Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Chapter 7: Elders

"What'd you just call me?" I said.

Six pairs of eyes all stared my direction, each with a different expression.

Hercules didn't make a single noise, not even a small huffy bark. He sat quietly, patiently, as if he could understand their words.

The Elders surrounded me, their power pulsing through the air like an electrical current. They were all striking regardless of their different ages; I guessed that went with the territory of immortality. Their splendor wasn't about their looks, though. It was about their presence, and they had an abundance of that. They contrasted oddly with the interior of my home. Though my house was beautifully remodeled with high-beamed ceilings and intricate wood flooring, the angels made it look dull and unimpressive.

"Darkness Illuminator," they all said together, their magical voices like a choir.

"Guardian, you've done well," an older woman said to Karen.

Karen bent at the waist and gestured for them to sit. "This is Gabriella."

"Greetings," said a woman with black hair down to her waist. Her voice was like honey. "I'm Carmela. We've come bearing news." Her face was long, and her eyebrows arched perfectly above her diamond eyes. She appeared young, but her presence overpowered her looks.

"Carmela," I greeted, though I continued to stand.

"Hello, my lady," a handsome man said. "My name is Leonardo." He took my hand and kissed it. His eyes lifted under his tousled bronze hair to find mine, and he smirked. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. "We've not lost many of our kind through the ages, so finding out whose bodies you stumbled across didn't take much research."

"Just jump right in, Leo," a taller man said playfully. "Don't give her time to breathe or anything." He turned to me. "I'm Lucio. But my friends call me Luke, Miss Illuminator." He had a five o'clock shadow and a sturdy build, like a construction worker. His hair was a smooth auburn, his eyes glacial blue.

"Illuminator?" I questioned. "Why do you keep calling me that? What does it mean?" I had to stop myself; there were too many questions and not enough time.

"We'll get to it, but first we must speak of the three lost immortals," said a woman, her face lined with age. "I'm Eleanor, the eldest of the Elders."

"Only by twenty-five years," chuckled Leonardo.

Eleanor looked like someone who wouldn't have any sense of humor, but her silver hair bobbed as she giggled. "This is true, Leo. I suppose it is only a small fraction of our lives."

"Enough joking around. We have business to attend," said the fifth angel. He looked as if he was built of stone and had black hair down to his shoulders. His face was hard, like he didn't know how to smile.

"There's no reason to be rude to the Darkness Illuminator. She could be our savior," Luke said. "You know, Shadow of the Sun." The stone man ignored him.

"You did forget your manners, Paolo," Carmela reprimanded. "I'm sorry, Gabriella. This is Paolo."

I nodded, realizing that unless I was spoken to, words were not worth speaking in his presence.

"The name of the Shadow spreads panic to the angels, so eventually we quit talking about them," Eleanor said. "And we stopped talking about the three missing immortals: Andrew, Ehno, and Lucia. We thought they were gone forever."

Luke's eyes trailed across the room and bored into mine. The golden tint was unsettling, until I realized it was from tears forming in his eyes. "My twin sister," he said.