Free Song of the Sword by Edward Willett Page A

voice. “I’m sorry too, Ariane. I never should have suggested your mother wouldn’t be proud of you. I know she would. But Ariane, fighting ...”
    “I know.” Ariane still didn’t want to tell Aunt Phyllis why she had hit Shania. “I’m sorry. She said something that set me off, and I...”
    Aunt Phyllis smiled a little. “You have the Forsythe temper, that’s all. I have it too. Which is why I lost it last night.”
    “Can you forgive me?”
    “Will you forgive me?”
    They had spoken at the same instant. Ariane and her aunt looked at each other and laughed.
    “Come here.” Aunt Phyllis opened her arms.
    Ariane went to her, meeting her aunt’s hug with one of her own. She closed her eyes and for a moment allowed herself to imagine she was hugging her mother again. You’re never too old to need a hug , her mother had said to her once when Ariane was heartbroken over some stupid boy. She squeezed Aunt Phyllis a little tighter. That had been just before her mom disappeared.
    They let go and smiled at each other shyly. “Am I still grounded?” Ariane asked hesitantly. “I know I deserve it, but it won’t happen again...”
    Aunt Phyllis’s eyes narrowed, and Ariane thought she knew what was coming. But her aunt surprised her. “We’ll call it a suspended sentence. Any more fighting this school year, and this grounding gets added to the one you deserve for the new incident. But stay out of trouble, and the sentence won’t be carried out.”
    “Fair enough.” Ariane took a huge breath, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “What’s for breakfast? I’m starved!”
    “Cold cereal, I’m afraid.” Aunt Phyllis closed the dishwasher door. “And you’ll have to fix it yourself. I’m due at a Friends of the Library meeting downtown in half an hour. Then some of us are going for lunch, and after that I’ve got a lot of errands to run – I probably won’t be back until dinner time.” She took her car keys from a hook by the door leading to the back porch. “Put your dishes in the dishwasher and run it when you’re done breakfast, won’t you, sweetie? And don’t forget to clean your room! I’ll see you later.”
    She grabbed her coat from a peg and stepped onto the back porch. Pendragon slipped inside as she opened the door. “Mrrrr?” he said, rubbing her ankle. “Mrrow!”
    Aunt Phyllis scratched him behind the ears. “Too cold for you, old man?” she said. “Ariane, can you make sure he’s got food? He went out first thing this morning – I don’t think he’s eaten yet.”
    “Will do,” Ariane said. As if he understood, Pendragon came in and gave her ankles a quick polish in turn. She watched Aunt Phyllis go down the back walk and enter the garage. A moment later she heard her ancient Oldsmobile driving away.
    Feeling much, much happier than when she’d run out of the house the previous evening, Ariane fed Pendragon, ate her Shreddies, drank a large glass of orange juice, and then ran upstairs to her room. She owed someone else an apology too.
    She had a Facebook account that she almost never used, and after all the crap she’d gone through at every school she’d attended in the past couple of years, she was too wary to leave her profile public. But she was willing to bet Wally had no such qualms. Ariane did a quick search and a moment later, his friendly, homely face was grinning at her from the screen.
    She clicked Message , and typed, I’m sorry I ran out like that. What happened when Felicia came home? Email or call, don’t Facebook. Here’s my email address and phone number. Whatever you do, don’t let Flish get hold of them...although maybe I deserve it after leaving that mess in her room. I hope she didn’t blame you.... She added her contact information, then got up from the computer.
    She didn’t even make it to the door before a bell-like tone announced new mail.
    Wally probably lives at his computer on weekends , she thought,