“I don’t believe an evil father necessarily means they’d be evil as well. Just like I’m sure having you for a mother doesn’t mean they’ll be so . . . adventurous, shall we say,” Aneurin stated, leaning back in his chair. A smug grin split his features and his eyes dared her to say something.
Passion bit her tongue as she clutched the arms of the chair. Her knuckles turned white from the intensity of her grasp. She swallowed and relaxed her grasp, exhaling as she forced herself to settle down. Eventually, she was able to sit back in the chair and fold her hands in her lap. Aneurin looked somewhat impressed.
“Well, this has been illuminating,” he said, marking something on the parchment in front of him. “Thank you, Passion. You may leave now.”
Passion got up, forcing her stiff legs not to shake at the sudden weight. Her whole body ached and she made a mental note to go for a swim. She strode toward the door and her hand just settled on the lever when Aneurin’s voice stopped her.
“Passion?”
She froze, not bothering to turn around, knowing he would speak again.
“Let’s remember the chain of command, shall we?” he stated. From the low sound of his voice, he wasn’t even looking at her. She lowered her head before pushing the lever down and pulling the door open. There were so many smart comebacks she could think of, but she bit her tongue again.
Aneurin smiled as he placed the parchment back in his satchel. He had found the interview rather entertaining, as they usually were. He pulled out a new sheet of parchment, studying the sketch at the top of the parchment.
“Merrick,” Aneurin called out to the head water guardian who had accompanied him. The man stepped into the open doorway, his small eyes fixing on the guardian king. Aneurin looked up from the parchment.
“Would you mind sending a messenger to summon Electra?”
“Right away, sir,” he said with a nod.
Two minutes later Electra swaggered into the cold room. She wore her normal attire: jeans with an ordinary cranberry-colored backless top, something a human or shape shifter would wear. Her black shoes had a small heel on them, which clicked with each step she took. She never dressed properly and Aneurin couldn’t do anything about it, since she didn’t have an official title or apprenticeship yet. He let out a quiet sigh of disappointment. He never thought he’d come across a guardian more detrimental to guardian traditions than Passion. That was before Electra had been born.
“Please, have a seat,” Aneurin gestured to the chair that was across the table from him.
Electra grabbed the chair and slid it around. She straddled it backward, resting her hands on the chair’s head, looking at him with her piercing hazel eyes. They were green with little flecks of gold.
“Electra, I haven’t seen you in a while,” Aneurin began, looking pointedly at the way Electra was sitting on the chair. Electra, being her mother’s daughter, ignored him.
“You should visit more often,” she replied with a smile. She always acted civil and showed a modicum of respect, if only to appease him. Still, she remained rebellious to show him that he didn’t own her. Her mother had trained her well, as had Jet and Lilly’s children. It had been two years since his last assessment and Electra hadn’t noticeably changed in that time.
“I see you still insist on dressing so,” Aneurin gestured at her, “commonly.”
“I seem to remember Mom turning your face red last time. Shame she didn’t do it again, I really liked the color on you,” Electra responded as she crossed her wrists.
“So much for pleasantries,” Aneurin remarked as he scribbled a note on the parchment in front of him. “You’re so much like your mother.”
Electra shrugged, smiling wider. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“I guess it can be taken that way,” Aneurin agreed with a nod. “Of course, you wouldn’t want to repeat her mistakes, would you?”
Electra’s smile melted away and her eyes flashed. Aneurin folded his hands on top of the page in front of him and smiled sympathetically at the young guardian.
“I understand you’ve finally met your sister and have been teaching the young woman,” he continued.
“Yes. Jade and Remington have been helping me,” Electra responded, suspicion clouding her eyes. She had hoped to keep her sister out of this. After all, her twin was more shape shifter than guardian since she lived on Earth with the protectors. But she was a daughter of the Meadows since her mother was a guardian; therefore she was considered one as well.
