He trotted up the stairs to the second floor of the house and walked into the bathroom, eager for his first hot shower in days.
* * * Yully Hughes stayed in her room, where her father told her to, not wanting to upset him. His erratic moods had grown more volatile the past couple of days, and she knew better than to draw his attention. She still bore the bruises from upsetting him two days ago.
She sprawled on the rug near the fireplace. The manor house had been built several hundred years ago, and every room but hers was a reflection of her father's wealth. Her room was plain and basic. She'd hung one picture above the blazing hearth. The rest of the walls were bare, the curtains drawn even during daylight, and the heavy wooden furniture solid and worn. After a childhood filled with foster homes, she feared getting too comfortable, even in the home of the man who adopted her twelve years ago, when she was ten. She'd stayed after she turned eighteen, because he was the only one who understood her strange gift.
She opened her hand to reveal its contents, a marble. Absently, she turned it into a frog then a flower then a piece of wood. She tossed it into the fire, marveling at the tiny explosion of pink and green flames.
"Yully," her father called.
"Come in, Papa," she said, rolling to face the door.
Her father entered. His features were stoic, his beautiful purple eyes the color of spring flowers. While he didn't look anything other than pleasant, she felt his tension in the shimmering air around him.
"How's my darling?" he asked with his usual indifference.
"I'm fine, Papa. Are you all right?"
"I will be soon, I hope. I need to talk to you about something."
"Is it what's been bothering you the past two days?" she asked.
"You felt it." He let a rare smile cross his face. "Yes, of course you did. Your powers are incredible."
"It's about the … uh, thing you told me about, isn't it?" she said, sitting up.
"Yes, it is. You remember what I've taught you all these years?"
"Some sort of immortal creatures called Guardians are trying to destroy humanity. We are going to fight them," she recited. "And we'll start by taking out one of their leaders."
"For the sake of humanity," he said. He sat beside her. "I always told you, my daughter, that you were destined for greatness."