Keepers of the Flame (60 page)

Everyone
sat. No one appeared casual or relaxed.

Alexa
leaned forward, glare locked on the Seamasters. “Tell us about this failed
Summoning last Winter’s Eve.”

The
burly man’s eyes widened at that. “You know it was Winter’s Eve?”

“At
the Seamasters Market Gathering,” Faucon said, stretching out his legs. “My
cousin’s wife was having a child. Convenient for you,” Faucon continued
smoothly. “Since you knew my cousin would report anything out of the ordinary
to me, and I would most certainly inform the Marshalls that you had done a
Summoning.”

“Wouldn’t
have mattered if your cousin had been there if we’d succeeded,” muttered the
burly guy. “Weren’t going behind everyone’s back, exactly.”

The
thin man’s nose twitched as he stared at Raine. “A puny and pitiful thing we
Summoned.”

“Perhaps
because you did the Summoning incorrectly,” Marian said. She radiated
fierceness, but Raine didn’t know whether it was on her behalf or the
irritation at sloppy work.

“In
order to acclimate to Lladrana, Exotiques must be attuned to Amee by the gong
and chimes, which are sent to them for several weeks,” Alexa said. “That’s why
the Marshalls always Summoned them.”

“One
more thing the Marshalls failed to share with the Seamasters,” the thin man
sneered.

Calli
sat straight, said, “Wanted to do it on the cheap, didn’t you?” The English
phrase translated perfectly into Lladranan.

Alexa
met the thin Seamaster’s gaze coolly. “It is apparent that you Seamasters only
decided to Summon someone
after
it was successful. Which means that I,
Marian, and probably Calli were already here.
You had only to ask for the
information.
We Marshalls and Chevaliers would have let you use the great
Temple at the Castle. Would have helped. Fee negotiable.” She bit her words
off. “You failed.” Her nostrils flared as she sucked in a big breath, nailed
the thin guy with her hot glare. “You call Raine pitiful.”

Raine
flinched, knowing everyone here thought of her that way and it was a blow to
her ego. Not that her ego was more than the size of a pea lately.

“So
she is, since she had no one to help or protect her. Obviously your Summoning
circle didn’t work well as a team. Some of you must not have really wanted to
Summon her. You didn’t look for her.”

“She
didn’t come into the circle!” the burly one protested. “How were we to know she
came at all?”

Marian
spoke again. “That’s what the chimes are for. But you didn’t know that. What
did you do, just half-heartedly perform a Summoning, hang around for a few
minutes, then disperse to your fair? A good Summoning takes three hours.
Idiots.” The last was only half under her breath.

“You
didn’t even look for her,” Calli repeated.

“Then
kept the whole thing secret,” Marian added.

“Didn’t
tell us what happened until we asked. Then just said your Summoning failed so
we didn’t know Raine might have arrived.” Alexa stood. “No details so we might
figure out what actually happened.” She stared at the two men sitting stiffly
in their chairs. “I don’t know that I can forgive you for that.” Then she took
in a long breath and Raine saw her settle herself. “Since you don’t value her
and we do, she is ours. We’ll gift her and take care of her. She will have
nothing to do with you. All we want from you is information so we can correct
her health,” Alexa said and had the burly man shifting in his seat, looking
uncomfortable.

The
short man stood, was large enough by Earth standards, and Alexa short enough,
for him to tower over her. “You can have her, and welcome.” He spared a
disdainful glance at Raine. “Shows no sign Power to me. A dud.”

Alexa
bared her teeth. “I was called that once.”

Bad
phrasing on the Seamaster’s end. Raine was beginning to enjoy herself.

Faucon
stepped between them, Alexa at his back. He nodded at the women. “Ladies.” He
aimed a look at the big seaman who slowly stood. “Gentlemen. Why don’t I get
every detail from the Seamasters in my study and keep tempers cool.”

“I’ll
help,” Marian’s man said. He was a Sorcerer, a Circlet Raine had heard them
called, but he didn’t look weak, though his smile was more sincerely charming
than Faucon’s. “I have questions.”

