ed against her face. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, yawning hugely. Elena looked around at her grandfather. He was sitting, as he had been when sh

him all her life and caught the snap of tension in his voice. She suddenly felt queasy. Elena pulled a compact out of

he ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to instill some form of order. As they pulled up to the docks she gave

r voice was thick from sleep and

mpact away as her grandfather tucked his

e same as well as where we actually are would be p

she thought to look around. They were in a parking lot by a set of docks and there were warehouses behind them with no distinguishing skyline fea

ast pier and were greeted by a man who rivaled Marcus in size but had a blonde crew cut instead of a brown one. He was even dressed identically to the big man and she wondered if there was a bodyguard uniform of which she h

hored off the coast. The yacht gleamed white on the dark water and Elena caught flashes of light winking from the brass fittings as the sun kissed h

y the largest ship she had ever been on and wondered if it had started life as a member of a high end cruise line. As they a

t by the Council and served as neutral ground. Violence of any kind was not allowed on neutral ground. No matter what the Council ruling, she would be safe while on board. Her relief

he machinery turned and the little skiff was lifted out of the water and hauled up to the deck. The wind caused

ood and prepared to do the same. She was surprised by the hand Marcus offered for assistance, but took it gratefully and smiled. He smiled b

one of voice and realized that he was purely a Council representative here and she would have to behave accordingly. She swallowed hard, belatedly realizing that was wha

around the room were just as well acquainted with the smaller merchant craft as she was had no bearing on the power she could almost see pulsing through the air. The room they entered was

e and neatly trimmed in a layered cut still long enough to tie back when needed, and a very no nonsense air about her. Elena guessed her to be Siobhan Connelly. She was dressed in an off white cable knit sweater and camel colored slacks

ore than made up for the lack of cranial covering and was a large walrus of a man who no doubt looked even larger between the two ladies. Elena was betting that he wa

planted firmly in front of him indicating that he would not stand for any tomfoolery. Elena personally thought

k of gray, Elena knew her to be nearly of an age with her grandfather. The lines were starting to show around her eyes though even though the rest of the face was not heavily lined. Those wer

ger and he smiled at her as she walked in. Peter was wearing a black three-pieced suit and dress shoes. The thought of dress shoes on a ship almost sent Elena into fits of nervous giggles. She was used to much smaller working vessels where the

pletely blank. He was built like a linebacker, which contrasted sharply with Alex Barton on his left who was milk pale and gaunt almost to the point of painfulness. Alex had long tapere

ake his seat in the semi-circle, filling the one unoccupied desk. Marcus fell in neatly behind him, taking his place in the back row of standing bodyguards. Elena took her seat, her pose

uestion. Peter rapped his fist on the desk, calling everyone's attention to him. Elena heaved an inward sigh of relief that Alex was not in charge of proc

ht a tone to his words, realizing they were important, but not quite understanding their full meaning. "We thank you for returning to us now to bring potentially damag

personal nature, the reasons are usually only given to the head of the family and if the head is satisfied it remains a family matter." Elena fel

has any bearing on the information you bring." Elena saw Alex lean forward in his seat a little a

t I must ask, Elena why did you leave the Guild?" E

er my ship by risking The Calling growing strong enough to cause me to pilot the Wind Dancer out of the channels an

g. Elena recalled The Calling grounded several of her family's pilots as well. It wasn't something that wa

voice whispery soft with a steel blade

out seven." El

he deaths of your parents?" Elena'

, " she said, swallo

with your grandfat

es

rimarily reside

a said. Riko and Siobhan exchanged a h

king over for Riko. The men stayed silent; there was no

ena said, "of the

ve the headaches?"

h." Riko and Siobhan exchange another glance and Elena wondered if the nightmares were common. That they were a symp

She turned towards Peter. "We are satisfied, you may proceed, " she said with

ard, nearly popping out of his seat like a living Jack-in-the-box. Someho

now Ian Jensen?" It was t

a's sweet sixteen dance. S

friends w

were a small class and everyone was invited. I

your contact with Ian?

give him much thought. I saw him once again a few years later at a lecture my cousin Mateo was giving. I think I said hello."

rivate matter and not a part of the public record." Peter looked towards the man behind Siobhan who

and had a face you would forget moments after he had left the room. He wheeled in a small cart with a machine that bore a keen resemblance to a court recorder's typewriter. He then went b

ficial reco