All the lights in the house were off and it had been hours since everyone returned from the celebration so it was likely they were all asleep. I had stayed in my room when Nicholas’ family had returned and no one came to my room. I wasn’t sure how I was going to face anyone in the clan ever again.
There were no noises in the house, at least none that I could hear. My door, thankfully was silent when I carefully pulled it inward. The hallway was empty. I pulled my door almost shut so that I could make a quick return and then tried to walk down the hallway without making a noise.
The black book wasn’t going to be there, but I had found a book on wind whispering too and I fully intended to begin learning to control it right away. I wasn’t as lucky with the library door. It squeaked like a bicycle horn and so I left it open and went inside. The book was exactly where I remembered it being so I pulled it off the shelf and opened it up.
“Still can’t stop thinking about me, huh?” Nicholas stood in the doorway.
I put my finger against my lips. “You’re going to wake up your family.”
“I think they probably heard you stomping down the hallway.” He came into the library and turned the book in my hand to look at the title. “This really has you upset, doesn’t it?”
I pointed at him. “I’m still mad at you for taking advantage of my curse. I’m going to master it so you can’t ever use it against me again and I can have the privacy of my own thoughts.” I’m not sure he heard a word I said even with his super hearing. Nicholas was looking at my mouth and the same heat I was instantly able to recognize was beginning to fill his eyes.
“We should go visit Grandma Sidney tomorrow.”
“I have studying to do.” I moved around him and I saw his eldest sister in the doorway.
“Nicholas, leave her alone.” Her fair skin had a big red blotch on the right side of her face, the side she had been sleeping on. “Some of us want to sleep. We don’t want to have to listen to…” She looked at me and then rubbed her eyes. “Just leave her alone, you pervert.”
“Go back to bed, Kizzy,” Nicholas said and Kizzy sighed and turned and left the library. “Do you want help with the book? I’ll give you a private tutoring session in your room.”
“Nothing will be private until I learn this.” I left the library quickly. I went into my room and closed the door. The lamp next to my bed gave out just enough light to read and so I got started.
Kizzy came into my room when I was only three pages into the book. “Hi.” She closed the door behind herself.
If she came to tell me to be quiet with my thoughts I’ll blow up at her.
“I can’t say that I wanted to hear your thoughts at the celebration.”
“I didn’t have any way to control-”
Kizzy held her hand up at me. “I know. I just wanted to tell you that even though I had no wish to hear your thoughts about my brother and what you’d like to do with him” I was seriously going to vomit “it made it clear to me that you truly did not want to hurt him or insult us. So as for me and my sister Delia you are released from your service.”
“Thanks, so now I only have twelve to go?”
Kizzy nodded.
“I hate this stupid wind blabbering. It’s terrible.”
“You’ll love it once you can control it. I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to worry about Nicholas. I’ve never seen him so wrapped around a girl’s finger. He’ll make you a good husband.” She turned and left my room. I knew Nicholas had heard her telling me about his feelings. I hoped he was embarrassed even if it was just the tiniest bit, but I doubted it.
I read the book the rest of the night and by morning I was so tired I didn’t care what anyone heard. Everyone at the breakfast table had bloodshot eyes and messed up hair. Nicholas was the only one that had a smile accompanying the exhaustion. All of the sisters gave me their pardon, and I’m not sure they really forgave me or just wanted me out of their house so they could get some sleep.
Nicholas’ brothers gave me their pardon too once their grandfather left to go and look after his wife. I just had to get his grandparent’s pardon and his parent’s pardon and his pardon, of course. Though didn’t the scene from the night before practically spell out that I’d been pardoned by him?
“I have to go and work with the pack. Will you be okay?” Nicholas asked me.
“I’ll be fine.” I watched Nicholas leave and didn’t notice that his mother left the table too, leaving just the slave driver and myself.
The slave driver proceeds to say to me, “There is no doubt you want my son.” He looked a little smug, but he still had anger in his eyes too. “So you’re too afraid to have what you want.”
“Are you studying to be a shrink?” I stood up and started clearing the table. “You should study harder, you’re not very good.”
He laughed, adding his plate to the stack in my hands. “Your reaction tells me that I am an expert. I will not give you my pardon, Kellan. Not until you are my daughter.” My stomach twisted in fear, but I kept it from my face. “I release you for two hours to study with Barthow.” I had not remembered his given name, only the one I’d given him, which was Blackbeard and was grateful to have been provided with it.
I took the dishes into the kitchen and Nicholas’ mother took them from me. “You run along to see Barthow, now.” I couldn’t leave just then though. I had to run back into my room and get dressed.
The snickering that came from the people I passed kept me from asking for directions to Barthow Blackbeard’s house. When I saw the gazebo I couldn’t help but remember the black Siths that had come out of it with Duncan’s blood on their faces and teeth. The fear that iced through me then returned and I stood staring at the white structure.
No one was laughing anymore when I finally pulled myself back together and headed toward Seraph’s house. Isabeau would tell me where to find Barthow. Once I was inside Seraph’s house I ran into Minerva. The first thing that came to my mind was her crying and pleading with Seraph.
“Hello, Kellan.” Her voice was sweeter than I remembered it being. There was no trace of tears on her face, nor sadness. I was still curious but did not dare ask her.
“Hello. Can you tell me where to find Barthow?”
“He is waiting for you in the ballroom, I believe.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” She watched me as I walked away and I wondered what she was curious about.
Barthow looked at me when I came in and without moving his mouth I heard him say, “Please come in and shut the door.” I did as he directed me to do and then started toward him, but he told me to stay where I was. “We will talk on the air and you will practice using your skill.”
I thought, okay, but I don’t think he heard me.
“We will have to trust each other. At this stage your every thought could be on the wind for me to hear. I will not divulge to anyone your thoughts. I have only heard you on the wind when you’ve been very moved by something or feel very strongly. So I will have to provoke you to teach you.”
Great.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded knowing as I did that it mattered very little if I trusted him or not because if I refused his help the world would continue to hear my personal thoughts.
“How do you feel about Seraph?”
“I don’t want to answer that question.” I thought this, but then followed it up with my feelings about her good and bad, as though I had no control what would pop into my brain.
“This time put the feelings you don’t want to share in a safe place in your brain, in your soul.” He waited a moment and then asked me what I was most afraid of. Again, I failed to keep the Siths killing my grandma Sidney from riding on the wind. By the time the two hours were up I was emotionally exhausted. “You’re getting better,” Barthow told me at the end.
“Thank you.”
“Just between you and me, I wouldn’t go after the black
book until you have complete control of your wind whispering.”
I sighed, wondering what else I had unintentionally spilled. “Also, though I know it is not my place, I will tell you why Seraph doesn’t want you to take alluring.” I leaned toward him then. “You are already naturally emanating the allure. It is a gift that runs in your family and has caused much pain and heartache therein.”
“Did Seraph use it on Harold?”
“Perhaps. Zorrin used it on your father.” He waited, but I must have at last been able to keep something to myself. “Seraph was very hurt at her sister’s betrayal. I think with all the young men already fighting over you, Seraph is wise to keep you from alluring.”
“If Zorrin hurt her so bad, why is she still here?”
“That is something you would have to ask Seraph.” He grinned and his black mustache rose up. “See you tomorrow.”