Raine
bet he did. He looked the sort to have endless questions.

The
short man snorted as if he’d had the same thought.

“I
also know the components of a Summoning exactly, so I’ll be able to postulate
what went wrong.” Now there was an undertone of steel in his tone.

Little
guy turned on his heel and walked away. He met the serving woman carrying a
tray and snatched a short glass of whiskey from it and continued in the
direction of Faucon’s Castle.

The
big man nodded to Raine. “Sorry,” he said, and took off after his companion.

“Sorry!”
Alexa hissed, not bothering to lower her voice. “They put you through hell and
that’s all they can say. One effing word. ‘Sorry.’”

“Tea’s
coming for you,” Faucon said, soothing, nodded to Marian’s man. “Let’s go.”
They followed the Seamasters. When they reached the server, both men took
brandy snifters.

“Good
job, ladies.” Alexa’s man uncoiled from his chair. He walked up to her, picked
her up and kissed her hard on the mouth, put her down.

Then
he sauntered over to Raine. “I’m Bastien Vauxveau and pleased to meet you.” He
held out a large hand. His callouses were different from a seaman’s, Raine
noted, realized they were from holding a sword. She thought about bobbing a
curtsey, decided against it. Everyone here thought she was an equal—she’d act
it. “Pleased to meet you.” She put her hand in his, felt a wild buzz that
stunned her.

Saw
the blow to her chin too late.

I
t could have
been worse. Much, much worse. Staring down at Raine, Bri felt her heart wring
at the miserable shape she was in. Scrawny and malnourished, neglected and
abused.

Everyone
rushed around them, getting a carrier sling ready for Raine before she woke up
from Bastien’s carefully calculated blow sizzling with Wild Magic. Neither Bri
nor anyone else wanted to re-enforce the unnatural sleep. They could hope the
poor woman was tired enough to stay asleep after she recovered from the shock,
but didn’t know that for sure. Didn’t know exactly how Distance Magic—any
additional Power—would affect her. They had to get her to the Castle and the
great Temple before she awoke.

It
was pretty damn evident that she hadn’t been near a person of more than average
Power in all the months since she’d been improperly Summoned. If she had, that
one would have noticed Raine’s own latent Power.

So
Bri sat beside the new Exotique on the lush grass of Faucon’s lawn and kept a
hand on her chest, monitoring her vitals. It was one of those
there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I moments. This could have happened to her.
And more than Raine’s plight touched her heart. She stared at the woman and
knew that Raine still had to perform her own task, suffer through the Snap. Bri
could only hope that the toughest part of Raine’s time in Lladrana was past
her, and Bri wouldn’t make odds on the woman staying.

Since
Elizabeth had left, Bri thought it had been borne upon the Lladranans how lucky
they’d been in Alexa and Marian and Calli. True, the Song would naturally
Summon those who could stay—and how wonderful and strange it had been that the
whole Drystan family might have crossed over to the different dimension—but so
far most of the Exotiques had stuck.

Marian
joined them, sinking gracefully to the ground. She stroked back Raine’s hair.
“Poor thing.”

“We’d
better watch that—in our words and thoughts,” Bri said. “No one wants pity for
very long.”

“True.”
Marian met Bri’s gaze. “Everything will be ready in a couple of minutes.
They’re improving on the makeshift net that brought Koz and Broullard home from
battle.”

Bri
snorted. “You’d think that that would have been done a while back.”

Marian
inclined her head. “You’d think. If Circlets had been involved, it would have
been.”

Bri
sighed, glanced at the two volarans Calli had chosen to carry Raine and the
half-real, mostly bespelled net lying on the ground between them. Alexa and
Calli were working together to get the task done. “The Marshalls have been
preoccupied with rebuilding their team.”

“Understandable.”
Marian hesitated. “You looked sad.”

“I
was thinking of all that Raine still has to experience.”

“Maybe
designing and building a ship won’t be too dangerous.”

“I
was hoping that, too. Wondering if she’d stay after the Snap. I can’t recall
what portion of the Exotiques Summoned do.”

“Three-quarters
stay. One-quarter leave.”

