Eletheria and Sal rode the horse across town towards the Spiritus estate. Ele was hoping to find Lex there so they could make a plan or figure out a way out of this. Ele guided them through the side streets and alleys to keep them hidden from the sky as much as possible. Each time they stopped to wait for a slow wagon blocking their path Ele would glance up skyward.

“Ve will pay for having Acanthio killed.” Ele finally broke the brief silence that had come over them as they rode. Then, once she realized what she said, “I’m sorry, Sal, I just…” Ele’s face scrunched up in anger, she almost made a snarl before she regained control of her emotions.

“It’s understandable, she tried to kill me, too.” Sal tried to explain but he still seemed to be a bit shocked.

“Could we approach the Council and have them punish Ve?”

“Have the Council punish the savior of the G’Aeris?” Sal almost shouted in surprise at such a statement. “They couldn’t touch her even if they tried, half of them would probably see no crime in killing an untouched.” In the last part of the statement, Sal almost spits out, and to make a point, he even spat to the side.

“What do we do?” Ele slowed the horse to a trot. “I don’t want to hurt my Mom, but I do not want to be anywhere near her. I wonder if Pappa knows.” Ele turned in the saddle to look at Sal.

“Mom, er, Ve has a long memory and holds grudges. She used to brag about how an old merchant who shamed her while she was a slave. She found him ten years after the revolution and ruined his business and family,” Sal said in a serious and low tone. “I don’t think I can go back either, which I don’t mind; however, I do not think I can return to the Vol Mortem.”

“I’m sorry, Sal, that you got mixed up in this.” Ele then silently cursed at herself for causing all of this.

“It is not your fault. She, Ve has always been like this. It actually explains some things from my youth.” Sal’s voice went lower, and as Ele looked at him, she could see him gaze off in the distance.

“Sal, what happened?” Ele was growing concerned and she stopped the horse.

“I’ll tell you later, but we’ve got to keep moving.” Sal pointed at the hill on which the Spiritus estate stood. Ele nudged the horse into a canter as they approached the estate’s gate. As soon as the guards recognized her, they opened the gates and allowed her and Sal in. Even with the gates open, Ele maneuvered the horse over to one of the guards.

“Is Alexander home? I need to talk with him,” Ele asked quickly.

“Yes, Lady Zephyr. He is in the stables; he arrived…” the guard started to say, but Ele already had the horse moving. They rode over to the stables. Ele and Sal quickly dismounted from the horse and jogged into the musky and dusty building. Inside, Ele saw Lex and Tony.

“Lex, we need to talk,” Ele said as she ran towards Lex.

“Ele, I’m sorry, we recovered Acanthio’s body and…” Lex held his head down as he started to deliver the bad news.

“Lex, I know; that is why I am here,” Ele interrupted him. Her eyes widened as she turned and did a double take at Tony. “Why are you here?”

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“Your mother is here, Ele; she asked me to drive her here. She is in the house talking to Gabriel,” Tony said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What is going on?” Lex said as he looked between Tony and Ele, worry creeping on his face.

“Ve and my mother hired the ruffians to kill Thio,” Ele explained, “then they tried to kill Sal and me.”

“This must be a misunderstanding,” Lex argued. “Let’s go talk to my father; I’m sure he will help straighten this out.” Lex and Sal started walking towards the house.

Ele handed her horse’s reins to Tony and asked him to brush the horse down. When Tony was handed the reins to a single horse, Tony raised his eyebrows at Ele.

“Did Morning Glory get lost?” Tony asked as he looked towards the door for the other horse.

“Morning glory threw Sal when a lightning bolt got close. We didn’t see where she ran off to,” Ele responded, wondering if that was a favorite horse of Tony’s. Tony sighed and led Beaumont towards a stall where he could brush down the horse and feed it some oats. Ele jogged to catch up to Sal and Lex. The path to the front of the house was clear; Ele wondered a little about the lack of people. Aside from the few guards she saw at the entrance when they arrived, she has not seen anyone else. Lex took the lead in their little group and opened the door to the house. The brightness of the day forced their eyes to adjust once they entered.

