Veiled by Silvina Niccum Page A

and when they were not enjoying a playful banter,
they were playing jokes on others or laughing about something that
no one else seemed to get. Alex had mentioned that he wished we
were more like them. It looks like he got his wish—with Katie. This
last thought brought an unusual pang to my already low state. Why
did it feel like my world was ending…right when it was
beginning?
    “ You’ve been very quiet
lately. What’s wrong?” Alex asked as our clan gathered at a good
spot for viewing the creation.
    “ Nothing,” I
lied.
    “ I know you, Tess, and you
are upset,” he said softly. This should have made me feel better,
but it didn’t. His sudden interest in me and my well-being made me
angry and resentful for all the time he seemed to be spending with
Katie.
    “ What gave that away?” I
responded sourly.
    He moved to my side and
scooped up my hand. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering
you?”
    I wanted to scream at him!
Why was he being nice to me all of a sudden! “Go back to Katie!” I
wanted to shout, but I didn’t. I just let my hand drop from his and
looked straight ahead.
    He was hurt of course. I
didn’t have to look at him to feel the disappointment that emanated
from him. It was sad to admit it, but part of me liked the fact
that he felt hurt by my rude display. Sadder still was the
realization that I was turning into Agatha—cynical, unpleasant, and
bitter.
    “ What’s gotten into you,
Tess?” he asked through gritted teeth, trying to restrain his hurt
and anger toward me.
    I remained silent for a
while, neither one of us was looking at each other.
    “ Everything has changed.
We are not even a clan anymore…not the clan we used to be anyway.
There are new spirits…”
    “ Would you have left Katie
down there with Legion? Or would you perhaps ask Dorian to give up
Luz or Celeste, Max? Things have to change, Tess, and if I remember
correctly you were just as ready and willing for things to change
as the rest of us. Well…here is change, and a small change at that,
to ease us into the big changes that are about to come.”
    “ I didn’t think that
change would equal losing loved ones.”
    “ You haven’t lost anyone
yet.”
    I turned my head with a
sudden jerk. “Yet?”
    “ Yes yet. You may
unwittingly cause your own worse fears to come true,” he said
turning to look at me straight in the eyes.
    “ Do I run the risk of
losing you, Alex?” I asked, daring him to tell me the truth about
his feelings.
    “ I can’t be your best
friend forever, Tess,” Alex said with a pained and frustrated look
in his eyes. I looked back at him, horrified by what I was hearing.
“I’m sorry…but I just can’t go on like this forever—it’s too hard.
Our relationship has to change, too, or…”
    My jaw dropped and he
didn’t finish his threat, but his meaning was quite clear—we were
done.
    “ Hi, guys!” Katie’s cheery
voice sounded in my ear. “Isn’t this exiting? I was just talking to
Paz and Amor. They are so cute. How do you tell them apart? I kept
calling them the wrong names, it was so embarrassing, but I guess
they are used to it. When do you think they will start? I think it
will be the most amazing thing ever!”
    I turned and looked at her
with sheer hate, a feeling I had never felt for anyone before…not
even Agatha. I felt both ashamed and vindicated by my feelings and
left her side before I said something I would regret.
     
    * * * * *
     

Chapter 9
     
    I found a place to watch
the creation far away from my clan, but where I could still see
them. Katie leaned over and asked Alex something. No doubt she
wondered why I had left so abruptly. He said something back to her
and as he did so he let his eyes briefly stray to where I was
standing. He held my gaze for a moment. His look was hard and
accusatory, and then he looked away. I could swear that part of me
died right then.
    In the distance I could
hear the Cherubic choir singing. They sounded remote, as if