans would still need him. But he was still alive, in the town, and I was right where he had told me to wait for him.
Clayton once again misread my expression. “Don’t worry about it. Whoever cast the spell tonight will be caught. Joshua will see to that. And I’m here. You’ll be sleeping just one room over.”
My body was exhausted but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I had to come up with another excuse to disappear.
I knew exactly where I would go. No one in town knew what my father did except him and the patriarch—the appointed leader of our people. Because of the secrecy of his work, his office was located in the parliament building, near the back, toward a far corner. The entrance was hidden. He’d shown me his office once before; I was certain I could find it again. My mind sifted through images of the partially destroyed building. I was sure my father’s office was on the side that hadn’t been damaged.
At this thought my heart skipped a beat. If my father had been working during the attack, or if he had escaped, he could be in his office right now waiting for me.
Clayton eyed me pensively. Again I had to push down the bubbling fear in my stomach as I worried that my face had given away my thoughts. Thankfully, this man seemed oblivious. “I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he said, changing the subject, “but I would like to know what happened to Max.”
Sadness tugged at the corners of my mouth, an emotion that
Similar Books
