Julius entered the room cautiously and spotting me, walked straight over to my chair like a compass needle finding true north. His father brought him a chair and he sat down next to me, clasped my hand in his and rested it on his knee. Then we waited in silence.
I Hope I haven’t gotten you into anything you’ll regret, I told him with my thoughts.
My father gave me the choice before I ever entered this room, he whispered into my mind. How could you think I would not want to be with you, given that choice? I have been in agony out there with worry; not knowing what they were telling you in here.
Do you know what they want with me?
I can guess.
Why didn’t you warn me?
It was not my secret to tell.
“Enough,” Varak blurted clamping his hands over his ears; his dried apple face going scarlet. “We concede that you have the closeness for the bond. Please spare us any further demonstrations of your juvenile love affair.”
My eyes flashed to William Helm in the corner, but he had lost the Cheshire cat grin and had gone back to his brooding watchfulness.
Julius stiffened and looked towards the corner. He growled low in his throat.
Oh, God, I thought, could this get any worse? I was so embarrassed. I felt my face burning. I had gotten so caught up in my mental conversation with Julius that once again I had forgotten others could hear me, maybe even William Helm too.
You knew they were listening? Do you know why William Helm is here?
Julius just squeezed my hand and winked at me. But he didn’t leave my mind. I could feel him there. He was in no mood for apologies. It seemed he was well aware of the contempt Varak, Vorst, and Natos had for him, too. He simply ignored William Helm.
“Julius, do you know why you are here?” Vorst was as cold and abrupt with Julius as he had been kind and gentle to me.
“What do you require of me?”
“For the present, she merely needs guarded.” Varak spoke first. I looked back over at William Helm but his look gave away nothing. They were giving Julius a bogus job to pacify me, I thought, then caught my breath when William Helm gave me a sudden wink.
I was right about those manipulative old wizards, and William Helm could read my mind, I realized.
Can’t you, Black knight, I demanded, glaring at him.
William Helm turned away without answering me. Oh yeah. That bastard had been reading my mind the whole time.
“Defend her with your life.” Vorst commanded, drawing my attention back to them.
“I need no orders to defend her from anyone—even you, if necessary,” Julius retorted.
“On her life, hangs all of ours, Lithian,” Vorst snarled back. “Much more than a potential mate, she is. It is The First Born, you are being commanded to guard.”
I looked over at William Helm and saw he was stunned. Surprise, I thought at him and grinned when he looked directly at me. The Hermits hadn’t told him then. I wondered if they had forgotten for the moment that he was listening.
Julius saying, “That, too, I know,” tore my attention away from William Helm. So, Julius knew I was this “First Born”. Hm-m? Had that influenced his sudden, passionate interest in me?
Was it really me he had proclaimed to love so fervently upstairs in his bedroom? Or was it what I represented as the First Born they were all so hung up on? How could I know for sure? How would I ever know? Could I trust anyone’s feelings then, if that were the case. Wouldn’t everyone be wanting to influence me?
“If you know so much, Lithian,” Vorst growled menacingly. “Then why do you not know about your brother, Orin?” Vorst demanded.
Dr. Spinner's unexpected gasp was loud in the suddenly silent room.
I felt Julius’ hand squeeze mine, and he was gone from my mind in a rush of emotions that were a squiggly mix of hurt and fury.
Julius’ harsh breathing in the room was the only sound for several seconds while he got himself under control.
Dr. Spinner looked pale as he stared at Vorst. “Why, Vorst?” The agony in his voice echoed in the soundless room.
“The boy needed to know.” Natos soothed. “You should have already told him.”
“Leon?” Julius’ eyes flashed green fire at his father. I could hear the hurt behind the anger in his voice.
Dr. Spinner slumped in his seat and hung his head. “Does it change anything, Julius? Knowing you have a brother?’
Julius stared at his father as if seeing him for the first time. I watched his beautiful midnight hair fall down over his face. He absently reached to tuck it behind his ears while he thought through what his father said. The three Hermits watched him with their black button eyes, too.
