Daughter of Ogden

Chapter 13 - Pants on Fire

When Nathaniel had warned me to expect a long day ahead, naturally I assumed he meant some sort of training. I had even chosen the comfiest pair of pants I had brought, expecting to spend the day in the woods learning to defend myself against the duhovi. Ubel had certainly made it seem like I wouldn't get much time to adapt to the Burkard's responsibilities.

      Neither Nathaniel nor Aadya seemed like the type to waste time. I grew a little suspicious when I walked downstairs and found Nathaniel in regular clothes. He wore beige cargo pants and plain white shirt; not what I would associate with training clothes. Although I'm sure he could fight in anything.

      Per his usual, he didn't bother with verbal greetings. He looked me up and down, and then nodded towards the front door. I followed him silently.

      Outside, he urged me towards the truck.

      "Where are we going?" I asked. Did they have a training facility? I couldn't imagine that Ubel would allow them very much funding for a proper facility.

     "I'm bringing you home for a few hours."

      "My home?" I perked up immediately. That sure beat training to be a Burkhard. I doubted the day would make a difference either way. It would take years of training to transform me into anything other than hopeless.

      Nathaniel nodded. "We don't know what Ubel's plan for you will entail or how long it will take. You'll need to pack more stuff."

      Oof. Instant mood killer. It appeared that I was saved from training to be a Burkhard, because I had to live with them first. I had suspected this might happen. It seemed like the next logical step to take that would ruin my life.

      "Say I miraculously survive what Ubel has planned, I'm still going to have to live with you and Aadya, aren't I?"

      His silence was the only answer I needed. I groaned.

      "What about my life? My family and friends? School? I just have to give everything up?"

     "Summer break is only a few weeks away," he said. "We can get you a doctor's note for the rest of this school year, but when this all settled, you'll be able to go back. You'll definitely have to miss some days, but you'll have some of your old life back. You would only have to live with us part time; just enough to show that you're maintaining your duties."

      I guess that didn't sound so bad. "When this is all settled... you actually believe this will work out for me?"

      "It has to— I'll make sure it does... There's a lot more than just your life at stake."

     He stared straight ahead at the road, as though trying to appear unbothered. The tightening hands on the steering wheel said otherwise. He had just as much to lose as I did. He could lose everything; the last of his family. And with Aadya gone, he would only become a greater target. I was the potential domino that would lead to the Burkard's fall.

      "I'm sorry that your life sucks too, and I'm sorry for making it even worse."

      I blinked as fast as it happened, but I swear his lips twitched upwards. An almost smile.

      "Do you ever wish that your life would go back to normal?" I asked. I wondered if smiling would come more naturally if he had had a normal childhood.

     "This is the only life I've known."

      I grunted. The only life he's ever known... "I'm emotionally unstable right now, I might cry if you say anything to make this more depressing." While not growing up in the Legion was proving to be one of the main reasons I was in such trouble, I couldn't help but be grateful that I had a normal childhood.