Suns and Shadows

Promises Made

The sunlight is heavy on my eyelids as I wake, a smile curling up around my lips as I remember what happened the night before. Joshua healing Saiya, perhaps temporarily, but found a way to cure her all the same and he can do it again. I feel the freedom I haven't dared to feel in a while.

I kick the heavy white blankets off of me as I search the wardrobe to find that everything is a frilly dress. My smile grows wider when I realize that this is the room where I met Joshua for the first time. 

In the end, I find a simple black tunic and leggings to wear for the day. I spend more time on my hair than I have in months, carefully braiding it. It's not an excellent job, but I'm proud of myself. I've only ever braided Saiya's hair when Mother insisted.

"This is the new girl?" I turn around and drop my carefully done braid out of surprise. A smiling girl with black hair styled in a bob cut and olive green eyes is in the doorway. "Joshua was talking about you yesterday."

My cheeks burn as I look away. "Who are and what the heck are you doing in my room?" 

The mystery girl smirks at me like she knows a secret I don't. She probably does, judging by the gold pin fastened to her tunic. "I'm Zillah and I'm to escort you to debriefing." 

"Debriefing...?"

She laughs. "It's ok, you're new. Basically, we give you all the information you need to be a Secretary in the council. We tell you your identity, councilor's weaknesses, how to talk, and how to stay hidden."

My mission. I'd forgotten about that and I'm reminded of my own mission. Get clearance for a boat to Shadowlands. 

"Right. Are there any other Suns here besides Joshua?" I ask her.

Zillah shakes her head. "Nope, not everyone trusts Josh as I do, and really he's an exception. We were a group before him, but he gave us the Dark House. We're doing real change now, I don't know where we'd be without him. Dead, most likely."

Then she tucks my arm in hers and leads me down the halls I vaguely remember taking last night to get to the library. Another reminder that I need to find that stupid book. I probably can't ask Karpov where to get it, he could barely utter the name.

But Sun boy knew about it. If anyone can find it he can.

Looks like I'm going to owe him more favors after all.

The big doors of the library open and I see Joshua standing by one of those hologram tables he was telling me about. His hair is placed in perfection and his eyes tell the story of a leader. His eyes flick up towards mine and I see the glimmer of a smile.

"Hello princess, finally cared to join us?" He teases.

"I'd be more inclined if the meetings weren't so early," I say as all of the heads in the room turn towards my direction. They have the same gold medallion as Zillah. The only person I recognize besides Joshua is Karpov, but he's busy holding up what looks like a map. "Do you guys meet this early every day? Ever heard of sleep?"

That earns me a few laughs, but most of them are staring at me so intently that I feel itchy and look away as fast as possible. Then a redheaded man in the corner scoffs. "This is her? Really, High Commander?"

Joshua's face hardens. "Yes and I'm completely confident of her abilities. Do you doubt me, Jay?"

Jay's face twists into a scowl. "No, sir." But anyone with sense knows that's a lie. He looks at Joshua like he's a liar.

"Good," Joshua says. Everyone is listening to him, even me. He has the radiance of a leader. "Dismissed." The people with gold pins shuffle out of the room. I get more than a few odd looks on my way, a few admiring. 

I don't know why.

"You're a good leader, Sun boy," I say. Only Karpov, Zillah, and Joshua are left in the room now. We all huddle around the little table in the center of the room. My face is on a screen that is laid on the table. 

Joshua shrugs. "If I was we'd be winning the game, but...we're not." Zillah places a hand on Joshua's shoulder and he smiles at her. There's a friendship between them, an intimate friendship. 

"Anyway," He continues, pushing Zillah's hand off him. "We're here to talk about your alias. Since the first meeting, you'll be attending is tomorrow-"

I slip on the floor and I fall to the ground. My knee begins to throb but that's not what I'm worried about. "I start tomorrow? but I'm not anything like a Sun. I'm Ebony Blackwood, not a Secretary. I need training."

A smirk tugs at his lips. "You'll be fine. You're a lot like the Councillors in that room."

I want to shout that I'm not anything like those snobs, but then I remember that Joshua is a Sun. The Sun partially healed my sister. "If you say so," I mumble. 

"The alias you'll be using is Rose Whitlllow, cousin to the Lightbook family-"

"The Lightbook family? But they're royalty! Before the Council was founded they ruled Rook! They'll know it's a trick. They'll catch us in a minute." I say, my anxiety levels rising. I'll die tomorrow.

Joshua puts his lips into a thin line. "We have...insiders." He says beneath his breath. "The Lightbooks won't cause you any trouble."

Zillah breaks the tension by stepping in. "All you have to do is take notes for your assigned Councillor during the meetings. Our team made sure that you'd get the Lightbook family seat. People won't be suspicious since you're distantly related to them."

"But what about my Shadow marks?" I point to the crescent moon that stands out clearly on my forehead. "And what if I'm asked to use Sun powers?"

Zillah smiles. "We have makeup for your marks and people aren't allowed to use the Light or the Dark when the Council is in session. Anyone who does is arrested immediately."

I gulp. "So we're actually doing this."

Her smile is malicious. "We're actually doing this."