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“Let me get some refreshments,” Amy said, standing and suddenly and rushing back to the kitchen. While there, she settled a squabble between two of her children.

Paul walked to the chair next to the swing and sat, motioning for Gareth to take the favored place. Amy returned with three glasses of coconut milk, a local favorite. Before any could speak, Jimmy returned with Bev, Katy’s oldest girl. She nodded, but understood adults talking, and she led the way inside, careful to shut the door behind them.

Amy said, “You came here for a reason. Don’t make us all uncomfortable with trying to be social, first.”

Gareth looked from one parent to the other, trying to decide how best to proceed. “It’s about Tad.”

“What did he break this time?” Paul asked, seemingly relieved at the subject.

Amy still wore a wary expression.

Gareth looked at Amy instead of Paul. “You know about my abilities to communicate with my mind? Of course, you do. It’s what brought us all here. Well, Tad is developing the same sort of talent.”

“Same what? Amy prompted.

Gareth decided to get it out and then talk about the problems and what to do. “Tad can send his thoughts and feelings to others. Anywhere. To anyone with the talent to listen, a person we call sensitive. He sends them out like a single child might when crying out in a crowd of mothers and the correct mother hears her child, if that makes sense.”

Paul turned to the door and opened it a crack, making sure no inquisitive children were listening. He turned back and said, “Dad, are you sure?”

“I’ve been squelching them for a while.”

Amy leaned forward. “What does that mean? Squelching?”

“I am not allowing his thoughts to escape out into the world. I dampen them, not changing any, but I prevent others from listening or from being able to follow them to the source. I’m sorry, that’s the best way I can explain.”

She looked angry.

Paul said, with a sideways warning glance at his wife for confirmation, “You don’t control what he thinks, you just prevent him from telling the whole world of his existence?”

“Yes, something like that.”

Amy sat up straighter and snapped, “I don’t like it.”

“Me neither,” Gareth said in a soft voice. “But the reality is that his mind can bring our enemies to us. To Bitters Island. He puts us all in danger.”

“Nonsense. He’s just a child.” Amy crossed her arms over her chest.

Gareth looked to Paul for support and only saw confusion in his expression. He said, “Listen without interrupting for a second and be prepared not to like what I’m going to say. My father is dead. Men attacked his compound and killed his dragon, Cinder. I don’t know who or how, but I do know that if they can attack a secure place like that, and somehow kill a full grown black dragon, we are all at risk. This island is no longer a sanctuary. You will all flee to Vespa to a place I own. I have to leave right away and try to figure out what’s happening at my father’s home.”

“You’ll go alone?” Paul asked.

Gareth turned to him, holding his face blank, trying to find the right words.

“Take me with you,” Paul said, “Or John. Or both of us. You’re getting older.”

“No, he's not.” Amy snapped. “Just look at him. He doesn't look a day older than when we got married. Hell, he looks younger than you.”

Gareth swallowed and then plunged ahead, “It will be safer for all if Tad goes with me.”

“You’re not taking my son anywhere,” Amy said, standing and ending the conversation as she stormed inside and slammed the door so hard Gareth felt it through the porch swing.

CHAPTER FOUR

The lonely walk from Paul and Amy’s house back to Gareth’s took nearly twice as long as it had earlier. As promised, his dinner was waiting on the eating table in the front room. But Sara being Sara, there was also a tall glass of tropical fruit juice beside the plate, and a bottle of spirits.

Sara looked up from her knitting and said, “It must have gone better than I expected because you were there so long yet I see no bruises.”

“I think Amy threw me out.”

“So now you have to give her time to think and understand. And time to listen to Paul.”

“He didn’t react too well, either. Did you already add spirits to my drink?”

“I did.”

“A little?”

“No. I expected her to be upset with you. I put in more than normal.”

Gareth fell into the chair and reached for the bottle. He dashed more in the glass and lifted it. One sip told him it was very strong. He gulped more.

“That won’t help, you know.”

“She’s furious with me.”

“Not at you, but at the circumstances. She’ll see. Give her time. Why don’t you sit on the porch and watch the ocean while you contact Blackie and I’ll bring your out food out there? Try to relax.”

“When I told her about Tad she acted like it’s my fault.”

Sara paused at the doorway before entering. “Maybe it is. Have you ever thought about that?”

“How can that be?”

“Tad has your color hair, and his nose is shaped like yours. You don’t object to that.”

Gareth sat his mug aside. “The boy may have inherited his mental abilities from me?”

“Who knows?” Sara slipped inside before he could object.

Gareth took another sip of his drink and considered a refill. A stronger one. The sun had set long ago, but he watched out to sea hoping to see the lights of the supply ship. It could be early this month, which was not unusual for sailing ships to keep loose schedules depending on storms, winds, and tides.

Did Tad inherit his abilities from me? Gareth tried to remember any hint of such a thing from the almost daily mental conversations he’d had with the man he called his father, over the last thirty years. Together they had discussed crop failures and how to divert food from other locations to the affected areas with as little disruption of normal commerce as possible. They had quietly shifted power away from the King to more open minded Earls and Counts. When sickness broke out, they had doctors traveling long before word reached them.

Farmers benefited from their knowledge, as did ranchers and businessmen. Sailors were warned about dangerous storms and ports, and the Kings own armies avoided many losing battles because of troop movement information supplied to the generals. Most never knew how they obtained information and didn’t care. However, there are a few who understand that knowledge is power and that power can acquire gold.

If he had heard the beginnings of the reverberating in Tad’s mind, so might others. The question was, what were they doing with that information? Fortunately, he had recognized the voice as belonging to Tad instantly and had started spreading his mental blanket to prevent Tad’s thoughts from escaping. It was possible they nobody else had detected his unshielded thoughts.

Gareth looked up to find his dinner sitting on a small table beside his chair. Sara was gone, and the food cold. He reached for the fruit juice and cider, only to find it empty. He climbed to unsteady feet and found more juice in the kitchen. All the candles were out, but the moonlight provided more than enough for him to move to his familiar home and make his way back to the porch where a figure stood near the chair Sara normally used, but it was not Sara.

“I thought you might still be up,” Paul said.

“Sit with me? That is if you aren’t too upset.”

“I understand that you’re doing what’s best for all of us. Amy will come around. The supply ship isn’t due for a few days, so why don’t you let me work on her?”