The Inner Circle: Holy Spirit by Cael McIntosh Page A

immediately. With your blessing, I will send scouts
ahead to meet with the Elglair.’
    ‘ Yesh.’ Seeol bobbed
his head. ‘But don’t trust Far-a-mael.’
    ‘ He is their
leader?’
    ‘ Yes.’
    ‘ We will never trust
them too much, Holy Spirit,’ Harundor said reassuringly. ‘The
Elglair abandoned You long ago. We know this just as You know that
we are your true people.’
    ‘ They did abandon
me.’ Seeol gaped at Harundor, surprised by his knowledge. How could
he have known that El-i-miir and the others abandoned him in the
tool shed? The king truly must be a powerful man. ‘But we must find
them all the same.’
    ‘ Of course.’ The king
bowed as he moved away. ‘An alliance is the only way we will be
strong enough to take Old World.
    ‘ Yes.’ Seeol tilted
his head, uncertain as to where exactly the king was planning to
take Old World. He might’ve enquired further, but Harundor scurried
away to carry out his duties.
    ‘ My Lord, Holy
Spirit, the Hand of Maker, our Father from above,’ said a girl
several years younger than Seteal as she approached in a silky
maroon dress. She wore a single golden glove patterned in leaf-work
embroidery and had rich red hair that tumbled down her back. ‘I am
your humble slave, Ieane. Of course, you may call me whatever you
wish. King Harundor has asked me to show you to your personal
chambers.’ She raised her gloved hand, allowing Seeol to step up
onto her fingers.
    ‘ Yes, please, Ieane.’
Seeol bobbed his head in agreement. ‘We will be good friends and
you will not be a slave because you are my friend.’
    ‘ As you wish, Holy
Spirit.’ The girl bowed her head respectfully before making her way
inside, Seeol perched on her decorative glove. A short trip along
darkly lit stone corridors led to a rather old-looking door. At the
top of the door, a square hole had been carved hastily to allow for
the comings and goings of an elf owl. A small maroon curtain hung
in the owl-sized entrance out of respect for Seeol’s privacy. Not
that he really needed any. He was only an elf owl, after all.
Seteal and the others made sure to remind him of that.
    ‘ Your chambers, my
Lord,’ Ieane raised her hand toward the square entrance.
    ‘ For me?’ Seeol
stepped into the opening and nuzzled the curtain aside. ‘Can I look
and play?’
    ‘ You may do as you
wish, my Father,’ Ieane replied, her eyes downcast.
    ‘ Thank you.’ Seeol
tilted his head, confused as to how the girl might’ve mistaken him
for her father. But of course, these people called him a lot of
unfamiliar names. It didn’t bother Seeol. He was happy just to have
so many new friends. Not so long ago, Seeol hadn’t even had a name.
He’d accepted Seeol only because it was what the others chose to
call him. Why not allow the Jenjen the same opportunity?
    Seeol flew down into the chamber. It
was all too much. The bed could’ve fit several humans. There was a
table and chairs. There were mirrors and bookshelves. There was
even a large clock. Seeol practiced his laugh and flew back to the
doorway.
    ‘ Come in! Come in,
Ieane.’
    ‘ May I?’ a deep voice
rumbled. It was not Ieane’s. The girl stood behind a tall slender
man wearing an imposing green robe. He had black hair and dark
eyes.
    ‘ Come in,’ Seeol
replied with caution, before flying toward his table and coming to
rest on the back of a chair. The main door opened to reveal the
strange man returning a key to Ieane before entering.
    ‘ I am Den Damah.’ The
tall man bowed several strides from Seeol’s chair. ‘High Priest of
Veret.’
    ‘ Yes.’ Seeol shrugged
his wings.
    ‘ Yes . . . ?’ High
Priest Damah narrowed his eyes. ‘As the all-knowing Hand of Maker,
you must know the truth of my secret.’
    ‘ I know many naughty
secrets,’ Seeol said in confusion. Had the stranger learnt of
Seeol’s past misdeeds?
    ‘ I’m certain you do.’
Damah’s voice quivered anxiously. ‘But I’m humbly asking if you
might explain