“I see. You two are getting along than?”
“We’re sisters — more than that we’re twins,” Electra frowned, confusion reflecting on her face.
“And you were both lied to,” Aneurin added. “Kept in the dark for no reason other than your mother couldn’t face up to her past . . . indiscretions.”
“I highly doubt it was that simple,” Electra responded, a hint of bitterness in her voice. Aneurin raised his eyebrow, deducting that there was still tension between Electra and Passion. She hadn’t yet forgiven her mother for keeping her in the dark, even if she recognized that Passion hadn’t done it for malicious or selfish reasons.
“You’d be surprised,” Aneurin was quick to retort. “I assume you told your sister about your father.”
Electra gritted her teeth. “I have.”
Aneurin leaned forward as though he were about to share a secret. “Wasn’t so difficult, was it?”
“For me, no. But I wasn’t the one forced to abandon her solely because some old-fashioned guardians with perhaps more power than is wise think punishment more important than compassion and understanding,” Electra replied, leaning forward a little. “I mean honestly, what did you hope to accomplish with that sentence?”
“I know it may be hard for you to understand, but our laws are in place for a reason,” Aneurin answered. Electra clenched her fists, not responding.
“Your eyes tell me that I’ve upset you,” Aneurin commented as he tapped the end of his pen on the parchment in a slow rhythmic pattern. Electra closed her eyes briefly and let out a slow breath, remaining calm and collected. When she was angry, her eyes often turned a stormy gray color. When she opened her eyes again, they were back to the hazel color they had been when she entered. A courteous smile found its way back onto her face and her hands relaxed.
“Not at all,” she replied in a remarkably composed voice.
“Good,” he said. “I’d hate for you to be upset with me over a misunderstanding. Would you mind fetching your sister for me? I wish to meet her.”
Electra opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. No matter how Aneurin made it sound, he didn’t make requests. He granted her the courtesy of asking, but if she refused then he would send someone else. Electra rose from the chair and turned to leave the interrogation room.
“Electra,” Aneurin stated, his eyes never leaving her back. Electra turned and waited for him to speak.
“Before I forget, would you mind going over the rules of courtship? I think it would be very beneficial for the younger guardians to have a little . . . refresher,” he stated with another pleasant smile. “That’ll be all.”
Electra clenched her jaw, annoyed by the insinuation. After a moment, she shook her head and disappeared from the room in a flash of silver light.
*~*~*~*~*
Isis walked into what looked like a typical interrogation room, mentally groaning. She didn’t think any place in the Meadows could be so dreary. The room had a cold feeling to it, even though the air was perfect — as it always was in the guardians’ home world.
A man sat in one of the chairs flipping through a few papers. He had dark hair and light-blue eyes. The way he was dressed reminded Isis of an ancient deity: a fancy blue tunic with golden trim around the neck and sleeves. He looked up at her and did a double take. Isis tilted her head, unsure what the problem was.
“Forgive me,” the man said with a friendly laugh. “You’re the spitting image of your sister.�
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Isis frowned. “Yes, I think that’s the definition of identical twins.”
The man’s smile didn’t fade, but his eyes hardened momentarily. “Matching sense of humor too, I see.”
God dammit, Isis thought, angry with herself for the small slip. How did she do that? Sometimes it felt as though she were born on everyone’s bad side. Even the guardian man she had passed on her way into the room glared at her as though she had spat on him. No matter, she’d given Electra her word that she’d behave and that was precisely what Isis planned to do.
“Please have a seat,” the man gestured to the chair across from him.
Isis sat in the smooth chair placed in front of the clean table. He smiled at her, but to Isis it looked like a smirk. She smiled back, sure that her grin probably looked just as phony.
“So, Isis, at last we properly meet. The last time I saw you was shortly after your birth, right before Jet brought you to Earth. I’m Aneurin, leader of the guardian men,” he introduced himself as he looked down to the parchment in front of him, his eyes going back and forth as he skimmed the small amount of writing on it. “I’ve heard a lot about you over the years.”
