Discussions
Jasin discusses things
Jasin
After Glorina left, as I passed by An while I was setting things up again. "What was that bit with the Star-Stone about?" I asked. "When Glorina held it?"
"You saw that glitter of lights when I put it in her hand?"
"Ye-es," I said slowly. "I don't think I've ever seen that pattern of lights before."
"I have," An said. "When I used to sneak into Mom's jewelry box to play with it, it would do that every time I picked it up. Grandma said that it did that the first time she put it into my hands as an infant. And the first time she picked it up in the ruins."
"What does it mean?"
"Glorina is the next holder of the Star-Stone," An said, her face blank.
"Glorina?" I said. "But . . . She isn't even related to us."
"That we know of," An said. "But that doesn't really matter. I kept hoping that it would choose one of your girls, or Thrandri's daughter, but no, not a glimmer." She gave a tired half-laugh. "It's not like I have a daughter of my own to pass it to."
"You're still young, it could happen."
"Don't kid yourself, Jasin," she snapped at me. "I'm a dry branch, and we both know it."
"Sis, I . . . I . . ."
"Don't worry about it," An said, sounding exhausted. "I've had plenty of time to get used to the idea."
"An, what did happen between you and Mattan? One day everything was fine, and the next you weren't speaking to each other."
"I don't know," she said. "No, really, Jasin, I don't. But I'm sure it's not his fault."
"I'm not," I half-growled. An frowned at my tone, and I sighed and said more normally, "But I've done what you wanted, and stayed friends with him. I've hoped he'd tell me what happened, but he never has."
"Don't push it," An said. Then sighed. "We wouldn't have suited anyway."
"I just hate seeing you unhappy, Sis."
"Don't worry about me," she said. "I'm happy. Mostly."
And I had to leave it at that.
Jasin
The next morning, the big guy came down to the office, and sat down heavily with a sigh.
"What is it, sir?" I said, when he didn't say anything.
"No quips about getting rid of the couch?"
"Not this time." I put down my pencil. "What are we going to do about Glorina?"
"She's still resting. Came up for a little bit to eat a few times, but has mostly just sat, staring at the wall. Or sleeping. Jelana has been keeping an eye on her." Tolly shook his head. "An thinks we should let her recover on her own until tomorrow. If she doesn't come out of it on her own, then we can try a few things to bring her out of it." He looked over my head for a moment, then at me. "We'll need to isolate her from this 'Lord Raltin,' and anyone else that can harm her, until she's no longer in danger. An is afraid that she might be programmed to call back home if she's discovered."
"Well," I said, remembering the blank face that had told us so many horrors, so much death, yesterday, "we can't have that."
"I'm afraid we'll have to isolate her. Take away her phone, computer, anything else that she can use to contact them, try to keep her from going out. Just until we've eliminated the threat." His face was stern at that last.
"Eliminate?"
"Personally, I'd go with capturing this 'Lord Raltin' person, and hold him until he's suffered, pain for pain, shame for shame, everything which these young women have undergone. Then kill him. But both Jelana and An talked me out of it." He shook his head. "Say it would do too much damage to me."
"And that's the last thing we need," I said, trying to make my tone light again.
"Right." He looked at me solemnly. "And I want you to do it."
"Do what?"
"Take her phone and such away."
"Me, sir?" I tried not to squeak. The big guy did tend to demand a lot from his friends, but even so . . . "Why not you? Or Jelana, Belinda, or even An?"
"Even An . . . For all her excellent qualities, An isn't always the most diplomatic," Tolly said.
I snorted. She is my sister, and I love her, but still . . .
"And besides, Glorina just met her yesterday. Not a lot of time to build up trust." He thought for a moment. "Jelana is trying to build up trust, but she's scarcely known her much longer. She doesn't think she has enough to do it. Not without knocking it down. And I don't dare ask Belinda. She'll be mad at me."
"And I won't?"
