Areen squeezed her eyes shut.
“Surely you knew?” Bastian turned to give the woman an exasperated face Macy knew well.
“I wondered, as his gifts multiplied, but I’d hoped to be wrong. His father is a mighty man—the strength of Tolen’s gifts could have come from him.” She added with a look that dared them to argue. “It doesn’t matter now anyway.”
Macy leapt to her feet again. “Doesn’t matter! You really are insane!”
Bastian stomped over, put his hands on her shoulders and shoved her none too gently back into the chair.
“You have no idea what you are talking about, child. ” Areen’s fierce, tear-filled eyes could have burned a hole in Macy’s face. “You think you know everything about the Hidden, about the Guardians ? About the way they do things? You think you know about evil creatures and the Dark? You’re wrong. You put too much faith in your little group of Chosen children who have no clue about the real truth behind their selection.” Her hands curled into fists by her side. “You are nothing but a naïve girl. If you actually knew the truth—the things I know, you would search for the deepest hole in the ground and bury yourself in it, begging for death, rather than face what is coming. So don’t lecture me on things you know absolutely nothing about.”
Dane reached over and patted Areen’s arm. “It’s okay Areen. She’s young.”
Macy’s anger reached its peak. Who the crap did this woman think she was?
Sensing her rising anger, Bastian squeezed Macy’s shoulders before moving back to lean against the counter. “Please forgive my Chosen. She still struggles with speaking out of turn. What happened then, Areen?” He shot a cautionary glance at Macy.
Macy ripped a sucker from her pocket, shoved it in her mouth, and started humming Rachmaninoff’s sixth concerto under her breath, ignoring Dane’s glare. Areen’s accusations were spinning through her head like a hurricane, stirring up a pile of unwanted thoughts.
Areen turned her body completely away from Macy, directing her answer to Bastian alone. “Daedal left with the shard a week after Tolen was born. He said he would find a way to locate the citadel and force the Guardians to take it back. Daedal told me not to tell Tolen anything until he returned. I was to move around, hide, shield Tolen, and never let him develop the gifts that continued to come even though I didn’t teach him how to use the strength of his life force. All the while I waited for word from my husband.” She wiped her tears angrily with the back of her hand.
“When Tolen turned ten his life force grew so strong it took all I had to shield him. I no longer had the strength to continue to move us around. Tolen became depressed. He knew he was different and he didn’t like hiding. His temper would flare and he’d lose control over his gifts.”
“Green River is so small, and out of the way enough, that I knew it wouldn’t take me long to know everybody, giving me the advantage if the Dark tried to send someone after us. I’d also heard rumor that deep in the mountains east of here, the ruins of a tribe of ancient Spheres lay hidden. The Doogar and Spheres have always been on good terms so shortly after we moved here I found the ruins and restored the communication link to the Binithan. I begged the Doogar Elders for aid. I didn’t tell them any specifics about Tolen. I just said I was ill, alone, and in need of help with my young son. Two weeks later Dane and his father came. Hank was always so drunk I don’t think he ever really thought much about Tolen and me, but it didn’t take Dane long to discover Tolen was much more than the average Hidden kind, but he never told anyone, not even his father. He’s been such a good friend. Tolen has done so much better since he arrived.” She smiled tearfully at Dane and dropped her head in her hands.
Dane clumsily rubbed her back. “Tolen is one amazing kid. It’s been an honor to have
“Surely you knew?” Bastian turned to give the woman an exasperated face Macy knew well.
“I wondered, as his gifts multiplied, but I’d hoped to be wrong. His father is a mighty man—the strength of Tolen’s gifts could have come from him.” She added with a look that dared them to argue. “It doesn’t matter now anyway.”
Macy leapt to her feet again. “Doesn’t matter! You really are insane!”
Bastian stomped over, put his hands on her shoulders and shoved her none too gently back into the chair.
“You have no idea what you are talking about, child. ” Areen’s fierce, tear-filled eyes could have burned a hole in Macy’s face. “You think you know everything about the Hidden, about the Guardians ? About the way they do things? You think you know about evil creatures and the Dark? You’re wrong. You put too much faith in your little group of Chosen children who have no clue about the real truth behind their selection.” Her hands curled into fists by her side. “You are nothing but a naïve girl. If you actually knew the truth—the things I know, you would search for the deepest hole in the ground and bury yourself in it, begging for death, rather than face what is coming. So don’t lecture me on things you know absolutely nothing about.”
Dane reached over and patted Areen’s arm. “It’s okay Areen. She’s young.”
Macy’s anger reached its peak. Who the crap did this woman think she was?
Sensing her rising anger, Bastian squeezed Macy’s shoulders before moving back to lean against the counter. “Please forgive my Chosen. She still struggles with speaking out of turn. What happened then, Areen?” He shot a cautionary glance at Macy.
Macy ripped a sucker from her pocket, shoved it in her mouth, and started humming Rachmaninoff’s sixth concerto under her breath, ignoring Dane’s glare. Areen’s accusations were spinning through her head like a hurricane, stirring up a pile of unwanted thoughts.
Areen turned her body completely away from Macy, directing her answer to Bastian alone. “Daedal left with the shard a week after Tolen was born. He said he would find a way to locate the citadel and force the Guardians to take it back. Daedal told me not to tell Tolen anything until he returned. I was to move around, hide, shield Tolen, and never let him develop the gifts that continued to come even though I didn’t teach him how to use the strength of his life force. All the while I waited for word from my husband.” She wiped her tears angrily with the back of her hand.
“When Tolen turned ten his life force grew so strong it took all I had to shield him. I no longer had the strength to continue to move us around. Tolen became depressed. He knew he was different and he didn’t like hiding. His temper would flare and he’d lose control over his gifts.”
“Green River is so small, and out of the way enough, that I knew it wouldn’t take me long to know everybody, giving me the advantage if the Dark tried to send someone after us. I’d also heard rumor that deep in the mountains east of here, the ruins of a tribe of ancient Spheres lay hidden. The Doogar and Spheres have always been on good terms so shortly after we moved here I found the ruins and restored the communication link to the Binithan. I begged the Doogar Elders for aid. I didn’t tell them any specifics about Tolen. I just said I was ill, alone, and in need of help with my young son. Two weeks later Dane and his father came. Hank was always so drunk I don’t think he ever really thought much about Tolen and me, but it didn’t take Dane long to discover Tolen was much more than the average Hidden kind, but he never told anyone, not even his father. He’s been such a good friend. Tolen has done so much better since he arrived.” She smiled tearfully at Dane and dropped her head in her hands.
Dane clumsily rubbed her back. “Tolen is one amazing kid. It’s been an honor to have
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