Bri
shifted in the grass. “That means we might be safe.” She shook her head. “I
don’t see Raine staying. Not right now.”

“We
can only hope to persuade her.”

“Right.
And if we don’t, two more will need to be Summoned, not one. Maybe more.”

“Let’s
hope not. We’re running out of time.” Once more Marian hesitated. Looked down
at Raine and blinked, swallowed, licked her lips. “If I’m right, she’s the
descendant of the last Exotique before Alexa.”

Bri
prodded her brain for details. “Came for the Singer, right? To teach her
English?”

Marian
nodded. “Ayes, Thomas Lindley stayed two weeks.”

“The
Singer’s a quick study.” Bri rolled her shoulders. She’d heard enough about the
woman to know she didn’t want to meet her. There was something else…“Didn’t the
Singer and her Friends Summon that guy?”

Again
Marian nodded. “Through mirror magic.”

Raine
twitched under Bri’s hand. Her patient’s slow exhale held a hint of a moan.
“Mirror magic,” Bri said.

“That’s
right.”

Despite
not wanting to upset the delicate balance of the spell on Raine, Bri couldn’t
help herself from sending a wave of comfort and healing to Raine and was
pleased when the woman sank deeper into sleep. Marian was observing the new
Exotique. Bri said, “Mirror magic rang a note for Raine. Think she’s for Koz?”

Marian
shrugged. “Maybe. Falling in love and pairbonding tends to keep a person here.”
She sent a pointed look to Bri.

“Yeah.”
Bri’s heart gave a little leap as she saw Sevair striding across the lawn
toward them. She
did
love him. Her life would be so much less without
him, and his love. Her inner child’s panic at being trapped went down a notch.

Alexa
said, frowning, “The net’s ready. Good enough for now, but I’d like to
commission the Circlets to make another.” Her lips thinned before she said,
“We’ll probably need it again, should have such a thing in our arsenal.”

“More
like my arsenal,” Bri said, narrowed her eyes to see and
hear
the net.
“I could maybe coat it with healing spells.”

Alexa
said, “That would be great.”

Sevair
smiled and the day seemed brighter. “I’ve been told that I’m the best man to
move her.” Pride emanated from him. He was finding his place in the rhythm of
the other Exotiques’ men.

He
squatted, set his hands near Raine’s back and thighs. Brow knit in
concentration, he used his Power to gently lift her a few inches so he could
slide his arms under her. Strong, steady, solid—Bri’s mantra about her love. Of
course he would be the right man to move Raine.

No
wild Power like Bastien’s Song that might rouse her, or curiosity from Jaquar,
or attraction from Faucon. Marrec might have done, but Bri thought Sevair had
more experience in moving heavy items gently. Not that Raine looked very heavy.

As
she rose, Bri let her hand drop away from Raine. They made a little procession
to the net where Calli stood with the two interested volarans.

“I
notice the Seamasters aren’t here to help Raine,” Bri said, not keeping anger
from her tone.

Marian
said, “They’re still in the Castle consulting with Faucon. I’m pretty sure that
at least one Seamaster should be part of the ritual at the Marshalls’ Castle to
complete the Summoning spell. Faucon’s convincing them they owe Raine that.”

Bri
snorted. “And so much more. What do you think of their comment that the
Marshalls should send out instructions for Summoning?”

“Their
accusations that we were delinquent, do you mean?” Marian answered. Fire
kindled in her eyes. “It’s the Circlets’ responsibility to disseminate
information, even though the Marshalls usually do the Summoning.”

“So?”
Bri raised her brows.

Marian’s
mouth tightened. “I don’t like keeping information secret, but distributing
instructions for a Summoning might be asking for trouble. You need a very close
team for a Summoning and other precise factors as well.”

“Like
the gong and the chimes,” Calli said.

“And
the chant length and wording and timing,” Marian said. “The Seamasters botched
the job because they were ill-prepared and sloppy.” She gave a little shudder.
“See what happened—a good and Powerful woman coming through the Dimensional
Corridor and no one knowing. Worse could happen.”