Excerpt of Central by Raine Thomas

Chapter 1

Gabriel was frustrated.

He and the other Estilorian elders had been steadily interviewing candidates for the better part of three days now, all with less than optimistic results. The truth of it was, he was abysmally disappointed in the class he governed. How was it possible to have met and questioned more than one hundred Gloresti without finding more than one suitable candidate for these very important roles they were trying to fill?

Saraqael's three daughters, the very first beings ever born on the Estilorian plane, had all been sent to the human plane over a week ago in an effort to keep them safe. Their Estilorian forms were even now under temporary guard, awaiting proper pairings with Gloresti until the girls returned to this plane.

The three Gloresti now selected by the Estilorian elders would assume total responsibility for the safety and care of the girls' Estilorian forms. Unlike a traditional Gloresti–Corgloresti pairing, these pairings would extend beyond the time the girls resided on the human plane. Such a pairing was absolutely unheard of among their kind. Thus, it was a position of incredible importance and, for most, prestige.

Typically, Gloresti were not selected for pairing with a Corgloresti until they were a minimum of two centuries of age. This was done to ensure that the Gloresti had fully matured, establishing an appropriate amount of emotional control and the ability to focus as much attention as was needed to ensure the well–being of their paired Corgloresti's form. However, the elders had unanimously agreed that the Gloresti paired with Saraqael's daughters should not fall within this traditional criterion.

After all, while Saraqael had been a Corgloresti, his daughters were half–human...and thus, emotional beings.

As the elder of the Gloresti class and the one who best understood the pairing process, Gabriel had suggested that they instead consider selecting Gloresti with less than one century of existence for pairing with Saraqael's daughters. The younger members of any class were more prone to emotions, which the majority of Estilorians no longer experienced. Surely it would benefit Saraqael's daughters to have Gloresti awaiting them who could more closely relate to their human emotions when they transitioned back to the Estilorian plane, would it not?

It had seemed so logical. They simply had to find three Gloresti with the best combination of human–like emotional connection and the ability to defend. Surely not that difficult.

Or so they thought.

They found the first likely candidate rather quickly. Simon, a Gloresti who had only been on the Estilorian plane for seventy–nine years, had demonstrated more emotion in his interview than any of the elders had witnessed in a long time. His sincere smile was so unusual to them that he had immediately stood out from many of his peers. The fact that he was genuinely interested in serving as a paired Gloresti regardless of who he was paired with had also weighed heavily in his favor.

And when the Gloresti commander, Hitoshi, revealed to the elders after the interview that Simon had also shown a distinct interest in and insight into transporting Corgloresti across the planes, something he hadn't yet tried at his young age but seemed very capable of, they had made their decision.

He would be paired with Saraqael's first–born.

Since Simon's assignment had taken only a matter of twenty interviews, the elders hadn't ever doubted that the other pairings would be equally simple. After all, Gabriel had rationalized, his class was charged with guarding Estilorians who transitioned to the human plane. How out of touch with human emotion could they be?

It was absolutely unbelievable. They quickly discovered that Simon was a rarity. While the human mother of Saraqael's daughters had shown the elders how very removed from emotion they had all become, they hadn't realized just how pervasive the problem was.

"This is highly disconcerting," the Elphresti elder, Jabari, intoned gravely after they dismissed yet another unsuitable candidate.

With a sober nod, Knorbis said, "The only emotions we are encountering from even the youngest Gloresti are all negative."

The intuitive Wymzesti elder was putting it mildly, Gabriel thought. His young Gloresti were outrageously arrogant, aggressive and competitive. More than one had said critical and obviously false things about his fellow Gloresti in an attempt to make himself look more appealing. Some of them had even smiled as they did it, trying to mask their lies beneath the façade of emotion. It was both embarrassing and revolting.

"We have obviously been quite blind," the Orculesti elder, Malukali, added. She looked as disturbed as any of them could manage. "I suspect that we will find this exact problem among each of our classes. Our distance from humans and their emotions these many centuries has prevented us from identifying the issue until now."

There were thoughts of agreement around the table.

"Who is the next candidate?" Gabriel asked, running a hand over his face in a show of weariness.

"James," answered Hitoshi.

