Author's notes:

Question to self: why do I think of all those great topics by day, but utterly blank out when I sit here?

Names. I hate naming characters. I hate having to filter names for 'known associations' or stereotypes or alliteration and possibility for confusion. I hate having to worry about if I irk someone by naming a character something too close and risk an, "I should know better" backlash.

I hate trying to think of ethnic names. I hate coming up with the equivalent of "Tomath Gefferton." No, that's no a lipth. I'm trying to illustrate a name that is "too close to be random, but just not right."

Here, the names are pretty random. If anything, I try to make sure they're not too obviously derivative. There's one in-joke last chapter, Wilhelm who died screaming. That aside, everything else is the result of me pounding my temples until I see stars.

The other hard part here is to try to make sure the names start with different phonemes. Callan means I will try to avoid using any other names beginning with 'Ka.' Try, that is. Ceili is from a reader who suggested it given that Sian is a Welsh/Scottish name, and this person loved the dance named Céilidh. (I can't even spell it right without Wikipedia's help.)

Pronunciation is another quirk for me. Someone asked me, "how do you pronounce Sian?" Well, I started with just two random syllables. Turns out it is a Welsh/Scottish name, the feminine counterpart of Sean (our Shaun or Shawn.) I'm guessing it's a single syllable, an 's,' some sort of melded vowel, then the trailing consonant.

Unfortunately, by the time I thought to look it up (and even that was prompted by a reader's comments) I had already gotten used to pronouncing it 'see-ahn.' I don't really mind either pronunciation, or any other one you readers use.

It goes the other way too. Take Ceili. I wanted to figure out how to get across its correct pronunciation as per the above Wikipedia entry without disrupting the flow. Having Sian try to say it and come out "Kayleigh" seemed a good compromise. If you're still pronouncing it "see-lee," that's fine. The danger of mixing up the characters' names is increased slightly, but Sian is pretty well-developed by now that it's not a high risk.

I still hate coming up with names...

(Those of you just joining here, start with Callan and Sian 1)



"That's it, pet. Small circles. See how that little whirlpool deforms my way?"

Sian nodded. She nibbled on her lower lip, fighting the urge to make another mistake so Callan's hand would guide hers again. His hand, so warm. Her hand, so cold.

"Good." He lifted his glass to her. "To you. And Ressa and Ceili." He nodded his head to two of the empty seats around the small table.

She mirrored the gesture, the umber liquid playing in the dying light as it slowed its pirouette. Her thoughts, she bade to rest, but they still bounced in her mind. Over the snifters, their eyes held each other. His heart was open to her, his essence. All of it. No, not all. Most. One part, one shard hid behind others. It too was open. Open, yet frozen. A flame locked in ice. She blinked, unable to meet and hold his stare, with his eyes so open, so deep.

"Thoughts, little one." His glass came to rest on the table with just enough force to make the slightest sound, just enough sound to break through her maze of questions.

"Hm?"

"Thoughts. It was not a question." His eyes never left her, but they narrowed.

"Hm." She echoed her earlier acknowledgement, but made sure it was not a question either. Her eyes rose to parry his. Again, they met, they touched. This time, she felt the tension rise, the heat simmer. Her jaw gave a warning ache to her temples and she forced herself to relax.

He smiled. "Good girl."

Sian reared back and blinked. "What?"

"Your anger. I pushed you, and you kept yourself in check." He stopped and took her reaction. She realized she was smiling, remembered she was annoyed and cleared her face again. This didn't escape his notice, and he gave her a slight grin before continuing. "Remember when I said anger was not always a good thing?"

"No. When did you say that?"

"Does that really matter?"

She bit back the fumes again. Two deep breaths later, she could speak without snarling. "No, I suppose not."

"Good girl." He paused, and she cursed herself for being caught smiling again. He smiled all the more when hers faded. "Make sure you're always asking the right question for the time, pet. There's the immediate, and then there's the important. Learn the difference."

She exaggerated a sigh. "Yes, Master Splinter."

His smile turned into a smirk. "Irrepressible. And to think they wanted to break you. What waste."

"All right. Here's a question for you: who the hell were they? And is that an important question? It sure as hell is immediate."

"It is. As for them, they are Awakened, but not of the Circles."

She blinked and knitted her brow. Her mouth didn't move, but she knew her face was question enough.

He acknowledged it with a nod. "Not all of the Awakened are with the Circles. Not even all of us in the Circles march in firm array. You may have noticed that Marc and Locke have different feelings toward their thralls."

"Yeah, Ressa was away from him and didn't run. But she's been with him, what, fifty years? What about what you said about the three trees?"

"Think back, pet. Was she twisted or straight? Did you see any mindless obsequiousness in her? Some things you can't hide."

She sipped her cognac slowly, trying to decide which of the phalanx of questions to ask next.

He leaned back and regarded her, holding her in his eyes. With other men, that look meant they let slip their inner wolves, that her clothes had faded in their mind, and she sat there, bare for their pleasure. Theirs, but not hers. With Callan, she felt that same intensity, but a warm hunger, not cold. She saw the predatory glint in his ebony irises as was thrown her way many times before, but both memory and promises unspoken reassured her his hunger was not only for self.

He broke the spell when he stood. "Well, that should be enough time. We'd best be off."

She nearly spilled when she lurched up. "Wait!"

"Yes, pet?"

"But... but... what about those three?"

"What of them?"

"Well, what happened out there?"

"One Awakened may have been mentoring two others. From what Ceili said, he may be fairly old as well. I've never heard of any Awakened able to master the wind and rains. The other two were new, weak."

"Why'd you let Lavender do that... that thing to Jarls? I told you not to kill him."

"Oh, was that his name?" He paused, and his focus diffused momentarily. His lips pursed, his eyes blinked. After two heartbeats, he turned back to her. "Lavender is her own force of nature, little one. Of us all, she's probably the most to be feared. And, I did as you asked. I was within a hairsbreadth of ending his misery, but you asked, and I stopped."

"You knew Lavender would..."

"Yes, that's why I then tried to get you out of earshot. In here."

She threw back her drink, then reached for his. "You didn't try to stop her."

He stayed her hand, then guided it up to his face. His hand atop hers, he took a sip. "Yes, pet. Yes. Jarls was his name? I tried to stop her, just not how you expected." He took in the remainder of his drink, pulling Sian to him. He kissed away her tears. "That's why, pet."