Jonah leaned in, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "I think McKenna knows more than she lets on," he said. "I've seen her talking to Grandfather Park, and it's always in hushed tones. They're always discussing something in secret."
Selena's mind was racing. She had always known that her family was wealthy and influential, but she had never realized the extent of their power. Their world seemed to be elevated beyond that of politicians and the outward-facing billionaires. Other than the vague stuff she knew about the affluent, she had never heard of her grandmother's maiden family in her previous life.
"What about McKenna? Did she learn about our family's special role?" Selena asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Did she know anything about our abilities?"
Jonah shook his head. "Not really," he said. "McKenna doesn't know much about our family, the Kinsman side of things. The adults keep us insulated from their world until we are ready."
Selena's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" she asked. "Why? Do they think we will run our mouths? We'll I guess she might."
Jonah shrugged. "Grandmother tried to test her, but she had no ability, so she remained a child of the family. We are kept from the world until we are deemed mature enough to handle it," he explained. "So, I started my training, and she spent time with Grandfather instead."
Selena's mind was reeling. She had just learned that her birth family had a certain set of skills, but she had never realized that McKenna didn't get immersed in the world. Were both sets of Grandparents distant or superficial to McKenna, and was that one of the causes of her problems?
"What about Saju?" Selena asked, thinking of their younger sister. "Did they start training, too?"
Jonah nodded. "No, Saju didn't start training," he said. "She sensed nothing either, so she didn't start her path. It's a genetic ability."
Selena's eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing. She was beginning to realize that her family's world was much more complex than she had ever imagined.
Dug into the massive plate of food. "So the Great Saju is my Grandmother?" Selena asked, looking up after stuffing her mouth. Jonah nodded.
Jonah looked up at his sister, and her cheeks were stuffed. "The heirs are always female or the male with the strongest ability if she dies," Jonah explained. When we get to South Korea, they will call you Noe Dal-Rae, and I am Noe Dal-Su. You might wonder why Mom keeps calling you that, right?"
Selena chewed, emptied her mouth, and nodded. "Moon? I thought it was Korean for Selena." Selena said and wiped her lips, she drank fruit smoothie, sucking down the sweet drink down like water.
Living a life where she didn't have to count calories was great, and a drawback. Grandmother assured her that it'd get better, but she was always hungry. Even in her past life, it just had consequences.
"The 'Dal' in our names means 'Moon. ' We don't get Earth names, only celestial names. The reason is we are forced to see Dônn's final cry or what Grandmother calls the Earth Dragon's roar." Jonah explained. Selena choked on the smoothie.
"Our second name relates to our fate. 'Rae' means 'child', and 'Su' means protector. "I'm meant to protect you with my life. Like uncle Joon-Su, mom's twin did." Jonah said sadly.
"Noe? Why do we have the last name of Noe in Korea and not Park or Lowrie?" Selena asked. She understood all of the Korean he had said; she just could not let on.
Why would a girl from the bad part of town, who was gifted, know Korean after having less than a 3-month relationship with her newly found family? "That reminds me, I should start to learn this." Selena pulled the book her mother had tucked into her luggage.
Selena opened the book and read to A.A. to read the page for a minute and flip the page. She already knew Korean.
"Great-grandmother married him as a poor, sick son-in-law on the condition that we are all named Noe, after her mother, the hidden Noble Consort Noe," Jonah explained.
"She was the last daughter of the Emperor. Great Grand Uncle Yi Hu He was never crowned, so he survived. She, of course, knew what was coming was a predetermined event and was able to secure a vast amount of wealth and treasures and flee before the Japanese arrived. Benefits of the gift," Jonah said.
"Whoa, we have some complex identities. Are there other Vassals or North American Seers?" Selena asked.
"Yes, and no to the US. Technically, you are the North American seer. The others were killed. We have two different faces: one that faces the sisterhood or Seers, their families, vassal families, and pillar families, and one that faces the public eye. It keeps it simple and you safe," Jonah explained,
"The American Vassal and Pillar Families that used to be loyal to the Adams and Henry families are now loyal to us. Their last heirs had been burned at the stake after being married off," Jonah said.
Selena raised her eyebrows and said, "Oof, I can see why they're not vassals. Hate didn't make it easier."
"They became Pillar families as they're loyalty to the goddess was questionable after the Witch Trials and the Misogyny of Male Christian family members. It is part of their penance to the goddess. We help them, and they serve us," Jonah said, pitying Jakob, Liam, Michael, and Gunn.
Jonah looked up from his homework. His sister was flipping through the Korean book like it was just a magazine to her. He thought about the prophecy and how weird Saju was. She liked Haiku. He thought she just liked messing with us.
She always wrote the prophecies on scrolls and painted a scene. It was terrifying how accurate the birthmark was to the scroll. A
A crescent-moon-shaped birthmark surrounded by four dark moles lay on her forearm.
Marked with a half moon,
One will see the end of it.
Heir will save us all.
Two lives, one gilded.
Knowing much more than what she should.
Do not doubt the heir.
Selena's eyes widened as she considered the possibility. "What are the Pillar families of America? What fealty Grandma Amelia was talking about?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement.
Jonah nodded, a confident smile spreading across his face. "They are affluent families like the Whitehavens, Reinhold, Blackwater, Beattie, Koch," he said. "They know that they have to look after us. We have provided them with guidance, and they understand their role in our world."
Selena's mind was racing with questions, but before she could ask any of them, Jonah continued. "They will probably declare fealty to you," he said, his eyes locked on hers.
Selena felt awkward as she considered the implications. She was friends with Liam and Gunn. Declare fealty? What did that even mean?
Selena realized that she had a lot to learn about her family's world. She was excited to discover more, and she was grateful to have Jonah by her side to guide her.
Jonah seemed to sense her confusion, and he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Selena," he said. "It's just a formality. They'll swear loyalty to you, and they'll do their best to support and protect you and me."
As she thought about it, Selena realized that Jonah already had a loyal following of his own. Jakob, Liam, Gunn, and Michael were all devoted to him, and they would do anything to support him.
Selena nodded, but she had never realized just how much influence they wielded. "Now, his friends, the G4, would grow into very pretty boys. I guess they'd be the G5. Jonah would be joining his friends at St. Theresa's when they returned from this odyssey.
Jonah treated them like friends, and they responded to him genuinely. They didn't kiss his ass. They pranked him. They are different from the others." Selena thought.
They didn't seem to care about the usual things that people cared about - money, power, status, either. They were more interested in doing what was right and in supporting their friends. "What had McKenna done to turn these quiet and friendly boys into future dickbags?" Selena thought.
Jonah considered the Pillar families of America. She realized that they were a unique breed. They were Americanized, but they still maintained a sense of tradition and loyalty. It wasn't uncomfortable like it was in Scotland, but there was still a sense of... butt-kissing, Jonah thought, uncomfortably.
Reinhold, Whitehaven, and Blackwater were all great families, Jonah thought. They were respected and admired, and they seemed to genuinely care about the people around them; it would be integral to her safety if something happened to them.