Drake Sisters 06 - Turbulent Sea

wanted to hear it.
    Joley reached for her cell phone, then hesitated. She had time to do a little exploring and she definitely needed exercise. Maybe calling Sarah right now wasn't such a good idea. Everything was so crazy and she really was mixed up; nothing would make sense. There was no way she'd do more than babble and stammer, and she needed to be coherent and thinking when she talked to her sisters about Ilya. Now was not the right time. Besides, they'd talk too long, and then she wouldn't have time to go exploring before she had to do the sound check…
    Her cell phone rang and she flipped it open. Joley held the phone away from her ear as Sarah's voice blasted her.
    'Joley Elizabeth Drake, just what are you up to?'
    Joley strove for complete innocence. 'I have no idea what you're talking about, I just woke up, and at this precise moment I'm drinking a cup of tea and making out an important list.'
    'I'm not buying that. You were going to call me and then you decided not to and I could feel the backlash of guilt.
    What's going on and what do you have to feel guilty over?'
    Joley rolled her eyes, thankful her eldest sister couldn't see her. Sarah knew all kinds of things before they happened.
    She always knew before someone called. 'Well, I did want your advice on something, but I just woke up and wasn't certain what time it was, so I didn't want to chance calling and waking everyone up if it was early' She drummed her fingers on the table, looking for a way to distract her sister. 'How's Damon doing?'
    Joley had grown very fond of Sarah's fiance. He was a good man, quiet but brilliant, and he obviously adored Sarah, and the minute anyone mentioned him, Sarah was distracted.
    'He's wonderful. Libby has spent some time trying to help his hip and leg, but the injury is old enough that she's not getting the results she'd like. But Damon says there isn't as much pain. He's in San Francisco today, working on some project I'd rather not know about.'
    'I'm so glad Libby's able to help him a little. He's a good man, Sarah.'
    'Yes, he is. And speaking of men, I'm sensing this problem you have involves one,' Sarah said, returning like a dog with a bone to the point of her call.
    Joley winced a little at the note of suspicion in her sister's voice. On the blank paper in front of her she wrote out Pros and Cons with a line separating them. Under cons she wrote, Gets me in trouble with my sister - received lecture .
    Because it was coming - and Sarah's lectures were never pleasant, because she knew exactly what to say to make a person feel guilty.
    'Joley?' Sarah prompted. 'Tell me what's going on.'
    'Well…' Joley tried to hedge, but that wasn't too smart with Sarah. 'It's just that I've been considering having a relationship and I'm trying to be practical.' She was fairly certain she heard a snort, and then Sarah was coughing. 'Did you choke on something?'
    'Sorry. You're being practical - over a man?'
    'Hey! I don't think that comment was strictly necessary.' Joley was indignant.
    There was a small silence. 'Really? Who is he?'
    Joley pressed the point of the pencil so hard into the paper it broke. Of course Sarah would ask. Tlya Prakenskii.'
    There was a silence. Joley felt the gathering explosion and rushed into an explanation. T don't think he's any of the things everyone says he is. I really don't. He's just too - nice.' Even she winced when she said the word. Nice wasn't a description one could use for Ilya.
    'He's dangerous, Joley. Dangerous is not nice. You stay away from him.'
    Her palm itched and she rubbed it over her thigh. 'He has all the same gifts that our family has, Sarah - but the gifts are little different. When my magic touches his, or our auras get close, they merge and flow together. I can feel the difference in the way he summons and uses energy'
    'I noticed that when he was holding Hannah to him,' Sarah agreed. 'And Hannah spent a lot of time connected to him, and she tried examining the way he gathered and cast energy, but he's cut off. His aura was too dark, hiding everything from her.'
    'Well, it's definitely different. I know you've been studying the books our ancestors have on the ancient ways, and I wondered if you ever came across anything in our history about marks.' Joley drummed out a nervous rhythm with the pencil on the table. 'Maybe something to do with binding two people together, or claiming, or I don't know, anything, any mention at all.'
    'Are you talking about your hand? Describe