Reflections End (Book 5) Now published so sample only

Chapter 13

© Sandra Corton 2014

Chapter 13

Kale's POV

Three days into learning about Gate protocol and procedures made me ready to tear my hair out. I glanced over to Ellie who seemed to be taking in everything so much better than me. She had even taken to bringing a notepad to write stuff down.

"Suck up." I whispered to her on the fourth morning as she asked Mary a series of questions

"One of us has to have a clue about this stuff Kale." She said with a roll of her eyes and I just grunted.

"Really Kale? Were you such a bad student in school?" Mary asked astutely while I simply nodded my head vigorously. She shook her head at me and then simply ignored me for a while as she answered Ellie's questions.

"Ugh I don't know how much more I can take." I muttered more to myself than anyone.

"You know what you two, how about you take the day off?" Mary sent an exasperated look to me when I cheered. "The longer you take Kale only means the longer you have to be learning this information. I can be here forever if it takes that long." Mary said sweetly and I understood her not very subtle meaning. I had to buckle down and learn this stuff. I let out a put upon sigh which she just shook her head at again.

"Okay I get it." I swished my hands at Mary in irritation and wasn't surprised when she grinned at me.

"Good now get out of here. It's probably a good time to sort out your shop too Ellie." Mary said though a sad look entered her eyes.

"Yeah I guess." Ellie whispered out the words, her earlier jovial mood gone.

"Do you want to go there first?" I asked and she shrugged.

"I wish I could avoid going there at all." She said unhappily and once again the guilt within me tore a hole straight into me.

"Sorry." I said sincerely and she sent me a small smile.

"It's not your fault Kale. I get the feeling that all this was meant to happen just the way it is." She gestured around her making her stunning chestnut hair bounce and for a brief second I was stunned by her beauty.

"Maybe." I pondered.

I reached for her hand and we headed for her shop. I made sure to take us to the back room where the ovens were. The last thing I wanted to do was startle her customers. Instead I startled Abigail so badly that she dropped a tray of cakes. The resounding crash and Abigail's screech set everything to deadly quiet.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded and I winced. This not showing magic to human's things was hard.

"Calm down Abi." Ellie said from beside me.

"Oh don't even let me get started on you Ellie!" Abigail abandoned cleaning up the smashed cakes to stand toe to toe with Ellie.

"I'm sorry I left things here with you like this." Ellie said on a sigh.

"You abandoned me here! Every day I come in hoping to see you and find out what the hell is going in but you're never here or at your apartment. You've stopped answering your phone and have become as hard to get into touch with as what Kale used to be to you." Abigail's voice rose dramatically and Ellie flinched. I squeezed her fingers in mine and was assailed by the guilt again.

"It's my fault Abigail." I admitted and when she turned on me with fury in her eyes I felt like disappearing.

"I know that Kale." She spoke to me as though I was a fool before turning back to Ellie.