Chapter One
Fio sighed in frustration. She raised her soft long lashes to the sky and down. " For Hod's sake Lyn, try to keep up. You know how desperate I am". She grabbed my arms and shook me slightly.
"Yes Fio, I do." I rolled my eyes and shrugged her hands off. "It's been ringing in my ears since the day we discovered boys just how much you wish to rise in the eyes of society. And your one chance to do that is through the sitter program".
"That's right!" She beamed and dropped to the grass sighing dreamily. We were supposed to fetch the bread baskets from the bakery to the shop. Master Todu would be waiting for his bread with feet akimbo by now. You don't want to keep Master Todu waiting.
I sighed wearily. Why would a grown adult need a girl to sit with him at night anyway? To read bedtime stories? It was so ridiculous! No one knows what actually goes on in the generals quarters because they are all sworn to secrecy. Marriage was promised if the general was impressed by the sitters performance. So far, no girl was good enough because by the next day, they were thrown out, silenced by magic and made into a shadow of themselves. How Fio could want this is beyond me.
"Fio, you know that nothing good comes out of this right?" I said.
She turned and smiled, "If the all powerful general Dylan does not find me pretty enough for him, then there is no justice. I've got whatever it takes to draw his attention". She flipped her waist and out came wisps of fire.
She was indeed fortunate to have been born with the gift. and beauty. She had beautiful black hair and oval face. I got none whatsoever. Much to the disappointment of my family whom were well known in the province as being extraordinarily gifted. My brother could summon the dead at the age of nine. Mother is strong and Father could will the storm. I sighed at the thought. I could only boast of having pretty brown eyes unfortunately. My hair was almost a dull brunette. Needless to say, there was nothing interesting about me. My family were understanding, so I wasn't under any pressure or anything. It's just sometimes I wish...
" Look Lyn! an entourage arrives" Fio jumped up excitedly "near our village" She pointed down hill to a small village by the sea. Indeed, there was a small entourage of horsemen riding into the village like there was a great emergency.
I was puzzled. We don't get much visits from the army unless they were passing by. Had the sitter selection started already. Usually, it done discreetly. A girl or two disappearing overnight and reappearing a day or two later.
Fio had already begun to run down the hill. I made a move to run after her but then I remembered the bread baskets.
" Fio! wait! The bread baskets! We need to get this down!" I shouted.
Of course she didn't bother to look back. Fio couldn't afford to miss out on hot gossip, especially if it's happening in her presence.
O come on Fio. I looked at the heavy baskets full of bread left on the grass, added to the one I was carrying and swore in Pulican.
I struggled to pick them up by their handles.
I must have missed my way while carrying the baskets because the otherwise short trip down to the village seemed like hours while I sweated it out trying to carry the baskets by myself.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of hooves on a horse, galloping steadily towards me. I couldn't see anything ahead of me because the baskets covered my view. I heard shouts of "Get out...!". The next thing I saw was the baskets and bread dancing up in the sky, a handsome but concerned face looming above me and then darkness.