Mistweavers 01 - Enchanted No More (9 page)

He stopped and bent until his gaze was level with hers. “The whole magical community needs you, Jenni. Not just the Eight,
all
of the Lightfolk. Believe me.”

She did, but hunched a shoulder. “Maybe.”

He nodded. He must continue to see deeper into her than she wanted. He opened the door, and waved her through to a long corridor with doors on either side.

Immediately there were more people—beings. Jenni saw halflings in variously colored liveries. There were well-dressed Lightfolk nobles, full-blooded djinns and djinnfems, dwarves and dwarfems, a multitude of brownies scurrying.

Aric had removed his hand from her elbow and was dusting off his trench coat, gray ashy flakes of shadleech drifting from the leather. Everyone around them wrinkled their noses at the new smell.

A djinnfem turned into their corridor from a cross hall. She was taller than Jenni and more voluptuous. Her skin color was a true, bright copper, her hair bronze curls with a hint of metallic shine. Jenni squelched her first reaction to fall back into the shadows as she’d been trained as a half-breed human. Instead she stood her ground and lifted her chin.

Right now, in this matter, she was more important to the Eight than this pure djinnfem, whoever she was, though the nearly visible waves of magic emanating from her aura proclaimed her as royal blood.

With a narrowing of her eyes, Jenni scanned the female, opened her mouth the slightest to draw in the tang of her. A princess indeed, one of the daughters of the King and Queen of Fire, who had left Earth through the portal fifteen years ago. She’d stayed when her parents had left. Probably one of the highest status princesses around.

Even if Jenni accepted a title conferred upon her, she would never reach the rank of this one.

The woman halted in front of Aric, gave him a brilliant smile showing gleaming white teeth, more pointed than those of humans. “Greetings, Aric, flame of my heart.”

That endearment jolted through Jenni. “Flame of my heart” meant that there was some formal bond between Aric and the female—not a phrase that would be used by casual lovers. All Jenni’s slight yearnings that she and Aric might become intimate again wisped away like a droplet of water hitting a hot grill. Even as she stiffened, took a step away from Aric, putting more air between them, she caught the sound of the quickening of his blood, saw the slight tint of flush redden his skin.

“Greetings, Synicess,” Aric replied. “I thought you were in the Middle East.”

The djinnfem’s nose wrinkled, her upper lip lifted in a sneer. “Humans have befouled the area beyond belief. It will take firestorms by a dozen of my kind to remove the stench of them.” She tossed her head. “I’ll welcome an order from the Eight to scour the land of them to return the area to a place where magic can thrive once more.”

That was horrific enough to have Jenni fading back another step, away from the being whom she sensed held a deep reservoir of flaming anger. Jenni felt the searing heat of Synicess’s stare. There was a hesitation then the female said, “Ah, this is your little half-breed. The sister of the cripple. You wooed her to the commonweal. Good job.” Her aura brightened until there were no shadows in the rough rock hall except harsh ones thrown by the three of them.

Keeping her anger tamped down, Jenni sucked in a quiet breath of the hot, metallic air in the corridor and stepped forward, nodded to the female as if they were equals. “Jindesfarne Mistweaver, here to manage what the Eight cannot do even as a team. Just as we Mistweavers provided enough magic for the portal fifteen years ago.”

Synicess hissed and fire licked Jenni’s skin, hot, hotter, until she would burn in two more seconds.

ARIC STEPPED IN FRONT OF HER, THE BULK
of him shadowing her like the redwood he came from. Jenni watched, eyes widening. She didn’t think he had the power to stand up to a full-blooded one-elemental Lightfolk. His aura wavered and Jenni got the impression of wide boughs and thick needles dispersing the heat aimed their way.

He, too, set into his balance. Then the slightest of breezes, made from all their exhalations, further wafted the heat away—Aric using his elven air nature. Jenni was reluctantly impressed with the man.

“Synicess, I will meet you later in your chamber. My duty is to see that Jindesfarne eats and is shown to her room.”

