One of few shrine-related things that Leora had always enjoyed, was the evening candle ritual. As the sun went down, each household was supposed to light candles, one for each person, and one to stand in the window, visible from outside the home. For as long as she could remember, Leora had been responsible for the candles in her home. She always made sure to be home on time to light the four candles for the family and the guiding candle in the window, even when she was the only one at home, as had increasingly been the case over the past few years.

  She stood looking at the candles neatly lined up on the mantelpiece, flickering gently. People believed that if a candle wouldn’t light, or went out by itself, it meant that the person it represented had died. In the past year, the four candles lighting quickly had been the only news she received about her family. After she turned eight and started training, her mother had been returning to more active duty, and she only saw her father and brother once or twice a year. That was why she was so close with Sammy and his parents. Sammy’s mother, Nana Clara, had been Leora’s nanny when she was a little girl, and had remained close with her, even after she was no longer officially employed. Instead, she had welcomed Leora into her family, and she had spent many happy afternoons learning to knit, or practicing her carving skills on little scraps of wood that Grandad Josef would save for her. Sammy would even let her help in the forge, polishing metal and keeping his tools organised, for which she was paid in baked goods and metal scraps for her to practice with.

  Leora climbed the stairs to the third floor and headed into her room. In stark contrast to the rest of the house, her room was an explosion of colour and texture. Drawings and paintings were pinned all over the walls, interspersed with scraps of ribbon and interesting objects she had found or made. Her most prized possession was a small dolls house that stood in the corner of the room. She didn’t play with it; she had never been particularly interested in dolls. What she loved doing was making the little furniture to fit inside. Tiny rugs and curtains she made from scraps of fabric, little wooden chairs and tables; it even had a small copper bathtub that Sammy had helped her make! When Josef and Clara had given it to her, they had made a full set of charming furnishings for it, but over the years she made more and more miniatures, which she would swop out and arrange according to the time of year and her mood.

  Leora opened her wardrobe and took out the plain white dress she had to wear for the dedication ceremony the next day. She hadn’t touched it since it had been delivered. It seemed ominous, like it belonged to a ghost. She hung it on the back of the door before flopping onto her bed. She took out the piece of lace she had been given and held it up to the lamp, watching the light pass through the delicate threads.

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  It's like watching the sun through the leaves of a tree, she thought. There was an oak tree in the gardens behind the shrine where she would sometimes hide and watch the shadows dappling across her skin. It’s almost hypnotic. Leora laid the cloth over her face with a sigh.

  Tomorrow evening. Everything will be different. Maybe I’ll feel different too, like Sammy said. Maybe it will be a sort of relief to confirm who I am supposed to be. She ran her fingers over the circle on her hand, feeling the slightly raised skin. Maybe mother and father will be proud of me.

  Leora jerked upright as she heard the front door open, and quickly tucked the lace into the drawer of her nightstand. She hurried downstairs to greet her mother.

  “Welcome home mother, light protect you.”

  “Light protect us” her mother responded.

  “I thought you would be out later than this, have you eaten? There is some stew on the stove if you would like any?”

  “No, that will not be necessary, I have very little need for food of late.”

  As demi elves grew stronger, they became less reliant on their human biology, instead, their mana would circulate through their bodies, eliminating the need for extra nutrition.

  “Wow, you must have become much stronger in the last year mother, congratulations.” Leora smiled nervously at her mother as she moved smoothly into the parlour and took a seat on the white settee. Leora had never felt comfortable in the parlour, the sheer quantity of white upholstery made her feel grubby and sticky, as if she would leave marks on anything she touched. Her mother waved an elegant hand to the chair opposite and Leora perched awkwardly on the edge of the seat; hands clasped tightly in her lap.

  After several minutes of increasingly awkward silence, Leora was suffering from an almost irresistible urge to scratch her head, when finally, her mother began to speak.

  “Tomorrow will be a very important day for you, and for all of us.” She said impassively. “I trust you are prepared for this solemn ceremony and will bring honour and light to your family.”

  “I will do my best.” Replied Leora, attempting to match her mother’s cool demeanour.

  “Your father and brother would have been here for this, but unfortunately, they cannot leave Aruen at this time.”

  Leora nodded, and the silence stretched out between the two.

  “Could you tell me about your ceremony mother?” asked Leora shyly after a minute. “I know the actual details are private, but perhaps you could tell me what you did the night before? Who walked you to the shrine?”

  Her mother looked slightly surprised at the questions, and for a moment Leora thought she would refuse to answer.

  “I was walked to the shrine by my parents. As for the rest, it was long ago. I suggest you go to bed early as we will be leaving well before dawn.”

  They both stood up, and Leora’s mother reached out a hand as if she were going to touch her but pulled back at the last moment.

  “Tomorrow we will find out your purpose. I know you have not always…” She turned to face the window, “it will be better…easier, after tomorrow…” She trailed off, gazing into the distance. Then turned to face Leora who was frozen in place.

  “Pray for the light’s guidance at this time of darkness.”