The Dividing Line
DISCLAIMER: I do not own ANY of Anne Bishops WONDERFUL characters, though I would sincerely like to…*cough*Daemon*cough* :D
Jewels
White
Yellow
Tiger Eye
Rose
Summer-Sky
Purple Dusk
Opal*
Green
Sapphire
Red
Gray
Ebon-Gray
Black
*Opal is the dividing line between lighter and darker Jewels because it can be either.
When making the Offering to Darkness, a person can descend a maximum of three ranks from his/her Birthright Jewel.
Example: Birthright White can descend to Rose
Chapter One
Lucivar watched the young man move down the street and turn the corner, not quite running as he headed back to his own part of the village, but moving with speed. An example he intended to follow.
Augustin didn't stop until he knew he was out of sight of Prince Yaslana, being grateful to the man didn't make his Ebon-Gray jewels any less intimidating. The news of Roxie's accusation of the Prince of Ebon Rih forcing himself upon her had travelled thick and fast through the streets of Rhida and Augustin had to find out if the other part of the rumour was true.
It was. The nightmare was over. Augustin couldn't quite believe his luck. Lucivar Yaslana, the Warlord Prince of Ebon Rih had decided to take a personal interest in his sex life. Most males would quake in their boots at the prospect of an Ebon-Gray Eyrien becoming interested in them in any way. For a Dhemlan Warlord whose family had fled Dorathea's taint in Terrielle? It was a relief.
It had been two years since the Opal jeweled Warlord had moved along with his family, -sister, mother and father, - to Rhida. His father's business had thrived, receiving praise from ordinary Blood and aristos alike. His father was a Summer-Sky tailor whose gift with colours and fabrics caused many to flock to his shop daily, new orders having to wait months because of previous orders getting there first. Of course his father made certain exceptions where exceptions were necessary. Last minute orders, pleading families asking for this dress to be made before this date because of the importance of the occasion, families who for whatever reason couldn't pay their account this month, all were part of the day to day life of Augustin's father Jaron's life. And each were taken for their own merit and dealt with as such. Occasionally there were families who attempted to take on the good-natured Jaron, trying to abuse his kindness, those people never found their way back to his shop and had to deal with the wares of other tailors.
It wasn't until a year back that Augustin finally understood the reason these unwanted customers didn't return. And it had quite a lot to do with his sister, Elissa. It wasn't until she began making friends and socialising within the Rhida society that Elissa and her family finally understood the full extent of what she could do.
He remembered the day well. He had returned home to the sound of, well, not very much, which in his home was a rare occurrence, and found his mother, Rashida, a Rose jeweled hearth witch, busily scurrying around her kitchen with a sense of urgency that put Augustin on edge. He had asked her what had happened, and she'd looked back at him with excitement.
"Elissa is in there," she gestured to the next room, "with the Queen of Kaeleer!" Her hushed tone and beaming face had quashed any fear from Augustin,
"But why?" he had asked.
"She is to begin training as a Black Widow." Came a strong voice from behind him. Jaenelle Angelline. Augustin turned to the lady and bowed, expressing his thanks for her troubling herself by venturing there for his sister. She'd fixed with a long, penetrating look, and finally said
"Look after her Warlord. She'll need it."
And she swept from the room.
Ever since that warning Augustin had made a promise to himself. He would not rest until his sister was happy, married or unmarried as she wished, but with someone who would protect her and love her more than he could. Which was why Augustin thought it to be a prime time to visit his sister. He fancied a little verbal jousting anyway.