He was the only non–elder at the table. Gabriel had wanted his commander to participate in the process of identifying the acceptable candidates for pairing with Saraqael's daughters, however. After all, Hitoshi would be the acting leader over the Gloresti class in the very near future. He should most definitely be allowed to provide input toward these weighty choices.

Gabriel had made the decision shortly before Saraqael's daughters had been born that he would transition back to the human plane himself, something that only the most experienced Gloresti could do, and usually only under extreme circumstances and for very brief spans of time. The attempt he intended to make would send him across the planes in the form of an infant so he could grow like a human, something that would take unimaginable power to accomplish. The other elders had ultimately agreed that the plan was their only hope to possibly relearn the emotions they no longer understood...emotions that had led to the dramatic and shattering circumstances resulting in the girls' births.

Before he made this unprecedented attempt, however, he wanted to be sure the girls' Estilorian forms were properly paired. At the rate they were going, he would never transition.

"Please tell us a bit about James before we bring him in," Jabari requested.

"Of course," Hitoshi said in his calm voice, folding his hands in front of him on the table. "James is among the youngest candidates we are considering, just seventy–one years. He has demonstrated remarkable intellect throughout his studies, often requesting to spend extra time on subjects that interest him. His learning capacity is far greater than many of his peers, in point of fact. I have often found his observations quite insightful."

"That could be positive," mused the Scultresti elder, Zayna. "If he is an eager and capable student for his Estilorian studies, perhaps he will more easily learn the things he will need to know to successfully interact with Saraqael's daughters."

"Perhaps," Jabari allowed. Several of the other elders nodded in agreement.

"He is also quite patient," Hitoshi added. "I have never observed him losing his temper or speaking disrespectfully to his peers."

Gabriel had not had much direct contact with this particular Gloresti and thus had no further information to provide. "Very well. We can bring him in now."

The Lekwuesti elder, Sebastian, left the room briefly. When he returned, James trailed behind him. As Sebastian took his seat, James stood in front of the long table of elders and bowed deeply with his right arm crossed over his chest. When he rose, he stood with his legs braced slightly apart and his hands held behind his back.

"Welcome, James," Jabari greeted him.

"Thank you, archigos Jabari," he responded.

The polite response had several of the elders exchanging glances. Such manners had also been notably lacking among most of the previous candidates.

"Do you know why you are here, James?"

"No, archigos Uriel," he answered the Waresti elder matter–of–factly. "I do not."

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow. "I explained to all of you that we are seeking three Gloresti to pair with Saraqael's daughters," he reminded him.

"Yes, sir, you did. But that does not clarify for me why I am here." His sharp, dark–blue eyes moved along the table, catching the gaze of each elder in turn. He ultimately focused on Gabriel. "Surely you are looking to our most skilled and experienced Gloresti for these important pairings."

That was a highly unexpected response.

"You believe the half–humans warrant such powerful protection?" Gabriel asked neutrally.

"Of course," James said, a puzzled expression flashing briefly across his features. "Why would they not?"

Why not, indeed. Aside from Simon, James was the only candidate to issue such a genuine and unqualified response to the question. There were more looks exchanged around the table.

"Tell me, James," Knorbis said. "What is it you consider your greatest strength?"

That seemed to throw the young Gloresti off–balance. Unlike his peers, who had often waxed lengthy on their many fine attributes, he remained silent, blinking as though trying to process the question.

After a long moment, he finally admitted, "I find that very difficult to answer, archigos. I have never been asked to assess myself in such a manner."

Seeing he meant every word, Gabriel tilted his head consideringly. Then he asked, "What do you consider the most important quality in a Gloresti?"

"I believe dedication and vigilance are equally important qualities," James immediately responded.

"Do you feel you possess these qualities?" Hitoshi asked.

"While I have not been tested in any real capacity," he said humbly, "I believe I do."

Gabriel nodded. He kept his gaze focused on James when he prompted, "And if we asked you to pair with one of Saraqael's daughters, you would feel..."

James' eyes widened. He finally seemed to realize that he was being seriously considered for the pairing. His gaze swept the table as if trying to gauge whether he was being deceived. After another long moment, he gave his answer to Gabriel.

"I would feel...unworthy."

Those simple and sincere words sealed his fate.

Gabriel knew then that he had found the Gloresti for Saraqael's second–born daughter.