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  “You really shouldn’t make fun of your father like that.” Maia tried to keep a straight face, but she could not help herself. She eventually laughed with them. “Have you been out to see the city as well? I’m sorry I wasn’t here this morning to show you around.”

  “Yes, your mom showed us a bit and introduced us to some people, as well as your grandparents, Maël and Kian. Everyone is so friendly here. I don’t understand why you wanted to come to Earth to do your training. I am glad you did though. And I am glad you brought us here. I like it.”

  Maia felt a twinge of guilt. She had not even thought of going to her grandparents since she came home. She would have to make time for them later.

  “Well, I am glad you like it, Jasmin.” She smiled as she sat next to the girl and then added in an undertone, “Although your father would not agree with you.”

  Maia was sure, if asked, Aaron had some choice words to say about the situation. But, as he did not feel inclined to talk to her much, she did not actually know what his true feelings were. She wondered if she should find out. Then she pictured his scowling face, remembered the anger in his Eläm and thought better of it.

  “Papa will come around, you’ll see. It is just difficult for him to understand. And I think he is intimidated by you.”

  “Intimidated? Why do you say that?” Maia was dumbfounded.

  “You are so beautiful and strong and confident. I think it makes him uncomfortable. He is trying very hard to hide behind his gruff exterior, but I think he is secretly wishing he could talk to you.” Jasmin nudged Luke in his ribs to make him aware of the look on Maia’s face.

  Luke lifted his hand to hide a smile. “Don’t do that to her, Jasmin. I think this is difficult enough for her already without you complicating things. Maia, why don’t you show us where you hide your food? I am starving.”

  Maia knew it was a ruse to distract her from the subject, but was happy to play along. She did not think she was any of those things and it made her uncomfortable. However, she did feel guilty for leaving them alone, so the least she could do was make them a meal. Elves mainly ate for pleasure and could go without food for a while, but Humans had to eat a few times every day. She took them to the pantry, situated just off the kitchen, and they helped her gather a few items for lunch.

  Most of the items in the larder were unfamiliar to them. Whole fruit and vegetables were rare on Earth; most of their food was bought already processed. They enjoyed themselves immensely, cutting up the tomatoes, slicing off some ham, buttering bread. Maia had never realised how much fun making food could be; the siblings were enjoying it so much, it was infectious.

  “Why don’t I show you where the vegetables are grown?” Maia said when they had finished eating.

  She knew she had to see Silas, but she did not want to leave Luke and Jasmin alone again. She realised she was just delaying the inevitable. She would have to talk to him eventually and he would give her a piece of his mind. And she deserved to be in trouble. Had she paid more attention, or had she not let her emotions get the better of her, then maybe all of this could have been avoided.

  Yet, she found it difficult to feel sorry. She was enjoying having Luke and Jasmin around and she intended to make the best of the time they had together.

  They spent the whole afternoon wandering around the fields, Wolf at their heels. They picked berries, dug up carrots and Maia explained all the different plants to them.

  By the time they got home, Aaron was back. He was quiet and seemed to be deep in thought. Jagaer had dropped him off at the house before himself going off to a meeting with the Elders. Maia wondered if they were meeting because of her, but was then distracted by the delicious smells emerging from the pot Biandala was stirring over the fire.

  Luke and Jasmin went to sit with their father to tell him about their day. Maia listened to them for a while, glad she did not have to talk to Aaron; and was astounded by how differently they thought of her world. Everything was new and exciting for them; they marvelled at things that were so ordinary to Maia that she never really gave it any thought.

  Jagaer’s meeting with the Elders did not last long and once he was home, they ate. There was some small talk during the meal, mostly Malyn explaining the ingredients of their meal to her guests, but Maia noticed that her father was distracted. He finished his food in silence and then stood up to take his plate to Biandala to wash.

  “I am going out again. Do not wait up for me,” he said curtly, then turned to Maia. “Silas has requested that you go to him tonight. He wants to speak with you.” He left the house without another word.

