Sorceress of Faith (43 page)

Tuck
squeaked with laughter, patted the volaran’s big nose with a tiny paw.
Pretty
vo
.

“Vo?”
asked Marian.

“Volaran,”
Jaquar said, dismounting and helping Marian down. She stood a moment, leaning
on him until she got her legs back from the ride.

“Of
course,” Marian said.

Their
communion done, the volaran lifted his head from Tuck, then turned and greeted
Nightsky, nickering. Marian sensed the other, telepathic communication between
the two volarans, but could not understand it.

Jaquar
hunkered down so he was close to eye level with Tuck. “Well, Master Tuck, did
you have a good time outside? You certainly scared Marian and me with your
adventuring.”

Tuck
looked away. “Not speaking to you.”

Raising
his eyebrows, Jaquar stood. “Is that so?” Without waiting for a response, he
went to the volaran they had ridden in on and stroked him from nose to tail,
singing. Marian observed how the coat seemed to gleam, how the volaran moved
more easily. Jaquar had groomed him and given the flying horse more Power, to
make the return flight.

When
Tuck screeched for attention, Marian walked over to him. He sniffed. She bent
down and stroked him with her forefinger. He huffed.

“I
thought we’d agreed that you wouldn’t go outside,” she said. She couldn’t lose
him.

“For
one day and night only.” Since his black eyes bulged, they couldn’t slide slyly
in her direction, but he tried.

“I
see.” She bit her lip. “I was very, very scared when I knew you were outside.”

“Nightsky
was with me.”

“Yes,
thank you for bringing him with you.”

“We
talk. He’s a good vo.” Tuck sat back on his haunches. “I wanted to see the
ocean. I heard the ocean.” He opened his mouth and sound of surf—Earth’s
waves—rolled out in counterpoint to the island’s. “I never saw the ocean.”

“Oceans
are hard to come by in Colorado.”

“I
only saw the front yard. It was little.”

“Yes,
it was—is.” It was about a three-by-six-foot piece of grass at garden level.
Suddenly, with all her heart, she wanted to be back there, back before
everything started.

But
Tuck twitched his whiskers and rubbed his paws as if dismissing the subject.

Bide
well, Exotique
,
Bastien’s volaran dipped his head at her.
Bastien returns
.

Trepidation
for herself was swallowed by fear for Alexa. “The battle’s over? Is Alexa all
right?”

Most
live.

Marian
winced.

All
you know well, live
,
said the pegasus.

Well,
that was good news, though she felt sad for the strangers. She curtsied to the
flying horse. “Thank you for that information, and for the excellent ri—flight
here.” She thought she was doing well, acting naturally when her head buzzed
with options—go and never return, go and heal Andrew and come back, go and
bring Andrew back, stay and fight the nest. Surely the cowled figure in her
dreams was this evil “master.”

The
pegasus looked out to the ocean, then studied his surroundings in all
direction. He bowed to her, whinnied and sent mental messages to Nightsky and
Jaquar, then took off again, flying inland.

Jaquar
glanced at Marian, his hand on Nightsky’s neck. “Nightsky is ready to go. We
should leave shortly so I can consult with Bossgond and return before the
evening meal.” He scowled. “You’re fretting. Do you want me to stay?”

“No.
I want you to talk to Bossgond. But even more than that, I want you to bring
him back here so
I
can talk to him.” By the time they returned, she’d
have her thoughts in order.

He
looked at her soberly. “I’ll do that. Return to the Tower. Go to my study and
Sing ‘
Open, water, access
.’ The floor in one corner of the room will
open to a large square pool. Practice Water.” Prof to student. The words
reassured her enough to make a small joke.

“Still
not willing to eat with Bossgond, even with the new cook?”

“I
would rather eat with you,” Jaquar said simply.

Tuck
grumbled.

“Oh,
and Tuck,” Jaquar added.

“Bossgond
called,” Tuck muttered. “Other Circlets called. Much noise. Worse than telephone
and answering machine.” He made a high beeping noise like one of the sounds
Marian’s PDA had programmed into it, and opened his mouth. “Call me
at once
on my new cell number 720-MRS-RICH,” issued from Tuck in Marian’s mother’s
perfectly elocuted tones. Marian recalled she’d recorded the message with her
PDA just in case she couldn’t remember the new phone number. As if she could
forget MRS RICH.

Jaquar
laid a hand on her shoulder, his face shadowed. “Your mother?” He shook his
head. “I couldn’t understand the words, of course, but our link told me it was
she. She doesn’t treat you as you should be treated, with respect.” And Marian
felt
his
response to her mother’s message through the bond. He was
grateful he’d had loving parents. Marian had reminded him of that.

“I
must go,” he said. Gently, he pulled her into his arms. He tipped her chin up
with one hand. “You are so lovely, inside and out.” Brushing a thumb over her
lips, he said, “So very worthy of respect and love.”

25

M
arian’s heart
thudded hard as she stared into the deep blue of Jaquar’s eyes. The waves along
the shore crashed, the odor of the briny ocean nearly overpowering the scent of
man, of Jaquar, that she craved. All her senses were extraordinarily keen. She
thought she could feel the weight of his gaze as it traveled over her face.
Knew she could feel their auras, their Power, mingling. Their bond opened,
emotions flowing between them. Tenderness. Respect. The faint edge of love.

He
bent his head and his lips touched hers softly, yet a yearning stormed through
her. His lips pressed hers, withdrew.

He
stepped back. “I must go. If I stay an instant longer, we will mate on the
sea.”

She
nodded.

Jaquar
took another step back. “Go to the Tower. Beware of other Circlets.” He ran for
Nightsky and jumped onto the volaran’s back. The flying horse leaped into the
sky, lifting with wings and Power. They flew in the direction of Alf Island and
Bossgond. Jaquar lifted a hand to wave.

