Eli’s footsteps echoed down the long hallway. It gave him the impression of being alone within the cavernous school. He could have imagined he was the only one there if it weren’t for the way Jolene’s voice carried through the hallways. By the tone of her voice Eli knew she was disagreeing with something one of the Sage’s were telling her. She never agreed with them. She acted like she knew more about magic then they did. It was scary.
Eli knew he didn’t know enough to disrespect the Sage’s. If he could, he’d have them bind his abilities. In his research in the library he’d found several ways of binding magic but he couldn’t help but wonder if that wouldn’t just be the easy way out. Someone in the past had bound his family’s magic to such a degree that they had no idea it even existed until it became unbound. He didn’t want that kind of shock to happen in the future to his descendants. It was bad enough to experience it himself. Somehow just knowing it could be done and that he had the choice made it easier to accept.
Pushing open the door he walked into the ancient library. Several students were grouped together working on projects together or studying alone. Eli waved at a few but kept going. “Hey Devon,” he waved at the librarian who took care of the restricted section “is Eltanin around?”
“I’m sorry he left a few minutes ago,” Devon explained, coming around the table carrying a few books. “He asked me to give these to you.”
Eli took the books Devon handed him “thank you.”
“Are you going to try to contact someone in your dreams?” Devon asked.
Lifting the books “yeah I’m going to try.”
“It’s not easy to manage,” Devon cautioned “El’s uncle managed it but it takes a lot of energy.”
“He mentioned that yes,” Eli sighed “I know I’m not near good enough or powerful enough to do something like that but I’m hoping I can make myself more receptive to someone else’s dreams.”
“Has someone been trying to reach you,” Devon asked.
“I,” Eli hesitated. “I think so. I’ve had this recurring sense every morning that someone is trying to contact me. I’m hoping that something in these books will help me open my mind up enough to receive the message.”
“You need to be cautious,” Devon warned, “you could be opening yourself up to being controlled by someone.”
“I’ll take whatever precautions I can but it’s worth the risk if I get the message,” Eli said firmly. “El mentioned a few things I could do but I wanted to do my own research.”
“Research is good but I suggest you don’t try anything until you’re sure and you have someone there to wake you up just in case,” Devon suggested.
“Oh sure,” Eli nodded, “I wouldn’t do anything dangerous.” The doubtful expression on the older man’s face prompted Eli to add “honest I’m not like my sister. Now she would just do it just to prove she could do it regardless of the dangers. I’m not like that.”
“‘Where is she anyway,” Devon asked
“Probably still arguing with the Sages,” Eli shrugged, “she’ll be coming eventually. She needs to get some books for her research project.”
“Are you helping her with it,” Devon asked.
“Unfortunately,” Eli sighed, “no one else wants her as a partner.” He stooped to put the dream books in his bag “I don’t want her to see them,” he explained “knowing Jolene she’d want to do the project on dreams and well,” he shrugged, no words were necessary, they both knew it would be a disaster in the making.
“Good idea,” Devon agreed before going back to cataloging the new books they had just received. Every once in a while he’d look up to check on the students, making sure things were as they should be.
Jolene entered the library in time to see Eli walk away from the restricted section. A frown creased her smooth forehead. Of course her dumb brother would befriend the librarians. Eli also liked the Sages and as far as Jolene was concerned Devon and Eltanen were cut from the same cloth as the Sages. Boring. Safe. Obsessed with Rules. Just like Eli.
“So did you get any ideas for our project from the ancient book dude,” she asked, joining Eli next to the section by tribal healing.
“Don’t call him that,” Eli chided, glancing over towards Devon to see if he heard her. He couldn’t tell but he was certain there was little if anything Devon missed.
“Why? Will it hurt his feelings,” she asked in her best mocking baby tone.
“He deserves respect for the work he does,” he said “not to mention he’s an ancient war god.”
Rolling her eyes “whatever.”
“All I’m saying is he deserves a little respect,” Eli added, wondering why he bothered. Jolene didn’t respect anyone but herself and sometimes he wondered about that.
“Respect is earned,” she said, making a face towards Devon while his back was turned “so far I don’t see anything worth respecting. All he does is work at a library.”
“He makes sure no one gains access to dangerous magic…”
“Magic isn’t dangerous,” she said, cutting him off “it’s the person wielding the magic that’s dangerous. I don’t see how he can tell who is dangerous and who isn’t just by looking at them.”
“Go and ask him,” Eli dared her.
Tossing her hair back Jolene made a derogatory wordless sound. A sound that drove most of the adults in her life crazy. “I have better things to do than to worry about how some sage reject does his job.” She turned her attention to the books on the shelf “so what’s our project going to be about?”