  Malyn gave Maia a concerned look and then nodded to her. “Go. Don’t worry about us. I am sure we will find something to entertain us.”

  Worried, Maia left and went down the stairs to ground level. Silas lived with Becci - Beccithalia Nordenfall, one of their Elders - in one of the houses on the eastern side of the village, along Lofty Run. For his work as a Healer, however, Silas used one of the many caves around the city as his workshop. Like all their storage caves, it was dug into the slope of the cliff the city rested on. It was always cool in there, even in summer, so it was the ideal solution for storing and keeping food.

  He was an Elemental - able to control Fire, Water and Earth - her father’s royal advisor and the Healer of their clan. He kept his medicines in his cave, as well as his books and implements. Maia had spent endless hours there, studying and practicing. She was as accomplished in the healing arts as Silas, but her elemental powers gave her an added advantage.

  Maia entered the cave. Mostly lanterns, but also torches, were lit along its walls, casting strange shadows ahead of her. The passage was about a hundred paces long, leading deep into the mountain. It was cold in the tunnel, but when she reached the cavern at its end, a fire in the centre warmed up the space. The cavern was not quite round, about thirty paces wide and forty long. Small alcoves led off from the main chamber, most of them hiding their content behind a skin or tapestry. Lanterns occupied the walls between the alcoves and added their light to the fire. Workbenches, laden with scrolls and books, writing implements, bottles and other strange objects, lined the walls. The floor was covered with woven mats, which helped to keep the cold at bay. Maia sucked in a deep breath, savouring the familiar smells; tarragon, mint, fire, leather, candles and so many others she could not name them all.

  Silas sat cross-legged on a cushion by the fire, his eyes closed. Maia always wondered how he managed to sit like that for any lengths of time. Even her young legs started to protest after a while, but he was somehow able to sit in such a fashion for hours and meditate.

  Maia cleared her throat, and Silas opened his eyes.

  Maia spent the night in Silas’ cave. She had dreaded going to him. Although she knew the old man loved her, she knew he could be hard on her when she displeased him. But, for some reason she could not fathom, he did not speak to her about her guests. Every time she steered their talk toward that subject, he seemed to change direction and started talking about something else. Eventually she gave up and just listened to him telling her about all that had happened while was gone.

  They had talked late into the night, so she was still a little groggy when he woke her in the morning to go home. She wondered about it; Elves in general did not usually need much sleep, but Silas said it might have to do with the habits of Humans and that she might simply be more familiar with their sleep patterns.

  It was later than she had thought and she squinted at the sun as she stepped out of the tunnel. Most people were already at their workshops; she heard the various sounds coming from the direction of the Silver Forest.

  She hesitated a moment, unsure of what to do. She did not feel like slipping back into her old life. Something had changed. She had changed, but she could not quite find exactly what it was that was different about her.

  With a sigh, she decided to make for home; she should probably get changed first anyway, then she could decide what to do with
the rest of her day.

  She had just started up the steps that lead to their home, when Jaik caught up with her. He took a few steps up, but then stopped on a step below her. Being on the same eye level with him was a novelty for her, reminding her how much taller he was. Their heights was one of their few differences; they shared the same emerald green eyes, the dark Mahogany coloured hair, fine nose, strong jaw and sensual lips. Maia thought him very handsome and was proud of him and what he had accomplished during the last twenty years. He was the youngest Commander of the Guard in almost two millennia.

  “There you are. We have been looking for you. I’ve hardly seen you at all since you’ve come home.”

  “I’ve only been home a few days; there hasn’t really been much time to spend with you yet.” She smiled at him.

  “Well then, now is your chance, sister. Archer has taken Luke and Jasmin down to the lake. Will you join us for a swim?” He gave her a mischievous smile and then, without waiting for her reply, strode off.

