room for Cindy’s company.
“Okay,” I said.
Another game, another loss.
Mark poked his head through the doorframe as we were setting up our third round. “I’m going home now.”
“Sorry we didn’t help out in the kitchen,” I said.
Mark smiled. “It’s quite alright. I think Cindy is calm enough to see the both of you now. Be nice to her, okay? She’s just worried about you.”
“We know, and we will,” promised Terry.
Terry and I skipped the last game and saw Mark out.
Once the door closed, Cindy said to us, “I just tucked Alia into bed. And I got a call from Mr. Simms a few minutes ago. You’re both invited to dinner with him tomorrow.”
“That was quick,” remarked Terry.
I looked uneasily at Cindy and said, “Thanks for... well, you know...”
Cindy closed her eyes and nodded slowly.
“Thanks,” I said again.
Though it was nowhere near my usual bedtime, I felt entirely too uncomfortable to stay in the living room so I bade Cindy a hasty goodnight. Terry didn’t linger either.
It was only after I had brushed my teeth and returned to the bedroom Alia and I shared that I realized my sister hadn’t spoken a single word to me since before dessert. In the darkened room, Alia was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring blankly in my direction.
“Hey, Ali,” I said, turning on the light. “Is something the matter?”
Silence.
“Something is the matter,” I decided. “Sure you don’t want to tell me?”
More silence. Alia was like that sometimes.
“Listen, if it’s about the ‘angles’ thing, I’m sorry, okay? I just didn’t want to talk about Cat there.”
“I don’t care about that, Addy,” Alia said in a sullen tone. “I know I can’t speak like you.”
I grinned. “Words in my head! That’s a start.”
My sister let out a loud huff, hopped down from her bed and walked to the window.
As she stared down at the city below, I placed a hand on her shoulder from behind. “Ali, what’s eating you today?”
Alia didn’t move, but a moment later she said quietly into my head, “You’re going away again.”
“Oh, well...”
Suddenly Alia spun around. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she telepathically shouted, “You promised, Addy! You promised you’d stay! You promised and you didn’t even tell me!”
“You’re talking about a promise I made when you were seven years old, Alia,” I sputtered. “Things are different now. You’re not in any danger here. This is the safest house in New Haven.”
“I don’t care!” said Alia, stamping her feet. “You promised!”
I put my arms around her, and was relieved that she didn’t pull away. I sat down on the chair next to the window and, placing my sister sideways on my lap, I whispered into her ear, “You’re right, Alia. I’m sorry. I should have talked to you first. But it’s not like I’m leaving tomorrow. I made a promise to Terry too. I didn’t think it would happen so soon, but still...”
Wiping her tears, Alia looked into my eyes and said, “Can I go with you?”
I stared at her in disbelief. She was dead serious.
“You know you can’t, Alia,” I said patiently. “You’re nine years old. You’re not a Guardian, and you’re certainly not a Knight.”
“I was there too, you know!” said Alia, most likely referring to the towboat raid.
“I wouldn’t be going on missions myself if I hadn’t promised Terry.”
“I don’t care. I promised I would keep you alive, remember?”
I gave her an extra squeeze as I said, “And you have more courage than I’ll ever know, Alia, but you still can’t come.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You’re right,” I said matter-of-factly. “It’s not fair.”
“Addy!”
“Okay, how about this for fair?” I grinned. “You convince Cindy to let you go, and you’re welcome to join us.”
“That’s still not fair.”
“Why isn’t it fair?” I asked. “Terry and I had to convince her.”
Alia scowled, but I could tell that she
“Okay,” I said.
Another game, another loss.
Mark poked his head through the doorframe as we were setting up our third round. “I’m going home now.”
“Sorry we didn’t help out in the kitchen,” I said.
Mark smiled. “It’s quite alright. I think Cindy is calm enough to see the both of you now. Be nice to her, okay? She’s just worried about you.”
“We know, and we will,” promised Terry.
Terry and I skipped the last game and saw Mark out.
Once the door closed, Cindy said to us, “I just tucked Alia into bed. And I got a call from Mr. Simms a few minutes ago. You’re both invited to dinner with him tomorrow.”
“That was quick,” remarked Terry.
I looked uneasily at Cindy and said, “Thanks for... well, you know...”
Cindy closed her eyes and nodded slowly.
“Thanks,” I said again.
Though it was nowhere near my usual bedtime, I felt entirely too uncomfortable to stay in the living room so I bade Cindy a hasty goodnight. Terry didn’t linger either.
It was only after I had brushed my teeth and returned to the bedroom Alia and I shared that I realized my sister hadn’t spoken a single word to me since before dessert. In the darkened room, Alia was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring blankly in my direction.
“Hey, Ali,” I said, turning on the light. “Is something the matter?”
Silence.
“Something is the matter,” I decided. “Sure you don’t want to tell me?”
More silence. Alia was like that sometimes.
“Listen, if it’s about the ‘angles’ thing, I’m sorry, okay? I just didn’t want to talk about Cat there.”
“I don’t care about that, Addy,” Alia said in a sullen tone. “I know I can’t speak like you.”
I grinned. “Words in my head! That’s a start.”
My sister let out a loud huff, hopped down from her bed and walked to the window.
As she stared down at the city below, I placed a hand on her shoulder from behind. “Ali, what’s eating you today?”
Alia didn’t move, but a moment later she said quietly into my head, “You’re going away again.”
“Oh, well...”
Suddenly Alia spun around. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she telepathically shouted, “You promised, Addy! You promised you’d stay! You promised and you didn’t even tell me!”
“You’re talking about a promise I made when you were seven years old, Alia,” I sputtered. “Things are different now. You’re not in any danger here. This is the safest house in New Haven.”
“I don’t care!” said Alia, stamping her feet. “You promised!”
I put my arms around her, and was relieved that she didn’t pull away. I sat down on the chair next to the window and, placing my sister sideways on my lap, I whispered into her ear, “You’re right, Alia. I’m sorry. I should have talked to you first. But it’s not like I’m leaving tomorrow. I made a promise to Terry too. I didn’t think it would happen so soon, but still...”
Wiping her tears, Alia looked into my eyes and said, “Can I go with you?”
I stared at her in disbelief. She was dead serious.
“You know you can’t, Alia,” I said patiently. “You’re nine years old. You’re not a Guardian, and you’re certainly not a Knight.”
“I was there too, you know!” said Alia, most likely referring to the towboat raid.
“I wouldn’t be going on missions myself if I hadn’t promised Terry.”
“I don’t care. I promised I would keep you alive, remember?”
I gave her an extra squeeze as I said, “And you have more courage than I’ll ever know, Alia, but you still can’t come.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You’re right,” I said matter-of-factly. “It’s not fair.”
“Addy!”
“Okay, how about this for fair?” I grinned. “You convince Cindy to let you go, and you’re welcome to join us.”
“That’s still not fair.”
“Why isn’t it fair?” I asked. “Terry and I had to convince her.”
Alia scowled, but I could tell that she
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