The Toll (70 page)

Nodding slightly, I wasn’t about to
disagree.

“
What you could have done
to Vidi was horrible,” I said quietly, voice hard but controlled.
“You could have harmed her greatly.” Not to mention some of her
other tricks, like drugging me in the ramshackle hut in the woods,
the dreams, but I didn’t dredge it up. In some ways, I resented her
for it, sure, but in others, for obvious reasons, it had been eye
opening. I couldn’t deny that her meddling in our affairs had shed
light on things for me, things I might have still been in the dark
about. It helped me understand my troll better. She let me ‘see’,
where I might not have otherwise.

“
I did what I had to do,”
Niniane replied just as quietly, just as unyielding. “That’s the
way of it with Other. If she’d wanted the powers back, she would
have found a way.”

Just like that? Did Vidi,
an innocent party in all of this, mean nothing
? Well, she most certainly did to me. Nostrils flaring, chin
up, glaring down the length of my nose at the Elemental, my lips
tightened.

“
And that,” I said slowly,
eyes flashing, voice deepening so low I fairly growled, “is why I’m
going to have to ask you to leave.”

“
But...” Eyes darting to
Calder desperately, I could hear the question on the tip of her
tongue. Troll fixed that with a snarl and a chuff. Apparently, he’d
seen it too.

“
Ye heard her.” Troll’s
voice was deep and guttural, the only thing keeping him from
springing at her and clawing her face off right this second, the
fingers of my left hand digging into his thigh. “Me Nugget asked ye
ta leave.”

Nodding miserably, Niniane started a
small pool of water at her feet, swirling up and around her lower
half until it was nothing but swirling blue liquid.

“
I only thought of you,”
she pleaded, eyes boring into her son’s. “Can you not forgive a
mother for wanting a small semblance of happiness for a child she’d
unwillingly cursed to an existence without? To know love? It came
at a cost, several, and I know I tempted fate, I’m not saying what
I did was right, or wrong, I just... I... I’d thought the price
worth it.”

“
Dinna come back. Ye set
foot in me lair, ye’re as good as dead, ye hear?”

“
Gersthart, you can’t
mean... I...” A small sob caught in her throat. “I just... can’t
you see? I had to! I had to! I couldn’t... I couldn’t live with
myself a moment longer! I’ve cursed you all, and I... I couldn’t
bear it! It was killing me!” she shouted, startling everyone. Her
broken, choked out screech melted away as she disappeared in a veil
of fine mist, blue sparks dancing as her evaporative form shot up
and out.

Sympathy welled in me for her at the
tortured look on her face, but not for long. She’d made her
choices, which led to all this. Niniane had made her bed, and for
once, she needed to lie in it. Maybe it would do her some
good.

Vidi sat, stunned, staring at the spot
Niniane had just vacated.

Would there ever be saving
for someone like Water?
Seems she was
cursed long before she’d tempted the Fates.

Wind and Earth exchanged a long look,
fear, worry, and sadness dashing across their expressions, seeping
into their eyes before they turned to us collectively.

“
Tis time,” Earth
whispered, closing her eyes slowly as her hand slowly came up to
rub at her brow. Wrapping an arm around herself in a small hug,
Wind gave her shoulder a small squeeze.

A sense of deep sorrow filled the
room.

“
As I’d feared, but the
winds have changed. Tis time.” Bowing his head as he took a deep
breath, Wind lifted his gaze to us, resignation stamped across his
face. “We must go now,” he intoned gravely.

“
You will take care of this
Ornthren?” Gaia demanded of me, tossing something for Troll to
catch. Catching it onehanded, he opened his palm and kissed the
glowing stone, a small smile of thanks tipping the corner of his
lips. “You will always know your way home, heart, and Ornthren
temperament or not, you know, our shortcomings be damned, we always
loved you, blood kin or not.”

“
I know,” Troll grumbled
stubbornly, uncertainty clouding his features. “Dinna have ta sound
like ye’re dyin’. Same too, fer me.”

