The Year of the Lumin by Andrew Ryan Henke Read Free Book Online

earlier was sitting on the table not glowing as it was before.  “Cairn, let’s see if he is as we suspect.”
    The second man, whom Grandel had referred to as Cairn, stood up.  He picked up the device from the table and walked to Noir.  He held the device up in front of Noir and manipulated it.  It slowly started to glow with a dull yellow.  It grew brighter and brighter until all three of them were squinting and averting their eyes.
    “My word!” exclaimed the Captain.
    Cairn said, “This must be a mistake.  Let me reset the luxsyedin and do it again.”  He squinted at the device and manipulated it until it again became dark.  He then repeated the process which resulted in the same blinding result.  “This is amazing,” said Grandel.
    Noir spoke up.  “Sirs, if I may ask.  What does this all mean?”
    Cairn walked back to the table, twisting and poking at the device so it again became dark.  Grandel said, “Well son, you are quite special.  You are attuned to lux; and very strongly might I add.”
    “What is lux?”
    Both men looked at Noir with the same confused look that Ratt had given him earlier.  “You lived in a hole all your life, son?”  Noir did not answer so he continued, “Lux is the defensive side of the three vigors.  I am amazed that you have lived as long as you have without anyone discovering your power until now.”
    The other man with the device said, “I think he’s the strongest I have ever seen, save Fafnir herself.”
    Noir shook his head and said, “I don’t understand any of this.  You’re saying I have some sort of powers?”
    “Well no,” Grandel replied.  “Not yet, at least.  You just have great potential to learn.”  He then called loudly, “Gojen, Ryojek!”  The room’s door swung open and the two warriors who had escorted Noir to the room appeared outside.  “Take this young man back to his cell.”
    Noir had so many questions to ask and it seemed like Captain Grandel was a pleasant enough man.  So Noir said, “Please sir, do not make me go yet.  You seem to be a reasonable man.  May I please stay for a few moments more and ask you a few questions.”
    Grandel looked at Cairn, then back to Noir.  “All right, but make it fast.  Do not waste my time.”  He motioned for the two men outside the door to return to their posts.
    The first question he wanted to ask was a simple one.  “Where are my uncle and cousin?”
    Grandel shifted in his chair as if made uncomfortable by the topic.  “The bandits that attacked our scouting group seemed to target your uncle and cousin.  We were also wondering if you had any answers about that.”
    Noir said, “Why should I know.  I don’t know anything about bandits, or battles, or anything.”
    Captain Grandel squinted his eyes as if studying Noir’s words.  “I think you speak the truth.  Then we are left with as many questions as before.  The only theory we have is that the bandits may have seen how strongly the luxsyedin reacted when we found you and wanted to pawn your powers off to the highest bidders.”
    “Pawn?  They want to sell Aimee and Steven to someone?  But they don’t have the powers, right?  I do.”
    “Actually, the luxsyedin reacted the first time to all three vigors.  It glowed white showing that all three were present.  Just now it glowed yellow for you since you are attuned to lux.
    “They have powers too?”  Noir thought that none of this could be real.  It was stupid.  No one had special powers.  Lux?  Vigors?  Questions about that he could save for later.  “So what actually happened to them?”
    “They both were carried off by the bandits.”  Even though Noir had guessed at this, hearing it as a fact made his heart sink.  “I am sorry.  We could not risk any of our men to follow and recapture them.  After all, we don’t even know who….”
    Noir cut him off, “You lost them?”
    Grandel stood up so sharply that the chair he was sitting in