William Helm's gaze was focused on Julius, also, as if the answer Julius gave was important. Why Julius’ answer should mean anything to William Helm, I didn’t know. That in itself made me stop and think about why William Helm should be curious about Julius at all. Hum-m. I would have to think about that.
“No. It changes nothing! A dozen brothers would not prevent me from the honor of guarding The First Born. A birth father we might share, but Galax’s son is no brother of mine.”
Even the Hermits had to see the dignity and honor Julius put into his answer.
Varak turned to me with a solemn countenance. “We have met your condition child. Do you agree to let us train your talent?”
“It would be an honor, Storm,” Dr. Spinner confided. “They have not taken on a new student in over a hundred years.”
“You will like the Hermitage,” Varak could not keep the excitement out of his voice.
“The Hermitage?” I was puzzled. What exactly were these old men talking about now? I wondered.
“Hermitage Castle. Where we live, of course. It will be so good to have a young person in the castle again.” Natos squeezed his wrinkled hands together in glee.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just wait a minute here,” I held my hands out from my body as if to stop them from speaking. “You mean go live with you….in your home?” I was panicking. “What about my uncle and brothers? I won’t be separated from them. I won’t!” I crossed my arms over my chest to empathize my point.
“The child has family?” I could see Vorst’s wheels turning as he looked at Dr. Spinner.
“An uncle and two brothers. The Weatherly’s . You tested them today. We have them in a Guest House…for now.”
“It cannot be guarded.” Vorst and Varak spoke together.
At the same instant, William Helm stepped forward out of the shadows and said, "I cannot guard her there!"
“I agree.” Julius surprised me by speaking up. “There are other Travelers lodged there. They are a danger to her.”
"A danger?" I protested, seeing Julius' intentions to get Nigel out of the picture. I was mad!
"Nigel is not a danger to me. He is no more a danger to me than you are . . ." Then I paused, remembering my earlier doubts about Julius’ motives in declaring he loved me.
“He is more a danger than you know,” William Helm snarled.
“I think you’re both wrong,” I insisted, but somehow my conviction fell flat, even to my own ears.
The three Hermits looked closely from one man to another. I was sure they were discussing options silently. I took the opportunity to do the same with Julius.
What are they thinking, Julius?
“They are deciding whether it would be advisable to take your whole family to the castle. is not a bad plan, actually. I think it will generate a lot less interest than if you go alone.”
“Agreed, half-breed,” Varak snarled out loud.
“Can we move them today?” William Helm asked.
“Aren’t you even going to ask my uncle and brothers about this? Or are we all prisoners now?”
“Of course, child. You are right. We must ask your guardian,” The Hermits soothed, before turning to Julius. “Bring her family here, half-breed,” they commanded.
As soon as the door to the study clicked shut behind Julius, the Hermits turned to me and Dr. Spinner. “The half-breed is not welcome at the castle. We will not have him there. Leon, you know why.”
“What reason can I give for your actions that won’t raise too many questions,” Dr. Spinner wanted to know.
“William Helm will guard the child.” We all looked towards William Helm who had retreated to his corner. He liked the shadows, it seemed. How fitting. “He will be enough.”
“I know that. I will deal with Julius about that. I meant what reason can I give to single this family out as so special they have received an invitation to the castle?”
“You are right, Natos answered.
The Hermits consulted together for only a moment. “The child has a twin. There is power in him. We will teach him as well.”
“So, you’re going to make my brother a target!”
“I will guard you both, My Lady,” William Helm declared from his corner.
“You’d better, William Helm. If anything happens to my brother, you won’t live to regret it.” I surprised myself with the strength of my conviction Whoa! Where had that come from? Yet, I knew I meant what I said.
"I have had no regrets in this life so far," he said enigmatically. "Neither you, nor your brother will be my first."
"As God is my witness, William Helm, we better not be!"