Page 120 of Legacy Ascended

Jessica,

Tomas is doing well. He spends most of his time following Benny around. Benny was fixing the water pipes last week and let him hold the wrench, so Tomas now believes he's responsible for keeping the entire valley supplied with water.

Klaus came into the shop. He bought flour and left again. He didn't speak to me, but it's the first time he's come down since the burial.

Frances stopped questioning the man.

I stop there.

Then I read the sentence again.

I asked him why. He wouldn't tell me. I thought you should know.

Everyone asks what the Council is doing. I keep telling them I don't know any more than they do.

I hope you're all right.

Write when you can.

Elise

I read it again upstairs.

The part about Tomas makes me smile the second time too.

The part about Frances doesn't.

I get out a piece of paper.

Elise,

I'm okay.

I stare at that for a while, then add:

Tell Tomas I'm glad the water supply is in capable hands.

I leave the rest for later.

Chapter twenty-three

Jessica

The corridor outside the Council chamber has benches along one wall, and they are exactly as comfortable as they look.

"You've read that page twice," Torres says.

"I'm not reading it. I'm holding it."

He takes it out of my hands anyway, folds it once, and puts it in his own jacket, and then sits down beside me with his shoulder against mine so I can't get it back without a fight. Across from us Sophia is doing something to Declan's collar that Declan clearly did not ask for. Freya is standing.

Soren is by the window with his hands behind his back. Luke is beside me on the other side, reading. Ander is on the floor with his back against the bench and one hand around my ankle.

"Four minutes," a clerk says from the door. "They'll call the evidence first."

I look at the four of them. Four threads, four directions, all of them here, and not one of them about to open his mouth on my behalf.

"Right," I say.