was with his father and the Supreme One? He’d never heard an Elden mentioned before.
“You have to find her. You can’t let her escape. She’s the niece of their First Officer,” the Supreme One said.
“She was examined. They found no wings,” Barrett said.
“She’s an abomination,” the Supreme One said.
Barrett swore and Talon wondered when Elden would speak, but it was his father who spoke next. “Why didn’t you warn me there was an abomination, Elden?”
“I didn’t think she’d be a problem,” the Supreme One snapped.
Talon stared at the door, wishing he could see who was with his father. Who was Elden and why hadn’t he answered the question directed at him? He didn’t like the suspicion that was starting to form.
“You said you’d help us in our fight against them. Why aren’t we winning?” Barrett demanded.
“You can’t let her escape,” the Supreme One said.
“Stop ordering me around, Elden. I’m not your lackey.”
His father’s words filled him with dread. Placing the painting against a nearby trunk, he lay on the floor to peer under the door.
“Without me, all your people would be dead. I’m keeping you alive,” the Supreme One said. “Don’t you dare forget it. The Prilonians would wipe you out if you were no longer of use to them.”
He could only see his father’s boots and the edge of the black robe of the Supreme One.
“I’ve kept my part of the bargain, you better keep yours.”
There was a short silence before the Supreme One answered Barrett. “Don’t let the girl escape.” He strode to the door, the hem of his robes swirling around him.
Talon continued to lie on the floor, peering under the door. He watched as his father remained in place for several minutes before he swore and left the office, closing his door behind him. Talon searched as much of the office as he could see, the desk obstructing very little of his view of the floor. He was almost certain there was no one else in the room. Rising slowly to his feet, he cautiously opened the door, looking around. It was empty.
Rubbing at the ridges on his shoulder blades, he tried to ease the tightness and pain that was starting to build. What was his father thinking? And who were the Prilonians? Should he be helping Brianne? It sounded like the Supreme One was on their side. But if he was, why weren’t they winning?
Grabbing his painting, Talon closed the storage room door before he eased the door to the corridor open. Seeing it empty, he hurried out, almost running back to his room, mentally arguing with himself over what he should do. He didn’t know if he should still get robes for Brianne, but he didn’t have to decide immediately. The laundry staff wouldn’t start making deliveries and collecting the next day’s dirty linen from the House, hospital and fortress until after lunch.
Reaching his door, he checked the corridor before he knocked, using the prearranged code, and waited for Brianne to let him in. As soon as she opened it, he slid inside, locking the door behind him. Staring at her, he tried to decide what to do.
“Couldn’t you get any robes?”
“I’ve got a key to the laundry, but I can’t go until this afternoon.”
“Then what went wrong?”
Talon placed his painting face first against the wall near the door, not taking his eyes from Brianne. “How do you know something went wrong?”
“Because you look like you lost a war, not won a battle.”
He stared at her a moment longer before he looked away and crossed the room to drop onto the edge of his bed. His back tightened and he fought against letting his wings free. They’d only get in his way.
“Talon?” Brianne came to stand in front of him. When he looked up at her, she asked, “What happened?”
“Do you know the Supreme One’s name?”
She shook her head. “They have to give up their names, their families and their identities to join the House.”
“Have you heard the name Elden before?” When
“You have to find her. You can’t let her escape. She’s the niece of their First Officer,” the Supreme One said.
“She was examined. They found no wings,” Barrett said.
“She’s an abomination,” the Supreme One said.
Barrett swore and Talon wondered when Elden would speak, but it was his father who spoke next. “Why didn’t you warn me there was an abomination, Elden?”
“I didn’t think she’d be a problem,” the Supreme One snapped.
Talon stared at the door, wishing he could see who was with his father. Who was Elden and why hadn’t he answered the question directed at him? He didn’t like the suspicion that was starting to form.
“You said you’d help us in our fight against them. Why aren’t we winning?” Barrett demanded.
“You can’t let her escape,” the Supreme One said.
“Stop ordering me around, Elden. I’m not your lackey.”
His father’s words filled him with dread. Placing the painting against a nearby trunk, he lay on the floor to peer under the door.
“Without me, all your people would be dead. I’m keeping you alive,” the Supreme One said. “Don’t you dare forget it. The Prilonians would wipe you out if you were no longer of use to them.”
He could only see his father’s boots and the edge of the black robe of the Supreme One.
“I’ve kept my part of the bargain, you better keep yours.”
There was a short silence before the Supreme One answered Barrett. “Don’t let the girl escape.” He strode to the door, the hem of his robes swirling around him.
Talon continued to lie on the floor, peering under the door. He watched as his father remained in place for several minutes before he swore and left the office, closing his door behind him. Talon searched as much of the office as he could see, the desk obstructing very little of his view of the floor. He was almost certain there was no one else in the room. Rising slowly to his feet, he cautiously opened the door, looking around. It was empty.
Rubbing at the ridges on his shoulder blades, he tried to ease the tightness and pain that was starting to build. What was his father thinking? And who were the Prilonians? Should he be helping Brianne? It sounded like the Supreme One was on their side. But if he was, why weren’t they winning?
Grabbing his painting, Talon closed the storage room door before he eased the door to the corridor open. Seeing it empty, he hurried out, almost running back to his room, mentally arguing with himself over what he should do. He didn’t know if he should still get robes for Brianne, but he didn’t have to decide immediately. The laundry staff wouldn’t start making deliveries and collecting the next day’s dirty linen from the House, hospital and fortress until after lunch.
Reaching his door, he checked the corridor before he knocked, using the prearranged code, and waited for Brianne to let him in. As soon as she opened it, he slid inside, locking the door behind him. Staring at her, he tried to decide what to do.
“Couldn’t you get any robes?”
“I’ve got a key to the laundry, but I can’t go until this afternoon.”
“Then what went wrong?”
Talon placed his painting face first against the wall near the door, not taking his eyes from Brianne. “How do you know something went wrong?”
“Because you look like you lost a war, not won a battle.”
He stared at her a moment longer before he looked away and crossed the room to drop onto the edge of his bed. His back tightened and he fought against letting his wings free. They’d only get in his way.
“Talon?” Brianne came to stand in front of him. When he looked up at her, she asked, “What happened?”
“Do you know the Supreme One’s name?”
She shook her head. “They have to give up their names, their families and their identities to join the House.”
“Have you heard the name Elden before?” When
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