Page 54 of Elemental Affections

Her mother bid her goodnight before leaving Dae at the table.

“Guess you don’t need us anymore, eh?” Calya said, lying on her bed as she examined the promissory note.

“Nope. I’ll be visiting completely of my own accord,” Dae teased. Her humor took on a grim edge. “It was basically a ‘We wish you well in your future endeavors.’ Like I’ve been kicked out. Which I guess is true.”

“It hasn’t felt like a home in ages,” Calya muttered. “I want to move closer to HNE but don’t want to risk pissingAndrinoff more than he already is.”

Dae winced. “You’re not calling him that to his face, are you?”

“Not yet.” Calya had a mulish look about her. “They’re obsessed with familial piety since he got into the Transpo div. They don’t care about HNE anymore. Sometimes, I think Father would rather close it than let me do anything.” Calya handed the note back.

“Mama asked me to come back as Starker’s apprentice,” Dae said. “To train under him before he retires.”

Calya sat up. “What did you say?”

The hope in her sister’s voice hurt far more than her mother’s disappointment or her quiet rejection.

“I said no, Caly,” Dae said as gently as she could. “I used to want that, but I love what I’m doing now. It would’ve been the wrong choice.”

Calya deflated. “Yea, I figured.”

“HNE is yours. It will be,” Dae insisted when Calya gave her a despondent look. “I’ll support you however I can.”

“I know.” Calya sighed. “Some holiday. I’m surprised you didn’t get Mother’s ‘my daughters are going to die alone without leaving me grandchildren’ speech.”

“Is she trying to…?”

Calya snorted. “Tried. Past tense. Kept trying to set me up with a representative from South District’s son.”

“Perish the thought.”

“Look at it this way—I finally appreciate all you went through with Brint.”

A few uncomfortable dates didn’t sound the same as having one’s life consumed and arranged around an eventual betrothal, but Dae let Calya have her moment. “How is the business with Brint?”

Calya groaned, face contorting in disgust. “Syvrine’s saggytits.I don’t know how he hasn’t run AG into the ground. He’s such an unreliable piece of shit.”

She went on at length, griping about how he kept putting her off to chase collaborations with people he’d met at Sylveren. Dae was torn between compassion for her sister’s struggles and a kneejerk desire to defend the school, unnecessary and irrelevant as the urge was. Brint hadn’t wasted any time finding ways to take a bit of Sylveren back to the capital.

“We had to fix the route a bit, tweak the amount of personnel, but he keeps giving me fucked up financial reports—if I can get him to send the right documents at all.” Calya glowered off into space. “The numbers have to be in line. This is the last of the joint projects I initiated, and all the rest are moving forward. Once this is squared away, Father can’t ignore that it’s promotion-worthy.”

Given their father’s recalcitrance, Dae wasn’t as sure. She smothered a yawn. “I think I’ll enjoy my last night in my bedroom before Mama turns it into a second parlor or something.”

“You’re going to head back to the Valley early?”

“I think so. Aside from you, this hasn’t been much of a homecoming.” Dae smiled to soften her words. “I’ve got some reading to catch up on. Or you could come up with me?”

“No, thanks. That place hates me. Feels like the wind is trying to push me out every second I’m there, and Iswearthe rain is worse just on me.” Calya shuddered.

Dae gave her a skeptical look. “I’m sure that’s not—”

“I’m not trying to guilt you. If you’re leaving, then I’m going to be here as little as possible without getting disowned.”

Calya popped up from her bed before Dae could leave and hurried to her closet. She returned with a blue velvet gift bag, holding it out to Dae. “Just remember that I’ll always be younger than you.”

Bemused, Dae undid the cinched closure. The bag contained an indigo-dyed woolen cloak, the weave tight and lined with silk.

“Caly! It’s beautiful.” Dae immediately put it on, delighted to find several pockets sewn along the interior.

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