Both sentences hurt Jenni. How stupid she’d been to think that she was more than a job to him. That he cared for her. That he’d ever cared enough for her that such an emotion might tip into love. That he wouldn’t have found other, more satisfying lovers after they’d broken up.

Her female human part had blindsided her. Her softer, weaker, mortal nature.

Though as they passed Synicess, Jenni figured she’d rather be human than the full djinnfem whose seething mass of anger within would take eons to work through.

Jenni also thought that Aric’s taste had definitely gone downhill.

She and Aric walked through several corridors before the coolness of stone once more closed around them and shadows again pooled under a jutting outcropping here and there.

“She is your wife?” Jenni asked. She’d definitely been stupid.

“No.”

Since he said nothing more for several steps, Jenni let the quiet gather like the shadows. From the additional tension in Aric’s body, the lengthening of his stride that she had to stretch to keep up with him, she knew he didn’t want to talk about Synicess. Curiosity slid through Jenni, prodding, but she kept her mouth shut. In two days already she was maturing.

Growing hadn’t been easy, and keeping her snide comments to herself was hard because the Lightfolk still irritated the hell out of her with their treatment. But this was Aric and they were bound together by past events and she discovered she still liked him. He was intriguing and he stood seriously firm when before he’d have made a light comment to deflect. That battle had changed his life as greatly as it had changed hers.

A few more turns later, they reached a broad and well-traveled hallway. Aric stopped at a door and opened it. The dining room was large with a buffet at one end. A rumbling, rough sigh came from Aric, and as he ran his fingers through his hair, the piney scent of his sweat came to Jenni’s nose.

He shook his head, managed a smile. “I don’t know if my stomach wants lunch or dinner or brunch.” His smile was easy now. “The palace is on a full-day rotation schedule, of course, so there’s food for all times.”

“Right.” Didn’t look to her like this was a noble area, more like servants. Since Aric’s steps had hesitated, he must not eat here often. For halflings, of course. And no one else was in the room.

But the hours’ events and emotional traumas began pressing upon her and she found she was as hungry as if she hadn’t eaten in days…and emotionally battered.

She saw pancakes and headed toward them. Now she’d had a little respite, her bruises were coming to her attention…where the shadleeches had gnawed on her, where she’d slammed into the alley…and even where a dish from an angry dryad had hit her midback. She had barely noticed at the time.

“Pancakes sound good.” Her words slurred. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, too wound up.

“I’d like quail,” Aric said and headed in another direction.

Jenni sat at a nearby table and Aric joined her. They ate in silence. For herself, Jenni was enjoying her meal. Exist in the moment with good food.

Aric was eating with enthusiasm, but a line had dug between his brows and Jenni decided he was mulling over how to explain events to the Eight. Good luck to him. Better him than her.

She rose to get some scrambled eggs and bacon, ate those, too, and found herself full. As she put her tableware down and looked around for a dish bin to place her dirty dishes, Aric spoke again. “Just leave the dishes. Brownies clean up.”

“After halflings?”

Another shadowy smile from him. “I think the halflings treat the brownies with great respect.”

“Which they don’t get from Lightfolk nobles.” Jenni made it a casual statement, rubbed her eyes to stay awake. “I think I need that nap.” She was realizing that all the time she’d been waiting for the Lightfolk to contact her again had worn on her, too. And the brownies had reorganized her life. Pleasant, but wearing.

Aric inclined his head. “It would be best if you were fresh for the meeting with the Eight.”

“Instead of being fresh with the Eight.”

He looked confused and she understood that he hadn’t gotten the human slang. “I’ll try to mind my manners.”

Tilting his head, he said, “You never were so contrary.”

“No, I wasn’t with you. Before,” she agreed. “I was a happy child secure in the love of my family.” She glanced away. Liquid was pressing at the back of her eyes
again
. She flopped her hand in a gesture. “The battle and the loss…” She shuddered. “Such sudden change and reversals made it all the worse.” She knew she’d behaved badly but she wasn’t going to apologize. Not to Aric and not to Cloudsylph. She wasn’t healed enough to be magnanimous.