“I was waiting to discuss that with you,” Eli said even though he knew what her response was going to be.
“You decide,” she said, “I have more important things to do than some stupid research project.”
“You have to help,” Eli said even though he was now talking to her back as she started to walk away from him.
“Ancient Egyptian healing then,” she tossed over her shoulder but kept on walking, stopping once or twice to flirt with someone on her way out of the library.
“Where’s Jolene,” Jonah asked, sitting across from Jonah at one of the tables in the library.
“I don’t know,” Eli mumbled as he finished writing something in his notebook.
“Isn’t she supposed to be helping you with this project,” Jonah asked.
Eli moved his eyes away from the page he was reading “yeah.”
“Why isn’t she here,” Jonah asked.
Sighing, Eli stuck a tab on the page he was reading and closed the book. “Because she’s Jolene.” He slumped back in his chair, crossing his arms “she never helps.”
“How long has this been going on,” Jonah demanded.
“Since forever,” Eli shrugged, “no one wants her for a partner.”
Nodding Jonah could hear the frustration in his son’s voice “which means you’re stuck with her as a partner.”
“Yeah,” he sat forward, propping his chin on his hand “no one even tries to be my partner anymore because that means someone will be stuck with Jolene and that’s academic death.”
“Have you talked to the sages about it,” Jonah asked.
“No,” Eli sighed “I’m her brother. I can handle it.”
“It’s not fair that you do all the work,” Jonah said, although he couldn’t help the smile that played across his lips. It was so like Eli to accept the situation without complaint.
“Yeah but…” he was going to say easier without her help when Jolene came rushing up to them.
“Dad you’re here,” she sounded out of breath as if she’d been running.
“Where were you,” Jonah asked, pushing his chair back. “You said you were coming straight to the library to work on a project with Eli.”
“And I did,” she said, her soft brown eyes gazed up into Jonah’s, large and innocent.
Crossing his arms Jonah shook his head “then why weren’t you here when I arrived?”
“I did,” she glared down at her brother who was busy gathering his things and shoving them into his backpack. “Didn’t Eli tell you? I came here. Picked out a topic for the project.”
“This is half your project…”
“And I did my part,” she interrupted him. “All he has to do is all the boring stuff.”
“That’s not how a group project works,” Jonah said when she slowed down enough for him to get a word in. “I want you to work as a team.”
“But he likes doing research,” she cried, “why should I have to do all that boring stuff?”
“Because life is full of boring stuff that leads up to good things. You can’t skip the grind if you want anything worthwhile.” Jonah had a feeling of deja vu. He’d had this same conversation with Ethan when they were in high school.
Jolene rolled her eyes “whatever.”
“It’s not whatever. I don’t understand this attitude…”
“Dad, do we have to do this now,” Eli asked, “people are trying to study.”
Looking around Jonah realized several students had been listening and trying hard to pretend they weren’t. “You’re right,” he looked at his daughter, “we’ll continue this at home.”
As they walked out of the library Jolene leaned into Eli, whispering “why didn’t you cover for me?”
“You didn’t ask,” he said.
“I shouldn’t have to,” she hissed, “it’s in the code.”
“The sibling code,” she said as if he should know all about it.
“Yeah well,” he shrugged, “when you learn to follow it so will I.”
“What’s that supposed to mean,” she demanded.
“Oh I think you know,” Eli said, walking faster to catch up to their dad.
Jolene fell backwards into a locker as an older boy with reddish brown hair brushed past her. She started to turn to shout after the boy when something caught her attention. A muffled half sob half groan from someone in pain. Curious, she forgot about the rude boy as she followed the sound. “Eli,” she cried recognizing the boy as she knelt beside her brother “are you alright?”
Holding his nose Eli shook his wincing in pain at the motion.
“Did that boy do this,” she looked around as if she could find the object of her ire.
“If you mean Stephan, then yeah,” Eli said, holding his head back as blood poured from his nose.
“Here let me see it,” she said leaning in close, making a face as she did so. “She made a mess of your face.”
“Ow,” Eli hissed as Jolene inspected his nose. “I think it’s broken,” he said “I should probably go to the nurse’s office.”
“Why,” Jolene demanded, pushing him back against the locker “I can fix it.”
“The nurse can fix it too,” Eli pointed out.
“Yeah but it’ll take weeks and probably heal crooked,” Jolene said.
Eli gazed into his sister’s eyes. The usual disdain was gone and all he could see was genuine concern. “Do you think you can do it before class lets out?”
She flashed him a grin full of the self assured cockiness he was used to seeing from her. “Easy peasy,” she said as a look of concentration replaced the grin and a soft glow engulfed her hand as healing energy flowed from her and into Eli. She concentrated the cells, giving them the energy to regenerate the broken tissues, to grow, to strengthen, to bond together. “All done,” she smiled “how do you feel?”
