Keepers of the Flame (23 page)

Of
course.
It was said with twin-exasperation.
I went alone and the place was empty.
She hesitated.

Go
on
.
But Bri had sensed her feelings, the awe at the building and the echoes of
Songs, particularly ones that had used energy to heal, linked to a montage of
images that had flashed through Elizabeth’s mind. How a square pool had attracted
her, radiating waves of healing in pale auras nearly colorless but which she
could
see
. The vestiges of not only the green pentacle that they had
arrived in, in the west of the great circular room, but others. Even smudges of
colors that Elizabeth thought were used to Summon the other Exotiques.

Wow,
Bri said,
almost forgetting her fears as the dream panic wore off.

Yes.
That’s just the impressions I got. You should definitely visit it, too.
Another
hesitation.
WE should go together, but you should also go alone. Just to
feel and see what it might bring you
.

Bri
reeled back against her padded headboard. For Elizabeth, that was a comment
way
out there.
Okay
.

Anyway,
I observed the Temple thoroughly,

Bri
bet she had.

I
don’t think we could take ourselves back. There’s great energy there, but I
don’t know whether we could access it to use it to get home
. Elizabeth
gulped.
I have no idea how to craft a…a…

Magic
spell?
Bri could almost see Elizabeth wince.

Magic
spell,
Elizabeth said faintly.
Unless you studied New Age spirituality as well as
healing methods.
For once there was no hint of derision. Her voice had
lifted as if with hope.

I
attended some Wiccan and other pagan ceremonies,
Bri confirmed.
But
only as an observer.

A
few seconds of humming silence.

Too
bad,
Elizabeth said.

Do
you think the other Exotiques would help us?

Not
until we cure this sickness
.

Their
parents would return in two weeks to find their daughters missing. They’d have
already called to tell the twins that their flight had been fine. Panic came
back to spear her. What if their flight
hadn’t
been fine?

Calm,
Bri
.
And Elizabeth sent her calm, professional calm as if Bri was a hysterical
patient. But Bri knew better. There was a tiny voice locked down in the back of
Elizabeth’s mind that was screaming too.

How
many flights have we heard of that have crashed on the way to Hawaii?
Elizabeth said.

Not
many. Elizabeth had a point. The constriction in Bri’s chest loosened slightly.
Is there ANY way we can find out if they’re safe?

I
don’t know, but I know who we can ask,
Elizabeth said grimly.

Marian.

Marian,
Elizabeth
agreed.
I’ll go right now.
The telepathic-talk link between them stopped
abruptly though if she tried, Bri could sense what Elizabeth was doing—running
out the door, racing down tower stairs. Elizabeth had learned to move fast as a
doctor.

All
Bri could do now was sit back and wait.

But
she wouldn’t, of course. She had to fill her mind with other things. She walked
down to Zeres’s room to see him snoozing, too, and it occurred to her that she
should make sure the house had no liquor in it.

A
s soon as she’d
finished speaking with Bri, Elizabeth went to the Circlet’s suite in the Castle
keep. She had no doubt Marian was there. One of the new developments of her
“Power” was that she could feel where the other Exotiques were if they were in
the Castle. Fortunately, this was one of those senses she could turn on and
off.

She
lifted her hand to run her thumbnail over the harp-strings and a pang went
through her as she saw the pale pink she’d painted her nail. A celebration that
her schooling was over and she had some good weeks of vacation before she
started her job at Denver Major Hospital.

Just
thinking those words brought more pain and the image of Cassidy. Bright blue
eyes, fearsomely intelligent, black hair, sculpted features. Black Irish,
though he’d been an orphan and shuffled through a foster care system that he’d
believed had treated him “well enough.” But he never spoke of the past, only
the importance of the present and future. She suspected he wanted to be as
“normal” as she. She’d thought he’d loved her, but perhaps it was only her
loving family that he’d wanted.

Standing
outside Marian’s suite wasn’t helping anything. Elizabeth set her shoulders.

The
door opened to Jaquar, another blue-eyed, black-haired man: thankfully his
features were more gorgeous-Asian than Celtic. “Salutations, Elizabeth,” he
said in the deep voice that was his most effective magical tool.

She
smiled, knew it was thin-lipped but it was the best she could do. “Salutations,
Jaquar.” She curtseyed. May as well go into this confrontation excessively
polite.

He
stepped back and let her in, shut the door and bowed.

Marian
sat by a window that showed volarans rising and circling down from the Landing
Field.

“Salutations,
Marian.” Elizabeth attempted to brighten her smile but failed.

Marian
rose. “Hello, Elizabeth. What can we do for you?”

“Bri
and I have a problem. Our parents were flying to Hawaii yesterday morning. We
don’t know if they arrived safely. Could our cells have received a message from
them?” The cells that Marian’s damned companion had eaten.

“I’m
sorry, no,” Marian said. “Cell phones definitely don’t work across the
dimensions. Both Koz and I brought one and the Circlets performed many tests.”

Elizabeth
glanced around the room, saw a large clear crystal ball. “Is there any way to
find out what is happening on Earth?” It came out more like a desperate plea
than a simple request.

Marian
hesitated. Elizabeth could hear a lie coming.

She
straightened to her full height, not quite as tall as Marian, inches shorter
than Jaquar. “Neither Bri nor I will be easy in our minds until we know our
parents arrived safely. No one wants upset doctors.”

Married-couple
telepathy between Marian and Jaquar. Elizabeth wondered if telepathy with her
twin was as irritating. She had to keep her hands from fisting. She wanted
action. Horrible to be helpless.