She stood and pushed back her chair. “Let’s go. I’m tired.”

His face cragged into concern…new lines and planes she hadn’t noticed even the day before. Maybe the events had worked on him, too. Being the Eight’s man couldn’t be easy. Yes, he was maturing, no wonder he’d gone looking for a mate. “I’ll show you to the dormitory.”

“Fine.” That irritated, too, but weariness enveloped her like a fog, seeping into her pores, infusing her.

They walked to the door, and Jenni sensed whisking motions behind her, turned to look and their plates were gone, the table was damp with cleaning. No sign of the brownies. The nobles and royalty probably liked them to be so fast as to be invisible.

“Thank you.” She projected her voice.

“Thank you,” Aric echoed.

No more than three minutes later, he was standing on the threshold of the empty female halfling dormitory and Jenni was scanning to find her bed. It was about ten beds along the right wall, just before the entrance to the common shower, and she didn’t know whether that was a prime space or not. A shower sounded excellent. She set her bag on the carved wooden chest at the end of the twin bed and began to strip, then a strangled sound came from Aric.

Huh. He’d seen all of her—more, felt and tasted—before.

The skin over his fine cheekbones was ruddier than ever. His green, green gaze met hers. “I’ll be back in four candlemarks to escort you to the meeting.” That was about the same time she’d met with Cloudsylph the day before. Must like midafternoon meetings.

“Fine,” she said, then couldn’t prevent the words. “Enjoy your time with your lady.”

His smile appeared more like a grimace, but that might be hopeful thinking on her part. He ducked his head and closed the door.

Once again Jenni turned thinking off as she enjoyed the hot shower, and dried herself with a huge fluffy bathsheet, thus conserving her own energy. She wiggled into a large cotton T-shirt that was so old it was softer than silk. Sliding between four-hundred-thread-count sheets, she fell down the hole of sleep.

A shake on her shoulder woke her up and she saw a halfling—earth-dwarf and human—looking down at her, pleasantly ugly. “You only have enough time to get dressed for the meeting with the Eight.” The woman’s voice was low, raspy and, again, attractive. She was really short, though. “We let you sleep as long as we could.”

Jenni must’ve looked terrible then. She sighed. The woman stepped back and Jenni saw a multitude of rounded eyes on her. She tugged at the tangle of her hair. “So, skirt or trousers?”

“Skirt!”
They all sounded shocked she would even ask. Not one of them wore pants.

Shrugging, Jenni tried not to notice as everyone watched her dress. She’d grown up with two sisters and wasn’t modest.

She’d just finished draping a paisley silk shawl around her shoulders—arty again—when a knock came at the door. A mob of women rushed to her, surrounded her and Jenni felt the glimmer of balanced magic enhancing her looks.

“Thanks,” she said as she walked to the door.

“Welcome,” someone said. “The rooms feel better since you’ve come.”

She’d passively balanced the elements already? Must be because there was so much magic around. That reminded her and she hurried back to her tapestry bag, pulled out one of the vials of brew and drank it down. She had a feeling that the Eight would test her elemental balancing.

That would be good for another practice session—or two.

Aric knocked again and she crossed to the door, opened it and saw that he wore dark green silk trousers with his lighter green silk shirt. No tie. Not looking like a human at all. His deep auburn hair was combed behind the pointed ears he’d received from his father. Aric offered his arm and Jenni took it. Old habits. Maybe she could dredge up old feelings of awe and her old manners to get her through this next bit before moving on to her future.

“Good luck,” more than one woman whispered.

Again she and Aric walked in silence. They had too little—or maybe too much—between them to talk about.

They came to a wide corridor of pale brown marble floors and walls that emanated a glow that lit the hallway. Two old dwarfmen stood on either side of smoothly carved pillars of alabaster framing a large, square door of solid gold.

