"Yeah," he said gruffly. "No idea what it means, but he better stay out of your head."
How's your father?
I looked around again in exasperation as the voice made another appearance. What did he mean, how's my father?
Shut up. Don't talk about my father.
"Come everyone!" Donald was saying. I put everything aside and put what I assumed was a pretty smile on my face. I needed to look in control and without fear.
Caleb took my hand and whispered, "I think you're right about your blood. It's the only thing that makes sense to why you can't hear them, and only them. Don't go anywhere without me or Rodney, ok?"
I nodded.
"Friends!" Donald chimed and raised his hands in show. "Let's get started with today's activities! Would everyone please pick your partner while today's staff gets everything cleaned up?"
I made my way with Caleb, as he was explaining the game. No abilities could be used and we had to walk in zigzags instead of a straight line. Someone drew the outline for our paths on the floor with their ability and I saw that this would be challenging for sure. The paths weaved together and we had to outmaneuver our opponents.
As Caleb started to tie our legs together, with gold rope, what else, I was tapped on the shoulder by someone I couldn’t read. Donald. Another revelation hit me then. He had my blood as well, which meant that he knew about everything Marla was up to.
I smiled at him. "Yes, Donald?"
"It's not fitting for someone of your stature to play these games, Visionary. Come sit at the assembly table with us."
"What better way to get to know the people I'm supposed to be ruling than to do what they do?" He bristled, but I kept right on smiling. "Maybe the council should play as well?" I suggested and heard his disgusted grunt. "In fact," I spoke louder, "assembly members, why don't you join us?"
"Visionary," one of them muttered. The big, burly one. "We know you are young-"
"Young is in the heart, not the body," Gran interrupted as she practically sprang from her council chair. "Or has your heart grown old and wrinkled, Lucius?"
He scoffed and went back to sipping his tea from his fine china. A couple of the council members made their way down, albeit after much internal deliberation, but most stayed put, looking every bit the pompous coot they had been labeled as.
Gran touched my cheek. "You're doing pretty dang good for your first day, pretty girl."
"Yeah, well, it's just getting started," I said and blew a much needed breath.
"That it is," she said and kissed Caleb's cheek. She went to grab Maria to be her partner. I saw Jen's leg being tied by someone, a guy I'd never seen before. He was nice looking, and his thoughts were innocent and clean. He was freaking out because he had no idea that Jen would have said yes when he asked and now, he was afraid the crush he'd had on her since forever would come shining through like a stain on a white collar shirt.
"Maggie," Caleb said to get my attention, clearly not interested in looking through his sister's non-existent love life. "Are you any good at this?"
"That sounds like a challenge," I countered and laughed as we almost fell over. Caleb's strong arms could hold us together pretty good though. "I'm good enough, I guess, though I haven't played this game since Kindergarten.""And you sucked back then, if you want to know the truth," Kyle said from our side. "Just FYI."
"Oh, bite me," I laughed out.
"Mmm," Caleb grumbled low and wrapped his arms around me in a prison of arms. "That sounds like a challenge," he repeated to me.
I bit my lip and then grinned before kissing his dimple.
"Ready?" he asked. "I'm not in a losing mood, so let's teach them how the Visionary kicks it."
"Ready."
Nine
We won eight out of ten rounds.
Caleb was ecstatic. All that was missing was the puffed up chest. It was pretty adorable. At the beginning, I was thinking it was pretty silly. I mean, I was pressed against Caleb so it's not like I was really complaining, but it just seemed childish, I guess, to play these games. But I quickly learned how much fun it was, and much it brought everyone together.
The cherry picker was the worst. It sounded easy, but it wasn't at all. Kyle won and gloated endlessly about it. I kept getting cream on my nose right before I could maneuver the stem into my mouth. Kyle said it was because I was 'nosy'.
I tried not to laugh, but he was the old Kyle. The Kyle I used to hang out with and goof off. The class clown.