Jaquar’s
brows dipped. Elizabeth flicked her smile back on, realized it was useless.

“We
are not accustomed to our Exotiques having very strong ties with Earth,” Jaquar
said.

“I
understood that Marian did.” Elizabeth kept her manner outwardly serene even if
she radiated stress. She stared into Marian’s blue eyes. “You must have worried
about your brother.”

“He
was away on a retreat.”

“Then
you knew he was safe.”

Marian
flushed, touched fingertips to her breast over her heart. “Thinking back, I
believe I knew he was safe because I had a bond with him. I felt he was safe.
Perhaps you should search inside yourself.”

Elizabeth
felt fiery heat wash up her neck and into her face. “I don’t have that skill
yet.” She took out the small crystal sphere that had been in her pocket all
day, cupped it in her palm and said, “Bri?”

Bri’s
face formed in the ball. “Can she find out for us?”

Holding
the sphere between thumb and forefinger so everyone could see each other,
Elizabeth said, “Marian believes we should be able to sense their health.”

Tugging
at one of the purple streaks in her hair, Bri said, “What? Meditation or something?
How can I relax if I’m imagining a plane crash!”

“Good
point,” Elizabeth said, wishing Bri hadn’t voiced her own fears.

Bri’s
looked at Marian. “Can’t you help us?”

“The
Lorebook of Exotique Marian,”
Jaquar said quietly.

“I
didn’t hear that,” Bri said. “I’m coming up there!” The crystal showed a couple
of misty tendrils that quickly faded. Elizabeth placed it back in her pocket,
relieved. Bri was on her way and there would be two people to pressure these
magicians.

Marian
lifted her chin. “If you’d read my Lorebook, you would have known that my
mentor has an interdimensional telescope.”

“As
if I’ve had time to read your Lorebook,” Elizabeth replied. Then Marian’s words
cycled through her mind. “An interdimensional telescope. That would mean your
mentor—”

“Bossgond,”
Jaquar interjected helpfully.

“Bossgond
can see Earth.”

“Yes.”
A pause. “If he knows where to look. The Hawaiian Islands is a big area to
search for two people.”

“They
spend the first three days on Oahu. I have their itinerary. I’ll be right
back.”

When
she turned the corner to their hallway, an intense telepathic humming between
Marian and Jacquar stopped. They’d sensed her, she supposed, and were now
composing themselves. She was determined that her parents’ safety would be
verified. Nothing was more important. If she had to find her way to this
dimensional telescope and chivvy this Bossgond into looking, she would. They
would. She grinned fiercely. Bri was on her way. When they fought together they
never lost.

She
didn’t bother with the doorharp but gave a hard rap on the door, turned the
knob and walked in.

Marian
was flushed. Irritation showed brightly in her eyes. Jaquar had a stiffness to
his bearing. From the corner of her eye, Elizabeth caught a large glowing crystal
ball with wisps of mist….It had been recently used.

Elizabeth
closed the door behind her and lifted her chin. “I trust you have been making
arrangements to check on our parents?” She was polite and authoritative.

“Ayes,”
said Jaquar. Relief swept through her. He stepped in front of Marian. “Bossgond
is a dedicated scholar, which makes him a very curious man. Most of us are
quite curious. If you can give us a location where Bossgond might find them,
Marian will help him look.”

“I
think it’s more important to stay here for the council of war early tomorrow
morning—” Marian started.

So
that was the tension between them!

Jaquar
rolled over Marian smoothly. “We can leave immediately and reach Alf Island
before nightfall. We may even be able to find them this evening.” He shifted a
little and Elizabeth got the impression that his next words were for Marian as
much as herself. “We can spend the night in our own home. Search for your
parents tomorrow morning.”

Marian
stared at them, then said, “I’ll pack.” She went into another room.

“Bri
and I can accompany—” Elizabeth started.

But
Jaquar was shaking his head. “Leave the Power workings to the Circlets,
Exotique Medica.” Obviously he wouldn’t irritate his wife in this. Elizabeth
wanted to press, but she and Bri hadn’t been invited, had no way to get there
or any place to stay overnight without help. Her jaw flexed, but she kept
quiet.

“That
reminds me.” Jaquar went to a small laboratory table in the corner of the room
and brought back two small bottles, one tinted a faint orange, the other
slightly yellow. “Language potion for you and Bri, good for a week. I have
noticed your speech deteriorating.”

Elizabeth’s
lips compressed, but she took them. No harm had come to them so far.

Marian
returned with what looked like two sets of light saddlebags, wearing a
split-legged gown. “Do you have any idea where your parents will be?”

“Of
course,” Elizabeth said. She went to the long table near the windows, set her
appointment book down and flipped open to the section for her parents’ trip.
Marian joined her.

Unfolding
the color computer printouts, Elizabeth just stared for a moment as more pangs
of homesickness struck. The top sheet showed the hotel information and included
pictures of the hotel, the beach, and a room.

Marian
sucked in a breath and Elizabeth glanced at her to see a wretched expression,
softening Elizabeth. Despite the choices the Earth women had made, they’d miss
Earth. She certainly would in their position.

“This
is where they’re staying,” Elizabeth said.

Jaquar
put his hands on his wife’s shoulders and stared with lively interest at the
page. “Such a tall building. Fascinating.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen
such trees, such a beach.”

Slowly,
Elizabeth separated the top sheet from the rest and handed it to Marian.
Marian’s fingers trembled as much as her own as she took it. “Thank you. I’ll
take good care of it,” Marian said in English.

Elizabeth
said, “When do you anticipate looking through the…looking for them?”