There it was—the closest anyone had come to acknowledging the real reason for Ravel's presence, for Alar's, for the whole carefully orchestrated charade.
Gran put her fork down. "I may be old, but I'm not stupid. Is my granddaughter in danger?"
"Gran—" I started.
"No, child. I'll speak plainly in my own house." She fixed Ravel with a stare that could extinguish dragfire. "What kind of danger is Kailin in?"
Ravel held her gaze steadily. "Hopefully, none. Other than you, no one outside the Citadel knows about Kailin's ability to predict Shedun attacks. I doubt the information would leak from either source."
"I see." Gran narrowed her eyes at him. "You are using Kailin to check if there are any leaks from the Citadel."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. My mother gasped, Dad's face darkened, and even Dylon looked shocked.
"That's not—" Ravel began.
"Save your denials, Commander," Gran interrupted. "I'm not too old to remember military logic. A valuable asset draws out traitors. Better to control when and where than wait for them to choose."
"That's true," Ravel said. "But as I said before, the risk is very low, and I have people watching Kailin and the house."
His words eased the knot in my gut. I was better protected than I'd thought I was. I could relax and enjoy time with my family despite the real reason I had been granted this vacation.
"I should have been informed," Dylon muttered.
Alar glared at Ravel. "As should Kailin and I."
Ravel didn't seem to be bothered by Alar's hostility. "Would it have made a difference? You are here, and you will protect Kailin. The idea was to let you enjoy your vacation and not worry about a threat that would most likely never materialize."
"Commander Ravel is right," Dylon said into the heavy silence. "Kailin's home for the first time in over six weeks, and we have three days to enjoy as a family. Let's make the best of the time we have."
"Yes," my father agreed quickly. "How is Shovia doing?" He changed the subject. "It was such a shock to learn that she had the gift. Morek too." He turned to Alar. "You and your cousin getting your wish was just as surprising. Elu must have some grand plan in mind for the five of you."
If he only knew, but I couldn't tell my father how right he was.
"It has never happened before," Ravel said. "The five of them were grouped together on the pilgrimage, and all five were found to be gifted. I was never a great believer in signs, but after what Kailin has done for our people, I'm forced to reevaluate my position on divine intervention."
5
ALAR
"The deepest divide between two people is not expressed in numerical values.
Its magnitude is defined by the cultural landscapes and social realities they occupy."
—From 'Between Nations: A Study of Cultural Divides'
By Ambassador Kieran Thrace
After Ravel had said his goodbyes and Dylon had escorted him out the door, the atmosphere in the room shifted, becoming tense. I felt Kailin's mother's eyes on me, weighing and measuring in that way mothers do when they're about to ask uncomfortable questions.
"Do you have a room reserved at the Pilgrim's Lodge as well?" she asked me in a carefully neutral tone.
I opened my mouth to respond, but Kailin put her hand on my thigh to stop me. "Alar will be spending the night with me."
Jayron's fork paused halfway to his mouth. Milly's eyes widened. Jaida chuckled, the sound part amusement and part acknowledgment.
"We're a couple." Kailin found my hand and clasped it. "We're not officially engaged yet, but we're in love, and our relationship is solid. If you are uncomfortable with us sharing a room under your roof, we can secure a room in the lodge."
I'd stopped listening after she'd dropped the wordengaged.