I’ll
be back before dinner!
he sent, mind to mind.

Fear
spiking again, Marian didn’t wave back.

Tuck
gave a tiny growl to attract her attention. He looked up at her, his face
furrowed in a hamster scowl. “You left me alone a
long
time,” Tuck
accused shrilly. Marian picked him up, but he wouldn’t settle in her hands and
he nipped the fleshy part of her thumb in irritation.

“Ouch!”

“Serves
you right,” Tuck said. “I was lonely. I was afraid for you. Many speak through
the glass ball but not you and not Jaquar.”

“I’m
sorry.”

He
sat back on her hand, his little chest puffed out. “I am your companion now.
Sinafin says so.”

“And
of course Sinafin is always right,” Marian murmured.

Tuck
nodded. “Yes.”

Marian
sniffed.

Tuck
had a hard time narrowing his bulbous eyes, but he tried.

Marian
chuckled.

“You
remember that she is teaching me, and when you raise your Tower I can become a
feycoocu.”

All
humor faded before renewed anxiety. What did Sinafin know? What would the
feycoocu tell Marian if she asked? She stared at Tuck. What did he know and
what would he tell her?

“Let’s
go back to the Tower and have a little talk.”

“And
food,” Tuck said.

She’d
bribe him with anything. “And coffee.”

Tuck
scrabbled up to her shoulder, set his pointy claws through the material of her
gown, tugged at her hair.

“Ouch!”
Marian said. “Let me make a pocket for you.” So she did, right above her
breasts.

Tuck
settled himself inside. “Nice. Warm. Heart sounds good. I’ll take a nap.” He
wriggled a couple of minutes more.

Marian
eyed the cove, almost wanting to see if her mastery of Water worked here, too.

Almost.
She decided that Jaquar’s pool would be another good test.

She
found the path from the beach to the interior of the island. Nibbling her lip,
she visualized a map and thought this beach must be on the southwest portion of
the island.

The
sun’s warmth soaked into her, reaching every cell. She was a Circlet and
specialized in Fire! Lightning, as a matter of fact. Now she only had to prove
she had mastered Water.

How
much would she be able to do in Jaquar’s study? She thought one of the reasons
that she hadn’t been able to manage Water was the pressure of having Jaquar
watch her—and judge her work. Always disliking error, she became paranoid about
making mistakes while in his company. She’d never had an intimate relationship
with a prof before—not that he was much like any teacher she’d known.

The
attraction between them was so strong—not only physically, but of like minds
and values. She had the idea that if she was given a choice between furthering
her studies in Power or having Jaquar as a lover, she’d choose the man. That
notion scraped her nerves—it sounded too much like her mother, who needed an
admiring man around at all times.

So
Marian stretched her legs on the walk back to the Tower. Her body was toning
up, as much due to daily exercise as the calories she and Jaquar burned off in
bed. He was such a fabulous lover.

But
no doubt he’d want to see how she progressed with her lessons in Water. She
grinned. She was hoping to show him she’d mastered it!

To
bolster her confidence she crafted and refined a tune, and hummed what she
whimsically called “Marian’s Rain.” It was both a mnemonic song to prod her
memory for the right steps, the right
feelings
, she should have when
practicing the cycle of seawater to rain, and a Powerful Songspell.

She
was nearing the protective circle around the Tower when she stopped and stared
at a carriage, without horses or volarans or even
wheels
, sitting in the
meadow. It was an elegant equipage of bright green and gold with small
pink-and-white striped flags on each corner.

Before
she could figure out what it was, the Circlets Chalmon and Venetria walked from
the direction of the Tower, calling, “Marian!”

Beware
of other Circlets
.
Fear gripped her. They were between her and the Tower! But she could run, find
a place to stop and open the protective circle. Escape.

She
turned and raced. A hot splinter of pain speared into the back of her right
shoulder.

Dizziness.
The ground rose up. She managed to land on her side, sparing Tuck.
Tuck…stay…still
.

She
fought unconsciousness, but wished she hadn’t when she heard Chalmon say, “This
was all Jaquar’s plan. I wish he’d stayed to carry it through.”

His
voice rang with sincerity, and Marian knew he’d spoken the truth.

M
arian woke
suddenly and completely. She stood in the center of the smallest of several
pentacles increasing in size that were incised into the flagstones of a huge
courtyard between stone theater seats open to the evening sky.

To
her right, beyond the courtyard, was an opening to the theater where the
carriage sat. To her left was a dilapidated Tower. She recognized this place.
Parteger Island, the Tower Community gathering place.

It
would soon be full dark, yet it was still light enough for Marian to see about
thirty people watching her.

Trapped.

26

T
uck stared up at
her with wide eyes from her bodice pocket.

About
twenty people stepped up to an outer circle about six feet from her. They
placed their palms out, spread-fingered as if holding her in place.

Marian’s
breath stopped. She threw herself bodily against the barrier.

It
didn’t give. They had her caught inside the pentacle.

“Line
up around the pentacle, immediately,” Chalmon commanded those who hung back. He
stood on the inner circle closest to her, along with Venetria and three other
Circlets—just beyond arm’s length, though she reached and reached with fingers
curved like claws.

Fear
dried her mouth, buzzed in her head as she strove to reason at what was
happening. She’d wanted to be Sent home to Boulder. It looked like she was
going somewhere else, and she trembled to imagine where.

A
young man looked uneasy. “I don’t know about this—”

“If
you won’t stand with us, stay out of the way or leave.” Chalmon’s voice was
hard. “The best estimate is that the Dark maw will open and release monsters,
including sangviles targeted at us, before morning. We must prevent this!”