sun's up, a little after twelve
make breakfast for myself, leave the work for someone else

Ángela did not known what an illusion pendant was, but she knew that she wanted one. And what Ángela wanted, Ángela got.

By and large, anyway. She wanted mummy and daddy to appear right now in this flowerbed, pick her up and take her back to their apartment for a whole day of cuddles and play time, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen. Although she was only four, Ángie had already learnt that she couldn’t always get what she wanted – what she really wanted – just by demanding it. Sure, if she wanted a new toy or a kitten or whatever then daddy would magic one up in a heartbeat if she gave him the eyes and the sad voice, but the most important things in this world took a little more work and creativity than that. And what was most important to Ángie was being with her parents. As much as possible. All the time, in fact. That was a little trickier, especially since mummy had to work full time for Uncle Arthur and daddy had this stupid new job leading the gods or something.

When both of your parents were busy, important people, sometimes to be able to spend every minute of every day with them it took some imagination. Ángela was plenty imaginative enough to make good use of an illusion pendant, whatever it was.

Besides, it was something she didn’t already own, and this servant made it sound like something which she ought to want. Panic caught in her throat as the man went to turn away.

“Wait!” She hissed at him, hesitating. She wasn’t old or experienced enough yet to be able to adapt the lie convincingly. “Morgana is my other name. And you’re a stranger so you shouldn’t talk to me anyway.”

Only Ángela could be told don’t talk to strangers by her parents and use it as a means to tell strangers off for talking to her. She stood up, tossed her hair and held her hand out.

“I think you should just give me your illusion pendant,” she told him, “and then I won’t tell anyone you broke the rules by talking to me.”

Ángela
progeny of the warbird and the sun-god