shimmering over her delicate nose and high cheek bones. For a second, Noy’s hair looked like it had been spun out of gold. Yet again, Tal wished she had the guts to do something with her hair besides tie it back.
“It’s yours, Jov,” Noy called to her brother and threw it into the air. The sword flickered out of sight.
“Nice! Thanks Noy,” Jov called back from the next room.
Dava pulled up a chair next to the worn wooden table. “That was a good one, what did you do to earn it?”
“Bought a homeless guy a sandwich and slipped him the money for a night at the Shelter.” Noy explained.
“Are we ready to start now?” The other occupant of the kitchen asked, turning her back to the hissing stovetop.
“Yes, Sima,” Dava murmured, straightening her brown skirt linen as she sat and tucking her caramel hair behind her ears.
Sima was seated at the head of the table. Noy moved around to sit to her left with Dava. The three girls took out notebooks and gave their teacher their full attention. Sima wore a long cotton dress with careful tailoring that created an air of flowing fabric even when seated. Around her neck was an amber pendant that complimented the golden tones in the scarf wound around her head. What may have been described as a turban, looked more fittingly like a crown. Her bright blue eyes flickered around the table.
“Before we start, does anyone need to decompress?” Sima asked looking at Tal.
“It’s getting harder,” Noy began.
Sima turned, acknowledging Noy with a gentle nod. “You’ve all moved up a level.”
“No one said it would be this hard,” Noys said her eyes on the table.
Opposite, Tal nodded and Dava shifted in her chair.
“Would it have made a difference?” Sima asked.
Noy looked up, “No. But it might have been nice if someone tried.”
“I think Sima did,” Dava commented almost under her breath.
Sima smiled and stayed silent.
“The attacks are more frequent. They’ve started coming in pairs. What does that mean? Every patrol is full on battle. We used to fight like once a month, now it seems like that’s all I do.” Noy banged the table with frustration.
Dava sighed, “I don’t think I have time in the day for any more Service. I’m supposed to be in school. It’s all I can do to keep up with the class with all the Service I’ve been doing recently. And it still doesn’t seem to be enough. I’m trying to find an edge. I keep learning the Way but nothing seems to help.”
Tal nodded sadly, “Tell me about it. I keep scanning to find the answer, or at least a vague direction. All I come up with are more stupid riddles. Last week was dancing in steel-toe capped boots. Today it was cheese sandwiches! What on earth is that supposed to mean? We should fight the toasters of bread? And my group project is going nowhere fast. Try explaining to Others that you couldn’t study because you had to spend the whole evening preventing Evil from taking over the world.”
“Couldn’t you just tell them you were busy praying?” Noy asked.
“Not if she wants to finish the project, she needs the girl to still be talking to her,” Dava quipped.
The joking didn’t actually lift the mood around the table.
Noy spoke quietly, “I feel like my Interloper is killing me. It’s like I’m at the Interloper World of Adventures amusement park, it’s taking me for such a ride. I know you’re going to tell me that it’s only as strong as I am but right now it feels three times stronger than me. How are we supposed to close the sinkhole if just getting into the Palace is such a struggle?”
Noy looked down again, not wanting to meet her friends concerned expressions.
“I think you’re doing well if yours in only three times stronger than you. Mine might as well of taken over totally.” A big tear rolled down Tal’s cheek. Dava squeezed her hand.
Sima gave everyone a moment to breath. “Your struggles are real. It is very hard. If it was easy we wouldn’t
“It’s yours, Jov,” Noy called to her brother and threw it into the air. The sword flickered out of sight.
“Nice! Thanks Noy,” Jov called back from the next room.
Dava pulled up a chair next to the worn wooden table. “That was a good one, what did you do to earn it?”
“Bought a homeless guy a sandwich and slipped him the money for a night at the Shelter.” Noy explained.
“Are we ready to start now?” The other occupant of the kitchen asked, turning her back to the hissing stovetop.
“Yes, Sima,” Dava murmured, straightening her brown skirt linen as she sat and tucking her caramel hair behind her ears.
Sima was seated at the head of the table. Noy moved around to sit to her left with Dava. The three girls took out notebooks and gave their teacher their full attention. Sima wore a long cotton dress with careful tailoring that created an air of flowing fabric even when seated. Around her neck was an amber pendant that complimented the golden tones in the scarf wound around her head. What may have been described as a turban, looked more fittingly like a crown. Her bright blue eyes flickered around the table.
“Before we start, does anyone need to decompress?” Sima asked looking at Tal.
“It’s getting harder,” Noy began.
Sima turned, acknowledging Noy with a gentle nod. “You’ve all moved up a level.”
“No one said it would be this hard,” Noys said her eyes on the table.
Opposite, Tal nodded and Dava shifted in her chair.
“Would it have made a difference?” Sima asked.
Noy looked up, “No. But it might have been nice if someone tried.”
“I think Sima did,” Dava commented almost under her breath.
Sima smiled and stayed silent.
“The attacks are more frequent. They’ve started coming in pairs. What does that mean? Every patrol is full on battle. We used to fight like once a month, now it seems like that’s all I do.” Noy banged the table with frustration.
Dava sighed, “I don’t think I have time in the day for any more Service. I’m supposed to be in school. It’s all I can do to keep up with the class with all the Service I’ve been doing recently. And it still doesn’t seem to be enough. I’m trying to find an edge. I keep learning the Way but nothing seems to help.”
Tal nodded sadly, “Tell me about it. I keep scanning to find the answer, or at least a vague direction. All I come up with are more stupid riddles. Last week was dancing in steel-toe capped boots. Today it was cheese sandwiches! What on earth is that supposed to mean? We should fight the toasters of bread? And my group project is going nowhere fast. Try explaining to Others that you couldn’t study because you had to spend the whole evening preventing Evil from taking over the world.”
“Couldn’t you just tell them you were busy praying?” Noy asked.
“Not if she wants to finish the project, she needs the girl to still be talking to her,” Dava quipped.
The joking didn’t actually lift the mood around the table.
Noy spoke quietly, “I feel like my Interloper is killing me. It’s like I’m at the Interloper World of Adventures amusement park, it’s taking me for such a ride. I know you’re going to tell me that it’s only as strong as I am but right now it feels three times stronger than me. How are we supposed to close the sinkhole if just getting into the Palace is such a struggle?”
Noy looked down again, not wanting to meet her friends concerned expressions.
“I think you’re doing well if yours in only three times stronger than you. Mine might as well of taken over totally.” A big tear rolled down Tal’s cheek. Dava squeezed her hand.
Sima gave everyone a moment to breath. “Your struggles are real. It is very hard. If it was easy we wouldn’t
Similar Books