"You won't make my life miserable if you are."
"I could try," I said darkly.
The big guy just laughed. Dorst, it looked like I was stuck with the task.
"And why not you?"
"I'm still working on contacting all of my friends, and some of my enemies, to find and track down this Lord Raltin, to be able to take everything of his down in one fell swoop. Without alerting him first." He shook his head. "Everyone, including you and An, seem to think I'm the one who should be in charge of all this."
"You do it so well, sir."
He just glared at me, then lumbered to his feet, and turned to go. Then turned back to me. "Poor kid. I do wonder what 'Lord Raltin' is getting out of this, though. It'd be far cheaper just to buy the paintings."
"Unless he were getting some sort of charge out of pain," I said.
"Pain, hopelessness, death," Tolly agreed, grimly. He frowned and rubbed his hand on his temple. "It reminds me of something. But I can't remember what. A long time ago, whatever it was."
Glorina was herself the next day, and came down to eat breakfast. Still a bit pale and withdrawn. She smiled wanly at me as I sat down next to her, putting my tray on the table.
"Glad to see you up and about," I said.
"I didn't expect that to take so much out of me," she said.
"What? Telling us things that you've not been allowed to say for all of your life? How could that be stressful?"
She smiled wanly again, and turned away. Dorst. I'd come on too strong.
"Glorina," I said, this time as gently as I knew how, "I'm afraid that I have to take your phone."
She jerked her head to look at me, her eyes wide.
"I don't want to do it," I added. "Also your computer."
"No, of course you have to. You think that he, my boss, still might be able to reach me, control me, if I kept them."
"Something like that."
She shuddered softly, and closed her eyes, seeming to sink into herself. "I understand. Really," she said. "When?"
"After breakfast. Take your time."
Jelana sat down across from us, with a tray full of food, and began eating with gusto.
"I'm glad to see you up and about on your own," she told her.
"Thank you for sitting with me," Glorina said softly. "I did not want to be there alone."
"I'm glad to do it, Glorina," Jelana said, taking another big bite. "I need to go home for a few days to recover my energy. But I will be back."
"That food won't do it?" Glorina said, looking at the way it was piled on her plates. "Do you always eat like this?"
Jelana laughed. "Ask him," she said, nodding at me. "I seldom eat at all."
"True," I admitted. "As far as I know, she can go for weeks without eating. And then she'll eat like that."
Glorina looked at Jelana in astonishment. "Are you not human?"
"I will tell you everything when I come back." She paused for a moment, with that rather blank expression which meant she was talking to Daved. "Or better, have Tolly bring you up to see me. That will make things easier. And Daved wants to meet you. Face to face, as it were."
"Do you think that's wise?" Daved could be frightening to those who weren't prepared.
"Who's Daved?" Glorina asked, looking slightly frightened already.
"He's um . . ." I began, not sure how to describe Daved.
"He's my husband," Jelana said firmly.
"You still look far too young to be married," Glorina said.
I blinked, and looked at Jelana again. I was so used to seeing her, and knowing who and what she was, that I'd stopped seeing her for what she looked like. In physical appearance, I was surprised to see, she looked younger than my older daughter. Far too young to be married.
She made a face at me, and then laughed. "I'm Tolly's sister, remember?" she said. "Younger sister, but not by that much."
"But he is human?"
"Too much so," Tolly's voice boomed behind us. He beamed down at Glorina. "Glad to see you up and around, Glorina."
"I'm feeling much better now," she said, shakily.
"Glad to hear it." He glanced at me. "Did you talk with her?"
"Yes, sir," I said with a sigh.
"Good, good," he said. "I'll talk to you later." He nodded at all of us, then wandered off to the next table. Glorina's eyes followed him closely.
"Tolly in host mode," Jelana said fondly. "Didn't even talk to me."
If you like this post, please consider liking, sharing, or subscribing. If you really like it, please consider leaving a tip.