same thick, protruding lower jaw, and he had it raised proudly (as usual).
“Good for you,” I said.
“Someone has to do it,” he grunted.
I chuckled. “You, too, huh?”
“Let him be,” Ketheria said. “He makes a good bodyguard.”
“Do you need a bodyguard now?” I asked.
“So they tell me.”
I didn’t want to get into an argument with my sister, so I turned away to admire the room.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“It’s my place,” she replied.
“You mean you’re not staying with us?” I knew it was a dumb question.
Ketheria shook her head, smiling and resting herself on a long cushion on the floor near a shallow metal pan. A blue flame flickered from is center. Ketheria tapped the cushion, inviting me to sit, which I did. I couldn’t help but think how much older she seemed.
“Isn’t it amazing?” she gushed.
“Isn’t
what
amazing?”
“All of this,” she replied, stretching her arms out.
“Is it? I wouldn’t know.”
Ketheria frowned. “Why do you have to be like that? Aren’t you the one who always talked about having some sort of purpose on Orbis, something to do? That’s all you ever talked about. I loved listening to your stories about the rings when we were on the
Renaissance.
Now we have everything you ever wanted. Why is this so hard for you to accept?”
“Because I don’t see it that way at all.”
“What do you mean?”
I stood up, feeling an argument coming on again. I inspected the room once more and noticed several antechambers that led from this main room, each with the same sparkling walls. The place was so still, I could hear myself breathe.
“We didn’t get to pick this,” I said, turning back to her. “You didn’t choose to be the Scion. I don’t even know what you are, really.”
“Some things choose us, JT.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t make sense. Why us? I think they know more and they’re not telling us. That scares me, Ketheria, and it should scare you as well. You know their history, their greed. This doesn’t feel right.”
“Who? Who are you talking about?”
“
Them,
Ketheria. All of
them.
The Trading Council, the Citizens, the Trust, even the Keepers. This is their world, not ours.”
“I’m not the one who has changed, JT. Listen to yourself. This is not the brother I know. You couldn’t wait to get to the Rings of Orbis and start a new life, and now you’re going to be the Tonat.”
“No, I’m not!”
Ketheria cocked her head at me. The swirling in her eyes intensified, and I looked away. It was freaking me out. When I turned back, Ketheria had a large book opened on her lap and she was reading something. The book’s pages were yellowed, and its edges looked tattered.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s a book,” she replied.
“I know that, but why do you have it?”
“The Nagools gave it to me.” Ketheria closed the book and slipped it partly under the cushion. It was too thick to go willingly.
“Don’t do that, Ketheria.”
“Do what?”
“Be like them,” I said. “Toy with your answers when you know the truth. I’m your brother. I deserve the truth.”
“Sit down,” she said. It was an order, and I obeyed.
“You must stop this. It’s only a book. It helps me understand the reactions of those around me. The awakening is not finished yet. There are fourteen stages in all, and there is much I have to learn. That’s why I have this book. That is all, nothing more.”
“What do you have to learn?”
Then Ketheria reached up to the metal band that wrapped around her head and removed it with a click.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” I said.
“The Nagools showed me how.”
Ketheria turned it over and pointed at the underside. “See that?” she said.
I leaned in and saw an OIO symbol carved into the metal behind the amber crystal. “Yeah. What does it mean?”
“The person who made this knew he was making it for me.”
“That’s impossible.”
“That’s
“Good for you,” I said.
“Someone has to do it,” he grunted.
I chuckled. “You, too, huh?”
“Let him be,” Ketheria said. “He makes a good bodyguard.”
“Do you need a bodyguard now?” I asked.
“So they tell me.”
I didn’t want to get into an argument with my sister, so I turned away to admire the room.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“It’s my place,” she replied.
“You mean you’re not staying with us?” I knew it was a dumb question.
Ketheria shook her head, smiling and resting herself on a long cushion on the floor near a shallow metal pan. A blue flame flickered from is center. Ketheria tapped the cushion, inviting me to sit, which I did. I couldn’t help but think how much older she seemed.
“Isn’t it amazing?” she gushed.
“Isn’t
what
amazing?”
“All of this,” she replied, stretching her arms out.
“Is it? I wouldn’t know.”
Ketheria frowned. “Why do you have to be like that? Aren’t you the one who always talked about having some sort of purpose on Orbis, something to do? That’s all you ever talked about. I loved listening to your stories about the rings when we were on the
Renaissance.
Now we have everything you ever wanted. Why is this so hard for you to accept?”
“Because I don’t see it that way at all.”
“What do you mean?”
I stood up, feeling an argument coming on again. I inspected the room once more and noticed several antechambers that led from this main room, each with the same sparkling walls. The place was so still, I could hear myself breathe.
“We didn’t get to pick this,” I said, turning back to her. “You didn’t choose to be the Scion. I don’t even know what you are, really.”
“Some things choose us, JT.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t make sense. Why us? I think they know more and they’re not telling us. That scares me, Ketheria, and it should scare you as well. You know their history, their greed. This doesn’t feel right.”
“Who? Who are you talking about?”
“
Them,
Ketheria. All of
them.
The Trading Council, the Citizens, the Trust, even the Keepers. This is their world, not ours.”
“I’m not the one who has changed, JT. Listen to yourself. This is not the brother I know. You couldn’t wait to get to the Rings of Orbis and start a new life, and now you’re going to be the Tonat.”
“No, I’m not!”
Ketheria cocked her head at me. The swirling in her eyes intensified, and I looked away. It was freaking me out. When I turned back, Ketheria had a large book opened on her lap and she was reading something. The book’s pages were yellowed, and its edges looked tattered.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s a book,” she replied.
“I know that, but why do you have it?”
“The Nagools gave it to me.” Ketheria closed the book and slipped it partly under the cushion. It was too thick to go willingly.
“Don’t do that, Ketheria.”
“Do what?”
“Be like them,” I said. “Toy with your answers when you know the truth. I’m your brother. I deserve the truth.”
“Sit down,” she said. It was an order, and I obeyed.
“You must stop this. It’s only a book. It helps me understand the reactions of those around me. The awakening is not finished yet. There are fourteen stages in all, and there is much I have to learn. That’s why I have this book. That is all, nothing more.”
“What do you have to learn?”
Then Ketheria reached up to the metal band that wrapped around her head and removed it with a click.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” I said.
“The Nagools showed me how.”
Ketheria turned it over and pointed at the underside. “See that?” she said.
I leaned in and saw an OIO symbol carved into the metal behind the amber crystal. “Yeah. What does it mean?”
“The person who made this knew he was making it for me.”
“That’s impossible.”
“That’s
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