Free Legend of the Timekeepers by Sharon Ledwith Page A

muttered.
    Etan hid a smile. Lilith did too, then said, “I’m Lilith, and this is Tau. I see She-Aba has already presented herself.”
    The young man bowed. “My name is Ajax-ol. And this—” he waved a hand toward the hybrid “—is Etan, my guardian.”
    “Your guardian? I thought Etan was a guardian of the Temple of the Sun?” Lilith looked at him. “He wears the insignia on his left arm.”
    Suddenly, a tremor rose up through the ground. She-Aba almost fell again, but Ajax-ol held her tight. She made a cooing sound and snuggled to him.
    “I am,” Etan answered, as the tremor passed. “I also serve the House of Ajxor.”
    “The House of Ajxor? Admiral Ajxor?” Lilith asked.
    “My father is not an admiral,” Ajax-ol replied, tipping his head slightly. “At least not yet. Unless—” he looked at her squarely “—you know something I don’t?”
    Lilith frowned. “No. I thought the history scrolls state—” She stopped herself. Her skin prickled. This must be Atlantis as it was one hundred years ago, before the first major earthquake. This is what Father was scribing about in his record keeper when Mica interrupted him. Lilith’s eyes widened. Mica must be here too! The ground rumbled and shook again.
    Lilith fell forward and Etan grabbed her arms. Lilith winced, feeling the power of Etan’s grip.
    “My apologies,” he said. “Did I hurt you?”
    She shook her head. “I’m fine, just a little confused. Can you tell me who is in power?”
    “Some say King Elem is, but I say Belial holds the real power,” Etan growled as he released Lilith.
    “Who is Belial?” Tau asked.
    Etan’s whole face drew in, as a wary, low growl developed in the back of his throat, and he swished his tail. “Where are you from? You talk with a strange dialect.”
    “Both She-Aba and Tau are from the Black Land,” Lilith replied quickly before Tau answered. “I used to, um, I mean I dwell in the City of the Golden Gates, in the advisor’s section.”
    Ajax-ol jerked. He slipped his arm away from She-Aba, who stumbled back. “These two are from the Black Land? I’ve heard only savages dwell there.”
    “Savages?” Tau said indignantly. “You have some nerve, Atcha—”
    Lilith didn’t give Tau a chance to finish. She clipped him across the back of the head. “Silence! You must never address anyone from the House of Ajxor in that manner. You’re here to serve my family, and you need to learn respect for our people!”
    Tau’s eyes bugged. He rubbed the back of his head. Then Lilith looked at She-Aba, who was having difficulty balancing on one shoe. “And you—” she pointed at She-Aba “—take that shoe off and walk with dignity. You’ll never be groomed as an Atlantean’s servant if you are not appropriately dressed.”
    “S-S-Servant?” She-Aba stammered.
    Lilith clapped her hands three times. “Are you both forgetting how much trouble it was for my family to have you shipped here? The travel costs alone made us… spiral .”
    She-Aba’s eyes widened. So did Tau’s. They glanced at each other and nodded.
    Lilith inhaled sharply. Good. We’re all on the same scroll . She handed Ajax-ol his staff back and said, “Thank you for the use of your staff, Ajax-ol.”
    He grabbed her left hand in mid-air and inspected the orichalcum snake bracelet her Uncle Kukulkan gave her before they left Atlantis. “Etan, look, she wears the talisman from the House of Seers.”
    Lilith thought she heard Etan purr. “Yes, it appears so, Ajax-ol. Lilith must be in exile as well,” he said.
    “House of Seers? Exile? What does that mean?” She-Aba asked.
    “In my house, a servant does not speak until spoken to,” Ajax-ol said sternly.
    “It’s all right, Ajax-ol,” Lilith said, patting his hand. “In our house, we teach our servants to ask questions if they don’t understand. My father says it breaks down barriers and builds better relations.”
    Ajax-ol laughed. “Belial would do well to listen to