ELRETH

Elreth gaped. "How could that be?"

Mom shook her head. "This is what I meant, Elreth. You have to learn to trust. Do you understand? You have to trust that I would never make a decision like that for any reason except that it would help you. I'm not telling you to pretend this isn't happening. I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue it. I'm not telling you to leave people in danger. I'm saying go. Explore. Investigate. Learn what you can and take the action you deem necessary. But do not ask me to put an obstacle in your way, because I won't."

"How can you even think that knowing the full picture would do that?"

"BECAUSE THE CREATOR TOLD ME," her mother burst out.

Elreth stood in stunned silence as her mother folded her arms again, the met her gaze with eyes that flickered back and forth as if she was reluctant to hold her daughter's gaze.

"The Creator is real, Elreth. He's alive—do you understand what that means? It means He's communicating.

"I don't know if you've experienced that yet. But I have. And I will not sway from it. I trust him. He knows more than we do. And I know it's right to let you discover this on your own. I know it. When the time is right, the Creator will reveal it to you, and ONLY THEN will it be safe for you to know." Elreth opened her mouth to say something, but her mother rushed on. "If I tell you, all hell with break loose. And I will not do that to you—or to the people."

Elreth growled, all her frustration and anger making her shake with the fury of it. But to her surprise, her mother didn't press her, but threw her arms around her neck and hugged her.

When she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes.

"Elreth, this is life. Life is hard. The Creator asks things of you that you don't understand. It's normal to struggle. But don't… don't let that overshadow the good He's given you too. Stay grateful. You have so much in your life that is a blessing. Don't let this darken that for you."

"It's not about being dark. It's about feeling like you, Aaryn, Gar, the Creator—you're all just waiting to trip me up! And you could save me from it. But you're refusing to!"

Her mother groaned. "No, El, that's the thing. None of us could save you—or anyone else—from this. All we can do is work to make sure we aren't helping those that would harm us. That's it. We just have to do right and stay faithful. The rest we'll meet when it comes."

"But that just means you know who might harm us and I need to know that!"

"No, Elreth, I don't know that," her mother said quietly. "If I did… I think we'd be a whole lot further down this track."

Wait…what? Elreth thought. She frowned. But her mother, watching her, got that stubborn look on her face that Elreth knew so well, because she made that face too.

"I'm not talking about it, El," she said quietly. Firmly.

Then Elreth remembered something. "But… Gar knows! You won't tell me even though Gar knows about this? You trust him with it but not me?"

Her mother snorted. "Do not make this about a competition with your brother. You know that I trust your judgment more than his in general, Elreth. No, I didn't tell Gar this. Gar was put in the right place at the right time by the Creator. He learned it without my knowledge, then confronted me about it later. And I know that the Creator made it clear to me that whoever was supposed to learn would. That I didn't need to—and shouldn't—tell them. He knows what he was intended to know, outside of my control. So, that's what I'm telling you, El: When the Creator wants you involved, He'll bring it to you. You don't have to try to find it. If He hasn't yet you should trust Him—and me—enough to believe that it's not for you. Yet."

Elreth shook her head, muttering "You know, I understand now why Dad was so mad at you."

Her mother's eyes flared with heat. "No, you don't, El. And I pray you never will. It was the most painful experience of my life. Don't ever turn away from your mate like that. You hold on even when they don't. Even if he gets it wrong, or hurts you, you don't let go, do you understand me? Then when you're the one who goes wrong, when you get your head in the wrong space and try to turn away, they'll hold onto for you."

"Aaryn knows about this too," Elreth said through her teeth.

Her mother rolled her eyes. "No, he doesn't. He knows… a corner of the room. And only by default. He holds the secrets of others only to protect their feelings. He doesn't hold this from you, El. I promise. Unless Gar told him, which I doubt."

Elreth grunted her acceptance of that. "No, he was steaming mad at Gar when we found out they were bringing humans back here. He wasn't lying about that."

Elia nodded. "So, you see. Your brother learned because it was his time. Your mate… if he's holding onto things, it isn't what we're dealing with."

They stared at each other for a long moment, Elreth chewing her lip. The truth was, she was tired. She was tired of knowing there were secrets, but not knowing what they were. She was tired of trying to press her mother to say something when she clearly wouldn't. And she was tired of the males around her trying to "protect" her, by doing their own thing then expecting her to come in behind and clean up the mess.

She was worn out.

"Trust, Elreth," her mother said quietly, stepping up to push her hair behind her ear. "That's what this is about. Who you can trust, and who you can't. Is anyone holding onto this that you don't trust?"

"I don't know!" she growled. Her mother gave her a look, and Elreth rolled her eyes. "I guess not," she said.

"No," her mother said softly. "I'm sorry this is hard, and hurting you. But be certain: No one is holding this that desires to hurt you, and no harm will come to you at our hands. Walk out with what you know. And otherwise trust. Everything is going to be the very best that it can be."

Elreth sighed but leaned into the hug her mother offered then.

She was too damn tired to do anything else.