“All good I hope,” Isis jested, hoping to come off as endearing. When Electra had arrived to retrieve her, she had been furious. In the short time she had known Electra, Isis had never seen her sister so angry and was actually a little frightened of her. Isis assumed that it was the man in front of her who had infuriated Electra. She had warned her about the man Isis was about to see. Apparently, he was the most passive aggressive twit that Isis would ever meet.
“Mostly,” Aneurin responded without any trace of humor, but still in a conversational tone. “Your great-grandmother tells me you have a clear understanding of the rules and laws of the guardians.”
“Uh, yeah, mostly,” Isis said, answering what she perceived to be a question. “I’m sure there’s a lot more I have to learn though.”
Despite her confidant tone, Isis was feeling more than a little uncomfortable and would rather have been just about anywhere else. She had never liked meeting strangers one on one, and the environment wasn’t helping at all.
“I understand Electra has told you about the lineage on your paternal side?” Aneurin asked as he glanced at the parchment in front of him again. I’ve just met him and he already has some kind of file on me? That can’t be good, Isis thought as she looked at the parchment in front of Aneurin. On the bright side, it was just one sheet. That was a comfort, a small one, granted, but still . . .
“She has and I’ve heard some things about Roan from Jet, Lilly, and Remington too,” Isis responded. “Would you mind my asking what this is about?”
Aneurin clicked his tongue and scribbled something down on the parchment. “You’ve inherited your mother’s impatience, I see.”
“I’m sorry,” Isis responded. She hated the sound of someone clicking their tongue, especially when it was directed at her. It was one of the most condescending sounds and it usually meant that someone was about to talk down to her, which was one of her many pet peeves.
“No, no, it is probably my fault. I do tend to go on and on. When you’ve lived as long as I have, it’s difficult not to do,” Aneurin responded in a mildly boastful tone. Isis scrunched up her nose a little and squinted at him, running her tongue over the backs of her teeth.
“I see that a mysterious figure has been following you around. Do you have any theories about the identity of this shadow?” Aneurin asked, his tone changing a little at the word “shadow.” Isis decided to ignore it for the time being.
“No, I don’t,” she replied, brushing some hair behind her ear. “Maybe you have one?”
“Do you really think this shadow exists?” Aneurin asked with mild concern. Isis squinted again, staring at the guardian in bewilderment.
“I . . . don’t understand the question. Are you implying that I was hallucinating or something?” Isis asked, trying not to jump to conclusions. The room seemed to shrink a few inches, taking on an almost claustrophobic atmosphere.
Aneurin shook his head as he continued to smile. “I’m not implying anything. It’s just you’re the only one who has actually seen this figure and even you really haven’t seen him. It is a valid question, Isis.”
“Wait, what?” She had to be misunderstanding something. If he was asking what she thought he was, then he was probably one of the most obnoxious people Isis had ever met.
“Isis, I understand you’ve had a pretty difficult life. You grew up human in a family that was, quite frankly, human. You’ve always been a bit of an outsider, which is to be expected considering you were being raised as a species that you were not, something we try to prevent.”
“Excuse me, sir, but I resent that implication. I had a pretty decent life. Those ordinary humans you speak of with such disdain took me in and loved me as their daughter. So, I’d thank you not to look down on them,” Isis interrupted. She had issues with members of her extended family, but she would be damned if she let this . . . man talk shit about her nuclear family. That was crossing a line.
“Could this shadow possibly be a figment of your imagination, maybe like an imaginary friend?” he kept needling her, ignoring her interruption. Isis’ jaw dropped open and she stared at him for a moment, not sure how to respond. After a moment, she raised her hand, gathering her thoughts.
“Whoa, whoa, hang on. If it was a figment of my imagination, how do you explain the missing flashdrive?”
