The Silver Orb

Chapter 4~ The Traitor

“Please sit.”
Yavonne sat down in the only armchair in the room. After Trae had escaped they took her to Tenoren. Then the council had their meeting and they decided that instead of mind wiping her they would simply talk to her. After they had convinced her that she wasn’t dreaming they took her into a conference room where Clare and Nicodème were waiting for her.
“We have a lot to explain,” said Nicodème “But first we must have your sincere promise that you won’t tell anyone what you are about to hear.”
Clare looked over at Yavonne and then leaned over to Nicodème and whispered something in his ear. He gave her a reproached look and turned back to Yavonne.
A thousand things were going through her head. “You have my word.”
“Good. Well I guess we’ll start with who we are,” He took a breath then began, “I am Nicodème, the Head of the Council.”
He motioned for Clare to start, but was interrupted as Yavonne asked a question, “What’s the Council?”
Nicodème looked back at Yavonne. “It’s like our government. When we come to a problem we have a meeting.”
He then looked over at Clare and she began, “I’m Clare LeBaron. I look after the Melken, which I have heard you found. If I may.” Clare put out her and.
Yavonne nodded. She pulled the silver ball out of her pocket and put it in Clare’s hand. Clare touched the red stones that she knew so well to be white then looked up at Yavonne.
“Why are the stones red?”
“I don’t know,” she said and shrugged her shoulders, “ they were white when I found it.”
“How exactly did you find it and where?”
At first Yavonne didn’t know how to answer. “I found it on Inis Pic. I remember picking it up and I must have triggered something, because it opened. Then I…”
“Wait it opened?”
Yavonne had been looking down, but she looked up now.
“Yeah. I think I could get it to do it again.”
Clare spared a glance at Nicodème then at a nod from him, handed it to Yavonne. She held it in her hand turning it over and over. Trying to remember. It came as suddenly as a slap on the cheek. She lifted her hand and began to touch the rubies one by one. She hesitated at touching the last and biggest, but curiosity over came her. She pressed lightly on the ruby and it popped open with a click.
Clare’s eyes grew wide and Nicodème sat up straighter.
Inside was the same silver liquid that had fell on her face the week before.
Clare was staring open mouthed at Yavonne. The she turned and began to whisper excitedly to Nicodème. He had slumped back in his chair again and was mumbling to him self. He finally raised his hands to silence Clare.
“But Nicodème doesn’t this mean that she’s…”
He looked at her impatiently. “Yes Clare that does.”
Clare turned back to Yavonne though she was still talking to Nicodème.
“That means that…”
“Yes Clare he’s come.”
Nicodème stood. “Thank you Yavonne for letting us speak with you, but at the moment I believe we all need to sleep. Javin.”
A young man stepped though the door. The looked to be in his early twenties like Clare. He had light brown hair that came to his shoulders.
“Yes sir?”
“Take Miss…?”
“Dowell.”
“Take Miss Dowell to her room. You know where it is I presume?”
“Yes sir.”
Javin bowed his head slightly and stood aside for Yavonne. She stood and walked through the door. She was still holding the Melken in her hand and as she began to walk it closed.
* * *
Nicodème sat and began to mumble to himself again.
“Trae’s working for him isn’t he.”
Nicodème looked up at Clare.
“I believe so. Ether that or He is him.”
Clare leaned back in her chair. For the first time she was having a conversation with her grandfather without any yelling
“I don’t think so. Trae might act like he’s intelligent, but he’s not, at least not enough to do it on his own. Besides since when do werewolves have the power to shimmer or blink?”
Nicodème nodded in agreement.
“He has to be in league with some one more powerful. But you’re wrong about knowledge. He was smart enough to keep his secret just that, a secret.”
Clare looked over. “It’s not hard to keep that a secret. All he had to do was show up at the meetings.”
“Very true Clare, but he still managed to get the trust of all of us. Even Mayla trusted him. And you know how hard it is to get her trust.”
Clare nodded. “A lot of people trusted him. He could have gotten a lot of power, but you know, it’s odd, he didn’t even try.”
Nicodème looked back at her. “It is odd, but I think I know why he didn’t.”
Clare turned her chair towards him. “What then?”
“He wanted the Melken, and the only way for him to have gotten it was if he stayed with you.”
An acquired silence came between them. Finally he broke the silence. “That is why I would like you to stay here, in this building. You will not be allowed off the grounds and Abdiel will be watching your every step.”
Clare jumped up. At first she didn’t know weather to refuse out right, or grudgingly oblige. She didn’t want to ruin the moment, but there was no way she’s miss getting to Trae.
“Fine.” Nicodème took his usual position when she disagreed, but realized that she hadn’t and seemed a bit out of place.
“Your alright with that?”
She walked around the table and over to the door. “Yes, I’ll stay, alright.”
He smiled. “I’m proud of you. Your finally using those manners your parents taught you.”
She made a face. “Yeah, don’t get to comfortable. They didn’t go that deep.”
He sighed. “Your dismissed Clare.”
She opened the door, “I don’t need to be dismissed,” Then she strode thorough, closing the door behind her.
Nicodème shook his head, waited a moment and walked out of the room as well.
As soon as the click of the handle was heard a figure slowly materialized in the corner of the room. Trae had listened to the conversation. He frowned. Clare would be staying. No doubt Nicodème had guessed that there was another spy in the council, and had left Clare behind to protect the girl. He crossed the room and quietly opened the door. Then she slipped through and began to walk down the hall.
“He’s growing impatient with you.” A gravely voice from behind him made him jump and he spun around. He frowned again. Abdiel was leaning against the wall picking at the wall with his knife. So this was the elf he was suppose to meet. Abdiel stood, “fallow me,” and walked in the opposite direction of Trae. He debated leaving him and walking to Clare’s room, but he reluctantly fallowed. They seemed to have been walking for at least an hour, when Abdiel finally stopped in front of a door. It was a finely carven oak door with a silver knocker and handle. “Come in,” came a voice from inside. Trae reached over, grabbed the handle before Abdiel could and opened the door and walked inside
* * *
Yavonne sat in her room, thinking. She wanted to believe and yet she couldn’t, it was impossible to. The only thing her parents had ever told her was to analyze before believing. She had analyzed through and through and it explained so much, but changed every thing.
“Arrrg.” She flopped back on the bead. It was so soft, but she didn’t even notice. Oddly she hadn’t panicked. It was like she had been expecting all of this. She excepted all of it, like she had known all along that she’d be kidnapped by elves. She shook her head. None of it made sense. She let her thoughts rest. Finally sleep.
* * *
Clare was wide awake, and fuming. She had surprised not only Nicodème, but her self as well. She had always had the courage to stand up to him and tell him “no”. why was this different? She paced her room, unable to sit because of her lack of patients. It’s not like she was afraid of him. She was never afraid of him, and she never would be. He might be powerful, and her grandfather, but she wasn’t about to let that scare her. It was a warm night, she walked over to the window and opened it moon light pored in from the full moon outside. She walked over to the bed and sat. a warm breeze moved the curtains. Clare put her head down on the pillow. Sleep came instantly.