I’ve had more than a handful of other things to work on today, from work to finishing up final exams and papers for the end of this semester. Props to those of you who are taking more than two classes! Hang in there, you can do it. But I thought I’d bring back the Tuesday Teaser, for fun and my curiosity. I’m wondering just how many of you read this and what you think of the snippet I’m about to reveal. Care to share?
She came from a world of black and white. Their lives played out through the glass of an old mirror, a tainted reflection of truth. After so many centuries of playing it was easy to forget the reflection wasn’t quite real. At times the illusion seemed real enough, but the glass was only so thick and the mirror stretched so far.
The library’s ivory piano keys were scuffed, faded after being worn down by her hands. She wasn’t the only one in the manor who could play, but she was the only one who played to escape. Nights when she could not sleep found her either poking her nose where it didn’t belong or in the melodies of Chopin and Rachmaninoff.
Few Chosen wasted their time on instruments of the past in the House Causing Light. The Gisnu, as they were also known, were the most technologically advanced of the ten Houses and the most closely connected to humans. They offered Ilu’s children their little toys in exchange for power and humans unwittingly gave it. Few outside knew that the toys the Gisnu invented could only be controlled by them. Even though they lived uncomfortably close to the ever flux world of men, there were relics of the past everywhere.
When her guardian dragged them to America a century before, he wanted her to learn everything she could from the Gisnu. They were the reason, after all that the Chosen retained absolute power today.
Of course I should learn their ways, she thought as her fingers hit the keys too roughly. The fact that she despised the sharp angles, the crudity of everything the Gisnu created never made a difference in Etlu’s opinion.
You have a duty to your House, Anu and to your people, her guardian often said.
She couldn’t help the bitter twist of her mouth as she tried to forget her duty and his words in the melody. Here in the manor library it was easy to fade back into time, when days were not filled with constant noise and hours could pass easily. And it was the reason she was in trouble at present.
“You’ve been hiding from me again Anu.”
With good reason, she thought to herself.
“You left the manor again…” he added in a heavy tone. Thick wreaths of smoke blew smoothly from his lips like he had done the simple act thousands of moments just like this. And something must have troubled Etlu greatly. It was the only time he chain smoked in the first place.
She tried to keep her tone polished and even as possible. “Lady Nin does not teach me anything worth knowing. Every lesson is technological progression against the human threat and secret weapons.” After eight centuries of lessons with the rulers of each House she felt she had the right to complain.
Eight centuries of rulers trying to dictate the way I think and feel…
But her anger softened when she looked up from the black and white keys and into his eyes. Etlu was the only thing that made her life tolerable. His steel orbs shone luminescent from the shadows with indifferent sorrow. No matter how closely their fates were tied there would always be a side of him she could not see. And she would never stop trying to see the truth behind his mask.
Any thoughts or suggestions? This is a big work in progress so I’d love to hear from any of you 🙂
Jennifer Silverwood 