Eli gingerly touched his nose “you did it.”
“Well duh,” she rolled her eyes “don’t you trust me?”
“Thanks JoJo,” he said using her pet name he had for her.
Helping him gather his scattered books she asked “why did this Stephen hit you?”
Sighing, Eli shrugged “I don’t know other than he doesn’t like me.”
“I can see that,” she waved a hand at the front of Eli’s bloodstained shirt. “But that doesn’t explain why.”
Glancing down “do you think you can do something about this?”
“Sorry my specialty is healing not cleaning,” she said.
“What good are you if you can’t clean,” he teased.
“Just be glad I came alone when I did,” she said “Stephan might have done worse than smash that pretty nose of yours. Which is still pretty, by the way, thanks to me.”
“And I appreciate that you did,” he said whole heartedly.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” she said, turning serious. “Why did Stephan do this?”
“Do you really want to know,” he asked.
“Of course I do,” she said “I know that we have our problems but you’re my brother. I care about you.”
Eli stared at her, a million emotions flitted across his face. He really wanted to believe her. Before he could answer though the bell rang and the halls began to fill with students. “I can’t really talk about it here but later, okay?”
“Fine,” she agreed as he was joined by his friends who were asking him why his shirt was bloody. Jolene moved towards her locker, keeping an eye out for Stephan wondering what the story was between him and her brother.
“This is so boring,” Jolene cried, tossing her pen down. She watched with detachment as it rolled off the table. “I don’t see why we both have to read all this … stuff.”
Eli looked up from the book he was reading “you’re the one who picked the subject.”
“Only because it would have taken you ages to come up with something,” she groaned, leaning back in her seat. “Who cares about some old dead people and their healing magic anyway?”
Eli set his book down, carefully marking the page before closing it. “It’s not so much the people as the knowledge they left behind.”
She considered his comment for a moment before asking “what does it matter what they knew? It’s all obsolete now. We’re so much more advanced now then they were. They’re just a bunch of old dead people.”
Eli chuckled, shaking his head at her “one day you’re going to be one of those old dead people. Don’t you want someone in the future to be reading about you and what you contributed to the world?”
“No,” she replied quickly, hoping to cover over the uncomfortable thought Eli’s words had brought up. The thought that she wouldn’t accomplish anything that anyone would want to remember her for. “I’m not like you,” she mumbled.
“What,” Eli asked, blinking in surprise.
Retrieving her pen, Jolene said “isn’t that why you write all those songs? To be remembered? To leave a mark on the future? Daddy says you want to be rich and famous one day. And you’ll forget all about us.”
“Do you really think I could forget about my family? About you? My sister?” Eli said, “I know we don’t always get along but I do love you.”
“You do,” she asked, sounding as if there had been some doubt in her mind. She squirmed in her seat as if there were more she wanted to say “what if I did something really awful? Would you still love me?”
Silence fell between them. Jolene could feel the penetrating stare that Eli was directing towards her like he could see right through her. See all the secrets she kept hidden inside. All the insecurities she held within her. But he could see how sorry she was for what she had done? How she wished she could undo what she had done? Could he see the guilt she felt and stuffed deep inside her so that no one could see it?
A hint of a smile quirked the corners of Eli’s mouth as if he had indeed reached inside her and found all those things. “I guess it would depend on what you did,” he said, his voice gentle and soft “and whether or not you’re truly sorry for what you did.”
Swallowing the sudden urge to confess and lay her soul bare before him she scoffed. “Daddy says only a fool forgives.”
“JoJo,” Eli sighed, “don’t you think you’re old enough to think for yourself?”
“I’m the queen of independent thinking,” she huffed, pushing her chair back and stomping from the room.
“Don’t worry lil sis, I’ll be here when you’re ready to tell me,” Eli said at her departing back.
Whirling around, hands on hips “I don’t know what you think I have to confess,” she said “I assure you I don’t. My conscience is clean.” Despite the crispness of her words and the angry tilt of her jaw, she couldn’t meet his gaze. Then as if inspired she added “perhaps you’d like to tell me what you did to Stephan to make him hate you? Surely you must have done something.”
“Deflection doesn’t become you,” Eli muttered.
Before Jolene could respond Jonah stuck his head inside the room “dinner’s almost ready. Can you clean up in here and set the table?”
Standing Eli started to gather his things “sure thing dad.”
Stiffly Jolene moved forward to help muttering low enough “dad’s perfect little soldier, always doing as he’s told. Don’t you think you’re old enough to think for yourself?”
Eli chuckled but kept his comments to himself despite his sister’s obvious attempts to provoke him.
