“Well,” Mom stood. “This is all very sudden. I wonder why Naira’s keeping secrets.”
“She’s worried about you,” I answered.
“Lars,” Aletheia suddenly offered, “Would you like to have a drink on the patio?”
“Sure!” He winked at me and followed her from the room.
Mom began to fidget with her skirt, her hands shaking and dropping the fabric.
“Would you please sit down?” I asked. She sat, holding her head in her hands. “What’s going on? Naira says you’re worried about something.”
“Well, first of all, you brought a stranger into our group before doing a mind sweep. You must not do that again.”
She was right. I hadn’t been careful at all.
“And second, I cannot believe how similar to Reyes, Lars looks. It was a shock to Aletheia when you brought Lars in. Did you see her face?”
That caught me off guard. I shook my head. “I hope I haven’t created a bad situation,”
She continued. “I’m not sure. Aletheia is a hard one to read sometimes. Hopefully it will allow her to move onto the next phase of her life. That or it will force her to leave if she can’t handle it.”
“She can’t leave, she hasn’t finished training me!”
“Now perhaps you understand why I say you must be careful before you consider who you allow to enter our circle. But by the way she was looking at Lars, I wouldn’t be surprised if she falls for him.”
We were quiet for a brief moment, considering Lars and Aletheia together. They’d make a beautiful couple. Time would tell.
“What else is troubling you?” I pressed, knowing it had to do with Naira.
“I’m worried about Naira. I’m sure by now you’ve noticed she has a different colored tail.”
“Yes.”
“She’s getting powers almost daily and I haven’t been able to talk to Tammer about it.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“You’re The Link.”
“I know.”
“There is no mention in any of the tales of The Link having siblings. There’s always been gossip about it, but most of it is hearsay. I’m starting to wonder if perhaps the gossip is true.”
“What’s the gossip?”
“It is said that if The Link has a sibling, that sibling will also have many powers - powers enough to rival The Link if need be.”
“But she’s just a child.”
“Yes, but she’s growing at an alarming rate. I’m very worried about it. At this rate she’ll enter her teen years in just a few years. The fact that she’s so very different from all of us has me worried.”
“I think she’ll be just fine, Mom.” I tried to reassure her. Naira was a wonderful little girl, sweet and kind.
“She’s my beautiful baby, Morgandy. But she could be a huge problem for you if she were to be influenced by anyone outside of our family.”
“The Dartmoth’s you mean.”
“Yes, and you’re married to one.”
“Thayde’s the love of my life!”
Mom rubbed her temples. “I know and I trust him completely. It’s his family I don’t trust.”
I knew there was something else she wasn’t telling me. “What have you heard, Mom?”
She hesitated and leaned back into the couch. She looked weak and tired – almost as if she were getting sick.
“I’ve heard from Tammer.”
I nearly jumped out of my seat. “You have? What did he say? Is Thayde okay?”
“They’re okay for the time being. They have found Limus, but there’s not much they can do at this point.”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“Tammer’s read his mind. Limus has had his memories since The Judgment removed.”
I didn’t understand. Why was that a problem?
“So?” I eased out of my chair and began to pace the room.
“It means he has no recollection of placing The Shadow into Thayde. He can’t undo what he can’t remember.”
I hesitated, trying to understand what it meant. Herra and Akin, Thayde’s adopted siblings hadn’t been seen since Troen had taken them and Limus away. Surely, they had to have been in hiding with him.
“What did Herra and Akin say?”
“They were nowhere to be found.”
“So what do we do now?”
“The guys are attempting to take Limus back to Vero Beach with them. It’s going to be difficult and could take a while. If it was just Thayde and Limus, Thayde could speed swim, but he can’t take all four of them at once. When they arrive, they’ll contact us again.”
“Morgan?”