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“How are you feeling?” Was the first question out of Kira’s mouth when she arrived with Sera that evening.

“I’m much better, thanks,” Ophelia said. “So how was school?”

“School-like.” Kira grinned and sniffed the air. “Something smells great.”

“I’m cooking lamb,” Aunt Sophie said. “Is that okay with everyone?”

“If it tastes as good as it smells it’ll be great,” Kira said. “Thanks for having me over, Mrs Ashbourne.”

“I told you that any friend of Sera’s is welcome in my home and I meant it,” Sophie replied with a warm smile.

“I love lamb,” Ophelia said. “But you already knew that.”

“Yes,” Aunt Sophie said. “I know how much you love lamb. That’s why I decided to pull out the last shoulder from the big freezer.”

“Thank you!”

“And I have your homework for you.” Sera added before laughing at Ophelia’s groan. “Don’t worry there isn’t too much. It’s mostly just reading.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Ophelia said. “And thank goodness it’s Saturday tomorrow. I’d prefer not to have another day off.”

“Yeah,” Sera said. “Shall we go up to my room while Mum finishes cooking dinner so we aren’t underfoot?”

“That’s a good idea,” Kira agreed, giving Ophelia a ‘we need to talk’ look. Whatever it was she must already have told Sera since she was trying to get them somewhere they could have a private conversation.

“It is,” Ophelia said. “Let’s go.”

“Here, take this with you.” Aunt Sophie emerged from the kitchen carrying a two liter bottle of coke and three glasses on a tray. “I’ll call you when dinner is done.”

“Thanks, mum,” Sera took the tray and them up to her room. She placed the drinks on the bedside cabinet and closed the door firmly before turning to Kira. “Right, you’ve got things to tell Ophelia.”

“Several things actually.” Kira frowned. “But firstly Mum is going mad about us accepting help fro Alsia-ida. She has an even bigger chip on her shoulder about the idri-council than I realised.”

“Not just the idri council,” Ophelia said. “Not the way she spoke to you grandmother the other night.”

Kira sighed. “No, it seems to be all idri she hates. I wonder why? But speaking of granny I spoke to her and dad about the Key. She says that no one really knows how the idri who made the Key managed it, but it’s not something that they should have been able to do. She also wasn’t shocked that the Key hates them. She was edging again and she seemed just as angry as the Key is. I have an inking she knows more about how it was made than she’s telling.”

“That’s interesting,” Ophelia said. “Perhaps we should challenge her on it?”

“We can try, but I suspect she’ll just clam up,” Kira said. “She wasn’t surprised Alsia turned up to help yesterday either.? I think she’s hiding something there as well because she was smirking about it. She did’t have much to say about the matter though, except that Alsia was the blue Miria before the exile and a close ally of Kaylaria.”

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