Free Songs of the Earth by Lexi Ander Page A

my sweaty hands on my jeans. I hadn't seen my brother since Ushna and I had left Tribe Enkidu. Ushna helped me keep up on my family. It was only recently I'd realized I may not have been as connected to the world as I'd thought. I watched the dust cloud follow Nathan's jeep and worried about the type of reception I'd have when he found out what I'd done. Telling my brother I'd purposely revealed our family bloodline wasn't a way to make nice with estranged family members. It had been necessary and I would do it again to protect Ushna, but it didn't mean my brother was going to agree with me.
    Nathan pulled up and parked next to Gregori's hideous pumpkin orange 1978 Mustang. The Ford was like an oversized highway caution barrel and it had earned Gregori merciless ribbing. Neesie was the first to get out of the jeep. My little sister was now a grown woman and it made my heart twinge with regret that I hadn't gotten to see the transformation. Her chestnut hair was long, flowing down her back. She wore a fitted white T-shirt, black jeans, and what the hell? Combat boots? What had happened to the pink frills?
    Neesie ignored the men around me and ran at me, threw herself into my arms and immediately started to cry. Ah, hell. What was I supposed to do? Tentatively, I patted her back.
    Nathan got out of the jeep more slowly and took in my guard with a wary eye. Ushna put a proprietary arm around me and it almost made me smile. Nathan noticed the gesture and glanced at Ushna, his eyes searching for something. Whatever it was, he must have found it because he nodded his head.
    Though Nathan approached with caution, he came all the way into the circle of warriors and embraced me. Neesie was still crying on one shoulder so I could only return Nathan's embrace with one arm. Nathan clutched Neesie and me to him in a strong bear hug and I swallowed around the lump in my throat.
"We have missed you, Tristan," Nathan whispered hoarsely into my ear.
    I blinked rapidly to clear my vision; the lump in my throat had grown to great proportions, stealing anything I'd planned on saying for the moment. I buried my face in Nathan's neck and allowed myself this moment as I pulled my siblings closer to me, giving them comfort as I took it.
    "I love you, guys," I whispered and felt Nathan's shoulders shake in response. I held him, my fist wrapped in his shirt.
    It was Neesie who broke our circle by stepping back. She was tall enough to be eye to eye with me now. She took my face in her hands, looking at me with solemn brown eyes. I knew my face had changed. The edges were harder and more lined, where I'd once been soft and youthful. Neesie placed a chaste kiss on my lips and looked behind me at Ushna. Her eyes went liquid as she threw herself at him, starting to cry again.
    Nathan was brushing tears from his face, becoming aware of our audience again. I saw the questions in his eyes. Ushna and I herded everybody inside to the living room, where Gregori was waiting. Neesie and Nathan greeted him with a friendly hug and everyone found a seat as the warriors posted themselves in the hall outside. Difficult to believe that at one time, I'd thought our house too big for Ushna and me.
    We took the couch. Gregori slid in next to me and reclined, stretching his arm along the back of the couch. Neesie took a chair facing us, her pretty face red and puffy, a box of Kleenex sitting in her lap. Nathan chose to stand.
    "Before anything is said, I want to apologize," he began. "The last real conversation you and I had, Tristan, was an argument over whether or not to cut yourself from Theo." Nathan raised his hands, palms up in supplication. "I didn't understand why you'd separate yourself from your Twin Flame. I couldn't comprehend how badly he was hurting you until I saw the poisoning the day of the Breaking. We naturally cherish our Flame and I couldn't understand… Tristan, I honestly didn't know what you were going through. I didn't mean the words I said to you