Swallowing hard, a catch in her throat
at his words, Earth turned without answering, eyes trained on Vidi.
“I would ask that you look after the small lad, Brevin, for me. He
is in need of much care still,” a wry smile twisted her lips,
“despite his insistence otherwise.”

“
I will,” Vidi promised,
“I’ll head out at first light.”

“
My thanks,” she said
solemnly, giving a quick bow. “I will leave now. Think of me when
you scent wet grass and warm earth, when the leaves fall from the
trees and the dove coo.” Stepping forward, she held out a hand out
to my Traveller friend, waiting patiently while Vidi slowly got up,
cautiously making her way towards her.

When their fingers touched and held,
she gasped, watching curiously as Mother Nature pressed a small
stone into her palm, placing a quick, chaste kiss upon her closed
knuckles before making it into a tight fist. “To light the way,
wherever you may wish to go,” she whispered, sand swirling around
her toes, disappearing beneath it as she slowly sank down deep. “I
hope that someday you might find your own home.”

Vidi nodded, expression unreadable,
throat working, eyes filling, clutching the small stone tightly to
her breast.

“
We are dawning a new age,”
Wind announced quietly. “The corners, for all their supposed
effectiveness, have become defective. I sense a change of pace is
upon us.”

“
What are ye sayin’, wind
bag?” Troll sputtered.

Wind nodded grimly, but forced a small
laugh. “Twas bound to happen, you know.” With a careless shrug, he
sighed, “Out with the old, in with the new, eh? We are, how you
say? Obsolete.”

“
Are you saying the corners
will be no more?” Vidi gasped, taken aback.

“
No. No, though I’m not
quite entirely certain, my dear.” Wind raised his hand and snapped
his fingers. “I’d say, it’s more of... a call for a change in
occupancy.”

“
What will become of her?”
Troll rumbled low.

Bo got a faraway look,
something lightening in his stern features, so often before
carefree, as he brushed his hands down his trousers, as if to dust
himself off. “Hopefully, once all the dust and smoke settles,
seeing that Zeme doesn’t strangle your dear old mum first, and she
accepts her new lot in life, she’ll...
live.”

Troll tipped his chin and slumped
against me, nodding slowly. “Alright.”

“
Take care of that babe for
me, milady,” Bo grinned that Bavol grin, tipped his imaginary hat,
and winked.

“
You know I will,” I
swore.

“
The big one
and
the little one,” he
teased, wrangling a small chuckle out of me.

“
The new corners,” Troll
asked quickly, “they willna...” he let the question
hang.

“
If it comes to that, I’ll
personally see to it they don’t even utter your name.”

“
Right.” Awkward and
unsure, Troll just nodded.

I understood the confusion all too
well. To feel the loss of something or someone, and then guilt, as
remorse hits you.

For the sake of him knowing
love, she’d said, wishing him to know it, but what did she know of
love, truly?

It was a needed change, the shift in
corners, as were his feelings, I felt. It was all a necessary part
of the healing process. He needed to feel, and express those
feelings—the more he felt, all the better.

“
There are no good-byes for
us, Gersthart,” Bo called softly. “Blood or not, you’re family, and
there are never good-byes for those we love, only... until thens,
hmm? So,” he saluted smartly, “you keep your troll rump warming a
seat for me, boyo, and raise that wee beastie up right. Now, I’ve a
date with fate, and I can’t be late.” Chuckling at himself, he
rapped his knuckles along the wall in quick succession. “Let us
just say, until next time.”

Bo was gone after that, disappearing
with a swirl of dusty air and a wink, leaving up and out, much the
same as the Lady had.

All that was left in the small room
was Vidi, scrubbing quickly at her eyes, Troll and myself, and
Calder, happy to wriggle around between my splayed legs, Troll’s
right next to mine, cradling us protectively.

“
If you’ll excuse me,” Vidi
murmured quietly, “I think I’ll go see Brevin now,” pausing, she
peeked at me, “if that’s alright?”

“
Of course,” giving her a
small, wan smile, I held my arms up and out, waiting for her to
make her way over and hug me back tight.

