Read Online Scarlet and the Keepers of Light by Brandon Charles West - Free Book Online
Authors: Brandon Charles West
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who’d somehow appeared without anyone having noticed him. “I’m here now, and I’ll be happy to answer any questions the family may have.”
“Xavier, sir, I wasn’t sure what I should say, so I—well—”
“It’s quite all right, Raden. Go and attend to the rest of the castle. I’m pretty sure I saw two young ones sneaking into the old armory. The one hiding behind a tapestry as I passed was Delfi.” Xavier said this last as if it was a rich source of amusement; the Tounder called Raden flew off at once, obviously not sharing Xavier’s sense of humor.
Xavier began walking back into the sitting room they’d been in the night before, burbling away as he did so, his merriment infectious.
“Young Tounder are always trying to sneak into the old armory. They tell wonderful stories about what’s inside, and get themselves so worked up that eventually curiosity gets the best of them. What’s really funny is that the last young Tounder to actually make it into the armory itself was Raden.”
He sank down into the large cushioned chair, gesturing for the rest to join him. The four Hopewells fit easily on the couch across from Xavier. They all leaned forward with identical looks of feverish anticipation.
“Questions, questions,” Xavier said cheerfully. “You must have so many.”
Several Tounder brought in trays with a teapot, cups, and an assortment of what looked like pastries. Xavier genteelly began to pour the tea into cups and handed them around. Scarlet took a sip just to be polite, but found that she rather liked it. Melody seemed to agree, and soon they were both munching on pastries as if aware for the first time how hungry they were. Even their father took a moment to eat, though he was obviously dying to get to the questions.
“Now, that’s better. A bit of something in the stomach does wonders for the brain. Who’s to be first, then?” Xavier looked expectantly at the family.
Melody was the first to speak, uninhibited as she was for a five-year-old and unencumbered by a need to figure it all out. “Does everyone get wings?”
Clearly frustrated that his little girl had asked an irrelevant question when so much needed answering, Scarlet’s father was about to interject when Xavier put up a hand to stop him. “All questions are important to those who ask them.” He turned to Melody. “The answer to your question, my sweet little girl, depends on who “everybody” is. If you mean, do all of my people, the Tounder, get wings, well then, the answer is yes. They are a gift from the great oak that stands above us, and all Tounder are born with wings. If you mean, do you and your family get them now that you have come here, sadly, no. I know that is disappointing to you.”
Melody nodded.
“Would it cheer you up to know that in the land of Satorium—that is, the land you now find yourselves in—wings aren’t the only way a person can fly?”
Melody nodded again, this time with great enthusiasm.
“What is going on?” her father cut in before Melody could ask something else.
“My, that is quite a question. I don’t think we’ll have time for anyone else if we try to answer that all at once,” Xavier said cheerfully.
***
Just when Charles was starting to get angry, the worried look on Xavier’s face made him stop and think. He remembered the way the little man had slyly sent his daughters off to bed the night before, so that he and Charles could be alone. Perhaps there were things about what was happening that would be too much for young children to hear.
Charles decided to ask a question he thought he already knew the answer to. Perhaps that way, he might show Xavier that he understood why he might be reluctant to speak openly in front of the children.
“Are we safe here?”
Xavier gave him a knowing smile. “Quite safe. I am proud to say that there is no place in the two worlds safer than here at my home. For now, you have nothing to fear.”
For now. Charles
“Xavier, sir, I wasn’t sure what I should say, so I—well—”
“It’s quite all right, Raden. Go and attend to the rest of the castle. I’m pretty sure I saw two young ones sneaking into the old armory. The one hiding behind a tapestry as I passed was Delfi.” Xavier said this last as if it was a rich source of amusement; the Tounder called Raden flew off at once, obviously not sharing Xavier’s sense of humor.
Xavier began walking back into the sitting room they’d been in the night before, burbling away as he did so, his merriment infectious.
“Young Tounder are always trying to sneak into the old armory. They tell wonderful stories about what’s inside, and get themselves so worked up that eventually curiosity gets the best of them. What’s really funny is that the last young Tounder to actually make it into the armory itself was Raden.”
He sank down into the large cushioned chair, gesturing for the rest to join him. The four Hopewells fit easily on the couch across from Xavier. They all leaned forward with identical looks of feverish anticipation.
“Questions, questions,” Xavier said cheerfully. “You must have so many.”
Several Tounder brought in trays with a teapot, cups, and an assortment of what looked like pastries. Xavier genteelly began to pour the tea into cups and handed them around. Scarlet took a sip just to be polite, but found that she rather liked it. Melody seemed to agree, and soon they were both munching on pastries as if aware for the first time how hungry they were. Even their father took a moment to eat, though he was obviously dying to get to the questions.
“Now, that’s better. A bit of something in the stomach does wonders for the brain. Who’s to be first, then?” Xavier looked expectantly at the family.
Melody was the first to speak, uninhibited as she was for a five-year-old and unencumbered by a need to figure it all out. “Does everyone get wings?”
Clearly frustrated that his little girl had asked an irrelevant question when so much needed answering, Scarlet’s father was about to interject when Xavier put up a hand to stop him. “All questions are important to those who ask them.” He turned to Melody. “The answer to your question, my sweet little girl, depends on who “everybody” is. If you mean, do all of my people, the Tounder, get wings, well then, the answer is yes. They are a gift from the great oak that stands above us, and all Tounder are born with wings. If you mean, do you and your family get them now that you have come here, sadly, no. I know that is disappointing to you.”
Melody nodded.
“Would it cheer you up to know that in the land of Satorium—that is, the land you now find yourselves in—wings aren’t the only way a person can fly?”
Melody nodded again, this time with great enthusiasm.
“What is going on?” her father cut in before Melody could ask something else.
“My, that is quite a question. I don’t think we’ll have time for anyone else if we try to answer that all at once,” Xavier said cheerfully.
***
Just when Charles was starting to get angry, the worried look on Xavier’s face made him stop and think. He remembered the way the little man had slyly sent his daughters off to bed the night before, so that he and Charles could be alone. Perhaps there were things about what was happening that would be too much for young children to hear.
Charles decided to ask a question he thought he already knew the answer to. Perhaps that way, he might show Xavier that he understood why he might be reluctant to speak openly in front of the children.
“Are we safe here?”
Xavier gave him a knowing smile. “Quite safe. I am proud to say that there is no place in the two worlds safer than here at my home. For now, you have nothing to fear.”
For now. Charles
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