The Garden of Lost Souls

Chapter 4

Xar surveyed the room as she shrugged off a warm, fur-lined cloak. She kicked off her boots as well as Aaron shut the door, blocking both the sound of the rain and the chill that had briefly entered the room. Xar's eyes fell on Ellen, and Ellen smiled tentatively. Her eyes softened, but she didn't smile back. No, she instead glanced at Aaron, and her eyes went back to being chips of ice. It was as though she'd built up a wall -- a wall that no one was allowed past except for Ellen. Ellen wondered why. Why shut people out? But she knew it was unlikely that she'd get an answer.

"She's seventeen, Aaron," Xar hissed at him, and Ellen was taken aback by the venom in her voice. "If you had an ounce of respect for the old laws, for the oath we both took in coming here-"

Aaron cut her off smoothly. "As long as I am her guardian, I will decide when she learns what is needed. She needs a stable childhood, Xar. You are too reckless."

"I am only trying to do what is right," Xar snarled back, but Aaron shook his head calmly.

"If you were able to convince me that you were doing what was right every time you've thought up one of your insane ideas," Aaron retorted, and Ellen noticed right away the hurt that entered Xar's eyes, the regret that lingered there, but Aaron continued, "then she wouldn't be alive right now. You would have killed her with your own two hands."

A chill ran down Ellen's spine. Although they hadn't used her name, she knew they were talking about her. But kill her... something like mistrust boiled inside Ellen now. Why had they even thought about it? She'd always pictured them as her guardians, as people who had loved her from the day they'd found her. But now, the image was twisted. Tainted.

"You need to tell her, Aaron," Xar hissed, but it had lost its fire. "She needs to know--"

"I need to know what?" Ellen cut in flatly, and they both jerked their heads toward her, eyes flaring in surprise. Ellen knew they'd forgotten she had been listening.

"Ellen, we weren't talking about---" Aaron began, but Ellen cut him off, eyes flashing.

"Do not," she said, surprised by the quiet venom lacing her words, "lie to me." She sat up, although it made her head spin and throb unpleasantly.

Aaron's shoulders caved inward, and he bowed his head, guilt heavy in his eyes. He mumbled what sounded like an apology, and turned back to Xar, whose gaze was still fixed on Ellen. Ellen turned to look at her next, silently pleading with her for information. For any clue as to what they might have been about to reveal, had she not cut in.

Panic flared in his eyes, replacing the guilt as Xar said to Ellen, "He is keeping things from you, child. In protecting you from the truth, he is also shielding you from yourself." With that, she was gone, slamming the door, leaving the two standing in a shocked silence. Ellen spoke first.

"What are you hiding from me? Why?" Hurt laced each word, as well as disbelief.

Aaron sighed, slumping into the chair, elbows on the table, resting his head in his hands, his greying hair illuminated by the single candle that was kept burning on the table.

"Please Ellen-- not today." He shook his head. There was enough of a brittle edge to his voice that Ellen didn't push him further.

She looked down at her hands, and a faint smile touched her lips. There was another reason Ellen didn't push him any further. She remembered the way Xar had locked eyes with her as she was leaving. Although Aaron had not seen it, Ellen noticed the way her finger had pointed at an odd angle. A clue. Ellen felt her own finger copy the movement. Eyes following, she found herself staring at the locked cabinet, half hidden by the door.

If she wanted answers, she would find them there. Satisfied, Ellen lay back down, closing her eyes tightly, envisioning what she might find inside. A family heirloom? A cursed weapon? She let her fantasies carry her to a deep sleep. She knew there would be a day that Aaron was gone -- a day when she could finally know who she really was. Now all she had to do was wait.