he's vampire," Adele said and left it at that.
"I think I'll go work out for a while and then study a little." Ashe stood and walked into the house.
* * *
"My Queen, your Jewels will not return." Friesianna had finally consulted Rabis. Even with injuries, her Sentinels should have returned or sent mindspeech. Her efforts to contact them had met with silence. If any had been conscious, they would have replied.
"That cannot be," Friesianna turned away from Rabis, but he'd confirmed what she'd begun to suspect. "The talismans," she whispered.
"I cannot see them," Rabis replied.
"What does that mean?" She whirled angrily, prepared to blow Rabis away from her.
"That can only mean one thing," Rabis bowed low. "I know of your opinion concerning the Ekdi H'Morr. But it speaks of this."
"Go," Friesianna said coldly. "Get that cursed book and read it to me. Now!"
"Yes, my Queen," Rabis bowed and hurried away.
* * *
"Honored One, I know your mind is made up, but I disagree," Charles ventured.
"I gave him fifty years. That ended yesterday. Can I help it that he wasted so much time?"
"But the boy is only sixteen, Honored One. Surely he needs his father close."
"Aedan is a very good Enforcer. One of my best. Draft the message and bring it to me before you send it."
"I think he expected an extension, sir." Charles knew not to beg. "Like the others received. He believed, I think, that you would allow him to remain where he is until his wife's death. Another fifty years is nothing to a vampire."
"Except I need him here. He should be thankful I'm not recalling Nathan as well."
Charles wanted to moan in exasperation, but that was conduct unbecoming. Wlodek had his mind made up and nothing would sway him. The information Charles gathered on underage turning had not revealed anything positive on the subject. The youngest turning on record was age twelve, and that had ended in disaster—the child became insatiable and was hunted and killed.
Older children tended to be morose and depressed following their turning, choosing to walk into the sun not long afterward. Besides, Charles had read the information on the Elemaiya. Ashe Evans was already immortal. The vampire race had nothing to offer him. Wlodek hoped to keep the boy under his thumb by compulsion—vampire law prohibited the turning of any human less than eighteen for a reason. "I will do as you say, Honored One," Charles left Wlodek's study.
"But you don't like it," Wlodek muttered at Charles's retreating back.
* * *
"My King, I was able to speak with one of our sources, after much effort," the guard stood before Baltis, panting with the exertion required to return to the King's quarters. "He has already spoken with the other spy and reports strange happenings."
"What sort of happenings?" Baltis asked.
"Water turned to fire to kill your Destroyers, my King. The Queen's Jewels died as well."
"May the gates be kind," Baltis muttered.
Chapter 5
"I heard you bought a study guide," Winkler said at breakfast Friday morning.
"Two," Ashe held up two fingers. "Already started reading them. They have sample tests I can do online, too."
"You're scheduled to take it three days before school starts here," Winkler said. "I got it set up this morning. Flunk and it's Star Cove Combined for you."
"I won't flunk, Mr. Winkler."
"See that you don't. Let's go. I think you still have some files to go through."
"Yeah. I do." Ashe got up and followed Winkler and the others out of the house.
Ashe listened to the rumble of heavy construction equipment most of the day—a crew had come to pour the foundation after more electrical and water lines were laid. He watched for a few minutes after coming back from lunch. Buck was there, wearing a hard hat and supervising to make sure everything was done correctly.
Ashe handed the folders to Andy by the end of the day, pointing out two that had problems. Andy was quite happy with the results. "I think we'll have more for you on
"I think I'll go work out for a while and then study a little." Ashe stood and walked into the house.
* * *
"My Queen, your Jewels will not return." Friesianna had finally consulted Rabis. Even with injuries, her Sentinels should have returned or sent mindspeech. Her efforts to contact them had met with silence. If any had been conscious, they would have replied.
"That cannot be," Friesianna turned away from Rabis, but he'd confirmed what she'd begun to suspect. "The talismans," she whispered.
"I cannot see them," Rabis replied.
"What does that mean?" She whirled angrily, prepared to blow Rabis away from her.
"That can only mean one thing," Rabis bowed low. "I know of your opinion concerning the Ekdi H'Morr. But it speaks of this."
"Go," Friesianna said coldly. "Get that cursed book and read it to me. Now!"
"Yes, my Queen," Rabis bowed and hurried away.
* * *
"Honored One, I know your mind is made up, but I disagree," Charles ventured.
"I gave him fifty years. That ended yesterday. Can I help it that he wasted so much time?"
"But the boy is only sixteen, Honored One. Surely he needs his father close."
"Aedan is a very good Enforcer. One of my best. Draft the message and bring it to me before you send it."
"I think he expected an extension, sir." Charles knew not to beg. "Like the others received. He believed, I think, that you would allow him to remain where he is until his wife's death. Another fifty years is nothing to a vampire."
"Except I need him here. He should be thankful I'm not recalling Nathan as well."
Charles wanted to moan in exasperation, but that was conduct unbecoming. Wlodek had his mind made up and nothing would sway him. The information Charles gathered on underage turning had not revealed anything positive on the subject. The youngest turning on record was age twelve, and that had ended in disaster—the child became insatiable and was hunted and killed.
Older children tended to be morose and depressed following their turning, choosing to walk into the sun not long afterward. Besides, Charles had read the information on the Elemaiya. Ashe Evans was already immortal. The vampire race had nothing to offer him. Wlodek hoped to keep the boy under his thumb by compulsion—vampire law prohibited the turning of any human less than eighteen for a reason. "I will do as you say, Honored One," Charles left Wlodek's study.
"But you don't like it," Wlodek muttered at Charles's retreating back.
* * *
"My King, I was able to speak with one of our sources, after much effort," the guard stood before Baltis, panting with the exertion required to return to the King's quarters. "He has already spoken with the other spy and reports strange happenings."
"What sort of happenings?" Baltis asked.
"Water turned to fire to kill your Destroyers, my King. The Queen's Jewels died as well."
"May the gates be kind," Baltis muttered.
Chapter 5
"I heard you bought a study guide," Winkler said at breakfast Friday morning.
"Two," Ashe held up two fingers. "Already started reading them. They have sample tests I can do online, too."
"You're scheduled to take it three days before school starts here," Winkler said. "I got it set up this morning. Flunk and it's Star Cove Combined for you."
"I won't flunk, Mr. Winkler."
"See that you don't. Let's go. I think you still have some files to go through."
"Yeah. I do." Ashe got up and followed Winkler and the others out of the house.
Ashe listened to the rumble of heavy construction equipment most of the day—a crew had come to pour the foundation after more electrical and water lines were laid. He watched for a few minutes after coming back from lunch. Buck was there, wearing a hard hat and supervising to make sure everything was done correctly.
Ashe handed the folders to Andy by the end of the day, pointing out two that had problems. Andy was quite happy with the results. "I think we'll have more for you on
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