As Jenni and Aric approached, the dwarfmen gestured and the door split into two and opened outward. A breath later she and Aric were in a room, opulent beyond Jenni’s imagination.

They faced a glass wall showing a massive aquarium, with a luminescent garden of plants gently waving in a mild current and colorful fish swimming. To the left was a fireplace carved into stone that could have held a dozen people. The soft rippling of a thousand chimes sounded and Jenni looked up to see the ceiling that was nothing but strips of metal and glass in various sizes, hung from thin wires of silver and gold and copper.

She could only spare one glance for the chamber and its furnishings before her gaze went to the Eight, who sat on intricate thrones to the right.

Aric pivoted and bowed deeply.

Jenni curtsied, though not quite as deeply as Aric. Her glance slid over the perfection of the kings’ and queens’ faces, then focused on the tapestry of an elemental wheel over their heads. She didn’t dare meet any of their eyes.

The Kings and Queens of Water and Fire sat on each end with Air and Earth in the middle. The only time Jenni had been in the presence of such power was when she’d arrived late at the portal opening and fought for her family’s and her own life. She hadn’t paid much attention to them, only caught a glimpse of the four who had passed through.

Those before her had been fighting. She recalled the flash of the silver blades of the elves of air, the flaming blades of fire. The dwarven earth couple had wielded glassy shards of obsidian, thrown darts of other metals, even silver, at the Darkfolk.

She recalled the scent of violent death, of evil that stained the ground with acid blood, with smoking mucus…

“Oh!” A liquid gurgle came from the Water Queen and she rushed to Aric. She was smaller than Jenni and lush with curves accenting the pale green skin encased in fronds of seaweed. The queen reached up, setting her fingertips on either side of Aric’s jaw. “You are hurt, Treeman. Too dry. Seared by djinn anger.” She looked disapprovingly at Jenni.

Left over from this morning or more recently? Jenni raised her brows. “Not me. One of
your
kind.” She glanced at the seven intent upon the scene of the queen and Aric and Jenni. “A full-blooded Lightfolk royal djinnfem.”

The King of Air frowned. “Synicess?”

“So she was addressed.” Jenni thought it wise not to mention the woman’s name.

“Rough sex, then,” the Water King grunted.

With soft, susurrating sounds like waves lapping a gentle shore, the Water Queen sent liquid to Aric. Jenni could almost hear his cells being plumped up with vital water.

“There,” the merfem whispered and returned to her throne, leaving damp footprints in her wake. Again Jenni caught flashes of her beauty from the corner of her eyes—a wide forehead, pretty nose, full, plump lips. Eyes of a deep green that would enchant even immortals.

Aric had told her that Water and Earth had sent Rothly on his ill-fated mission. Jenni was sure, now, that this woman had nothing to do with that. No, it would be her mate. He was a large-boned man who took the queen’s hand in his. He had green-tinted blond hair and beard, and was strong-featured. The aura of his magic was gigantic—power that had rested on his broad shoulders for a millennium, since the last portal was opened for the previous Eight to leave.

Jenni breathed deeply of the air, let her vision gray as she summoned her gift. The elemental energies in this chamber were close to being balanced. It must be a room the Eight often used.

But the energies weren’t
exactly
balanced. Some individuals of the Eight were stronger than others. Some spent more time in the chamber. The room itself, despite the addition of all elements to it, would not have been originally balanced. Who knew what magic—the kind and strength of it—had been done in this room?

Before she’d exhaled, she was in the gray mist, the power in the room was so strong. Now she could look at the Eight and
see
them. The magical beings were like columns of the elements.

Air was a blue-white flame, flickering fast. The Air Queen was the weakest of the Eight, the next weakest in magic was the Fire Queen, a bright torch of yellows and oranges and reds. It wouldn’t be long until she garnered enough power to match the older couples. Then came the other newer rulers—the Fire King and the Air King.

In meeting with the Air King, Jenni had been dealing with the strongest person of the two new couples. Huh. She began to believe that this mission was as important as he said.