Abaddon's Call

Chapter Two

Graydon Pan stood outside the teleporter's office, attempting to look casual as the arriving students and families moved swiftly around him. The few women arriving were the young women, newly married to the students they followed. Several blushed, one almost giggled, her nose twitching just the way it had the night when Graydon showed her what the Seven were really capable of.

He doubted her husband, a mage who babbled even as he passed Graydon, would ever measure up. The young man talked excitedly about all he had learned, and he talked like he would never stop talking.

Lord and Lady Pan stepped out from the teleporter's office. She was dressed in the muted red of the Pan matriarch, her blonde hair braided with a thread of true Pan red bordered in the gold of Mikent. Her hands were ungloved, her dress fell to her ankles but did not sweep the ground.

Graydon's heart lurched in his chest as she half-turned to him and cast him a dismissive glance even as she offered Lord Pan her hand.

Lord Pan was dressed formally, protesting his rank with the simpleness of his garb. The only marker of rank he wore were the Pan ring upon his finger and the iron ring of Lord of the Seven that sat over his wedding band.

From these signs, Graydon understood that he was about to have a conversation with a matriarch and the Lord of the Seven.

His betrothal was about to be announced, and his father suspected his response would be impolite.

Graydon steeled himself as Lord and Lady Pan moved forward. He fell in behind, aware that students might associate the move with exactly what it was: him following his parents like a wayward child.

His father had been clear that he was still a child while they were around.

They stopped, so Graydon stopped and turned his attention outward.

Because, as a child, who his father spoke to was none of his concern.

"Lord Pan."

"Gray Pan, Jurin Theon."

"Lord Graydon," his uncle, Gray, said.

Graydon turned his attention forward and tilted his head slightly in appreciation. Gray knew the rules and what was going on.

"Gray Pan," he responded before he turned his attention to Theon, another uncle of his, " Jurin Theon."

"Lord Pan, Lord Graydon," Theon said before he turned to Lady Pan. "I am remiss. What is the appropriate title?"

"You may call me Elena in public," she murmured.

"Elena," Theon said.

"Theon, Gray."

"Someone stole your mage's foundation," Gray said. "She does not appreciate that. Ah, Naena."

She frowned at Gray, then shifted her attention to Lord and Lady Pan.

"Lord Pan, Lady Pan, Graydon," Naena said. "My father petitioned and was granted the ability to dictate that we dorm in the Salord shield room. As my guardian, Theon argues we should be dormed in the Gray room. The Pan representative—"

"Gray Pan," Luk said gently. "He has a name."

"Gray Pan," Naena said with a motion to him, "appears to believe you have the ability to grant this. For some reason, he showed me the Gray room before discussing this with you."

"Do you want the Gray room, Naena?"

"Salord is a fit place for the services which might be rendered," she said. "Pan is a fit place for the body after the service is completed."