grandma appreciated a nice breakfast, though, come to think of it, she really couldn’t remember ever seeing her grandmother eat a nice breakfast, so she continued to shovel the food into her mouth as quickly as she could without gorging herself, all for the sake of her grandmother’s happiness.
Neither of them said much while Cadence ate. Her grandmother usually asked a million questions about school, her friends, her boyfriends, etc. but today Janette was leery of saying the wrong thing and she didn’t want Cadence to start asking her questions just yet. She’d been waiting a very long time to have this conversation and she almost thought that it would never happen. Now that it was finally upon her, she was a little nervous about the possible outcome.
When Cadence finished, Janette offered her more but she insisted she was stuffed. Then, she rinsed her plate off and placed it in the dishwasher. “Okay?” Cadence asked. “Can we talk now, please?” she asked.
Janette slowly rose from the table and reluctantly made her way into the living room. Though the sun was up now, it was nearly eight o’clock, the room had heavy curtains and not a lot of light entered the room. Eliza and Jamie were sitting in armchairs on either side of a coffee table, both of them staring intently at the screens of what appeared to be iPhones. As the ladies entered the room, they both put their devices away and gave their full attention to Janette and Cadence.
Gesturing for Cadence to have a seat on the sofa, Janette crossed over to the bookshelf. On the very top shelf, there was a well-worn photo album, one that Grandma had always cautioned the children not to touch. It was too fragile. They would see it when they were older. Now, it seemed, Cadence was old enough at last.
Sitting down next to Cadence on the sofa and resting the book beside her on the opposite side, Janette cleared her throat and slowly began to unfold the story Cadence had been waiting to hear.
“Cadence, darling, do you know what the word Clandestine means?” she asked.
Nodding her head, Cadence said, “Yes, it means secret.”
“That’s right,” Janette concurred. “What about the word Ternion?”
Cadence thought for a moment. That word did not sound familiar to her. She shook her head.
“Ternion means a set or group of three, like a triad,” she explained.
“Like a trilogy?” Cadence asked.
Janette nodded her head, “More or less. Today, you are going to learn about one of the most well kept secrets in the history of the world, the Clandestine Ternion.”
Cadence looked at Eliza and Jamie and they were both smiling reassuringly at her. “Okay,” she said quietly, grabbing a pillow off the edge of the sofa and pulling it to her chest.
“You see, the Clandestine Ternion is made up of three distinct types of beings. As of last night, you have now been introduced to all three types. Do you know what they are?”
Again, Cadence stopped to think. She was sure about two of them. “Well, Vampires,” she said, watching the rest of the group nod. Gesturing at Eliza and Jamie she said, “And Guardians.”
“Those are both correct,” Janette agreed. “And the third?”
Cadence swallowed hard, hesitating. “I take it the correct answer isn’t humans?” She watched the others shake their heads. Then, she thought back to what Eliza had told her in the car. “Hunters?” she asked meekly.
They all nodded and smiled proudly and Cadence
Neither of them said much while Cadence ate. Her grandmother usually asked a million questions about school, her friends, her boyfriends, etc. but today Janette was leery of saying the wrong thing and she didn’t want Cadence to start asking her questions just yet. She’d been waiting a very long time to have this conversation and she almost thought that it would never happen. Now that it was finally upon her, she was a little nervous about the possible outcome.
When Cadence finished, Janette offered her more but she insisted she was stuffed. Then, she rinsed her plate off and placed it in the dishwasher. “Okay?” Cadence asked. “Can we talk now, please?” she asked.
Janette slowly rose from the table and reluctantly made her way into the living room. Though the sun was up now, it was nearly eight o’clock, the room had heavy curtains and not a lot of light entered the room. Eliza and Jamie were sitting in armchairs on either side of a coffee table, both of them staring intently at the screens of what appeared to be iPhones. As the ladies entered the room, they both put their devices away and gave their full attention to Janette and Cadence.
Gesturing for Cadence to have a seat on the sofa, Janette crossed over to the bookshelf. On the very top shelf, there was a well-worn photo album, one that Grandma had always cautioned the children not to touch. It was too fragile. They would see it when they were older. Now, it seemed, Cadence was old enough at last.
Sitting down next to Cadence on the sofa and resting the book beside her on the opposite side, Janette cleared her throat and slowly began to unfold the story Cadence had been waiting to hear.
“Cadence, darling, do you know what the word Clandestine means?” she asked.
Nodding her head, Cadence said, “Yes, it means secret.”
“That’s right,” Janette concurred. “What about the word Ternion?”
Cadence thought for a moment. That word did not sound familiar to her. She shook her head.
“Ternion means a set or group of three, like a triad,” she explained.
“Like a trilogy?” Cadence asked.
Janette nodded her head, “More or less. Today, you are going to learn about one of the most well kept secrets in the history of the world, the Clandestine Ternion.”
Cadence looked at Eliza and Jamie and they were both smiling reassuringly at her. “Okay,” she said quietly, grabbing a pillow off the edge of the sofa and pulling it to her chest.
“You see, the Clandestine Ternion is made up of three distinct types of beings. As of last night, you have now been introduced to all three types. Do you know what they are?”
Again, Cadence stopped to think. She was sure about two of them. “Well, Vampires,” she said, watching the rest of the group nod. Gesturing at Eliza and Jamie she said, “And Guardians.”
“Those are both correct,” Janette agreed. “And the third?”
Cadence swallowed hard, hesitating. “I take it the correct answer isn’t humans?” She watched the others shake their heads. Then, she thought back to what Eliza had told her in the car. “Hunters?” she asked meekly.
They all nodded and smiled proudly and Cadence
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