Spirits that Walk in Shadow by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Author:Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-05-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23: Jaimie

Uncle Rory had low profile down to an art. He knew how to appear out of nowhere. Sirella! Nobody in the Hollow could do that. He didn’t even have to use smoke as a vehicle, the way Zilla had. It would be a great way to get home for the holidays. I wondered if it was a skill I could learn, and whether I wanted to learn it from Uncle Rory. I didn’t know him very well, and I didn’t entirely trust him.

“Uncle Rory, this is Kim,” said Harrison.

Kim looked nervous. She touched her neck. Well, not quite her neck; a solid invisibility.

Rugee was with her. Good.

Harrison continued, “She’s got a viri addicted to her.

Can you help us ward her?”

“What is wrong with this generation? Have you no knowledge of the covenant of secrecy?” Uncle Rory’s voice was low and beautiful, and he sounded exasperated. He was Sign Air and specialized in Voice. He wasn’t actually commanding us yet. If we played this right, maybe he wouldn’t get around to it. Just the same, I tried to call up what I knew to screen me from Voice commands. I hoped Rugee could do that for Kim.

“Uncle, it is my responsibility,” I said. “I broke silence. I had permission from my Presence.”

“What?” He leaned toward me where I sat beside Josh on my bed. “Jaimie?”

“Hi.” I waved.

“Jaimie Locke. A Hollow child. A very disobedient Hollow child. Well. That explains it. You are so lax there, so in need of discipline.” He sighed. “Now, please tell me more clearly why you need me here. Why does this Domishti girl have a spirit mark on her forehead?”

“She’s my roommate, and she needs help.”

“Jaimie, you were instructed to keep silence before you left home, weren’t you? No matter how lax they are at the Hollow, they wouldn’t let that go, would they? Are we going to have to deal with this poor child, give her silence or forgetting?”

“No, Uncle—” I began.

“Uncle, didn’t you hear me?” Harrison interrupted. “This is a viri matter.”

Rory frowned. “Ah. You did say that. Explain yourself.”

Harrison and I both started talking.

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