it. Dad didn’t want to come out and ask you, not until you mentioned it to us or something. He said you were probably used to keeping it a big secret and wouldn’t want to talk about it until you were more comfortable with us. Didn’t want to scare you off, but Dad was going to find a way to bring it up in the next few days. There’s some, uh, family stuff you have to do. How’d you learn to Gather so quickly? It takes me longer to dry off like that.”
So. Proof of sanity. Or proof that my entire family is just as crazy? Strangely, having some weird mystical power seemed more reasonable than an entire family having joint hallucinations.
“What exactly is ‘Gathering’? And how did you already know I could do it?” I was curious to know.
“What you were just doing. It’s what we call it when you gather power. And Della, you pretty much glow half the time. Dad said he’ s never seen anything like it. You Gather all the time. What do you use all the power on?”
“ Um…,” and I was lost again.
“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” he asked.
“No, not really. I kinda just figured out how to do this a few weeks ago. I wasn’t able to do it before I moved here and I was really careful not to Gather, or whatever, in front of you guys, since I seriously thought I was going crazy.”
“Really? Huh.” He looked at me with brows down in confusion.
“What?”
“That just doesn’t make any sense. How could you not have known? You’ve been doing it since you got here,” he told me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cash. I didn’t know, and I didn’t figure out how to do it until a few weeks ago. I don’t even know what I’m doing, just that I’m doing something.” Maybe I shouldn’t have ruled out family craziness so quickly.
“Don’t bite my head off! I wasn’t accusing you of lying, I just said it doesn’t make sense. You’re going to have to talk to my dad about it. If you just found out, then you need teaching. Hell, I’m still being taught. Probably going to meet the Elfennol in the next few months and dad wants to make sure I’m ready for it. But you don’t know what I’m talking about, so never mind.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dad will explain all that. D on’t worry about it till then.” Just then Ellis’s car pulled in the driveway to pick us up. “Good, Mom’s here. I’m starving.”
I was pretty hungry myself, but also insanely curious. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of having lessons or whatever, but I really wanted to know what Connor could tell me. You can’t ex actly ask a diary questions, and so far Llewelyn’s journal had been my only source of information.
CHAPTER TEN
September 8 th , 1968
Dear Journal,
Been very busy getting Anise ready for the Elfennol, and think that she is ready to start working with a team. I’ve spoken with Henry Neale about his boys and whether they are ready. He told me some disturbing things about L, that he has been acting wild and disobedient. I see recklessness in his eyes, and with a war going on overseas I wonder if he will do something rash and enlist, as so many other boys have already done. I hurt for Anise because I fear this boy will break her young heart .
Cash and I had a brief argument over who would sit shotgun in the car, but my aunt took the decision away from us by insisting I sit up front with her since I was “a lady”. We talked all way there about shopping, and Ellis asked if I’d be interested in driving up to Virginia Beach to make a day of it with her since the island didn’t have whatever store she wanted to go to.
Uncle Connor met us at the restaurant , since he had to work late at the car dealership, and he already had a table for us when we walked in. He also had some appetizers waiting for us; he must’ve gotten there a little early.
“Did you get a lot of wor k done today, Della?” he asked, right when I was shoving a
So. Proof of sanity. Or proof that my entire family is just as crazy? Strangely, having some weird mystical power seemed more reasonable than an entire family having joint hallucinations.
“What exactly is ‘Gathering’? And how did you already know I could do it?” I was curious to know.
“What you were just doing. It’s what we call it when you gather power. And Della, you pretty much glow half the time. Dad said he’ s never seen anything like it. You Gather all the time. What do you use all the power on?”
“ Um…,” and I was lost again.
“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” he asked.
“No, not really. I kinda just figured out how to do this a few weeks ago. I wasn’t able to do it before I moved here and I was really careful not to Gather, or whatever, in front of you guys, since I seriously thought I was going crazy.”
“Really? Huh.” He looked at me with brows down in confusion.
“What?”
“That just doesn’t make any sense. How could you not have known? You’ve been doing it since you got here,” he told me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cash. I didn’t know, and I didn’t figure out how to do it until a few weeks ago. I don’t even know what I’m doing, just that I’m doing something.” Maybe I shouldn’t have ruled out family craziness so quickly.
“Don’t bite my head off! I wasn’t accusing you of lying, I just said it doesn’t make sense. You’re going to have to talk to my dad about it. If you just found out, then you need teaching. Hell, I’m still being taught. Probably going to meet the Elfennol in the next few months and dad wants to make sure I’m ready for it. But you don’t know what I’m talking about, so never mind.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dad will explain all that. D on’t worry about it till then.” Just then Ellis’s car pulled in the driveway to pick us up. “Good, Mom’s here. I’m starving.”
I was pretty hungry myself, but also insanely curious. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of having lessons or whatever, but I really wanted to know what Connor could tell me. You can’t ex actly ask a diary questions, and so far Llewelyn’s journal had been my only source of information.
CHAPTER TEN
September 8 th , 1968
Dear Journal,
Been very busy getting Anise ready for the Elfennol, and think that she is ready to start working with a team. I’ve spoken with Henry Neale about his boys and whether they are ready. He told me some disturbing things about L, that he has been acting wild and disobedient. I see recklessness in his eyes, and with a war going on overseas I wonder if he will do something rash and enlist, as so many other boys have already done. I hurt for Anise because I fear this boy will break her young heart .
Cash and I had a brief argument over who would sit shotgun in the car, but my aunt took the decision away from us by insisting I sit up front with her since I was “a lady”. We talked all way there about shopping, and Ellis asked if I’d be interested in driving up to Virginia Beach to make a day of it with her since the island didn’t have whatever store she wanted to go to.
Uncle Connor met us at the restaurant , since he had to work late at the car dealership, and he already had a table for us when we walked in. He also had some appetizers waiting for us; he must’ve gotten there a little early.
“Did you get a lot of wor k done today, Della?” he asked, right when I was shoving a
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