  Maia only hesitated for a moment. For some reason she could not explain, it felt wrong to be going off to swim. She thought she should be doing something else, but could not quite figure out what it was. The thought of spending the day with her brother, and Luke and Jasmin, was tempting.

  By the time they got to the lake, she realised she had not brought anything to swim in, but it only delayed her for a moment. Leaving her underclothes and shirt on, she jumped in. Wolf was treading water, waiting for Luke to throw him a stick. Jasmin was on her back, floating, with Archer steering her by the feet. Even though it was still early, the sun had warmed the water enough to be pleasant.

  She waded until she could not stand anymore and then tread water. Jaik came up behind her and dunked her head under. She took her revenge by yanking his feet and pulling him below. This was how they had spent much of their adolescent years.

  As much as she loved spending time with Jaik, today she felt something was out of place, almost as if she was being watched. She swam with them for a while, but then waded to shore and climbed onto the flat boulder that pointed into the water, which they usually used for diving. From her more elevated position, she scanned the tree line around the lake.

  The hairs on her arms rose as the feeling of being watched increased. A terrible uneasiness overcame her; something was out there. She cast her mind towards the forest and immediately picked up the bright sparks of Eläm, the Life-Forces, of the multitude of animals residing there; squirrels, mole rats, beetles and insects, birds and further in even a deer. She could not pick up what had triggered her uneasiness.

  A sudden breeze blew over her wet skin and she shivered as. I am probably just imagining things, she thought, shrugging her shoulders. She reeled in her mind and the bright sparks immediately ceased to exist; the world seemed a darker place without them.

  As she focused back on her immediate surroundings, she glimpsed movement at the edge of her vision. She looked up and thought she saw a wolf standing on the far shore of the lake, but it was far away and at that exact moment Jaik came up behind her, grabbed her around the waist, and together they tumbled into the water. She never even got the chance to think about why she had not picked up the wolf’s Eläm.

  They were still laughing by the time they got home. Archer had said goodbye at the bottom of the stairs and gone his own way, but it had not dampened their spirits. It had been an excellent day. Besides that moment by the lake, Maia had not felt as carefree as today in a long time. Her initial uneasiness had evaporated quickly and she enjoyed herself. She had been surprised by how much fun Luke could be. He always seemed so restrained and serious, but today he was relaxed and funny, entertaining them with his quick wit.

  The day went by surprisingly quickly. After the lake, they had gone to the stables. Most of the geldings were in and they spent time feeding and cleaning them. Jasmin loved the horses. Archer had saddled his horse, Sir Parador, for her and had shown her some of the basics. Luke also had a turn, but his antics in the saddle had been too awkward and totally uncoordinated. They made good-natured fun of him all afternoon, but he did not seem to mind.

  Now they stumbled into the house, laughing at something Jaik had said, and it took a moment before they noticed Aaron standing by the fireplace, his arms crossed over his chest. The look on his face wiped the smiles off theirs and Maia felt a prickle of danger run down her back. Aaron’s Eläm glowed an angry red. Even Wolf crept past him and quietly sat on his pillow in the far corner of the common room.

  “Where have you been all day? I have been worried sick about you. I asked around, but no one had seen you. And Maia, you are supposed to be the responsible one. Did you not for one minute think that I might be worried? I thought you said that you would work on getting us back home and here you are, playing around all day instead. Don’t you care about us? Is this all just a game to you?” Aaron raised his hand, forestalling their replies. “No, don’t bother with an explanation. I expect teenagers to act like this, I just didn’t realise Maia was one too.” He huffed once more, glowered at them and then stalked out the door, leaving them stunned and momentarily speechless.

  “What was that all about?” Luke asked.

  “Oh, Papa can be such a pain,” Jasmin complained.

  Maia was silent; she did not know how to respond to such an outburst.

  They sat for another little while around the fire, but the mood was broken. Jagaer was at another meeting and Malyn was not home either. Thus, after a quick, cold meal they all went to bed.

