“It wasn’t in your control, Ilias.” Errol’s low voice
“Yes, but...”
“But nothing.” Errol leaned forward in his chair. “Who is the Almighty?”
“He is creator, king, all-knowing, all-powerful, and sovereign deity.”
“How often has He imparted to you His plans?” Errol asked.
I looked at him in surprise. “Never.”
“So what makes you so sure that He is going do so now?”
“Nothing.”
“Then stop feeling sorry for yourself. He has a purpose. He always does, but that doesn’t mean that He has to unveil to you or me. Shall not the Sovereign of the universe do right? Of course He will.”
“And if He has chosen to not let me see the future, then my role is...”
“The same it has always been,” Errol interrupted. “Seek His face, follow His will, stay close to Him, and continue to fight with His strength. Without him, you will fail.”
I hung my head as the realization of what I had been doing washed over me. Forgive me, Lord, I prayed. “I have assumed more than my measure.”
“Seek Him. In your humility, He will make you strong.”
I nodded and closed my eyes.
“I will leave you to work it out with Him,” Errol said as he rose to his feet.
“Tell Renato we will be staying for a few days. I will seek him out later.”
“And apologize to Zezilia?”
I looked up and laughed mirthlessly. “I seem to be constantly be apologizing to her.”
He nodded. “Then, we will talk about her future.” He turned to leave, but paused to lay a hand on the tome resting on table to the right of the door. “This is a copy of the Revelation should you need it.” Then he exited, closing the door softly behind him.
I lowered my head into my hands and lay my heart bare before God.
Zezilia
RENATO LOOKED DIFFERENT. I watched my brother giving instructions to a gathering of talents, defenders, and non-talented servants. Outwardly he looked the same, medium height, golden brown, and confident. But now there was an essence of authority to his voice and manner that I didn’t remember from when we both lived at home. That time had seemed so far away before, but seeing him now brought the memories as though it was yesterday. A sensation of homesickness hit my stomach, and I wondered how Mother and Father were doing.
Just then Renato turned toward me with a smile as the group around him dissipated. He wrapped me in a big hug before linking arms. “Now we can escape for an hour or so and catch up. You have to tell me all about your training.”
“Where do you want to go? I can show you the tree house that Candra and I built.”
“You built a tree house?” He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Wait until I tell Mother.”
“Oh, please don’t. She will only get angry. You know I was never allowed to climb trees.” I led him off into the woods.
He laughed. “If she got a look at you now, Zez, I doubt she would be worried about whether or not you are acting tomboyish.”
I frowned at him over my shoulder. “What do you mean?”
He flashed me a half-smile. “You look the opposite of tomboyish and that is what is important when it comes to husband catching.”
“Husband catching?” I asked, half-puzzled and half-worried. “I am too young.” I looked down at myself. It was the same body that I had dressed this morning.
“You are turning eighteen in three weeks right?” he asked. “Actually you are running late. It is a good thing that Hadrian promised to pull strings to make sure you are married off soon.”
I frowned up at my brother. “What are you talking about?”
“You mean Errol didn’t tell you?”
I stopped and confronted him. “What?”
“Hadrian and Errol made a deal with Father to allow you to train. Hadrian promised that he would find you husband or marry you himself.”
Visions of marriage to the Sept Son sent shivers through me. It wasn’t that he wasn’t attractive. He was, in an older man way. He was handsome in a rugged, noble manner that I did like, but he was the Sept Son, the second most powerful man in the country.
As unsettling as it was to think of Errol and Hadrian deciding my future marriage partner, I had been doing that regarding my future role as a talent. This new information added a whole new dimension to the future that I had been lead to expect. An aspect that needed further discussion, but not with my brother.
“Let’s talk about something else. How is Mother doing?” I turned away and led the way toward the tree house.
“Organizing parties, gossiping, matchmaking, and socializing, she keeps busy. She and Hadrian also made a deal, but I have yet to find out what it was about.”
I turned to confront my brother. “Can’t you speak of anything but secret alliances and gossip?” I asked.
“You are an adult now, Zez. You should know about the arrangements that have been made about your future without your knowledge. I am just trying to give you a clear view of the world you are about to step into.”
“The world is full of people who want to exploit me, use me, abuse me, and kill me. As you have pointed out, I am an adult, but I don’t need to know details yet. When it comes time, Errol will tell me what I need to know. Right now I want to know about our family. How are our brothers?”
A cloud passed over his features. “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask.”
“Not likely,” I responded as I watched his face intently. “What is wrong?”
Renato turned away and lowered his gaze to the ground and the thick grass that cloaked the forest floor on either side of the trail. “Something happened to Blan.”
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. “Last I knew he was working on a project in the west. What happened?”
Renato stopped in the path and turned away to look into the dim recesses of the woods. For a