“Well, sometimes people take things and they don’t know they do—”
“You think I took it?” Isis asked in disbelief, trying to keep her voice down. She was shocked at the guardian’s insinuations. Isis had been insulted plenty of times in her life, even accused of things she hadn’t done, but his accusations were just plain bizarre. He thought she’d taken something that could technically be considered a tool of war, if what she’d heard about it was true.
“I don’t think you meant to,” Aneurin replied and Isis narrowed her eyes. She really didn’t like how close his tone was to pity. He began to tap his pen on the table again, which made her ire rise even more.
“We’re going to be here for a while, aren’t we?” Isis finally asked with a sigh. Aneurin smiled as he watched her.
“Just that much more time to get to know each other,” he replied. She tilted her chair back and crossed her arms over her chest. She was nothing if not resilient and could hold out for as long as he could.
“Well then, let’s explore this ‘theory’ of yours,” Isis said, making quote marks with her fingers around the word “theory.” “I’m absolutely fascinated by it. And while we’re on the topic, I would love some clarification of this Key prophecy, since I hear only members of the High Council have actually read it.”
*~*~*~*~*
“She’s been gone an awfully long time.”
Jade gave Alex a warning look and shook her head, cautioning her to tread very carefully. Alex shrugged and held up the target bag for Jade to kick. They were in the boxing ring in the training room. Electra was sitting on the benches against the wall and Shae was sitting next to her, peeling an orange. The sun was setting, casting dark orange squares on the floor. The bright lights above them had been turned on an hour ago.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Shae commented, gently bumping Electra with her shoulder. “My cousin has a temper, but she’s also very talented when it comes to difficult authority figures.”
“This is the same woman who was fired from three jobs for issues with authority,” Alex pointed out, stumbling back a few steps when Jade kicked the target with much more force than was necessary.
“Hey, only two of those firings were technically her fault. The third was a totally unfair firing: that was her boss playing politics,” Shae argued. “Isis was a good photojournalist and she was fired because she did her job.”
“I appreciate your attempting to reassure me, but Isis has never encountered a guard
ian on a power trip,” Electra said, raising her arm so she could play with the light from the setting sun.
Jade shrugged. “Aneurin’s probably just—”
“Tormenting her,” Electra interrupted, pulling her legs up so that she could sit cross-legged on the relatively narrow surface.
“Has a lot of questions,” Jade finished her thought, glancing over to Electra. “It’s the first time he’s seen her and he just wants to . . . feel her out, for lack of a better term.”
Alex’s face scrunched up. “Ooh, there is no way you could phrase that without it sounding wrong.”
Jade laughed and spun around, striking the target bag with impressive accuracy. Shae leaned against Electra, resting her chin on the young guardian’s shoulder.
“Would you feel better if I called Isis?” she asked with her usual mischievous smile. “She never remembers to turn her phone on silent and I downloaded some . . . well, let’s just call them risqué ringtones.”
No sooner had she finished speaking then a bright silver light began to form off to the side. There was a quiet sound, similar to breaking glass but not as harsh, and within a few seconds Isis was standing there. To everyone’s great surprise, she didn’t look infuriated or murderous.
“I’m never going to get used to that,” she muttered to herself, glancing around the room. She noticed the four other women in the room, staring at her in varying states of surprise. Isis twisted to look behind her and then turned her attention to them again, spreading her hands with an expectant expression.
“Dammit, Isis. I was just about to call you,” Shae said, snapping her fingers in disappointment. “I had the most perfect ringtone set up and everything.”
“You didn’t,” Isis pulled out her phone, unlocking the screen. “For fucks sake, Shae. That’s not funny. I hate it when you do shit like that.”
“Isis, what happened? You were gone for a long time,” Electra mentioned.
“He asked me questions and I answered them,” Isis mumbled, still focusing on her phone.
Sere from the Green (The Shape Shifter Chronicles Book 1) Page 26