appeared now…well, then…are you OK? It’s a lot to understand at your age.”
“That’s funny. A man I met said something very similar.”
Again there was a pause, but then she said, “A man, you mean someone your age?”
“No,” I said. “Elsa introduced me to a man, who runs an organization that protects people like us, and others from harm. His name is Gabriel Laurent.”
For the third time, my normally verbose mother was silent. “I see,” she said finally. “He’s French. What did he want?”
“He offered me a job, to work for an organization called the Council. I would run political campaigns here, and maybe in states across the country.”
“I don’t know, Olivia, this is all very sudden,” she said. “Maybe you should take some time off and think about things. Perhaps you would like to take a trip to France? I have an exhibition coming up in Paris, we could travel there together and relax and see the city.”
“Mom, I would love that, but I need to work and stay busy,” I said. “I feel like I have already been on vacation, the way I have abandoned my company these last few weeks.”
My mother sighed into the phone. “It’s not as if you need to work, Olivia. Your family has ensured that you have plenty of money. What can it hurt to take things slowly? You don’t know anything about this Laurent fellow. Perhaps he does not have your best interests at heart.”
I was now able to clearly map the outlines of my mother’s state of mind. She was worried, but whether it was for me, or in general, I could not tell. “Don’t worry, Mom,” I said, wanting to reassure her. “I like Gabriel. He seems very nice. Perhaps it’s because of our years in France, but I felt very comfortable around him.”
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. “Very well, honey,” she said warmly. “I’ll have my assistant send you my travel plans. Perhaps you will come to Paris for a few days and take a break with me.”
I was about to say goodbye and thanks when she spoke again. “Honey, remember there is a lot still to come. I hope you will be ready for all that there is to know.”
“Please don’t worry,” I repeated. “Elsa is helping me. I feel better than I have in a long time.”
After we hung up, I turned to Elsa who had been listening in the hallway. “Well, what do I do next?”
“We should visit Gabriel at the Council offices,” Elsa said. “We can go tomorrow evening. I’ll text Gabriel.”
“Can’t we go tonight?” I asked, anxious to get started now that I had made the decision.
Elsa shook her head. “He’s not there. Tomorrow we’ll go. The Council convenes after dusk,” she said. “It must be dark when we approach their offices. If it’s foggy, we can use a portal. If it’s not, then we use the main entrance.”
“What does fog have to do with it?”
“Come into the living room and sit down, Olivia. If you’re going to work for the Council, then I might as well begin your education.” Elsa walked toward the couch. “Once you cross the threshold of their doors, there will be no turning back. You will be privy to some of the world’s greatest secrets.”
“You make it sound dangerous. What happens if I change my mind?”
“That’s exactly my point; you can’t change your mind. Once you’ve been exposed to the Council, you are bound by its rules. It is a serious commitment. I know, I have been working for them for many years.”
“How did you get started?”
Elsa began to rearrange the pillows on the couch, avoiding my gaze. “I told you the story of how I almost gave my soul to the devil,” she said. “But I never told you what happened when I was released.”
I nodded. “What happened?”
“After the devil told me I was free to leave, I ran to the stable to get my horse. As I was adjusting my saddle—I planned to ride through the night to get off the mountain—the angel who bargained for me came into the stable. I asked him to tell me how he had won the argument with the devil, but he would not reveal their conversation.”
“That’s it? He never told you?” I asked.
“He did not, but he did tell me that there would be a price for my foolishness.”
“A price?”
Elsa nodded. “Yes. He told me that to repay my rescue from the devil, I would have to pledge myself