A Memory of Starfires

16

The black Mercedes Benz weaved its way across the streets of Osaka City as its driver negotiated the afternoon rush hour.

Evan waited patiently for the boy in the passenger seat to speak. Taren usually spoke his mind most days, sometimes a little too much for comfort! Today he seemed to be in a pensive mood as he looked out the side window.

Finally, the boy sighed and glanced askance at him. "I almost hurt someone today, at a kendo practice match. It felt like something had taken hold over my conscious thought to finish that kid off, at whatever cost."

"A kendo match?" Evan frowned. "How on earth did you get talked into that?"

Taren shrugged, reddening a little.

'Right, most likely to impress that girl.' Evan thought with a slight shake of his head.

Aloud he said, "You haven't shifted in the time required to regain the balance your body needs. These lapses will happen more frequently until you've done so. Three fights in four days . . . I've almost a mind to pull you out of school. There are other ways to keep an eye on the girl and ensure her safety."

Taren glared at him as if he had sprouted a pair of horns. "That's out of the question and you know it."

"Then lay low and avoid any sort of fighting, real or otherwise. In your current state, you can get others seriously hurt." Evan admonished, concern winning over his irritation. "Or better yet, take a few days off from school and take the time to shift, for god's sake. Call in sick, I don't care."

The boy looked away, his blue eyes murky with dread. After an interminable silence, he said in a quiet voice, "That time when the Hunters came for her, I was almost too late. She could have—" He let out a shaky breath. "I'll take your first advice, although I don't know how long I can stay out of trouble. This school seems hell-bent on--" He dismissed the thought with an impatient wave of his hand. "How soon before the protections on her wear off?"

"As long as she returns to Elburke House this afternoon, the shadow ward should replenish itself. The Hunters won't be able to detect her presence anywhere in the city, unless—" Evan paused, his mind racing.

Taren glanced at him. "Unless what? Don't tell me a Guardian's ward isn't foolproof?"

"It's only as potent as the strength of the Guardian that wields it, which, I'm not so worried about." Evan shrugged. "But, you know as much as I do that it's not guaranteed against a powerful Clanless."

"A Clanless..." Taren said softly, transfixed by the name.

Evan noticed the boy's hand clench into a fist, knuckles turning white, a bleak, faraway look in his ice-blue gaze.

The older man cursed himself for running his mouth, the damn traffic and the narrow streets distracting him from his thoughts.

"That's highly unlikely." He reassured the boy. But Taren had lapsed into a stormy, black mood; the long-buried, painful memories clearly resurfacing.

In an attempt to bring the kid out of his dark reverie, Evan cleared his throat and said, "We have a number of important guests coming to the house tonight, several officials of State and our business associates. I can't keep them waiting for long. Of course, they're also interested in meeting the Leinier heir."

That brought the boy out of whatever hellhole he had traveled into, fast. "And you're just telling me this now?"

Evan sighed with exasperation. "Well, I did tell you days ago, but obviously you were too pre-occupied with other matters to listen."