asked.
Aaron frowned. There was something decisively different about this knock. Jane’s knock had been hesitant, almost afraid. This one had a sense of power behind it. Before the second knock came, Aaron was halfway down the stairs. He saw his mum hurrying to answer it, no hint of the previous apprehension on her. She obviously thought it was Jane again.
“Mum,” Aaron called from the stairs. “Wait–”
The door opened and everyone froze.
Neriah Afton stood at the threshold. His unusual violet eyes moved from Kate’s shocked form to Aaron.
“Evening.” His deep baritone voice boomed across the house. “May I come in?”
4
Legacy Holders
For a moment no one spoke. No one moved. All eyes were on Neriah, the leader of the mages. Neriah’s gaze moved from Aaron to the shocked Kate.
“If you’re going to close the door on me, I suggest you do so, or you invite me in,” he said. “It’s rude to linger in the doorway.”
That seemed to bring Kate around. She moved, opening the door wide. “Come in.” Her voice was quiet, guarded – afraid.
Neriah stepped inside. Kate didn’t close the door. “Are...are they not coming in?” she asked and Aaron could hear the tremor in her voice.
“No, Skyler and Ella would rather wait outside,” Neriah replied.
Aaron came down a few more steps, craning his neck to see, but his mum had closed the door before he got more than a glimpse of Skyler’s ivory coat. At the sound of the door, Chris and Michael came out of the living room. They paused mid-step, staring wide-eyed at their unexpected guest.
“Neriah?” Chris said. “What are you doing here?”
Neriah smiled but his eyes remained cold. “Let’s not play this game, Chris. You know why I’m here. It’s why you gathered your family and left Salvador, is it not?”
Chris didn’t reply. He straightened up. “Aaron,” he called, but kept his eyes on Neriah. “Go upstairs.”
Aaron stood where he was.
“Aaron, now !” Chris stressed.
Kate hurried towards Aaron, looking like she was going to drag him by the hand and stand guard in front of his door.
“Stay where you are, Kate,” Neriah instructed and to Aaron’s surprise, Kate obeyed, halting mid-step.
Neriah walked over to the stairs, all the while staring at Chris, his look clear to read: stop me if you dare . But when his violet eyes turned to Aaron, they softened, the anger dissipating a little.
“If you have a few minutes,” he said. “I would like to talk to you.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say. What could Neriah want from him? He opened his mouth but before he could get out a word, his dad had stepped between them, facing Neriah.
“No,” Chris said, his voice low and determined.
Neriah only glanced at him before focusing on Aaron again. “It won’t take long,” he said.
“Go to your room, Aaron,” Chris repeated. “Don’t come out until I say.”
“But–” Aaron started.
“Go!” Chris snapped.
Aaron looked over at his mum and she nodded at him. “Go,” she urged quietly.
Aaron turned to climb the stairs, glancing at his uncle, who was staring at Chris and Neriah, looking more than a little worried.
“You’ll want to hear what I have to say, Aaron,” Neriah called, halting him.
“You won’t be saying anything to him!” Chris seethed. “I told you, Aaron’s not going to be a part of it.”
“He already is,” Neriah said.
“Dammit, Neriah, leave him out of this,” Chris said. “I don’t want him involved.”
“That’s just the thing.” Neriah turned to look at Chris at last. “It’s not up to you.”
“Neriah.” Kate’s voice was quieter, softer. “Please. He’s only fourteen. Don’t drag him into–”
“If I wanted to drag him, I would already have done so,” Neriah cut her off, but his eyes remained on Chris. “The decision to get involved lies with Aaron, not with you, or with me – only him.”
“Neriah–” Chris started.
Neriah raised a hand and
Aaron frowned. There was something decisively different about this knock. Jane’s knock had been hesitant, almost afraid. This one had a sense of power behind it. Before the second knock came, Aaron was halfway down the stairs. He saw his mum hurrying to answer it, no hint of the previous apprehension on her. She obviously thought it was Jane again.
“Mum,” Aaron called from the stairs. “Wait–”
The door opened and everyone froze.
Neriah Afton stood at the threshold. His unusual violet eyes moved from Kate’s shocked form to Aaron.
“Evening.” His deep baritone voice boomed across the house. “May I come in?”
4
Legacy Holders
For a moment no one spoke. No one moved. All eyes were on Neriah, the leader of the mages. Neriah’s gaze moved from Aaron to the shocked Kate.
“If you’re going to close the door on me, I suggest you do so, or you invite me in,” he said. “It’s rude to linger in the doorway.”
That seemed to bring Kate around. She moved, opening the door wide. “Come in.” Her voice was quiet, guarded – afraid.
Neriah stepped inside. Kate didn’t close the door. “Are...are they not coming in?” she asked and Aaron could hear the tremor in her voice.
“No, Skyler and Ella would rather wait outside,” Neriah replied.
Aaron came down a few more steps, craning his neck to see, but his mum had closed the door before he got more than a glimpse of Skyler’s ivory coat. At the sound of the door, Chris and Michael came out of the living room. They paused mid-step, staring wide-eyed at their unexpected guest.
“Neriah?” Chris said. “What are you doing here?”
Neriah smiled but his eyes remained cold. “Let’s not play this game, Chris. You know why I’m here. It’s why you gathered your family and left Salvador, is it not?”
Chris didn’t reply. He straightened up. “Aaron,” he called, but kept his eyes on Neriah. “Go upstairs.”
Aaron stood where he was.
“Aaron, now !” Chris stressed.
Kate hurried towards Aaron, looking like she was going to drag him by the hand and stand guard in front of his door.
“Stay where you are, Kate,” Neriah instructed and to Aaron’s surprise, Kate obeyed, halting mid-step.
Neriah walked over to the stairs, all the while staring at Chris, his look clear to read: stop me if you dare . But when his violet eyes turned to Aaron, they softened, the anger dissipating a little.
“If you have a few minutes,” he said. “I would like to talk to you.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say. What could Neriah want from him? He opened his mouth but before he could get out a word, his dad had stepped between them, facing Neriah.
“No,” Chris said, his voice low and determined.
Neriah only glanced at him before focusing on Aaron again. “It won’t take long,” he said.
“Go to your room, Aaron,” Chris repeated. “Don’t come out until I say.”
“But–” Aaron started.
“Go!” Chris snapped.
Aaron looked over at his mum and she nodded at him. “Go,” she urged quietly.
Aaron turned to climb the stairs, glancing at his uncle, who was staring at Chris and Neriah, looking more than a little worried.
“You’ll want to hear what I have to say, Aaron,” Neriah called, halting him.
“You won’t be saying anything to him!” Chris seethed. “I told you, Aaron’s not going to be a part of it.”
“He already is,” Neriah said.
“Dammit, Neriah, leave him out of this,” Chris said. “I don’t want him involved.”
“That’s just the thing.” Neriah turned to look at Chris at last. “It’s not up to you.”
“Neriah.” Kate’s voice was quieter, softer. “Please. He’s only fourteen. Don’t drag him into–”
“If I wanted to drag him, I would already have done so,” Neriah cut her off, but his eyes remained on Chris. “The decision to get involved lies with Aaron, not with you, or with me – only him.”
“Neriah–” Chris started.
Neriah raised a hand and
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