Chapter 6
What could go wrong? Plenty.
The first blip on Raina’s happiness horizon began the very next morning, when she felt a spray of small fingers pushing into her back.
“Sister.”
Raina shifted but didn’t respond.
“Raina.”
“What?” she croaked.
“I don’t feel good.”
Raina’s eyes flew open. Abby never used those words. Illuminators were taught not to speak ill of themselves, pun intended. Instead they’d use phrases like feeling dim, having low light, or becoming germy from unshielded contact with an unsanctioned. She turned over to find Abby shivering so much her teeth chattered. She felt her forehead. Even though her sister had chills, her forehead was as warm as it had been three weeks ago. Raina eased out of the sleeping bag, careful to keep the morning chill off of Abby’s body, slipped into the thick knitted booties she’d pulled off during the night, and scurried into the tent beside her to tell her parents about Abby. Ken brushed it off as no big deal, but Jennifer was concerned enough to rouse one of the specialists. The woman took Abby’s temperature and pulse, checked her tongue, ears, and fingernails, squeezed her limbs, and read her body with a light meter. The diagnosis was that Abby had probably come into contact with the bacteria of an unsanctioned. The recommendation was lots of water and vitamin juice and limited outside activity.
Abby hadn’t been happy about not being able to play outdoors, and she slept the entire way home, but once there she bounced back to her usual self. Abby’s discomfort abated. That night at dinner, Raina’s ramped up.
“We have an issue that needs addressing,” Ken said, spooning a healthy serving of roasted vegetables onto his plate before passing Abby the spoon. He looked pointedly at Raina. “It involves you.”
“Me? What’d I do?”
“You called your sister Shadow.”
Elizabeth’s face appeared on her mental video. Raina wanted to punch her, but instead of getting angry, Raina tried to keep it light. “Father,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve only been doing it since she was two.”
“It’s a derogatory term.”
Raina looked at Jennifer for reinforcement. She sometimes called Abby Shadow, too. They locked eyes for a second. Raina saw the wheels turning. But any opinion Jennifer had on the matter stayed inside.
“I take the blame for this developing on my watch,” Ken continued. “Honestly, I’d never given it much thought. I’ve heard Raina using that term before, but I thought it was something shared rarely, and only at home. When the Council brought it to my attention—”
“The Council?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, honey.”
Jennifer cut her steak into bitable pieces. “I thought it was just you and Graham who talked.”
Raina’s fork stilled in midair. Dennis’s father, Mr. Patterson? Had her indignation toward Elizabeth been misplaced?
“He approached me initially, but later, while sitting around the campfire, the discussion continued with several members of the Council there.”
“Oh.” Jennifer’s expression changed.
Raina could guess why. Her father’s promotion. Being raised to the level of Supreme Master Seer was a huge deal, one of the greatest that could happen among elders. There were less than five hundred in the entire religion’s membership, which, according to the Illumination website, was between four and five million strong.
“I’m sorry, Father. I was using it as a different meaning, the kind that is cast off by the sun and follows us everywhere.”
“I know. I understand. Because of the impending announcement, however, this is a critical time. As I stated before, and thought I had made clear, there cannot be a spot or blemish on me or my family. From now on, that word is forbidden.”
Raina was crushed. She told herself it was just a word, that her sister’s real name was Abby, so nothing had been lost. Technically, that was true. So why did her heart feel empty?
Still, she shook it off. The new year arrived. Her second and final high school semester started. Soon, she was consumed with a slew of new classes, and psyched about the project she was doing with Monica and Jackie. Their assignment was to analyze a piece of classical literature and adapt it to modern times for a theatrical performance. Raina had always considered herself more a math and science girl, but she was stoked.
The euphoria lasted for two days, until Wednesday night’s Light meeting and a run-in with Dennis.
“Hello, bright Vessel.”
“Elder.” Yes, she humored him.
“I saw you earlier today. You seemed to be having too much fun with the unsanctioned.”
“You mean my friends, Jackie and Monica?”
He frowned. “There are no friends outside the faith.”
“Give it a rest, Dennis. I’ve known those girls for half my life. I like them. We’re working on a class project together. It’s only civil to be nice. Besides, as Vessels we are called to spread our light everywhere.”
An Illumination Best quotation in your face. Pow!
“We are also called to set ourselves apart, a light on a hill. We are not meant to socialize with the unenlightened.”
Raina wasn’t going to argue with a walking Illumination study guide. Instead, she waved Roslyn over, hoping she’d provide a proper distraction.
Didn’t work. What she’d thought was a spark happening between Dennis and Roslyn was more like a firecracker without the fuse. Roslyn was clearly interested. Dennis, not so much.
“Would you like to sit with me at Saturday services?” he asked, as Roslyn walked away.
“Thanks, Dennis, but no. We’ve had that conversation. I’m not interested in coupling or being claimed. For the next four years I plan to focus on school. After that, we’ll see.”
“I already saw.”
Weird bait, but Raina didn’t bite.
“I saw you, Raina. One day last month, coming out of the gym.”
Oh, snap. Ish just got real.
“You were dressed quite inappropriately.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Instead of falling on the sword, Raina chose to lie and deny.
“Yes, you do. You were heading toward the alley behind the school.”
She pulled Shaggy from her mother’s soundtrack. “Wasn’t me.”
“You had on black jeans and a shawl around your neck. The big sunglasses were a nice try to hide your identity. But it was you. I’m sure of it.”
“Do you have proof? A photo? Video?”
She pulled on every ounce of courage available in Chippewa, borrowed more from the rest of the state, squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye.
“I have what I need to make your life difficult.”
“Are you threatening me?” Raina paused, took a breath. Now was not the time to go off. “I probably don’t have to tell you this, but Roslyn is very impressed with all you’ve accomplished. She told me you were attending advanced elder classes this year. She’ll be in Tulsa this summer, too, becoming a Vessel-In-Waiting.”
Dennis acted as though he hadn’t heard her. “It would be to your benefit to reconsider my offer.”
“We’ve known each other forever, Dennis. You’re a good guy who’ll go far in the ministry. But we are not a match.”
“Is that your final answer?”
“Keep shining,” she whispered, before turning around and walking away. She hoped indeed it was a bluff that she’d called and he had no solid evidence of her treachery. Because if her sneaking off with an unsanctioned cost her father his promotion, there would be hell to pay.