As Lex, Sal, and Ele entered the Spiritus home, she was reminded of her first visit 12 years ago. Her mother had just supported adding Gabriel Spiritus to the Council and had brought her daughter over to meet his youngest son. Ele remembered questioning her mother why the entryway lacked a coat rack and chair to use while taking one’s shoes off. The walls of the hallway leading to the great room were bare, lacking paintings or tapestries.

“Now, Ele, those types of questions are not polite. If you must know, Gabriel grew up during the dark times like your Auntie Ve. He doesn’t believe in material things,” Ele’s mother had told her. Ele never really thought about it then, but when she remembered that moment, her voice seemed to be a bit admiring.

As Ele’s eyes adjusted to the light in the building, the bare walls and lack of furniture were still evident. There were more shoes and some coats lying on the floor than she remembered. Since that day, she had only been to the Spiritus estate a handful of times. Usually, Lex would come to visit her at her estate, or they would meet at the school. Feeling her hair stand and unsure if it was from someone holding quan or her own paranoia, Ele stopped walking down the hallway.

“Sal, I think we should leave,” Ele whispered to Sal, she had to repeat it a little louder as Sal and Lex had continued down the hallway.

“No, you should stay.” A booming voice came from the great hall. The echo distorted it slightly, but Ele guessed it was Gabriel’s voice. The lights in the hallway and the greenroom brightened so light filled every corner as if it was daylight. Ele was able to see past Sal and Lex and see her mother standing to the right of Gabriel. A group of guards also made a half circle behind their employer.

“Dad, did you know about what they were doing?” Lex asked his father in a tone that revealed he was trying to keep control of his voice.

“No, I did not know about it,” Gabriel replied, his voice a little somber. Lex took a few steps forward toward his father in relief. While Lex was still ten paces away, his father looked back up towards him and said, “I wish I could have been a part of it. Untouched filth dilutes our strength.” The enmity of Gabriel’s feelings towards the G’Aequor and those who could not channel quan surprised Ele and Lex. Lex took a step back from his father. Only Sal appeared not to be surprised about it and he took a step forward.

“How many more people have died?” Sal asked both Gabriel and Ms. Zephyr.

“Silly boy, do not act as if you have not taken lives,” Ms. Zephyr replied.

“I only kill in defense or battle,” Sal responded.

“There is your error, dear boy. We are always at battle, and we must constantly fight,” Gabriel replied. “We cannot rely upon their goodwill or honor; we have seen what happens when they gain the upper hand. Never again will they subject our people to slavery.”

“So, just slavery by our people?” Ele quickly asked.

“My dear, you are not a slave. You can choose what you wish.” Gabriel replied, and Ele noticed that her mother seemed distracted.

“What if I wished to choose an untouched,” Ele replied, trying to say something to get a reaction out of her mother. Her reply didn’t cause any reaction from her mother, but she did see Lex flinch a little.

“Eletheria, I have already mourned your passing.” Ele’s mother replied, her words piercing Ele deeply. “Just like your brothers but a fraction of power. The second time, I am sure, will be easier,” Ele’s legs started feeling a little weak, and tears welled up in her eyes. Lex was immediately by her side and gently held her shoulders while also having her take a step backward. Soon Sal was standing between Ele and the parents. The guards behind Gabriel and Ms. Zephyr did not move a step as they stood there.

Ele wiped tears from her eyes and saw that Sal had taken a defensive stance, with his feet shoulder-width apart and his hands to his sides, palms facing Gabriel. The hairs on Ele’s and Lex’s arms started to rise, as Sal must have been channeling quan. As their hairs rose, the lights in the house grew brighter.

“Even the Council should not play God,” Sal stated, and the lights grew brighter. Soon, when they were at a point where each was a bright little sun glowing in its little perch along the walls, they started to burst. One after another, the glass bulbs exploded as too much power was run through them. Ele’s last sight of Sal was him floating a little above the ground, surrounded by a bright light coming from every direction, and then she saw darkness.