Even the council members who decided to join us seemed to be enjoying themselves. I think Peter and Rachel were probably the cutest. They were all proper and at attention, but as soon as the whistle rang - the whistle that blew all by itself because it too had been charmed - they took off, all business. Rachel even squealed when they won, but soon composed herself. And then just as Rodney had said, Donald sprang the trial news on us out of nowhere.
"Friends," he clapped his hands together, his scarf getting caught in his hands, "it's so good to see everyone having such a good time. Sadly, there is still business to attend and the assembly needs to convene to discuss the matter. So, if the council members will come forth and we'll meet me in the green room when we're finished."
"The green room?" I asked Caleb.
"They color code the rooms," he answered as he watched them head to the council table. "They don’t want to seem biased so if they call the room a color, instead of a function, then it seems more appealing and less threatening." I gave him a questioning look. "What would the green room be called? The sentencing room?"
"Oh," I replied and swallowed. "I get it. So this is the gold room?"
"Yep."
I nodded and licked my lips that had suddenly gone dry. "They are deciding our fate in that room, and we don’t even get to see it?"
"No one is allowed to make decisions on matters of discipline but council members."
"So this is a monarchy?" I snorted with annoyance.
"Pretty much," he said softly. "It'll be alright."
"Now," Donald started and I wondered if anyone else on the council ever got a say, "we have had an accounting of the events that took place the day that two from the Watson clan were murdered."
"Killed," Peter corrected. "In self defense."
"Apples and oranges, right?" Donald taunted and continued. "Now, I have no doubt that Caleb thought he was doing the right thing by protecting his significant, the Visionary no less, but that doesn't mean that it's acceptable to take a life."
"Not even when they tried to kill you first?" Kyle yelled.
"Not even then," Donald ground out. "I know this seems harsh, but laws are laws and we must be in accordance with them. Now, we haven't convened yet, but I'm sure you all know that the Visionary will be granted clemency for her actions regarding this matter, as she must have seen the need to do so-"
"You can't just let me off and then hang Caleb out to dry!" I yelled. Everyone looked, but I kept my eyes on the table of people trying to take the love of my life away. "If I had a good reason, then what's to say that Caleb didn't as well?"
"I say!" Donald yelled so forcefully, I leaned back a little involuntarily. "The laws are laws, missy, and if you think that just because you have that tattoo on your neck that you can come in here and change the way we've always done things so they can fit neatly into your human little box, then you are going to sorely disappointed…Visionary."
"Donald!" Peter roared.
"Don't you ever," Caleb yelled in a growl, "talk to her that way again!"
"Laws are laws, " Donald repeated even as Lucius tried to pull his sleeve and make him sit down. "It can't be denied that she was chosen, she has the mark, but that doesn't mean that she's capable of-"
"I suggest you sit before you piss off your Visionary and she does something that she might need to be granted clemency for," Caleb continued and pulled me to him closer. Then he pulled me behind him completely when Donald stood.
He gasped. "Don't you dare act as though I'd hurt her! I'm merely acting as a voice for our people!"
"A voice?" Peter asked. "It seems that you're the only voice anyone can hear. There are quite a few members beside you who have the same amount of authority as you and you have yet to let them speak."
Donald looked down the table both ways, as he was sat in the center. "Well? Someone else have anything to say?"
Lucius went to speak, but Donald cut him off without even looking. "See! They don't need to speak when it's clear that I'm being diplomatic and just. Laws are laws. And you know the one thing more important than laws? It's keeping and enforcing those laws. We can't be lackluster mentors and keepers of the way."
"That's a real pretty speech," I heard myself say, my eyes focusing on his face. I didn't want to miss a thing. "But I was sent here - the Visionary was sent here - to change things. I had a vision specifically about this- Wait, isn't there some record of the last Visionary?""Of course there is," Donald spouted and smoothed his shirt front. "But the records are sealed. Only someone who-"
"Are you saying the Visionary can't read the records on…the Visionary?" Caleb said and sighed in annoyance. "Come on, that's not even a good argument."