  Maia set up a narrow cot in the storage room, leaving her room to Jasmin. She lay there, staring at the ceiling. She thought about everything that had happened in the short time she had been home. She needed to make it right somehow. Although she enjoyed Jasmin’s and Luke’s company, it was clear Aaron was unhappy. For a long time, she lay there, thinking about all the possible solutions, but it had been an exciting, tiring day and eventually her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

  She was walking barefoot along the edge of a stream. Sunshine filtered through the canopy of leaves overhead, warming her face. Bees hummed all around her, visiting the colourful flowers growing alongside the stream and birds sang in the trees. It was a perfect summer’s day. She enjoyed the slight breeze cooling her skin.

  Ambling to the edge of the river, she dangled her feet into the cool water. Closing her eyes, she leaned back, tilting her head toward the sun, savouring its warmth.

  She could nod off here, safe among the trees with only bees and birds to keep her company, but something nagged at the back of her mind, something intangible, something she could not define. She shivered. Had it gotten colder? She opened her eyes, but the scene was as before; golden sunlight filtering through the leaves, the river gurgling by her feet. She closed her eyes again.

  About to doze off, she felt the air around her stir. Someone was there. She opened her eyes and looked around, but still nothing had changed. She frowned and sat up a little; maybe sleeping here was not such a good idea. She was being watched; strangely, it was not an unpleasant feeling.

  After a while, she relaxed again, but remained upright. Then she heard it, a soft whisper on the wind. Her skin tingled as if someone had touched her. It raised goose bumps on her arms and she rubbed them, wondering about the odd sensation. The wind blew again, just a little stronger than before and again it felt as if she was being touched. Now she could almost understand the whisper on the wind and she imagined that she heard her name. It was spoken with so much emotion and longing that a moan escaped her lips.

  She wanted to get up, leave this place, but felt herself inexplicably drawn to the voice on the wind and did not move, holding her breath, waiting for the breeze to touch her again.

  The longer she waited, the stronger the strange feelings within her became. Her body seemed to vibrate with a kind of heat that had nothing to do with the sunlight shining on her.

  When the breeze came again, it brought with it a thick, cold mist, raising more goos
e bumps on her skin. She shivered. The mist had an ominous quality to it, swirled, and eddied as she looked at it. It was eerily quiet. She held her breath and heard soft footsteps behind her. They sounded like neither man, nor animal, and it filled her with dread.

  She struggled to get up, go and leave this place, but felt as if she was bound, unable to move. Icy fingers crawled down her back and she shuddered. Then she felt a warm breath on her neck and her entire body froze in fear.

  “Maia,” he whispered.

  She screamed.

  Sweating, she sat up on her cot. She was breathing hard. Goose bumps still covered her body and the fear still lingered within her. She tried to shake the feeling off, realising it had only been a dream.

  She rubbed her arms. She had never before felt such strange emotions mingled with so much fear before. What did it mean? She had wanted the voice to caress her again, at first, but then something changed and she experienced fear instead. She wondered if it had anything to do with her relationship with Aaron. It had been much on her mind lately. It would make sense; she had been with him on Earth, been his wife, but now, here at home, she did not want to know him as her husband. She suddenly felt very alone.

  Now feeling depressed, she made her way into the common room. The house and its smells were familiar, calming her somewhat, but her desolation lingered. She stoked the fire, added another log to the embers and softly blew on it until yellow flames licked the wood. She stared into the fire, wondering about her dream. How could she have felt so much desire, then so much fear? Maybe she was just scared of letting Aaron get close. Maybe she should just give it a try.

  She must have fallen asleep again at some point, for when she opened her eyes it was morning. It was early and everyone was still sleeping. Quietly she went to the washroom, did her ablutions and then went to get dressed. Taking some bread from the pantry, she ate it while she made her way to Silas’ cave. She wanted to talk to him about her dream. She at first considered talking to her mother, but, because of who Maia was, a dream like that could often have deeper implications than simply hormones of a young adult.