Page 120 of He Who Sleeps

"Are we on these?" Leo forgot himself enough to ask.

“Yes,” Kildare said, “a drop of blood in the bowl will show you which. All descents of the original thirteen will be tied to a tree. Blood remembers.” He motioned to the bowl. “At your leisure.”

Emerson looked to Finn. “Should we? Make sure it’s safe?”

"I doubt the priests would lead us wrong, but certainly." Finn nodded for Emerson to step up to the bowl.

Pulling out his pocket knife, he looked to Kildare. “Just a drop?”

“Yes,” he said and smiled.

Emerson stuck the point into his index finger and then helped the blood to well. Turning his finger, he let it drip into the crystal bowl and watched it disappear. A tingle ran through the room as the ground lit, and then the far wall, the tree in the center, with a large citrine stone, glowed.

“Your family,” Kildare said as he pointed to the tree. Pinpoints of light glowed and were snuffed out ‘til it was just one. “And that is you.”

“I...wow,” Emerson said. “Do we have a name, the family I mean?”

“Long ago, the trees were known as their species. Ash,” he offered.

"That's so cool! Okay, do me!" Leo grabbed his own pocket knife and rushed toward the bowl, leaving the others laughing as he stabbed his finger and dripped it in.

Once again the blood disappeared, and a tree lit, pinpoints going out until there was two. Petra arched a brow.

“Rowan,” Kildare said.

"Why are there two?" Leo asked, looking confused. "Did I have a twin?"

“No, but someone else shares your bloodline. A cousin. Younger. Or a sister.” He smirked.

She looked to him. “All family ties still alive will be on each tree?” He nodded to her. “Didn’t you say you guys remembered sisters?” she said to Finn.

"Yeah, but where?" Finn shrugged, looking as confused as the rest of them. "Most of the women's communes have gone dark apparently."

"She'd better not have been in the harem." Leo's face had gone hard as granite. "I'll dig those fuckers up and murder them all over again."

"Therearesix more houses," Emerson said. "We need to test everyone in the harem, too."

Kildare nodded." As soon as we are done with you all. Who is next?"

"We came in here to find Petra's family," Finn reminded them all. "Let her see. And then maybe Easton, if he wants to confirm what we found in the journals?"

"Yes, please," Easton said in a small voice, looking shaken.

“Will you come with me?” she asked Easton, her nerves getting to her. “I’ll go...then I can be there with you?”

"Sure." He took her hand and squeezed it tight as they stepped up to the bowl.

“I need something...”

Rix was there in a moment, handing her his switchblade. “Here.”

She smiled at him and pierced her fingertip, handing the knife back to Rix. Settling in, Easton crowded around her, and she steadied herself, liking the closeness of her snake. The drop hit the bowl and the ground lit up, then the trees around the walls, all of them. Lights blazed and went out, each on the wall until they were all dark.

She sighed, trying hard not to cry. None of the houses... None...

“My word!” Kildare said and bowed to her.

“What? What are you doing?” she asked as she looked around. “None of the trees are lit.”

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