“
He’s beautiful,” she
murmured, sliding back a bit when she’d pulled herself back
together, running a hand lightly over Calder’s little grey
head.

Pride for my little one warmed my
heart instantly. “Yes, he is, isn’t he.”

“
I’ve something for you,”
she murmured, “a gift for the return of my bracelet.”

“
Oh?”

My sister-friend nodded, reaching into
a small pouch attached at her hip, holding her hand out to me,
cupping something small and metal inside my palm. I knew instantly,
as it lit up blue, magic rolling off of it in waves, exactly what
it was.

Jaw dropping, I opened my trembling
palm slowly. “Vidi? But...”

“
I named my terms,”
satisfaction filled her face, “Magda’s are null and void. Learned a
few things from your Earth Elemental friend. Quite a bit, and quite
useful.” Tapping my wrist, she winked and whispered, “Put it on,
you know you want to.”

Lifting up from the bed, nudging me
encouragingly, she went to take her leave.

I was still gaping, fish mouthed, gums
flapping uselessly, blinking down at the priceless
bauble.

“
Troll?” Vidi paused and
poked her head back around.

“
Lost one?” Troll groused
back, brows furrowed as I cupped the small locket in my
palm.

“
You hurt my
sister-friend,” she waved a sparking finger pointedly, silver dust
crackling in the air, “and they’ll never find your
body.”

Grunting, Troll wrapped his arms
around me tight, nuzzling my neck. “She’s mine, g’pra dra, pale,
lily white arse an’ all, an’ I intend ta keep her.”

“
Be still my beating
heart,” I snorted under my breath, shoulders shaking with
suppressed mirth.

Smiling, Vidi canted her head. “Close
as you’re going to get, bright eyes, I’m guessing. I’d take what I
can.” Smirking at my bonded, she nodded. “That’ll do, Troll.
That’ll do.” Eyes flashing solid green, she slipped her bracelet
back on, whole once more as it shrunk to fit her wrist, and gave me
a quick finger wave. “I’m going now, but I’ll be back.”

With a swirl of her hooded cape,
tossing it over her shoulders, she flapped the hood out, covering
her long, gleaming white hair, and strode out of sight.

We stayed like that, Troll and I,
snuggled close, his arms wrapped around me comfortingly, long after
Vidi had made off.

“
Ye’re quiet,” he muttered,
placing small, delicious kisses along my nape. Skin shivering with
small goosebumps, I sighed.

“
Mmm,” was all I could
manage at the moment.

Calder let out a small gurgle, little
legs pumping, and we both smiled down at him, both reaching out to
tickle his round little belly at the same time.

“
What ye be thinkin’
‘bout?” my bonded asked quietly, brushing his thick fingertips with
mine.

“
Everything,” I breathed,
leaning into his warmth.

Troll hunched down a little, burying
his face in my neck, fingers trailing through my hair as he brought
handfuls of it to his nose. “Missed ye,” he grumbled, inhaling
deeply.

“
Despite all that’s
happened? Despite... everything?” The worry that crept through me,
slithering up my chest, snaking around my heart, as if to constrict
the heavily thumping organ, I realized a moment too late, wasn’t
all my own.

“
Can ye love this sorry
arsed, ornery ol’ troll of yers through everythin’, despite
everythin’?”

Turning slightly, I cupped his jaw,
nuzzling along his chin. “I don’t know... why don’t you kiss me and
find out?”

Nostrils flaring, orange
eyes glowing bright, Troll’s lips were on mine instantly, taking
them possessively, plundering my mouth thoroughly as his tongue
slipped in, tangling with mine as he groaned hungrily. Hands
tangling in my hair, my arms wrapped around his neck, careful of
Calder as I twisted a little more.
Closer.
We needed closer.

Pulling back reluctantly, pecking my
lips with small, possessive kisses, my mate-husband murmured
softly, “Dinna deserve ye.”

Smiling against his lips, I was just
happy to have him back, thick skin and all. “You’ll make it up to
me, though, won’t you?”